Charvel Model 4

My Model 4 is a 22-frets beauty, made in USA. Serial number says the year was 1988 or 1989, not sure. Think it's '89. Quality work, I'd say.
Okay, the electronics are the coolest part of this one, I've never seen such thing before: Instead of a 3- or 5-way selector, I've got three power shifts for the pickups. I noticed it was a good system when I first time tried the front and rear pickups together, with the middle one off. The pickups are the original Jackson active electronics (S/S/H), no need to change them.
I've got the Jackson's licensed Floyd Rose bridge, which is pretty good too.
I changed my frets this summer. Got the Jumbo now.

My god. It is true: the best heavy metal guitars were made in 80's! This guitar here is a living proof. The Jackson active electronics are great for riffing, shredding, harmonizing, ballads, blues and stuff like that. I gotta tell ya, when I plug this monster into my Fender amp and Boss Metal Zone pedal, there's no other such thing. Really nice heavy sound.

The variety is pretty good, I think. The sound is not too thin, so you can play blues too with this one. Actually, you can play almost anything with Model 4. Well, maybe not classic..

This guitar is fully hand-made, so no quality breakdowns really. I really like this neck. My fingers aren't the longest ones, but I still can play this. The neck is fast to move around and feels good in your hand and under your fingers. White. Beautiful. Gotta love this.

Yup, this thing lasts. Changing frets once in 14 years really ISN'T that much. Actually I was quite amazed how this one doesn't even cut the strings easily (yes, I do use my Floyd Rose a LOT). That's always a good thing.

Haven't had need to contact them.

I've played since I was a child. This guitar is still the dearest to me. First REAL guitar I bought (after few cheap ones), so I'm pretty much bound to this one. It still serves me at gigs, mostly as a backup guitar (I usually use my Jackson RR3 at gigs). REALLY reliable, REALLY good to play. If only I'd buy a license Floyd Rose, this one would be pretty much perfect.

I just purchased amy mid to late 80's Model 4 w/ s s h pick up configuration finished in flawless blue metallic. I stopped in to the shop to sniff around and found this gem. It was exactly what I wanted. They are all strat style this has the floyd rose. It came with a hard shell case but I had to call three places to find the whammy arm. The toggle switches are different but cool to play with.

I play VH, Kiss, Aerosmith. Its has great sound for what I do. I am still checking out some of the features. I play through a 5150 combo with a grunge pedal.

Action, fit and finish all seem great. I am not that particular so if its off at all I cant tell. Everything is tight and works fine.

Where as this is at least a 15 year old guitar, it seems it was treated like a museum piece. It looks brand new. Absolutely expect to have it always. I have 4 guitars Jackson, Wolfie, Kramer and ths Charvel.

If you are lucky enough to find one of these grab it. Its an awesome instrument and I cant imagine anyone being unhappy with the purchase.

I bought this guitar new in 1986 for #6oo and still use it today.Jap Charvel Model 4, 22 jumbo frets with double active humbucker at the bridge and two singles mid and neck. Controls are volume and two tones, the back tone pot being the active one and 3 switches for pickup selection making it way more versatile than any strat. It has jackson's own floyd rose locking trem which is far superior stability wise than the ones they fit today. It has a rosewood fretboard with sharkfin inlays and it's just a dream to play.

Used it through a Marshall JCM800 with boss pedals until i switched to a GT-5, right into the desk using amp sims and it rocks. The sound of this guitar is hard to equal, bought Ibanez and numerous others and nothing comes close. Any sound i need, i can get it from this guitar, from Floyd to Metallica you name it, i can get it. I can find no fault with this guitar at all, i love it to death...and i'll probably take it with me when i die.

Right out of the box this guitar was set up to perfection. Action, finish, pickups and setup were and still are amazing.

In the 17 years i've played this guitar live it's never let me down, it always keeps it's tuning no matter how much i dive the trem. i know when i go out to a gig i don't need a backup as it's so reliable. This guitar was built to last and it's served me well, if i was to lose this guitar i don't think i'd play again, to say it's become a part of me is an understatement. My wife says i love it more than her....if only she knew.. :o)

Never had a need to contact them in 15 years...maybe i never will.

I also own a Peavey Wolfgang which is almost as amazing as the Charvel, an epiphone Gothic with EMG's in it, a Tokai Telecaster circa 1980 and a 90's charvel that doesn't get used 'cos it's a joke compared to the Model 4.I love everything about this guitar, it's part of me, if it could have anything, i wish it had a twin!! If you're thinking of buying a Charvel, don't buy a new one, they suck. Go find a Model 4 and fall in love...it should be a classic. If it was lost or stolen?? i don't even wanna think about that...i'd look for another, but whether it would be the same as this on i don't know..it's my baby.

I am giving a good guess that it was made in 1987 in Japan. Its got 22 frets. Shark-tooth inlays. Rumour has it that this was the only model made by Charvel that had these inlays. Basswood for the body, maple neck & rosewood fretboard. Volume/Tone/Boost. A very cool feature on this guitar is the 3 mini-togles, you can turn off/on your pickups. The pickups are made by Jackson, S/S/H, active(uses a battery, 9V). The guitar also has Floyd Rose bridge & locking nut. And the machine heads are also made by Jackson.

I play alot of Mudvayne on this guitar, the pickups are good, the single coils have a good clean tone, but the bridge humbucker-..mm, not all the best. But then again, this guitar was made in 1987. But, I own a Strat with a Seymour Duncan SHR-1 Hotrails bridge humbucker, and it is hotter than this Jackson humbucker. However, I don't blame it, technol. increases everyday!. I think I am going to buy a EMG81 for its bridge.

Bass wood(the body) cannot take a beating that much, so it has got some dents, and scratchs, but I don't blame it. My guitar is a red finish. Also, the volume knob had to be replaced before I could take it home because it was jammed. Strange but true!

Well... the guitar has a Floyd Rose, and strings don't break that much, so, I know I can depend on this guitar at all times. Just be sure to unplug your cable out of it as soon as you are done. Or it will drain your battery.

I play this guitar to a Line6 Spider 212, and it just rocks! If your looking for a rare heavy metal guitar, hunt this guitar down!

1986 Charvel Model 4. Pearl white,sharkfin inlays,s,s,h. active 9 volt.Basswood body, very heavy for a strat style guitar.The original Kahler has been replaced with an original floyd rose that doesn't lock at the bridge.Really quiet pickups, the humbucker screams in high gain situations.The best feature is the san dimas neck.If you have never played one,try it.Nice and flat but not too thin like an RG.Real thick rosewood board with jumbo frets and 12" radius feels great when shredding.Heavy body adds to the control of high gain situations.Neck pickup howls and the middle is very clean.

Like I said, very quiet, great gain boost from active pickups.

NECK.NECK. NECK! Best neck ever.Ask any pro player.And can be had for a steal!The finish on mine is Pearl white which aged to a yellow color.Looks well used and has some long clearcoat cracks ocross the top.The floyd rose sucks,and I have been looking for a better replacement used.I keep this guitar for backup as I rely on my Les Paul Custom and strat mostly. But when shredding,this thing is top notch!!!Had an RG770 which I loved,but this neck kicks it's ass!Perfect fit,fast,slick.She may be outof style now as far as looks go,but for playability,she is unbeatable!Anyone that plays it falls in love with the neck immediately!No shit!

Whith exception of the shitty bridge,it's great!Better than the new affordable guitars out there,and the market is flooded with them! Can be had cheap!And the quality of the neck is outstanding!

Mine is a late eighties Model 4, dunno where it was made though. It's a standard 'pointy headstock' super-strat with 22 frets and, 2 single coils, 1 humbucker, 1 vol pot and 2 tone pots. It's also got 3 on/off switches for each pickup.
It came with a Floyd Rose whammy bridge which was awful and I swapped it for a Schaller which was a vast improvement.
Not that it matters really, but it's 'off' white in colour.

This is without doubt the most tonally versatile guitar I've ever owned.
You want Dimebag? It'll do it.
You want Knopfler? It'll do it.
You want Dave Gilmour? It'll do that too.

My only slight complaint is the humbucker could be slightly more powerful - that's the only thing that stopped me giving it 10/10 in this section!

With the exception of the aforementioned Floyd Rose - everything about this guitar is extremely solid and well made.

Only slight problem these days is that the volume pot is very noisy - but it IS about 16 years old!

Technically, it has never, ever, let me down.

The original 'off' white finish is now a bit yellowy but that could be down to years and years spent in various moke filled dives up and down the country!

Never had to contact them.

If you can only ever afford one guitar - try and get something like one of these. It's so versatile.

The only drawback is the pathetic second hand values - I've seen them on E-bay for as little as #120!!!! This may have something to do with the 80's metal design - sadly so unfashionable these days!

It's a lefty 1986 Charvel Model 4. Dot inlays. 22 frets. Locking Floyd Rose trem. Passive electronics. S/S/H pickup config. 5 way pickup switch. Solid alder body. Simple and classy black finish. Nothing excessive.

Well, I got it with the stock humbuckers. The bridge pickup was plently hot and bright but very microphonic. I swapped it out for a Duncan Distortion. Plenty of punch and doesn't squeal like Ned Beatty. Stock single coils are OK. I swapped out the neck SC for a Duncan JB Jr because I wanted more output. I kept the middle SC because I only use it clean and a humbucker there just wouldn't sound right. Anyway, I guess my guitar is an oddity because of the passive pickups.

It feels like a real player. Big frets and low action. The upper frets are showing some wear but it was made 17 years ago. The neck is very thin and has a very flat fingerboard radius. The Floyd Rose trem is a pain to setup (they all are!) but it'll stay in tune once everything is all set and the string are stretched. No matter what kind of crazy whammy antics I do, it'll stay in tune. Pots are clean and the electronics work properly.

These guitars have a great reputation for being durable. The headstock has a crack in it but I don't worry about it. I have no doubt it'll stand up to some hard playing. Besides, it just FEELS solid.

I dunno. Never dealt with 'em.

This guitar quickly supplanted my other guitar as my main axe. It sounds great after a pickup change, plays great, never goes out of tune, and is rock solid. Basically, a great value and a great guitar for just about everyone except folkies and country players. I'm quite lucky to have found one and for a great price.

1986 Black Cherry Charvel Model 4. Made in Japap, active electronics, locking systems, tremolo.

Very versatile guitar. Won Guitar Player "Guitar Of The Year", citing it as most versatile guitar around. Play through Mesa Boogie Tremoverb Dual Rectifier combo amp...it sounds awesome. Very full. Need to play guitar with GHS Boomers. Clean sound is not as good as my 2000 Fender American Strat.

Set up well, but Chuck Levins will provide free tune-up when buying instruments. No flaws.

Very reliable. Need to change battery every so often. Frets are beginning to show age (1987). Very dependable. Again, need to play this guitar with GHS Boomers or strings will break more often than others.

Never had a need

Very good and versatile. You can play anything on it....Jazz, Metal, Rock, etc.... I would definitely buy this guitar again if I could only have 1 guitar. Been playing for 15 years.

http://www.jacksonguitars.com/FlshSite/pages/HISTORY/charvel/M4.html

My Model 4 is 1986 model with dot inlays and
Kahler tremolo. There seems to be two different types of Kahlers used, eventhough Jackson's infopage says only Fulcrum. My guitar does have this another version (I think it's Flyer but I'm not sure...). I prefer this version which doesn't have springs in the back of body like Floyds and Fulcrum. (Hard to describe the design, but you'll see difference immediately if you see this tremolo). It gives better sustain and it is also easier to handle if you for example want to drop tuning.

Basic sound is very much like everyone exepts from 80's guitar with active electronics and locking tremolo but this guitar is anyway very versatile. I think you could find good sound for almost everything. If you need really bright tone this is maybe not a guitar for you. Great guitar for rock and metal.

It was 15 years old when I bought it. It was for sure played a lot but condition is still good. Even frets are still in good condition. These guitars are made to last.

Make sure that battery is OK and you can trust on Model 4! Of course I use a backup guitar when playing live... Strings could break etc.

They are helpful but quite slow!

I've been playing 15 years or something... I have had american made strats, Gibsons, Kramers, Jacksons etc. This is absolutely one of the best guitars I've ever had!

"Super-Strat" style guitar, Made in Japan.
22 frets, Jackson floyd-type locking tremolo.
Active electronics, H/S/S configuration, Jackson pickups, individual on/off switches for each pickup. Master volume, master tone, active mid-boost.
Excellent neck with a rosewood fingerboard. Not sure about the body woods.

Bought it new in 1987. At that time I was mostly playing quite heavy music and needed a tight distortion sound, and the bridge humbucker in this guitar excels in that area, especially with the mid-boost circuitry. I used it mostly with Boss ME-5 multieffect and Peavey Stereo Chorus 212 combo amp.
Later, I've been playing with less distortion, using both crunchy blues-sounds and completely clean sounds, and the Jackson single coils give decent strat type sounds, maybe a bit sterile.
The guitar is not noisy at all, despite of the completely unshielded circuit cavity.
Variety of sounds from this guitar is amazing, you can get almost anything you'd expect from any solid body except for Tele-type twang.
Dislikes: the high E-string sound is a bit weak compared to other strings, and sustain could be better (although it's not bad for a floating tremolo guitar).

I cannot recall how the set-up was originally.
Now it's very good, but I have adjusted it many times myself, and switched from .009's to .010's.
This is a well-built guitar with decent quality in every area, and EXCELLENT neck, one of the best I've ever played. It's quite flat and narrow but still substantial compared to 90's Ibanezes and the like, and the semi-matte finish feels very smooth under your thumb. Fretwork is also excellent.
The color is pearly white, and although the finish is still in good condition it has got quite yellow during 15 years, and I don't like it anymore.
The tremolo system keeps in tune very well.
The rating is 10 for the neck, 8 otherwise.

It has been reasonably reliable, and after about 20 gigs and 15 years of use, it's still in very good condition. The only problem was the output jack, which I had to replace at some point. Apart from that, no scratches in the finish, no problems in the hardware or electronics, and susprisingly little fretwear.
I wouldn't gig without a backup, because changing strings is quite slow with this tremolo system. Actually I've started to break quite a lot of E and B strings lately on the bridge side, I guess I should do some filing or something.

Haven't dealt with Charvel/Jackson.

Jackson kinda ruined the reputation of Charvels by using that name for their cheapest low-quality guitars in the early nineties, and I guess that's why Model 4's are not worth much nowadays. At least in Finland you can find used ones for less than 300 euros - now that's a bargain for anyone looking for a good super-strat.
Myself, I will keep this one forever. Although it doesn't fit my style very well anymore (I don't like the pointy headstock, yellowish white color, or floyd-type tremolo), I will occasionally want to use this type of guitar for recording or "heavy" jamming, and I don't think I could find a better super-strat under 2000 euros.