Charvel LTD SC 1 Henrik Danhage Relic

The instrument arrived after a month of waiting. After opening the bag, I found out that the guitar is on a completely unplayable state. The saddle was way too high (several millimeters), so the strings on the first frets are in a completely unplayable condition. The intonation is totally wrong (because of that) and playing is almost impossible. You don't get any idea about the guitar. I took the guitar to a local guitar repairer, with whom we wondered how foolishly the assembly line has worked. I left the guitar to the local repair shop to be repaired at my own expense.

I have now completely lost all confidence in the operation of both Thomann and Charvel/Fender. This is already the second defective instrument (sold as new) that arrives from the factory in Mexico via Thomann to me. The first was a Fender bass of the same price range. Repairing its warped neck under warranty at Thomann took an inordinately long time and eventually led to the arrival of a new bass.

I absolutely cannot recommend buying a guitar through Thomann. It is shamefully that the instrument is sent to the customer completely untested in the factory package. Fortunately, this kind of activity is not practiced in Finnish local guitar stores. You get the instrument from them adjusted and ready to play. Now a similar situation was reached only through an instrument repairer. It's sad that these kind of rare guitar models don't find their ways to the local shops anymore.

I hope I can enjoy this guitar after the repair.

I hunted this guitar when it first came out but missed it then. Was really happy when they released a second run of it. On paper, all the specs sre perfect for me. The neck is really smooth and comfortable. Compound radius is perfect. The pickups sound good and the Area 67 in the neck position is really good. There were some minor electrical problems with grounding, one cold solder joint.

The only big minus is the fretwork. It reminds me the 90's Gibson way. So level the frets but leave the crowning work half way so every fret is flat on top, almost like square. For a guitar that is on a price range of 1500€ it's unacceptable for me.

Before I purchased this guitar I read reviews about it. All said that guitar was great, but there was 2-3 complaining that quality of finishing was not as good as you would expect from 1500€ guitar. Because I loved the looks of this guitar and all the specs were right for me, I send a message to Thomann and asked about that. I got an email where they offered to carry out a comprehensive inspection and a full setup of my guitar for an additional charge of €70. I bought that and I am very happy that I did that. Guitar arrived 3 weeks ago and was ready to play and I have nothing to complain about quality. They even send me pictures about guitar when it was "on the table". :-)
5 star recommend for guitar and inspection + setup service!

This is a guitar that looks bold, aggressive, and full of character.
Neck feels fast, smooth, and instantly broken-in and pickups have ”growl” sound.
It offer unique, practical features (like the push/push volume control)
It’s not for everyone (the relic look and minimalist controls are very specific), but if it clicks with you — it’s hard to beat.
After all it is Henrik approved, thats enough for me.