Category Archives: Charvel Skatecaster

The Charvel Skatecaster is a modern and metal-focused reimagining of the classic 1990s Charvel Surfcaster and part of the Desolation series.

Charvel Desolation Skatecaster SK-3 Hardtail

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Charvel DesolationSkatecaster SK3
The Charvel DesolationSkatecaster SK-3 in champagne color.

The Charvel Desolation Skatecaster SK-3 is an affordable, contemporary version of the 90s Surfcaster. It boasts a unique offset mahogany body and a speedy, compound-radius neck, making it perfect for rock and metal. While it provides excellent value with high-output passive humbuckers and solid build quality, it can sometimes have a slightly dark, “woolly” tone.

Key Features & Performance

  • Body & Neck: It has a solid mahogany body (usually with a flat finish) and either a bolt-on or set-neck construction (depending on the specific SK-3 variant), along with a comfortable, fast-playing compound radius rosewood fingerboard.
  • Pickups & Electronics: The guitar is equipped with dual high-output passive Charvel humbuckers that are designed for high gain, often resulting in a “thick” or “woolly” sound instead of sharp clarity. It typically includes a single volume control and a 3-way toggle switch.
  • Hardware: It features a hardtail bridge for excellent tuning stability and sustain, often combined with locking tuners. Tone: This guitar is best for heavy rock, punk, or metal genres. The tone can be on the darker side, which might need some EQ tweaks for better clarity.
  • High Value: It delivers high-performance features (like locking tuners and 24 jumbo frets) at a beginner-friendly price.
  • Playability: The neck profile is often praised for being fast and comfortable, frequently described as “amazing” or “thin.” Aesthetics: It has a unique, modern offset design.

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.

Charvel Desolation Skatecaster

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Charvel Desolation Skatecaster

Musicradar reviewed a Charvel Desolation Skatecaster SK-1 FR and is encouraging metal players to check one out. According to the review, the SK-1′s mahogany body mates well with its pickups, resulting in an excellent tone.

“The Skatecaster’s sheer mass of mahogany helps round off any inherent abrasion from its EMG humbuckers,” said Music Radar. “And we’d suggest it gives a great Kirk Hammett-style scorching lead tone.” The review ends by giving a little background on the model and inviting metal-heads to sample the model.

“The Desolation series is far removed from the hot-rodded custom S-types for which Charvel is loved historically,” concludes Music Radar. “But we concede that most metal teenagers won’t care too much about that. Try one.”

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

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The Charvel Desolation 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.

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.

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.