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tjon901 « Supertele! »
Published on 08/15/11 at 10:39With 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.
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.