Instead of the unfinished maple bolt-on neck that was a hallmark of the U.S.made) instruments changed to a white logo that read "Charvel - By Jackson/Charvel."
The Japanese made Charvels that appeared in 1986 are easily distinguished from San Dimas instruments by several distinct differences: In 1989, Jackson sold Charvel/Jackson to the Japanese manufacturer IMC (International Music Corporation), who made Charvel guitars exclusively in Japan from 1986 to 1991. However, Japanese assembly line versions that appeared in 1986 were categorized into model numbers. Each California-produced Charvel guitar was essentially a hand-built custom instrument. The success of Charvel in the 1980s led Jackson to mass-produce popular configurations in Asia. In 1986, the manufacturing facilities moved to Ontario, California, and production of USA-built Charvel guitars ceased shortly thereafter. Contrary to Jackson's concerns, the visual impact of this guitar spawned the " Rhoads Model" that soon became iconic in the industry and later inspired Jackson to found Jackson Guitars.Ĭharvel (and Jackson) guitars remained in production at the Gladstone Street shop in Glendora, California until 1986. Jackson worried that the radically styled neck-through guitar was too different from Charvel's familiar 'Superstrat' theme, so he labeled the instrument with his own name on the headstock in case the design proved unpopular. The prototype was not angular enough for Rhoads, but the second design produced a shape that Randy referred to as the Concorde. They worked together to develop a guitar to complement the polka-dotted Flying V built for Rhoads by Karl Sandoval. In 1980, Grover Jackson met Randy Rhoads, who had recently joined Ozzy Osbourne's new band as lead guitarist. Charvel guitars became renowned for its use of creative graphics, unfinished maple necks, and various innovative appointments. This modernized Stratocaster configuration (commonly referred to as the superstrat) was particularly well suited to the heavy metal style of music that was very popular at the time. The income from these sales provided the Charvel shop with additional tooling and experience that gave Jackson the footing required to grow the Charvel brand.īeginning in the late 1970s, Charvel popularized custom revamps of the Fender Stratocaster design - often consisting of a Strat-shaped body with a single humbucking pickup and Fender style tremolo bridge systems. During this time BC Rich, SD Curlee, and Music Man approached Charvel to contract manufacture various wood parts. After filing for bankruptcy, Wayne Charvel sold what was left of the company to Grover Jackson in 1978, and ceased all working associations with the brand name.Īfter purchasing the company Grover Jackson tooled to produce guitar bodies which he sold to Mighty Mite and Dimarzio, using the proceeds to fund an expansion into making necks. Charvel guitars were constructed from wood components outsourced to Boogie and Schecter bodies, and various Charvel and aftermarket hardware. When Asian companies began copying Charvel's parts and selling them at a discount, Charvel decided to begin building complete guitars.
The shop earned a solid reputation among performing artists for its repair work, custom finishes, and upgraded parts manufacturing. After working at Fender for three years in the early 1970s, Wayne Charvel started "Charvel's Guitar Repair" in 1974 to refinish and repair out-of-warranty Fender instruments.
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