Any feelings on the new Charvel EVH guitars?

[ASDF125250]

Ive been eyeing the white and black one (of course I'm way to poor to afford it), but I'm wondering if any one has played it or the others. If anyone has, is it a good guitar?

[Nitro Express]

They would sell like hotcakes if they were $400. I can't believe what they are asking for a basswood body, one pickup, strat. Shit, if I want an Eddie clone, I will order me an ash body from Wayne Charvel himself and slap a WD or Warmoth neck on the thing.

[Hardrock69]

What are they asking for them?

[Nitro Express]

Over a grand. I think the retail suggested price is around $1,200. Shit, just buy a Musicman Axis instead. A lot better guitar.

[ASDF125250]

Yeah, I couldn't believe how much they were selling for. I thought they were maybe 500 bucks, but my god. If I ever buy a EVH replica, it would be some what like what Don did. I do like the first white/black striped set up EVH had back in the day, but hell, Don's replica made me want to put the JCM 800 on hold for a while, and work toward one of those. Oh well, im time.

[Matt White]

Or do what I did last winter.....Build your own!

FUCK EVH!

[jojo2371]

yeah cheaper to build your own ! hey matt that pic of hope sandavol rocks she is soo tiny and cute ,saw her at the 9:30 club in dc ! total hottie !

[GAR]

Originally posted by ASDF125250
Ive been eyeing the white and black one (of course I'm way to poor to afford it), but I'm wondering if any one has played it or the others. If anyone has, is it a good guitar?

I'd call it well-made, but I wouldn't call it a "good" guitar. Good, as compared to what?

The biggest issue I have with 'em is the bodies are like 5 pieces, that is, 2 or 3 pieces for the body blank, and one veneer top and bottom.

.. kinda like a coffee table.

Plus, the finish is polyester like a bowling ball. And it's on really really THICK.

Pickups suck, too. They're weird sounding. I don't like 'em.

I don't like the whole guitar, and the list is more along the lines of $2200.

[Nitro Express]

Holy shit, I was off a grand. $2200!!!! No wonder I caught shit for being a Van Halen fan the other day. The dumb fucks buying those guitars are giving the rest of us a bad name.

So hell, the body has the same quality as a $99 Squire Affinity Strat and thick paint to hide the seams of all the pieces.

Wayne Charvel is making bodies now. I order one from him and it's nice. You can order them at Wayneguitars.com

[ZahZoo]

I see two factors on not even considering having one of these things...

First off I wouldn't be caught dead playing anything like that live in public. I ain't EVH and I personally have no desire to emulate his look with a stripped guitar. With the exception of tribute bands I always felt it looked stupid playing something so unique.

Second thing... the concept of the guitar is a good hybrid. Basically a strat spec neck radius and scale length which I find more playable than std gibson Les Paul setup... combined with the tonal quality of a body set humbucker. I personally prefer having a tone pot on a guitar because without it you lose a certain amount of versatility in minor tone adjustments while playing.

Bottom line I can build a simular if not better quality axe for less than this thing retails so it's not a good investment for me.

[Nitro Express]

Exactly, the only EVH styled guitar I would want with stripes on it would be a real one. I'm knocking guys who made their own copies or play them but you are right, if it isn't Eddie playing that type of guitar, it looks like total poser city.

I like the 25.5 scale better than the shorter Gibson scale as well. It's spongier and I think you can play a little faster. I love Gibsons mind you but yeah, combining the best of what Fender was making with the Gibson sound made so much sense, I'm amazed nobody did it before Eddie.

I have found a lot of Eddie's ideas about guitars are not exactly valid. Ed always said the pickup sounds better screwed directly in the wood. I took the time and tried this both ways with the same pickup and I didn't notice any difference. Hell, use a bezel, you can fine tune the hieght.

Tone knobs. I don't use them much but you are right, they are useful for fine tweaking. I find I use them the most on a Strat. I might turn the rear pickup on a Les Paul down a tad to cut the highs.

I would love to know how those overpriced Charvels are selling. For some reason I have a gut feeling there are a ton in inventory right now and they will be dropping the price to get rid of them.

[Frankenstraat]

Here's my review on the new charvels, recently one of my customers bought a new Charvel EVH Art Series and compared it to a replica that I made for him and this is what he had to say...

From: charles hebert
Date: 03/29/05 10:42:36
To: jduffy01@optonline.net
Subject: Just a positive note!


James,
>
> The VH2 guitar finally settled in and it definitly
> staying intune and it sound awesome with my rig.
>
> I just wanted to let you know that I purchased a EVH
> art work series "white and black" guitar (not the
> one's eddie signed) and your homemade VH2 guitar
> suppasses the evh art charvel in tone and playablity.
>
> Thanks again and sorry, if I came across as a pain in
> your ass. The VH2 is definitly a keeper.
>
> Charles Hebert


With this in mind is it really worth it to spend $2500.00 on a guitar that you can make sound better for half the price?

[Nitro Express]

Not to mention the EVH Charvel Art Guitars are not an exact replica of the original guitar Eddie originally made.

[Frankenstraat]

thats true, they aren't accurate at all. They have a stock Duncan pickup in it too.

[GAR]

Originally posted by ZahZoo
First off I wouldn't be caught dead playing anything like that live in public.

Don't buy one.

[GAR]

Most everyone would prefer the hockey-stick Kramer "Hot For Teacher" model anyways, whether played or hung on the wall.

Zah you need to consider the instrument past the representation of what the stripped look means to you, to the point that it actually is kinda cool looking and is feverishly playable regardless of the tacky paint job.