Charvel

    Pro-Mod So-Cal Style 1 HH FR

    The So-Cal is Charvel's take on the 80s superstrat with the pickguard left on, a Strat-shaped alder body with a Seymour Duncan Distortion Trembucker in the bridge and a Distortion neck pickup, plus a push/pull coil split and a no-load tone control.

    7 mods reviewed: 7 drop-in.

    Charvel Pro-Mod So-Cal Style 1 HH FR body shape illustrationBody shape illustration. Photo coming soon.

    The So-Cal is Charvel's take on the 80s superstrat with the pickguard left on, a Strat-shaped alder body with a Seymour Duncan Distortion Trembucker in the bridge and a Distortion neck pickup, plus a push/pull coil split and a no-load tone control. Charvel make it with a maple or an ebony board and the hardware is the same on both. The bridge is a genuine Floyd Rose 1000 Series, so Floyd Rose Original-spec parts are the obvious upgrades. Because the pickups sit under a pickguard, check the guard's cut-outs before changing pickup sizes.

    Quick facts

    Tailpiece

    None (bridge-integrated, locking trem)

    Neck mounting

    4-bolt

    Scale length

    25.5"(648mm)

    Nut width

    42.9mm(1.687")

    Not yet confirmed: string spacing, tuner hole size and bridge mounting spacing. Measure these before buying tuners or a bridge.

    Fit info is our best reading of published specs and owner reports. Guitars can vary by year and factory, so check your own before you buy. How we check fit

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    Bridge

    2 options
    Floyd Rose tremolo illustrationIllustration, photo coming soon

    Floyd Rose Original Tremolo (Right-Handed)

    Likely drop-in

    Charvel fit a Floyd Rose 1000 Series to this guitar, and Floyd Rose make the 1000 Series to the same specifications as the Original. Same studs and route.

    Why we say this

    Charvel list a recessed Floyd Rose 1000 Series double-locking tremolo on the Pro-Mod So-Cal Style 1 HH FR. Floyd Rose describe the 1000 Series as the Korean-made version of the Original, made to the same specifications, so the Original fits the same studs and route. The Original kit does not include a locking nut, so the guitar's existing Floyd Rose 1000 nut stays.

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    Floyd Rose tremolo illustrationIllustration, photo coming soon

    Floyd Rose Special Tremolo (Right-Handed)

    Likely drop-in

    This bolts into the same route and studs as the bridge already on this guitar. Worth knowing it is a step down in materials rather than up, the Special uses zinc saddles and a zinc block where the stock 1000 Series uses steel and brass. Take care pulling the old studs, the post holes can strip.

    Why we say this

    Charvel list a recessed Floyd Rose 1000 Series on the Pro-Mod So-Cal Style 1 HH FR. Floyd Rose's own Swapping Your Floyd Rose guide lists the 6-string Original, Custom Shoppe, 1984, Special, 1000 Series Original and Titanium as sharing the same dimensions and swappable without additional routing, so the Special uses the same route and studs. Pulling existing studs and inserts can strip the post holes, in which case they need doweling and redrilling. Floyd Rose describe the 1000 Series as carrying the design, materials and features of the Original, while the Special uses zinc alloy saddles and a zinc alloy block, so fitting a Special here is a like-for-like replacement, not a step up.

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    Pickup

    1 option
    Humbucker pickup illustrationIllustration, photo coming soon

    Seymour Duncan Distortion Trembucker TB-6 (Black)

    Likely drop-in
    Soldering

    The same bridge pickup this guitar ships with, so it fits the existing route and pickguard cut-out. Black, so on the maple-board version it won't match the stock white. You will need to solder it in.

    Why we say this

    Charvel list a Seymour Duncan Distortion TB-6 in the bridge of the Pro-Mod So-Cal Style 1 HH FR (white pickups on the maple-board 2966031555, black on the ebony-board 2966801500), so this is the same pickup model the guitar ships with. Duncan make Trembuckers with 52.6mm pole spacing on slightly larger bobbins and baseplate than a standard humbucker, so a like-for-like Trembucker suits the existing pickguard cut-out and route. Four-conductor cable, so the push/pull coil split keeps working.

    £95.00 at Thomann

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    Tuner

    4 options
    Gotoh SG381-07 MG-T Locking Tuners, 6-in-line (Cosmo Black)

    Gotoh SG381-07 MG-T Locking Tuners, 6-in-line (Cosmo Black)

    Likely drop-in

    A locking set for the 10mm holes modern die-cast tuners like this guitar's normally use, though you may need one small screw hole per tuner. Check yours first.

    Why we say this

    Charvel list Charvel-branded die-cast tuners on the Pro-Mod So-Cal Style 1 HH FR but don't publish the hole size. Modern sealed and die-cast tuners like these normally sit in 10mm holes. Gotoh's SG381-07 MG-T locking set (SG381-07 MGT L6 CB) is sold for 10mm holes, and each tuner is fixed with one screw set at 45 degrees to the post, so if your tuners use guide pins or a screw in a different spot you may need to drill one small pilot hole per tuner. Take one tuner off and check the hole and where the screw or pins sit before ordering.

    £48.00 at Thomann

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    Tuner illustrationIllustration, photo coming soon

    Gotoh SG381-07 Tuners, 6-in-line (Chrome)

    Likely drop-in

    Should fit the 10mm holes modern die-cast tuners like this guitar's normally use, though you may need one small screw hole per tuner. Check yours first.

    Why we say this

    Charvel list Charvel-branded die-cast tuners on the Pro-Mod So-Cal Style 1 HH FR but don't publish the hole size. Modern sealed and die-cast tuners like these normally sit in 10mm holes. Gotoh's SG381-07 (SG381-07 L6 C) is sold for 10mm holes, and each tuner is fixed with one screw set at 45 degrees to the post, so if your tuners use guide pins or a screw in a different spot you may need to drill one small pilot hole per tuner. Take one tuner off and check the hole and where the screw or pins sit before ordering.

    £31.00 at Thomann

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    Tuner illustrationIllustration, photo coming soon

    Graph Tech Ratio Machine Heads (6-in-line, Staggered)

    Likely drop-in

    Should fit the 10mm holes modern die-cast tuners like this guitar's normally use, with plates included for screw-mount holes. The posts are staggered, so check your holes first.

    Why we say this

    Charvel list Charvel-branded die-cast tuners on the Pro-Mod So-Cal Style 1 HH FR but don't publish the hole size. Modern sealed and die-cast tuners like these normally sit in 10mm holes. Graph Tech make this set (PRL-9721-C0) for 13/32 inch (10mm) holes, with a two-pin casing and InvisoMatch plates included to use the screw holes left by common factory tuners. Graph Tech stagger the post heights so a flat headstock doesn't need a string tree. Take one tuner off and check the hole and where the screw or pins sit before ordering.

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    Tuner illustrationIllustration, photo coming soon

    Hipshot Grip-Lock Enclosed Locking Tuners, 10mm post (6-in-line, Staggered)

    Likely drop-in

    Should fit the 10mm holes modern die-cast tuners like this guitar's normally use, though you may need one small screw hole per tuner. Check yours first.

    Why we say this

    Charvel list Charvel-branded die-cast tuners on the Pro-Mod So-Cal Style 1 HH FR but don't publish the hole size. Modern sealed and die-cast tuners like these normally sit in 10mm holes. Hipshot make this set for 13/32 inch (10mm) holes and fix it with a screw, washer and nut, so if your tuners use guide pins you may need to drill one small pilot hole per tuner. Take one tuner off and check the hole and where the screw or pins sit before ordering.

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    Help improve this data

    Nothing is flagged as an open question here right now. If you have fitted something to this Charvel Pro-Mod So-Cal Style 1 HH FR that we haven't covered, send it in.