I picked this up from a Youtuber I follow - a guy named Shane who runs the InTheBlues channel. If you're a lefty you probably know it as he only does l/h guitars over in Aussie. Cool guy. This is the exact guitar from his video which left the box for the duration and then returned. Basically brand new besides him playing it, the plastic is still on the covers.
There's some cool things to talk about but the summary is that Charvel are absolutely killing it with these models. I'm not sure if there's better bang for buck out there (these are around $999 USD, although we get bummed in NZ so buy overseas and ship) as I can't see where they've skimped except the lack of a hard case and own brand tuners. The fit and finish is right up there, the stock appointments are very good albeit not to my own preference, the neck shape is very comfy and everything is done very well... I wondered that since this was destined for a YouTube review for a 200k+ subs channel did they pull this one out and give it some extra TLC or is this representative of an off-the-shelf model? Who knows.
Feature set
- 24 jumbo frets
12-16" radius
roasted maple neck and board
alder body
HH layout
Gotoh 510 bridge with a recess
Seymour Duncan Full shred bridge, Alnico II Pro in the neck
Master Vol, Master no-load tone pot (removed from circuit when at 10)
Series/Parallel switch - a real nice surprise
5 way switch
Massive strap buttons (I don't know why these aren't standard)
Tusq nut
Very nicely rolled edges
Luminlay side dots (they glow in the dark)
Exceptionally comfy handshake (where body meets neck)
Crazy output jack location
Spoke wheel thing:
The Gotoh 510 is a really nice unit. I think the 510 is Gotoh's top of the range models. You can flutter and do 90% of Floyd things with this if you're into that, or the more subtle stuff which I like (no divebombs here).
Here's the carve at the heel. It's great:
Since Fender now own them, they're made at the Fender factories (which also means the electronics are Fender spec like CTS, CTL etc). Fender love a sticker. I had to remove the obnoxious "This headstock shape is licensed by Fender" sticker from there. Unnecessary.
Big strap buttons and glowy side dots:
I'm impressed. The spec sheet is top tier. It plays great, the neck isn't Ibanez thin and is more D than C but the rolled edges make it far more comfortable than otherwise. I'm not a huge lover of the bridge pickup, I don't shred much, and I'm not very precise or fast, and this much clarity is daunting. It's a bit too intensely bright for my jams, but I think that can also be explained by the no load tone pot. Speaking of which:
I've never had a tone pot as responsive as this where the entire range is usable. I saw that mentioned on reviews before I got this and they were right, it's what a tone control should be but rarely is.
The Parallel/Series switch (exclusive on this model) is an eye opener. I thought it was a coil tap, but it does way more than that.
Here's the options:
TO my ears, Parallel is softer, rounder, more 'bloom', a little fuller whereas series is tighter, growlier, brighter.
And yes it'll quack in 2 and 4. In the middle position you can have all 4 coils wired in series. That's fun. 10 options in total.
That's about it. I've only had it 2 days and am getting to know it but right out the box I'm impressed with what Charvel give you and how good they make it play.
TL;DR: A easy-playing mix of modern and classic, somewhere between an 80s shredder and a strat with some thoughtful appointments.
I wish it was 1960 seafoam green.
