Charvel Model 88

I believe mine is a Japanese build but it wears a Fort Worth bolt plate. From what I understand there were 1200 Japanese and 1000 US builds. In '99 it was valued at $1200. 22 frets, no skunk strip on the neck, shark tooth inlays, maple neck, reverse headstock, rosewood fretboard and small charvel guitar logo on headstock. African mahogany body with unique burst finish. Jackson slant hum at bridge with Jackson floating bridge. Jacksons strat style body slimmer than my other charvel/jacksons. Jackson tuners and top nut lock. Charvel safe-case (locking). Volume control only. Black Hardware. This guitar plays you by giving you few options. Its not a guitar you can sub in place of another in the middle of the stage. Its unique tone and play are hard to match if your used to playing it and at the same time it may be a horrible stage replacement for a particular song or sound.

I bought it in New Jersey at Garden State Music (the stomping ground for Hill, Sabo, Wyld, Bon Jovi etc.) It took years for me to actually love playing it because I was used to more of an aggressive Model 6 feel and tone. In the last 5 years ive let it influence me in how i play and use it more than any other electric.
I play it through several Crates, usually with my POD.
No noise.
Rich tone, not real bassy or twangy. Excellent clean sound. I would choose a different guitar for any Metal or thrashy needs.
Love this guitar for specific needs, not an attack or aggressive model.

I bought it used so I had it reset by a local shop owner, only 1 small dent by the strap peg when i got it. Great action, limited pickup options, I would rather have a standard bridge but no defects factory related. All but the 1 dent, flaws were added by me.(arrrggggg)

Very durable but due to its finish and softer wood it needs to handled with care.
Good hardware.
Not a thin finish would not stand easily for abuse.
Standard issue strap buttons.
Very very dependable.
Due to tone spectrum no.

Jackson was great. I dealt with them in '99 and although it took a few days for them to call me back, they did. Information was archived but attainable. Gave me alot of good information and suggested letting it go only if i had to. During moves i
had lost the certificate and the could not help with that (my bad).
No warranty information.

Ive been playing for 19-20 yrs.
Model 6, Model 88, 2 Fernandez acoustic, 1 Ibanez, 1 BC Rich, 1 Kramer.
If it were lost or stolen, first i would cry, then get mad because with what they are going for now i would probably just settle for something else and the story of loss.
What i love about it is pretty much all the things that i hated after i bought it. The passive moody soulish tone, mild feel, dark natural look.
I bought it while recording in NJ when we went to buy some more DATs. (for the youngsters DATs are what old guys had before Protools). When i saw this guitar hanging as soon as we walked in the store i said im getting that guitar today. I dont know why it didnt fit my playing style at the time it was contemporary looking and i struggled with the tone even at the store but something about it drew me. For several years is was just a show piece and wouldnt play it out until just 4-5 years ago. I used to wish it had alot of other features but since ive learned HOW to play it im really happy with it the way it is. I guess i wish it had a standard bridge but i would rather that on any guitar.

#580 of 1000 built. Reverse headstock, shark tooth inlays, one pick up, Jackson floyd rose, the sexiest body ever put on a guitar. Body seems a bit smaller than any other jacson i have played.

I play mostly hard rock and metal and this guitar is killer for that task. Was a bit weak at first. I removed the cover off of the pickup and that thing just sounds insane now. I played through a Marshall JCM900 for many years, a POD PRO and power amp for a few years and now a Peavey 6505 half stack. Great metal/ rock sound. The guitar has a warm yet powerful sound.

I have owned this guitar since new in 88 and other than shim the neck a bit(to tilt back slightly) and remove the cover from the pick up, no other set up has been needed. the only flaws in my guitar are the ones i put there(the first ding was the hardest! like a super model with a black eye) Action is low and smooth. I do have a bit of fret wear but it does not really bother me.

I have played this guitar exclusively since 89. Recording, years of live shows, thousands of hours and the only problem i have ever had was and is a slightly stripped( rounded) allen screw to clamp the string into the bridge. I have not ever cleaned the volume pot or tuning pegs. I don't baby the thing either. I can and always have depended on it.

I have been playing for 23 years and this is my second "real" guitar in that time. The other is a kramer barreta(1st real guitar) I bought in 85. I have not purchased another guitar since. If stolen or lost I would try to get another. If I were rich, I would have Grover Jackson build me a couple. I love the way it feels, looks and sounds. I would rather have a real floyd rose though.

22 Fret bolt on, solid African Mahogany body (this wood is now - and has been for a long time - illegal to import so a great collectors piece. It has one humbucker - J-90 I believe which I have in the original case but this one's been fitted with an active EMG with a push pull pot for tapping. Luckily they have not done anything to de-face this '88. It has the old type Jackson Floyd, which although looking more basic than the Schallers on my other Charvels, works very well indeed. I always end up locking these off though as I don't do tremelo these days. MOP inlays on the neck and a reverse headstock - the first ever import to have this! Finnish of a really special and collectable guitar. I have number 484 of the 1000 that were produced. According to the '88 website only 70 originally made it to the UK.

I have given this giutar a 10. Although it means tonnes of features it must be said that this guitar does what it does amazingly. It has one pickup but tonnes of playability

My styles go from all out metal to classical. Obviously this guitar has its limitations - which the coil tap helps with - but you wouldn't pick up a screw driver to hammer in a nail, would you? No didn't think so. This guitar begs to be played and what I like is the rich tone and the way it makes 'you' make the sounds instead of flicking that 5 way toggle to a different pickup.

Well this guitar is a long time from the factory door. An 18 year old that has stood the test of time. It has been played a great deal looking at the frets but the tremelo shows none of the usual signs of rust from some sweaty hand...ew! It's got it's original hard case which has obviously helped in it's well-being but I have to say it stays out now on the stand with the other Charvels looking at me and begging to be played. It's torture! Everything about this guitar is well made. Apart from a few dints here and there and some fret wear it is as I would expect a brand new, and quite expensive guitar to be finnished. Incidentally, if you get the chance on a beautifull sunny day to take an '88 out side, you'll see the depth of colour on the tobacco burst. The reds are incredible.

I'm probably not the person to ask with regard an '88. I would say it must be played, enjoyed and looked at but I also see it as a real collectors piece. I would buy them all if I could and just look at them, but then that wouldn't be right. Everything about it is reliable. The only thing I have changed is the strap buttons. All my guitars have the locking type. For #10 it could save so much heart ache.

You'll be lucky. I have heard old men with beards once say that they got some help from somewhere, sometime. Even someone who had got a response from Wayne Charvel himself! I've never had to deal with them, simply because their product has never let me down. With this being the case, who needs customer support? I've put a 10. This means 'incredibly kind and helpful' (for making a guitar that doesn't need ans incredibly kind or indeed helpful person to help me enjoy it).

I have been playing Charvels since time began - ok 21 years now - and although when I gigged seriously in the late 80's through to '97 when I retired from all that noise, I played Gibson Les Pauls. I always recorded with my trusty Charvels. I wrote my songs on them, I would lay in my bed and look at them - the wife did get worried about me. Maybe it's because the first decent electric I ever wanted, and subsequently owned was a Charvel 475 Deluxe. I sold that guitar and have regretted it ever since. I vowed never to do it again. Since that fateful day I have built up a collection of Charvels and although arguably the '88 is the most basic, it's one of my favourites. A players guitar. It won't bail you out when you mess up. It's honest, reliable and takes me back.

Please note. If anyone out there has a Charvel for re-homing - any model or condition - I always have cash waiting. Just mail me.

hello every one i also own a charvel model 88 in its factory state no modification its number 0447 very nice guitar the tabaco sunburst finnish is amazing

my music style is mostly metal my amp is a line 6 flextone II and if i crank my amp i can get the crunch i like but at lower volumes not as much crunch but in defense of the guitar it was not designed to be a metal shredding guitar it was disigned to be versitile. as far as the trem it seems to be holding up very well but i must say i rarely play it any more i mostly play my platinum warlock this way the instrement stays in good condition.

through all these years the guitar is in perfect playable shape no buzzing no electricle problems my only complaint is the paints durability its to bad such a beautiful paint job is so siceptable to pitting and dings though i must say mine is in very good shape with only one chip and two cracks and hair line scraches sounds bad but there really quite small

i play it very little to preserve its comdition

never had a problem with it

my only regret is playing it by doing this it lost value i should have left it in its case ( original ) and never touched it had i done that i would most likely have the only mint condition never played one left

stunning looks turned my eye to this guitar . with it`s african mohognany body and killer clear coat finish. reverse head stock locking nut floyd rose bridge shark tooth inlays

the sound is more laid back than i had hoped for in 1988. wanted all things heavy, but it`s warm thinner lows and bright highs are just the ticket now i`m older using my axs212 line 6 amp. the signal works well with a modeling amps.

the axe was and still is in it`s original state never needed any mods. why change a good thing anyways.

very reliable guitar , but the finsh can be dented easy on the softer mahogany wood . don`t let any one near it.the bridge is the first to show signs of age.

man finding info on this was hard . never delt with charvel.

playing for 25+ years. i wish i had bought the case when i put it on my girlfriends credit card.. and was so blown away with it i forgot the whammy bar when i left. i guess i`ll be bar less. if it where stolen i would have to hunt down and you know the rest. i wish i could puchase the bar and case for it . any one can help? ackheat @yahoo.com use model 88 as a subject so i will open it thanks .. rock on

Charvel model 88 (all original)
#0155 of 1000 made
African Mahogany body, sunburst
Maple neck, Rosewood Fretboard
Sharkfin inlays
Jackson Pickup, Jackson tuners,
Jackson licenced Floyd

The sound on this particular model charvel is quite versitile - It does crunch and metal very well when up at full volume, and at low volume it's actually got some decent twang. I've been playing it through a Fender Princeton Chorus since 1990 and it responds quite well. I play blues quite a bit these days, Rock and metal it what I was playing when I bought it...It delivers all quite nicely. However, it's clean tones are on the bright side. It could have used a little more bottom from a forward pickup.

I shimmed the neck a bit back in 1990 when I got it to get some very low action. I've left it in there since. The finish is amazing - this one was properly done.

I have never gigged with this one - I'd rather keep it as a recording / jamming axe - not exactly easy to replace....

I give this guitar an 8.0. Being a 1 pickup guitar does limit it a bit, but it is a well made and beautiful instrument. In the last 14 years I've never had a problem with it. I guess the only draw back is that they are getting increasingly hard to find.

MCB - Rockport, MA.

Charvel 88 model

Japan made
Bolt on neck
Stat style solid body
Reverse headstock
Sunburst
Serial # 968 of only 1000 pcs made
Volume control
Floyd Rose licensed bridge
Inlay shark teeth on a 21 fretbord scale
Case
Bought in 1989 in Italy

Great!!! I've played from jazz to heavy metal with a Fender 65 reverb tube amp and a Fender Pro Junior tube amp
I've installed an EMG active 81 pick up

Incredible action, it seems to play without touch the strings!!!

Good I've treated it like an hammer !!!

Excellent company

I've playing since 1988 I used to have a Fender Princeton Chorus Reverb amp, a Peavy Blues Deville tube amp a Marshall 212 combo tube amp, a Fender 65 Reverb tupe amp and actually I'm playin with a Fender Pro Junior
I only use a Roland distorsion box using a 009 scale SIT strings

An awesome playing neck...just my size and fret spacing. Unfortunatly, the hardware breaks down, under heavy playing conditions. I've used this guitar (obvously, since 88, when I bought it new) and put it though "the test". The "pewter" type of tremelo system, has "eatin' away" from my sweat, basically fallen' apart from the usual string changing and tightening of the allen screws and I've already replaced the top nut, which seems to be holding a hell of alot better than the original. The original pick-up was replaced by a Seymore Duncan Trembucker because the original "ceramic" pick-up, buzzed like hell in clubs with neon lights (and sounded kinda "boxy" too) so the sound is un-real, about now. My serial number is 0369 on it. In it's present state, I use it mainly for D tunings, but I'm currently searching for a comparable tail piece for it (seems Floyd Rose aint a real popular guy these days, LOL), but the guitar itself (the wooden parts) is a good piece of work. The hardware, is a load of junk. Guess it just depends on if you play 4 to 5 nights a week.
Just my opinion,
Duane Harmon (Unbound, Crash Landing, and Kronik)

Model 88 Charvel #0003 of 1000 african mohogany rosewood fretboard
rev.headstock single slant humbucker jackson floyedrose lic.dubble locking trem. Mint condition.never play just display

Prefect guitar for metal
I use VHT pittbull 100cl
crisp crunch great for soloing

Action is great
guitar is pro in every way

Charvels are the most dependable guitars I have ever play 16 years
20 charvels every one is still in great playing order

never had to call

One of the nicest guitars I've ever had. www.fleshpeddler.net

1988, Japan, serial #0371
Solid body, bolt on neck, one volume, 1 slanted Jackson pickup.
Made of African Mahogany with tobbaco sunburst finish.
Floyd Rose Licence double locking Jackson Tremola.
Reverse head stock, Shark tooth inlays.
Original Charvel Chainsaw case.
Only 1000 were made.

I do not play this guitar, it is in a lighted oak display case that I had made just for this guitar. I owned another one several years ago, I installed an EMG-81 active pickup in and it was my main guitar, they play like a dream. Stupid me sold it before I knew much about them, that is why this one is in a display case!! I had a chance to buy Serial # 0003 with all original paper and case about a year ago from an e-bay auction but someone outbid me at the last minute, $1201

Action is Awsome
Finish is even better
Mine is in mint condition and I plan on it staying that way.

Very reliable, stays in tune

Finding information about this guitar is like finding a needle in a haystack..That is why I started a page on my website to catalog all the info I could about where these 1000 guitars a located. If you own one please let me know at geocities.com/flatlandmusic2002/01.html.
Click on the Charvel 88 World Wide Info link in the upper right corner of my home page.

I have been playing guitar for 18 years, I own 6 guitars, 1 Charvel, 2 Charvel/Jackson's, 2 Jackson's and 1 Ibanez. The Model 88 is by far my best guitar.