Total Guitar magazine reviewed the full lineup of the new Charvel Pro-Mod guitars in its August issue, honoring each of the three new models—So-Cal Style 1 HH FR, San Dimas Style 1 HH FR and San Dimas HH HT—with a “Total Guitar Best Buy” award.

The five-page spread includes a spotlight on Charvel’s history, a highlight of the models and a side-by-side quick glance spec comparison. The breakdown also includes a stellar rating of each instrument for features, sound quality, value for money, build quality and playability. The So-Cal Style 1 HH FR and San Dimas Style 1 HH FR scored a perfect five-star rating across all categories, while the San Dimas HH HT earned five stars in all categories, save for features and value for money, which received four stars.

So with those excellent ratings, here’s the mag’s final verdict:

“Some guitars choose their new owners, and retro metal guitars such as the Charvel Pro-Mods will appeal to a particular type of player. If you need us to spell it out, we’re talking shredders, metalheads and the hair-metal throwbacks. To us, the wide tonal range, flawless playability and choice of tasteful or retina-melting finishes take us back to a fun era to be a guitarist. It was a time of innovation, and Charvel was at the forefront of that. There are countless rock machines out there these days, but few are better than these well-priced Pro-Mods. They are, as Bill and Ted might say, most triumphant…”