Charvel 3B

1987 Charvel 3B, Neck through, Black finish, Black hardware.. reshaped P-Bass body, huge Charvel headstock, Jackson top load bridge, heavy heartshaped tuners (probably Gotohs), JE-2000 active preamp, Jackson P/J pickups, Rosewood fretboard, Jumbo frets, MOP dot markers, 34" scale, wide/thin Charvel neck profile.. Maple neck, poplar wings..

i bought this in a local guitar shop (Texas Music Emporium in Houston), it was sitting in the back of the shop.. i was looking for a bass that day, and this one was marked $175.00.. i just about soiled myself, i immediately bought it, without question.. it has been my prize for the last couple of years.. it needed a setup, and the electronics was a soup of wires.. after the setup and making the electronics work, i've played it constantly..

i love this bass.. it's heavy, thick and concussive.. i'm using a GK400RB with it.. it's like great P Bass on 'roids.. wow.. with new steel roundwounds on it, it's has the tone of a grand piano.. massive..

although, when i first got it the electronics were pretty bad off.. too many hands had been in the cavity, too many times.. on low notes, there was a buzzy distortion.. it was clipping.. i solved this problem by installing another battery, and running it at 18 volts.. i played it like this for about 1.5 years..

recently, i pulled all the electronics, copper shielded the control cavity, and both pickup cavities.. rewired, resoldered all joints, new output jack.. used caig deoxit on the pots.. rerouted the wires, zip tied all wires into a clean bundle.. installed 2 new battery clips.. shielded cavity plate..

with this done, it is completely silent.. i can stand directly infront of my cabs, full volume.. with effects on.. gain up.. and it's SILENT..

amazingly clear, authoritative bass tones.. i'd put my Charvel up against any bass for tone..

the thing that gets me, is that there isn't a mids selector on the preamp.. it's a two band.. treble and bass.. at 9v they give a +12dB boost, at 18v it's +16dB.. a big difference in gain.. if this had a mid selector, it would be the total deal.. but, it's fine where it's at..

controls are simple.. 3 way toggle.. volume.. treble.. bass.. that's it.. adjust them to what you need/want.. one of the knobs was a current import replacement, i bought a vintage Charvel knob from Fretsonthenet.com, Dave was great about finding me the exact knob that would match the knurling on the other two knobs.. and for 7 bucks shipped, it was a good price.. try to find a Japanese Charvel knob in black that isn't corroded.. ;)

i'm so happy with this bass, that i am actively looking for another one, that is in similar shape.. which is pretty good for a 20 year old bass..

what a great instrument..

it needed a setup.. the truss rod needed some lubricant to turn freely.. the truss rod adjustment is a cap nut, not an hex keyed rod.. this arrangement is like vintage Gibsons.. the problem with this is that you can strip out the brass cap nut, or if it's been replaced with a steel nut, strip the threads off the truss rod.. adjustments must be small increments..

the neck with minimal compression gave a good relief, and there is a good ramp angle at the end of the fretboard.. i did have to clean up the bridge of the grime and crud it had from all those years.. but a toothbrush and WD40 helped in that..

the tuners were in good condition, athough someone had changed one of the gear screws with a flat head screw.. after some searching at the local hardware store, i found a good replacement, and replaced all the gear screws.. during this, i disassembled the tuners and cleaned them also.. i need to find those little white nylon washers/spacers on the tuner itself..

the fretboard was dry.. real dry.. i used pure orange oil without any petroleum distillates in it.. (look in your local health food store/section) i let it soak in, until the board was much darker and i could not wipe away any excess.. the color and grain of the board came out and was really nice..

i leveled/crowned the frets.. a quick polish with nevrdull made them look like i had refretted the bass..

the nut is the black nylon/plastic one that came on it.. it's slots are for a .105-.45 set.. eventually i will replace this with either bone, or brass..

the finish is what you would expect a 20 year old bass that has been played.. it has nicks, dings, scratches.. i've taken care of most of the superficial scratches with compound/polish.. the tip of the headstock is "tipped".. it's chipped like all old pointies..

after reintonation, saddle height adjustment and pickup height adjustment, this bass is easy to play, has a fast action and does not buzz, unless you beat on it..

it's great..

it has lasted for 20 years.. if care is taken, it should last as long as any other stringed instrument.. i solved the strap pin problem with a set of schaller strap locks.. although i did have to drill out the holes and dowel it to prevent the screws from pulling out..

i would gig this bass non-stop..

my previous dealing with Jackson have been great.. Charvel/Jackson have been bought by Fender.. i would expect the same level of service that you would get from Fender.. i've not dealt with Fender..

this bass is great.. buy one if you can.. i would replace it, if it were stolen.. but that would be hard, since it's almost always in my hands.. i love it..

The bass is decked out! Neck-through, jumbo frets, huge-ass pointy headstock (not on newer models btw), open tuners, and nice sturdy jackson brige. I customized mine with active EMG P/J pickups which really make this monster roar especially through big rigs. The controls are tone/volume/volume with the tone and the bottom. There is a three-way pick-up selector switch but mine doesnt work because I replaced the electronics. I give it a 10 because this baby is truly straight from the Original Hot-rod guitar company known for making the coolest and best basses/guitars anywhere in the world. With that in mind, the features of this bass are impeccable to my tastes and anybody else who wants to look awesome on stage, not to mention the playability!

Some people have said that the stock pickups suck on these basses but I can tell you that they aren't really too different from EMGs because I have used both in this exact bass! BUT EMGs cannot be topped for the fullness/richness of sound. Not to mention they cut through anything! I play in a thrash metal band with two guitarists: one with a 300 watt half-stack and the other with 120 tubed. I immediately noticed with the same exact rig as before that this bass has some serious bottom end that is uncrushable by any excessively loud guitar player. Especially now with the EMGs, the hugeness of the sound is maximized. It's just a classic instrument with monster tone! Whisper quiet through anything and don't even worry a sec about getting the tone you want because it's there! This bass can really rumble, its pretty loud even when it's not plugged in! NOt only do I play in a metal band, but also a Jazz ensemble, and a praise band. Anywhere I take this thing, it fits perfectly with the sound from the beginning so all you have to do is play and not worry about the bass at all! I have used it in the studio as well as the stage and it's amazing for both. I use a Carvin R1000 through a SWR Workingpro 4x10 and a Hartke 2x15. I also use a BBE Sonic Maximizer. The Charv works perfectly with a Sonic Maximizer because it really lets the full power of this bass to be released. I have also used it in various other amps. Any amp, any situation, this is my baby. I use it for everything and there are at least 5 other basses in my house!

This thing is a tank! I have put it through quite a lot of beating and the finish is invincible! You would need a sledge-hammer do really make a dent because I have never dent it at all in a whole year of using it non-stop. My other bass, an ESP/LTD was used for about the same amount of time non-stop and its pretty beat-to-hell. The bridge, tuners, knobs, etc. are very durable, no problems at all. No noticible flaws at all on the neck. The action is good, not amazing but despite that, it plays extremely well. A little buzz, but I really havent touched it ever since I got it ad I think it might need some adjustment. I mean it is 17 years old! Because of that, I'm still giving it 10 because if it plays that after 17 years of not being adjusted, it must have been phenomenal when it was first purchased. Hmmmmm..maybe I should go do that...

As I have already stated, the paint is like a car's. It is very hard to any sort of mark on it at all! It could take as many gigs as you want it to and everything is solid. I replaced the strap buttons with Dunlop straplocks but the stock buttons seemed pretty nice actually. I would recommend straplocks for any bass/guitar because there is no comparison for the security they give you. $15 for straplocks is worth it when you love your instrument! I definately gig this without a backup and I have before but just make sure your battery is new/not old. I give a ten because the baby is solid

I got it on EBay so I didnt really deal with anybody about a warranty. No opinion because I have never had to call them. Never have dealt with them because I've never had a problem!

I have been playing for 4 years and I can't believe how lucky I was to get this bass. I would strongly recommend it for anybody who wants a real classic comparable to the best. I would definetely get another one if I lost this one because it is my main intrument and it has become part of my stage presence. I love everything about it and I have no complaints. I am currently hunting for a new bass with the budget around $1000 and it has been extremely difficult to hunt up anything as cool and as great sounding as this beast.I would only not recommend this bass for people who have tiny hands because the neck isn't exactly an ibanez although it is pretty thin and I would also nto recommend this bass for beginners or people that play very soft because in order to really make this thing sing, you gotta know how to tame it and use the tone to your own advantage. I give a ten because I have been through many many guitar stores many many times and only a few basses have ever come close to this one and those at least over a thousand!

This is a Japanese bass: not sure of the year (between 1986-89), set-in neck, 21 frets, Active pups, light coloured rosewood fingerboard with your factodestandard pearloid inlays. Vintage white/classic white/cream body. 3 way toggle pickup switch, active knob, and tone knob. P/J pup config with black Jackson covers. Pbass body with what a unique thin neck (i.e. the famous Charvel neck). No pickguard, or course. Knockoff Badass bridge that the strings go thru (like a Jbass). Has black heart shaped tuners, thick and rigid. They aren't anything like those ugly clover shaped tuners.

Ridiculously large Charvel headstock... it looks like an exactoknife on steroids. This headstock can actually do some damage.

The neck is the highlight. Set in, laquered, and superthin. It honestly does not 'feel' like im holding it; I just play.

I own a Charvel Model 6 guitar in the same colour, and this one is bass-ically the Model 6's bass counterpart. Both guitars have a SUPER! smoky neck pickup (think Roadhouse Blues) and an ultra-hot bridge pickup.

I really love the superdistinct sound of this bass. The neck (Pbass) pickup is ultra ultra smoky, and IMO nails Duff's tone (of GNR and Velvet Revolver) exactly when playing with a pick. When using your fingers, it is very bassy and thick.

The bridge (Jbass) pickup is very twangy, and I can't really find a practical use for it... I think it's only purpose is to fill out the middle pickup setting, which uses both pickups.

That setting is the best of them all... a perfect combination of highs, lows, and mids. The active controls lets you shape your tone the way you want to, but I would rather have had the dual tone knobs and no selector switch of a Jbass. Customizable sound, but not THAT customizable.

1 mark off because my bass's bridge pickup has some sort of wiring error with the active electronics. When I stand close to an amp, the pup emits some NASTY 60 cycle hum. When I stand far away or kill the active boost, it goes away. It's a unique problem and most other 3Bs dont have this problem. I took it to get repaired, and the guy said nothing was wrong, it's just that the pup is sensitive... I don't believe him.

I bought this bass used, and it was beaten up. How the previous owner managed to do so is beyond me, because this thing is rock solid. This bass can take more damage than it can inflict, and judging by that headstock, it's A LOT. Everything is high quality and well built.

I love the sparkly vintage white finish, it's my favourite colour. When I saw it I knew it would be mine.

The only gripe I have about this bass is that the Pbass pup is inverted... which means when I rest my finger on it to play, its closer to the bridge than it normally would be on a normal Pbass. I can't really fault it, it's just personal preference.

Oh, this bass weighs a tonne. It is very very heavy. Thats +1 in my book, because now I get a workout when playing!

This bass is a tank. It will last forever. 'Nuff said.

Not there. Nowhere to be found. Shite.

This is my main bass. I also use a Jbass, but I prefer this one's tone. The construction and look of this bass cannot compare, this one is just so good. The faults simply cannot bring down it's value, but I will admit I got this one as a steal. If you can find one in perfect working order, it is worth any amount. The colour, construction, neck, and unique sound make this bass a real winner.

I bought this 3B in 1990 from new in the UK. List was #699 and I got it for #510. It's dark metallic blue. I wanted a thru neck for playing rock/pop and as I don't like fat necks this was ideal, although it does flatten out somewhat towards the body. Nothing like a large as a Fender though. The active electronics are good, though I've been meaning to replace the pickup switch with a variable balance control for the last 14 years! The finish is fantastic and aids large movemnets up and down the neck, especially as the edges of the fretboard are nicely rounded. It has the original Jackson pickups and sounds great through my Trace Elliot Series 6 amp.
Industrially heavy is my only real complaint. Get your guitarist to carry it, it looks cooler than his toy guitar anyway.

I'm not exactly the most dextrous and have small fingers. I play a kind of Noel Redding meets Jace Bruce style and this bass has every tone I could hope for. It has fat bass and snappy highs and actually needs quite a lot of treble cut when recording. It is great for dropping in open strings and those high to low slides.

Other than a small mark under the varnish on the side of the fretboard, it's emaculate. Been very tough. My only compliant is that the shark fin head is easy to catch on stuff and is forever requiring yet more nail varnish from my girlfriend. The action is barkingly low, as I play with 40, 60, 80, 100 strings and like to get them just above the buzz this is ideal. Intonation is fantastic. There is however practically no adjustmnet in the truss rod - the neck is either flat or bowed up or the truss rod is a-flapping. I also had troble with the straplocks undoing themselves and the battery for the active electronics had to be moved as it actually vibrated on the cover over the electronics...but I love it anyway. The tuning pegs are a delight,fat and well geared.

I've gigged this bass for fourteen years, with barely a mark. The shark fin head has almost been put through a ceiling (twice) and still looks great! The frets have lasted well and it really doesn't look it's age. I've seen five year old fenders that look like they were made from 1940s wooden school desks. This still looks like a Ferrari. As meantionsed the strap buttons are good but one did undo - solve with a bit of wood glue.

The truss rod has been adjusted twice (once for changing from standard to medum strings and once when the action went very low). I found the nut on the truss rod needed thread lock to stop it from vibrating undone. I use it on gigs without backup and have never had a string break. Still it's ultra low maintenance bar some cleaning and restringing.

Never had to get anything done to this but I must say the Charvel info on the web is next to non-existant.

I've been playing for twenty years - bout time I got some sleep! The shop weren't that helpful - you must try before you buy and they nerly gave me a different bass from the one I'd tried. I wish that I had had the oportunity to try it with my own amp before hand, luckily I knew exactly what I wanted. I would probably buy a yamaha, wal or warwick if this went, I tried a Fender J at the same time and was not impressed.

I love this bass, we are old buddies and it does everything from Blink182, Coldplay, Bowie, Beatles to ZZTop and just sounds great.

mine is an '87 from Japan. it has 21 JUMBO frets and is a 4 stringer.
active EMG's in P/J configuration, controls are volume, tone, pickup blend, and "active circuit blend" the knobs are rubber and i guess factory. pointy headstock has the Charvel guitar logo with "made by Jackson/Charvel" under it. rosewood fingerboard has serial # after last fret. neck-through body. P-bass style body is heavy, but bass is so well-balanced that it doesn't feel heavy (ok, maybe towards end of last set you start to notice) either standing or sitting. Jackson bridge can be strung either top or thru-body (this one isn't drilled out)
finish is very durable......bass was on a guitar stand on floor when we had a flood several years ago. nasty, funky water level reached the neck pickups, and water receded about a day later. bass finish had split/ separated from wood in several sections but NONE was missing (I squeezed superglue in/under cracks to reattach finish to wood). it was about 6 months later when I stumbled upon it (it smelled BAD) I got it cheap because owners had got insurance $ and he decided it was ruined.
I cleaned on it about 6-7 hours till it didn't stink any more. popped in a fresh 9 volt, AND IT PLAYED!!!!!!!
tone pot died about 3-4 months later is only negative comment from me but it sounds sweet anyway. bass has played MANY gigs without a problem,EVER.

i play blues-rock-country-jazz-reggae thru a Fender Dual Showman.
granted, no tone control limits range, but the tone is still SWEET.

I have used this bass without backup (besides extra battery) for 3 years.

I feel lucky to have found this bass, i'd replace with same if neccesary!
for 75 bucks, it's value is off the charts.

1988 Charvel B3 bass. Firecrackle finish on this bad boy. Was originally a stage backup bass for Rex Brown of Pantera (so I was told) back when he played Jackson/Charvel basses before switching over to Spectors. 21 solid frets. This thing has so much laquer on it you could drill for a good hour into it and never even reach the finish. Beautiful bass, nobody's seen anything like it, especially in today's "music" world. Jackson bridge and tuners that hold your strings in for hours of music enjoyment. I replaced the original pickups P/J setup w/ EMG's about 2 years ago, and it's a totally different bass. Rosewood fingerboard. Neck through, and will out-sustain ANY bass on the planet. Try me. Passive electronics too. Came with Straplocks amazingly.

I've played everything from learning my first slap bass line from Primus' "Damn Blue-Collar Tweekers" to "Texas Flood" and everything in between. CANNOT beat the sound. This is the most amazing bass in the entire world. In my current band I've gone back to playing with a pick in drop D and it sounds amazing. Blows my guitarist and drummer away every time. Never noisy, always quiet and smooth. Does lack some highs, but come on, it's an 80's rock and roll bass, not a Warwick (of which I have and can't stand) but not really built to the specs of an aggressive slap-style player. But it does what bass was made for, and that's be the huge sound in the back making your band move. Doesn't really record all that well, but live you can't beat it.

Barely even used when I got it, which was surprising considering it was over 10 years old. Not a chip or nick on it. Signed by Rex Brown of Pantera on the back, but this is MY instrument to make famous, so I took all of that mess off. The feel on this instument is very much like a Gibson T-bird, (which is the reason I'm buying one of those), round neck, action set to perfect, and the feel can't be compared to anything. The fastest neck on the planet, flat out, and believe me b/c I've tried it all. Nuts have no buzz and the frets are in perfect condition. Finish is unbelievable like I said earlier. Firecrackle orange. Amazing to play on a Sunday morning in church. :) The reactions I get...

I've played this bass 3 days a week for almost 2 1/2 yrs now and have never had problems. Never wigged out on me, was always my amp or cab or something, rock solid bass. Never have adjusted truss rod, only the action a little bit for recording and playing live. Never have needed a backup, and hardly ever use one. Finish will last through a nuclear explosion. What every bass should be modeled after, as far as construction goes.

N/A

Been playing since 14, started out w/ a Peavey and bought this 7 mo. later and haven't put it down. I always come back to 4 string. I used an Ampeg SVT-III w/ MESA/Boogie 2x15 and MESA/Boogie 2x10 cabs and multiple effects over the years, and now go through BBE Sonic Maximizer, Eden WT-500, and an Ampeg SVT Class 4x10 cab, and still get my great sound. Works with every amp, combo, rack I've ever plugged into. I thought about buying a purple Rick, but a simple guitar like that can't compare to the flat out character of this bass, much less the sound, playability, etc.. Only thing I want to do is put a 4 string bass tremolo, but don't want to risk screwing it up, so we'll see. Greatest bass I've ever played and will ever have.

This is an 89 Charvel Bass, witht the pointy headstock. The active electronics are a nice feature to have, i dont have to get up and change the settings on the amp.I can change the settings with the active electronics. it has big tuners too. Its a P & J combination and thats a good feature to have, i can basically make this thing sound like whatever i want if i work at it.

Playing everything, this instrument is well-suited for it. Can be played with or without a pick, and has a great tone with no noise. The active electronics do give it more punch at low volumes than any passive bass I've ever owned. The sound is very full, with a rumbling low end and clear, bell-like highs.

I reguraly maintain/ set up the bass myself and i have never had any problems at all with it. The gloss finish is perfect.
The action very fast. The best bass i ever try...

This bass has lasted me 10 years of abuse already, and it is pro built. It has a really solid feel. The neck is very rigid.

none

I'd recommed this bass for any style of playing. It sounds great in all these conditions. They can be picked up for a good price if you look around enough, and this is one of the best. The value is unbeatable. All an all the Charvels' are awesome basses.

Made in 89(small Charvel "guitar" logo) in Japan. This is a 4-string neck-thru model with Jackson P/J pickups and the Jackson JE-2000 active electronics system. Controls are volume, bass , treble and pickup selector. The fretboard have 22 frets and generic dot inlays. Big tuners on a headstock. The body is poplar with a very nice red finish. I am very pleased with the features on this bass.

These instrument is well-suited for all music style. Great tone with no noise.The active electronics do give it more punch at low volumes than any passive bass I've ever owned. The sound is very full, with a rumbling low end and clear, bell-like highs.

I maintain the bass myself and i have never had any problems at all with it. The action hare very fast. The finish is perfect.
Very strong neck.

This bass has lasted me 10 years of abuse already. It never needs any adjustments at all. It has a really solid feel. Superior construction.

This is as good as USA-made instruments that are much more expensive, and far better than a lot of current bass offerings.
I've played Jackson/Charvel neck-thru guitars, and this plays just as well. It's a joy to play, and sounds great.

This is an 89 Charvel Bass, it has the pointy headstock that everyone has been talkin about and yeah, its pretty big too, but its pretty cool lookin! the active electronics are a nice feature to have, i dont have to get up and change the settings on the amp, i always leave them the same and i can change the settings with the active electronics. it has big ol tuners too, but thats kind of a bad thing when i try to tune one string and then i accidently hit the other tuning knob, and crap, im screwed. Its a P & J combination and thats a good feature to have, i can basically make this thing sound like whatever i want if i work at it! i would give it a 10, but the stupid tuners are a pain sometimes, but hey u get used to it and its not a big deal, and the big head stock is a pain too, my friend was usng it and handed it to my other friend and hit him in the head with it on accident, and that stupid thing is pointy. hahaha.

I play mostly rock and alternative stuff, some softer music and a little in between. I dont know how much better this bass could be for that, it can pretty much get any sound u want it to. I have it so it gets a pretty warm sound while still gettin a good bassy sound too, but not overwhelming, its just right. I usually use the middle pickup setting, its a good combo of bass and treble and midrange, the top setting is pretty midrangey and the bottom one is the jazz pickup, which is a little too trebly for me but hey it comes in handy! One complaint i have, this thing gets a little too much noise if u ask me, but it could probably be a ground wire problem or something, i need to check it out, but u cant hear it over the rest of the music and it still sounds great. i wish i had more expierience with other basses cuz i dont have alot to compare this too other then the school's squier bass which is total and utter crap compared to this thing. So as far as im concerned i really like it and i dont know if i want to get another bass for a while. i give it an 8 cuz im sure that there are better sounding basses, but i paid 225 for this and the value is amazing!!!

when i first got this thing the action was REALLY low, i mean LOW LOW LOW, when i would play like an F or B on the first and second strings the notes were totally unrecognizable, not a good thing at all. i had it fixed because i didnt want to mess with this thing, being new to it and all and he fixed the problem for me very nicely and now it plays great. The paint is a very nice red, but its nothin fancy really, just a cool coca-cola can red. the head stock is black and i wish it wasnt cuz it collects dust up there and i have to clean it out every now and then, but hey it does look cool. I do wish that the neck wasnt so wide sometimes, it gets slimmer as it gets to the back u know, but around where i have to get my fingers around it i wish it was a little slimmer but thats ok, my friends charvel guitar is the same way. its kind of hard to get to the higher notes while playing standing up but i think i need to get the technique down anyway. other then that i dont have any complaints, the neck has a good feel to it and i have no trouble gettin my fingers around on it. it was made very well and it was made in a custom shop too.

this stupid thing is pretty durable. the neck isnt bolted on, it goes all the way thru into the body and it gives it a real solid feel, i like it. Everything works jsut like it should, never had any problems with the knobs or anything either. works like a good bass should!!! one time the strap knob came undone but hey thats excusable, i was using it like crazy that day. and all i had to do was screw it back on and it was all better. i definatley would use this and not need a back up, the only thing i would need is another battery for the active electronics, thats a pain but hey its worth it.

ive never dealt with them so i have no idea how good their customer support is, hopefully ill never have to find out either.

This is my first bass and only bass so far, i dont know why i would want another one. Like i said im really happy with the sound, i use it on a yorkville 200 watt amp and it is enough for what i need it for now, but of course id like something better, even though that amp is a very good sounding amp! i jsut wish i had something else to compare it to, but hey at least im not wanting something better, i dont have that kind of money to spend, im just a kid! Ill have this thing for probably forever, i dont know why id want to get rid of it, even if i get something better ill still play it, but this was for a great price and im glad i got a deal on it like i did, it WAS 400 but we talked him down, hes a nice guy. maybe ill get some better pick ups for it sometime, but thats about all id really want to change on it, everything else is already good enough, and the pick ups are already good but hey i might get soem high end ones in it sometime. If u find one u can probably get it for cheap, especially a japanese one like this one, and they're still great guitars, i really reccommend them and im glad i got this one! the guy new this was a good bass and he even told me he regrets selling it for so cheap cuz he could probably get a lot of money for it. haha well i guess im lucky.

this bass is a late 80's charvel made in japan. The finish is solid black.It has a fat precision bass-style neck 21/22 frets, with a rosewood fretboard and jackson bridge, topped off by the classic hockey stick headstock. It has active EMG P/J pickups which replaced the original passive Jackson ones. The replacement was done by myself with relative ease. The controls are vol/vol/tone. The original passive pickups sounded rather dull.

This bass is HONESTLY the smoothest and best sounding bass i've ever played. i've been playing for the past 6 years. I play weekly in church, at school band and jazz band. I also play in a punk/alternative/rock band. The sound from the EMG's is full and rich with no hum at all. Others basses i have owned are an '89 japanese Fender P-bass, a guild pilot, a ibanez roadstar, kramer (yes, kramer. Other basses i have played include musicman stingray's, peavey's, and many others. The feeling and sound from this bass is just amazing, surpassing all the other basses.

I reguraly maintain/ set up the bass myself and i have never had any problems at all with it.

This bass has lasted me 5 years of abuse already, and it is pretty much built like a tank. It never needs any adjustments at all. It has a really solid feel.

never talked to them, but i'm sure they all have nice teeth.

I'd recommed this bass for any style of playing. I play with both a pick and my fingers, as well as slap bass. It sounds great in all these conditions. These basses are not well known or recognized as being any good.. They can be picked up for a good price if you look around enough. The value is unbeatable. The only downside is getting over the pointy headstock, but hey, i like it, its different. Be sure to get active pickups though, the passive ones aren't that great. All an all the charvels' are awesome basses with great vaule. Irreplacable!!!