Two versions of the iconic shredder arrive with JB/'59 pickup combos, stainless steel jumbo frets and a choice of Floyd Rose or hardtail bridge.
Charvel has announced the American Neo-Classic San Dimas series, two USA-made guitars built in Corona, California, that bring the iconic San Dimas back to its roots.
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Both models share the same alder body and one-piece quartersawn maple neck, reproduced from authentic 1980 specifications and reinforced with graphite. The 12″–16″ compound radius fingerboard runs 22 jumbo stainless steel frets, with rounded edges, a truss rod adjustment wheel at the fingerboard end and Luminlay side-dots. Its electronics are straightforward, with a single volume pot and 5-way blade switch, wired to a Seymour Duncan JB/’59 combination with parchment bobbins. The neck ’59 is perfect for warm leads and rhythm work, while the bridge JB handles the high-gain end.
When it comes to the bridge, the two models differ. The SD1 HH FR MPL gets a top-mount Floyd Rose 1000 series double-locking tremolo, available in Robin’s Egg Blue, Ivory Blitz, Gloss Black and Racing Red. On the other hand, the SD1 HH HT MPL runs a Charvel hardtail bridge and comes in Gloss Black, Racing Red, Velvet Midnight and Ivory Blitz.
“Charvel was born in California, and so was this guitar,” says Jon Romanowski, VP of Product at Charvel. “Building it in Corona feels like coming full circle. The JB/’59 pickup pairing delivers on every level, and the finishes feel as iconic as the guitar itself.”
To mark the launch, Charvel has released a series of artist videos including Dweezil Zappa playing the Neo-Classic San Dimas at a California skate park which you can watch above. Alongside this is a factory walkthrough showing the build process from raw materials through to the finished instrument:
The American Neo-Classic San Dimas series is available now. Head here for local enquiries.
