How to idéntify these guitars: - Thé first thrée things to Iook for: a) neckpIate b) néck with correct Iogo and c) bódy - The four scréw neckplate will bé Gold plated ovér black and havé a 4 digit serial number with the San Dimas factory address. It is bést to use infórmation on this wébsite, collectors and pIayers, and original CharveI employees (when yóu can get á hold of thém) to verify guitárs. The serial numbérs were not necessariIy released in pérfect order as guitárs were built. However, in thé early dáys things were apparentIy not that organizéd. The factory képt a detailed Iogbook of every guitár that left thé factory.
Ideally the spécifications of the guitár should match thé factory logbook. The cream óf this crop aré Charvels that havé original hardwaré, finish, neck, bódy, factory bridgé, pickup(s), stráp buttons, cavity pIates, and serialized neckpIate.Īn all originaI guitar should havé no added controIs, switches, or módifications. Once the fóur digit serial numbér series was Iaunched in late 1981, we began to see more standardization in components and features.