So Mr Charvel and Mr Ibanez, in the corner for an arm wrestle !

Someone must have both?
22 frets I don't mind.
I've been onto the local shop and they don't have any Charvels which I sora expected...

This is the sort of thing I could get :
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Ibanez-RG255 ... 7675.l2557
(I messaged the guy and it eventually sold for $700 through Gumtree..nice !)

But then again, the original Charvel I listed went for $700 and that thing was gorgeous!

He with the most guitars of his brand, and a tatoo, wins!!

Seriously, sometimes I feel weird cause playing a Charvel through a Marshall in a word where people just use an Ibanez and a Mesa is like how I drive a Falcon and not a Commodore.

Am I making sense? Funny thing with Mesa amps is that overseas they are not considered very toneful, they are just expensive and available here.

Now I remember an old singer going on and on and on about another guitarists Triple Rectifier and I'm thinking "what is my Triple Super Lead here? Chopped liver?"

I am thinking I was too considerate with my volume level, keeping it at a realistic level rather than tearing everyone's head off, which I could have done. Oh well.

Marshalls suck!

Sorry, I just couldn't stop myself being a smartarse!

All my sounds came from my ADA or GT-5 anyway.

That would have been a good buy Jase. Bummer you missed it.

From some dude off youtube I messaged :

Re: Charvel Ibanez
Hi Birnie.

Tanks for writing.

I have been playing Ibanez guitars for many years now, and I just have to say that I love them!
When it comes to my Charvel, I have always been in to hot rodded strat guitars. Charvel got one of the finest necks in the market. Very easy to play and very fast without loosing any feel. All in all, it is a very good and well made guitar. So if you have the opurtunity to buy one. Don't hasitate. It is my all time favourite to the day!

I hope this can be for any help in your choise for a guitar.

Funny thing is, now the number #4 i originally listed looks a little dated to me.
The hotrod #8 i originally didn't like at all, now looks really nice....haha
Usually the things you grow to like, rather than straight away are the ones that stay.
Just like an album you hated on the first listen.

That can be true Birnie, usually if you like an album right away it won't last, but when you play it and get into it, then you notice more things and it gets better and better.

Good luck with the hunt, I know you'll get your Charvel, they are out there.

Funny. Back in late 80s I dont recall any famous guitar players using charvels. Were there any?

EVH, Warren De Martini, Steve Vai, Vivian Campbell, Gary Moore, Steve Lynch, Dweezil Zappa, George Lynch.

Those are off the top of my head. Lots of other guys used Jacksons and some of them moved to other brands, but during the 80's they were also Charvel guys.

You could argue that Adrian Smith's guitar was just a Charvel with a Jackson logo. I do like a strathead with the Jackson logo.

Adrian's first "Jackson" was a black single humbucker Charvel used in the Wasted Years film clip in '86. Bruce Kulick used them during the Animalized tour. But by the late 80's, you're probably right Dino, most would have had a Jackson build rather then a Charvel.

I forgot about Bruce, doh!!!! Bruce told us when he joined Kiss he was directed to Charvels, then he had a Jackson and then he moved to ESP.

Mostly they either stayed using a Charvel, or went on to another brand, rather than moving to Jackson.

There is a catalog showing both Adrian and Dave with Jackson strats. In the "all custom" 80's I think anybody could have specced a Charvel out and then asked for a Jackson logo, which I'm guessing Adrian did.

I think it was last decade, a guy on the JCF ordered what was essentially a Soloist with a Charvel logo, so anything was possible.

Yeah Dave's main guitar '90-'95 was a red Jackson Floyded Strat with a HSH setup. He had ESPs with the same setup too. I guess Fender buying out Jackson changed things. Dave doesn't even use his signature " '57 " Fender HSH setup live'? He uses a 22 fret Floyded HSS or SSS setup Fender. Though techniquely, those S pickups are are humbuckers. Adrian used the same HSS Fender live when he rejoined IM. Now he uses a bunch of Jacksons including his sig model. Yanick still uses his old busted arse Strats though!

I am talking 1988 to 1990. Non of those guys were using charvel then were they?

I know early to mid 80s. When I bought my only charvel in 88 I didnt know of anyone in 88 using charvel.

Warren, Dweezil and Steve Lynch maybe in 88. Warren never stopped using them, he's one of the good guys.

Don't forget they killed the brand in 86 when they took it to Japan. Still made great guitars but it has caused a lot of confusion and brand dilution. So after 86 they made Jackson bolt-ons instead of Charvels in the USA, and Charvels were all imports. Good ones though, better than todays stuff.

Then of course they outsourced some Jacksons to Japan, which were great, great guitars, but it started the dilution and confusion of the Jackson brand.

That's why ESP and LTD, PRS and PRS SE make sense. Keep the real name for the original, high quality product, don't make the same named product overseas and sell them side by side. To the untrained eye they seem the same so the brand suffers.

Enough of my ranting, lol.

Yeah in late 80s charvel was kind of treated as low end jacksons even though some were better.

Now this is a question. Did anyone play the jackson style charvel logo charvels? Something is telling me alexi masi?

The original ones were great and the import ones were great for the price and are well regarded today.

Shawn Lane used a 750XL, which had the toothpaste logo as it was called. There were some guys in the catalog, like maybe Fates Warning, who were shown with those kinds of Charvels. Same with Savatage.

oh yeah Savatage. Saw them live in 1990. pretty good actually. They opened for TESTAMENT and NEUCLEAR ASSULT. Pretty hardcore moshing that gave up a little for Savatage thankfully. I hated those mosh pits to be honest.

Savatage. Very good prog metal band. Criss Oliva was a tasty guitarist. R.I.P. Only real problem they had was having Jon Oliva do the singing! Urgh! Much better band with Zach Stevens singing. Chris' last album (and Zach's first) Edge of Thorns and the next album with Alex Skolnick, Handful of Rain, are fantastic.

Alex skonick joined savatage? ? Missed that. Must have struck a friendship on the 1990 tour.
Weird thing I remember was testament singer was working the mixing desk for both neuclear assault and savatage before he went on with testament.

Yeah, he did the Handful of Rain album and tour.......and then left! A full concert was released on vhs in '95 featuring Alex. (vhs....lol)

Note: Jon Oliva plays left handed but with it strung as a righty!!! Guess Criss wouldn't let him change the strings over when they were growing up!

[youtube][/youtube]

OK !

I've finally done it!
(about fuckin time I hear?)
Yes, a long time coming

Took the plunge into the unknown and bought the Charvel Wildcard #8 Hotrod shown earlier on.
It just kept growing on me until i loved it!

It was passed in on ebay at $650 buy it now, with no bids.
I asked through ebay if he would consider relisting when my funds were together to which he said yes
excellent.....
Just as I was about to message him and say i was ready (a few weeks later) he sent me a message to say he'd been playing it all week and now wanted to keep it.
Dam it!

Another couple of weeks pass and i've got the cash and no guitar.
Send a cheeky message sugesting he must be sick of it by now and wants to sell again.
That did the trick
Couple of phone calls and messages.
....It is now in my hands!
Very nice guitar indeed

His son was spewing !
He loved it, but plays the drums lol

Only played it a little so far but the feel of the neck is so nice!
Very smooth woody fealing compared to my cheapie Ibz that is very, umm, over varnished/sticky?

Still out of tune, needs action raised a little and some other little things.
Looks brand spanking new !

About to upload some pics

Thanks for the advice peeps!
and no Vic, i'm not getting a Charvel tat

Ah, stop it!!!! You're making me wish I had bought it!!!!!!!!!!!

Very, very, very nice Jase. Flames, you know that I like the flames.

Congratulations, and yes, about time too!

Just drill a little pilot hole to install the allen keys behind the headstock and they'll always be there when you need them.

Sweet guitar!

Happy birthday indeed, and I am still waiting on that tat. Maybe after you get a few more Charvels!!

Mmmmmmm shiny! Does indeed look to be in mint nick! Lovely!

Congrats Jase !
The Dunlop 2.0 shiny purple beveled picks are one of my favorites to use.
At one point, it was the only pick I liked.
Now, I'm less picky.

2mm pick! That's a thick one!

Jase with ghost flames =

Bom bom Rickster ! Noice
Yes, i do like that pic on the electrics.
I prefer thinner on the acoustic electric, around the 1mm.

Yes Kev, I did a full turn around on that one hey?!
I love the look !
Sometimes I sneak downstairs and open the case and do a Homer drool, then back upstairs with out even removing it from the case

How has the Charvel been going Jase?

Spends all it's time in it's bloody case!
I don't like leaving it out with the girls around.
My old Ibz I don't care about so it's out in the living room.
I've just recently borrowed a Roland Cube 20 which has fantastic sound for it's size.
....but still, when I get a chance, i just pick up the steel string acoustic and bash out a bit on that.
It's just easier and I only play in 5 minute bursts these days.

This is the longest birthday in history!

birnie wrote:Spends all it's time in it's bloody case!
I don't like leaving it out with the girls around.
My old Ibz I don't care about so it's out in the living room.
I've just recently borrowed a Roland Cube 20 which has fantastic sound for it's size.
....but still, when I get a chance, i just pick up the steel string acoustic and bash out a bit on that.
It's just easier and I only play in 5 minute bursts these days.

Sadly, this is me too. Grab a guitar for 5 minutes or so and then don't touch one again for 3 or 5 days at a time. It is no way to maintain any chops let alone improve them in my case

Beautiful guitar Jase

Oh no Jase. I know what you mean though. I play electrics unamplified all the time, I don't worry about having an amp always handy.

The Roland's are pretty cool though.

Thanks Kev

I'm still over the moon to own it.
...and I still check ebay cause I just like to look.

I had a good bash for about 20 mins on the Ibz today.
Soooooo out of practice, but fun punching it through the amp with no one around.

Playing lead on the acoustic feels more natural now......ugh

Ok Jase, it's been a while, how has this bad boy been treating you?

Hey Vic,

I just went through and re-read my posts.
Still the same situation.
Lives in the case.
The little Cube20 was returned.
My old amp is unreliable, crackly and big.....so I still play the acoustic/electic unplugged, but the plain G string is just awesome so it's close to an electric feel.
It's been moved downstairs too, in it's case.

I've ordered some wall hangers but still, i don't trust my 3.5yr and 5 yr old daughters.
It's just too nice to be out.
Even on the wall, i'm sure i'll come home and find it covered in paint, just like our carpet received about 2 years ago. Red too which the wife loved...NOT !

The plan is, to.....ONE DAY !!!...get one of those Yamaha THR5 or THR10
Great to fit on a shelf and are just gorgeous! Reasonably functional and with USB connection for recording.
Something I've never done
Set my self up in a corner somewhere with a laptop/amp on a shelf with a bar stool.
Have my geets nearby, even if in the cases and have a place FOR ME FOR FUCKS SAKE !
THEN I'll get some use out of it.

But yeah, it really is a nice guitar to play and look at.
Still prefer Ibz necks but don't want to be 100% locked in.
I'll get a Brian May red special one day and that'll be wider again!

If we ever get around to another meet n great, i'll bring it along for you

Mine all live in the case, it's a good place for them to be.

Try and take it out and play it unplugged instead of the acoustic maybe?

Vic in general not specifically where do you store the cases for your number of guitars where you can get to them easily and they are not in the way? You know what my deal is and unlike you I don't have a case for every guitar that I have but I still have a bunch of cases and frankly before they were relocated to their new storage home they were really in the way and took up a bunch of space. (A big closet?)

Two or three wall hangers and the rest in cases/bags. I make them turn after one or two weeks. I must admit it is hard to put them back in the case sometimes...

Sounds good.
i've ordered two cheap shit ones off ebay
i'll start with ye olde Ibanez....give it a few weeks and swap around.

birnie wrote:Hey Vic,


Still prefer Ibz necks

That's my boy!!!

Slayer wrote:Vic in general not specifically where do you store the cases for your number of guitars where you can get to them easily and they are not in the way? You know what my deal is and unlike you I don't have a case for every guitar that I have but I still have a bunch of cases and frankly before they were relocated to their new storage home they were really in the way and took up a bunch of space. (A big closet?)

I have the majority of them in a room that's becoming more overrun with my RC stuff.

My biggest issue at times is working out which guitar is in the case for the ones that have the same case, a G&G or Charvel one usually.

As you may recall, I must have the original case, though for the Charvel CX291 Strathead I have a very nice G&G style case I found which satisfied my OCD.

shramiac wrote:

birnie wrote:Hey Vic,


Still prefer Ibz necks

That's my boy!!! [emoji14] [emoji14] [emoji14]

I am going to be physically ill!!

There's a nice, in pretty good nick '97 "burnt green" JEM on Oz ebay now. He says to check out his youtube channel "axewanka"......DON'T do it! You'll end up crying! Man he can play!

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Ibanez-JEM7B ... 4633f5e272


Ahhhh eff it....here's one of his vids .....

[youtube][/youtube]

I'm really not a fan of the handle
To me it's a real ugly scar on the guitar.
Each to their own I guess...

I actually dig the handle, but not that horrible green version of the Jem.

Genebaby wrote:

Slayer wrote:Vic in general not specifically where do you store the cases for your number of guitars where you can get to them easily and they are not in the way? You know what my deal is and unlike you I don't have a case for every guitar that I have but I still have a bunch of cases and frankly before they were relocated to their new storage home they were really in the way and took up a bunch of space. (A big closet?)

I have the majority of them in a room that's becoming more overrun with my RC stuff.

My biggest issue at times is working out which guitar is in the case for the ones that have the same case, a G&G or Charvel one usually.

As you may recall, I must have the original case, though for the Charvel CX291 Strathead I have a very nice G&G style case I found which satisfied my OCD.

LMAO!
Thank you for clearing that up brother!