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Charvel USA Select San Dimas Style 2 HH FR
Fender American Original 50s Telecaster
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Playability
70
Sound
80
Build
70
Value
63
Score
73
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Playability
68
Sound
72
Build
69
Value
60
Score
70
FIND IT ON:
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Charvel USA Select San Dimas Style 2 HH FR vs Fender American Original 50s Telecaster

Reasons to Get
Charvel USA Select San Dimas Style 2 HH FR over Fender American Original 50s Telecaster

Frets Height
Taller vs Shorter
Easier to press down strings and bend them
Type of Frets
Jumbo vs Vintage Tall
You won't feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings
Compound Radius
12" to 16" vs 9.5"
Balanced playability for chords and single-notes
Neck Profile
Charvel Speed vs Fender Vintage U
Comfortable neck that works for most people
Switch Positions
5 vs 3
More tone options
Pickups
HH vs SS
High output without hum
Number of Frets
22 vs 21
Allows to reach higher notes
Neck Thickness at 1st Fret
0.77'' (19.6mm) vs 0.88'' (22.4mm)
More comfortable open chords for small hands
Neck Thickness at 12th Fret
0.83'' (21.1mm) vs 0.99'' (25.1mm)
More comfortable at higher frets for small hands
Nut Width
1.688'' (42.9mm) vs 1.654'' (42mm)
Less likely to mute strings by accident and more space for fingerstyle
Bridge
Floyd Rose vs Fixed
Allows intense vibratos and techniques like Dive Bombs
Value Score
63 vs 60
Better price/quality relationship

Reasons to Get
Fender American Original 50s Telecaster over Charvel USA Select San Dimas Style 2 HH FR

Release Year
2018 vs 2016
From a more recent year
Type of Frets
Vintage Tall vs Jumbo
You'll feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings
Neck Profile
Fender Vintage U vs Charvel Speed
Comfortable neck with more grip
Tone Knobs
1 vs 0
More tone control
Pickups
SS vs HH
Beautiful cleans
Neck Thickness at 1st Fret
0.88'' (22.4mm) vs 0.77'' (19.6mm)
More comfortable open chords for big hands
Neck Thickness at 12th Fret
0.99'' (25.1mm) vs 0.83'' (21.1mm)
More comfortable at higher frets for big hands
Nut Width
1.654'' (42mm) vs 1.688'' (42.9mm)
Favors small hands, easier bar chords and other shapes
Bridge
Fixed vs Floyd Rose
Good sustain and needs no set-up

Other Key Differences
Charvel USA Select San Dimas Style 2 HH FR vs Fender American Original 50s Telecaster

Bridge Pickup
DiMarzio Super Distortion DP100 vs Fender Pure Vintage 52 Single-Coil Tele
Different Bridge Pickup
Neck Pickup
DiMarzio PAF Pro DP151 vs Fender Pure Vintage 52 Single-Coil Tele
Different Neck Pickup
Body Wood
Alder vs Ash
Different Body Wood
Nut Material
Locking vs Bone
Different Nut Material

Shared Features
Charvel USA Select San Dimas Style 2 HH FR vs Fender American Original 50s Telecaster

Neck Wood
Maple
Same Neck Wood
Fretboard Wood
Maple
Same Fretboard Wood
Headstock
6
Same Headstock
Strings
6
Same playing style
Body Type
Solid Body
Feedback free
Volume Knobs
1
Same volume control
Paint Finish
Poly
Resistant paint that ages well
Scale Length
25.5'' (647.7mm)
Same string tension and fret separation
Pickups Power
Passive
Cleaner sound and no battery needed
Neck Joint
Bolt-On
Allows you to detach and swap the neck

Common Strengths

  • High-Quality Nut
  • From a High-Quality-Standards Country
  • Top Pickup Brand

Common Weaknesses

  • Neck-Through Build
  • Pickup Alter Switch/Knob
  • Weight Relief
  • Stays in Tune (Evertune)
  • High-Quality Frets
  • Compound Radius Fretboard
  • Luminescent Sidedots
  • Strap Lock
  • 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • Active/Passive Preamp

Table of Contents

Price History Comparison

Charvel USA Select San Dimas Style 2 HH FR Prices

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Fender American Original 50s Telecaster Prices

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Which One is Better Overall?

After going through our comparison algorithm, the results show that the Charvel USA Select San Dimas Style 2 HH FR is probably the better product overall with its final score of 73 compared to the Fender American Original 50s Telecaster's 70 score, although not by a lot.

The Charvel USA Select San Dimas Style 2 HH FR wins when it comes to sound, playability, build quality, value for the money. This means that it wins over the Fender American Original 50s Telecaster in every aspect.

If you got small hands, you'll probably feel more comfortable playing the Charvel USA Select San Dimas Style 2 HH FR.

Which One is Better for Beginners?

If you're looking for your first guitar to learn how to play, the Fender American Original 50s Telecaster is the better choice.

The Fender American Original 50s Telecaster meets 5 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness, while the Charvel USA Select San Dimas Style 2 HH FR meets only 4. This takes into account the type of frets, scale length, nut width, bridge type, fretboard radius, and neck profile to determine the easiest combination for new players.

New Player Friendliness

Charvel USA Select San Dimas Style 2 HH FR
  • Comfortable shape
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Tall frets
  • Comfortable neck
  • Narrow nut
  • Short scale
  • Locking tuners
  • Easy-to-use bridge

New Player Friendliness

Fender American Original 50s Telecaster
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Tall frets
  • Narrow nut
  • Short scale
  • Comfortable neck
  • Locking tuners

Nevertheless, when it comes to choosing an instrument, you should pick the one more compatible with your personal style. Still, below we'll try you to give you our results as objectively as it's possible to help you decide.

Charvel USA Select San Dimas Style 2 HH FR Overview

  • From Charvel's 2016 USA Select series
  • Made in United States
  • 6 strings
  • 25.5"'' scale
  • 12" to 16" Fretboard Radius
  • Alder body
  • Quartersawn Maple neck
  • Maple fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: DiMarzio Super Distortion DP100 (Humbucker/Passive)
  • Neck pickup: DiMarzio PAF Pro DP151 (Humbucker/Passive)
  • 1 volume and 0 tone Dome knobs
  • 5-way Switch
  • Floyd Rose Original Double-Locking 2-Point Tremolo bridge
  • Charvel Speed Bolt-On neck
  • 22 Jumbo frets
  • Charvel-Branded Die-Cast tuners
  • Weight around 8.35lbs (3.8kgs)
  • Compare Specs >

Fender American Original 50s Telecaster Overview

  • From Fender's 2018 American Original series
  • Made in United States
  • 6 strings
  • 25.5"'' scale
  • 9.5" Fretboard Radius
  • Ash body
  • Maple neck
  • Maple fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: Fender Pure Vintage 52 Single-Coil Tele (Single Coil/Passive)
  • Neck pickup: Fender Pure Vintage 52 Single-Coil Tele (Single Coil/Passive)
  • 1 volume and 1 tone Dome knobs
  • 3-way Switch
  • 3-Saddle American Vintage Strings-Through-Body Tele with Brass Saddles bridge
  • Fender Vintage U Bolt-On neck
  • 21 Vintage Tall frets
  • Pure Vintage Single Line Fender Deluxe tuners
  • Compare Specs >

Sound Quality Comparison

The wood used in an electric guitar or bass is not as important to determine the final tone. However, some people prefer specific wood types, so we'll take a look at those first. Then, we'll take a look at the electronics to determine the versatility and sound quality of each instrument.

Woods Used in Both

Maple wood pattern used for guitar building
Maple

Maple is one of the most popular necks for good reasons. It is a strong wood that is relatively cheap to make and looks beautiful. The highest quality maple is the hardest that comes from North America. Find out more about Maple.

Woods Used in the Charvel USA Select San Dimas Style 2 HH FR

Alder wood pattern used for guitar building
Alder

Alder is the most popular wood that Fender uses in most of their guitars nowadays. Even though they say it's because of its balanced tone with an emphasis in the upper midrange, it probably is because it isn't too expensive, and it's also pretty lightweight—more than Mahogany. Find out more about Alder.

Woods Used in the Fender American Original 50s Telecaster

Ash wood pattern used for guitar building
Ash

Ash is a type of wood that Fender used almost exclusively in the 50s, and it's still used by many brands. It's a dense wood with a light color that works well for a transparent, natural finish because of its beautiful patterns. In terms of sound, it's known for emphasizing the mid and high frequencies, but with strong low end. Find out more about Ash.

Winner: Fender American Original 50s Telecaster.

Pickup Configuration

The Charvel USA Select San Dimas Style 2 HH FR has an HH configuration while the Fender American Original 50s Telecaster has SS pickups.

Double Humbucker (HH) is the choice for people who want a fuller, more round sound with tons of mids and lows. Humbuckers also get rid of the hum noise that plague single-coil pickups. They can work out for almost any genre going from Djent to even Jazz.

On the other hand, SS is the classic Telecaster configuration. It's used mainly for playing clean or with low-gain distortion, and it's very popular for the country genre because of their brightness. It doesn't give you as much versatility as a Strat SSS configuration, but you might like the cleaner look of a guitar body with fewer pickups.

Pickups Quality

Both come with very good pickups from at least one of the specialized brands in the market. With pickups like these, you probably won't need an upgrade anytime soon.

However, the Fender American Original 50s Telecaster has a slight sound quality advantage when taking into account other factors like the type of pickups, magnet, position, etc.

You can purchase similar pickups to the Charvel USA Select San Dimas Style 2 HH FR's and use them on any guitar:

We found the same or similar pickups to the Fender American Original 50s Telecaster's online:

Both use Passive pickups. This is what's used for most music genres. They have a regular output and will serve you for both high-gain and clean tones. The alternative (Active pickups) offer a higher output that is mostly used for heavy music.

Winner: Fender American Original 50s Telecaster.

Versatility Comparison

Some instruments offer you more ways to explore your creativity than others. Below you'll find how both compare when it comes to versatility.

Switch Options

The Charvel USA Select San Dimas Style 2 HH FR gives you 5 switch options while the Fender American Original 50s Telecaster gives you 3. This means that the Charvel USA Select San Dimas Style 2 HH FR gives you more options to find the right pickup combination for the type of sound you want to achieve

Neither of them come with some kind of coil split or pickup mod option. This makes both lacking in terms of versatility.

Charvel USA Select San Dimas Style 2 HH FR pickups switch selector and push knobs diagram
Charvel USA Select San Dimas Style 2 HH FR's switch options
Fender American Original 50s Telecaster pickups switch and push knobs diagram
Fender American Original 50s Telecaster's switch options

When evaluating versatility, we also take into consideration bridge and neck joint type, number of frets, switch options, amount of pickups and more.

Winner: Charvel USA Select San Dimas Style 2 HH FR.

Final Sound Quality Scores

Charvel USA Select San Dimas Style 2 HH FR
Pickups 90
Sustain 80
Versatility 65
Tuning Stability 85
Sound 80
Fender American Original 50s Telecaster
Pickups 100
Sustain 65
Versatility 54
Tuning Stability 70
Sound 72

Build Quality Comparison

When it comes to build quality, we like to take into account everything used to build the instrument. This includes materials, hardware and the quality control expected depending on the country where it was built. Let's see how the Charvel USA Select San Dimas Style 2 HH FR compares to the Fender American Original 50s Telecaster.

Country of Origin

The manufacturing country can tell a lot about the build quality of an instrument. Both in this comparison where made in United States.

The United States is considered one of the best electric guitar manufacturers in the world. A guitar made in this country is supposed to have world-class quality control. Nowadays, guitars made in other countries can beat some of the ones made in the US, but most of the time, this country offers the best you can get. Of course, that comes at a price.

Winner: Tie

Nut Material

If you want your guitar to stay in tune and sound good, you need a well cut nut. Nut quality can be inconsistent even when comparing two copies of the same model. The best way to make sure you're nut will be well done is by getting a nut made by an expert company like TUSQ or Micarta.

The Charvel USA Select San Dimas Style 2 HH FR has a Locking nut. Instead of a regular nut, this guitar has a locking system that will lock down the strings at the nut, preventing it from getting out of tune. It removes one of the disadvantages of tremolo bridges, tune stability.

On the other hand, the Fender American Original 50s Telecaster comes with a Bone nut. It's a type of nut found in high-quality instruments. They sound similar to Ivory since they give a lot of sustain and a bright sound (at least when striking open strings). The only problem they can run into is that you may get a bone piece that simply doesn't sound as well as others because that's just how natural materials are.

Winner: Tie.

Fret Material

Most fret wire is made of nickel silver. This material eventually wears down after a lot of use and most instruments end up needing a complete fret replacement. However, some expensive models come with stainless steel frets. This is what you should aim for if you can afford it.

Unfortunately, none of them come with stainless steel frets.

Winner: Tie.

Bridge

The perfect bridge for you will depend on your playstyle because they all have advantages and disadvantages. However, some bridges are more expensive—like Floyd Roses and Evertunes—and thus add more value to a guitar.

The Charvel USA Select San Dimas Style 2 HH FR's brige is a Floyd Rose. This is a double-locking bridge system that allows you to perform techniques like dive bombs and pinch harmonics. The locking nut allows your guitar to stay in tune even after the most intense tremolo usage. The disadvantage is that it takes more work to change the strings and set up everything correctly.

On the other hand, the Fender American Original 50s Telecaster's is a Fixed. It's a simple bridge that is very beginner-friendly since it doesn't require any set-up. You can swap strings easily. It might also give more sustain since it doesn't have complex moving parts that make the strings lose vibration. However, it doesn't have the same versatility as a tremolo bridge.

Since we need to be objective, the most expensive type of bridge will be the winner of this section. In the end, this doesn't matter if you're not going to use the bridge for its original purpose, so choose the bridge that fits your playing style better.

Winner: Charvel USA Select San Dimas Style 2 HH FR.

Tuners

Both come with regular tuners. The Charvel USA Select San Dimas Style 2 HH FR's are Charvel-Branded Die-Cast while the Fender American Original 50s Telecaster's are Pure Vintage Single Line Fender Deluxe

Winner: Tie.

Neck Joint

Contrary to popular belief, the difference in sustain and tone that some neck joints give to a guitar is simply unperceivable—if they're all well built. However, some of them do have advantages over the others.

Both have a Bolt-On neck joint. This neck is joined to the body by 4 bolts that you can simply unscrew. This allows you to replace the neck or take it off for travel. It's the most common and cheapest way to build a guitar.

Winner: Tie.

Here is the list of features that were considered when choosing the winner in the Features subcategory:

Strengths & Weaknesses
Charvel USA Select San Dimas Style 2 HH FR
  • Made in United States
  • Locking Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Tremolo
  • Compound Radius Fretboard
  • Retainer Bar
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • No Expensive Woods
  • No Neck-Through Build
  • No Push Knob or Extra Switch Option
  • No Weight Relief
  • No Luminescent Inlay
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock
Strengths & Weaknesses
Fender American Original 50s Telecaster
  • Made in United States
  • Expensive Wood
  • Bone Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • No Neck-Through Build
  • No Push Knob or Extra Switch Option
  • No Weight Relief
  • No Luminescent Inlay
  • No Tremolo
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock

Final Build Quality Scores

Charvel USA Select San Dimas Style 2 HH FR
Quality of materials 41
Features 75
Quality Control 95
Build Quality 70
Fender American Original 50s Telecaster
Quality of materials 61
Features 50
Quality Control 95
Build Quality 69

Playability Comparison

Let's now compare their playability. Bear in mind that the instrument will feel different depending on your hand size and play style. That's why you should always test before buying. But if you can't or want a second opinion on it, we can still take a look at each of the important measurements of the instrument for you. This way, we can predict how easy a guitar might be to play, or how different it will feel compared to the other.

Remember that, even though the difference might seem small, every inch counts when it comes to feeling of the instrument in your hands. Any variation can completely change how comfortable a guitar feels in your hands.

Nut Width

Charvel USA Select San Dimas Style 2 HH FR Nut Width
Charvel USA Select San Dimas Style 2 HH FR Nut Width
Fender American Original 50s Telecaster Nut Width
Fender American Original 50s Telecaster Nut Width

The nut width will affect the separation between strings at the nut. In this comparison, the Charvel USA Select San Dimas Style 2 HH FR has the wider nut with 42.9mm (1.688'') vs 42mm (1.654''). This is a 0.9mm (0.034'') difference

This means that it will be more difficult to do bar chords on the Charvel USA Select San Dimas Style 2 HH FR, especially closer to the nut. However, it's also easier to play without muting strings accidently. This favors people with big hands.

Scale Length

Charvel USA Select San Dimas Style 2 HH FR and Fender American Original 50s Telecaster's Scale Length
Both have the same scale length

The scale length is one of the things that influences playability the most. This is the distance between the nut and the bridge and will affect everything from low action allowance, difficulty to perform bends, fret separation, and even tone.

In this case, both have a scale length of 25.5".

This is the scale used in most Stratocasters. It's slightly longer than the typical 24.75'' size found in Les Pauls, and it's one of the main reasons why Stratocasters have such a bright sound in general. A longer scale also means that the strings will have higher tension. This will help you get lower action without suffering fret buzz, which will also be helpful when playing in lower tunings without having to increase your string gauge.

However, this also means that there will be more separation between frets, which can make it more difficult to play. Also, bending the strings will require more strengths due to the increased tension, but remember that a tremolo guitar will offset this difficulty.

Lastly, remember that you can also affect the tension of the strings by changing your string gauge. You can use a thicker gauge for more tension and a lighter one for less tension.

Neck Profile

Charvel USA Select San Dimas Style 2 HH FR Neck Profile
Charvel USA Select San Dimas Style 2 HH FR's neck profile
Fender American Original 50s Telecaster Neck Profile
Fender American Original 50s Telecaster's neck profile

No single neck shape is better than others. However, most people tend to prefer a thinner necks because it doesn't get in their way when playing fast and most hand sizes can adapt to it pretty well. However, some people still prefer thicker necks for a better grip, especially if they have big hands.

In this case, both have different neck shapes:

The Charvel USA Select San Dimas Style 2 HH FR has a C type of neck. This is what you'll find in most modern guitars. Most people feel like the thickness of a C neck is simply the less intrusive one for playing fast, while at the same time allowing you to grab the neck easily for resting if you want to.

The Fender American Original 50s Telecaster, on the other hand, has a U neck. This is also referred to as ''baseball neck'' because of its shape. It's usually thick, which is why some people with big hands like it. However, they can also be thin, similar to a C shape, but with more shoulders for a better grip.

Fretboard Radius

Charvel USA Select San Dimas Style 2 HH FR Fretboard Compound Radius
Charvel USA Select San Dimas Style 2 HH FR's Compound Fretboard Radius
Fender American Original 50s Telecaster Fingerboard Radius
Fender American Original 50s Telecaster's Fingerboard radius

Most guitar fretboards are not flat; they usually have a curve or arc across their width. A curved fretboard will make it easier to perform chords without muting strings, while a flatter one will make it easier to play single notes, which is good for bending and soloing in general. The best fretboards have a compound radius that varies across the fingerboard, but they're not common since they take a lot more work to build.

In this case, the Charvel USA Select San Dimas Style 2 HH FR is the only one with a compound radius. This is a huge win because it will give you the best of both worlds: a more curved radius in the first few frets for chords, and flatter as you come closer to the body for soloing.

Hand Size Comfortability

Everyone has a different hand size, and that's why it's recommended to try a guitar before buying, even if others tell you that it's comfortable to play. However, we can know whether a guitar favors small or large hands just by knowing its exact measurements.

And after taking into account the scale length, nut width, neck profile and fretboard radius, we can conclude that the Fender American Original 50s Telecaster favors large hands more than the Charvel USA Select San Dimas Style 2 HH FR.

Charvel USA Select San Dimas Style 2 HH FR:
Big Hands
Small Hands
Fender American Original 50s Telecaster:
Big Hands
Small Hands

Fret Size

Charvel USA Select San Dimas Style 2 HH FR Frets Size
Charvel USA Select San Dimas Style 2 HH FR's Frets Size
Fender American Original 50s Telecaster Frets Size
Fender American Original 50s Telecaster's Frets Size

The Charvel USA Select San Dimas Style 2 HH FR has Jumbo frets, which should be taller than the Fender American Original 50s Telecaster's Vintage Tall frets.

Some people prefer taller frets because they result in more sustain since the strings get pressed cleanly without interference from the fretboard. However, if they're too tall—like Jumbo frets—, you might change the pitch of the strings accidentally if you press too hard because you won't be touching the fretboard with your fingers. This is also why some guitarists with a heavy grip prefer smaller frets. They like to feel the fingerboard to avoid pressing down too hard and getting out of pitch.

Final Playability Scores

Charvel USA Select San Dimas Style 2 HH FR
Bending & Vibrato Ease 70
Chord Playability 60
Solo Playability 80
Playability 70
Fender American Original 50s Telecaster
Bending & Vibrato Ease 65
Chord Playability 90
Solo Playability 50
Playability 68

Specs Side-by-Side

Charvel USA Select San Dimas Style 2 HH FR vs Fender American Original 50s Telecaster
General Charvel USA Select San Dimas Style 2 HH FR Fender American Original 50s Telecaster
Brand: Charvel Fender
Year: 2016 2018
Configuration: HH SS
Strings: 6 6
Made in: United States United States
Series: USA Select American Original
Colors: Black, Red, White Satin, Purple Satin Yellow
Left-Handed Version: No Yes
Body
Type: Solid Body Solid Body
Body Material: Alder Ash
Bridge: Floyd Rose Original Double-Locking 2-Point Tremolo 3-Saddle American Vintage Strings-Through-Body Tele with Brass Saddles
Neck
Neck Joint: Bolt-On Bolt-On
Tuners: Charvel-Branded Die-Cast Pure Vintage Single Line Fender Deluxe
Fretboard: Maple Maple
Neck Material: Quartersawn Maple Maple
Decoration: Black Dot Black Dot
Scale Size: 25.5" 25.5"
Shape: Charvel Speed Fender Vintage U
Thickness: 1st Fret: 0.77'' (19.6mm) - 12th Fret: 0.83'' (21.1mm) 1st Fret: 0.88'' (22.4mm) - 12th Fret: 0.99'' (25.1mm)
Frets: 22 Jumbo Nickel Silver 21 Vintage Tall Nickel Silver
Fretboard Radius: 12" to 16" 9.5"
Nut: Locking Bone
Nut Width: 42.9mm (1.688'') 42mm (1.654'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickup: DiMarzio Super Distortion DP100 (Humbucker / Passive) Fender Pure Vintage 52 Single-Coil Tele (Single Coil / Passive)
Middle Pickup:
Neck Pickup: DiMarzio PAF Pro DP151 (Humbucker / Passive) Fender Pure Vintage 52 Single-Coil Tele (Single Coil / Passive)
Switch: 5 Way 3 Way
Knobs: Dome Dome
Pickup Mods: None None
Volume Controls: 1 1
Tone Controls: 0 1