Product: Charvel Model 375
Price Paid: (3600SEK) used
Submitted
03/12/2004
at
02:36am
by
Joar Holmstrom
Email: joar<at>linuxmail dot dot org
Features
:
7
Early 90's Japanese made, bought it in 97. Plain white with 22 jumbo frets, rosewood board with dot inlays on a bolt on maple neck. SSH pickup config(jacksons), 5-way switch, one tone and one volume knob. Schaller floyd-rose trem. I do not know what the body is made of but it seems to be 2-ply alder(one on top of the other)its soloist shaped.
Sound
:
8
I bought this with a duncan JB in the bridge so I cant give you an opinion on the original sound but the single coil pickups arent that bad I think.
I run it on a Line6 guitarport(ver2.0) and it does sound very good, much brighter and lighter than my les paul. The best way to play it is using either the two front SCs or all pickups at once with the volume turned down so to soothe the JB. Provided that you have the right amp, it sound very much David Gilmour tone
Action, Fit, & Finish
:
8
The volume pot broke but other than that it is flawless, the finish is the hardest, toughest armour-plating Ive seen! I tried to sand this guitar down to get a more natural wood look and it was extremely difficult, I had to chip of the top 3 hard paint layers flake by flake because nothing would bite on it.
But it has the most horrible neck. ultra Wide-thin shaped that breaks my fingers, when I play chords I cant reach around the neck with my thumb so it presses against the back of the neck and it starts to hurt after a while.
Further its too much space between the strings for me, its impossible to roll you fingertip from one string to another because I cant reach the string good enough to press it down without any buzz or slipping.
This neck just busts my chops, sometimes I get so frustated I try to yank the trem off the body and kill this guitar but I havent succeded yet.. a testimony of its build quality.
Reliability/Durability
:
10
The wood looks a little thin by the nut but the wood seems very tough so I dont think it will break easily, other than that I can detect no cause for concern. The finish is, as said earlier, armour-plating. I was riding my bike home in winter years ago and I fell on the guitar! The paint cracked a little by the output jack but no other damage. It was pure, hard ice on that spot, most guitars would have snapped in two.
And the strap buttons are huge, no need for straplocks.
Customer Support
:
No Opinion
they only semi-exist via jackson guitars.
Overall Rating
:
5
Ive been playing for 7 years now, I own a Gibson les paul, an Eko Tramp II(semi-accoustic) and Ive just bought a Hagstrom Swede.
Compared to these guitars, its unplayable. It sound good but the neck is an abomination, I wish I could get a replacement neck that wasnt so bloody wide but since the neck is so wide, I assume a strat-ish neck wouldnt fit to the body.
Product: Charvel Model 375
Price Paid: US $225 used
Submitted
09/05/2001
at
04:35pm
by
Adam
Features
:
9
Made 89-91, i dont really know. 22 fret bolt-on neck with dot inlays. red flame maple top and back. alder body in strat shape. h-s-s setup with 5 way switch and 1 volume, 1 tone. has a badass schaller floyd, which refuses to go out of tune. huge ass frets, which totally rule.
Sound
:
8
the bridge p/up is a j90 jackson. it is one of the best stock pickups that i have ever heard. teh single coils are both noisy as hell, and with a single in the neck, it sounds kinda thin.i'll probably put a hotrails in the neck or something....
Action, Fit, & Finish
:
9
when i bought the guitar used, it was in awesome shape. the finish is nice and thick.the action was nice and low and the floyd was set up perfect.the only downside i can see in this category is that i think the flame maple on the back looks better than the front....but it is still beautiful.
Reliability/Durability
:
10
this thing seems pretty damn solid. i bought it with some corrosion on the bridge and switch, but that wiped right off. she looks as good as new. the strap buttons are pretty big, as most jackson/charvel buttons are. i wouldn't gig without a backup, because of the floyd.
Customer Support
:
No Opinion
N/A
Overall Rating
:
9
My first guitar was a charvel. my friend gave it to me, and i thought it was the greatest thing ever...then it sucked ass. it was a crappy strat copy from the mid 90s.well, this one totally dominates. it was made before charvel started cheaping out on stuff.if it got stolen, i'd be damn pissed. i'd try to find another one though. for the price, this is one of the bestguitars you can buy. mid-late 80's charvels are some of the best deals you can get. its great.
