Charvel Pro-Mod DK24 HSH 2PT CM Mahogany

22
GUITARIST AUGUST 2021
f i r s t p l ay
CHARVEL PRO-MOD DK24
HSH 2PT CM MAHOGANY
£1,059
WHAT IS IT? Recent addition to
the DK ‘Dinky’-shaped Charvel
range, a surprisingly vintage-
sounding, stripped-down hot-rod
‘Strat’. What’s not to like?
I
s 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 gold-
plated 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.
Words Dave Burrluck Photography Phil Barker
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
Raw Power
GIT474.rev_charvel.indd 22GIT474.rev_charvel.indd 22 10/06/2021 07:0910/06/2021 07:09