Wayne Charvel, the man, needs no introduction to the guitar community. Not only was he the man behind the Charvel brand name and founder of the guitar company which Grover Jackson later catapulted to stardom, but he was also the vision behind custom hot rod paint jobs, kit guitars, and upgraded (more durable) replacement guitar parts.

Wayne has an impressive resume that reads like a Who’s who in guitar land and highlights his devotion to guitar manufacture. In addition to working with both Fender Musical Instruments and Gibson, Wayne has also worked as a guitar designer and pattern maker for B.C. Rich guitars. Undoubtedly, his biggest accomplishments and legacy will be connected to the guitar lines he created, including the infamous Charvel guitars from the early 80’s, W.C. Guitar Company, Ritz Guitar Company and his latest venture with his oldest son, Michael, Wayne Guitars.

A common theme for all Wayne Charvel affiliated guitars is their high quality, amazing amount of attention to detail and my favorite, the cool and unique logos. Both the original Charvel and new Wayne logos are shaped like guitars, the Wayne logo highlights a Star guitar shape while the Charvel logo is shaped like the outline of a Stratocaster style guitar. Both logo’s are very unique and have become synonymous for these guitar lines. Wayne guitars also borrowed a few other characteristics from the original Charvel guitars that enthusiasts have come to demand; namely oiled necks, jumbo frets and flash graphics. In fact you can think of the new “Wayne” guitars as an update on the original “Charvels” that Wayne started some 25 years earlier.

This particular guitar bears serial number 10 and is featured in the Wayne book and early advertisements for the company. I am very impressed with this guitar and have no regrets about spending a lot of dollars to add her to my collection. I purchased this guitar from Neal’s Music in CA in early 2000. Neal was talking to Michael (Wayne’s son and partner) about the upcoming debut of Wayne guitars and being a fellow Charvel fan, ordered this guitar to show his support for Wayne’s new venture. Despite Neal saying he had no interest in selling this guitar, after about two hours of haggling I headed home with her and two original Charvels in the back of my car.

This guitar screams 1980’s, thanks in part to the red and white bulls eye graphic, Floyd Rose tremolo and the birds-eye maple neck. Many of the early made Wayne guitars were painted by GMW and, as expected from GMW, the paint job is flawless. Painting has since moved “in house” and is mostly done by Michael Charvel now, except for very detailed graphics where Jim O’Conner is often used. The guitar not only looks fantastic but instantly brings up a San Dimas Charvel vibe when you cradle her. There was a lot of interest when Wayne guitars first appeared on the market, as it was a shot in the arm for us 80’s fans, as at that time not many guitar manufactures offered such flashy “metal” machines. In 2004, Fender reintroduced the original Charvel line and ironically just released a limited run of red/white Bulls Eye Strat Heads!

This guitar sounds great and thanks to the beefy neck, feels very comfortable to play. The fret work is top notch on this guitar but I have played other Wayne’s where this has been an area of neglect. While some do not like the shape (look) of the headstock, often referred to as “bottle opener” shaped, it grew on me and I really do not mind it. The headstock shape is actually very similar to that used by Boogie Bodies in the early 80’s. As of 2004, Wayne introduced a new headstock design apparently because of legal reasons. My favorite feature on Wayne guitars is the logo. Obviously the new logo is a throw back to the guitar shaped original “Charvel” logo, but it is still cool and more importantly unique. Another cool personal touch is that Wayne autographed the back of the headstock. Apparently this is something he did on early serial numbered guitars and something he still does today if requested.

I have been tempted to pick up another Wayne guitar but I have not played another that grabbed me like this one did. I have found that the consistency (attention to detail and fret work) varies greatly between Wayne guitars and I would recommend you play before you buy. I have played some newer ones that were also amazing (very comparable to #10) but I have also played a few that were not up to par. As a matter of fact, I owned a second Wayne guitar with a Hot Rod Flame graphic, serial #11 that I sold because it did not impress me.

There is not much more to say, the man has given the guitar community a lot, his guitars are great and if you are looking for an 80’s style metal guitar, check out a Wayne!