Well known for his love of 7-string guitars, New Jersey-based instrumentalist Angel Vivaldi initially collaborated with Charvel on his signature DK24-7 Nova, released in 2019. Charvel fans have since been asking for a 6-string variant and the day has arrived with today’s official launch of the Angel Vivaldi Signature Pro-Mod DK24-6 Nova, which possesses all the unique appointments and exquisite style fans have come to expect from Vivaldi.
In a new video for Charvel, Vivaldi explains what led him back to his 6-string roots.
“Like most guitarists I started out on a 6-string and wound up moving to 7-strings, almost exclusively in 2003, for the main purpose of eliminating the need to tune down or reset up my guitars,” says Vivaldi. “However, as you grow and evolve and change as a musician, it’s also really important to maybe change and re-examine the gear you use in order to do so. Enter this devastatingly gorgeous instrument.”
Dressed to impress, the Angel Vivaldi Signature Pro-Mod DK24-6 Nova comes in a divine Lucerne Aqua Firemist finish with a color matched reverse licensed Fender® Stratocaster® headstock, unique cascading black dot inlays, gold pickup bobbins and gold hardware.
Its modified Dinky™ basswood body with scalloped lower back bout and sculpted shredder’s cut heel is paired with a bolt-on caramelized maple neck and fingerboard.
“I decided to roast the neck on this model for a number of reasons,” Vivaldi shares. “First, to minimize the contraction and expansion of the wood so that is a lot more stable, which is very helpful when you have a non-locking system. Secondly, to achieve this smoothness that you really only get after breaking the guitar in after many, many years of playing and lastly, because it’s just aesthetically beautiful against this finish.”
Similar to his previous models, the graphite-reinforced neck with scarf joint has been custom-shaped to Vivaldi’s preference; a journey that was not a simple rinse and repeat from his 7-string Novas.
“When it came to the neck profile I really had to reimagine it from scratch because one thing I learned is that doing a six-string version of a 7-string profile, it just doesn’t translate like you think it would, mostly because the width to the thickness ratio has to be just right,” explains Vivaldi. “I tried a bunch of different profiles and we created this incredible neck shape, which to me is the apex of what a 6-string really should feel like. It’s full, robust and fits seamlessly in the grasp of my hand, making it very comfortable to play and very ideal for alternate tunings.”
This signature axe also has Luminlay® side dots, heel-mount truss rod adjustment wheel, 12″-16″ compound radius caramelized maple fingerboard with comfortable rolled edges, 24 jumbo frets and Graph Tech® TUSQ® XL nut, DiMarzio® The Tone Zone® bridge and DiMarzio Air Norton™ neck humbucking pickups, Gotoh® Custom 510 tremolo bridge and more.
A complete package in performance, playability and sound, this instrument has served as a valuable new tool for the prolific guitarist.
“Being a guitar instrumentalist requires a lot of responsibility,” says Vivaldi. “You have to tell this wordless story. You have to paint this mental picture with nothing but phrasing, expression, dynamic and melody. It’s kind of like the notes you choose are the colors on a palette and the paint brush is the gear you use to make that magic happen. I feel there are a number of aspects in my career that are kind of coming full circle –– between switching back to a 6-string for ‘Away With Words – Part 2’ release and revisiting all the genres I grew up listening to and playing back at church like Latin, funk and fusion. It’s all been a real joy doing it with this guitar –– I just never want to put it down.”
Watch Vivaldi go into more depth about his newest signature Charvel model, and stay tuned for Away with Words — Part 2 coming soon.