All user reviews for the Charvel Pro-Mod So-Cal Style 1 HH

Good jme loose
Guitar made in Mexico by the guys at Fender because Fender bought the patent for this guitar was no longer produced. Just like her sister, San Dimas, SoCal is produced in the Fender factory. For a single shot but a skilled workforce. Notebooks charge Fender is no joke. So the fact that this guitar is produced in Mexico is rather good news because for 690 E you have an original Floyd Rose FRT 2000, as saying the top and two seymour duncan SH6! (TB6 for floyd) Few guitar on such benefits at this price. Jackson at 700 E was a floyd under license and in ibanez pickups ibz caca boudin. For this 10/10

UTILIZATION

21 boxes! This is a strat 'access to acute is the average 21 ° box to search with the fingertips but frankly we do not care a bit, you have to adapt in life! No Shred 'to 24 ° box! (Why I put 8/10) Weight fairly lightweight, ergonomic shape and 100% Start 'is not an R / dinky!
Volume three postions floyd a ravening and no moving parts, two humbuckers that do everything! bah this guitar is just a vision of what the ultimate guitar.
The handle is beautiful, maple gives a snapping sound, the real strat 'is maple neck, rosewood is not! But this "raw" handle may darken quickly is a remarkable whiteness, some love, if you can close the pores of the wood by a guitar tech with a trick-based polymer, which is made for guitars music man.
The hit is different from that of a superstrate 'jackson type more prone to full chords and complex and less invitation to power chords. This is due to the offset radius (12'' - 16'') This guitar is a skyscraper soloist makes no solos in acute ultras and makes complex agreements. Wholesale Adrian Smith and guitarist Djent mixed.

SOUNDS

Made for big sound!
More good, honest intermediate position is 100% strat 'incredible two SH6 give this type of sound.
Bridge and provided relatively little serious, this is a very sharp, dynamic and full of harmonics SH6, the SH6 is organic, scathing and quite "hairy", where an EMG 81 is dry and content and hair "ras".
This is perfect for the detuning! the SH6 duncan distortion is called, is all is said immediately! one microphones hold her Bean, the x2n, more aggressive and sharp but less controlled hair! matter of taste!
C sharp is her hobby, I tried if it's madness! Just do it! I have long had the aftermath of bareknucle reference to the humbucker but with Seymour Duncan SH6 is a class act.
SH6 The neck pickup is very amazing malmstenien. The tone knob does not really miss it happens live that we seek, no frills. It's crazy!
Efficiency!
computer music played on a POD HD or a Hughes 'n' Kettner, it's clean, haters and content.
Note this skyscraper was rising tone zone on Japanese models. The choice of SH6 is deliberate and must be understood as the desire for Fender to put this instrument on a certain market segment, the typical heavy metal, but also very modern because we know that moult guitarist the djent plébiscitent SH6, which n is not the case of the tone zone, too plump and less precise. 8/10 for a single coil would further expand the possibilities.

OVERALL OPINION

Fender took a strat 'and made a fighter, a powerful but subtle. I say it's ZE super strat 'because you can not summarize this guitar better. She buries most guitars at 700 euros. The finish is simple and top! I had several guitars during long years, here are the sites where the Charvel is challenged or beaten:
* LTD is very hard to offer super nice beats for cheap
* Ibanez offers efficient shovels from the rg300 series but with micro limits,
* Jackson guitars made of metal the world's most comfortable

Clearly this guitar will become a must I can assure you and frankly augurs a new era in the world of guitars, such instruments at this price is unheard of!
Finally:
It Djent? Yes! A donf 'allows you to stand out from the cohort and scratch ibanezophile ltd phage (I say nothing of jackson-eating, I am one ^ ^ lol)

The Charvel So Cal 1 H-H interestingly enough is a made in Japan guitar modeled after the USA-made So Cal. They did an outstanding job. The feel, playability, attention to detail, fit, and finish on this guitar are all superb. Charvel guitars were the weapon of choice for many of the 80's shredders and the So Cal 1 HH lives up to the legend. This is one mad machine. The guitar comes stock with a Dimarzio Tone Zone bridge pickup and a Dimarzio Evolution Neck pickup. Mind you, these are not Dimarzio copies or "Made by" pickups, but 100 percent real Dimarzio pickups.

The controls on the guitar are extremely simple making it extremely easy to focus on playing instead of tweaking sound. There is a volume knob and a three-position selector switch (Neck, Both, Bridge) for the pickups. That's it.

The neck is a nice "not too thick, not to thin" C-shape and the maple neck and fret board play wickedly fast. The flaming in the maple on the neck is extremely nice for a guitar in this price range as well. An OFR, ATA flight case, and real Dimarzio pickups at this price are fairly unheard of. The black pick guard sets off the finish nicely and gives it a slightly metal look, even with the candy blue finish.

UTILIZATION

I don't know how it came from the factory but the previous owner had the action set higher that I prefer so I lowered the action which was easy enough. I found that if I set up the guitar too low the tone suffered a little so I set up the action just a tad higher than my normal and the tone is incredible. It's extremely easy to get a great sound out of this guitar and it has the feel of an instrument that just begs you to keep playing. This is one guitar that's difficult to put down.

SOUNDS

The Tone Zone bridge pickup was a little dark for my tastes so I swapped it out with a Dimarzio Steve Morse model bridge pickup. Now the guitar just SCREAMS! That said, you definitely have to work a little to get a good clean sound from this guitar as it is definitely made for full-out shred mayhem. If you need a clean sound, you may have to swap out the neck pickup for a lower-output pickup or one that suits your tonal and/or musical style better.

I use this guitar with all of my amps: Splawn Quick Rod, Splawn Nitro, Jet City Amps, Hughes & Kettner, Marshall... they all sound fabulous with this guitar pumping life into them.

OVERALL OPINION

I had always heard about Charvel guitars and seen some of my favorite players using them as their "weapon of choice" so I decided to take the plunge and see for myself. I'm not disappointed. I think for the price this is an excellent value guitar--the real Dimarzio Pickups and ATA flight case alone are almost worth the ante, but once you start playing you realize this isn't some entry-level beginner's guitar: this is the real deal. Obviously, because it has a Floyd I'd gig it with a backup, but that's more to do with the Floyd than with it being a Charvel. The only thing that would make this guitar any better would be having 24 frets. However, not having the 24 frets gives it more of a "Classic" feel and a respectful nod to its predecessors.

The Charvel Pro Mod (short for Production Model) was introduced in 2009 in response to a resurgence of interest in the hot-rodded fender guitars popularized by Eddie Van Halen, Jake E. Lee, and many other guitarists at the forefront of heavy metal and hard rock innovation of the 1980's. Production was originally undertaken in the USA, but switched to Japan in late 2010, which saw a slight drop in list price, and the inclusion of a custom SKB hardshell case, as opposed to a soft gig-bag included with the American-made version.

But one may ask: How did quality control fare under the switch in manufacturing location and personnel? A close inspection of my MIJ (Made in Japan) So Cal revealed an immaculately constructed and finished instrument. I was floored!

Based on (more appropriately a direct copy of) the original Charvel custom shop San Dimas and So Cal, which were directly modified from stock Fender Stratocasters, the Pro Mod series boasts a plethora of enhancements that make it more shred-friendly both in performance and appearance.

The neck is a quartersawn, straight 12' radiused maple piece with the standard Fender 25.5in Scale Length, and 22 jumbo wide frets. It is much thinner than most standard stratocaster necks, and is finished in a minimalist tung oil layer that renders an almost raw feel. The edges of the fretboard are aggressively rolled, leaving it feeling very broken-in from the first notes. Indeed, the Pro Mod feels like an old six-stringed friend right out of the box.

Hardware-wise, The Pro Mod sports Grover tuners, and a Korean Floyd Rose Double Locking tremolo system, which is reasonably durable, but to those initiated, doesn't quite measure up to the quality exhibited by the German OFR (Original Floyd Rose) tremolos on pricier guitars, and available as after-market upgrades. The string retainer blocks on mine had to be replaced after a year once the surface began to bear grooves from the strings and I began to experience the G, B, and E strings popping out of the saddles during play.

The upshot is that these are easily replaceable. The tremolo is also fitted with the 37mm Sustain Block, which isn't Floyd's lightest or smallest sustain block, so it was nice to see them not cutting corners in the sustain department.

The So Cal's pickups are a pair of Dimarzio humbuckers, operated by a single volume knob, no tone control, and a simple (but durable) 3-way toggle switch. Both pickups are fairly hot, with the Evolution handling the neck and the Tone Zone handling the bridge position. The Tone Zone, in particular, has a slight roll-off in the higher frequencies, which pairs it very well with brighter amps such as Marshall JCM 800's. It doesn't like to be positioned too close to the strings, however. Closer than perhaps the thickness of two stacked nickels, and the sustain and clarity began to suffer significantly due to excessive magnetic pull on the strings. A properly positioned TZ in the So Cal is hot, tight, and has a very focused midrange.

The Evolution is a well-rounded pickup that handles sweep arpeggios, fast alternately picked passages, and clean chord and lead work beautifully. Its only downfall is a slight loss of clarity in the lower frequencies, which I would argue plagues most production model pickups and is only cured by replacing it with an expertly wound, custom voiced boutique pickup.


UTILIZATION

Despite what one might think, the Floyd Rose doesn't make setup or intonation any more difficult. On the contrary, I found that the instrument was intonated pretty much wherever I set the action or neck relief. Some extra tweaking is likely required for those increasing string gauge to 11's or 12's, but that's to be expected.

The only downside of playability is the big, square traditional neck joint made access to the upper frets a little more uncomfortable than some of its contemporary counterparts, which feature a well-contoured heel.

SOUNDS

I've run the So Cal through close to two dozen different models of Fender combo amps. It's also seen action through numerous Marshall heads, Peavey 5150, Bogner Uberschall, Hughes & Kettner Triamp, Dumble, Mesa...the list goes on.

I currently play it through a modified Egnater Renegade 65 head, utilizing only a wah pedal and overdrive pedal.

I've recorded several different genres of music with the So Cal, and it performs well in nearly every context.

OVERALL OPINION

The Charvel So Cal Style 1H-H represents the very pinnacle of quality, bargain-priced electric guitars. Japan has been known for the quality of their electric guitars ever since they began making them, with 80's model MIJ Fenders still being highly sought after to this day.

Though Charvel cut costs by using slightly cheaper hardware and producing the instruments in Japan, the quality and playability of these instruments holds its own against some of the best (and most expensive) production guitars the USA has to offer.

Made in Japan
Alder body
1 piece maple neck
Maple fingerboard
648mm pitch
Nut width 43mm
Radius key 406.4mm
22 jumbo frets
Grover Mini Rotomatic
Double bridge pickup DiMarzio Tone Zone
Double neck pickup DiMarzio Evolution
Black plate
Recessed Floyd Rose ® FRT-O2000
3-position selector
1 volume Knob
Delivered by SKB Cases

UTILIZATION

I was looking for an extra guitar to compensate for any technical problems and to leave my Musicman least in rehearsal. After a lot of research and testing, I wore my choice on this modéle.Gamin, I dreamed of Charvel at the pictures in magazines. This brand, a bit exotic in France, was America to me ... Anyway!
The handle to the radius offset (12 '=> 16') is very nice and very sweet. Malgrés a factory setting made by a Japanese woodcutter (relatively high strings), he is very fast. The shrinking facilitates guitaristic with different techniques. The Access to Acute is correct but the junction heel stick is a little hulk (for me). on the other hand I find the wood a little tender, with a tendency to get dirty.
The body Strat (white for mine) has a relatively light varnish that seems pretty thick.
The access to the switch and volume is placed facile.Le floyd is relatively robust.
For large flat against, access to the Truss-road. You must remove the handle to be able to régler.Le adjustment is also a Phillips??
By the pick-guard against it is a shame. It is made in a relatively thick plastic and not very esthétique.Enfin, this is changing.

SOUNDS

You plug it sonne.C and is a guitar in his simple configuration conception.La microphones has long been proven. The Dimarzio Evo is very round and watch hot solos.Pour on my part I love. The Tone Zone is very sharp and distinct, not much needs to gain. The pickups were well adjusted at the factory.
This guitar is very versatile. It was coupled to the Mesa, Marshall and recently Buddha and every time, no-brainer in the settings. With a boost, a delay loop in the neck pickup sounds, we must recognize, very "Passion and Warfare". Fun to quickly make huge slide, kick and Floyd legatos.

OVERALL OPINION

I use it for nine months and one must recognize that it is no longer a backup guitar. After changing strings (From the factory, it is mounted in extra-light) and adjusting the neck is a joy. I read on forums Charvel quality sleeves. Well this is not to démentir.Certe, it possesses some defects (factory settings, pick guard, handle messy) but for the price it's still an excellent guitar. Obviously it is not in the high-end level of finish and the quality of gasoline. Yes, this is not the custom shop! But at 700 euros could ask for more.
I love so much that I plan to add to it a San Dimas, varied and fascinating history.
A very good mid-range guitar that does not disappoint on the contrary, and with which was fun.

Made in Japan
Stratocaster alder body and maple neck rather thin one piece.
Of Dimarzio who needs no introduction: Tone Zone in bridge and neck in Evolution.
Floyd Rose original block-strings at nut and stop nut behind the bar. Grover: it presents itself in a serious way, for no detuning. Vibrato mounted to the old: dive bomb only, not trapping cash.
From getting started, the instrument inspires confidence, quite simple in design but zero defects, and serious. I think she's here to stay but the handle is going to take a look "relic" with time (is it really a fault?)

UTILIZATION

Touch the handle exceptional in its aspect of bare wood (there is the feeling of a Road Worn Strat), as the first Charvel outputs, head Stratocaster courtesy of Fender Charvel like the first.
Access to acute is the same as on a Strat (normally these are guitars that have been called super Strats in the late 70's when the guitarists Californians would see Wayne Charvel to customize their Strat). In any case the progression of the handle will not be hampered by the varnish or jumbo frets that do not stick your fingers.
Simplissime for electronics: one volume (Van Halen) and a 3 position toggle for the pickups.

SOUNDS

Needless to draw a picture for her, ask Van Halen for the bridge pickup and Steve Vai for the neck pickup. With Evolution, you keep a good momentum and the sound was "hose" without losing the highs. So this So-Cal is rather oriented Rock, Hard Rock, Metal and derivatives, but playing on the volume we can do something else, but that's not why we bought a super Strat.

OVERALL OPINION

I am fully satisfied with my purchase. I had a crush on the model manufactured in the United States but which no longer exists. I think this model has nothing to envy. Why an ESP or an Ibanez prestige would they be excellent if not manufactured in Japan and this Charvel?
In addition, we are spoiled because of locks Dunlop straps are provided and the hard case protects the instrument.
For me, the value for money is simply outstanding (where to find microphones, accessories and manufacturing quality at this price elsewhere?). After of course, originality is not his strong point as it is a Strat to amphetamines but today it no longer runs the streets.
I suggest anyone who Charvel early period end 70 80 means something, this model is a homecoming away from what we saw after.

The Charvel So Cal is the third and final model introduced by the revived Charvel company in 2008. It is basically another version of their famous "hot rod" guitars that spread like wildfire throughout the eighties. They were made with the motto of being customized from the factory with the right high quality parts to avoid endless modding. This particular model was built in the USA and features an alder body, a quartersawn maple neck and fretboard, 22 jumbo frets, a locking Original Floyd Rose system, Grover tuners, and a pair of DiMarzio humbuckers (an EVO in the neck and a Tone Zone in the bridge). These are mounted on a classy black pickguard and wired to a single volume control and a 3 way toggle switch.

UTILIZATION

The design of this guitar is pretty ergonomic. It's of a medium weight and the strat style design forms very well to the body with its ample contouring. The neck is a true wonder, being that it's a very comfortable thin C profile, and the finish is tung oil on raw quartersawn maple. Can you say fast? It feels EXTREMELY natural and awesome and has fast become my preferred neck configuration, so much so that I order it on custom builds from other companies. The upper fret access is pretty good, but is hindered a bit by the very thick neck plate, which can get in the way, especially if you have larger hands. Getting a good tone out of this guitar is pretty easy. It was optimized for hard rock tones, and the guitar does that very well. I prefer the Seymour Duncans in the San Dimas guitars, but the DiMarzio models in this one do a decent job at getting some cool cleans and rippin' shred tones on the go.

SOUNDS

This guitar is loaded with the DiMarzio pickups which I believe are a bit hotter than the Duncans in the other guitars. They're a nice choice for the player who wants something a little more modern for some heavier tones, but they still have enough punch for more classic sounds. The EVO in the neck offers some nice punchy clean tones and very fluid drive sounds a-la Steve Vai or John Petrucci, and the TZ bridge pickup has a nice harmonic set, perfect for getting really crunchy tones for rock riffage or some screaming leads. It's a little bit darker than the JB pickup in the San Dimas, but it still has more than enough power to really kick when driven through a tube amp like a Marshall or Boogie.

OVERALL OPINION

All in all I think the Charvel So Cal is a great buy for anyone looking for an awesome US made superstrat with great parts, excellent workmanship, great tones, and one of the best feeling necks on the planet. They can be had used for about $650 which is a pretty sweet deal considering that it's made in the USA and uses great parts. The DiMarzio pickups in this model might not be to everyone's taste, but I liked them well enough, just not as much as the Seymour Duncans in the other models. Definitely worth checking out!

I believe these are USA or Japan made. I've heard conflicting stories. This basically your protypical super strat design. 22 frets. Alder body and maple neck. Basic strat body design. Original Floyd bridge. Dimarzio pickups. White finish. Grover tuners. Speaking purely in terms of specs this is a top notch guitar.

UTILIZATION

I honestly have never been a fan of these 80's super strats. But I got a real deal on this Socal so I decided to give it a shot. My primary gripe has always been that the neck on the Socal feels a little too beefy for shredding with my hands. These are definitely a modified fender spec neck radius rather than a smaller Jackson or something. Still, the playability is great. I am not a huge fan of Floyd rose bridges and usually prefer Ibanez Pro trems, but as Floyd Roses go this one is great. If you are usually comfortable on these style guitars, this one will feel like an old friend.

SOUNDS

The pickup choice for this guitar was well thought out. The Tone Zone compliments the Alder body and maple neck very well, staying thick even on leads. The Evolution is a great solo pickup because it cuts through so heavily. Be warned though if you aren't familiar with these pickups. They are very high gain. If you are thinking you'll get an overwound PAF, you're in for a lot of heat. They fit this guitar fine though because it's obviously a shredders axe and should only be used for metal or hard rock.

OVERALL OPINION

I don't think I can ever get really comfortable with these old super strats. I think the radius on the Charvel necks are not friendly with my hand. Still, for quality this guitar gets high marks. The price is amazing for all the features you get. If you want a great sub $1000 super strat this is THE guitar.

See the website of Charvel: http://www.charvel.com/pdf/SC%% 20Style 201rev2.pdf ( http://www.charvel.com/pdf/SC%20Style%201rev2.pdf )

UTILIZATION

I just receive it, but the impressions are just gniales Premire. Grip was like a 10 years we knew each other.

SOUNDS

DiMarzio ... not my my microphone DM prfrs, but when even any good at all!

OVERALL OPINION

Endrix adj everything about this beautiful instrument in its opinion. I can confirm that 100% of his impressions.

I just received mine. (Order with PlugSquare, Reue in 3 days, and Switzerland!)

Mine is color "Candy Plum", then plum. Trs pretty. The plate, enough grazing, black is beautiful.

The handle, the handle ah. It is just superb. Satin like skin and soft bb vritable is a pleasure to play it.

The sound of the DiMarzio is standard. With a good quality of distortion is the bright mtal of 80 and 90s. Bliss. In clean sounds, it's all good too.

Everything else is keeping. Perfect finish. Rglage excellent factory. In short, the 20/20.

In résumé if you can, Do not hesitate one second. A guitar of this quality the price (under 900 Euro) is an opportunity not rter.

It scored lowest. Not too many frills, but good.
The body is actually in an alder denser than that which can be found normal.
However I would have liked more of a tone volume.
This is my first made in the USA (finally)

UTILIZATION

The neck is perfect, really perfect. The best I could test, not the end (the S series Ibanez remain quite unrealistic that side) but the most balanced, the radius of the button from 16 "(very flat) top of the handle , 12 (very flat) bottom.
Weight and access to treble typical of a stratum.
If I wanted I could quibble highlight the absence of a heel carved like the American Deluxe, but it's also an aesthetic choice and feelings of games. For me a good old stratum big heel a massive pile (which does not interfere that much in the end)
Unplugged sound is very good, good projection, good vibes, my group of bagpipe out Kiff.
I ogled the then noticed a hole in the body as a (?!!!!) taken pil hair to the size of my cable jack, an opportunity by the thief, I plugged in an amp that was passing by.

SOUNDS

But is that it makes a noise that thing. Good sound!
I play a bit of everything (my house) with a small preference for the 80's rock (the guitar goes with me will tell you).
In group I play power pop veering Indust. AND she should.
Mainly clear sounds, slamming (alder + dense), when we lower the volume a bit it's great for a game a little southern rock. In fact, I will not waste my time on this list in what she is good: in all. From the moment you are looking for a big sound not very thick type mahogany gibson tune etc..
2 dimarzios (evolution neck and Tone Zone f) are very versatile, slightly fat (depending on your disto), hot trends and super-rich harmonics, punchy, warm tone for the area.
In our rehearsal room I have a choice between a Marshall Vintage Modern (Marshall and other less well made) and a fender cyber twin.
The problem of Marshall (and all the british amps for that matter) is this tendency to exaggerate the high mids, and the skyscraper that unforgiving. So you heard about it, and we hear that you (and the cymbals of drummer who take the opportunity to crash a bit more), so much that after one or two repeated high volume of I lose half of my abilities (hearing of course). Fender American Standard on most modern type or mesa, the sound is flatter, more stereo, I prefer, and it fits with what I did.
In short you can play everything without flinching, but it is a professional guitar, Obviously, is made to rock.

OVERALL OPINION

I've had a little over a month, and I think I finally found a guitar, a real one, which could last.
With the experience I would do this choice is clear. Style (Super Start) I think there is no better.
For a hair over 1000 euro was an excellent guitar, I would not say it's a good value anyway because I always found amazing the price differences between Europe and after import usa.
Unfortunately (rip love) I'll sell it because me a bit in debt to buy it, I find myself in a very delicate situation ...
If I had been comfortable financially I would have probably kept for life.

The US made Charvels are the best guitars I have ever played. I have played Andersons, Suhr, Fender, Gibson, Tyler, and too many more to even mention. None of them have the feel and comfort that the US made Charvels have. All of these are solid guitar but not close IMO to these new Charvels. Since Fender has taken over Charvel and brought back the way they should be made....things have been never been better.

The day I first got the chance to play a So-Cal Tangerine I was blown away. No guitar has ever had the mojo and gut wrenching raw power and aggression that this guitar had. I got to play this guitar up against a San Dimas and I would prefer that guitar only due to the pickups. The So-Cal has Dimarzios where the San Dimas has Seymours which had a bit more aggression. The Dimarzios sounded a little bit more smoother and vintage sounding. Which was cool as well, but I really am a fan of the Seymour's in my guitars.

This guitar had an Alder body and a Maple neck and that was about it. Sounded like a hot rod guitar should sound like.

UTILIZATION

This guitar had one volume knob and a pickup selector and that was it. It was simple and efficient. No fancy mini switches for boost or tone knobs that really don't do much. I mean who uses those stupid things anyway....well I do on my single coil Strat. This guitar needing none of that extra stuff.

SOUNDS

The tone coming from this guitar was superb. The tone and the pissed off Strat element was just too much. So I bought the amp I was playing it through. A Splawn Quickrod went home me that day. I played it through a Splawn 4x12 with small block speakers. This combination was just a match made in heaven. I love the guitar so much that it has changed my perception of my Les Paul. I think it may take a back seat to this guitar.

I think this guitar can play to any kind of music, but it just screams to be played rock hard. Heavy pissed off Marshal type tones just blend so well with this guitar. These are just simple guitars with so much character. I love the simplistic element to them. They are just simple and just right. I can see myself owning several down the road.

OVERALL OPINION

This guitar represents everything that is right and sleazy about rock n roll. It has an elegance and an attitude all at the same time. This is the hot-rodded guitar I have been waiting for since I learned the guitar.

I would recommend this guitar to anyone who appreciates a solid built axe that is simple and the best neck on a guitar you can find anywhere. The best thing about these guitars is the get better the more you play them.

This guitar is made in the USA, now replaced by the Pro model made in Japan.
Pink Floyd ofr 2000 (Made in Korean)
Maple neck cut quatersawn
22 frets
Dimarzio Evo Pickups and Tone Zone in bridge
a three-position switch,
adjusting volume, no tone

UTILIZATION

The neck is fantastic, built to play fast! incredible comfort and superb amenities, just oiled it is a great touch.
The frets are perfectly polished, planning is perfect, you can have a very low action. For cons, the edges of the frets along the neck could be a tad more polished, but it is not an embarrassment.

Ergonomics is that of a Stratocaster, reputation is second to none.

Access to acute suits me, no worries.

Yes, I get a very good sound, the pickups are fine, it's great.

SOUNDS

I play lots of styles, but I always look for some versatility with a guitar, yet there it goes, it's still a guitar made for big sound,
but it remains that sounds clear, it goes and we can play with a lot of things.

You have to play the volume knob on the guitar and amp settings.

I mostly play with my amp fetish of the moment, the Bogner Alchemist which as its name suggests is meant to provide an alchemy of sound! Must use all the settings in this amp and it happens to lots of good things.

I love all the sounds, of course, everything is ok with this guitar.

The Floyd deserves the name of the original, because it is an original, but with a nuance, that this is not the CAO made in germany, but Korean, it means it is manufactured in Korea and compared to its German big brother, you feel a lesser quality, that said, it is tough and shows no signs of fatigue.

OVERALL OPINION

I owned and played for two years.

As mentioned in every article I just published, I have much guitar, and I can compare this Charvel is one of my favorites.

What I like most is the pleasure it gives me is a guitar design simple, not flashy, but it's a real musical instrument, it plays well, fair, reliable, m'enfin many qualities.

I just give an opinion on a Vigier is much prettier and over, but that is completely below in terms of tones, games, etc. ..

This is a guitar that deserves to be better known, it is a value for your buck, new Japanese are even better from this point of view since they are still cheaper and delivered this time, in hard case .

Everything is ok in this guitar!

I would do without a doubt that choice and I would do everything to be always like that, so it is great.

it's 10/10, thank you Charvel (group Fender) .... know them! Guitar

(Originally written by Endrix/translated from Audiofanzine FR)
Charvel made in the USA.

22 frets, alder body with Stratocaster shape

Two Di-Marzio humbucker pickups (Tone Zone in bridge position and Evolution in neck position)

Volume control

One-piece maple neck

Original Floyd Rose tremolo

Grover machine heads

Green finish with wonderful one-ply black pickguard. Color availability is limited because they change them every three months.

(luckily there are other finishes available because green won't be everyone's taste)

UTILIZATION

The neck is one of the most pleasant necks I've ever had in my hands. Its profile is great, modern but not too flat. It reminds me of the modern flat and fast Fender necks. This neck has an average width and will surely meet the taste of most guitarists. It reminds the Vigier Excalibur neck, which is the best regarding playing comfort. It is coated with a thin varnish that provides it a great playing feel. This thin varnish gives you a natural feel without the whole maintenance oiled necks need.

Access to the upper frets is ok but it's not the main asset of the guitar like on some Ibanez models or the N4. The guitar is very ergonomic thanks to its Stratocaster-like shape.

The sound is the main advantage of this guitar. In spite of its basic concept, you get a wide sound range with the three pickup combinations and the volume control.

Clean tone: the neck pickup provides a fantastic full and smooth sound (not a "hard" sound as you would expect from a maple neck). The sound is very versatile and rounder than a standard Stratocaster. The combination of both pickups provides a typical Stratocaster sound. This guitar is amazing because it allows you to play everything.

The distortion sound is enormous! It's the favorite playground of these DiMarzio pickups.

You can easily get every sound you want. This guitar is one of my favorites when it comes to distortion and it reminds me of my Music Man EVH!

There's something worth noting: whichever pickups you install on this guitar, the sound stays beautiful, musical and always pleasant.

SOUNDS

This guitar is great for my music style, but once again everything is possible with it. The DiMarzio pickups sound very well. The sound possibilities are endless and the application field is very wide. The manufacturing quality is perfect and you can hear it. Unplugged the guitar sounds perfect, without any fret noise in spite of the Floyd Rose. The manufacturing quality is wonderful and even much more expensive guitars don't have such an acoustic quality.

It's really magic when you play this guitar. It's the best partner a musician can have. It's probably the first guitar I can improvise with so easily and play riffs I hadn't played in a very long time.

This Charvel is absolutely incredible! Its acoustic quality gives you a good feeling.

It's a real music instrument in the true meaning of the word. I'm ecstatic!

It doesn't matter which amp you use it's a lot of fun to play this guitar.

Even with a moderate amp like the 30-watt Roland Cube the guitar has a killer sound, however it's true the possibilities are limited and the instrument's capabilities don't come through entirely. But even with this amp the Charvel sounds much better than an ESP Horizon (with Seymour Duncan pickups) or an N4 which sounds pretty average with such an amp.

OVERALL OPINION

There's only one thing I cannot assess about this guitar right now and that's its aging because I've only had it for three weeks... But I certainly won't lose sleep over it.

The manufacturing quality of this US guitar is just perfect. It's a high-class manufacturing quality so I don't have to worry about the future.

Let me tell you something about the Floyd Rose tremolo: it's an original Floyd Rose not a cheap licensed one. I did a a hell of a good job bashing it the last three weeks and it always stayed in tune. I compared it with a Schaller made in Germany I have on another guitar and it seems to be lighter than the Schaller, but the alloy seems to be harder (which is the most important thing for the reliability and durability of the knife edges).

I'm totally confident in Charvel, it seems to me they packed their whole knowhow in this guitar. I like most of all the playing feel, the soul of the instrument, the sound and the looks. It's a real American guitar with a soul.

Before buying it I tried out more expensive models and I chose this one for its looks and acoustic quality rather than the price. It beats all competitor products.

The value for money is impressive. I don't know many guitars that can compete with this one. It's a great deal for a real American guitar.

I would definitely buy it again. I'm considering getting another one with Seymour Duncan pickups. The only weak point is the gig bag. Unlike many other products this detail makes evident that the manufacturer focuses its efforts on the instrument not the accessories, which sometimes add up to one third of the package's price. That's a nice feeling. Hats off Charvel! Excellent way to look after your corporate image.

Compared to my other guitars, it is different from my Ibanez JEM, which is an excellent instrument but doesn't have the custom touch of the Charvel (whose color availability changes every three months) but I still like my Ibanez. On the contrary I sold my Washburn N4 because it was disappointing (it's a good guitar but it's too expensive and doesn't have the character of this Charvel).