A particularly cool and increasingly difficult to find 1989 Charvel 550 XL in Candy Red, presented here in very good condition and with a substantial number of tasteful modifications that give this guitar a very distinctive blacked-out, stealth appearance.

The guitar has clearly been well cared for throughout its life and is in genuinely stunning condition for a 35-plus-year-old instrument. The most obvious sign of age is the natural fading to the Candy Red finish, which is visible in our photographs and, in our opinion, adds to the character of the instrument rather than detracting from it. There are no major knocks or significant damage to report, and overall this is an exceptionally clean example for its age.

It is worth making clear from the outset that this is a heavily modified instrument. We believe the original pickups have been replaced with EMG active pickups, along with much of the original electronics. The original pickups and electronics are sadly not included with the guitar. GOTOH tuners have also been fitted, together with much of the hardware having been changed to create the very cool blacked-out appearance you see today.

The tremolo is an original period-correct black replacement, and the combination of the black hardware, black pickups and Candy Red finish works extremely well. It gives the guitar a purposeful, understated look that is very much in keeping with the high-performance Charvel aesthetic of the period.

None of the original hardware is included with the guitar. The rear tremolo cavity cover is also missing, as is the tremolo arm, so these points should be taken into consideration when viewing the instrument.

The Charvel 550 XL sits firmly within the great era of Japanese-built Charvel guitars, when the company was producing instruments aimed squarely at serious players looking for fast necks, high-performance hardware and the kind of playability associated with the emerging superstrat market.

The 550 XL design is a classic example of this approach. The combination of a fast-playing neck, double-cutaway body, high-performance tremolo system and powerful pickup configuration makes these guitars particularly appealing to players who enjoy rock and heavier styles but still want the responsiveness and playability of a well-made Strat-derived instrument.

With the EMG active pickups currently fitted, this particular example has its own personality and is very much a player's instrument rather than a museum-piece example. The active electronics give the guitar a powerful, immediate response with plenty of output, a tight low end and a focused midrange, while retaining the clarity and attack required for higher-gain playing. The result is a guitar that feels right at home with saturated valve amplification, where the combination of strong pickup output and the fast response of the Charvel platform can really come into its own.

The Candy Red finish remains particularly striking, and the natural fading visible in the photographs gives the guitar a slightly more subdued appearance than it would have had when new. Against the black hardware, it looks fantastic.

This guitar has been through our onsite workshop where it has been inspected and checked over by our team. It is ready to be enjoyed by its next owner and represents a particularly interesting opportunity for someone looking for an older Charvel with genuine character rather than an untouched example.

Please note that, due to the extensive modifications, this guitar should be considered on its own merits rather than as an original specification collector's example. The original pickups, electronics and hardware are not included, and the rear tremolo cavity cover and tremolo arm are missing.

A very cool, very clean and highly individual Charvel from 1989, with an appearance and specification that give it a character all of its own.

Charvel 550 XL Candy Red 1989