How to beef up a charvel?

Reverend

I've got an 80s Charvel model 3 that seems to sound a little thin. Many years ago I replaced the stock pick up with something that maybe an Iron Gear hot flag  it still sounds a little too weedy. Any ideas on how to thicken it up? I don't use whammy bars so I've blocked that off with some wood and some coins. 

Funkfingers

I have a old Charvel single humbucker mongrel partscaster with an FR licensed vibrato of equivalent *excellence* to the notorious Jackson JT-6. 

The sound of my guitar was vastly improved by a brass sustain block and an EMG-85X pickup.

There is plenty of room in the control cavity for a tone control and/or an EMG booster device but the guitar sounded so right in basic trim that I did not bother.

Reverend

I'm not a fan of emg tones in general. Brass sustain block might been idea though. Are they easy to fit?
And for the number of springs fitted make any difference?

Philly_Q

Bare Knuckle Warpig?

Reverend

Philly_Q said:

Bare Knuckle Warpig?

I'm not a fan of that style of pick up. They sound too flat for me. 

Stevepage

^+1 warpig 

Or an Invader. A DiMarzio Tone Zone might do the trick too.

Maybe change the pots for something higher quality/rating

Funkfingers

Reverend said:

Brass sustain block ... Are they easy to fit?

It is necessary to completely disassemble the vibrato to reach the three screws that fasten the block to the baseplate. (File under Time Consuming But Educational.)  

If your guitar still has the stock Jackson JT-6 vibrato, you can discover how worn and corroded it has become.

Reverend said:

And for the number of springs fitted make any difference?

The number of springs contributes to the overall tension balance. Plus or minus one steel spring is a small change to the total mass of the instrument. It is unlikely to make any noticeable difference to the overall tone.

Reverend

It's a Schaller licence floyd rose 2

FelineGuitars

Definitely get a bigger sustain block . 

Brass works well but I favour an oversize cold rolled steel one - I keep them in stock too in different lengths.

Jack_

New body?

Funkfingers

Reverend said:

It's a Schaller licence floyd rose 2

FelineGuitars said:

Definitely get a bigger sustain block . 

Brass works well but I favour an oversize cold rolled steel one - I keep them in stock too in different lengths.

The Schaller vibrato almost certainly already has a brass block - albeit, electro-plated. 

Feline's suggestion to get a larger block and, possibly, of a different material is a wise one. My only concern is that, if the existing brass block and Iron Gear Hot Slag combination sounds "weedy", is the posh oversized steel block going to be let down by the pickup?

If the OP guitar is the model that I think it is, there is no tone control. If the tone is currently unpleasantly toppy, it is possible that the loading effects of adding a tone control or a sweet switch to the circuit might cure the problem.

drwiddly

I've had Hot Slag pickups in a couple of guitars and can state categorically, they do not sound weedy. I'd be looking elsewhere to solve your problem. The pickup is not likely to be the culprit.

FelineGuitars

This kind of model 3? (albeit with the JT6 swapped for a Schaller Floyd Rose 2)

The Jackson j100 single coils sound very weak in my  experience.
Is the Iron Gear wired correctly?

Reverend

I think it may be the 3a as it is a two humbucker model. AS to whether it is installed correctly or not? Not sure, I may need to have a look. It was done by Chandlers so I hope so

Flanging_Fred

I'm another one that added a brass block to my Charvel (375 drluxe) and it did make a noticeable positive difference.

bloodandtears

Reverend said:

I think it may be the 3a as it is a two humbucker model. AS to whether it is installed correctly or not? Not sure, I may need to have a look. It was done by Chandlers so I hope so

definitely a model 3A if it has 2 humbuckers...



Interested to know what block is advised for the JT-6..

Funkfingers

bloodandtears said:

Interested to know what block is advised for the JT-6.

None.

Compared to just about every other FR licensed vibrato ever made, the JT-6 has its three block fastening screws a different distance apart. 

Bucket

Get some moderately-overwound PAF-style pickups for it, maybe? I find those sound fatter and fuller than the majority of hot humbuckers.

Supposedly Jeff Waters from Annihilator swears by classic-voiced humbuckers.

Reverend

I tend to like the JB. Got a spare lying around so I may try that.

Grangousier

"Beef up a charvel" sounds like a cockney euphemism. 

"'E only beefed up a charvel!"

"You wot? In public and everyfink? The dirty fucker!"

Reverend

p.s. any ideas where best to obtain a larger block for the whammy?
And what about the caps etc? worth getting them overhauled?