If you’re in the market for a hot-rodded Superstrat, today is your lucky day, as Sweetwater is currently offering up to $400 off selected Charvel models as part of its huge Black Friday guitar sale. The discounts cover a range of Style 1 (Strat-style) models in the Pro-Mod range and there are certainly a few standouts. I’ve hand-picked the ones you should aim for below.
Firstly, there is an incredibly generous $300 off the Pro-Mod So-Cal Style 1 HSS FR M, which in my opinion is certainly worth checking out. In our review we thought it to be an exemplary model, with bags of versatility and, of course, it is set up very well for shredding thanks to its speed-carved neck. The Seymour Duncan TB-6 humbucker delivers plenty of gain for high-output tones, while the pair of Seymour Duncan SSL Custom Flat Strat single-coils offer a fat, spanky character perfect for crisp cleans and bluesy leads. Our review model featured an ebony fingerboard, but the Sweetwater sale includes a maple fingerboard version that complements the sleek Gloss Black finish beautifully.
Moving onto the biggest discount of the bunch, the Pro-Mod San Dimas Style 1 HSS FR M has a whopping $400 knocked off the usual street price. This has us seriously excited. A guitar that normally offers incredible value is now under the $1,000 price bracket for Black Friday. Like any Charvel worth its salt, this San Dimas features a slick speed neck, hot Seymour Duncan pickups, a compound-radius fingerboard, jumbo frets, and a Floyd Rose tremolo. And that Aqua Flake finish? Absolutely stunning. This hot-rodded axe is a deal too good to miss and it has all the sparkle you’ll ever need.
On the other hand, If you’re after a straight-up ’80s metal machine, the Pro-Mod So-Cal Style 1 HH is right up your street. With a $200 discount, it’s one of the most affordable Charvels this Black Friday, at just $699. This HH-configured So-Cal delivers massive gain via Seymour Duncan TB-6 and SH-6N Distortion pickups, which are surprisingly versatile thanks to coil-splitting. The satin-smooth maple neck is incredibly comfortable and fast, while graphite reinforcement rods provide sturdy stability, protecting against bowing. Combined with the Floyd Rose 1000 tremolo, you’ll have the freedom to unleash divebombs with all the flair your mullet demands.
I think the Gamera Black finish with a tortoise-shell pickguard oozes style. Still, if this finish combination doesn’t float your boat, Sweetwater has also discounted th e Gloss Black with metallic pickguard and the Primer Gray model with an ebony fingerboard by $200. Lastly, the quilted maple Chlorine Burst Pro-Mod So-Cal Style 1 HH has been reduced by $300, rivaling the Aqua Flake San Dimas in terms of discount and flash.
