Control
Plates |
Charvel Guitars |
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Plastic
Style #1 (1980 - mid 1982) |
This style route was used from 1979 to 1980 and is
found on early pre-serialized Charvel guitars. The cover is made from a thick plastic and
is attached to the body using 4 screws. The route shape is the same shape as the control
area found under the pickguard of a Fender Stratocaster. In contrast to the |
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route on the Fender Stratocaster which is front
loaded and requires the use of a pickguard, these early Charvel routes were rear loaded
and required no pickguard. This route can be made from the same tooling/template used to
make the traditional Fender route by routing from the back of the guitar. These routes
were recessed and the area/lip on which the cover sits is traced with black marker. Unlike
the brass shield plate found inside later Charvel guitars, these early control cavities
were shielded using a copper colored thin tape-like material. This is a rare control route
shape and was used only in 1979 and 1980. To spot one, look for the brass colored
shielding tape inside the cavity and a thick plastic cover attached with 4 screws. |
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Triangular
shaped cavity w/plastic cover 1980 - early 1982 |
The triangle shaped control cavity is the most
common control route shape found on serialized Charvel guitars. The early examples used
thick black plastic covers attached to the body using 3 screws. The cover was recessed and
once attached was flush with the body. The examples from 1980 to early 1981 |
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used a copper colored shielding tape inside the
cavity while examples from mid 1981 to early 1982 used a copper shield plate. |
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Triangular
shaped cavity w/metal cover early 1982 - current |
This is the most common control route found on
Charvel guitars and is still used today. The covers were made from thin sheets of brushed
aluminum and were attached using 3 screws. While the route shape did not change with time,
the material from which the covers were made did, being plastic covers until late |
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1982ish and after that brushed aluminum
Furthermore, the shielding material inside the cavity also changed with time, being copper
colored tape-like material up to 1982, while later examples used a thin brass plate. |
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Long
thin rectangular shaped route |
This route is most commonly found on later
serialized Charvel V guitars. The route is long and skinny and the covers are attached to
the body using 2 screws. The covers were made from the same brushed aluminum material as
the commonly found triangle shaped covers. |
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Short
thin rectangular shaped route |
This route is the same width as the one above but
is shorter in length. This style route was typical used to house the toggle switch control
for Charvel Star and Explorer guitars that had the toggle switch located on the lower horn
of the body. I also have seen this route used on some Charvel Teles which had the |
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toggle switch located up on the top horn, a la a
Les Paul. Some rarer uses of this route include being used to house the input jack on some
Charvel V's and as a battery compartment on some EMG equipped Charvels. |
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Large
Routes - one off styles |
Like everything else in Charvel land there are
always one offs and exceptions to the general rule of thumb. I have only seen two examples
(but assume others exist) that have larger control routes and covers. Both examples that I
have seen were found on Strat style bodies, a red Kahler equipped Strat |
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which had Les Paul style controls and George
Lynch's Bengal. Both guitars had large half-moon shaped routes. These are exceptions and
appear to be extremely rare. |
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Charvel Bass Guitars |
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Large
Half Moon shaped 1980 - 1982 |
This control shape is most commonly found on prepro
and early serialized Charvel bass guitars. The thick black plastic covers |
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were attached using 4 screws and are seated flush
to the body. |
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Small
Half Moon shaped 1982 |
I have only seen a few examples of this smaller
style bass route. The cover is attached using 3 screws and once attached the |
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cover seats flush with the body. |
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Triangular
shaped cavity w/metal cover early 1982 - current |
This is an identical route to that found on Charvel
guitars. The covers were made from the same material, brushed aluminum |
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and attached with 3 screws. |
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