The Charvel Pro-Mod DK24 HSH 2PT CM and Pro-Mod DK24 HSS 2PT CM scored rave reviews in Guitarist magazine’s August issue, with reviewer Ed Mitchell loving the unorthodox pickup configurations and versatile voice.

For anyone who has dismissed these beauties as “80s throwbacks or shred machines” only, Mitchell quickly points out that one shouldn’t judge a book by its cover.

“These [DK24 models] are not quite as niche as they appear,” said Mitchell, who instead labels them as “obviously modern rock machines.”

Both models pack a direct mount Seymour Duncan SH-10B Custom Full Shred in the bridge and Seymour Duncan SSL-6 Custom Flat Strat single-coil in the middle position.

“The Full Shred holds its own through the gain scale from jangle clean to blues-rock and widdly metal,” said Mitchell. “We especially like the tonal right hook it brings to bottom-string riffs.

“[The SSL-6 Custom Flat Strat] is punchy and beautifully defined and we like how it interacts with the bridge pickup in coil-split mode.

The DK24 HSH also sports a Seymour Duncan Alnico II Pro humbucker in the neck for fat warmth, while the HSS features a Seymour Duncan Custom Flat Strat RWRP single coil neck pickup for punch and clarity.

“The HSH’s neck-position Alnico Pro-II comes loaded with Alnico 2 magnets and  a 7.5k output for more of a vintage delivery,” noted Mitchell. “Its warmer tone sounds great for jazzy stuff and blues noodling when you kick in some overdrive.”

His final verdict? Both instruments received a 9/10 Guitarist Choice rating.

“The beautiful caramelized necks are fast without being too thin; the bodies are lightweight and balance beautifully on a strap. Then there’s the Gotoh 510 vibrato that offers almost all the performance of a locking Floyd without faffing around with Allen keys. Tuning stability is excellent on both guitars.

“We can’t conclude without mentioning that their build quality and attention to detail places these DK24s above much of the competition.”

Pick up a copy of Guitarist for the full review.