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Minor BlemishCharvel Pro-Mod San Dimas Bass PJ IV Guitar
$712.95By combining modern appointments with throwback Charvel DNA, the Pro-Mod San Dimas Bass PJ IV meets the demands of today's bassists. This high-performance hot rod bass features a sleek alder body shape with the deep...12 Payments of $59.41
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Charvel Pro-Mod So-Cal Style 2 24-Fret Guitar Hardtail Caramelized Maple Neck
$719.95 - $999.99A sophisticated new offering ready to spawn waves of sonic bliss! Charvel’s all-new ultimate in sonic sophistication and design virtuosity is the Pro-Mod So-Cal Style 2 24 HH HT CM—a stunning summit of modern Charve...12 Payments of $83.33
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Charvel Pro-Mod Plus SC1 HH FR CM Guitar with Bag
$1,029.00 - $1,299.99Take your shredding to the next level with the all-new Pro-Mod Plus So-Cal Style 1 HH FR CM from Charvel. This modernized take on the classic So-Cal shred machine packs even more cutting-edge features for lightning-...12 Payments of $108.33
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Charvel Pro-Mod Plus SD1 HH FR Guitar with Bag
$1,119.00 - $1,399.99Take your shredding to the next level with the all-new Pro-Mod Plus San Dimas from Charvel. This modernized take on the classic San Dimas shred machine packs even more cutting-edge features for lightning-fast playin...12 Payments of $116.67
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Charvel Pro-Mod San Dimas SD1 HH FR MN Guitar
$829.95 - $969.99More comfortable than an overstuffed armchair, the Pro-Mod San-Dimas Style 1 HH FR M is sleekly sculpted out of alder and coupled with a rock-solid bolt-on maple neck with a pair of graphite-reinforcement rods to ha...12 Payments of $80.83
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Charvel Pro-Mod So-Cal Style 1 HH HT Guitar
$774.95 - $969.99Designed to inspire and with four decades of experience, the Charvel Pro-Mod So-Cal Style 1 HH HT is a slick performer with modern features and versatile sound every guitarist will appreciate. Born from a love of hi...12 Payments of $80.83
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Charvel ProMod DK24 HH 2PT Ebony Fretboard Guitar Gloss Black
$916.95The bolt-on caramelized maple “speed” neck has graphite reinforcement, silky-smooth hand-rubbed urethane back finish, heel-mount truss rod adjustment wheel and Luminlay® side dots. Its 12”-16” compound radius ebony ...12 Payments of $76.41
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Charvel Rick Graham Signature MJ DK24 2PT CM Guitar with Case
$2,199.00Harkening back to the late ‘80s when Charvel guitars were manufactured exclusively in Japan, Charvel proudly introduces the all-new Rick Graham Signature MJ DK24 2PT CM. Stylishly exquisite in a Celeste finish with ...12 Payments of $183.25
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Charvel Sean Long Signature Pro-Mod San Dimas® Style 1 HH HT M Guitar
$956.95 - $1,199.99Sheffield metal core act While She Sleeps has been tearing it up for over 15 years now on the metal scene with a DIY approach, amassing a hardcore audience across the UK with an intense and highly-acclaimed energeti...12 Payments of $100.00
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Charvel PM Plus DK24 HSS 2PT QM Guitar Blue Curacao with Bag
$1,219.00 - $1,549.99Loaded with premium features, this Charvel Pro-Mod Plus Dinky DK24 2PT HSS E QM model features a sleek Dinky body constructed from basswood with a quilt maple top, sculpted shredder’s cut heel and scalloped lower ba...12 Payments of $129.17
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Charvel Standard Series San Dimas Style 2 SD2 HH HT Guitar
$479.95 - $569.99Get ready to rock without breaking the bank! The all-new Charvel Standard Series delivers legendary San Dimas performance at an incredible price point that’ll blow your mind. This isn’t just another budget guitar – ...8 Payments of $71.25
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Charvel
Charvel guitars are the very embodiment of high-performance tone machines, and discerning players who prize superior sound and feel have turned to the company's finely crafted guitars as their weapons of choice for more than 30 years. From metal masters including Warren DeMartini and Jake E Lee to instrumental fusion legends such as Allan Holdsworth and Shawn Lane to modern day virtuosos like Guthrie Govan, musicians worldwide have long relied on the exceptional design and performance of a Charvel.
American Musical Supply is excited to be your stop for Charvel electric guitars! We offer True 0% interest payment plans – applying is easy. Use your own debit or credit card, enjoy fast and free shipping, and add Charvel instruments to your creative setup.
We make buying Charvel products quick and easy - in-stock items that are ordered before 5PM will ship out the same day! (see our Shipping Information Page for more details) Do you have questions about Charvel gear and want to know which items would be best for you? Give us a call at 800-319-9043 - our experts are standing by.
Charvel electric guitars are high-octane axes that are sure to make some serious noise! Channeling the energy of their legendary models from the late 1970s and 1980s, modern Charvels are bold, bright, and take charge on the performance stage. You’re getting a relaxed, well-balanced guitar that is comfortable to play. With their rock-solid bolt-on necks, fantastic color palette of finishes that go well beyond the basics, plus hardware and components that have been carefully selected for maximum stability and sonic presence, a Charvel is ready to rock and will make a wonderful addition to any musical setup.
California in 1974 was a flurry of musical activity and a serious epicenter for guitar talent. It was at this time that Wayne Charvel opened his repair shop in Azusa, California. He may have not known it then, but Charvel’s Guitar Repair would quickly become a driving force in kickstarting aftermarket builds, hot-rodded instruments, and free-thinking experimentation when it came to both the visual and sonic elements of electric guitar. During this era, Fender, Gibson, and many of the other big names weren’t doing any of their own custom guitar work for the general public. Instead, they directed those requests to a select number of independent luthiers and technicians. Charvel’s background as a sign painter, electrical engineer, and creative designer, along with his overall enthusiasm for guitar all culminated into his shop getting these opportunities.
After a year in Azusa, Charvel moved its operations to nearby San Dimas. The town lived and breathed rock and heavy metal guitar, and the new shop became a hugely popular gathering space for technicians, collaborators, and up-and-coming musicians. Even when the company would change locations years down the road, San Dimas would always be close by and remain at the heart of the brand. When doing modifications, Charvel often incorporated bodies and parts from the newly formed Schecter Guitar Research, pickups from DiMarzio, and other aftermarket manufacturers of components. The list of hard-working musicians looking to upgrade their axes included a young Eddie Van Halen, who was a frequent visitor of the space. The very first of Van Halen’s iconic striped ‘Frankenstein’ guitars was built using a spare body, neck, and parts from Charvel’s shop along with cans of spray paint. This was the first step in a journey that included an eventual striped custom-made Charvel all the way to his own lineup of EVH Striped Series electric guitars.
Starting to see a trend here with Charvel’s relationship to some familiar and well-known names? Schecter. DiMarzio. EVH. These are some serious brands! And last but not least, you also have Jackson.
Wayne Charvel also was introduced to Grover Jackson (yes, the eventual founder of Jackson Guitars), a budding luthier who had plenty of new business ideas. The two became partners and realized there was potential in building and selling their own guitars, and that repairs and modifications weren’t enough to keep things moving forward financially. Charvel had already begun exploring guitar building prior to meeting Jackson, but things had hit a snag up to that point. The two men strategized and moved forward with their plans, but over the course of the next year it become clear that they each had differing opinions on future operations and weren’t able to come to a compromise. In 1978, Jackson bought out Charvel’s interest in the company, took charge, and pushed forward.
Even though Wayne Charvel was no longer part of the company, it was during Jackson’s time in charge that the Charvel name exploded in popularity. They first got to work hiring eager builders, engineers, and staff, transitioning from making instruments from third-party parts to crafting their own necks and bodies. Charvel ‘Superstrats’ debuted in 1979, sporting compound radius fingerboards, modern tremolo systems, and exemplary paint work. In addition to the ‘Superstrat,’ Charvel built models based off the Telecaster and Explorer, and also started offering guitars made from more lightweight woods.
In 1980 Grover Jackson met with Randy Rhoads, who at the time was in the middle of touring with Ozzy Osbourne, to discuss building a new guitar. Rhoads insisted on going with an intense offset V shape, which was quite a radical design. Concerned that the instrument might alienate purists and their expectations of the Charvel line, Jackson put his own name on the new Rhoads guitar and Jackson Guitars was officially born. Throughout the 80s, both Charvel and Jackson instruments were marketed alongside each other, both enjoying immense popularity and success. This was a true boom period for Charvel - their instruments were being used by megastars on tours and were the de facto guitar of choice for hordes of rockers. Their expansion and critical acclaim led them to research new ideas, refine their build processes, and hire more experts into the fold. This required immense amounts of capital and ultimately the decision was made to seek additional outside investors.
Ultimately, the differing strategies from investors and management would lead Jackson to divest from the company in 1989 so he could pursue other projects. The 1990s and early 2000s saw the mainstream scenes shift away from over-the-top arena rock, glam, and bombastic shredding styles. And for awhile Charvel faded deep into the background, the name being primarily mentioned only in the expanding vintage markets.
Recognizing just how much of a historic and cultural significance the Charvel name provided, Fender bought the brand in 2002 and went about reintroducing their designs to a new generation of rockers. New genres of guitar music, renewed interest in 80s culture, and the rise of social media have led to a serious resurgence in popularity. With a full and ever-expanding lineup of guitars available, there is a Charvel with the right look and style just waiting for you!
Charvel is fully embracing the designs, builds, and styles that made them a behemoth in the 1980s. American Musical Supply is excited to carry their instruments - when you pick up one and plug it in, you’ll be inspired to start making music right away!