What to do with my Charvel ST Custom...

TonyR

...and don't say fire wood!

I've owned this guitar from new but it doesn't get used these days. Whilst it is a great guitar to play its sound doesn't cut the mustard for me these days. I used to think it was okay until I got my Fender Strat, but in comparison quite feeble and uninspiring. It's a HSS configuration with a toggle switch that changes the bridge pickup between a humbucker and single coil.



I've had it advertised in the Classifieds but have had no takers (I think the headstock shape puts people off). So I'm probably going to hang on to it.

My Strat is a Japanese '65 Reissue with Texas Special picks and I like the sound I get from it. 



So what to do with the Charvel? How can I improve its sound? Changing the pickups is probably the obvious answer, but to what? I'm not shredder so beefing it up to that extent wouldn't be for me, just something t make it sound more inspiring.

All thoughts gratefully received.

Thanks

Tony

JookyChap

I had a Charvette ages ago, really cheap thing, but I put Mojo Danelectro style lipstick pickups with a Filtertron (Mojotron) at the bridge and it sounded awesome. I'm not saying choose those especially, but there are so many cool pickups around like Gold Foils and Kay Speedbumps, and (my favourite) Mosrites that will give you tones you don't normally hear, they can make your Charvel into something special. Personally, I'd have a chat with Marc at MojoPickups and see what he has brewing as he brings back some weird and wonderful stuff and that can be really inspiring as a player

TonyR

Thanks Jooky

iseverynamegone

It's the headstock and the price . I had an ST Custom (admittedly it was brown..) but it was the SA import with a strat headstock.  I sold it on here for quite some way less than what you are asking for the paddle. 

That said the neck was lovely, the trem I found to be very stable.  I had swapped out my pups for Seymour Duncan's as soon as got the guitar.  

Like Jooks said many more brands are available :-) 

MattBanshee

Tried a pickup change to wake the thing up a bit? The humbucker route is at a weird angle so you'll probably struggle to find a replacement that will fit, but if there's a wide rout in the body under the scratchplate, maybe you can get a modified scratchplate made to accommodate a standard humbucker?

TonyR

MattBanshee said:

Tried a pickup change to wake the thing up a bit?

It's looking like that's going to be the best option. I haven't taken the scratchplate off yet so don't know what the routing in the body is like - I'll have to take a look.

paulnb57

Tim  at Scratch it, could make you a custom scratplate to accomodate pickups of choice assuming there is room for them.....

iseverynamegone

I'm sure it's a pool

McToot

iseverynamegone said:

It's the headstock and the price . I had an ST Custom (admittedly it was brown..) but it was the SA import with a strat headstock.  I sold it on here for quite some way less than what you are asking for the paddle. 

That said the neck was lovely, the trem I found to be very stable.  I had swapped out my pups for Seymour Duncan's as soon as got the guitar.  

Like Jooks said many more brands are available :-) 

I'm the owner of above-mentioned ST Custom and it will not be sold on. But then I did a bit to it.  Being shallow I had it refinished from trans brown to a nitro Daphne Blue and then I had a new plate made by Sims Custom so that I could add a pair of Oil City Stone Tones to the existing Seymour Dunk. I loves it I does. I've bought three strats since and none have come close. The neck, though skinny, is fab and the trem is the best 2-point I've used.  I will be sorting the wiring out and ordering a new HB for the bridge at some point.  

The headstock on yours is an acquired taste but pretty 80s-tastic.  I would get a new plate and then get a good, tappable HB for the bridge and a couple of tasty SCs for the middle and neck and that will make a nice modern foil for your more trad MIJ Strat.  (Let me know if you want to go the Sims route as they will have a template of mine and that should be a direct match).

Here's mine:

digitalscream

Perhaps try a SD '59 in the bridge position? It's a very single-coil-y kind of sound even running as a humbucker, so you probably wouldn't even have to use the split switch so much.

axisus

I'd get a new neck personally. That one is pretty fugly!

@McToot that guitar looks lovely! (and much better headstock)

TonyR

@McToot thanks for your input, your guitar looks great.

axis's said:

I'd get a new neck personally. That one is pretty fugly!

That ain't gonna happen, whilst the headstock might not be to everyone's taste (it doesn't bother me), the neck is lovely.

McToot

TonyR said:

@McToot thanks for your input, your guitar looks great.

axis's said:

I'd get a new neck personally. That one is pretty fugly!

That ain't gonna happen, whilst the headstock might not be to everyone's taste (it doesn't bother me), the neck is lovely.

Wis. If you like em skinny they are loverly...

paulnb57

digitalscream said:

Perhaps try a SD '59 in the bridge position? It's a very single-coil-y kind of sound even running as a humbucker, so you probably wouldn't even have to use the split switch so much.

SD Lil 59 is a single coil sized option, I like them as they are quite polite, I don't tap......like a humless, fatter single coil, great at the bridge with decent quality singles.....

Jonathangus

McToot said:

iseverynamegone said:

It's the headstock and the price . I had an ST Custom (admittedly it was brown..) but it was the SA import with a strat headstock.  I sold it on here for quite some way less than what you are asking for the paddle. 

That said the neck was lovely, the trem I found to be very stable.  I had swapped out my pups for Seymour Duncan's as soon as got the guitar.  

Like Jooks said many more brands are available :-) 

I'm the owner of above-mentioned ST Custom and it will not be sold on. But then I did a bit to it.  Being shallow I had it refinished from trans brown to a nitro Daphne Blue and then I had a new plate made by Sims Custom so that I could add a pair of Oil City Stone Tones to the existing Seymour Dunk. I loves it I does. I've bought three strats since and none have come close. The neck, though skinny, is fab and the trem is the best 2-point I've used.  I will be sorting the wiring out and ordering a new HB for the bridge at some point.  

The headstock on yours is an acquired taste but pretty 80s-tastic.  I would get a new plate and then get a good, tappable HB for the bridge and a couple of tasty SCs for the middle and neck and that will make a nice modern foil for your more trad MIJ Strat.  (Let me know if you want to go the Sims route as they will have a template of mine and that should be a direct match).

Here's mine:

Have you got any up-to-date pics of yours, @McToot ?  Might be looking to get a new pickguard made for mine.

McToot

@Jonathangus ;

I haven't got much but it's here next to the Boogie (a loan amp - not mine):

Jonathangus

Cheers, @McToot ; - looks good.

Lebarque

@fastonebaz ;

fastonebaz

@Lebarque ;
Yeah I saw this thanks, I'm after a very specific hardtail version.

sweepy

I’d fit a new bridge, either a Hipshot or Wilkinson 2 post to replace the original and then look at pickups and pots