Charvel San Dimas Style 2 2H

The Charvel San Dimas Style 2-2H came out in 2008 along with the San Dimas Style 1-2H and So Cal Style 1 as guitars that were meant to echo the ethos of the original Charvel guitars back in the eighties - hot rodded guitars for the demanding player, but at a fair price that the working musician can afford. Despite only selling for $999 new, they still had a bevy of cool features. This model features an alder body. a quartersawn maple neck and fretboard with 22 jumbo frets, Grover tuners, an Original Floyd Rose locking tremolo system, and a pair of Seymour Duncan humbuckers ('59 in the neck, JB in the bridge) wired to a single volume control and 3 way toggle switch. Built in the USA just like the original Charvels as well... definitely something that looked promising enough.

UTILIZATION

The design of this guitar is based on the Telecaster platform as opposed to the double cutaway Strat design of the other guitars. The single cutaway design is a little bit bulkier and more awkward than the other models, though it is contoured nicely. The neck is an AWESOME piece on these instruments... it's basically quartersawn maple with a very thin oil finish applied, so it feels fast yet natural and nothing will get in the way of your hand. The neck joint is the standard 4 bolt design. Unfortunately they do use a bulky neck plate on these guitars that can kind of get in the way when you're reaching for the upper frets, but all in all it's not too bad. Getting a good sound out of this guitar is pretty simple. It's not really wired for versatility, but if you're using it to play hard rock riffs or some shredding solos, this guitar will get you there without a problem!

SOUNDS

This guitar is meant to sound most at home in a rock n' roll environment. The Seymour Duncan pickups are medium to hot as far as the output goes, and the tones are quite raunchy and delicious. Though it excels at distorted flights of fancy, plugging it into a clean amp such as a Fender or a VOX yields some nice bright tones that work well for bluesy/funky sounds. It's not quite dark enough for a true jazz tone though, nor is it quite spanky enough for a true country sound. Switching over to a distorted sound brings in a really rippin' sort of bright tone that is great for seventies/eighties rock riffs or really scorching lead tones. The neck pickup is nice and bright, yet can get fluid for some shredding if needed. The bridge pickups isn't super hot, so it retains a lot of definition at higher gain settings, but is still well suited to the hard rock genre. Definitely a great sounding instrument.

OVERALL OPINION

All in all I think this guitar is a great buy for someone looking for a unique take on the "superstrat" (or would it be "supertele"). It's very well made, the features are top notch, the craftsmanship is fantastic, and the tones are excellent for that rockin' sound. It's not the most versatile instrument, and the tele body style might be a turn off for some players, but it's still a great feeling guitar. They last sold new at a blowout for about $650 and you can find 'em around for less if you look. Definitely a cool ax to look into if you want rock tones in a killer package.

With all the super strats out on the market why not try something differnt, like a super tele. This is what you get with the Charvel San Dimas style 2 guitar. The specs are pretty much identical to the style 1 guitar but with the tele shape which gives the guitar a slightly different tone. Charvel made the original super strats back in the day and now they are back in the game putting out old school shred guitars. The specs on this guitar are the old definition of super strat. You get a maple neck with a maple fretboard. The fretboard has 22 jumbo frets. The fretboard also has a compound radius which is what you find on a lot of Jacksons. The tele shaped body is made out of alder and has a set of Duncan pickups. The bridge is a JB and the neck is a 59, a classic setup. You get a single volume and a 3 way. The bridge is an original Floyd Rose with a locking nut.

UTILIZATION

This guitar has an old school shredder feel. The neck is pretty slim but it isnt a toothpick. The jumbo frets means you can really dig into notes. The radius is a great compound radius which is great for a guitar like this. The radius on the neck goes from 12 down by the nut to 16 up by the 22nd fret. This means you get a more comfortable rounded feel down where you would be playing chords and a flatter feel for lead playing up on the higher frets. The original Floyd Rose is still one of the best systems out there. This with the locking nut wont go out of tune no matter how hard you beat on it. The bolt on neck joint is carved a way to give it a smoother feel on the upper frets which is the best way to give a good feel to the upper frets on a bolt on guitar.

SOUNDS

This guitar has a real singing sound is a lot like what you would have heard in the 80s. Back then when guys were running huge racks with tons of effects you needed a really bright tone for the guitars tone to make it through the effects and thats why a lot of 80s guitars were made of brighter woods. This guitar sounds slightly different than the Style 1 strat style Charvel because of the shape. It seems to be a bit darker than the strat style versions. It sounds less 80s than the strat versions. Even with a normal medium gain tone it reminds me a lot of Jerry Cantrels darker tones from the Alice in Chains albums. The JB in the bridge with the tele style body gives a darker tone to the riffs. The 59 in the neck is super smooth and with the darker body gives it an even cooler sound for your leads.

OVERALL OPINION

Having a superstrat in a tele shape is something different and more than just looks it provides a different tone. The simple and rugged design of these guitars mean you can really dial in the setup to however you want it. These guitars are made in America by the same guys who made them back in the 80s. They are reasonably priced as well. These guitars are great if you are looking to have that old school look and sound with your guitar. These guitars take a basic design but make it with top quality hardware and top quality fit and finish. If you are looking for a nice 80s style superstrat or super tele you should go to the people who make them best.

Solid body guitar, Telecaster shape body type
22 frets maple neck bolted unvarnished cut on quarter, head shape Strato
Key offset radius maple unvarnished, non REPORTED: the handle IS button
Pink Floyd "non ressessed", ie without knockouts in the body
2 Seymour Duncan
1 volume
Cover sold.
Range of guitar output between 2002 and 2007, made in the USA in California, taking the spirit of the 80s Charvel, ie strat improved. The brand belongs to Fender last fifteen years. The redemption Fender decided to relaunch the brand successfully recreating models of the 80's and very affordable price (about € 1,000 at the time of nine), but in quantities very limited. Every three months a new range of color was born. Mine is black (Black Mint), but there have been as improbable as various colors (purple sequined yellow indescribable mochetée green way stabilo, etc ... You could say that I had a bowl of finding in black). Now, the operation was a success Charvel, these models are only available in japanese manufacturing, only the Custom Shop guitars are still made in California, USA. Anyway, in conclusion, a good instrument. I take two points for a flightcase was nicer than the cover.

UTILIZATION

Its handle is incredible because it is not varnished, as the key, it fits neatly in the hand, even after long hours of gaming.
MORE: unparalleled comfort
LEAST: because it is not varnished, it is not protected, and very quickly takes a gray color to places where we camped. Personally, I love it. We see very quickly places the handle or we used to play.
The Floyd when he is very good at his job. It is not embedded in the body of the guitar, but is placed at a sufficient height to be pulled up and two good note and half tones. This is because the handle spring over the body, if you look at the guitar on the edge. If such an arrangement with the handle Floyd was down in the body, the strings would affect the key and the instrument was simply unplayable.
I put 10 because it is the top.

SOUNDS

With these two Seymour Duncan pickups controlled by a three position selector, it sends a lot, especially in big records sounds. It's a bit like falling to his knees on the gravel: it hurts.
on the other hand, its former owner, who committed the mistake of selling it (Shhh!! Could read me) had the brilliant idea to make up a split. So, in addition to sounds bags filled with gravel, one obtains sounds very ... stratabound on the neck pickup and middle position, and very télécasteroïde (it's hard to write that word - and also say, try to say it 20 times without skinning and I offer my guitar) on pickup.
Thus, although modified electronic level (but after all that's the spirit Charvel) this guitar is more versatile and has the original. So I put 10.

OVERALL OPINION

To be honest, at first I was not a fan of the body shape telecaster. I even considered replacing it with a strat shaped body. But ultimately, the guitars of this type having a strat shaped body is legion, have a guitar Shreder (which I'm not - oh it not) form telecaster me seems more exotic and friendly. So suddenly, I keep it as it is.
Though at the time I had the opportunity to buy new, I would have done without hesitation. I got caught up in finding the OCCAZ 20 minutes from my house. A sign of destiny that would have sent the god rock'n'roll? In short, if vou cross in one hand, go for it!

Made in San Dimas (California), United States
22 Cases
Micro Neck: Seymour Duncan Sh-1
Bridge Pickup: Seymour Duncan STB4 Jason Becker
Bridge + Nut block string Floyd Rose Original (Made In United Kingdom)
1 volume knob
A three position selector Toggle: Position Low: Bridge pickup
Central position: + Micro Channel Bridge
High position: Micro Channel

Channel 1room screwed maple with 4 screws

UTILIZATION

The one piece maple neck is nice because not too narrow or too wide and its thickness is suitable for all positions of the left hand. Access to acute is not very easy for small hands but not impossible.
The guitar is relatively heavy (alder) for a telecaster.
This gives her a very different and satisfying on every position!

SOUNDS

The guitar is intended primarily to rocks: either metal, hard rock, shred ...
A Marshall Mg and with a metal muff pedal, the distortion well muscled swell your sound to go to the ends of metal, black, grind ....
The neck pickup volume to 5 hardbluesmen delight, with volume 10, the sound is very cozy, warm, clean and round. The intermediate position is ideal for rhythm. The bridge pickup is perfect for when his solos rock, shred, rock or metal har!
EPAS den difficult to find its sound!

OVERALL OPINION

Within days I am converted to Seymour and Charvel!
The finish is fine, everything that comes with is good, shame that it is delivered and not cover case.
After Kramer, Ibanez, Vigier ... Charvel has remained above the rest in tests.
The € 1050 is justified. this choice I would do again in a single second!