Charvel CX-290
Overview
Brand name:
Product:
- electric guitars
Series name:
Dates of manufacture:
1992 to 1995
The Charvel CX290 was made between 1992 and 1995. The CX290 was a basswood bodied stratocaster style electric. Pickups were HSS - a Jackson J-55 humbucker at the bridge and two J-110 single coils. The rosewodd fingerboard has a 15 inch radius.
Specifications (22)
Controls
| Pickup selector controls | 5-way selector switch |
| Tone controls | 1 tone control |
| Volume controls | 1 volume control |
Electronics
| Pickups brand and model | Jackson J110 pickup(s), Jackson J55 pickup(s) |
| Pickups configuration | 2 single coil pickups and 1 humbucker pickup |
General
| Finish colors | black finish, blue finish, red finish, white finish |
| Made in | Japan |
| Number of strings | 6 strings |
| Scale length | 25.5 inches scale-length |
Body
| Body material | basswood body |
| Body style | Stratocaster style |
| Pickguard material | white pickguard |
Hardware
| Bridge | tremolo bridge |
| Hardware color | chrome hardware |
Fretboard
| Fingerboard inlay material | pearl fingerboard inlay material |
| Fingerboard material | rosewood fingerboard |
| Fingerboard position markers | dot fingerboard position markers |
Neck
| Neck joint | bolt on neck |
| Neck material | maple neck |
| Neck width | 1.625 inches wide at nut |
| Number of frets | 22 fret |
| Tuner layout | six-in-a-row tuners |
Prices (16)
| Date | Price | Condition | Name | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | $650 | new | ||
| 2015 | $90.00 | excellent | Rob | I removed the strings so I could take off the neck and tighten the truss rod, cleaned everything and reassembled the guitar. I then installed new strings, set the intonation and string height and now I am a happy camper. Sounds better than my Squier standard Strat... |
| 1994 | $500 | excellent | ||
| 1996 | $500 | excellent | This is one of the nicest playing guitars. I have owned it for over 20 years. Amazing neck! I have spent over $1500 on other guitars and this guitar is better playing. Electronics are not the greatest. | |
| 2009 | $800 | excellent | Dave | neck alone is worth the money change pickups and it will play like a guitar costing $2000 |
| 2013 | $700 | excellent | Chris | Nice guitar they don't build them like this anymore. As others have said fantastic neck I actually like the neck better then the new $1000 Charvels. |
| 1996 | $500 | excellent | Mark | I still own this own this guitar and love it. |
| 1995 | $500 | excellent | ||
| 2016 | $900 | excellent | ||
| 2016 | $189 | good | ian | great sounding guitar. I used to have a Jackson/ charvel strat mid 80s this sounds just as good. highly recommend buy one |
| 2017 | $475 | excellent | ||
| 1993 | 450 FRF | excellent | man | |
| 2017 | $80.00 | good | Dave | Purchased from a Goodwill store and glad I did After cleaning off some major corrosion and replacing the pickups this is one of my Go To guitars its very comfortable good balance I didn't go crazy with the pickups I installed a used set from a Model 4 and left every thing else stock I certainly wouldn't pay over 200 for this guitar but if you can pick one up cheap and replace the pickups its definitely worth it |
| 1998 | $90 | worn | Mark | Great guitar, still play mine. Switched to Les Paul, but that old CX290 the neck was way better than any strat I ever had. Electronics needed work. But that guitar is a monster took many a beating, sliding facedown on concrete. Still sounds amazing. |
| 1992 | 500 FRF | new | ||
| 2017 | €000 | excellent |
Reviews (3)
CHARVEL CX290 reviewed by Ken Kerrick
Ken Kerrick
I've had one of these guitars since 1992. It came to me by way of a singer who gave up playing it after two weeks and he gave it to me. It was always kind of a project guitar whereas I would try out new electronic configurations prior to installing them on my more expensive guitars. In stock configuration, the frets were mildly uneven, so it would buss at a low action and the electronics were crap. The tremolo block fractured after about 25 years of service (pig iron block). It can use a MIM Strat replacement bridge so that was not to hard to rectify. In the last year, I invested in bringing it to a pro level as an artist repainted it. The mods I had done were:
1. Replaced the nut with a Tusq nut
2. Added an additional string tree for the g and d strings
3. Polish and level the frets
4. Sanded the finish on the back of the neck to bare wood
5. Replaced the tremolo block with a rolled steel block
6. Replaced the electronics with Fender vintage hot noiseless preloaded pickguard.
That cost around $1500 to rework. If buying this off the shelf I would not pay more than $200 for it.
CHARVEL CX290 reviewed by Anonymous
Anonymous
Necks are amazing for the money. Good tone, pickups are OK but put in some good pickups and this guitar sounds incredible. Hard to find guitar now but back in the day you could find them used for a couple hundred dollars. You may still find some used ones cheap at guitar stores that don't know what they really have. These Charvels are becoming rare in original condition. Buddy of mine is a guitar tech and just purchased a mint condition original from a customer. I played it and was very impressed with it for a made in Japan guitar, plays better then my USA strat. My strat is higher quality and fit in finish is much better but I can't get over the neck on this Charvel.
CHARVEL CX290 reviewed by Anonymous
Anonymous
Excellent build guitars. But with bad pickups and a cheap-ass single layer plastic scratchplate. Replace the pickups and you'll have a better than most fenders guitar.
Replacing the nut and the zinc block tremolo with a steel block or a brass block tremolo makes it even better. The neck (all Charvel necks are outstanding) and the body are really good! Don't make the mistake to think that a basswood body sounds cheap. These are made of hi-end basswood that sounds a little "rounder" than alder.
