Raw Power
Guitarist|August 2021
We all love our vintage-spec Stratocasters, but if you need to go up a gear or two, the Fender-owned Charvel brand is becoming the place to look
Dave Burrluck
Raw Power

Is it just us or are Charvel guitars becoming rather classy? This Pro-Mod was launched at the start of this year and certainly caught our eye. It continues the theme of an instrument with progressive but pared-back and simplified style – a real rock staple without the ubiquitous double-locking Floyd Rose vibrato. Even the goldplated hardware looks right against the light red-brown colour of the natural finished mahogany body and that ‘caramelised’ maple neck. In the flesh, we’re just as impressed. It’s a classy piece.

The roots of Charvel – as a hot-rod ‘Strat’ maker – remain very evident here. The slightly smaller ‘Dinky’ body shape, with its deeper cutaways, looks classic enough viewed face-on, but flip the guitar over and additional shaping is everywhere. There’s the curved and domed heel, with its four screws inset in thick washers rather than a neckplate, a deep palm contour on the treble side joining the more usual rib-cage contour. Then there’s that shaved edge where the Strat-type output-jack dish sits. It’s actually a two-piece body, just slightly off-centre-joined, but it’s next to impossible to see any glue line. The au naturel finish means that the sanding and this very light satin finish have to be perfect. And it is. The downside is that without a harder protective coating it can mark easily, but for many that natural ageing from playing and use is surely part of the attraction here.

UNDER THE HOOD

A closer look at the heart of this Charvel

This story is from the August 2021 edition of Guitarist.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the August 2021 edition of Guitarist.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM GUITARISTView All
FOR THE ROSES
Guitarist

FOR THE ROSES

Ivison Guitars has only been in business for six years, but its Dakota model has already headlined Glastonbury with Guns N’ Roses star Richard Fortus. We meet founder Neil Ivison to find out how he's making new electrics that evoke the raw spirit of retro tone

time-read
8 mins  |
March 2024
HISTORY REPEATING
Guitarist

HISTORY REPEATING

Gibson's highest-tier replicas of famous Les Pauls are commanding almost as much as vintage guitars these days. We find out what all the fuss is about and examine a rare recreation of Jimmy Page's fiendishly complex #2 Les Paul Standard

time-read
10 mins  |
March 2024
WHAT THE WORLD IS WAITING FOR
Guitarist

WHAT THE WORLD IS WAITING FOR

Off the radar since The Stone Roses reunion burnt out - and largely absent from the studio for two decades - John Squire's collaboration with Liam Gallagher reclaims his place among the greats. He invites us to his studio to talk classic riffs, career-ending injuries, getting snubbed by Gibson, and why music keeps pulling him back in

time-read
10+ mins  |
March 2024
TELL ME STRAIGHT
Guitarist

TELL ME STRAIGHT

Keith Richards, the legendary master of the ageless riff, talks about the magic and loss of Hackney Diamonds, the sparkling new Rolling Stones album

time-read
10+ mins  |
March 2024
DENNY LAINE 1944-2023
Guitarist

DENNY LAINE 1944-2023

Multi-instrumetlist, singer-songwriter Denny Laine died at the end of last year after a career that saw him top the charts in both The Moody Blues and Wings

time-read
3 mins  |
March 2024
Vibe 'n' Drive
Guitarist

Vibe 'n' Drive

Eventide's latest dot9 series pedal combines two independent effects for some classic vintage-rock sounds

time-read
2 mins  |
March 2024
Face Lift
Guitarist

Face Lift

Flattley releases an upgraded 1960s-style silicon fuzz with a buffer and extended tonal options

time-read
2 mins  |
March 2024
Air Supply
Guitarist

Air Supply

Boss's new Katana addition pumps up the volume - suited to serious players looking for a compact, wireless amp solution

time-read
2 mins  |
March 2024
Standard Shimmers
Guitarist

Standard Shimmers

Back in 2023, revitalised Brit-maker PJD rejigged its range to start with the new solidbody hardtail Standards. Need a vibrato? No problem: here comes the Standard Plus

time-read
4 mins  |
March 2024
Golden Brown
Guitarist

Golden Brown

Last year we were mightily impressed when we looked at builder Rich Jones' Parlour and Orchestra acoustics. This time it's the turn of his entry-level, all-mahogany dreadnought

time-read
5 mins  |
March 2024