Charvel San Dimas Style 1 Sassafras FR – A Killer Guitar That Covers It All 🎸⚡
Few guitars manage to be both approachable for everyday players and powerful enough for serious gigging and recording. The Charvel San Dimas Style 1 Sassafras FR is one of those rare instruments. I recently picked one up, and after playing it for a few months, I can honestly say it might be one of the most versatile guitars I’ve ever owned.
First Impressions
When you pick up a San Dimas, you immediately notice how effortless it feels to play. The body contour is comfortable, the satin finish makes movement smooth, and the neck feels fast but not intimidating. Coming from primarily hardtail or standard Fender-type tremolo systems, I was hesitant about diving into the Floyd Rose floating tremolo system. But after spending some time with it (and with a patient explanation from the guitar tech at Motor City Guitar in Waterford, Michigan), it clicked. It’s not nearly as scary as people make it out to be.
In fact, the Floyd Rose is part of what makes this guitar special. You get dive bombs, subtle vibrato, and extreme pitch effects — all while maintaining tuning stability. For players like me who already have the hardtail bases covered, this guitar opens up a new tonal and stylistic palette.
The Specs (And Why They Matter)
Here’s what makes the Charvel San Dimas Style 1 Sassafras FR such a monster:
- Body: Sassafras — lightweight, resonant, with natural sustain that feels almost endless.
- Neck: Bolt-on maple with graphite reinforcement and a hand-rubbed satin urethane finish.
- Fingerboard: Ebony, 22 jumbo frets, compound radius (12″-16″). This radius makes chords feel comfy near the nut and solos effortless higher up.
- Bridge: Floyd Rose 1000 Series double-locking tremolo. The gold standard for trem stability — once it’s set, it stays in tune even with heavy abuse.
- Pickups (HSS configuration):
- Bridge: Seymour Duncan JB TB-4 humbucker — high-output with tight lows, crisp highs, and plenty of harmonic bite.
- Middle: Seymour Duncan Custom Flat Strat SSL-6 single-coil — hot-wound single-coil with punch and presence.
- Neck: Seymour Duncan SSL-6 RWRP single-coil — wound to balance perfectly with the middle pickup, delivering glassy cleans and warm leads with reduced hum.
- Controls: 5-way blade switch, Master Volume, and a No-Load Tone control (at “10” it bypasses the tone circuit for pure, uncolored output).
- Hardware: Charvel sealed die-cast tuners, black hardware for a sleek modern look.
What do all these specs add up to? Versatility. The HSS setup is the ultimate “best of both worlds”: the JB humbucker handles everything from hard rock to metal. The SSL-6s give authentic single-coil sparkle for funk, blues, or cleans. With coil combinations, you can basically cover anything.
Playability and Feel
The compound radius fretboard deserves special mention. Near the nut, it’s rounder and great for chords. As you move up, it flattens out, which is perfect for bends, sweeps, and fast lead playing. This design makes the guitar feel equally at home strumming rhythm or shredding solos.
The satin finish on the neck is another win — no sticky gloss here, just smooth playability. Combine that with jumbo frets and rolled fingerboard edges. You get a neck that almost encourages you to play faster and cleaner.
And then there’s the Floyd Rose. Yes, it takes a little time to set up if you’re used to fixed bridges. However, once you understand the balancing act of string tension vs. spring tension, it’s incredibly stable. The ability to bend strings behind a chord and keep everything in tune or slam the bar for dramatic effects is inspiring. It makes you play differently — and that’s a good thing.
Sound and Versatility
Plugged in, the San Dimas Style 1 Sassafras FR shines. The JB in the bridge offers punchy mids and high output, making it perfect for rock, metal, and anything requiring tight, articulate rhythm work.
The SSL-6 single-coils in the middle and neck bring balance. They deliver bright, clear, and powerful tones that give you Strat-like sparkle without the usual hum (thanks to the RWRP neck pickup). Add in the no-load tone pot, and you can go from pristine cleans to gritty crunch with just a flick of the switch.
This guitar really does feel like two instruments in one — a powerful humbucker beast and a glassy single-coil machine — seamlessly combined.
Why I Chose It Over a Hardtail
I debated going with the hardtail version, but I already have that covered with Les Paul and ES-335 copies. What I didn’t have was a do-everything guitar with a Floyd Rose that could expand my tonal range. The San Dimas delivers that in spades. Between the pickup combo, switching options, and the trem, there’s really no style it can’t cover.
And while Floyd Roses have a reputation for being finicky, once you understand how they work, they’re rock-solid. Honestly, I feel silly for being intimidated at first — the payoff in flexibility is more than worth it.
Final Thoughts
The Charvel San Dimas Style 1 Sassafras FR is a killer guitar. It’s easy to play, resonates like crazy, and has a pickup configuration that covers just about any style you could throw at it. The Floyd Rose makes it incredibly expressive, and the build quality means it can stand up to both stage and studio use.
If you want a guitar that can truly “do it all,” this is one of the best options in its price range. I couldn’t be happier with the choice.
👉 Want to see and hear this guitar in action? Check out this excellent demo (it’s the hardtail here…but the tone is the same): 🎥
