Charvel Model 2

Painted it 'Cuda green, black hardware, maple neck, rosewood FB, Jumbo frets, replaced the crap kahler with a disassembled Kahler Flyer that I converted to a fixed bridge (turned out sweet. I bought it new in '87 and it was pearl white with 1 Jackson humbucker and a Kahler fulcrum with string-lock.. the fulcrum lasted about 8 years before I installed the custom bridge

I swapped the Jackson HB for an EMG 81 and this turned it into a mind melting metal machine... Real heavy low end and infinite sustain, the clean tone is too brittle though. (EMG 81's suck for clean guitar) I've owned it for 20 years now, and aside from the bridge replacement I have had no problems with it.. even taking it apart and painting the body, it went back just the same.. The neck is awesome. I love everything about the neck on this Charvel

With the hybrid Kahler bridge I re-designed for it, I can adjust each strings height on a roller saddle, I removed the sting-lok behind the nut, and I never have tuning problems with this guitar, I did one truss adjustment when I went from .009's to .010's and that is it.. the neck is ROCK solid, and I still have the original frets (dressed them once) I also keep it tuned down a whole step. I use it all the time (at least 3 times a week) along with my other axes

20 years of abuse and it still plays like it did the day I bought it!

I have one of these great guitars, bought it Spring of 87 at the Sam Ash in NYC. It has been my main guitar for all that time to now 2005, and the finish is perfect. anyway, features, very few and what are there are very well made. the one J90 pickup and volume knob, simple design of the strat shape, no pickguard, I love the simplicity of this design. the high quality maple neck, rosewood fretboard and big frets makes this a great playing neck, it is the best I've ever played on any electric guitar, and that's quite a few including flying V's and les pauls, and fenders.

sound is fine for what the guitar is for, rocking out. you can get clean tones and if you use a chorus pedal they sound great. I play that way a lot. the neck and heavy body of the guitar really bring home a nice rich sound.

action is excellent. a neck that plays like butter. I actually have to get mine adjusted slightly because a string or two are out of harmonic tune. but the playability of this guitar is the best.

mine is 18 years old and looking great. if you just take care of them, condition the neck with lemon oil, and polish the body, change strings, etc, they will always look good. the body finish is unblemished. no checking or any discoloration.

never did.

been playing 21 years.
other gear - charvel acoustic/electric 625C, Ibanez 12 string PF10-12. Crate 80 watt amp. boss chorus ensemble pedal.

I love this Charvel, it plays wonderfully, it looks great, it has a meanness in that pickup if you want it to. it has been a great guitar for me for years, and for not much money considering. I remember I was a youngster back then and only could afford the guitar, I didn't have the money for the case, so I carried it home on the bus in a cardboard Charvel box, and kept it in that for a couple months until I could afford the proper case. LOL

It's basic, but that's it's strength. No frills, does what you need. Think of it as a weapon of sonic terrorism, not a wandering minstrels tool of poetry.

Low rating because it's simple, but it is good

It sounds great for rock. That's what it does. Doesn't compare to a Strats clarity, a teles bite and sparkle, or a Gibbos rich smoothness, and with really decent amps it does sound a little cheap but turn the gain up and bash it hard and it rocks.

All pretty good. Pearl white finish nicely done, all parts well fitted.

The headstock developed an alarming forward curve, but this didn't effect the sound or tuning due to the locking nut.
The inserts the trem attaches to tilted forward due to the body being too soft, and i had to remove them, fill the holes and refit, plus the allen bolts in the locking nut are too soft and burr out. However, I abused the hell out of this live, picking it up and throwing it about by the trem arm and it survived. Gigged it hard, treated it with no respect and it kept on going.
tuning stability wasn't too good if the trem got used, especially the G string for some reason. The trem metal was also a bit soft and crappy, but just about survived

never asked

I liked this, and wished I hadn't sold it. Finally replaced it with a Tom Delonge sig Strat, and I actually prefer that so the Charvel isn't missed anymore. basic, unsubtle, middling quality but still fondly remembered.

One Humbucker One Volume Kahler Tremolo--simple as that-figure I'd give a point for each feature

I use this with a peavey 112 Bandit. I have tried it on a Peavey 5150 and Marshall DSL. All I can say is this has got to be one of the most underated guitars out there. I bought it brand new back in '86 for $199.00 and can say it is by all means the best guitar I have ever owned. Low action, incredible neck, the kahler tremolo is in my opinion better than any floyd rose I have ever tried. The pick up is a Jackson stock (passive) and to be honest i couldn't tell the difference between that and the EMG 81. (I compared) Great sustain and rich harmonics.

Action is the best selling point. trills, hammer ons, pull offs are endless and efortless.

Like I said, I had this thing back in '86. This thing had been abused, banged around, and it keeps going. I never have tuning issues. I got married in 97 and it was in storage and in pieces ( I took it apart to paint as a project but never got around to doing it) and battled against scorching heat and frigid colds. I just put it together last weekend and you know what--its didn't even matter. And I have absolutly no tech skills.

Never had to deal with them

Its funny how everyone comes full circle--when I got married, i fell into the same old sob story so many others fell into, I went into playing hibernation. Last year I started to get back into it and figured I would treat myself and upgrade to a "decent" guitar. I laid out $1,000 for an Ibanez and traded that in for an ESP. Both a good guitars but since I put my Charvel back together I'm going to trade my esp in for something else. Believe it or not they just didn't compare to the Charvel.

Probably made in Japan - has Fort Worth, TX on the neckplate - unable to figure out when it was made based on the serial number. Bought it new in 1988 or 1989 - can't really remember. Stock Model 2, black, 1 pickup, 1 volume, Jackson/Floyd Rose bridge. I love the simplicity of this guitar - for hard rock I rarely fool w/ tone controls anyway with the exception of the neck pickup setting on my Les Paul.

I like the stock pickup - mine is pretty hot and quiet. I was playing hard rock/metal when I bought it and it sounded great.

The neck....absolutely the best neck ever. Thin but not narrow - feels like you can wrap your hands twice around it. The back is smooth without being slick and the action is low and there's no buzz. Unlike a Strat or Les Paul I can play this thing much longer without my fret-hand getting tired. If I were designing the perfect guitar, this would be the neck I'd choose. I can't really comment on the bridge since I can't stand trem bridges. It worked well enough when I played around with it initially - better than the 'classic' fender trem units and an old Kahler bridge I once had -- I prefer a fixed bridge though.

I used this guitar live and for home-studio work -- I've never had a single problem with it other than some of the bridge parts rusting from humidity and some wear/fade on some of the black-metal parts. The finish on mine has been extremely durable - it's black so it always shows fingerprints no matter how much you polish it, but I haven't lost any paint. Overall it's very solid.

Never had to deal with them.

I own a couple of strats and a Les Paul - it's not fair to compare this to them, but I do love the neck. My hands aren't real big so playing the Les Paul is like playing a coffee table, and I've always struggled to get the action and intonation right on my strats. I've never had to adjust the action or intonation on this thing and it's also nice and light for playing live. For the $200 I paid for it new, I can't knock anything about it.

Electric Blue ,strat shape,1 humbucker,1 volume,Jackson trem,RW fingerboard,high quality Japanese workmanship,Gotoh tuners,etc.

Suits my main style well.Mostly hard rock, also capable of bluesy stuff.Rammin' it through VooDu Valve,Zoom 505 2,Art X-treme or Digi RP-50,then into Fender tube 1x12 combo or Penncrest tube 1x12 combo.VERY quiet J90-C pickup. Fairly flat eq , good bass,maybe a bit too many mids.but never gets harsh.

Setup was fine when I bought it new 16 years ago.Not really any flaws,dinged up a little bit after all these years.I'm so grateful I have this guitar after hearing about crap that should sound & work well.The only thing I've done is change strings & spray the volume knob with pot cleaner now & then.NOTE: I also stripped out a screw for the Jackson trem;Jackson sent some new ones,THEN I STARTED USING THE CORRECT SIZE ALLEN WRENCH & HAVE HAD NO PROBLEMS SINCE.( Ten years)Used to be a pain to change strings,but I'm used to it now.

These guitars have already proven their toughness on stages for many years.The hardware has been perfect.Little pencil graphite on nut , trem saddles,you're ' red ta go.Strap buttons are solid, a good test has been the weight of this baby: it weighs a ton.DEpended & taken it for granted for a long time.

Dealt with 'em once;they were very helpful.Never had to deal with warranty concerns.

Playing about 25 years. See gear above.Compared it to a Gibson Flying V head to head; the Charvel blew it away.The heaviness can suck after awhile, but I love heavy guitars,so I'll gladly live with that.

Japanese made, 80's, one humbucker, one volume knob, Jackson JT-6 whammy, 22 jumbo frets, maple neck with rosewood fingerboard. This is about as bareboned as it gets, which is fine by me. I'm not into single coils, so....

It suits my style perfectly. I play it through either a Marshall JCM800 2210 or a POD 2.0 for recording. The density of the body makes for a THICK sound. The stock pickup gets disrespected by a lot of people, but remove the pickup cover and it really shines! It's easy to take off, since it's just lightly glued on, but be gentle.

This isn't a guitar you would take to a session where you needed a lot of sounds, but it's suited very well for metal shredding. Thick and creamy.

I bought this one used for $100.00 out the door at a pawn shop a little over a year ago. When I got it, it had VERY heavy strings (probably 13's or so) and was in serious need of some adjustments. I cleaned the fingerboard, polished the frets, and installed a set of Ernie Ball Slinkys in .009. This thing now plays like butter. It's a very fast neck, but it isn't a "speed" neck like you see on an Ibanez. I prefer a bit more wood there and this guitar delivers. I'll give it a "10" in this category after I set it up properly.

Very, very solid guitar. Very heavy, too. I *think* the body is alder, but I can't say for sure. Hardware-wise, it's a rock. My only complaint is that the Jackson trem, the JT-6, is a known dud. The design of the trem is very good, but the quality of metal used is really poor, since the allen heads strip very easily. In fact, I had to break out the needle-nosed vice grips to do a string change. It will eventually be tossed in the trash in favor of an original Floyd Rose. Believe me, the guitar itself is worthy of the investment. I'll give it a "9" instead of a "10," but only because of the crappy trem.

No idea. I bought it used.

I've been playing for over 20 years. This guitar is one of my favorites of all time. Will definitely pick up a few more of these at this price.

Standard Model 2 features. All stock. Late 80's model with the Jackson Trem not the Kahler trem. Stock covered pickup. Was a pearl white, now a pearl nicotine yellow. I just got it so it's new to me. As far as body woods, this mutha is heavy. Feels like a Les Paul.

Sound with the cover on the pickup was pretty cool. After I took the cover off it came alive. I'm using the only rig I can live with tone wise. CRATE GX65, BOSS Metal Zone, DOD delay, Morely Wah. Sounds like an 80's metal shred machine. Thats why I bought it. I would like to change pickups around to find a humbucker that suits me. I'm thinking about trying a JB. I will probably end up with old faithfull, Seymour Duncan Distortion. For now it's good enough.

Due to the fact I bought it from Doc Dryer at Doc's Guitars, he set it up for speed. Killer setup! The finish is old and has some cracks and small chips. I call it the Charvel Closet Classic Model 2. Aged gracefully. The neck is in very good shape and straight as an arrow.

I've had it for a few weeks now and it's held up so far. Hell, it's held up for 15+ years up untill now. Everything works like it just came off the rack.

Jackson/Charvel...............never really talked to them. Doc on the other hand was cool as hell and bent over backwards for me.

I wish i had bought one new. I have always wanted one and even forgot what model it was. Once I got it all figured out I went on the hunt for one and ended up with a killer deal. It's even signed on the back of the body by Warren DiMartini of RATT. That was a bonus feature. Now that my search is over I can dedicate the rest of my time to playing. I'm hoping that J/C does a reissue or something close to the Model 2. The only way this guitar could be improved on is if it were in mint condition. I'm looking at putting in a Floyd Rose and a Seymour Duncan. That would improve it some, but as is it wails.

This is just a solid guitar. It's, an '85, so its second year of production. Japanese made, Japan is second to America. 22 fret, which is so free feeling compared to my gay ass mexican strat with only 21 frets. Jackson bridge. No whammy bar. Until i can hunt one down im just pulling the tremolo up with my right hand. Its floating so you can push it down to bring the pitch up. A nice feature, and it does take a chunk out of your guitar like a lions claw. The trem is locking and ive only had it for a day or two and ive hit the headstock into numerous things and its still in tune. My hardshell case is missing one lock, but most charvels are, because the piece that holds it together is plastic. Mine has a rosewood fretboard, which i normally hate, but the people this guitar was too good. Neck is thin without being to thin. You can go for fast runs, my favorite things to play on it are the extremist by satriani and for the love of god by vai. The laquer on the back of the neck is a thin coat and i actually like it better than a sanded neck. Jumbo frets. Good acces to all frets. One hum, one volume knob.

suits my style perfectly. The jackson humbucker is louder than most pickups. I expected it to be a piece of shit pickup but it has little or no hum, and the notes come out clearly. The clean tone is what really shocked me. This humbucker is in no way rhythmy, but on clean the highs come out high and the lows come out low, not like most pickups where it is just in the middle for every note. Exceeded my expectations by a lot. Its not even noisy on my little crate practice amp, but im using a ds-1. Lots of harmonics, greatly increased harmonics with a sustainer. I did but a duncan jb in anyway, that brought it from an 8 to a ten.

This is probably the best feeling guitar i have ever played. I dont know about the factory setup but the squid music setup was perfect. Low action, super fast. Pickup was a little high but it didnt hum. Brigde was routed right, i bought this model because its routed for a floyd but i doubt ill put one in. No finish flaws at all. I dont know how someone can give the finish a 7 because they dropped it or something. Thats not the factorys fault. Anyway, if this guitar wasnt even a guitar, it had been so brutally disfigured it resembled a donkeys genitalia, if it still had this action i would give it a ten. I jad a choice between this, or a USA select Jackson, SL-1. To me, the sl-1's neck is too flat and not straight enough. This, in my opinion is a better guitar.

This is hella durable. I would use it without a backup. I ve been playing on it for like 4 hours straight the last few days and i havent snapped a string. The strap buttons are big so the strap wont fall off. The hardware seems like it will last a while but it didnt come with a trem arm so i guess that isnt so durable... The finish is a thick sort of translucent red. Very very 80's. A charvel is better than a jackson in my opinion, this guitar is still assembled in America, ( i think) so it should last.

never had to, only had it a few days.

haha you guys will laugh and think my review was useless but ive been playing about a year and i own a fender strat, and a carlo robelli strat. I am poor and therefore forced to play through a randall rh100. Its an old one it actually sounds not so bad. Im turning thirteen in febuary and when i turn 14 i get an slo. that is rad. If it were stolen, i would hire the southside crips to beat the person, then i would have jackie chan molest them, and then i would dip them in acid. after that i would fart in their mouth and tape their mouth and nostrils closed. The i would open their mouth and light a match. Thats how in love with this guitar i am. I love the action and the finish. I went to grant guitars and Joel Grant routed the guitar for a neck humbucker and a single coil in the middle. From neck to bridge it goes( all duncans), alnico Pro (Slash), screamin demon (george), jb( everything else) This is actually George Lynch's guitar tech Gerard's guitar. This guitar is perfect for 80's metal(all i listen to), mr. scary is easily achieve (well except for the bar) such as dokken, skid row, warrant, ratt, crue. Ratt licks are great on this guitar. Warren Demartini owns. Anyway i picked it over a new american sl-1, because 80's is the only decade with guitar solos worth learning, and i thought hell, this is what a lot of them played so why not. The neck is better anyway. I like this personally better than the american Charvel. The american i played had a sanded neck though. They felt exactly the same except i like the laquer on the neck. This is the best guitar i have played for under probably 1200 dollars. Maybe more, depends on personal preference.

Same features everyone else has declared - Pearl White finish on a Basswood body, one humbucker, one volume pot, Kahler Fulcrum bridge (as opposed to the Jackson Floyd Rose unit), 22 fret rosewood fingerboard on a maple neck, behind-the-nut locknut, pointy head.

It only does one thing, and with the stock pickup it does it in a reasonable fashion. Convert to a better pickup and it becomes a great straight-ahead rock and metal guitar. A splittable humbucker will double the amount of sounds you can get. :)

Most of these Charvel's had metallic paint, which was of a fairly high standard. The bodies have a nice weight and good forearm/belly cuts. Mine has a surprisingly tight neck pocket. The neck has big frets, and with some adjustments will play very well. The neck carve on these Japanese Charvel's is great - big fingerboard radius and quite a flat back like an Ibanez Wizard neck. They were designed for rock and metal players at a time when that style was very 'in'. The behind-the-nut locknut was always a dodgy design, but if you convert to a Graph Tech nut and use only minimal whammy abuse it stays in tune fairly well. My Kahler bridge is missing the whammy bar and fine tuners though - anyone know where I can get spares?

These guitars were made very well. The only iffy hardware is the Jackson locking trem arm on those guitars which had them, which other reviewers have noted.

This model is long out of production. Never dealt with the company.

I bought this guitar used for about US$75, so I think that's a pretty good bargain. I bought it for a metal project I hope to record later in the year. It needs a restoration, but for a simple guitar designed to do one thing well, it's great. The neck alone is worth the price of admission. Add a decent pickup, have a pro setup done and it will be a terrific bargain shredder.

Does anyone know where Kahler parts can be sourced (I understand they are out of business), or if there is any info on the web about setting up Kahlers? Please email me if you can help.

Alder Strat style body with a blood red paint job, maple on maple neck with 22 jumbo frets and black dot position markers, 1 Di Marzio Super Distortion ( I'm not sure, but the local music shop thought so ) 1 volume knob and a standard tremelo. The headstock was a non reverse pointy Jackson type. I found it under the Christmas tree in 1987 along with a Crate 212 and a DOD multi effects pedal with distortion, delay and chorus, I think. It was new and came with a case. The hardware was chrome. Not a month or two later, I had a Floyd installed and the rest of the hardware converted to black.I give it an 8 due to the stock trem.

These were the RATT, MOTLEY CRUE, DOKKEN days so it fit my style very well. I played through this monster of an amp, a CRATE 2X12 combo and the multi pedal. It was perfect then and would be perfect for ME now. It wasn't noisy at all. It sounded great. Because of this set up, I was one of the few that actualy learned to play an entire George Lynch solo. It was the one from " Alone Again ". I could not use the standard tremelo. It sucked pretty bad. The pick up wailed.

The set up needed work. I had this done after the Floyd was put in. After the modifications, it was as good as it gets. The finish was great and the neck was straight as an arrow.

I sold it in 1993 so I could buy an Ibanez RG550. It lasted and endured. I took very good care of it. Everything stayed solid. I had it checked out once a year. It stays consistantly humid in Southern California so it is my opinion that this guitar like a few of my other ones were made so well that they didn't require special attention to the neck. Great guitar. I had a BC Rich Warlock and a Jackson RR in solid black like Kirk Hammett's for back ups. I just needed versatility.

I don't know. I do know that Jackson has good customer service though.

I miss this guitar and will never find another one like it. It was a bad decision to sell it, but at the time it and due to my needs I had to sell it for a more versatile guitar with more pick up options. I think music and the gear that helps make the music are in a constant revolution. Whats popular today will fade away and then come back again. I hope somebody at Jacson would read this and put out an inexpensive, good quality remake of this very same guitar. There are alot of us closet, 80's wash outs hanging around with our beer bellys, kids and wife of, I don't know how many years that would like to escape into the spare bedroom and jam on one of these guitars just one more time. I've been through some high times to some low times. From a neck through BC Rich custom Walock to a Samick onup to a Gibson Les Paul Custom to a Hondo Strat copy then back up to an Ibanez RG 570 to a no name piece of junk. This guitar was one of the high spots. It was the coolest thing a 17 year old could find under the Christmas tree.

Per an e-mail I got from Jackson, "The serial isn't on file but to me it sounds like anm 1986 or 87 japanese made model 2. Basswood body, maple neck, rosewood fretboard with a j90 pickup that was about 16k on the output."

It's one humbucker with one volume control, pearl white metallic finish, double locking jackson floyd rose copy. Tremolo posts screw into metal inserts (as opposed to Kramer Focus which screw into wood). Jackson tuners.

I give it an 8 because it only has one pickup.

Sounds excellent , I like it with the stock pickup. Rate it slightly behind my Les Paul with 498T. Not noisy at all, not much variety, though. Made to play metal and does it very well.

Excellent, best playing guitar I have ever owned or played. Super slim neck with wide frets and fretboard.

The only flaws in this guitar are three small cracks in the finish emanating from the neck pocket. To be 15 years old the finish has been incredibly durable.

Didn't have the tremolo arm when I got it, had to replace it. I heard they were notorious for breaking.

This guitar would withstand live playing and all the hardware is top notch (except for the trem arm, probably). Finish is outstanding. Strap buttons are extra large so your strap won't come off.

I e-mailed Jackson for info on the guitar and had a response the next day (see above). Pretty cool.

Been playing 18+ years. Have three other guitars currently: Les Paul Smartwood, Kramer Focus 3000, and Warmoth Strat with active Dimarzios. I like the Charvel so much I bought a model 4 and it's on its way.

I play through a Digitech RP100, Marshall VS100RH and 4x12 celestion cabinet.

Jap Charvels are the best electric guitar value available today.

Just about the same model as all the other ones described here, cream metallic color. Only difference to most guitars might be the Kahler unit although it is the Floyd Rose type.

Still the original Jackson model 2 humbucker. Does not sound bad but a lot less powerful than my Model I which I fitted with the DiMarzio X2N. Actually it sounds good but it's not the Metallist you might think it is, the pickup is more PAF like in my opinion.

Plays good although some wear on the frets (bought it 2nd hand) and they need to be flattened. Does not play as smoothly as my Model I (maple neck/fretboard) but not bad.

Seems pretty reliable. Still nice smooth finish.

Charvel ceased to excist I believe but I do my own repairs and maintainance.

Maybe you'll find one of my first reviews when I was still eager to put it all down here....

i believe i bought this guitar in canada in 1987 it is a pearl white model 2 with one humbucker and a jackson floyd rose and a rosewood fret board. i have had mine routed for two more single coils and had all the pickups changed to dimarzios(jem777)crunch

this guitar was extremely good for the 80's metal . i have always played through crate amps so if you want to shred its a shredding machine(you just cant play stevie ray vaughan)thats the sucky part
its all what you want.

ive always been amazed at how well it plays and because ive been playing it for so long i cant feel comfortable with anything else. this guitar has never had any flaws or problems other than self inflicted ones.

i have only had one problem the push in bar broke twice so i converted it to a original screw in bar (done in 10 seconds).

n/a

i feel i got a great guitar and after 15 years i still love playing it
it must be good if i lost it i would buy another or hunt down my old one

I bought mine in January of 1989, and sold it in 1996.It was white ,basswood body with a Floyd Rose tremolo and one overwound pickup( hmmmm, Van Halen?) It was SO 80's.....

At the time I thought that this guitar would compliment and contrast the old Gibson SGs that I was playing......What happened was that I spent years trying to make this guitar have a sonic personality...I wound up replacing the pickuop with a Dimarzio FRED pickup, which was like taking earplugs out.....the stock pickup was WAY muddy and for lack of a better term, blew.
I later also had it routed out for a second FRED in the neck position.
Once this setup was in place the sound was much better.

The finish was about what you would expect for a $500 80's Japanese guitar.....nothing to write home about.
The frets took on a green tinge after 5 years, and I broke 3 whammy bars...they were diecast pieces of crap....I replaced the stock units with Ibanez bars,which held up better.....also the volume knob got loose and fell off constantly until I torqued the hell out of it with a screwdriver.
The trem unit, Charvel's own design, worked well enough...It was brass and made in Taiwan....I got an annoying "reverb" sound from the springs until I stuffed a piece of foam rubber back there.

For pictures and sound of me playing this guitar, go to www.juniorsgrades.com
this was my main gig axe for about 4 years.....I cringe when I hear tapes from this era.

I understand they aren't around anymore.Breaks my heart...NOT!

This guitar served it's purpose, which was a reasonably priced,80's style guitar.
By 2001 standards, it's a piece of dated, tone sucking shit.
If I had to do it over I would've spent the bucks on a Fender American Standard Strat.I sold this guitar for $125, I just couldn't stand playing it anymore....maybe some kid could use it.My 1979 SG just fits well, and I couldn't see myself playing the Charvel at age 50.
I've sworn off Floyd Rose units since, because I feel that eveything sounds like Hendrix or VH.....two players that I love, but who needs more copy cats?
I had the opurtunity to play an original, American made Charvel circa 1984, and the difference was amazing.....that axe was well made and great sounding,easliy up to the level of the Fender Custom Shop or PRS.
But this guitar I just reviewed....well...I don't miss it and wouldn't buy it again.

Purchased new in 1986 following the E. VanHalen concept i.e. strat style guitar, one humbucker, one volume knob, no tone controls or gimicks. Paid about $650 , didn't include the case which sold separately for about $100. I should have bought the case but couldn't afford it at the time - big mistake - had no where to keep it when not in use except the guitar stand, which got knocked over a few times, had drinks splattered on it, also being out in the open everyone felt like they had to pick it up and be a guitar hero.
Had a nice metal not plastic volume knob with a knurled surface. The volume knob was also positioned close enough for easy access but not in the way like on a strat. Very nice thin maple neck/rosewood fretboard. The back of the neck had kind of a rubbed out finish, not glossy. Had the classic Jackson angled head stock with very rugged/smooth operating Jackson tuners. I believe it had a basswood body, light in weight. Equipped with a Kahler fulcrum trem./behind the nut string locking system.

Sounded o.k. for earlier metal e.g. Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, etc. when played thru 50 Watt Marshall 1/2 stack. Somewhat inflexible due to single pickup - should have gotten one with at least a neck pickup. The Kahler bridge system sits up pretty high and was set up to pivot in both directions so you could bend notes sharp or flat. That was good and bad because you could use it radically when you wanted to be extreme but could never adjust it flat against the body of the guitar at times when you didn't want to utilize the vibrato system(like on a strat)- With this system any note that you bend or fret a little bit hard causes the bridge to pivot which causes the other strings to go flat. You also have to be careful when tuning because as you adjust each string it affects the balance of the bridge which affects each of the other strings - this could be tricky, and annoying, and may take some time for inexperienced players. The bridge system also sounded thin and buzzy and lacked sustain. Initially I noticed a metallic buzziness to the sound and could never isolate the source. Then one day while I was ajusting the bridge I noticed that the string saddles each had a little brass? roller that the string slides across. The rollers on the unwound strings especially the high E string were loose and would vibrate when played. Lastly, the string locking system locked the strings in place behind the nut (not at the nut like Floyd R.). This caused problems sometimes with the wound stings which would get caught at the edge of the nut during tuning or whammy bar use, then the string would go twang once it popped loose.

Workmanship was excellent and I couldn't find any obvious manufacturing defects. Had an awsome fretjob, the nut was properly notched, low action. Played great right off the shelf. Had a heavy duty metal volume knob, and an extra heavy duty whammy bar unlike the thin ones on a strat. I enjoyed the thin neck with the rubbed out non slick glossy back. The tuners at the headstock were very smooth.

Never had any problems with the finish or electronics. I did have one major gripe about the woods used in construction. They appear to be quite cheap and low quality, and very soft. I found this out after about the second time that I adjusted the trussrod when the little screws that hold the trussrod cover plate easily stripped out.(Note that I have been playing and adjusting guitars for 20+ years and am extremely meticulous and careful when making adjustments). Another thing to note is that the angled headstock is a separate piece spliced onto the end of the neck - this could be a potential problem. The biggest gripe that I have is with the angled head stock. Over time the string tension caused the headstock to bend like a bananna even though at the time I was using light gauge stings .009's often tuned down a whole step. I don't think that my guitar could handle heavier strings e.g. .010's.

Here I have another major complaint. While I was researching these guitars, the brochure spouted free lifetime setup and adjustments. The dealer told me that any time I wanted the guitar to be setup just bring it in to any authorized dealer and it would be taken care of free of charge no matter how often I wanted it done. Well after a few months, when the seasons had changed and the guitar was somewhat broken in, I decided to give it a try. The salespeople were quite assholes about it and reluctantly took my guitar exclaiming "it'll be awhile". After getting the brush off for about 2 weeks I retrieved my axe and took it to another dealer. The 2nd place gave me basically the same treatment including trying to convince me that guitars don't need to be adjusted when changing string brands/gauges or seasonally. In short I never got any of this "free lifetime adjustments/setup."

Good guitar for people who want a simple straight forward setup and a fairly heavy sound. Has an awsome neck and looks killer (although the look may be somewhat dated for today). Looking back the price was a little too high for a basic guitar such as this especially when the case was not included and the wood quality is somewhat cheap. Wouldn't recommend the locking whammy bar system for a beginner due to trickiness of tuning and inablility to disable the floating bridge when the whammy bar is not needed. Also recommend for any guitar purchase - GET A CASE - don't try to skimp on the cash, you may regret it later plus do you really want to have to listen to all of your friends trying to be a guitar hero with your axe? Lastly, be cautious when you hear claims of "free lifetime ....", it's better to teach yourself how to do the basic adjustments and perform them periodically.

USA Made in 1986 (yes, an original model 2), features a 22 fret maple neck with rosewood fingerboard, with white dot inlays.

One Jackson J90C humbucker, one volume control.

Kahler Fulcrum tremolo, with the Kahler string lock behind the nut does a pretty good job of staying in tune, although not quite as good as a Floyd.

This guitar has a great metal sound (it was built in the 80's, after all). The Jackson J90C has a good hot sound at full volume, but when you try to soften things up at lower volume settings, it only serves to muddy things up.

The action, fit, and finish were second to none! Great, fast neck, low action, and no buzzes or dead spots.

This guitar has survived playing live several nights a week as my main guitar. The only problems I've had with it involve the Kahler trem. Namely, the threading for the screw in tremolo arm stripped (admittedly, I did not follow Kahler's lubrication recommendations), and the hex screws on the string lock stripped rather early, forcing me to replace it with another Kahler string lock, which was problem-free.

While it's always a good idea to have a backup, I never needed one with this guitar.

Never had a problem with the guitar, so never had to contact them.

I've been playing on and off for about 15 years, and am currently "getting back into it."

I currently own only a Jackson Dinky XL, although I'm looking for another (US made) Model 2. In the past I have owned 2 other Jacksons, a Vester, Samick, Ovation, and a Fender Strat.

God, I miss that model 2

no features
1 hum
1 knob
crank and wail
like the tuning heads

good for everything
the sound is always in your face and always punchy

neck isnt fast at all
suits the punk rocker very well

its always been fine

none

great value
i want another with a faster neck.
the tuners are excellent rarely loses note

I purchased this Charvel Model 2 a few months ago in a pawn shop for $140. This is another one of the Japanese Charvels which have a strat type body. They were built in the mid to late 1980's (along with the Models 3, 4, 5, and 6) and have a 22 fret maple neck with rosewood fingerboard. The Model 2 originally came with one Jackson pickup, and one volume knob. However, mine has an EMG pickup which is active, and a tone knob has been added as well. I'm not sure what the body wood is, but the finishes on all these old Charvels are great. Mine is white sparkle which has yellowed nicely over the years. This guitar has the Floyd licensed Jackson double-locking vibrato. While I prefer the old Kahler single locking vibratos which were made in USA and are much more solid, (the Jackson system is made in Taiwan, believe it or not) this one does an okay job as long as you don't go too crazy with it. I have heard that the bushings on this vibrato wear out rather quickly and are not available any more, so I don't use it much for that reason. The tuners are Gotoh style Jacksons, like on all the old Charvels. And the neck is the same one used on the whole Model series. These necks are great. They are wide, thin and fast, with big, jumbo frets. My guitar did not have the original case with it, but they found me one in the pawn shop that fit, and threw it in for free.

This guitar (and all the old Charvels) fit my style well, and are pretty much the only guitars I will buy any more. I play an older 80's style with fast, shredding type leads. The necks just cannot be beaten for this style of music. The EMG pickup is not noisy at all, and I can get some variation of sounds with the tone knob that was added after market. These guitars were built to be played loud and distorted, and that is how they sound the best. I've heard that the original non-active pickup that came in the Model 2 sounds like crap. Therefore, I'd recommend replacing the original pickup in this guitar before judging the sound. I've used it with a variety of amps. Marshall, Fender, and the POD amp modeler. Loud and distorted is the only way to go with this guitar.

All the Japanese Charvels I have were built extremely well. I have never noticed any flaws in their construction. I don't know how this one was set up at the factory, but whoever had it before me spent a little bit of money on it. It was set up perfectly. Very low action, and as I said, it had the EMG already installed as well. I don't care much for the Jackson vibrato on this one. They look cheap...as if they would break rather easily. Other reviews on Harmony-Central have confirmed that this is true. I won't push my luck. However, besides the vibrato, these old Japanese Charvels are built better than any of the junk coming out of the far east today. In fact, I'd say they are built better than most USA made guitars.

I haven't used this one live, but I have several others which have been used for that purpose. They have all held up well. The strap buttons on all the old Charvels are over-sized to keep the strap from coming off, and I've never dropped one while playing. None of my Charvels show any wear on the finish. All the hardware is well made, with the exception of the Floyd-Jackson vibrato. But that wouldn't keep me from buying another one. The guitar is dependable, but I'd never gig without a backup, especially with a locking system on board.

I've never dealt with Jackson before. I am quite sure that you cannot get parts for this or any other 1980's Charvel any more. I prefer the Kahler systems which came on many of these guitars for that reason...the parts don't break.

I've been playing for 21 years. I own tons of other equipment including a Model 3, Four Model 4's, and a Model 5. I have a couple of San Dimas Jacksons, and around 25 other guitars as well. I have many amps, and an ADAT studio also. In my opinion, these old Japanese Charvels are some of the best guitars you can get for the money, and I am buying them to the exlusion of everything else now. You cannot touch or even LOOK at something close to this kind of quality for any where near the price of these things. I have hardly ever paid more than $200 for any of mine, and there are quite a few of them showing up in pawn shops now. I suppose that many of the 80's shredders have given up on guitar. That's okay...more for me to buy. I would never buy anything new when you can get something this good for so cheap. Mainly, I love the necks on these guitars. They are so easy and fast to play, that I have just given up on everything else. No reason not to, because they made thousands of these guitars, so there are plenty of them still around. If you want to shred, and save a bundle of money, pick up an old Japanese Charvel. You won't be disappointed.

This is a single humbucker Strat copy with a Jackson Floyd Rose bridge. This was my first real guitar, I don't count my Harmony POS Strat. It has black hardware, and a metallic red finish (one of this guitars best features). It has a 22 fret rosewood fretboard with cream plastic dot markers. Just you basic variation on the classic Van Halen style axe. I give it a five because it only has 1 pickup and no tone control which really limits the sounds you can get.

I used this axe during my 80's/early 90's metal/alternative garage band days. It really alright for that kind of music. The stock Jackson pickup really sucked so I replaced it with an EMG 89 Humbucker with a push/pull coil tapper on the volume knob. This really improved the sound and the coil tapper gave the guitar a little more versatility. I played it through a Peavy Truimph 60 tube amp with a BOSS ME-6 effects processor. I would give it a 3 with the stock pickups and a 7 with the EMG. The lack of a neck PU still limits the kind of sound you want from a Strat style guitar.

I bought this guitar new in 1988. The setup from the factory or the music store, was fine. The finish was flawless, but the soft wood of the body (probably basswood or poplar) made it really easy to dent. After a couple dozen gigs, it had it's shared of battle scars. The finish on the metal hardware was also not that great. Most the black paint on the bridge and nut wore off within a couple of years of playing. This is typical of almost every used Charvel I've seen. The finish on the body is probably the guitar's best feature.

One of the screws on the locking nut also broke after the 2nd or 3rd string change. I had to special order the part from Charvel since their locking nut is not a standard Floyd copy. Other than this mishap, I never really had and problems with durability. I played live for a couple of years without a backup. Never broke a string. It did have a problem staying in tune when I used the tremelo bar. I also broke a couple of those on this guitar, but I'll take the blame for that. I few too many drops and wild whammying jam sessions.

I've been playing on and off for 14+ years. This was a great guitar for it's time. Right now I own a Gibson Les Paul DC Standard and a Fender Strat built from a '68 Reissue body and a '62 Reissue neck. My taste have mellowed a little over the years. I'm more into blues(SRV, early Clapton) and classic rock (Stones, Black Crows, Zepplin) so this guitar wouldn't really work for me today. You can usually pick up a used one for around $200. I would say that's a good value for that price.

The Guitar was purchased in 1989 from Sam Ash in New York for 150 bucks. It is a 22 fret model finished in a white sparkle vinyl finish. 1 Jackson pick-up(never liked it) and 1 volume control. Recently decided to refinish the guitar and found the body construction to be 4 pieces of wood joined together with two pieces of phenolic, front and back (I am sure this was done for superior acoustical properties). The neckplate Charvel Guitars, Ft. Worth, Texas indicating foreign origin. The bridge is a Jackson floyd rose.

The Bridge pickup has been replaced with a dimarzio PAF pro, which has improved sound significantly.

As mentioned before, the body is four pieces of wood joined front and back with phenolic. the lower piece appears to be basswood due to the visible mineral streaks. Removing the lower bridge anchor bushing revealed a crack in the body. Removing the Locking nut, found a factory error(two holes drilled next to each other). Otherwise, playing the Instument gives the Impression of reasonable quality.

Has been reasonbly durable, used as a practice/backup instrument. The white sparkle vinyl finish has yellowed over the years.

Never dealt with'em.

Been Playing 20 years. Buy Again? Heck no. Favorite feature-Jackson Floyd rose, A friend urged me, "hey man-the bridge is worth the price of the guitar". So, I got to experiment with a floyd bridge. Chose it solely on price. Moral of the story- you get what you pay for.