Charvel Model 3

I found this guitar on E-Bay.
I paid approx. $200!
I used to play a Jackson guitar in the
1980's.
I missed the trademark Charvel tone and feel.

I love the alder body.
The bridge position pickup is one of the best that I've heard.
The jumbo frets add weight to the fretboard.
The sharkfin headstock seperates it from the crowd.
This guitar is heavy, in tone and in lbs.
But that's the way that I like it!

I wouldn't recommend this guitar for
mellow styles of music.
This is a hard rock axe!
It took me a week to set it up.
However, now that it's ready to play,
I love it.

The guitar is well put together.
It has some "battle scars."
Charvel builds them to last.
As mentioned, some refurbishing and fine tuning and it's as good as new!

The new line of Charvels are pricey.
That's why I recommend buying used.
You might want to look into Jackson as well.
They are priced moderately and are comparible in quality.

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

The guitar was made in Japonen 1987 (although it is engraved "Fort Woth Texas" plate on the handle) It has a locking vibrato T6 Jackson licensed Floyd Rose. The body is basswood, the neck very flat and very pronounced u in maple with a rosewood fingerboard. The benchmark consists of round spots and not the famous shark teeth of the brand. The head is trianguliare but not reversed, the mechanics are Jackson SG38-06 oil bath. Three microphones, two simple plots apprentice, a double with a plastic cover of the blocks, a 5 position selector strat type, volume 1 tone. It is bright red!

UTILIZATION

The neck is thin and fast, the classic Start shape with chamfers, access is standartd acute (22 cases). For sound there are two different guitars: the double ring metal jackson 80/90 very specific beacoup sustain very rich (an exmple, the solo of this piece are made with dual http://www.riffworld. com / Members / chavilbus / promised)
On simple, they look like tex mex fender, it sounds very warm and blues (given the odd shape). I find the grave excellent for SRV (eg http://www.riffworld.com/Members/chavilbus/goingtodallas or http://www.riffworld.com/Members/chavilbus/alleycatfastblues
For intermediate positions, it's clean and classic strat slamming (I did change the position for only two double coil that connect with the micro environment. I find the sound of these mics excellent but Jackson 's estaffaire taste

SOUNDS

As mentioned above there are two types of sounds: the double sounds saturated (in the clear is acid and ugly and it is not made for it) great for riffs and solos on the flights or Marshall a Mesa, for the simple is a very good Start (vintage and with a fairly good level of output) for the blues (with a tube screamer is great), but also for funky rhythm or clear harpèges (especially the intermediate positions)

OVERALL OPINION

I have over 20 years. I play it often enough to use a home studio, as stratum or more rarely to rock (in general I prefer the double of my hottest Lespaul for music as I did). I hesitate to sell it for a gain strat mexico but I am attached. In addition it's very good Japanese stringed 1980s, probably difficult to have both now in the range of ridiculous price when I bought it.