Author Archives: Guitar Gear

The Charvel Pro Stock DS1

Posted on by
The Charvel Pro Stock DS1

Make a statement. The Charvel Pro Stock DS1 delivers more new tonal and stylistic options to the new world of the modern guitar player.  The Pro Stock DS1 has a single-cutaway mahogany body with a carved top and neck-through-body design.

The Charvel Pro Stock DS1 Features include a mahogany neck with contoured heel, cool color-contrast binding (Gold Metallic features cream binding) and pickup bobbins, compound-radius rosewood fingerboard (12″-16″) with 24 jumbo frets and alumiloid keystone inlays, Seymour Duncan® ’59™ humbucking neck and JB™ bridge pickups with 3-way toggle switching, Charvel bridge specially designed for compound-radius fingerboards, satin chrome hardware, three-on-a-side locking Charvel tuners, and metallic and sunburst finishes with matching headstocks. Available in Black, Blue, Red Metallic, Gold Metallic and Cherry Sunburst (dual Seymour Duncan® ’59™ pickups on Cherry Sunburst model only).

I picked a Charvel Pro Stock DS1 up at a local guitar shop, guess it’s a limited production run. I’m glad because It’s a fantastic guitar. The Charvel Pro Stock DS1 guitar is a very nice instrument and really resonates with tone. The neck feels fantastic and is really smooth owed to its unfinished nature. Also It is very stable, It came stock with nine gauge strings which is unacceptable for my tastes, so i bumped to tens, then eventually put on eleven guage EB power Slinkys and just hoped i did not need to take it in for a setup in a week. Have had no problems maybe slightly raised the action but not enough for me to take it in or risk self tightening the truss rod, and i mean slightly. I have had a maple Strat neck that did alright moving to elevens but there was more movement in that guitar’s neck than in the Charvel. The pickups are fantastic, I have never had Seymour Duncans and they are great. If you make a mistake they let you know… and reward you for good playing. Very accurate.

John E. Davis is a Texas Rock Guitarist offering FREE guitar lessons videos. Visit TexasRockGuitarist.com for information on Guitar Lessons, Guitar Repair and Live Music Performance.

Charvel Desolation Skatecaster SK-3 ST

Posted on by
Charvel Desolation Skatecaster SK-3 ST
The Charvel Desolation SK-3 ST in dark green with H-H pickups.

The semi-hollow Charvel Surfcaster left us too soon. Introduced in the early ’90s, this oddball guitar was a refreshing change, but in the end, it was just too bizarre. Today the Charvel Desolation Skatecaster is a new modern version of the guitar.

Five years after it was discontinued, Charvel is taking another shot with the Skatecaster model, which borrows the Surfcaster’s original body shape, though it doesn’t have the semi-hollow design. There is a slightly fuzzy quality to the Desolation humbuckers that’ll make you want to tweak your amp’s treble control.

With its name, matte-black finish, snub-nosed shape, and simple one-volume setup, early indications show that the Skatecaster SK-3 is targeting the mall-goer in the hoodie. It’s puzzling, then, that this guitar also features a compound-radius fretboard, double-octave neck, and jumbo fretwire – all elements that suggest it’s meant for skilled players.

Out of the box the Charvel Desolation Skatecaster setup needed a slight adjustment to remedy fret buzz. This is my first “passive” pickup guitar and is a great guitar for metal or hard rock, however, it does lack clarity and crispness that I’ve been accustomed to with my LP’s.

The Charvel Desolation Skatecaster appearance, quality, and craftsmanship of the Blue Smear are outstanding. The Abalone “Keystone” position inlays, along with the abalone binding on the body and headstock, are beautifully detailed. The neck is slim and quick, significantly smaller than that of the LP. The locking Charvel tuners maintain excellent tuning stability and simplify string changes. The oiled Mahogany neck offers a unique feel, but it’s easy to adapt to. This guitar boasts an elegant design and is reminiscent of the Fender Jaguar.

John E. Davis is a Texas Rock Guitarist offering FREE guitar lessons videos and covers guitar equipment, concert and music news. Visit the website for information on Guitar Lessons, Guitar Repair and Live Music Performance videos.

Marshall Lead 12 Micro Guitar Stack

Posted on by
Marshall Lead 12 Micro Guitar Stack
The Marshall Lead 12 Micro Guitar Stack with a solid-state, 12-watt head.

The Marshall Lead 12 Micro Guitar Stack in good condition, featuring a solid-state 12-watt head and matching angled 1×10″ cabinet. Renowned for delivering classic Marshall tone in a compact form, this vintage micro stack includes volume, gain, treble, and bass controls, along with a headphone output for silent practice. Perfect for collectors or players seeking iconic British sound in a small, stylish package that punches above its weight.

The Marshall Lead 12 Micro Stack (commonly referred to as model 3005) is a vintage solid-state amplifier from the 1980s, celebrated for delivering genuine, “plexi-style” Marshall rock tones within a compact 12-watt head and a corresponding 1×10″ or 2×10″ cabinet. Made in England, this collectible, powerful, and easily transportable setup is perfect for practice and recording, showcasing classic design elements along with volume, gain, and 3-band EQ controls.

I owned a Marshall Lead 12 Micro Stack briefly in the 80s; I exchanged it for Lead 30 for it and later regretted that decision. The Lead 30 was a superior amplifier. While the micro stacks do sound good, their 12 watts made them less loud and powerful compared to the ss Lead 30 (which utilized mosfet technology). Additionally, it had a bit too much bass response with the two 1×10 cabinets. I had a red model, which was visually striking. However, I consider it somewhat of a novelty. It is said that Billy Gibbons used one, but he ran it in front of a power amp as part of a rack setup.

The Marshall Lead 12 Micro Stacks are becoming somewhat collectible so I thought I should grab one while I could…and from a local store so I wouldn’t get hit with shipping charges. I want something I can play at home that can get that classic Marshall gain sound but also be easy to transport and I wanted to be able to plug the guitar straight into the amp with no pedals and get a nice signature Marshall sound.

John E. Davis is a Texas Rock Guitarist offering FREE guitar lessons videos and covers guitar equipment, concert and music news. Visit the website for information on Guitar Lessons, Guitar Repair and Live Music Performance videos.

Marshall JCM 2000 DSL 100 Watt Head

Posted on by
Marshall JCM 2000 DSL

I have used Marshall tube amplification for more than 20 years. Though temperamental, I have found Marshalls to offer great tube distortion with maximum gain and crunch. I have found the Marshall JCM 2000 DSL great for both live recording and studio use. I have the 100-watt model.

So… how does it sound?
The the Marshall JCM 2000 clean channel at low bedroom volumes sounds great. Also, driven at high, concert level volumes, the distortion and tube crunch is clear and punchy. NOTE: The unit reviewed is a 100-watt model and is really meant to be DRIVEN at high volumes and preferably with a tube pre-amp on the front end or through the effects loop.

This amp has tons of gain and the head offers four channels of distortion to choose from. Everything from AC/DC crunch to soaring death metal, mid-scooped distortion. If you like the sound of a Mesa then STAY AWAY. This amp is 100% Marshall JCM sounding.

Major Drawback: The Effects Loop
The Marshall JCM 2000 effects loop is a little undesirable as you do not have a volume knob control, but rather a -/+ DB cut button that only offers you only two choices: loud and louder. You would have to run the effects loop like a power amp and control the amount of volume with an external volume control. This issue can be nasty in a small club or your apartment where you want to use the effects loop with low volumes, but not have to run an external volume control.

Summary Conclusion
This amp is very versatile with four different channels of tube crunch to choose from. My 100-watt model has been rode hard and has been very reliable for both live concert and studio use over the years. The prices on these units have dropped into the mid $500’s on EBAY, so the price is very competitive verses a Soldano Hot Rod 50 or a Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier. If you can live with just a two volume options in the effects loop, or don’t use the effects loop at all, pick one of these units up and pair the head with a Marshall/Celestion cab. You won’t be disappointed.

— Johnny D.

John E. Davis is a Texas Rock Guitarist offering FREE guitar lessons videos. Visit TexasRockGuitarist.com for information on Guitar Lessons, Guitar Repair and Live Music Performance.