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 Hardtail in champagne color.

The Charvel Desolation Skatecaster SK-3 Hardtail is an affordable, contemporary version of the 90s Charvel Surfcaster. The guitar boasts a unique offset mahogany body and a speedy, compound-radius neck. However, 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.

Charvel Desolation Skatecaster SK-3 Hardtail Review:

So this isn’t precisely a high-end Charvel; it’s a Desolation Skatecaster SK-3 that I purchased new from Musician’s Friend. I didn’t have high expectations, but I believe it’s a fantastic guitar! The neck is absolutely fantastic, and so far I like the passive pickups too. Moreover, the finish is a deeper red, although the flash made it appear brighter. It features locking tuners, and the neck is incredible. I paid $99.99! They were on sale for about an hour before they sold out. The original price was $399.99. Unbelievable.

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 SK-1

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Charvel Desolation Skatecaster
The Charvel Desolation Skatecaster plays off of the original Charvel Surfcaster legacy from the 1990s. Featuring solid Mahogany everything, neck through design.

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.”

Desolation Skatecaster SK-1 Key Features and details:

  • Design & Build: The SK-1 models feature a distinct offset mahogany body with a neck-through-body design and a bound mahogany neck.
  • Electronics: Active EMG 81 (bridge) and 85 (neck) pickups are standard, providing high-output, aggressive tones.
  • Hardware: Options include a solid mahogany body and neck-through design (ST) or a Floyd Rose locking tremolo (FR).
  • Fingerboard: 24 jumbo frets on a 12″-16″ compound radius rosewood fingerboard.
  • Legacy: While the original 1990s Surfcaster was designed for surf music with lipstick pickups, the Desolation series (introduced in 2011) was aimed at modern rock/metal players.

The series was generally well-regarded for its value, with many models featuring a gloss finish and a “fast” neck profile. The Desolation Skatecaster SK-1 represents a contemporary interpretation of the iconic Charvel Surfcaster from the early 1990s, featuring a solid mahogany body and a neck-through construction.

Charvel Desolation Skatecaster Neck Comments:

The Charvel Skatecaster boasts a bound mahogany neck, a rosewood fingerboard equipped with 24 jumbo frets and abalone keystone inlays, as well as abalone binding on the body and headstock. In addition, the guitar is outfitted with EMG 85 (neck) and EMG 81 (bridge) active humbucking pickups, which are controlled via a three-way toggle switch and a single volume knob.

Additionally, the Skatecaster includes a specific Charvel bridge specifically designed for compound-radius fingerboards, black nickel hardware, three-on-a-side locking Charvel tuners, and is available in solid and trans finishes with a matching headstock.

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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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.