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2021 Charvel Pro-Mod San Dimas Bass

#161
So is the 5 string a true 35" scale or is it actually 34"? I'm about to pull the trigger on one but I'm reluctant. Someone please grab a tape measure and find out. Measure the distance from the the nut, where it butts against the end of the fingerboard to the center of the 12th fret (right up against the fret) double that measurement and we will have the true scale length of the 5 string.
 
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#162
Not good at all!
madmaxreach said:
Hey folks,

I got one of the 5 string Charvel JJ's brand new in the mail yesterday. Overall, I really like the instrument - it sounds good, feels good, fretwork is pretty good. I saw some reviews that complained of noisy electronics; mine is perfectly silent, thankfully.

Action was ok out of the box; i did need to put a shim in the heel of the neck to get the 12th fret action into an acceptable range. It feels great and intonates perfectly after that.

However....

Scale length.... it's advertised as having a 35" scale length, but it is in fact 34" scale length. I'm probably going to keep it because I like it anyway (what I really wanted was the Dimarzio J's, wider string spacing and the compound radius fretboard), but if the 35" scale length is important to you, steer clear.

I'll probably email Charvel to see what they say about it...

View attachment 4338317 View attachment 4338318
Click to expand...
 
#163
Following up here - I emailed Charvel and this was their response (emphasis mine):

"Thanks for reaching out and letting us know. My sincere apologies for the confusion. I just reached out to the Charvel team and they confirmed that these are indeed a 34" scale. Looks like it was a typo on the website we will make sure to get fixed. "

It is indeed fixed on their website. I let them know it wasn't just on their website; it's also all their press releases and reseller websites that contain the error. No response to that.

madmaxreach said:
Hey folks,

I got one of the 5 string Charvel JJ's brand new in the mail yesterday. Overall, I really like the instrument - it sounds good, feels good, fretwork is pretty good. I saw some reviews that complained of noisy electronics; mine is perfectly silent, thankfully.

Action was ok out of the box; i did need to put a shim in the heel of the neck to get the 12th fret action into an acceptable range. It feels great and intonates perfectly after that.

However....

Scale length.... it's advertised as having a 35" scale length, but it is in fact 34" scale length. I'm probably going to keep it because I like it anyway (what I really wanted was the Dimarzio J's, wider string spacing and the compound radius fretboard), but if the 35" scale length is important to you, steer clear.

I'll probably email Charvel to see what they say about it...

View attachment 4338317 View attachment 4338318
Click to expand...
 
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#165
I would say it is a massive oversight and a very important detail that was overlooked.

Always true that one man's trash is another man's treasure. I ruled these out from day 1 for the 35" spec. Welcome back to the top of the GAS heap Charvel!

It would really be a crying shame if some were to hit the classifieds soon due to this egregious oversight…
 
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#166
Oh yeah!!! Can order one of these, 5 string version in Candy Apple Red for under $1000 Australian.
Just love Di Marzio pickups. Have them on my old Maton basses. They are indeed very hot pickups.. and these new ones sound awesome.
 
#169
madmaxreach said:
Following up here - I emailed Charvel and this was their response (emphasis mine):

"Thanks for reaching out and letting us know. My sincere apologies for the confusion. I just reached out to the Charvel team and they confirmed that these are indeed a 34" scale. Looks like it was a typo on the website we will make sure to get fixed. "

It is indeed fixed on their website. I let them know it wasn't just on their website; it's also all their press releases and reseller websites that contain the error. No response to that.
Click to expand...

Crazy, yeah same siutation that happened to me with the Jackson CBXM V Ellefson bass I purchased. I was suspicious of these because I know they come out of the same R&D shop. I still have the Jackson but what sold me on it was the supposed 35in scale reverse PJ set up...oh well.
 
#170
I have a Charvel Pro-Mod DK24 and a DK22 6-string guitar. These are my favorite guitars by far. Light, great sounds, amazing necks, a joy to play. I only wish they came with stainless steel frets.
Since the bass specs are similar to those of the guitars, I'm gonna have to get one.
 
#171
Alright folks! Despite the downer with the 5 string JJ not being 35" scale, I otherwise liked it enough I picked up the 4 string PJ tonight. Fenders typically don't gel with me (and I feel guilty about it), but the relatively modern accoutrements on these instruments are speaking to me.

I've got a Noll parametric pre in the mail to put in the 5'er. Can't wait to wire it up. Otherwise, I'm loving the 5 string.

The 4 string I got is overall a plus. Fortunately, unlike a lot of folks have reviewed, my pre-amp is dead silent - no buzz or weird noises. Maybe they've fixed that recently? I haven't opened up the control cavity yet to check it out. The downer on mine was that the fret job was 'meh' at best. No fret sprout, but there were a half dozen or so high frets, and one stubbornly low one. I did a fret level to get the action where I like it. Unfortunately, I like light gauge strings and low action due to some mild nerve damage in my arms, which I think is a finicky combo. Once I leveled, re-crowned and polished all the frets, it feels absolutely amazing.

I typically churn through 4 strings (all my instruments that stick tend to be 5+ strings), but this one might be a keeper. I have a feeling I'll be replacing the pre-amp; it has the same sort of exaggerated-in-a-not-super-musical-way quality that the 5 has. In passive mode it sounds great, however.
 
#172
I'm putting in my order for a Charvel Pro-Mod San Dimas Bass PJ IV in Mystic Blue first thing tomorrow morning. I have two of the Charvel Pro-Mod DK guitars and I'm totally in love with them. I'm hoping the same mojo is in the bass.
 
#174
So, the shielding issue will continue to be an issue because it hasn't been resolved in-house in all this time, right?
After watching the Empire Music video I posted about this bass in the "What are the cons of PJs" thread, but now I have to wonder if it's worth buying this and adding copper shielding myself, even the though the LowEndLobster video is very informative.
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