Charvel 750XL Soloist Archtop

MIJ Charvel 750XL 1990 Archtop Soloist
24 fret 24 3/4 scale
Solid top neck through
Volume/tone 3 way switch
Two EMG 81 pickups
Not sure of the woods but its heavy fingerboard is rosewood with MOP reverse sharkfin inlay
This thing had a cheesy crackle finish on it that was thick and starting to chip.......so I had it stripped and pro refinished Black.........more recently Ivory.
I blocked off the Jackson Floyd with a couple of pieces of oak and this guitar instantly became a Les Paul killer
Sustain for days and better playing than a Gibson ....the 24 frets layed out on the Les Paul scale makes it a dream to play....large frets make bending a breeze. Paid 450 CDN for it a few years back
silly considering the quality and care that went into building this guitar

This thing is made to Rock .......the EMG's add a little too much top end for my taste but they cut through like razors. These were not the stock picups though........I probably will change to passives

Like I said.......the original finish was too eighties for me and very thick........the guitar sounded better and more resonant when I had it redun with a thinner finish. High quality construction overall.......except the lock nut........It was hanging over the edge of neck on the treble side. I had to fill in the screw holes and redrill to center it properly

Its heavy but built like a brick $%$# house......tuning was good with the Floyd but now flawless with the blocked trem....still use the locking nut and the fine tuners on the trem..........with 10's this thing goes a whole set without tuning

What am I gonna do send it to Japan if it breaks??.....No support available for this....who needs it
It wont need anything except a refret in a few years

I've been playing for 28 years and owned a lot of axes
These guitars are a steal.........if you see one for sale BUY IT
I have a few Superstrats with Floyds............So this became my substitute for a Les Paul......but with better tone and a neck that is a shredders dream.....with Gibson you are just paying for the name and I have actually played a lot of shitty Les Pauls
I would be very distraught if something happened to this guitar.......
irreplacable

Made in 1989, like all the other 750xls out there. Mine is one of the later ones they made, with non-covered pickups and recessed volume and tone controls, as well as a fixed Tuneomatic bridge, which they only offered late during the model's run--basically just as they were transitioning it into the Jackson Soloist Archtop Pro model that replaced it for 1990. Anyway, mine has a transluscent red finish that nicely shows off the beautifully flamed maple top. While the top on mine doesn't have as much flame as you see on some guitars nowadays, the flame on it is very deep and "three-dimensional". Sometimes when the light is just right, I'll just stand there and stare at the flamed top--I'm a geek, so shoot me! :)

The body is mahogany two-inches thick, with the addition of a 3/4 inch maple top, much like you'd find on a Les Paul, and the overall body is significantly thicker than on any other Jackson I've seen, including the otherwise similar Archtop Soloist Pro. Maple neck, two humbuckers, TOM bridge, what more could you ask for?

Another reviewer here said that his 750xl couldn't get into Les Paul territory soundwise. That's probably because his has a Floyd Rose trem. The fixed-bridge version, by contrast, gets frighteningly into Les Paul territory--huge, thick, chewy sound that still has that "bite" to it because of the maple top. In fact, I slightly prefer the 750's sound to a Les Paul, since it has less of the mid-range 'honk' that can be a problem on Les Pauls. This guitar will do metal, jazz, blues, just about anything, and do it well. The sound might be a tad too thick, in fact, for those who are used to the sound of a Jackson Soloist or similar maple/alder neckthrus. But the richness, my god, I just go on and on about this guitar's sound... :)

The stock Jackson J80C bridge pickup on mine was the uncovered version and sounded pretty decent, actually. The covered Jackson pickups have sounded like ass on every guitar I've had them in, and I'm sure that 750s with the covered pickups are no exception. Even though the J80C on mine was ok, I still replaced it because I prefer Duncan Distortions in all my guitars. Putting a Distortion in this 750 definitely kicked it up a notch. Just plain kicks ass, in fact. The neck Jackson J50 pickup is just fine, and I don't need to replace it, but then I'm not ultra picky about neck pickups.

Should I say anything more than "perfect"? I bought mine used many years after it was made, so there is a little bit of fretwear and such, but not much, and I was easily able to get the action down very low and playable. The construction quality and finish are immaculate for a guitar that's been played. Easily as good as any USA Jackson/Charvel I've played or owned. Jackson doesn't make its Japanese guitars this good anymore, unfortunately. I think they were cutting too much into the sales of the fancy USA guitars, so they cheapened 'em up. But this 750xl is a great example of how late '80s-early '90s Japanese Jackson/Charvels are the best guitar value going. Professional quality, absolutely.

Overall, like a rock. The tuners have gotten old and need replacing. It uses Jackson-logoed Gotoh tuners, and those damned things never seem to last that long, even on the USA Jacksons. That's the only bad thing I can find about this guitar--otherwise, it should outlive me.

Never dealt with 'em directly. Jackson doesn't really do a lot of support stuff for their older import guitars. But criminy, it's a guitar--what support do you need? We're not talkin' automotive repair here...

I should have gotten one of these years ago. My advice, if you like shredder guitars and don't want or need a tremolo bridge, jump on the next one of these that shows up on eBay. Which ain't too often, since they didn't make that many fixed-bridge 750xls. You can get the Archtop Soloist Pro, though, which is similar but doesn't quite have the same tone, since it has a thinner body.

1989 JAPAN CHARVEL 750 XL 24 FRETS ARCH TOP WITH RED /AMBER FLAME TOP
5 WAY SELECTOR WITH ALL ORIGINAL BITS 100% NOW'T CHANGED, THROUGH NECK WITH FULL BINDING ON THE BODY & NECK JACKSON HARDWARE IS SPOT ON
WHAMMY IS BETTER THAN A FLOYD, HAD KRAMMERS,

THIS GUITAR IS SO VERSITILE ITS GOT THE LOT IVE HAD 79 LES PAUL CUSTOM KRAMMER LIBERTY BARETA IBANEZ 525 ALL GOLD HARDWARE TOKAI STRATS FENDER STRATS WESTBURY STD AND ALL HAVE GONE THE DISTANCE BUT THE CHARVEL AS IT DOES THEM ALL. USED IT THROUGH MARSHALL JCM 800 CRATE YAMAHA LANEY SOUNDS SMOOTH AND CLEAR THROUGH ANYTHING.

NEVER TOUCHED IT, ACTION IS SO LOW WITH NO BUZZ TOP IS BEUTIFUL SOME GUYS HAVE SAID THEY HAD SOME FLAWS SORRY THERE WERE NON ON MINE FRETS ARE FLAT AND SMOOTH ADDING TO THE SPEED STAYS IN TUNE EVEN AFTER SOME SERIOUS CARRY ON.

THIS GUITAR IS AS GOOD AS THE DAY I BOUGHT IT WOULD NOT SELL EVEN FOR A GO AT PAMMY.

NEVER NEEDED THEM.

20+ YEARS PLAYING ALL ELECTRIC STUFF GONE BAR THE 750, INTO OLD FOLKY STUFF NOW WITH MY ACOUSTICS MARTIN, TAKAMINE, ASHDOWN CLARISA
STILL GOING

I had bought this guitar in Fort Lauderdale, FL at a music shop on Davie Blvd called Music Arts Enterprises in 1989 brand new. With the a hard case, some extra strings, a cord, and a few picks I paid around $1175 for it. I tell you what it was worth every penny! I have never played a guiter since that I like better! At one time I had a Les Paul Custom and that came a close second to this Charvel. The guitar was a neck through archtop body. It had reverse shark fin inlay jumbo frets neck. Jackson pickups (not active, but held sustain like crazy) and a Jackson Floyd Rose tremolo.

In 1989 I was 15 yrs old. So as you would probably guess this was a big puchase for me. I have never regretted it. What I ended up doing to this guitar after about 5 yrs. was I put a EMG pickup (active) in the bridge position. And I took the floyd rose out and put a Kayler tremolo bridge in there with extra tension springs. I tell you what and you may disagree but it was alot better. I played some shows when I was 20 with this guitar and I loved the sound, Deep tone, Awesome bends and tremolo and me and everyone who touched it loved it!

Well I dont remember how well it was set up when I bought it but I do know it wasnt to bad.

This was the best guitar I ever owned....period.

Never onced talked to Charvel about this guitar. I wish I would have wrote down the serial number because it got stolen from me in 1994 or so. By a friend no doubt bvut it was one of two friends in diferent locations because I moved back to Duluth, MN from Augusta, GA with an empty case!! I drove all the way by myself and made 1 stop at a buddies in Nashville, TN. So it was one of my room mates in GA or buddy in TN. If I new I would have drove all the way back to get it. (with some angry ass fists, knees, and elbows!)

I have been playing guitar over 20 yrs on and off. Isure would like to know whatever happened to this guitar. It is a one and only with the way I had it set up. It was dark blue like midnight blue and you can see the wood grain in the finish. It has blk hardware and the EMG pickup battery is in the back cover where the old floyd rose springs used to be set. The Kayler has a black plate under it for mounting due to the arch top design. When I owned it there was no scratches ex. at the very end of the headstock a little chip. If you now own this guitar I envy you but I will not try to get it back from you. (only by possible purchase, money is no problem for this axe) If anyone knows where this guitar is Please, Please resond to me. I would love to see it again. It would help me trace who stole it so that I can deal with them about it. I know it was 10 yrs ago when it was taken from me but scars like that never heal. Please write. I will appriciate you forever!

1989 charvel 750xl soloist archtop
24 frets
beutifull cream white
volume, tone, 5way selector
stock jackson active pickups
one piece neck thru not sure of wood type
jackson floyd bridge
stock tuners
nice fat frets with revers shark fin inlays
came with a soft case

the guitar plays better than my fathers lespaul custom due to the awsome action...

lonnnnggg sustain due to its weight and neck thru design...

great for metal but i mostly play blues and it kicks ass with that too

i play thru a crate blue voodoo 6212 60watt tube amp, with a marshall supa fuzz, and a crybaby wah pedal and it will scream when i want it to... and also cry when i'm bluesing...

when i picked up the guitar from the shop it had the wrong knobs on it...(one black one chrome) and no rear plate...

it also had belt buckle scratches and a slight hairline in the paint on the neck... could be a crack but it doesnt effect the play nor has it gotten bigger...

the front pickup was touching the strings so that had to be adjusted...

other than that it was ok

this guitar has lasted about 4 years with me and i can see it lasting the rest of my life...

i have played many gigs with this guitar and never used a backup... i keep it strung with ernie ball superslinky's and with all the bending i do with blues i'm suprised how well it stays in tune...

never had to use it

been playing for 10 years and have gone thru MANY guitars...

strats, jacksons, charvels, ibanez... but this one aint goin anywhere

if someone stole it i would be heartbroken but since i got a nice deal on it i wouldnt have lost out on too much money...

love: the action... you could blow on the strings and play a note
the look... its an aggressive looking guitar yet not too wild...
the weight... nice and heavy... hold sustain very well
the feel... just awesome...

if you can find one of these yank it up quick... they were only made for one year and out of all my jacksons and charvels and pretty much every guitar i have played... nothing beats it

like i said i bought it for $250 used and when i was tempted to buy another american strat i took it to my local music shop and they offered me $800 for it so that made me change my mind and hang on to it... next thing i plan on doing is throwing some EMG's in it and just jam all day

1989 750xl mij 24 fret 24 3/4" scale thick flame maple top on a 2-piece mahogany body with a 2 piece maple neck. super-strat style with an original floyd rose. jumbo frets and 2 full size humbucker duncan pups controlled by a 5-way switch. the only thing lacking is a 25 1/2" scale neck.

this charvel is not stock and i'll rate it modded since i bought it that way. the duncan pups with the real floyd sound like a light les paul which is fine with me. i don't care too much for light sounds or coil- splitters, i've tried them in various axes. i own a killer lp custom and this 750xl is NOT a lp custom killer, which is expected with the cheaper 2-piece neck that kills some tone, this is what it is a bad ass charvel that was only made for a year or so in my configuration, the neck set back a little with the non-recessed floyd which is a main reason i bought this 750xl. with a high-end strat like this any sound can be had through pup swapping. sounds better than 2 new les pauls i used to own and my back does
nt mind the weight reduction for long gigs. played through 2 old marshall heads i have the elusive sound that i've only found through my 79'usa lp custom. very full sound with the mahogany back and the thick 3/4" flame maple top. the only sound not possible is pos 4 on a good strat, but i have a carved top bolt on neck superstrat for that signature clean sound.

first of all this is a late 80's charvel mij, so the fit & finish is of the highest degree of perfection humanly possible, i own a 87' model 6 charvel and it too was assembled by the gods as well. this pre-90's charvel period rivals any other manufacturer in fit & finish and quality materials. in current 2004 this high-end detail is as we should know hard to find and for me impossible to afford. beautiful real mother of pearl sharkfin inlays, 3/4" thick carved flame maple top and 2-piece mahogany back flawlessly finished is the reason i bought this super-strat with the deep gibson tone to wipe the floor with 90% of the competition. there are no manufacturer flaws to be found on this charvel, just a little wear from 15 years of use that is expected. the only thing i would have improved is to have it a 22 fret neck espescially with the 24 3/4" scale.

15 years old and plays better than a new $2000 gibson lp. the stock hardware has been replaced with the good stuff, floyd rose and s.d. pups. super heavy duty finish.

never needed it.

when these sold new they went out the door for around $1000-$1200 in 1989, not something i could of afforded. supposedly only made for 1 year, a jackson professional Xl is NOT in the same league. post-90's charvel and jackson imports really are not that great. just look at the cheap rosewood fretboards and the crappy fit & finish, even though they started using the premium schaller floyd the cheaper woods and different construction methods[ straight neck angle and recessed floyd] killed the resonance and sustain and the comfort factor is lost with that neck straight to the body as well as some sustain being lost. i have not found a better superstrat than my 750xl. a $1350 carvin dc400c mahogany i used to own just could not get the tone, sustain and thee important mojo of my 750xl and i had duncans in it as well, usa jackson sl2 soloist with duncans also lacked the tone due to the straight and uncomfortable neck to body, humm the only import better than the usa version! hamer usa strats don't measure up either these charvels also have the fastest playing necks, still straight and stable after 15 years. if you see one for sale don't buy it, let me.

MFR Year 1989 neckthru twin humbucker equipped guitar. Fitted with top of the line Schaller Floyd and Jackson J50C/J80C neck/bridge pickup combination. Later examples had both J80s and also featured recessed floyd (mines non-recessed). 5 position PRS Style super-switch, master volume, tone. Arched top ergonomic Strat, carved top, very thick, heavy, This one is all stock original, Mahogany Neck.......an absolute Dream. My had the OHSC included that was fully intact, and great condition!

Perfect, not noisy.....awesome guitar, especially for a Japaneese Model, INMHO this guitar is way up there with the Big Boys and is underrated in NA, This guitar can rival with any 3K machine handsdown.
The super switch is amazing from traditional les paul to strat/Tele sounds..phenomenal!

Mine was absolute mint!

Anytime,........I also loved in the studio!

I've owned, compared and played many guitars and this is probably my favorite due to it's action, access, and versatility. It is of high quality build and has held up and kept my interest for over 10 years regular playing almost every day. My Fender Strat lasted thru only 3 years of similar use. I love the Charvel for Jazzy Fusion stuff as well as hard rock and heavy metal. It's hard to find a well made neck thru design these days. I'm not overly impressed by many of the new guitars in the shops these days.These are very rare to find, and from my understanding, they are not cheap anymore, just like vintage wine they get better with age.........This guitar beats me spending 3K on a PRS and way,way better then the Dillion knock offs....

1989 Japan White Neck through 24 jumbo frets 5 way selector with Jackson pick ups Humbucker at bridge and two single coils (middle and neck) Jackson SCHALLER Trem. Reverse sharkfin inlays, grover tuners.

the guitar is a real rocker but it mellows out nice, it is not noisy at all It has a real full sound, great lead tone and big sustain.
I LOVE this guitar.

got it used set the action up and went at it. This is by far the best feeling neck ive ever played (yes better than a les paul, Carvin,usa strat,and so on) Every one who has played this guitar falls in love with it that's how good it feels.

This guitar has been knoked off of a hook on the ceiling on to a concrete floor (my friend did it, and my heart stopped) I mean it fell hard, when i picked it up it had a nasty dent in it and was out of tune, retuned it and minus the dent I would never know it happend.
It,s 13 years old and still looks and playes better than 99% of the guitars in the music shops(the 1% is a Jackson USA soloist) The neck on this does feel bigger than the soloist.

I have been playing for 15 years and if I loose this guitar far any reson I might quit playin. I guess I would get a usa soloist for alot more money than my 750. When i play other guitars I get turned off right away, there is no neck like that feels this good. ( it really is that smooth)I wish they still made these I would buy another one without a doubt!!!!!

Got this in '89 for Christmas. It has a really great flame maple top that is amber in color. The rest of the guitar is dyed red. All I can say is the finish is amazing, it's beautiful. It was made in Japan and bought new at Dr. Music in Orlando FL. Mine has a Schaller tremelo and passive pickups (the bridge is a vintage Dimarzio Super Distortion). It has 24 frest and you can reach 'em all with ease. The neck seems to be a bit chunkier than any other Jackson/Charvel that I've played but is still VERY fast and easy to handle. I won't give it a ten because it could have came with better pickups from the factory but it's still a great guitar.

I play EVERYTHING. This is mostly a rock guitar but still fits other styles pretty well. It looks classy enough for just about any gig. I use this as a backup guitar at this point for my trusty old Strat. I play through a Carvin X60B that I built into a 2 12" combo myself and a Peavey Deuce with a Boss OD3 and an old Alesis QuadraVerb. I find myself playing a lot of Blues lately and even a little Country but I still let it fly and rip the friggin' walls down every now and then. This guitar has a very nice warm tone and can growl better than anything I've ever picked up before. I love my Fender but mostly for the calmer stuff. The Charvel isn't really as versatile as I need in a stage instrument but it does what it was made to do with style, flair and a little sand kicked in the faces of a whole lotta Gibsons out there.

Fit and finish on this thing were way better than I ever expected for a guitar in this price range. The materials are all top quality and the craftsmanship is excellent. The setup took very little to get it to my tastes.

I played this guitar in clubs in Florida for 10 years. IT NEVER BROKE. It is going to be around long after my ass is in a big box in a big hole in the ground. The finish is almost like new even with 10 years of major abuse. The hardware could probably stand to be replaced. It's pretty oxidized from all that time in the trunks of various cars and playing gigs on "The Sunny Beaches Of The Sunshine State". Back when I was playing 4 to 6 nights a week I rarely ever had a backup for it and I never worried.

OK, It sucks! This guitar was built in Japan for Jackson. Well anyone that has tried to get any info about a Japanese product from Grovers folks will tell you that they don't seem to want to know that these guitars were ever even built. I think it might be because this guitar is far better than anything "Jackson USA" is puting outThey will not respond to an email about this guitar. I guess I'm just lucky the Japanese are such fine craftsmen, it's never needed any warranty work.

I've been playing now for almost 30 years and through the years I've aquired quite a bit of stuff but right now I use a 2000 Fender Strat Texas Special. My Carvin X60B, and a Peavey Deuce for amps. I also have a Gretsch model 6161 amp from 1960 that I use sometimes for the more authentic Blues tone it gives. I use an old QuadraVerb and a new Boss OD3 for the drive and effects.
When I walk into Dr. Music all those years ago I didn't go in for a guitar, I was buying a 4 track. My wife (at the time) was with me and when I walked in the door and looked down this row of Charvels and Jacksons on the wall this 750XL was peeking out at me from behind a white model 6. Its looks grabbed me right then and never let me go. I walked over and took it down and plyed it for a few minutes and fell in love. I then hung it back on the wall, bought my 4 track and drove home. I thought about that guitar from time to time and how nice it was compared to the Ibanez I was playing at the time but I never held out any hope that I would ever own that beautiful Charvel. Then several months later on December 25th 1989 I recieved the greatest Christmas gift I have ever gotten... a wonderful Charvel model 750XL.
It's been with me ever since, even longer than my(now)exwife. I don't think I would be able to replace it if it were stolen, they seem to be one of the rarest of the Charvel/Jackson line that is actually worth owning.
I would suggest that anyone given the chance to buy one grab it. If you do you will truly have a great guitar...maybe even as great as mine.

1989, neckthru twin humbucker equipped guitar. Fitted with top of the line Schaller Floyd and Jackson J50/J80 neck/bridge pickup combination. Later examples had both J80s and also featured recessed floyd (mines non-recessed). 5 position super-switch (more on this later), master volume, tone. Arched top not 100% sure on wood type, carved top, very thick, heavy. Mine has 'Desert crackle' finish, black cracks on cream finish which has faded/discoloured considerably. Pity it doesnt have a nice clear finish to take advantage of flamed top. Very impressive finish all the same, though beaten considerably by an earlier owner has lasted well. Reverse sharkfin inlays, 24 jumbo frets binding on neck and headstock. Very nice neck, odd shape that takes a while to adjust to but is VERY fast when you do. Fastest neck i've played if it wasn't for the fact that its a painted neck - slow and sticky. Im very tempted to sand it back and wax it.

Features 5 way super switch that switches between: position 1 - Outside coils ('tele'ish sound), position 2 - Bridge humbucker, 3 - both humbuckers, 4 - neck humbucker, 5 - inside coils of pickups(strat 'in-between' type sound). Pickups have very full sound, may be muddy depending on rig. Scooped mids ideal for 80s metal, but has sounds useful for just about any style of music. Neck humbucker can even nail very nice jazz tone if desired. I replaced the electronics with a 3way and coil splits on push pull knobs, just because i preferred the playing of a 3 way switch for changing mid-song. I will replace the pickups when i find some more money purely because i would prefer a slightly different sound, but the pickups are quite nice. Not quite up to the workmanship of the rest of the guitar. No noise on any settings due to quality electronics, and hum cancelling in every position.

Can not say how well this guitar was set up from the factory, as i bought it only a couple of years ago. Had no problems setting it up after i got it.

This guitar was clearly not at all well looked after by the previous owner/owners. The paint had numerous scratches and small dents, terrible belt buckle rash on the back of it. When i took it apart, as i always do with a new purchase, the floyd was gummed up really bad, and it seemed as though the cavity plates had never been removed at all. Very poor condition, had been sitting in a music shop for quite a while as noone knew what it was, and it was so obviously mistreated. Has big solid strap buttons, bigger than just about any ive ever seen, so i havent even bothered with strap locks on this axe. This guitar would literally take beeing run over a car, or something similar, unless obviously it was the neck. Has taken a beating in the past 10 years, and though i'll look after it well, it would seemingly happily take a beating for another 10 years and the rest. I have several guitars on stage, for different tunings and sounds, and as such i have no backup for this guitar. Very rarely breaks strings due to quality of bridge/nut. Will last forever.

no idea. Old guitar, very little i would say.

Im really not sure how long ive been playing now, but a long time. I run a part time job as luthier, repairing/modding guitars, and as such a lot of gear passes through my hands. I compared this to a lot of other guitars before buying, money was thin on the ground. I also researched it's background, as i do with all guitars i buy. The 750xl was made for only one year, in 1989, and was the top of the line of the then current Jap Charvel line, which was discontinued the following year, due to them taking sales from the American Custom shop Jacksons. (Charvel was the name for Jackson guitars before the company was taken over by Mr Jackson. Import guitars retained the Charvel nameplat longer than American ones. Just recently Jackson has introduced a new line of Charvel guitars.) I also new that the price on it was a steal, and that it had been there for a long time so they would take less. Makes me happy :)! Brilliant value even at market price, which is rising rapidly.