Charvel Pro-mod DK24 HSS

first play
CHARVEL PRO-MOD DK24 HSH & DK24 HSS
14
guitArist August 2019
5. The DK24 HSH and
HSS offer different
pickup formats.
The HSH comes
loaded with three
Seymour Duncans: a
SH-10B Custom Full
Shred humbucker
(bridge), SSL-6
Custom Flat Strat
single coil (middle),
and a APH-1N Alnico
II Pro humbucker
at the neck
6. Both of our DK24
models feature
caramelised
maple necks. Also
known as roasted
maple, the wood
is cooked in a kiln
to make it lighter
yet stronger. It also
resists changes
in temperature
and humidity and
gives it a tasty
honey-like tinge
by Duncan as a “bright, moderate-output
rocker with a tight low-end, and scooped
mids”. Output is ranked at 14kohms and
that’s fuelled by the Alnico 5 magnets. It isn’t
as brutal-sounding as the moniker suggests
and actually reminds us of the iconic SH-4
JB, albeit with slightly lower output (the JB
is 16.6k) and less midrange punch. The Full
Shred holds its own through the gain scale
from jangly clean to blues-rock and widdly
metal. We especially like the tonal right
hook it brings to bottom-string riffs.
The overwound middle position SSL-6
Custom Flat Strat comes in at 13.3k. The
flat magnet format is designed for guitars
with an equally flat fingerboard radius.
On both guitars, this pickup is punchy
and beautifully defined and we like how it
interacts with the bridge pickup in coil-split
mode. You get that glassy Little Wing thing
many of us can’t get enough of. The HSH’s
neck-position Alnico Pro-II comes loaded
with Alnico 2 magnets and a 7.5k output
for more of a vintage delivery. Its warmer
tone sounds great for jazzy stuff and blues
noodling when you kick in some overdrive.
The DK24 HSS pairs the middle SSL-6
with a neck-loaded RWRP example
that’s hum-cancelling when both pups
are running in cahoots. While we like the
clarity punching its way out of the neck
SSL-6 single coil, we prefer the fat warmth
of the Alnico Pro-II. The latter pickup splits
when used in conjunction with the middle
pup, so you get a fairly similar sweet single/
single tone on both DKs.
These guitars are not
quite as niche as they
appear… they’re not
a million miles away
from a Suhr Modern
VIDEO DEMO http://bit.ly/guitaristextra
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GIT448.rev_charvel.indd 14 6/13/19 1:35 PM