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1982 Charvel San
Dimas EVH Superstrat
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I picked this up in
early 1992 at a small used guitar store
that I just happened to drive past taking a detour on my way home from work called
Wee-Bee Music in Homestead, PA. I had remembered seeing these Charvel Van Halen Specials
in the old Music Emporium USA catalog in the early eighties. At the time, the $595.00
price seemed outrageous - after all, one could buy a Les Paul Custom for around the same
money and at the time 595 dollars was a HUGE chunk of change for a 17 year old to plunk
down for a guitar. I had no intention of buying a guitar that day, but my curiosity got
the best of me and I had to pick it up and see how it played. |
| I put some money on her
to hold, and she came home with me a week later. At the time, I thought that I had
overpaid for it - I bought it for roughly the same price that she sold for new - but given
that the guitar felt better than any other that I had played to date (started playing in
1975), I didn't much care. If I could only find another for that price today - I'd buy 10
of them! |
| She had been modified
with a Kahler when I found her, and the pickup appeared to be non-original. I got rid of
the Kahler string lock and had a Floyd nut installed, which greatly stabilized the tuning.
I then installed a Seymour "Evenly Voiced Harmonics" custom shop pickup - which
has since become my pickup of choice - and this is how she sits today. |
| I didn't know it at the
time, but this particular graphic (EVH Black w/Gold stripes) is one of the "holy
grails" to most San Dimas Charvel enthusiasts. These guitars have a very long,
storied history which I won't bother to go into here. Those interested in a complete
history and overview of San Dimas era Charvels should visit usacharvels.com,
where you will find one of the largest known collections of Charvel guitars as well as an
intricate, detailed history of the Charvel bloodline. |
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| Also worth noting is
that the guy who sold me this guitar, John
Rossi, quickly became one of
my best friends and is like a brother to me. So, in addition to buying a fantastic guitar
I gained a true life-long friend that day. Thanks, John, for your unwavering friendship
and invaluable help over the years. |
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Vintage
Charvel Guitars, San Dimas Charvels, Wayne Guitars, Gibson,
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