I don't think I will ever understand how people can like a strat trem, but not a floyd????

I guess some like guitars that go out of tune

Meanwhile, my ESP is still in tune after one year, and only fine tuning has been needed here and there. Once you stretch the strings and lock them in, it takes an act of God to get them out of tune. Time to change strings again

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Guitars:
1. mid 70's Ventura MIJ Gibson l6-s clone (Pre-lawsuit) in Black with Rosewood FB and EMG 81 BR/ 85 Neck
2. ESP KH2 Neck Thru
3. 2008 Am Std Strat in 3 tone sunburst

I have had a Charvel mk 3 (with Jackson hardware) for the last 20 odd years. Bought it from the guitarist I was playing with at the time. He was/is a dedicated Ibanez player and never got on with it. I like it a lot, but it doesn't get much use as I'm more of a vintage vibe, trad strat player kind of guy.

When I started to get a bit more serious about my elec playing, I took another look at my Charvel and compared the stock Jackson pickups against my Strats. Actually, I was suprised to find them quite low output and pretty non-descript tonewise. I put a Seymour Duncan JB in the bridge position, and changed out the 2 Jackson single coils for DiMarzios in the neck and mid positions. It's now a very powerful beast, but it still doesn't get much use - lives in it's case most of the time. I've kept the original Jackson p/ups in case I ever sell it, and the buyer wants it in original condition.

It has a fast narrow neck and a responsive, reliable 'return to pitch' Floyd Rose licensed trem. Really it's nothing like my other guitars..

The guitar player I work with now has a several high end guitars including a Charvel 475 (active p/ups) - and I love that. It really does sound like a Strat but with P90 levels of output power. Great guitar..

I can put up some pics if anybody wants to see my mk3 Charvel..

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Fender Highway & Classic 60s Strats, Fender Toronado, Telecaster, Gretsch Projet, Charvel 3, PRS SE Soapbar II & Custom 24, Burns Batwing and many others!

It doesn't go out of tune as much when it's set up properly. So, once set up, you only have to learn how to use it and not go out of tune. It's fun to have Floyd Rose, I agree, but most of the players that play "traditional" strats are not heavy metal players. And they don't want as much distortion and effects as metal or contemporary players do. They just want to play! They feel the instrument differently and are much more blues, jazz and classic rock oriented. I love strats because they have such a precise tone, and they look awesome! That's why I love Charvel, they are strats! Customized, "superstrats", but strats!

I don't know, sometimes I get tired of tremolos! Just want to play and feel the tone!

Of course we want to see some pictures!!! Please feel free to share them!

The floyd is great for staying in tume. My first guiatrs were hardtails so I developed the habit of resting my hand on the bridge, I can do this on my strat without causing tuning problems, but on the charvel the way it was first set up with just 2 springs and a lot of float I would cause my own tuning problems resting on the bridge. I set it up with 4 springs and flush to the body and now it's playable for me, but it's a lot stiffer than most people with floyds would like. Once the strings are stretched my strat doesn't go out of tune, but I don't do wicked trem work on the strat. I picked up some pointers on this site. When I change the strings on the strat I run some waxed dental floss in the nut grooves and a little chap stick under the string trees and it stays in tune great.
filerj

FillerJ

Im glad the dental floss trick is working out for you. Within another year OralB will have sent the Nutsauce guys bust.


Adey

Of course we want to see your guitars. Its a forum populated by people that when they aren't playing guitar, want to talk about it. Post away mate.

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No no and no

I really want a plum socal.

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Niki, I'm sorry I didn't give you credit, but I couldn't remember if it was you or Ceri's post that I read that in, but I did it on the last 2 string changes and it's working fine. Floyds are great but with a liitle care and tweaking a strat trem stays in tune just fine, at least for what I use it for.
Take care,
filerj

Here's a few shots of my Charvel mk3.. unfortunately the camera flash makes it appear lighter than it is:



Here it's resting alongside practise amp and Toronado GT

Another pic:



Here she's flanked by my Highway 1 & Classic 60s Strats

Pic 3:



On her own..

And finally:



Holding up a pair of heavily modified Squier Stds

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Fender Highway & Classic 60s Strats, Fender Toronado, Telecaster, Gretsch Projet, Charvel 3, PRS SE Soapbar II & Custom 24, Burns Batwing and many others!

As requested I put up a few pics of of my Charvel 3, alongside some other guitars out of my modest collection.

See above post for a quick tour..

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Fender Highway & Classic 60s Strats, Fender Toronado, Telecaster, Gretsch Projet, Charvel 3, PRS SE Soapbar II & Custom 24, Burns Batwing and many others!

A few years back I picked up a 1990 Charvel Charvette Vintage bridge 100 for cheap. The fretboard was missing the first 4 frets, so I figured it was a project guitar. It was the first guitar I ever did a neck swap on. I was able to find a used Jackson compound radius neck with the shark tooth inlays and tuners for $25!! It bolted on perfectly, and after some tweaking, plays really nice. The guitar has a Charvel bridge humbucker and a Charvel stacked humbucker/single in the neck position. It has a really cool finish, which I call orange creamsicle!! So now I have a Charvel/Jackson Superstrat that I love to play. It has a really fat tone that sounds good, unlike a Fender Strat. But isn't that the point?

I love those guitars! I've always thought Charvel/Jackson were heavy metal or hard rock guitars, but now I have to think things over!
Paisley strat and Adey I love your guitars!
I've been researching Charvel for the past month or so (before that it was Kramer, before that Fender, Gibson, G&L, so I guess I'm obsessed), now I need to start more thorough reading! About Jackson and Wayne Charvel guitars.
I am pretty sure you already know this, but here is the link to Wayne Charvel's new guitars:
www.wayneguitars.com

PS Oh yeah, and check out Valley Arts guitars! Beautiful! You know, the ones that Steve Lukather, Larry Carlton, Lee Ritenour and many others played in the 80's. Strat style guitars, or superstrats or whatever you want to call them.
Pre Samick, pre Gibson: www.valleyartsguitars.com
Gibson Valley Arts: www.valleyartsguitar.com
Don't bother with the Samick era!

Very interesting Paisley: a Parts-vel..

Like the colour - very unusual. Just like an ice lolly indeed.

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Fender Highway & Classic 60s Strats, Fender Toronado, Telecaster, Gretsch Projet, Charvel 3, PRS SE Soapbar II & Custom 24, Burns Batwing and many others!

I owned a Charvel way "back in the day" about 1983 when they were San Dimas made. Tons of fun to play and great quality. I have no idea what the quality is like now.

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"Life is like eating jalapenos. What you do today may burn your arse tomorrow"

Well since Mike Eldred worked for Charvel before he came to Fender and since Fender now owns Charvel I would have to believe the guitars are insane. They are beautiful looking and if you go to the web site there is an audio review from guitar World for three models and they sound great to me. Then you look at the price $1,000 well how can you go wrong.

I am no master of the trem but I like them on my Wolfgangs and EBMM EVHs guitars as Eddie does not like his floating so they are all flush and you dont have to worry of putting pressure on the bridge and having everything go sharp.