Charvel Unveils New Desolation Series

Charvel has just introduced its new Desolation series of guitars. These are entirely new instrument designs not previously seen in the guitar maker’s 30-year history, which promise to offer more tonal and stylistic options for players.

There are 10 new guitars in the “first wave” of the Charvel Desolation series—four single-cutaway “DS” models, three double-cutaway “DC” models and three highly distinctive Skatecaster “SK” models loosely based on the Charvel Surfcaster of the early 1990s. All feature mahogany bodies and necks, dual humbucking pickup configurations with three-way toggle switching, solid and transparent finishes (with flame maple veneer on trans finishes) and black nickel hardware. Most feature compound-radius (12”-16”) rosewood fingerboards with 24 jumbo frets in a variety of neck-through, set-neck and bolt-on configurations; Charvel bridges specially designed for compound-radius fingerboards (except DS-3 ST Floyd Rose-equipped models); and three-on-a-side locking Charvel tuners (except DS-3 ST and Floyd Rose®-equipped models, which have non-locking three-on-a-side tuners).

• Charvel Desolation “DS” single-cutaway models and features are:
• DS-1 ST: Carved top, neck-through-body design, bound neck with scalloped heel, abalone position inlays, abalone body and headstock binding, dual Seymour Duncan® Blackout active humbucking pickups, matching headstocks
• DS-1 FR: Carved top, neck-through-body design, bound neck with scalloped heel, abalone position inlays, abalone body and headstock binding, dual Seymour Duncan® Blackout active humbucking pickups, Floyd Rose® double-locking tremolo, matching headstocks
• DS-2 ST: Carved top, bound set neck with scalloped heel, pearloid position inlays, pearloid body and headstock binding, dual Charvel active humbucking pickups
• DS-3 ST: Carved top, bolt-on neck, 12”-radius fingerboard with dot inlays, dual Charvel passive humbucking pickups

Charvel Desolation “DC” double-cutaway models and features are:
• DC-1 ST: Carved top, neck-through-body design, bound neck with scalloped heel, abalone position inlays, abalone body and headstock binding, EMG 85 (neck) and 81 (bridge) active humbucking pickups, matching headstocks
• DC-1 FR: Carved top, neck-through-body design, bound neck with scalloped heel, abalone position inlays, abalone body and headstock binding, EMG 85 (neck) and 81 (bridge) active humbucking pickups, matching headstocks, Floyd Rose double-locking tremolo, matching headstocks
• DC-2 ST: Carved top, bound set neck with scalloped heel, pearloid position inlays, pearloid body and headstock binding, dual Charvel active humbucking pickups

Charvel Desolation “SK” Skatecaster models and features are:
• SK-1 ST: Solid body shape based on early-’90s hollow-body Surfcaster, neck-through-body design, bound neck, abalone “keystone” position inlays, abalone body and headstock binding, EMG 85 (neck) and 81 (bridge) active humbucking pickups, single control knob (volume), matching headstocks
• SK-1 FR: Solid body shape based on early-’90s hollow-body Surfcaster, neck-through-body design, bound neck, abalone “keystone” position inlays, abalone body and headstock binding, EMG 85 (neck) and 81 (bridge) active humbucking pickups, single control knob (volume), Floyd Rose double-locking tremolo, matching headstocks
• SK-3 ST: Solid body shape based on early-’90s hollow-body Surfcaster, bolt-on neck, pearloid “keystone” position inlays, pearloid body and headstock binding, dual Charvel passive humbucking pickups, single control knob (volume)

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