Charvette Refurb Project

[darkmore]

Hello, I'm in the same boat, lovely Charvette 250, very questionable bridge design. After widening the plastic nut slots stability got much better, but the fine tuner's narrow black plates (with the small hole you feed the strings through as you can see the previous owner missed this hole with the G-H-e strings!) create a huge friction point and the strings keep pinging while using the fine tuners or the whammy bar. I could live with it but the whammy bar is super loose and the screw does almost nothing in the bottom of the block, maybe I will install a second screw here just like in USA strats pushin trem arms.
Yesterday I went to my local music store to buy a proper truss rod adjuster (7mm is the correct size) and unhooked the springs took of the CH-120 and put in a Gotoh floyd just to see if it fits or not. As could not install strings to it without buying the unit, just eyeballed everything I could and I think it could work, problems would be: Can it be intonated properly? String spacing would be the same? The studs barley fit to the knife edge's corner which would be actually more stable but the corner of the E6 string saddle is somewhat in the way, maybe this needs to be sanded, rounded down. I might buy this gotoh bridge from another store where they have a 14days buy back policy if the unit stays without a scratch and will try to install it. I only want to keep it if I do not have to route the body or redrill the studs, I do not want to do anything "invasive" to the guitar.

Anyway what is your plan B ?

[john.w.lawson]

Hello, I'm in the same boat, lovely Charvette 250, very questionable bridge design. After widening the plastic nut slots stability got much better, but the fine tuner's narrow black plates (with the small hole you feed the strings through as you can see the previous owner missed this hole with the G-H-e strings!) create a huge friction point and the strings keep pinging while using the fine tuners or the whammy bar. I could live with it but the whammy bar is super loose and the screw does almost nothing in the bottom of the block, maybe I will install a second screw here just like in USA strats pushin trem arms.
Yesterday I went to my local music store to buy a proper truss rod adjuster (7mm is the correct size) and unhooked the springs took of the CH-120 and put in a Gotoh floyd just to see if it fits or not. As could not install strings to it without buying the unit, just eyeballed everything I could and I think it could work, problems would be: Can it be intonated properly? String spacing would be the same? The studs barley fit to the knife edge's corner which would be actually more stable but the corner of the E6 string saddle is somewhat in the way, maybe this needs to be sanded, rounded down. I might buy this gotoh bridge from another store where they have a 14days buy back policy if the unit stays without a scratch and will try to install it. I only want to keep it if I do not have to route the body or redrill the studs, I do not want to do anything "invasive" to the guitar.

Anyway what is your plan B ?

You Can try an older edge trem Like edge 2 or 3 pretty cheap and probably close enough to work. Not that it matters, your bridge is top mounted, should you get the balls, you could pull the bushings plug them re-drill holes for a frt 1000! Trust me, it's not that hard and the guitars value would not be hurt by a little touch up paint. When your block breaks message, me those things sell for more then the charvettes are worth~ I have two of those bridges ~

[darkmore]

Thanks for the info, I do not want to route/redrill the guitar, I would rather go with the pros+cons of the old bridge, but it looks like the gotoh trem is a drop in replacement, I uploaded all the pictures here:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folde...zFMdBE27Jlos7Y

First my whammy bar is loose on the original bridge because that hook like spring thingy is broken, maybe I can replace it, than the tightening screw would actually work!

So the GOTOH trem:
1. It is in place, intonated, very stable, string placing is not 100%, the E6 has more room to the edge of the fretboard than the e1, but this difference is like sub 1mm, so it can be fixed usually with just some neck adjustment.

2. As predicted the saddles corners are hitting the studs, I may have to round them off, but I will try to use it as it is now, see if there is an inpact, or any grinding sound to be heard with high vol+gain.

3. Some parts of the cavity is uncovered, but it is not that visible thanks to the chaotic crackle/tribe paint.

4. The trem bottoms out on the G strings locking screw, it gives me a full note bend like this so it is okay for me, I would probably do a route if my Charvette was in very bad condition, but I do not want to dig in and chip out the finish.

So that is it, I installed it this morning, will test it some more during the day, but I think I will keep the Gotoh bridge and try to find a replacement springhook for the original bridge.

[Bettershredthandead]

Oh wow didn't think that this thread would get any more posts but here we are.

Hey darkmore got your message and glad to hear that your gotoh seems to be a good enough solution. I went with my plan B though.

In the meantime, has anyone every replaced the PUs in these? My next quest will be to find drop-ins to replace the stocks. Any success stories out there or recommendations?

[darkmore]

Oh wow didn't think that this thread would get any more posts but here we are.

Hey darkmore got your message and glad to hear that your gotoh seems to be a good enough solution. I went with my plan B though.

In the meantime, has anyone every replaced the PUs in these? My next quest will be to find drop-ins to replace the stocks. Any success stories out there or recommendations?

What was your plan B? :-)

I personally like the original pickups, the bridge will ripp your face off as it should, the middle singlecoil sized humbucker is an interesting choice (from factory they came with HHS) and the neck singlecoil has what it needs for cleans, bytheway I think mine was switched to HSH from previous owners, I still like it.

[Bettershredthandead]

I personally like the original pickups, the bridge will ripp your face off......

Haha, you really think its a face ripper? Well in that case I want the one that will rip your face off and then nuke it a few times afterwards. But yeah, there are like many better options out there than these things. Most of the original hardware and electronics on these almost any tech would say ruined this particular series. And its not remotely a controversial statement. I mean look at the bridges on these alone. The pickups are slightly passable. I said slightly. The very playable necks and pretty comfy bodies is where the real value in these are. Very late 80s early 90s shreddy MIJ feel. Walk into a shop and pick one of these up on the cheap and then mod away. All hardware and electronics are very much eligible for a swap out on your average Charvette.

So hows that gotoh string profile working for you on your char?

[darkmore]

Haha, you really think its a face ripper? Well in that case I want the one that will rip your face off and then nuke it a few times afterwards. But yeah, there are like many better options out there than these things. Most of the original hardware and electronics on these almost any tech would say ruined this particular series. And its not remotely a controversial statement. I mean look at the bridges on these alone. The pickups are slightly passable. I said slightly. The very playable necks and pretty comfy bodies is where the real value in these are. Very late 80s early 90s shreddy MIJ feel. Walk into a shop and pick one of these up on the cheap and then mod away. All hardware and electronics are very much eligible for a swap out on your average Charvette.

So hows that gotoh string profile working for you on your char?

I do not know man, grab a harley benton, cort, squier and mod them to oblivion, but I would not do that to a ~30years old axe. Especially if it is in a good state like yours (or mine). But this topic can go a really long way just like guitar relic...

GOTOH floyd rose:
There are tons of pros to this, over all a quality product, very sleek like an edge low pro. The bar is a screw+pushin hybrid with a tightening grab screw, very stable. You can lock the springs in the brass block with bolts, how nice is that! But there are some problems with the finish mine had a damage on the chrome finish on the E6 saddle, I could have replaced it in the store, but choose other stuffs for compensation, so I can file this saddle without second thoughts, all it took was like 5min and now the tremolo is awesome, the saddle is not hitting the stud. String placing is 98%, there is more room (probably 0.5mm max) on the E6 string side, but I will correct this with the neck, just loose the screws try to move the neck a bit without cracking the neckpocket and then tighten the neckscrews again.

I uploaded new photos from the damaged saddle and how it looks after filing it down, well it was more like rounding the edge on it.

https://drive.google.com/drive/folde...zFMdBE27Jlos7Y

Edit: fixed the neck and stringpacing to the sides, was just a quick adjustment. Also redrilled and placed a much needed string bar in the place of the trussrod cover, so I could use the old screwholes of the cover did not need to drill the headstock. This is really shitty design you have a tilt back on your headstock still your strings did not lay flush on the locking nut and NO string bar from factory, why? I tried to put the strings all the way down the tuning key to get the angle right but it was impossible for the D - G -H - e1 strings, the added stringbar fixed this.
Fixed old bridge broken hook/spring thing, just made a new one from a thick steel wire, cost me some drops of blood :-)

[Bettershredthandead]

I do not know man, grab a harley benton, cort, squier and mod them to oblivion, but I would not do that to a ~30years old axe. Especially if it is in a good state like yours (or mine). But this topic can go a really long way just like guitar relic...

Indeed it can but I just have to point out these were considered the squiers of the jackson/charvel brand during their time. Even though they're 30 years old now, they are just a looooong way from a collectors grade series. Really, if one is in good enough condition, I say go for it any way because it can handle the mods better. But really, like wise, if its in crap condition, go ahead and mod anyway. Most good techs will tell you their isn't too much you can do to really hurt a guitar per se. Unless you completely don't know what you're doing. Fixing up some of the imperfections on these and even the old Korean made BC Rich Platinum series is actually quite a big trend these days in guitar modding. I really enjoy the process these days.

Well I'm glad you got the Gotoh working good enough it sounds. I kinda figured the string profile would be off a bit but ifs its manageable and in your margin of error then go for it!

Cheers!

[Razor]

I do not know man, grab a harley benton, cort, squier and mod them to oblivion, but I would not do that to a ~30years old axe. Especially if it is in a good state like yours (or mine). But this topic can go a really long way just like guitar relic...

GOTOH floyd rose:
There are tons of pros to this, over all a quality product, very sleek like an edge low pro. The bar is a screw+pushin hybrid with a tightening grab screw, very stable. You can lock the springs in the brass block with bolts, how nice is that! But there are some problems with the finish mine had a damage on the chrome finish on the E6 saddle, I could have replaced it in the store, but choose other stuffs for compensation, so I can file this saddle without second thoughts, all it took was like 5min and now the tremolo is awesome, the saddle is not hitting the stud. String placing is 98%, there is more room (probably 0.5mm max) on the E6 string side, but I will correct this with the neck, just loose the screws try to move the neck a bit without cracking the neckpocket and then tighten the neckscrews again.

I uploaded new photos from the damaged saddle and how it looks after filing it down, well it was more like rounding the edge on it.

https://drive.google.com/drive/folde...zFMdBE27Jlos7Y

Edit: fixed the neck and stringpacing to the sides, was just a quick adjustment. Also redrilled and placed a much needed string bar in the place of the trussrod cover, so I could use the old screwholes of the cover did not need to drill the headstock. This is really shitty design you have a tilt back on your headstock still your strings did not lay flush on the locking nut and NO string bar from factory, why? I tried to put the strings all the way down the tuning key to get the angle right but it was impossible for the D - G -H - e1 strings, the added stringbar fixed this.
Fixed old bridge broken hook/spring thing, just made a new one from a thick steel wire, cost me some drops of blood :-)

Resurrecting this thread. Which Gotoh did you go with to replace the CH-120? I'm looking at a Charvette 150 with one on it, and first mod I'd do if I bought it is replace the bridge. I tried clicking on your picture link, but they're aren't any picture in there. Did you have to do anything with the trem posts? By your posts I don't get the impression that you had to.

[Razor]

Indeed it can but I just have to point out these were considered the squiers of the jackson/charvel brand during their time. Even though they're 30 years old now, they are just a looooong way from a collectors grade series. Really, if one is in good enough condition, I say go for it any way because it can handle the mods better. But really, like wise, if its in crap condition, go ahead and mod anyway. Most good techs will tell you their isn't too much you can do to really hurt a guitar per se. Unless you completely don't know what you're doing. Fixing up some of the imperfections on these and even the old Korean made BC Rich Platinum series is actually quite a big trend these days in guitar modding. I really enjoy the process these days.

Well I'm glad you got the Gotoh working good enough it sounds. I kinda figured the string profile would be off a bit but ifs its manageable and in your margin of error then go for it!

Cheers!

Also, what did you end up doing with yours? What was your "Plan B", and did it work out?

[darkmore]

Resurrecting this thread. Which Gotoh did you go with to replace the CH-120? I'm looking at a Charvette 150 with one on it, and first mod I'd do if I bought it is replace the bridge. I tried clicking on your picture link, but they're aren't any picture in there. Did you have to do anything with the trem posts? By your posts I don't get the impression that you had to.

Hi, yeah sorry pictures are gone, I used the original trem posts that were on the Charvette.
I have the GE1996T I had to round the corner of the E6 string saddle to make it fit the 70mm trem posts.

[Razor]

Hi, yeah sorry pictures are gone, I used the original trem posts that were on the Charvette.
I have the GE1996T I had to round the corner of the E6 string saddle to make it fit the 70mm trem posts.

So the post spacing on the Charvette was correct for the GE1996T? I thought they weren't close to that post spacing? Did you dowel and redrill for trem posts at the proper spacing?

[The_Crap_Factory]

I am here for this exact same thing: the bridge.
I have a pair of 250s that I am intending to Frankenstein together into one super Charvette (or at least optimal) but both of them have mangled bridges. I even managed to find a replacement on Reverb as.well as had one serendipitously donated to me, but the problem remains: the block was cast out of crap!
This was a friends childhood guitar and it has been unplayable for him for at least 25 years because of the collapsed bridge. He bought a full duplicate of the guitar with the intention of doing this himself but when the new one arrived with the same.bridge issue he just put them both under the bed and now a decade later they are here with me.
This is all a bunch of words to say I am curious about that specific Gotoh Floyd because the ones I have found all claim a 74mm post spacing and this friggin thing is def 71-72 mm. For the friends guitar, he doesn't mind anything aftermarket happening to it, but I'd rather save that energy for better pickups etc rather than routing or plugging and redrilling etc if there exists a bridge that will work with a little bit of finesse and adjustment.

[Razor]

Thanks for the info, I do not want to route/redrill the guitar, I would rather go with the pros+cons of the old bridge, but it looks like the gotoh trem is a drop in replacement, I uploaded all the pictures here:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folde...zFMdBE27Jlos7Y

First my whammy bar is loose on the original bridge because that hook like spring thingy is broken, maybe I can replace it, than the tightening screw would actually work!

So the GOTOH trem:
1. It is in place, intonated, very stable, string placing is not 100%, the E6 has more room to the edge of the fretboard than the e1, but this difference is like sub 1mm, so it can be fixed usually with just some neck adjustment.

2. As predicted the saddles corners are hitting the studs, I may have to round them off, but I will try to use it as it is now, see if there is an inpact, or any grinding sound to be heard with high vol+gain.

3. Some parts of the cavity is uncovered, but it is not that visible thanks to the chaotic crackle/tribe paint.

4. The trem bottoms out on the G strings locking screw, it gives me a full note bend like this so it is okay for me, I would probably do a route if my Charvette was in very bad condition, but I do not want to dig in and chip out the finish.

So that is it, I installed it this morning, will test it some more during the day, but I think I will keep the Gotoh bridge and try to find a replacement springhook for the original bridge.

I don't know if you readded the pictures or not. If you did thank you so much. You just pushed me over the edge to swap the bridge on the Charvette I was toying around with. I'll post pictures of my results in the thread I have on it. Thanks again for the pictures so I could see what you posted!

[Razor]

Ok. Long and short of it is that the Gotoh 1996T will work. It just barely fits, but it does fit. As mentioned the low "E" string saddle is in the way. I slid mine back all the way on the first screw. It's just barely out of the way, and my intonation is fine. My string spacing on the fretboard is fine, and I have even amounts left on each side of the low E and high E.

Thanks again to darkmore for posting his pictures. I'd been too chickenshit to try it without seeing his results. The Bendmaster trem posts are smaller diameter than the floyd posts that come with the Gotoh, so they will not interchange. I figured they wouldn't since it's the same with JT-6 posts, but I did double check to be sure. Here are a few pictures of my results.