In the late 1970s, Wayne Charvel´s Guitar Repair shop in Azusa, California acquired a reputation for making custom high quality bodies and necks. Grover Jackson began working at the shop in 1977, and a year later bought out Charvel and moved the company to San Dimas. Jackson debuted the Charvel custom guitars at the 1979 NAMM show, and the first catalog depicting the bolt-neck beauties and custom options arrived in 1981.
The standard models from Charvel Manufacturing carried a list price between $880 and $955, and the amount of custom options was staggering. In 1983, the Charvel company began offering neck-through models under the Jackson trademark.
Grover Jackson licensed the Charvel trademark to the International Music Corporation (IMC) in 1985; the company was sold to them a year later. In late 1986, production facilities were moved to Ontario, California. Distribution eventually switched from Charvel/Jackson to the Jackson/Charvel Guitar company, currently a branch of the Akai Musical Instruments company. As the years went by and the Charvel line expanded, its upper end models were phased out and moved into the Jackson line (which had been the Charvel/Jackson Company´s line of custom-made instruments) and were gaining more popularity. For example, the Charvel Avenger (mfg. 1991 to 1992), became the Jackson Rhoads EX Pro (mfg. 1992 to date). For further details, see the Jackson guitars section in this edition.
In 1988, Charvel sent a crew of luthiers to Japan for a year or so to cross-train the Japanese builders on building methods for custom built guitars. The resulting custom instruments had a retail list price between $1,000 and $1,300. U.S. custom-built guitars have a four-digit serial number and the Japanese custom-built models have a six-digit serial number. Numbers may be prefaced with a "C," which may stand for custom made (this point has not been completely verified).
By the early 1990s, the only Charvel models left were entry level Strat-style electrics and Dreadnought and jumbo-style (full bodied and cutaways) acoustic guitars. In the late 1990s, even the electrics were phased out in favor of the acoustic and acoustic/electric models. During 1999, instruments with the Charvel trademark had ceased production, and Wayne Charvel began building a new line of instruments utilizing the Wayne Guitars trademark (early Charvel history courtesy Baker Rorick, Guitar Shop magazine; additional information courtesy Roland Lozier, Lozier Piano & Music).
Trademark previously manufactured in Korea until 1999. The Charvel trademark was established in 1978 by the Charvel Manufacturing Company. Previously distributed until 1999 by Jackson/Charvel Guitar Company (Akai Musical Instruments) of Fort Worth, TX. Previously produced in the U.S. between 1978 and 1985; later, (post-1985) production was based in the U.S., Japan, and Korea.

CHARVEL Acoustic Guitars Models

CHARVEL 125S Image

CHARVEL 125S

- dreadnought style, solid spruce top, round soundhole, seven-stripe bound body/rosette, mahogany back/sides/neck, 14/20-fret bound rosewood fingerboard with abalone dot inlay, rosewood bridge with white black pins, rosewood veneered peghea...

CHARVEL 425 SL Image

CHARVEL 425 SL

- offset double rounded cutaway asymmetrical style, spruce top, offset wedge soundhole, bound body and soundhole, nato back/sides/neck, 22-fret rosewood fingerboard with offset abalone inlay, rosewood bridge with abalone dot inlay, abalone...

CHARVEL 125SE Image

CHARVEL 125SE

- similar to 125S, except has transducer bridge pickup, three-band EQ, available in Natural or Tobacco Sunburst finish, mfg. 1994-96.

CHARVEL 425SLX Image

CHARVEL 425SLX

- similar to 425SL, except has figured maple top, rosewood back/sides, bound fingerboard/peghead, active electronics with built-in chorus, available in Cherry Sunburst, Tobacco Sunburst, or Trans. Red finish, mfg. 1992-94.

CHARVEL 150SC Image

CHARVEL 150SC

- single round cutaway dreadnought style, solid spruce top, round soundhole, seven-stripe bound body/rosette, rosewood back/sides, mahogany neck, 14/20-fret bound rosewood fingerboard with abalone dot inlay, rosewood bridge with white black...

CHARVEL ATX BASS Image

CHARVEL ATX BASS

- single cutaway hollow mahogany body, bound maple top, maple neck, 22-fret rosewood fingerboard with offset pearl dot inlay, strings through rosewood bridge, four-on-a-side chrome tuners, volume/three-band EQ controls, available in Black,...

CHARVEL 150SEC Image

CHARVEL 150SEC

- similar to 150SC, except has transducer bridge pickup, three-band EQ, available in Natural or Tobacco Sunburst finish, mfg. 1994-96.

CHARVEL 325SL Image

CHARVEL 325SL

- double offset cutaway asymmetrical style, spruce top, offset wedge soundhole, bound body and soundhole, nato back/sides/neck, 22-fret rosewood fingerboard with offset abalone dot inlay, rosewood bridge with white pearl dot pins, rosewood...

CHARVEL 325SLX Image

CHARVEL 325SLX

- similar to 325SL, except has figured maple top, rosewood back/sides, bound fingerboard with shark fin inlay, bound peghead, active electronics with built-in chorus, available in Cherry Sunburst, Tobacco Sunburst, or Trans. Red finishes.

CHARVEL 525 Image

CHARVEL 525

- single round cutaway dreadnought style, spruce top, round soundhole, five-stripe bound body and rosette, mahogany arched back/sides/neck, 22-fret bound rosewood fingerboard with pearl dot inlay, rosewood bridge with white black dot pins,...

CHARVEL 525D Image

CHARVEL 525D

- similar to 525, except has transducer bridge pickup with three-band EQ, available in Metallic Black, Natural or Tobacco Sunburst finish, disc. 1994.

CHARVEL 550 Image

CHARVEL 550

- dreadnought style, spruce top, round soundhole, black pickguard, three-stripe bound body/rosette, mahogany back/sides/neck, 25.6 in.scale, 14/20-fret rosewood fingerboard with pearl dot inlay, rosewood bridge with black white dot pins, ro...

CHARVEL 550C Image

CHARVEL 550C

- similar to the 550, except has a single rounded cutaway, available in Natural finish, mfg. 1994-2000.

CHARVEL 550E Image

CHARVEL 550E

- similar to 550, except has transducer bridge pickup, three-band EQ, available in Natural finish, mfg. 1994-2000.

CHARVEL 550CE Image

CHARVEL 550CE

- similar to the 550C, except has transducer bridge pickup, three-band EQ, available in Natural finish, mfg. 1994-2000.

CHARVEL 625 Image

CHARVEL 625

- single round cutaway jumbo style, spruce top, round soundhole, five-stripe bound body and rosette, nato back/sides, mahogany neck, 25.6 in.scale, 20-fret rosewood fingerboard with abalone dot inlay, rosewood bridge with white black dot pi...

CHARVEL 625C Image

CHARVEL 625C

- similar to 625, except has abalone bound body/rosette, rosewood back/sides, 24-fret bound extended fingerboard, abalone dot pins, bound peghead, transducer bridge pickup, three-band EQ, active electronics, mfg. 1992-2000.

CHARVEL 625C-12 Image

CHARVEL 625C-12

- similar to 625, except has 12-string configuration, abalone bound body/rosette, rosewood back/sides, 24-fret bound extended fingerboard, abalone dot pins, bound peghead, six-per-side tuners, transducer bridge pickup, three-band EQ, active...

CHARVEL 625F Image

CHARVEL 625F

- similar to 625, except has figured maple top, available in Tobacco Sunburst, Trans. Black and Trans. Red, mfg. 1994-95.

CHARVEL 725 Image

CHARVEL 725

- jumbo style, solid spruce top, round soundhole, seven-stripe bound body/rosette, mahogany back/sides/neck, 14/20-fret rosewood fingerboard with pearl offset dot inlay, rosewood bridge with white black pins, rosewood veneered peghead with...

CHARVEL 725E Image

CHARVEL 725E

- similar to 725, except has transducer bridge pickup, three-band EQ, available in Natural finish, mfg. 1994-96.

CHARVEL 750E Image

CHARVEL 750E

- jumbo style, solid spruce top, round soundhole, seven-stripe bound body/rosette, figured maple back/sides, mahogany neck, 14/20-fret rosewood fingerboard with pearl offset dot inlay, rosewood bridge with white black pins, figured maple ve...

CHARVEL ATX Image

CHARVEL ATX

- single cutaway hollow mahogany body, bound maple top, maple neck, 24-fret rosewood fingerboard with offset pearl dot inlay, strings through rosewood bridge, six-per-side one chrome tuners, Fishman transducer bridge pickup, volume/three-ba...

CHARVEL ATX Trans Image

CHARVEL ATX Trans

- similar to ATX, except has figured maple top, available in Tobacco Sunburst, Trans. Black, or Trans. Violet finish, disc. 1996.

CHARVEL CM-100 Image

CHARVEL CM-100

- dreadnought style, cedar top, round soundhole, multibound body, three-stripe rosette, figured mahogany back/sides, mahogany neck, 14/20-fret bound rosewood fingerboard with pearl dot inlay, ebony bridge with white black dot pins, bound ro...

CHARVEL CM-400 LIMITED EDITION Image

CHARVEL CM-400 LIMITED EDITION

- jumbo style, solid spruce top, round soundhole, maple bound/abalone purfling body, abalone rosette, jacaranda back/sides, mahogany neck, 14/20-fret ebony fingerboard with pearl cloud inlay, ebony bridge with black abalone dot pins, abalon...