FENDER VS. CHARVEL | What Makes A Superstrat So Super?

Anthony Couch compares the Fender Elite Strat to the Charvel San Dimas and talks about what makes super strats so different to the classic original.

SUBSCRIBE FOR MORE VIDEOS

FOLLOW ANTHONY ON

[tonymilam]

I was pretty much a strat guy only. But I love the humbucker sound. Just recently got a 2021 Charvel So Cal and I love it.

[myraarino]

I was actually thinking about the Fender Player vs the Charvel San Dimas and I found your video! Good info here. After watching I think I'm pretty positive I want the San Dimas more. Thanks! =)

[markslima]

I have a wonderful Mexi Strat and both a SoCal and San Dimas Charvels. I love all three to bits, but they are different characters. Generally, the Strat is a late 60s muscle car in peak condition. The Charvel is a nimble 80s Porsche ready for the track. They scratch different kinds of itch for me!

[greekfreak]

Couple of things:
The Charvel San Dimas is the OG Superstrat along with the So Cal. (So Cal is basically the same thing but with a scratchplate).
This is the first, production Superstrat that served as the "blueprint" for many other famous Superstrat guitars, like the Ibanez JEM/RG models.
Guitarplayers use to mod their Strats since the late 60´s but EVH is considered the "Father of the Superstrat" with his legendary "Frankenstrats".
The basic idea is simple: combine the playabillity of a Strat with the fat humbucker tone of a L/P or SG and add a Floyd Rose, so that you can do all the cool whammy-bar tricks. Later they added more specs, like 24 frets, more ergonomic neck joint, neck-through construction etc. but the basic idea is the same: "Make a Strat on steroids".
Even fender tried to get into the hype with their HM Strat Series, which they re-issued last year.
Back in the 80´s, many famous players would use Charvel Custom Shop models. Guys like George Lynch (he actually put an ESP sticker on his Charvel Tigerstripe, when ESP endorsed him), Satriani, Vai (both played custom shop Charvels before signing with Ibanez), Jake E.Lee (his white superstrat is actually a Fender Strat, that the Charvel custom shop modded), Warren DeMartini, Gary Moore (he was playing San Dimas Charvels with a single EMG 85 pickup in the 80s), Allan Holdsworth and even Jeff Beck.
Sadly, Charvel went bankrupt during the 90´s when Grunge & Alternative essentially killed off guitar driven music and was bought by Fender.
With the "Rennaissence" of 80´s Hardrock/Metal/Shred, Fender brought them back and nowadays you see even modern virtuosos like Guthrie Govan or Angel Vivaldi playing Charvels. And Charvel isn´t just making 80´s "shred-sticks" for nostalgia fans, they make also some very modern Superstrats with cutting edge specs, like roasted maple necks, special coil-split wirings etc.

[alienlovetunes]

In the end you hold it, Charvel neck is so supreme and makes the decision for ya

[SixString_J]

For $15 American on Amazon I can get a 'FLOYD ROSE PUSH IN STYLE TREM ARM - CHROME' made by floyd rose. That's less than the cost of strap locks. I think given this new information that I have provided you, you no longer have the right to complain about the Tremolo arm.

Love your playing as always!

[destroso]

I was between buying an RG550 Japan or a Charvel Mexico but I found a used Charvel made in Japan for 2/3 of the price and bam! I am a proud superstrat owner

[deanmlshredder]

I'm trying to figure out what you're doing to get better tuning stability from a 2 point strat bridge than a double locking floyd. If you have roller trees and you keep everything lubed up the strat will do pretty good but the floyd was invented for tuning stability. Especially when you're slamming on that trem arm and the fender will slip out every time you get a little carried away with it.

[blackwingnut]

I have both an American standard and a MIM charvel So Cal. I love them both for different reasons.But probably play the Charvel 10x more often. I have recently picked up a Charvel DK24 with a hardtail, which aside from the body being a Jackson Dinky shape falls nicely between the So Cal and Fender standard.

[woolgum]

I prefer Fender. My Deluxe has compound radius and I changed pickups to HS. Olympic white pearl with a dark rosewood fretboard. Perfect.
I returned and sold all charvels I’ve owned.

[trevorshear]

There is a 24 Fret Fender Strat.They were produced somewhere from 1988 till about 1992 or 1993.They stopped the production of those guitars.The good news is they have started to produce those guitars again from this year.

[ryangattini]

Great playing man, really happy to have come across your channel!

[caleshtcincredibles]

I have both ....my Charvel is a damn nice playing and sounding guitar for the very reasonable price !

[m-funkshun]

Strat for the tone, San Dimas for the shred. From a qualitative standpoint, seems like a San Dimas is a San Dimas is a San Dimas and they're all rad. Strats... whew, the quality really varies and not just in terms of country of manufacture. Worst Strat in our collection is a 2007-era MIA Strat Deluxe. Best is a circa '87 MIJ E-series.

[theanglerboy]

When I was a kid I dreamed of having a Strat like my heroes Hendrix, Blackmore, Eddie... so I bought an USA Strat in 1996. I liked it but didn't love it. Then, Charvel (Fender) started making the SoCal and San Dimas modeled after their 1980's Super Strat and when I played them I realized a guitar's feel is the neck and the Charvel Promod neck is the best neck I've ever played. Hands down there is no Strat that plays as good as a Charvel Promod. You can change pickups and the bridge but you can't change the feel of the neck! BTW– Once you learn how the Floyd Rose works and how to set it up you won't go out of tune and you will love it. Don't tell me the Fender tremolo is better. I had one and it sucked!

[ScotianBlooded]

love em both Fender Musical Instruments Corporation all the way

[leoarjuncrasto]

How different is the elite neck profile vs that charvel speed neck?

[lehrgangswerk]

its all about sound of the pickup. the single coil is more agressive and cutting through in a recording sesion. on stage a humbucker is always better.

[liys]

It would be great have a fair test . Same wood, dual humbucker, floyd rose

[Alfredo]

Are the scales the same? It seems the Charvel is shorter, a plus for me.