Charvel's USA Production Model Series in pictures

It's fair to say that Charvel was the first company to popularise the idea of a wholly custom-made guitar for the rocking masses and, as was the prevailing wind in Southern California circa 1980, the more outrageous the design of your guitar the more likely your band was to be noticed.

Now, the original hotrods are back, in a range of eye-popping limited finishes with necks to die for. The best news of all is that the sub-£1000 price tag means that more players than ever before can afford a piece of the action...

Next page: Charvel San Dimas Style 1

"The Seymour Duncan SH-1n gives the San Dimas an efficient string-separation, while the Trembucker-spaced JB in the bridge has long been the pickup of choice for many rock players. There's nothing here that suggests that'll change any time soon. It's full without being bloated, trebly without being overly zingy, and musical in the extreme."

Read Guitarist's review of the Charvel San Dimas Style 1 here

The Floyd Rose R3 locking nut featured on the USA Production Model Series guitars is the version that can be screwed into the neck without the need for bolts that run all the way through the wood.

"A Tele-type looks great when rocked-up in this manner, and it feels slightly lighter than the Strat-shaped San Dimas Style 1. This ticks all the boxes for rock and pop styles, especially all-out wang-bar madness. Go wail!"

Read the Guitarist review here, or see it in action on YouTube.

"The So-Cal has an aggressive voice. The two DiMarzios are each hotter than the Seymour Duncan counterparts used in Charvel's San Dimas models and, with a hefty DC resistance of 17.3k ohms, the bridge Tone Zone gives a wide, punchy and full-on rock rhythm tone."

Read the Guitarist review for more, or see it in action on YouTube.

For more on the Charvel USA Production Model Series and to check out the latest custom colours, visit www.charvel.com