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Charvette bass help (dating)

Lammchop93

Lammchop93

Supporting Member
Feb 4, 2007
8,878
14,221
Southern Indiana (Louisville, KY)
#1
I went to a local pawn shop today to look at basses. There were two basses there that I liked. A black Epiphone P-bass and a red Charvette P-bass. The Epiphone looked really cool and sounded nice, but the pickguard screws a pickups were rusty, so I figured it's been in a very moist are, so it could be very screwed up on the inside. It was going for $175.

The Charvette played amazing. It felt great. The only problem was one loose pot, but that's easily fixed. It was going for $150. Is that good, or should I talk it down some. I also want to know the year it was made. On the back of the tuners it says Made in Japan. They were Gotoh tuners. It had one charvel p-pickup. The serial number is 016794. I wanted to get a bass and fix it up over time and truly make it MY bass.:bassist:

Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks!:bassist:
 
#2
metallicafan18 said:
I went to a local pawn shop today to look at basses. There were two basses there that I liked. A black Epiphone P-bass and a red Charvette P-bass. The Epiphone looked really cool and sounded nice, but the pickguard screws a pickups were rusty, so I figured it's been in a very moist are, so it could be very screwed up on the inside. It was going for $175.

The Charvette played amazing. It felt great. The only problem was one loose pot, but that's easily fixed. It was going for $150. Is that good, or should I talk it down some. I also want to know the year it was made. The serial number is 016794. I wanted to get a bass and fix it up over time and truly make it MY bass.:bassist:

Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks!:bassist:
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If it felt great, I say go for it, regardless of when it was made.

But for that amount you could get a brand new SX Precision, or for a little extra money, you could go for a brand new Squier VM Precision. Both great basses, IMO.

Good luck either way! :)
 
#3
I'd go the SX route if I was looking for something to know was a great starting point for the money. And you'd at least know it was gig-able until you started making updates you want.

And if the basses are at a pawnshop I'd start out offering them 1/2 or 2/3rds of what they have the bass marked for sale as.
 
#9
yours is a Charvette 400, and from the serial it's from 1990.
It was the last gasp version of a 1B Bolt-on Charvel, before they put Jackson on the sticker, and turned it into the fusion/futura/concert...etc.

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#10
amimbari said:
yours is a Charvette 400, and from the serial it's from 1990.
It was the last gasp version of a 1B Bolt-on Charvel, before they put Jackson on the sticker, and turned it into the fusion/futura/concert...etc.

Page08.jpg
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Sweet! thanks. That bass looks identical to the one I saw specs wise.

Me and my dad are hitting all the local pawn shops this week to see if there are any other good finds out there. I will end up getting a new bass after I've been to all the shops.:bassist: Can't wait to see what I can find!:bassist::bassist::bassist:
 
#11
metallicafan18 said:
Sweet! thanks. That bass looks identical to the one I saw specs wise.

Me and my dad are hitting all the local pawn shops this week to see if there are any other good finds out there. I will end up getting a new bass after I've been to all the shops.:bassist: Can't wait to see what I can find!:bassist::bassist::bassist:
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lots more charvel 2b's out there than charvette's if you miss out, and usually go for 150-200 in good condition on ebay, and you get the bonus of the other pickup so the shops will be a little higher.

it is on the heavy side, but very playable, with good passive tone and sustain.

some people like the jackson point, some prefer other shapes, like many out here I have a variety.
 
#12
I wold go for the charvette it's really a great bass :smug:
I have one at home and it's really great i have a Fender '80s Precision Bass and believe me or not i like the Charvette better and i think its a better guitar :P it feels better and it plays better and i still cant understand why they are so cheep (which is a good thing) but if you want great quality on a low price that's the bass for you :P :hyper:
 
#13
think of it this way donut, it is the SX of the bassline of the day :) nothing wrong with a cheap bass, cause christ they still sell tons of SX/Douglas/Brice/...etcetcetc every day.

A hundred or so on electronics later, and you got a great sounding "cheap" bass.

I like heavier bodies, so I like the 1+2b series, all the others 3,4bfrom the 80's-CHS/CX490-492 series from the 90's, and the 400 series Charvettes were made out of a slimmer lighter body, an excellent selling point for people who were sick of 10lb basses, and still wanted something reasonable for 299.95

And YEP, Jackson even made a limited run of crackle finish on the Charvette400.:smug:
never played a C400 p-bass but I have a couple 1b p-basses to imagine what one would sound like.
 

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