NAMM 2020: Charvel Pro-Mod Series San Dimas Old Yella
The new 2020 Charvel Pro-Mod Series San Dimas Style 1 HH Old Yella, to give it its full name, is an ash body guitar with a unique weathered look.
Charvel Pro-Mod Series San Dimas Old Yella
The new Charvel Pro-Mod Series San Dimas Style 1 HH Old Yella gets its name from the distinctive yellow finish applied to the ash San Dimas Type 1 body. It looks somewhere between sandblasted and slightly burnt in the official photos on the Charvel main webpage. I’m not sure it appeals to me, but like anything subjective, others might love it.
Made In Korea
The Old Yella is made in Korea. This shouldn’t be an issue since Korea has gained a reputation in recent years for building quality instruments at affordable prices. This new Charvel model, like the new Joe Duplantier signature model for 2020, comes in at under a grand, retail.
No steel
The maple neck has a2″-16″ compound radius ebony fingerboard with rolled fingerboard edges and 22 jumbo frets . This should help with playing fast runs and modern styles.
I wonder if Charvel will ever add stainless steel frets? I think they should, however this model doesn’t have them.
Seymour Duncan
It comes factory fitted with a set of direct mounted Seymour Duncan Custom Full Shred SH-10B in the bridge position and a Seymour Duncan Custom Alnico II Pro APH-1N neck pickup. These are wired via a three-way blade switch and single volume and tone controls, with a push/pull split on the volume knob.
Included in the package is the obligatory Floyd Rose 1000 Series double-locking tremolo bridge system, which is great for a guitar at this price point. Why hasn’t Fender put one of these on its HM Strat reissue instead of opting for the cheaper Special version of the Floyd? The mind boggles!
Budget Shred
Although this is a ‘budget’ version of the Charvel San Dimas Style 1 guitar, it has some top-notch hardware on it. If you like the finish, it could be the perfect shredder guitar for you.
The jury is out for me on this one, as I find the burnt yellow a but odd. But it still sounds like it might be a fantastic guitar and I’m sure others out there will really like its unique finish.
RRP – USD 899.99
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One response to “NAMM 2020: Charvel Pro-Mod Series San Dimas Old Yella”
Odd how they outsource to multiple countries. It’s one thing to have your highest-spec models made in X, mid-priced made in Y and entry-level made in Z, but Charvel has 3 countries (Mexico, Indonesia, and now Korea) making the same model(s).