1986 Charvel Model 5

Details

I acquired this unique Model 5 in March 2019, another Guitar Center find. I wouldn’t call it mint, but its condition surprised me, especially for a black guitar which are notorious for easily visible scratches. The original chainsaw case was included, but unlike the Model 3A above, has several broken latches, missing feet, spray painted logo and other damage. I was able to repair the latches well enough to use around the house, but I wouldn’t trust this case to stand up to much abuse.

The interesting thing about this particular Model 5 is that it has a 1986 serial number, stamped on the back of the headstock, but is equipped with the Jackson JT-6 tremolo. General wisdom is that these bridges were not available until 1987, but it seems some very late ‘86 models got them as well. This bridge is similar in design to a Floyd Rose system, with locking at the bridge and at the nut. In this case, locking is just behind a standard nut, as the influence of the previous Kahler design is still present.

The factory pickups and electronics are present, with Jackson J80C’s in both positions, a super 5-way switch, and a JE-1200 active boost circuit. This makes this guitar one of the most versatile and best sounding guitars I own despite its unassuming appearance. The J80C’s have a great tone already, but the super 5-way switch allows quick and easy coil tapping for authentic single coil tones, and adding the JE-1200 mid boost (the amount is controlled by the 3rd knob) can really add a lot of warmth to either the single or humbucker sounds. The J80C’s are thick sounding already so it’s a great boost to the single sound for a hotter single sound, or a subtle boost on the humbuckers for soloing or heavier styles.

I no longer own this instrument