Guitar World Verdict
Despite its unassuming looks, I think this is a lot of guitar for the money. It isn’t without its small flaws, but for just over $500 – and I’ve seen it cheaper still online – I get a smooth-playing, versatile-sounding guitar that I would happily take to gigs as a backup, or use as a modding platform. The quality is high, and it could be improved further at little cost. In a busy budget market, the Charvel Standard San Dimas holds series weight…even if it actually weighs next to nothing.
Pros
- +
Great value for the money.
- +
Pickups punch above their weight.
- +
Easy to play.
Cons
- -
Neck feel is a little rough.
- -
Gloss finish is a dust magnet.
- -
A plastic nut lets the specs down a little.
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What is it?
The fact that the budget guitar market is blooming with a forest of options these days is old news, but Charvel weighing in with a $599 T-style that promises pro-level performance certainly isn’t. And its arrival coinciding with the 75th Anniversary of the Fender Telecaster is surely no coincidence.
The Charvel Standard’s $599 price sits between those two camps with a price that, it feels, offers the playability of the main range San Dimas shredders at roughly half the price.
It does this by swapping alder bodies and maple necks for a double helping of nyatoh, a lightweight Asian hardwood commonly used by Ibanez and Sterling By Music Man, and maple fretboards (often caramelized) for amaranth. Its nut is plastic, while Charvel Custom humbuckers occupy the positions where Fishman Fluence and DiMarzio Super Distortions have sat in the past. They're accompanied by a single Volume control and a three-way pickup switch for simplified controls.
But how it's sculpted, save for its slightly more stunted 25.1" scale length, remains the same with a 12"-16" compound radius and bolt-on speed neck with rolled fingerboard edges. Own-brand locking tuners, a classic string-through-body hardtail bridge, and a heel-mounted truss rod adjustment wheel, which is fast becoming the new standard, round out its specs.
So, has Charvel managed to suck the priciness of its T-style out of the San Dimas Standard while leaving its soul intact, or can that also be counted in the collateral damage?
Specs
- Price: $569.99 | £509 |€599
- Made: Indonesia
- Type: Six-string electric guitar
- Body: Nyatoh
- Neck: Nyatoh
- Fingerboard material/radius: Amaranth, 12-16” compound
- Scale length: 25.1”/638mm
- Nut/width: Black plastic, 42.86mm
- Frets: 22, jumbo
- Hardware: 6-saddle string-through hardtail Tele bridge
- String spacing at bridge: 53mm
- Electrics: Charvel Custom humbuckers, Volume knob, three-way pickup switch
- Weight: 6.8lbs/3.1kg
- Left-handed options: No
- Finishes: Black Gloss, Satin Grey
- Case: No
- Contact: Charvel
Build quality
As an owner of a Charvel Pro-Mod So-Cal Style 2 24 HH HT CM ($999.99), what immediately strikes me is that the template isn't quite the same. Here, the bass-side horn is a little larger, and the gap between the bridge and the bottom of the guitar is much larger, which makes its 'butt' appear a little larger. The same comfy contours are at play, though, even if the binding sacrifices rolled edges for something more defined.
Being a gloss finish, and a fairly thick one at that, it is no surprise to see the guitar become a magnet for dust. For those who want to avoid such an issue, the Satin Grey version will be more appealing.
The lack of an ashtray bridge makes this Charvel feel distinctly modern, and I’m a fan of how sleek and bare bones it is. The streamlined controls (who needs a Tone knob anyway?) and quirky diamond-tipped three-way switch make for an easy-to-use instrument. Locking tuners that, despite the cost-saving plastic bridge, hold their tune impressively well, and the heel-mounted truss rod wheel adds to that nicely.
The biggest question mark hangs over its neck. Visually, the natural-finished and oiled nyatoh neck is rather pretty, with that look coursing through to the headstock. But it is a little rough to the touch.
However, I find it a pleasant and peculiar surprise that, when I get down to playing, I honestly don’t notice it at all. The wood is far rougher on the back of the headstock, so it’s clear some work has been done to rectify this issue, and while, yes, it could be better, it isn’t a deal breaker at all. But it's certainly strange.
The natural-finished and oiled nyatoh neck is rather pretty, but it is a little rough to the touch
The strings it ships with aren’t the best quality – they’re a little scratchy and offer some resistance with slides – but again, that’s not enough of a deterrent for me. And it’s a lightweight guitar, so longer playing sessions aren't an issue.
Nyatoh has actually been found to be the lightest tonewood in the game, but if it isn’t as feather-light as some Epiphone SGs; it still feels like I’m playing a guitar. That, to me, is hugely important!
Playability
Playability ★★★★☆
Charvel has worked hard to ensure that, though the cost of the guitar has been scaled back, it has kept the brand’s smooth playing at the forefront, and I’m happy to report its mission has succeeded. Granted, it doesn’t feel like luxury, but it is very comfy to sit on my lap, and it’s really easy to play.
The neck feels pleasingly forgiving. It’s not a guitar I have to fight against, and its super basic setup can make for a great introduction to guitar maintenance.
My first proper guitar was a Jackson Dinky with a Floyd Rose, which really threw me in at the deep end. Here, the playability is not far off higher-end Charvels at all – it’s also easy to look after as a hardtail. Factors like this, I feel, can’t be understated when helping a beginner hone their craft, but also stick with it. There are fewer things to go wrong and complicate matters, so players can focus on the fun parts without painstaking admin.
The playability is impressive, and I dare say it will outperform most guitars at this price point, and neck dive is, thankfully, not an issue. The setup and fret experience impresses, save for some extremely minor fret buzz on frets 20 and 21 on the sixth string. That feels like splitting hairs.
There have been times I’ve sat with the guitar and not wanted to put it down. This, despite its flaws, is telling of its quality
Admittedly, the neck heel cut is a little harsh, with a straight edge usurping the rounder designs of higher-priced Charvels. That impedes upper fret access to a small degree, with reaching the very upper frets a little challenging.
Crucially, though, most of the time when I pick up this guitar it’s perfectly in tune from my last playing session. I rarely need to make minor adjustments, and tuning is only disrupted when I dig into the strings really hard.
That bolsters the overall playing experience and, honestly, there have been times I’ve sat with the guitar and not wanted to put it down. This, despite its flaws, is telling of its quality. It feels and performs like a Charvel should. I wouldn’t go so far as to say that it feels far more expensive than it is, but it doesn’t feel cheap all the same; it’s plenty welcoming.
Sounds
Sounds ★★★★☆
Personally, I’m always pretty skeptical of the quality of own-brand pickups; I’ve had a variable track record, as my experiences with Cort’s Space G6MS attest. For me, pickups are often the make-or-break factor when it comes to making a purchase; I either want to buy at a reasonable price, knowing I’m going to sink more money into a pickup upgrade that lets me season to taste, or I want the pups to be up to scratch out the box. Too many guitars find themselves lost in No Man’s Land between those two price points.
Charvel, to my surprise, has really impressed me with its Custom ‘buckers. They’re not world-beating – they were never going to be – but for budget options, they’re well-balanced, versatile enough to cover a range of genres, and easy to dial in tones with.
With no Tone control and a minimalistic three-way switch, getting to understand the voicing of the pickups is effortless, and in fact, plugging the guitar DI into my DAW, I found the bridge wasn’t too harsh in the upper mid-range, nor the neck too fluffy. If anything, the bridge could be a little warmer on the whole, but it’s not exactly an ice pick, either.
The pickups are well-balanced, versatile enough to cover a range of genres, and easy to dial in tones with
From there, I play it through Universal Audio’s Showtime ’64 plugin, a faithful reproduction of a 1964 100-watt Fender Showman amp, because tonally, there's nowhere to hide. It's great for highlighting shortcomings. I find the pickups to be very neutral-sounding. The balance is spot on, with every note nicely defined, no matter how weird the chord is.
The pickups’ neutrality ultimately makes the guitar a conduit for my amp and effects choices. Push it through a high-gain EVH 5150, and it can snarl like you just offended its mother, with a tight articulation even when chugging in a drop tuning. But in turn, it sounds bright and shimmering when paired with the Roses amp of Neural DSP's Tim Henson X plugin, although I do need to roll back the treble a little, as there is iciness to the middle pickup here.
I feel it’s far more comfortable handling blues and hard rock than planet-crushing metal
Their output is high enough to handle heavier jobs, but it’s also subtle enough for more delicate playing, and the volume pot is highly responsive too, meaning Gary Moore-esque violin swells are a doddle and a joy. With the Volume rolled back, while it does offer a little variety in tone, it’s not hugely different from when it's maxed out, which is a small blemish for what are otherwise commendable humbuckers.
I feel it’s far more comfortable handling blues and hard rock than planet-crushing metal, with low- to mid-gain amps and settings, and at the edge of breakup territory, where the guitar feels most at home. But it holds its own regardless, meaning it could feasibly be a jazz guitar as much as a death metal brute.
Verdict
Verdict: ★★★★☆
Recent years have proved that guitars don’t have to be sell-a-kidney expensive to have great quality. Charvel guitars have always been great for the price, but the Standard Series San Dimas puts that into a new perspective.
They’re sleekly designed – perhaps a little utilitarian for some – and, save for the slightly rough neck, are only hit with minor faults.
The fact that it plays as well as it does, and is appointed with some valuable quality-of-life specs like locking tuners and a heel-mount truss rod wheel, makes it a wonderful beginner’s guitar, modding platform or even reliable second fiddle to a more experienced player’s go-to.
Guitar World verdict: Despite its unassuming looks, I think this is a lot of guitar for the money. It isn’t without its small flaws, but for just over $500 – and I’ve seen it cheaper still online – I get a smooth-playing, versatile-sounding guitar that I would happily take to gigs as a backup, or use as a modding platform. The quality is high, and it could be improved further at little cost. In a busy budget market, the Charvel Standard San Dimas holds series weight…even if it actually weighs next to nothing.
Test | Results | Score |
Build Quality | Really well put together and tidily specced, but the neck finish is a notable blemish | ★★★★☆ |
Playability | Easy to play, save for some slight very upper fret access, and holds its tuning well | ★★★★☆ |
Sounds | Its Charvel pickups went well beyond my expectations with a nice neutrality making them really utilitarian | ★★★★☆ |
Overall | A great guitar for the price, with only small issues doing little to spoil the party | ★★★★☆ |
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