Charvel Model 6

i just recently bought a 1988 charvel model 6 (fire crackle finish).model 6's were made in japan i think,most charvels were.
it has 24 frets with shark-tooth inlays,rosewood fret board,and an extremely fast neck,probably the best neck ive ever played.1 volume 2 tone-but the cool thing about this guitar is that it has 3 toggles (one for the bridge,middle,and neck).model 6 (and the 4s) came with a single coil in the neck and middle and a humbucker in the bridge.pickups are jacksons (i think the model 6's had active,or a gain boost or something).model 6's are made from a maple neck and poplar wings (since its neck through).mine came in fire crackle finish,which is a harder on to find then the solid colors but sometimes there on ebay.mine also has the old jackson jt6 liscends floyd,but some came with khalers to,i think the older models.reguler jackson tuners too.the neck is AMAZING the owner before me sanded the paint off and its the faster neck and my favorite neck ive ever played.

it really suits more classic rock,metal,thrash,but i play clean too and the pickups sound pretty good clean,(specially for blues).i run it straight to a marshal dfx100 half stack and it sounds great.the pickups for the most part are about half and half on buzz/noise.it has a pretty bright sound to it,good highs,mids and lows,ive gotten anything from pink floyd (David Gilmore),to van halen (Eddie VH),metal church,and crimson glory(Jon Drenning) i play heavier music for the most part.the only dislike i can have about this guitar is it doesnt have an ebony fretboard,but that really doesn't matter much.

i didnt get mine from the factory i bought it from ebay,(funny story i watched it all week,along with a few other guitars,and right when it had 3 minutes left i bid 10$ more then the other guy and got it for 510$).when you ship a guitar you should always de-tune it so the neck doesnt have a lot of tension on it.so mine came unset up but i brought it to the luthier\tech and he set it up for me,low action,really easy to get to the 24th fret.the only flaws that my guitar had was at the tome of the guitar the paint had been worn,but it was re-painted.

model 6's are all roughly 20+ years old because i think in 1989 they started calling them model 650s.so they have stood the test of time.this guitar is like one of those old ibanez destroyers,it could go through hell and back on stage-but it will never stop working,they just dont make new guitars like they used to,before it was about quality now its about how much you can sell for how cheap.the hardware on the guitar is pretty good,the floyds saddles are starting to wear away-but i was probably gonna replace it anyway.the finish is pretty good,if its lasted 21 years its good.strap buttons are good but im probably going to replace them with locking ones,just to be safe.model 6s have to be one of the most dependable guitars ive played.i would gig without a backup,but its never safe.

never had to deal with them,now charvel is owned by fender,fenders always been pretty good on that.

ive been playing 2 years,and i own an explorer,fender strat,custom made strat,and this charvy(my favorite).if this guitar was ever stolen,ide probably go and find its like family :).i love everything about it,because its everything i was wanting in a guitar (and no guitars today have that,especially for $510)i wish i had another ;).

I am now the proud owner of two Charvel Model 6 six guitars. I bought one brand new circa 1984 and one last night from a seller on Ebay. My first one is Black Cherry and the other is creamy white. The white one is an earlier model and fitted with a Khaler trem system which is the now sought after model. The other guitar has the licenced Floyd Rose trem system. Both have a rosewood fret board with 24 thick frets which I like. Both Trem systems are good but being of a floating nature you break a string and you're bollocksed. The Floyd Rose system has a problem in as much as the Allen screws that lock teh strings in place round off over time and are difficult to replace. With this in mind the Khaler is the better system but are as rare as rocking horse sh*t (yes I'm English).

I like to play rock and blues and find that this guitar does the trick. My original black cherry has been a bit customised as I thought the original Jackson Pickups very weak and replaced the bridge pickup with a Seymour Duncan distortion and the oher two pickups with SD Geoge Lynch Screamin Demons. I'm going t leave the white one as standard but haven't played it in anger yet. I love teh sound out of the original one. I have to mark this lower due to teh fact it now sounds to my liking after customisation.

The original guitar was set up OK but I took it to a specialist for a better set up. The guitar is finished perfectly I have no complaints

My original model has been used since the early eighties and has stood the test of time. As mentioned teh FLoyd Rose screws are rounding off which is a pain but not impossible to replce. I guess its good for 20 odd years of regular playing. It is totally dependable and belive it or not I have never broken a string despite having an aggressive playing style. I have gigged without a backup but I now have two of them so its OK. I use a Gibson 61 re-issue SG standard occasionally as well.

Never had to bother - its lika Japnese car never breaks down.

I have been playing since the seventees (Google - The Klubs). I use an original Marshall JCM 800 series amp and own two 800 series Cabs. I also have an orignal 70's Orange OR120 and a Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier. The Marshall is the dogs bollocks.
If my 6 was stolen I would be sick.

What year was it made? Where was is made?
It was made in 1987, in Japan I believe.

How many frets?
24, Rosewood Fretboard

Which controls are given (volume, tone, 5-way selector, 3-way, tap, etc...)?
This is where it gets unique, Volume, Tone, and there is another knob, and I'm not really sure, I think it another tone knob. But, it has 3 Micro switches, which is cool, because you it can act as like a killswitch for messing around with scratching ala-Tom Morello style, or as a Bypass if all of the swiches are inactive.

Pickup configuration? (S/S/H, H/H, S/H, Piezo, etc...)
SSH

Make and model of pickups?
Jackson stock, not too sure about the models. The brige is pretty good, wide tonal range, good cleans, the neck and mid pickups are pretty bassy and I'm not sure why, but I don't really like them too much, its a little to bluesy sounding for my style. (KSE, In Flames, Children of Bodom, etc)

Active or Passive electronics?
Active circuit, 6db Mid Boost, PASSIVE PICKUPS. The active circuit adds alot of depth to the sound.

Body and neck woods? (Maple, Mahogany, Alder, Ash, Basswood, Koa, Plywood, etc...)
Lol, I like how they made plywood an option... No, but Maple Neck-tru with Poplar wings. This sucker is the weight of a Les Paul, no joke.

Finish (Satin, transparent, quilted top, flamed top, etc...)
Satin, nice and smooth.

Body style (strat, tele, dreadnought, cutaway, thinline, etc...)
Think Jackson Soloist.

Bridge style (Tune-O-Matic, Floyd Rose, Wilkinson, Tele-style, String-thru body, stop tailpiece, etc...)
Jackson J-30 or something. Not as smooth as a floyd, but it works for being 20 years old.

Tuners (Locking? Non-locking? brand of tuners - Sperzel, Gotoh, Grover, Schaller, etc...)
Jackson tuners, pretty good, locking nut needs to be replaced.

Neck/Scale (Fat, Thin, Jumbo Frets, Rosewood, Maple, etc...)
25 1/2 Scale, thinnest neck I've played, excellent for shredzorz.

Any included accessories? (Case, gig bag, strap, cable, tools, humidifier, etc...)
I got this sucker cheap, came with a tweed case from a Pawn Shop.

How does it suit your music style (and what is that style)?
This suits my style great, I play in a hardcore band, and it has some great crunchy hi-gain stuff. It works great for KSE sounds, gets some thick, meaty tones. I also dig the clean, its crystal clear on all 3 pickups.

What amps and effects are you using it with?
I use a Zoom G9.2tt, thu a Crate FXT120, the Zoom is a great MultiFx unit, great variety of tones, and it responds well to whichever guitar you are using, almost like a tube amp.

Is it noisy? On what settings?
Bridge pickup has some hum, but only on high gain settings, which is understandable, and it will be for any any pickup. Mid/Neck are nice and quiet.

Rich/Full sound? Bright sound?
Very bright, but yet punchy, and full. Not like a certain shitty BC Rich.


What kind of sounds can the guitar make? How much variety?
I'm pretty sure this could accomplish pretty much anything that a Strat could do.

Likes and dislikes?
I love the tone, but the neck and mids need to go, too bassy, no life to them. I really only use the neck for leads, and I have to combine with the Brdige to get some good lead tones.

How well was the guitar set-up at the factory? (How was the action?)
Well I set it up myself, since it was used, plays great, some buzz on the low E however.

How well were the pickups adjusted?
Bridge was a little high, had some mad feedback at first, lowered it, no problems now.

Did the guitar contain any flaws? HAHA. This is where it gets good. Shall I begin?

The MORON who owned this thing before me for reasons COMPLETELY unknown to me, decided to sand off part of the elbow rest, and part of the outer edge. Has a nice piece of exposed wood with some tung oil finish over it. He was a smart cookie. BUT THATS NOT ALL : The guy drilled two holes through the J-30 bridge to lock it down, and drilled into the guitar, and used washers underneath to keep it level... Wow... I unbolted it and everything, but christ.

I have no opinion on this category though, because It was used.

Will this guitar withstand live playing?
This is my main stage guitar, I have used it from Oct. 12 2007 to present, for every single show, and I intend on keeping that streak.

Does the hardware seem like it will last?
Yeah, defiantely, but I'm going to get a Floyd Pro and put that sucker on, and a new locking nut.

Is the finish good enough to last, or does it seem thin and easy to wear off with lots of playing?
Its still briiight red after 20 years. Soliiiiid.

Are the strap buttons solid?
Indeed.

Can you depend on it?
I'd trust this thing with my life.

Would you use it on a gig without a backup?
When you havea guitar with a Floyd, never gig without a backup.



One of the things that turned me onto this guitar, is it FEELS expensive, it doesnt feel like it will break on you, like some LTD's that I've played, or some of the newer Jacksons. I remember reading a review that said you could throw this thing off a building and it would still work or something, and I would totally agree. 10/10.

If you've dealt with the company, how helpful/friendly were they?
Never dealt with them, but I don't think there is a contact on the Charvel Site. Not sure.

How long have you been playing? What other gear do you own?
I've been playing for 4 years, I'd say I amount alot of my skill to this guitar, because having a good guitar will make you want to play, and a **** one will turn you off of it. I owned an Ibanez GRX20 as my first guitar, and a BCRich '04 Virgin, and this one is BY FAR the best.

Is there something you wish you had asked before buying this guitar?
Nothing. No regerets at all.

If it were stolen or lost, would you buy it again or get something else?
I would impale the ****** who stole it on the headstock of my BC Rich. No, but seriously, if it were stolen, I'd look all over Ebay and stuff for another, these things are fantastic. Great value too, you can usually get them in really good condition for about 600-800 bucks.

What do you love about it? What do you hate? What is your favorite feature?
Favorite feature... The Killswitches. Theyre sick, they make the guitar. The neck is nice and thin, I love that, its so easy to play and sweep and everything. Neck Thru for 250 bucks? You wont find that anywhere.

Did you compare it to other guitars? Which ones? Why did you choose this one?
Actually a couple days ago, I went to a shop, and brought this thing with me, and compared it to a : Jackson DKMGT, Jackson DK2M, and a Gibson Explorer. The only thing close to it was the explorer, but the neck was alot thicker.

Anything you wish it had?
Better neck/mid pu/ps

Anything else you'd like to share?
If you have the chance DO NOT HESITATE, BUY THIS GUITAR, you will not be let down!

1987 Charvel/Jackson Model 6, White, Neck thru Body, Active Circuitry, S/S/H Jackson pickup config, Jackson tremelo system w/lock. Purchased new in 1987 and still have it.

This guitar suited all my needs. I played in a Top40 cover band and it performed perfectly thru transistions from clean to drive to dirty. This guitar (I believe) has Excellent tone capabilities. Active circuits are quiet, fret action to die for, and a very fast neck. I once replaced the bridge PU with a popular hotter humbucker and ended up reinstalling the original. The original had much more warmth and response. I could pull this out of the case at any time and it would be perfectly in-tune (other guitarists were amazed by this). I love the sound and feel and it is my main guitar. My other guitars are a '97 LesPaul Standard, and a Jackson SL3.

The Guitar was delivered in perfect condition (new). I bought it with out even having seen it. All I needed was the picture. I was pleasantly surprised as it exceeded all my expectations.

No Flaws.

Ive had it since 1987, and its been my "Main" guitar. Ive had the frets replaced a few times during my busy years.

I used it for a number of years without a backup !

On an average, I would break about 1 string a year.

Never needed it.

Ive been playing the guitar since the first appearance of The Beatles on the Ed Sullivan Show.

No regrets

I would buy another in a heart beat if I could find one.

I have never played or owned a sweeter guitar than this one.

I took a chance on the looks, and the fact that I saw a few "Rock Stars" using one.

I wish/hope that it lasts forever.

If anyone out there has one and would like to sell it, let me know.

1986 i think... but i'm not sure. it was when they had Kahler tremolo which RULES and doesn't take out much wood from body. and lock at the nut.
24 frets

despite being made in the 80's this guitar still sounds great!! doesn't sound cheesy. it's a very focused sound, with clear attack... i actually want a buttery sloppy sounding guitar as well for different applications. but this guitar has amazing tone i've gotten many comments on it's sound. really quality.

the action is amazing. that's why i've had it so long. nothign has come along to replace it's playability. it plays like a dreams. so smooth. i never have to get it set up.

i've had this guitar since 1987 or 88. i had to change the tremolo springs and that's about it.

i'd rate it as the best guitar i've ever had, and that's saying something. though... i don't like it's cheesy 80's look. the Jackson head stock it really unattractive to me. in the studio that doesn't matter of course but on stage it makes me feel a little dated. hahahaha!
i'm rating this catagory as a 9 only because i don't like the guitar's look.

All know the features by now. My came with a Jackson JT-6 trem I believe. This does NOT, repeat NOT have active pickups. Only an active circuit which has a 6db mids boost. Individuals switches which is something different. Everything you could want and need. But still has part that may need upgrading furthur down the track..

Does it all!! SSH pickup setup. From bluesy strat, twangy country, clean jazz and heavy rock to metal. I mainly play hard rock, blues or shred/metal. Does them all. But again, I'm the type that never satisfies so may change the pickups for experimental purposes. Huge tonal range from stock

Plays like a dream, have never played a neck like this before. Wish all necks are like this. Huge jumbo frets. Top quality build.

This was a creme-of-the-crop 80s guitar. Course its fine. Again the JT-6 trem seems like its only weak point. And active circuit...always has spare batteries.

Never dealt with

This is pretty much a Japanese SL-1. Which in my country is a $5000+NZ guitar. Paid a bit more than what I would have liked. But had to get it after having a look. Jacksons...Charvels best guitars. This was one of the best Charvels made outside of USA. I envy all you who have scored this guitar for super cheap or had the body and made it a project. All in all. I don't think you can get another guitar with half the quality that this is. I don't think I'll sell mine...not for a long long time.

It's got everything, toggles for each pickup, locking tremelo, etc. One of the most comfortable necks you will ever play. And the jumbo frets are SWEET!

Very versatile sound, very quiet active electronics. For hard rock and metal, there is nothing better. For most styles of music, it's an excellent choice (for blues, I personally prefer the sounds from a "real " strat. I mainly play thru a POD these days, and the sounds that you can get from this setup are unbelievable (if you don't have a POD, do yourself a favor and get one!)

I purchased my Model 6 new in 1989. It is in MINT, original factory condition, with a perfect finish (it's off-white, or cream). Was used purely in the studio - and is in NEW condition. They don't make guitars like this anymore (only if you are spending over $2k). The action is second-to-none ..... very low & fast, with NO fret buzz. Anyone who plays my guitar doesn't want to put it down!

After owning this guitar for 17 years (can't believe it's been that long), and playing it much at home / studio, it is in as-new condition. The only issue is a slight crackle in the volume pot when you increase/decrease, but that's to be expected.

Definitely a classic, and they truly don't make them like this anymore. From the quality of the finish, to the action, versatile sound, the look, etc.

If you are a serious buyer, and looking for a mint condition Model 6 (with the original case too, of course), I would consider the right offer. You can email me, and I can send pics. But - be advised that I'm not going to give this away. I'm fairly confident that you will never find another in the same condition, no matter how long and hard you look.

Dark Metallic Blue finish, strat style body, Khaler Pro Bridge with trem bar, 24 fret one piece neck, 1987 model form Japan, Active pickups...

Over all I thought it was a very flexible sound, equally at home in a Jazz or rock genre, the combination of the front and mid pickups was a very nice Strat like sound..slight buzz when in this mode as you would expect from a single coil.

Beautiful to play, one of the easiest upper registers to access on any guitar I have played, I had a very low action and unless you had it spot on it used fret out when you bent from the 21st fret to a top E..apart from that very fast enjoyable guitar to play..

I bought the guitar brand new in 1987, it was mostly good, I had the Khaler pro version of the guitar, and used 009 to 046s, I used to have to apply a little bit of solder to the windings on the two top strings, E and B to prevent early breakages...once this was done the guitar was fine..

the only other issue was the Battery life, if you left the guitar on the stand plugged in, it seemed to run the batteries down, which if very inconvienent when you go to play and have no sound..

I had a few issues with the soldering on some of the internal connections becomeing falky as well..

I've been playing 23 years, I bought the guitar brand new in 1987 for AUD $2500 and hocked in in 2001 for AUD$300 to cover some debts..I wish I still had it...it was my first quality guitar and one fo me favourites... I have every sort of rig imaginable from Marshal, Laney heads with Quads, so solid state combos, Messa Boogie and Multi effects units like, Zoom, ART, and PODS...

I didn't like the three seperate control switches for the pickups, whilst great in a studio or practising not so great in a live setting.

The only other guitar I have owned which is comparable was my GEM777vBK I think it was...

active, mid boost, Kahler floyd type trem...compostie radius!!

Fan-friggin-tastic. I've never hear a guitar that sounds so pure direct into a computer. The clean sounds through the notoriously BAD M-box pre's are amazing. I don't even eq the thing when the mids are rolled up. Sounds almost like a jazz box. I say this because I can't think of a better way to acuratly gauge the "true" tone of a guitar.

action is unbelivable...I like to play blues/funk so i've got 11's on her... the easiest guitar I've ever played! Period. Thinking about 12's.

I love the fat-ass frets, they're wide...don't know the actuall size.

Built extremely well. You can feel it when you pick it up. Just like you can feel it when you pick up a squire. The thing is solid.

If you see one that doesn't look too 80's to deal with buy it. You'll be glad.

1986 Charvel Model 6, Japanese Made.
24 Frets, Humbucker-Single-Single. 3 Toggle Switches.
1 Jackson J50BC Humbucker, 2 Jackson J200 Stacked Humbuckers (single coil size).
Active Electronics, via Jackson JE1200 Active Preamp. This preamp is separate from the pickups.
Maple Neck thru body, Poplar Body Wings.
Glossy Black finish.
Kahler Flatmount Tremolo and Locking Nut.
24 Frets, 25.5" scale.
3 Knobs - but I have this honey rewired for a simple passive setup. The knobs are now 2 Volumes (one for the bucker and one for the stacked buckers together), and one Master Tone.

The sound on this guitar is really good - if you've got all the original gear in there and a new battery. There's no hum on the single coils because after all, they're stacked buckers and not true single coils. The original mid-boost/cut knob is a nice touch. As with all H-S-S axes, the versatility is just fantastic. It's a honey for the lead players out there who just aren't happy sticking to one genre of tunes. That's what sells the Jackson SL-1, and the Model 6 is the closest thing to an SL-1 without actually being one. The three toggles make pickup combos intuitive.

I currently have this one rigged for a simple passive setup, no frills. I thought about coil-tapping the bridge bucker but really, that's not necessary.

I did try an EMG HZ H4 in the bridge position - got the tones you'd expect. Tried also a Dimarzio X2N in the same spot - also the tones that you'd expect from the pickup. The woods of the instrument don't tend to color the sound or the feel much - the maple neck goes right through the body and therefore it's maple near the pickups. The poplar wings don't do a whole lot for resonance. Now I have a simple generic rock pickup in there (Jackson older model), and I'm loving it. Yeah yeah I know nobody likes non-top-o-the-line pickups anymore, whatever. I like those too, and I use them sometimes. Variety is gooooood. Variety is gooooooood.

I play her through these: Peavey 5150 II/Crate BV Cab, Crate BV/BV Cab, Marshall and Fender practice amps. And whatever I can get my hands on for a the moment. Honestly the guitar/amp combo makes little difference.....but I s'pose I'll mention that 5150s love passive circuits and dislike active ones. And when I say active, I'm including overdriven passives like the X2N.

When I picked up the axe it was in bad shape. It is after all, better than 20 years old. This one had seen better days. But all that is behind us now. We're happy now.

The gear on this honey is excellent. If you're familiar with Kahler then you know how sturdy they are, and how smooth. This one is really old and overused however, and it's developed that problem of not returning to zero point. I don't care however, because I fixed the bridge. Feels great.

The Kahler locking nut is solid as hell, as you may know. Far superior to standard locking nuts - it has a cage style that envelopes the clamping gear. No twisted pegs etc. Also, I went down to the local nuts and bolts shop and picked up some new screwing pegs for it, but with larger heads on them for ease of tightening. The smaller ones tended to strip too easily. All better.

The action when I got her was atrocious, and I've worked a lot on that. The truss rod does a lot, not just a joke-rod. The Kahler is fully adjustable which is also good. I've got the action down to a reasonable height, however I do get a fair amount of buzz. Wish I could fix this, but I'm not sure why it's there. Neck is straight as an arrow it seems...could be the fret wear I suppose.

She's got some cosmetic flaws from abusive owners of the past....but just as you would any girlfriend, I lovingly glossed them over until you don't notice them anymore. Don't ask.

The toggle switches it came with are beasts - still on there after all this time and working great.

The tuning machines are in great shape. The only thing about these is that the low string one is a bit twisted, so the knob leans toward the others. Doesn't cause any problems, just a bit tower-of-pisa -ish.

The mother of pearl inlays are beautiful, but some of them have come up a little. I s'pose one day I might have the instrument refretted, and I'll see about having those glued down or something.

Overall she feels great, one of those that seems to melt away the problems once you get it in your hands. If you want to know what these honeys feel like, just go play an SL-1 for a while. The neck is the same, the feel is the same.

She's dependable - or else the Model 6 wouldn't be selling on eBay 20 years after it was made for 600 buckaroos. Consider that. How many 20 year models are still selling, period? They don't just sell because they're vintage. They're not rare and SL-1s have all that they have and more. So why are people paying out the urethra for them these days? Cuz they kik.

I have no doubt that this instrument will be raping asses when my assraping days are all over. It is built to last.

The finish is damn solid. Won't wear off for a while, and that's nice to know. I've seen Les Pauls with as much play on them with neck finishes going thin....

The hardware will come and go, but the original 'ware on the axe is good enough for another decade for sure.

Lemme put it this way. If I went insane one day, and decided to take my hammer and render my 5 guitars to pulp, I would have the most difficulty destructing the Charvel.

No Opinion here, never tried them. However, I have enjoyed the fact that there's a significant group of guitarists that love the old Jackson/Charvies. The most help I've gotten is from Dave at this website: www.fretsonthenet.net

She's a fantastic value.

If you're like me, you wanted an axe that was a neck-thru strat style body with HSS configuration. You like the Jackson Soloist but are thinking that the Model 6 is a good solution. Guess what - it is. However, be sure to ask what condition the frets are in. You can trust that the neck is still straight, but be sure that you're not picking up a new guitar that will immediately need a refretting (150-300$). This is a good safety measure for the purchase of any older guitar. Also, just to learn from me, find out if the inlay sticks up a little in any places. Mine does.

Loads of versatility here, everything you could ever want in a guitar and more. Read the other reviews for full features.

After reading about this guitar, and reading that it equals a USA Soloist, I decided that I wanted one, and managed to find one without a lot of damage (except for a headstock that had split in 2, but it got fixed pretty well)
When I got it, it was all original. The singlecoils sound surprisingly warm, but the humbucker was a little weak, kinda low output, and not very special. I changed the humbucker to a DiMarzio ToneZone and now the sound is how it should be. Tight, nice low-end growl and round, warm highs.
The midbooster can really give me that extra bit of growl when chording, or get my high a bit warmer.

The standard Jackson JT-6 bridge plainly sucks. It just wouldn't stay in tune when diving at all. I managed to find a NOS Kahler 2700 bridge cheap and had it put on. Now the guitar is a lot more stable, but it still won't return 100% decently after a dive, I have to pull up to get it entirely back in tune (only after a big dive though) I suspect this is because of the nut, which is hardly cut.
The guitar plays great though. I can reach all frets without any problems, and the flat fingerboard makes shredding easy, this more than compensates for the 2 'problems' I'm having, the guitar plays GREAT.

This guitar has been rocking since 1987 and from the looks of it, it'll rock for another 50 years. There's a light crackle in the pots, but the neck is straight, hardly any scratching of the paint etc. If I didn't know what it was and someone would tell me my guitar is 1 year old, I would believe him.

Haven't delt with'em, don't expect that I'll have to.

I've been playing for almost 2 years now, and apart from the 'six, I own an Epiphone Goth Les Paul, ENGL Fireball head, Behringer slant 4x12 cab and Shure wireless kit (or at least, that's what the guitar is getting played through) Even though I'm 18 years old,I've paid for every single bit of my gear myself, so I've learned how to judge a good or a bad guitar.
If it were stolen, I'd track it down and smack the skull of the thief to pieces with it.

Charvel Model 6: Japanese version of Jackson Soloist, manufactured from 1987-1989, 24 Fret Neck-Thru, Maple Body, Rosewood on Maple Neck, Jackson Pick ups(S-S-H),Tone Control are Active, Jackson Tremolo.
New they went aroung $900. I bought mine used for $225 with case at Guitar Center in Boston. Guitar is Pearl White. Clear Coat finish used in those days allows finish to "Yellow".
Tremolo is cheap and Pick ups are awful. But bang-for-buck is where this guitar shines.

Stock Jackson pickups are brutally Midrangey sounding. Active circuit is useless. I installed EMG 81 humbucker and two S Single coils. Guitar wails with new puckups.
The tremolo is very cheap. I replaced with Original Floyd Rose. Guitar was bought used for $225. Very good value. I put about $400 into the guitar(EMGs/Floyd). For $650 you can't find a guitar that beats my guitar's tone. And with the Original Floyd it's tuning
stability is flawless.

Here is where the guitar shines. The neck is awesome. The Maple body is an excellent wood. The guitar's construction is first rate. I've found the Model 6 equal to any American Jackson I've seen. I own 1985 Jackson RR1 and the Model 6 is it's equal.
The only flaw is the cheaper components used to keep the price lower than a Soloist. The pickups and bridege need to be replaced.

The guitar is a workhorse. Reliability is where this guitar shines. The Maple body is heavy and makes the guitar quite durable. I've had this guitar over 10 years and have played out hundreds of times. The guitar has never failed me. I would play agig without a backup with thjis guitar no problem!!
The finish is top-notch other than the clear coat which allows the White paint to yellow.

I've contacted Jackson with questions about my Model 6, my Randy Rhoads (RR1) and Soloist (SL1). The company was always professional and courteous regarding my Jackson guitars. I was Jackson is unable to provide info regarding the Japanese Charvels. I was told to contact Wayne Charvel about the Model 6. At that time it was www.waynesguitars.com
When I e-mailed him, Wayne was very prompt and helpful in his
response..

I've been playing 20 years and own numerous guitars with both Duncans and Dimarzios. I have 2 American Jacksons(RR1 and SL1 with Duncans), '83 Gibson Vee (Duncans), Two Ibanez RG's (Dimarzios).
But the Charvel is my workhorse. I do studio work and the Charvel with the EMGs can get all the tones. I really suggest installing EMGs into the guitar.
I bel;ieve the incredible sustainis a combination of the neck-thru construction and the Maple body. Although a replica of my Soloist, the Model 6 sounds better. The Soloist is not Maple.
The real value of this guitar is the fit and finish and the fact that the guitar can be bought for $300 or so used. hard to beat for that price.

charvel model 6, made in japan. stock jackson pups, passive. maple neck, alder sides neck-through design. jackson tremelo. 25 1/2" scale length. real mop sharkfin inlays.

hard rock and clean stuff and blues is what i play and this guitar covers everything ok. seymour duncan pickups i've tried in it sound alot better than the stockers, no suprise there. the only sound it can't nail is the clean snappy sound of a bolt on neck. i'm giving it a 7 and using stock pups for review purposes.

perfect execution here, the neck is still perfectly straight after 15 years, the neck to body joint is still perfect with no aging issues. i've had new usa gibson lp's that don't get close to this charvel mij perfection. this model's neck is very comfortable for me because it's set back a little unlike the usa soloists that are straight with the body.

this model 6 has been played hard for years as most of them have because they are works of art and won't be found sitting in a closet because they play so well. i hand polished the guitar and brought up a good shine, hell i'ts 15 years old. as durable as anything out there.

they don't want to remember these since they are equals to the usa soloist line. in 1990 they went with the 650 xl that is not made as well as these 6's even though they used a better schaller trem it just does'nt compensate for that 650xl cheaper fit and finish.

these model 6 charvels are as good as usa soloists- the cheaper tremelo and pups. the only thing i don't like is that i can't get that clean spappy sound on the low e and a string like i can on a premium bolt-on super strat. it is what it is and it does sustain very well for a lightweight poplar body. the neck is a little too thin but it is very stable. for the price there is nothing to compare it to. i use my lp custom for the warmer and heavier sounds and a superstrat bolt-on neck for other clean sounds. the fit and finish of my model 6 is right up there with $5000 usa gibson historics and a few other pricey and rare guitars. warning: if you try one you'll be hooked! they are hard to find in un-battered shape, i plan on finding another since they are one of my favorite bargain guitars.

in this review there will be a comparison between 2 guitars, the model 6 before modification (like it came from factory) and after the rebirth.

some information about the guitar (as it was)
* Japanese made superstrat. year of manufacturing 1987. these guitars were made from 1986 to 1988.
* features a 24 frets neck (standard superstrat thing) and is neck through body
* has a volume, tone and midbooster knob. has 3 different toggleswitches to switch each PU individually on or off.
* HSS configuration, a Jackson J-50BC humbucker in the bridge and 2 J-200 stacked humbuckers in the middle and neck position.
* has an active 6 dB midboostercircuit, the pickups are actually passive.
* as said a neck through body design, with the neck being maple and the wings poplar (should sound like alder, but I have heared different things about that)
* The finish was a glossy metallic solid finish, mine being cherry black (=purple). the finish is actually really hard. the neck is painted as well.
* has a JT6 licenced floyd rose tremolo. The early model 6's (made in 86) had a Kahler Pro.
* has a Kahler style stringlock, behind the nut. has some jackson tuners of some kind
* the neck is flat and D shaped, thinner than a ibanez wizard (which surprised me), jumbo frets, rosewood fretboard and MOP "sharkies" sharkfin inlays. 25.5" scale.
* came with case, but mine is not the origial, according to the logo on it: a toothpaste logo, which came in to use in 1988/89.

what did I change?
1. JT6 trem out and Schaller Floyd Rose licenced in. Chose this one over the more bright sounding OFR.
2. Orignal PU's and (active) electronics out. Replaced them by a DiMarzio Steve's Special in the bridge, a SD lil' 59 in the middle and a SD lil' screamin demon in the neck.
3. toggle switches replaced bij a superswitch and 1 toggle (to add the bridgehumbucker anywhere).
4. new coat of paint, neck kept natural.

these are the 2 scenario's that are compared to each other the entire review.

I usually play rock and metal, recently I added some pop to my "playlist" as well, because I entered a coverband, but my main styles are rock and metal.

my setup is pretty pure: no effects, only guitar and amp:

guitar -> Mesa/Boogie Quad Preamp -> Mesa 50/50 poweramp -> 1*12" cabinet

this gives the purest tone without any fuzzy effects, mayby I will buy something like a intellifex or alike one day, something without tonesucking abilities.


old.
The first thing that crossed my mind when I got it (I ordered it in the US, while living in the Netherlands) and plugged it in was: that sounds like crap. The bridge humbucker lacked punch, attack, balls, etc etc. The singles were thin, no-output-kinda-crap things. I came to understand why the previous ownwer wanted to get rid of it. The pickups were supposed to be really quiet, which the singles surprisingly were, but the humbucker was at best described as "not to much noize" and at worst as noizy, even trough my mesa amp.
The guitar sounded "a little more decent" with the midbooster on full, but more than a little is to much credit; thin, fuzzy, no character, no mid, no low and no high end. the singles were dead and the humbucker was even more dead.
The variety of soumnds was theoretically huge: there is a midbooster, 3 toggles (which gives 7 options, 8 when "off" is regarded as option as well), so a lot of sounds available, but none usefull because of the pour quality.

Conclusion for original set up: bad, really bad, a 3 at most, but the new one is a different story:

Pickups make something like 70 of 80% of the guitar, the rest of the tone is influenced by the construction and the kind of wood. this doesn't say anything about sustain by the way.
As said, there were some new PU's installed: a Steve's Special, lil 59 and lil screaming demon. The difference that made was like day and night. The guitar started to live, to shine etc etc. Ok, this is my taste for PU's, but I think every PU would have done something like that as well. The guitar suddenly had a distinctive, warm character. tons of low end, nice high end, punch, arrack and I was suddenly really happy with my model 6, sustain is phenomenal due to the neck through and the heavy woods used.
I already had the idea of changing PU's before I bought the guitar, because I don't like singlecoils, so not a big deal to change them.

conclusion:
old = liveless, muddy (humbucker), thin (singles), no output, no high end, no low end and no midrange, just mud.
new = living, warm, fat, can even sound aggressive.

old = 3
new = 9

I got it second handed. guitar seems to be made pretty well, as far as I can judge that right now in the current state.

My guitar has a long gigging life behind it's back, at least it looks like that: the JT6 trem was completely worn out, as were the tone and midbooster pot. About the floyd: the quality of those licenced Taiwanese made copies are lowsy, plain and simple. but hey, this guitar is already 16 years old and that is only 5 years younger than I am!

the finish was rock hard, but really worn as well, lots of scratches, at the back even to the wood!! I have no idea how that is possible: the paint was really hard.
The frets were also worn, I have the idea they had never been dressed when I got it. I had em dressen, but next time I am going for a refret job, they are to low right now.

gigging without a backup? no way. why? not due to the quality of the guitar, but it is a Floyd Rose equipped one, and you simply need a backup for such a guitar.

so, durable? could have been better, but the previous owner thought it to be a tool, not an instrument, so that counts as well.

never dealt with them.

I play for 13 years right now. Unlike many other guitarists I haven't owned tons of guitars: a Yamaha pacifica 112, Gibson Les Paul Studio, Jackson PS4 (load of crap), Ibanez JPM and this one. I only have the Yamaha (project guitar), Ibanez and Charvel at this moment and I think I will settle with it. Tone is exactly what I want and the playability is really great. Pobably I will sell my Ibanez as well to get another one or model 5 or USA SL-2, which are (qualitywise) almost identical guitars.

The greatest thing about this guitar is the sustain, for a Floyd Equiped guitar it is phenomenal. Besides that is the warmth in it. it seems to have more low end than an USA soloist, which is really cool, the bottom is massive! Comine that with a lil' screamin demon in the neck and you can get the smoothest tone imaginable.

why this guitar, well lets see...
In the first place I wanted a neck through guitar, because I hate the heel of my Ibanez, although it is an all acces joint. If you think neck through, and you play superstrats, I think Jackson Soloist. big problem: I am a Dutch student and in Holland these guitars are way overprized (secondhanded something like $2000,- and new over $3000,-). so, looking for alternatives. I stumbled upon a great forum, the JCFonline forum, where I read that a model 6 was the guitar to get in that case: the only difference with a USA from that period was the logo: charvel instead of "jackson made in USA". So the choice was easy: get myself a Model 6.
All said and so done: model 6 ordered from the US (pretty exciting thing to do: will everything work out as planned; off course it didn't), but after 4 weeks I had my model 6 and I was off to make it the way I wanted it.

so, right now it is the guitar for me, and until I have a SL2 it will be my main axe.

1987, made in Japan with 24 frets neck thru construction, three independant togggles, active mid boost, tone and volume, all active pick ups H-S-S configuration. Some sort of deep metalic purple metal flake finish. Sudo Strat body design, Kahler trem still up and functioning. Included the original tweed hard shell case. Everything, with the exception of the strings and frets, are original. Only one small nick in the pointed headstock and a few surface scratches on the back, probably from belt buckles. I bought this axe off of a friend of my cousin. It is my understanding that the guitar was used regularly for gigging and basement jams. Held up exceptionally well for the the years on it. I bought this guitar over the summer of 1997, already ten years old at that point. I choose this guitar over a brand new soloist because I preferred the set up and the price I must say was quite a better bargain, about $750 less than the soloist that I was checking out at the time.

This guitar can do any style that you wish, it just takes a little more tweaking than a lot of other guitars because of the active electronics. It can scream like a banshee for metal, or play very bright and clear tones for jazz and the like. I enven do a little classical on it from time to time just to turn some heads, sounds great even for classical. I currently play this thing through a Line6 Flextone. The amount of knobs and tweaking neccessary for the amp, not the guitar, can get exhausting, but sounds from the super sweet to the raging insane can all be dialed in on this set up. There does not seem to be much that the orginal setup of this axe cant handle.

I dont know about the factory setups, bought it used. But the '6 plays extremely fast (faster than I can manage, some times I just have to hang on for the ride). It is hard to see the bookmatching through the finish, but from what I can see it looks pretty damn good. The routings are all great and expertly cut and all the original hardware is still tight, pegs, trem switches and the like. Can't really complain about how anything has held up over the years.

This guitar can handle about anything. Probably could serve as a bat in MLB. Never seems to miss function. Any time I plug it in it is ready to wail. THe finish is very think and will probably outlast my life time. No risk of the strap buttons coming off. I can and always depend on it. I'm not doing world tours (yet) but I can depend on it for gigs with out a back up, except for the occasional string snap.

Never had to deal with the Co.

I have been playing this axe for five years now. If it were stolen, I would try to find another to buy. I love that it is always ready to rock. I love the neck thru construction and the lightening speed action. I compared this guitar with the soloist. Chose the Six because of the toggles and price. I wish it cam with genie who could grant me even more wishes.

I'm somewhat uncertain of the exact year ..i believe its a 87, 88, or 89 judging by the logo, neck joint, trem, and asian make.

it wsa 24 beautiful frets ... not as nice a USA jackson but damn good for a asian model.

it's a typical 80's solid body super strat in like fire engine/blood red.

The controls are a switch for each pick up and volume, tone, and boost knobs. The boost knob is useless ont his since the active electroncis were taking out and a dimarizio DP-super distoriton is in the bridge. It has the stock jackson single coils that i need to replace becuase they don't push the same way with out the active elctronics. It's a S/S/H. I dont know if all the singles sound this bad .. but if so they surely need to be replaces. I like everythng from modern rock (better than ezra, incubus) to jazz/fusion (tribal tech and mahavishnu) to metal (the dillinger escape plan and jason becker). I need a guitar with more versatile sounds. The dimarzio pick up is really great though .. a little bright but man this thing has tons of output.

Not to sure on the body .. check other reviews doe it.

Finish is typical solid color.

It's a neck thru super strat with the older t-6 trem i beleeieve. I have played better trems but this kick the shit out of the pants iabnez was using those lo pro 2 POS's. It's not a floating trem though so you can go like steve vai on the sucker but you have a decent ammount of movement.

the tuners are typical blakc metal locking tuners.

It came with a charvel non form fitting case, trem bar, and a strap.

My stlye is from jazz fusion to shred to rock to extreme metal.

The guitar is made for metal and thr shred. This make it great for almost anything feel because you have a full reach to the 24th fret ... its very thin with a low action and the neck is super fast.

The single coils are terrible though so im gonna throw in some seymour duncan hot rails i think like the reagular SL-1's have.

the dimarzio dp 100 super distortion in this is like 80's metal style. It's really good for what i play .. it has tons of output and realyl good for a crazy tapping sound.

It's all really good once you get the right pick ups in here for yourself.

these are 15 year old pickups ... most at this point loss up to have their intital intended sound through natural demagnatization.

i gave it a six ... once i get the hot rails on here it will be a 10.

The action was perfect to do some fast runs and swwp picking on the neck.

Pick up height was great.

for being 15 years old the finished is like a 9 which is really great for its age.

I doubt i would ever try .. but i dont think i could break this sucker. It's put togeather very well.

strap buttons are wide so they wont loss grip of the strap mid pelvic thrusting solo or anything.

i would gig with a back up just because of the floyd rose.

not sure yet ... hope i never have to find out.

Besides the pick ups this is an amazing guitar ... it better than any of ibanez, esp, les paul, etc. that i have played. Only better non hand made guitars i have played are the current Jackson USA soloist series.

e-mail me with any questions

mid '80 made, japanese neck-thru body, 24 frets, jumbo frets.
Stock jackson active pickups, replaced with EMG h/s/s pickups.
Emg 81 bridge, Emg S middle, Emg SA neck.
Now one volume, two tones.
Original shitty Jackson Floyd replaced with great Ibanez Lo-Pro Edge bridge, "packed" into guitar body.
Jackson tuners.
Now the best guitar ever seen!!

Metal, metal, metal.
Play thru Zoom 505 easy and nice effect and Mesa or Marshall amps.
Great tone and volume.

Bought it used, dunno how many people played it before me.
btw, I play with very low action.

Not any problem, even after a 3 hours destroying metal live set.

I've been playing for 9 years, own a Dean ML, a Charvel 375, a Epiphone Les Paul, but Charvel mod.6 is the best guitar I have ever played.
If it were stolen I think I would give up playing guitar.
If you aren't OK with stock Jackson trem replace it with Lo-Pro Edge.
Do it!

Charvel Model 6, serial #902833, 24 fret neckthru, locking nut and jackson JT-6 floyd trem.
Jackson active electronics, S/S/H, 1 volume, 1 tone, 1 active midrange boost. 3 individual toggle switches for pups.
Cream/white subtle sparkle finish.
Superstrat style, pointy headstock, streamlined strat body.

I play Vai, satriani, Gary moore, Megadeth and hendrix bluesy stuff. This suits pretty much everything. The single coils are COMPLETELY noiseless, but the Humbucker has a bit of background noise when near the amp (Laney LC-30 all valve) at high gain.
This guitar sustains!! more so than any floyd rose equipped ive ever played on, the sound is perfect for dave mustain AND steve Vai lead sound, its creamy but screaming. I love the clean single coils, especially with the mid boost, but i tend to roll back the tone a little with the humbucker on clean, its a bit bright.

Got it second hand, but the action is very nice. It seems quite high to look at, but notes just fly off the neck, it feels so good.
I raised the humbucker a little to get some more gain, and didn't hear any noticeable loss of sustain for magnetic interference.
The one thing i disagree with about this guitar is the trem. A jackson JT-6. It has about as much travel as a fender modern trem before it goes out of tune, and i have to make tuning adjustments every time i play.
Also the intonation/frets are very off for the 5th string. Power chords as low as the 5th fret have to have the 5th string bent sharp by 1/4 tone to compensate, and octave root5 shapes ring out against eachother horribly. I am having it taken to a luthier to have the trem swapped and get the intonation sorted. After that she will play like a beast!

Everything except the trem seems to be built as sturdy as a pack horse except the trem.
I still wont let my drummer near her though!
Strap buttons oversized-the strap's never going to fall off!
I would always gig it with backup incase i broke a string.

bought second hand, but found warranty claim form in case, so if you got it new, i think you would be taken care of.

Its all above. I rank it better than my PRS Santana SE, an Ibanez RG550, and a Gibson LP studio.

Model 6 Charvel built in 1986. I bought this axe brand new in 1987. Like the others... It's a rice burner but the best rice burner I have ever played. 24 Fret neck thru Fire Crackle paint job. To this day only one little nick. That says a lot for the quality paint job. Brand new it had Jackson active electronics S-S-H, 3 sep. toggles, & Floyd Rose Trem. Just replaced the bolts in the trem after finally being stripped out. That's after 16 years folks.... It now has an Ultrasonic active Humbucker on it but I am buying EMG's as we speek. Big ol fat neck with huge frets... All Jackson Hardware. Chainsaw case came with her and fits like a glove.

This is a Screaming Banshee of a guitar. Get you a good acoustic guitar if that is the sound you are interested in. If you want to thrash, scream, crunch, smash off Metallica riffs and Mustaine solo's this is the axe for ya. Stock it was a little noisy with the Jackson electronics on it... Can't wait to get the EMG's... I know, I am a little behind the times. But what I have now has always been fine. Good sustain due to the neck thru the body build. Neck is still straight as an arrow. I've never even had to ajdust the Truss Rod.

Action is great.... There was a little rattle in 1987 but after having a fret job done she moves as fast as you can move her with flawless intent. I now have a little noise in the Volume knob but with a little tuner spray should clear up easily. Guitar was set up perfectly from the factory. Everything was lined up well and screwed in tight.

What can I say? I am the original owner after 16+ years of banging on her and she still screams for more. This is one of the best guitars I have played. I compare to Les Pauls, PRS, and the like. She's never let me down....EVER. There have been many nights early on when she was the only bag I brought to play. HArdware is still shiny and tight. I have replaced the strap buttons with the locking straps. Overall, the paint job is still as shint and brilliant as the day I bought her. Fire crackle paint job is definitely dated mid 80's but still catches plenty of attention. I do play with an 1985 Model 3A with the double Humbucker set up too.

Never had to deal with them.....

Overall, I would never get rid of this axe. I don't know what I'd do if this one disappeared. I have not found another one in this good of shape. Like I said, I have a 3A also. More of a deeper tone. GReat sounding with a Kahler Trem. 22 fret bolt on neck. Had to get neck worked on and frets filed before I was happy with it. But now it is a perfect back up and I use her on all the clean settings.

i dont know when my '6 was made but she was born in jay-pan. Its got 24 frets s/s/h 3 togs, active, floyd, all jackson hardware.

this thing goes to 11. ah but you say , "what if they just labeled it 11 instead of 10, and in fact, is only as good as those labeled 10"
well to those naysayers I say " but this goes to 11" And i dont wanna hear any more from the deep and removed poet types about "descriminating ear"

what you dont know charvel? Ask anybody charvel is the best built jay-panese axe out there.

Flawless performance, outstanding reliability, top of the line build (you can drive railroad spikes with this thing), and damn cheap for what you get. If youve got a job to do, I humbly submit this be your weapon of choice.

jackson used to be awsome havnt dealt with fender

I have owned this screamin bone cruncher for 11 fun filled years. In the stable: 98 jackson sl 1, gibson les paul custom, sg, explorer (reissue '76), strat texas special, stienberger,Ibanez jem, and an old hammer v and some other acoustic crap. If you care about acoustic sound you dont want a model 6. If you want to blow away any of the current dirty sweatshirt,"kurt cobain was a musical genius", jeans hangin past yer cheeks crowd, the model 6 is for you. this thing has was gibson wants thousands for. And locking, active, and a superior paint job. the only guitar i have ever owned that comes anywhere near the above mentioned quality is my stienberger with active 81's front and rear. The other guitars are different they are all cool in their own unique ways and the paul is still one of my favorites. But the '6 is a sure thing. the others you have good and bad days with. My american hammer is a damn cool guitar also.

I wonder if the soloists are any good anymore since fender took over. Im seriously thinking of buying an sl 2. waddayathink?

I found my Model 6 at a pawn shop. I wasn't sure about what it actually was because some one had epoxyed the humbucker in and they made a gay looking pick guard for it. It had a Kahler stuffed in it and it really looked thrashed... Oh yeah it was red. Well, I took it to spme friends of mine here in San Diego, and they went to work on it. First the Kahler hole was blocked in and then routed for a Floyd. then a fret job. then off to get painted. I chose black and white Checkers for the top. (Rick Neilson, cheap trick thing). then I loaded it with active EMGs, mini shalers and BAM!!!! I tell ya it is sweet!!!!

Great on metal but has a sweet sound for jazz

Fits like a glove

I've had it finished for a year,,,,, maybe have 200 hours on it

Oh yeah, it came with a tweed case that's sweet. so, After all the work I put aboutb $900 into it. But it's cool!!!!

I bought it the last year they made the Model 6, '89 I think. Blue with the Jackson Floyd trem, active pickups, neck-through, the standard model 6 suite. As I recall, I paid $1200.

I've always loved this thing, you can get about any kind of sound out of it. Extremely versatile guitar. The active pickups have a mid-boost circuit, so you could get either a vintage fat/warm sound with the vol down slightly, and the mid-boost up - or crank the vol and chop the mid-boost and get a very nice bright tone. Very nice natural resonance with the neck-through design, and great sustain. Good stuff.

The guitar had no flaws in fit, finish, materials, etc. when new. Good quality stuff for the Japanese Jacksons, when they made the Charvels in Japan during this time(86-89), the build quality was basically as good as the hand built USA Jacksons, but for 1/2 the price.

The guitar has been a rock... Only normal wear and tear has required 2 refrets (first refret to 6105's, which only lasted 2 years, went back to 6100's, I'll never go small again) all on the original ebony fingerboard, which remains completely free of any warps or twists to this day. The string saddles wore out in the bridge over time as well, and Jackson quite making that bridge some time ago - making replacement impossible with original parts, so I keep recarving the saddle grooves as they get loose, but it's probably time to see if a Schaller trem will fit in the studs...

Note that this guitar has been played alot, considering it's on it's 3rd set of frets, and there is still no noticeable wear on the paint finish... Just amazing.

Never dealt with them.

Been playing for 16 years or so, and this guitar has survived 13 of 'em in excellent condition. The guitar is amazingly well built, and I will probably give it to my son for his first electric when he's ready for it. If lost or stolen, it would be irreplaceable, like losing a photo album with pictures you'll never see again.

I got a 1984 Charvel Model 6 USA prototype guitar and this thing kick ass. Has a neck thru body with 24 jumbo fret real nice feel. I belive it has a solid top. It have i 1 master volume and 2 tone controls and 3 mini switches for the boost controls real nice features. It now has emgs on sound great with them. I have clean white finish it in pretty good condition. I put on sperzel locking tuners because i hate locking nuts there a pain in the ass. I got to say the person that hates the kahler is problely can't play guitar if his life depended on or just some idiot who complains over everything. I most kahler is a much better tromolo then flody rose they a pain the ass i've had 4 orginal flody roses on my guitars over the years and they were pains in the ass. Kahler all the way. This guitar has everything you could ever want on a stock guitar. Active system works great and sounds great.

The sound this guitar is great clean when thats what you want no feedback and is the perfect guitar for Heavy Metal. You could really also play any kind of music on it like from country to blues sweet sound.

The action is like sex its perfect. The kahler is a great tromolo once you understand how it works. The paint is nice because its 18 years old and still look pretty good.

No problem ever.

Charvel Jackson is great they are the ones that told me i had the model 6 prototype guitar.

I own right now a Gibson custom les paul a american 68 strat a PRS and about 10 other guitars and this is my favorite guitar its really a peice of work. I would recomend anyone to purchase this guitar if they could.*****five stars

ive got a '86 model 6 charvel and it rocks ass. it has kahler pro tremolo, and if anyone says kahler blows ill kick thier ass. it had all dimarzio pickups, s-s-h. apple red. its nech-thru rosewood finger board poplar body sharkfin inlays. i love kahler

sounds incredible, real good harmonics good feel to play around with. sorta heavy on the head so it has good sustain

the guitar has gone through hell with me, i play metal furious metal. ive played fenders so fast that theve gone outta tune, this guitar isnt a tank but it isnt afraid to tell the tank to stick it up its ass. balls. besy deal i ever got on a guitar. everything is really u.s.a. standards but it was made in japan. oh well still kicks a lot of stuff's ass.

once i spilled a drop of jack and coke on a peavey raptor at a freinds house, it almost stripped the paint. my cousin spiller jager-meister on mr charvel and guess what, its still fine. this guitar has put up with a lot of my shit and i have come to respect it as its own force in the universe

ive never had to put up with any bull-shit. it just never needed anything

ive been playing for some time now ive got an army of 7 guitars ranging from u.s.a. jacksons to u.s.a. peaveys and i love this guitar

This fine axe was made in Japan in 1986-87. 24 frets, MOP sharkfin inlays, 3 mini-pup switches, and 3 knobs(volume, tone, and distortion i think). H/S/S active jackson pups, poplar body not sure bout neck, in a wierd off-white-sprakle finish. Soloist style body, with a kahler tremolo bridge(sucks), locking jackson tuners. bought used so no hardware.

I play metal and it suits my style fine, but when i run it clean and switch in the mid or neck pup, it can do anything, blues, jazz, you name it. the bridge humbucker is the noisiest pup, but it rocks! lottsa distortion and great pinch harmonics on every fret(almost). im quite satisified with the original pups, they really can do anything.