In the Studio: Unveiling the Legend of the Blue Charvel

🎸 studio is often a silent witness to history, and today, we are diving deep into a true rock and roll artifact: Jake E. Lee’s iconic blue Charvel number two guitar. This magnificent instrument is more than just wood and wire; it is a tangible piece of the hard rock lineage, holding the DNA of one of Ozzy Osbourne’s most recognizable tracks.

⚡️ The Ultimate Sin’s Electrifying Connection

While Jake E. Lee is perhaps most instantly associated with his distinctive white “Charvel-ized” Fender Strat, his blue burst Charvel held a critical role during his tenure with the Prince of Darkness. This specific axe gained notoriety throughout the pivotal Bark at the Moon and The Ultimate Sin eras. Its most famous contribution to the Ozzy discography is its starring role on the legendary track, “Lightning Strikes,” off the 1986 album, The Ultimate Sin. The track is a quintessential 80s rocker, defined by its driving rhythm and Lee’s signature blend of blues-infused shredding, a tone indelibly linked to this guitar.

💎 Dissecting a Masterpiece

The Blue Burst model is a testament to the “hot-rodded” aesthetic that defined Charvel. The unique color, often a striking Blue Burst finish on a poplar San Dimas body, immediately catches the eye. However, its real magic lies in its electronics. It typically features a customized Seymour Duncan JB Alnico II humbucking pickup in the bridge position—renowned for its versatile range from warm cleans to aggressive distortion.

This is paired with two powerful single-coil DiMarzio SDS-1 pickups in the middle and neck, known for providing extra gain and a darker, deeper tone that perfectly complemented the heavy metal sound of the mid-eighties. The reverse-angled slant of these pickups and the simple layout—often just a five-way blade switch and a single volume knob—speaks to a guitar built for straightforward, no-nonsense rock performance.

🎶 A Thrill for the Player

To hold and play this guitar is to connect directly with the history of the music. Feeling the quartersawn maple neck and the rosewood fingerboard, you can almost hear the familiar roar of “Lightning Strikes.” It’s a thrill to discuss the history behind such a masterpiece—a guitar that helped forge one of the great songs of the decade and cement Jake E. Lee’s status as a guitar hero.