Charvel 650XL

1990 (the serial number is on the last fret)
Standard options: Blue/Black sparkel, neck through with matching headstock. Large "toothpaste" logo. Cream binding on neck and hs. Sharkfins on rosewood.
My Mods: Active EMG's (85-S,S), new electronics, Chrome Shaller tunners, Floyd/lock & strap locks, EVH D-Tuna, and chrome vol knob. Blocked the trem. Tone removed and replaced with painted cap, Pre-amp replaced with on/off toggle.

Prior to upgrades it was all show and no go. The stock Jackson pu's and pre-amp were lousy. The Black hardware was ok but I knew it would look elegant with chrome, so I switched it out. After the EMG's it was pretty much a metal-only guitar. The tonal capabilities were limited to high-gain rock. The trem was always stiff and speed on the neck was never as good as a Jackson soloist. It was a good guitar for heavy, down stroke metal material but not comfortable for soloing or prog metal. The D-Tuna was a worthy function.

Crafstmanship was excellent. The stock components fit perfectly and my replacement parts fit just as well. Action was never an issue. Floyd was stiff, regardless of how I adjusted springs. I though the Shaller would solve it, wrong. I always felt like I played slower on it.

It's built like a tank. I've had a LP snap the headstock before. You'd think Charvels would be prone to points busting off. I've seen very few with show ending damage. It broke strings often.

n/a

Been playing 25 years. I own(ed) Charvels and Jacksons. I currently has a Charvel Custom Shop model as well. I sold this 650xl to a friend in need. I parted ways because it never really lived up to my expectation as "close to a Jackson Soloist". It looked like a Soloist but it never felt like one. It was great for rhythm playing and if you did numetal - or down stroke, drop tuning, easy grind stuff. I couldn't pull off speed picking and fast neck flurries on the 650 like I can do on my Custom Shop San Dimas.

I still keep a pic of it hanging up because it was a cool looking guitar.

I wouldn't buy another but rather I'd buy a real Jackson Soloist.

made in japan in 1989,neck trough body,alder(i guess) wing and maple neck,25.5 scale and 24 freets over a very dark rosewood freetboard, standard jackson machine head,schaller double locking recessed tremolo,i bought mine used and the old owner close the hole of the middle pu and changed the stock pu with a emg 81 on the bridge and a duncan hot rails on the neck,volume and tone controls and a 3 way pu selector,there is a third control for the mid-bost,sparkling black over a solid top

ver very very loud,maybe too much...no way if u search a good clean sound,clean chanel sounds like a crucnh,overdrive chanel sounds like hell...extremly hard sound perfect for trash,death and black metal...very rich of harmonics,i play it with a fender mh500 head trough 4x12 cab loaded with celestion rock drive-pro...working with the tone and volume controls dosen't change much the things...but who cares?i bought it for extreme metal...and those axe seems to be born for that

everything is nice...this guitar is 20 years old,no rust on the brigde,the only flaw...there is a little part were the paint is different were the neck meet the body

perfect

i play since 8 years,and during the time my musical taste have changed and with them the guitar that i was looking for...now i play children of bodom,windir,moonsorow,nargaroth,arch enemy(a bit of all scandinavian death and black) and i can compare this guitar to an esp mII owne by my brother and to a jackson rr24(my other axe)...well the mII is very similar maybe the original flyod is better,and u can get more sound out the esp...but the sound i need is just one...talking bout the rr24 i think ill bring it back at the shop because the charvel do the same but 1000 times better,no problem with the down tuning...if an a#shole only try to steel it i will probably kill him in the same and painfull way that burzum killed mayhem

My Jackson Charvel is an awesome guitar made in Japan and has 24 frets. It's really rare with the serial number stamped on the neck and the floyd rose bridge with fine tuning. Then it has a strat shaped body with a flamed out finish. My charvel is blue and has texas special pickups and a humbucker. The tuning is locked on the top of the neck but comes with 2 L keys to unlock it. There are 3 controls on my guitar volume, tone, and gain.

My guitar sounds awesome it can sound like a strat or it can sound like a really metal guitar, the sound quality is awesome the only thing is you have to constatly change the battery to keep it sounding great, and it takes a 9 volt battery.

I don't think my guitar has any flaws, i mean its 16 years old and in perfect condition. The volume button needs to be fixed but other than that its perfect.

This guitar has gone through hell and back and it still sounds awesome. Its been carried so many places and gone through everything and still is a great guitar.

I've only been playing my guitar for 8 months now and i've compared it to a $4400 Gibson Black Beauty and my guitar over powers it by far, and i've also compared it to strats and teles but nothings com close to my Jackson!!!! IT's a BEAUT!

Listed: $1200 purchased for $650 NEW from now defunk Guitar Plus Chicago, IL in the summer of 1989. My first "Real" Guitar Major upgrade from the $125 Fender Squire Super Strat that I cut my musical teeth on.
My 1989 Japanese Made Jackson/Charvel 650 Custom (650XL) sports a tits Maple Neck-thru contruction topped with 24 jumbo frets laid on a sweet rosewood with pearl shark tooth inlays fret board. The once Pearl White finish has faded to yellow, but the Jackson active pickups (2 SC+ 1 bridge humbucker) 5 way selector haven't faided at all. Still bright and clear after 15 nasty years. Early on I added a coil tap selector switch to bypass my 5 way to go direct to my Hot Humbucker for jumping on the leads. Replaced the Floyd Rose copy with a real Floyd Rose after the Schaller's pivot points had worn enought to affect my intonation.

This axe smokes anything in is price range and beyond. The active Jackson pickups are as versitle as any you will find. If you want sustain the neck-thru combinded with the hot electronics will allow that tone to ring out for ever. I play through Marshall JCM900 50 watt Dual Reverb head through 2x12 JCM2000 cabinet these days. I through my Quadraverb into the mix with some compression and I get pretty much whatever tones I want.

I pretty much played metal for about 10 years mixed with a wide varrity of punk, classic rock and blues. The guitar covers all very well. I have been dabbling with country lately...I will have to report back in a few months. I have yet to figure out what country is all about.

When I saw the Pearl White finish and picked up this axe for the first time. I was played so well I thought I was a good guitarist for the first time (up to that point...15 years ago). The guitar seems to play itself. I had never played a guitar that my hand just felt "right". The guy that set that axe up at the guitar store said this was the best Japanese guitar he had ever setup for the sales floor and he did not overstate it at all!

As far as durability is concerned, this guitar has survived many drunken slips, crashes, and falls. The original Schaller floating trem's pivot points wore out after a couple of years of 5-6 hrs/day of play and aside from the volume pot that needs a squirt of "electrican in a can" (a.k.a. electrical contact cleaner)after the guitar took a spill on the concrete this thing is still going strong. The finish faded after years of playing in a warehouse where it was exposed to oils, dusts, dirt and pretty much an assortment of varrious toxic wastes. Through the years the cracks in the finish and the dents in the head and neck have added lots of charecter to the guitar I love. I will have this guitar I'm sure for the rest of my life. The jumbo frets are ready to be replaced because there is pretty much nothing left to rework in places, but the action is still 80% buzz free and still very low.

I've been playing for 18 years and I would search high and low for another '89 - 650 Custom. It just rocks!

Made in 1990 in Japan. Neck-thru construction. Same guitar as Jackson USA soloist except it has a rosewood fretboard instead of ebony. All hardware is very nice including the locking trem. Why spend money on a USA Jackson, this guitar is every bit as good. The rosewood fretboard is great and is bound nicely. I love the sharkfin inlays and the toothpaste logo. This is the all time coolest strat shaped body I have ever seen. Very sleek and comfortable to play. Pegboard design is kind of radical for church but it looks cool.

This guitar cranks! The stock pickups are great for metal and they have an incredible clean sound too. I used to play metal and now play Praise & Worship at church. I've only used it a couple times at church (clean with chourus and delay)and the soundman loved it.The active mid-range boost gives this guitar a great edge. This baby will sustain forever. Full spectrum of highs & lows all sound great.

Paint is great. Except for the usual very minor pick marks under the strings the finish still looks new. I am dead serious. This guitar is 13 years old and I can't believe how great the finish has held up. The clear on the binding has yellowed but people always ask me if it's a new guitar when they see it. The color is metalic magenta, kind of a purple red mix. I like it but my tastes have changed and I now wish it was sunburst or natural. Great fit & finish all around.

It is a tank. Built to last. Body and hardware are great. I like the heavy weight of it. What I really like is that it reminds me of a superstrat with a Les Paul neck. I don't like how the black color on the hardware comes off. Mine only has very minor loss of black on one of the fine tune screws but this guitar was ultra-babied. I like the SKB case with the Charvel toothpaste logo. Still smells new when I open the case.

I am the original owner and I have never needed customer support because this guitar is very well made.

I've played for 24 years. Led Zep, Ozzy, country, and now Praise & Worship. My main electric is my Fender American Standard Telecaster. I use a Digitech RP3 and a Peavey Classic Chorus 212 amp, and Taylor 810 Acoustic. I learned on a Les Paul and really miss having one. This is an incredible guitar but as far as looks go I prefer something more traditional now. If I could make a deal for a good Les Paul I could say goodbye to this one. If not I'll play it. Don't use trem bar too much. I would rather have a stoptail bridge.

Made in Japan in 1990, this Charvel is a neckthru superstrat guitar, an exact copy of American Jackson Soloists of that time, except for the fretboard, which is made of rosewood. It's got 24 large jumbo frets.

It's got 3 Jackson pickups (a J-50BC humbucker, and two J-200 stacked single coils) and an Active Midboost system (J-1200). The pickups sound great, though I don't like active electronics.

It's got a Ferrari Red metallic finish which looks amazing and has almost no wear at all. The guitar's neck is made of maple and the body wings are poplar.

It's got a Jackson/Schaller Floyd Rose (Jackson J-590) which is just as good or better than an Original Floyd Rose. In 13 years it hasn't deteriorated at all and the guitar keeps in tune, no matter how much I may abuse the tremolo.

I live in Spain and bought the guitar from Italy. When it arrived through air post, it was still in tune, after all those pressure and temperature changes. Amazing!!!

It included a Charvel hardcase.

I like the sound of the active pickups, they are very suitable for 80s metal and hard rock. The single coils sound amazing, no complaints there; but the bridge humbucker can be a bit harsh at high gain.

I may swap them for passive pickups, perhaps some new Bill Lawrence's.

It was properly set-up, since I got it second hand.

The guitar has a couple of dings, one on the tip of the headstock and the other on the bottom of the body. Nothing important really. Finish is hard as a rock, I wouldn't try to repaint it.

It doesn't look like being 13 years old!

I seems this guitar will last forever! It's built like a tank and feels a heavier and more reliable than other Superstrats I've tried (fragile Ibeenhad RGs, yuk). The Floyd Rose is surprisingly dependable, I've hardly ever broken any string with it. I'd use it without a backup

This guitar was build 13 years ago, so there's no warranty left now.

This Charvel is better built any than import axe made nowadays. It beats all Ibanez and ESP overvalued guitars. I'd never change it for an Ibanez JEM or RG fragile Jackson copy.

I think this guitar should cost double, even second-hand. The perfect substitute for an American Jackson SL1, much better than the current Japanese SL3.

Japan made 650 XL pro. Bought it new in 1988 in Canterbury in Kent in UK. Initial problem with nut height, which was cured by removing and chiselling down the neck so I could play F without going into cramp!

24 jumbo "railway sleeper" frets. Clear white finish which has now yellowed quite horribly. 5 way selector and the standard pick up configuration as sold with guitar. I.e. Jackson pick-ups and electronics througout. 1xHB 2xSC
Not sure of body wood? Alder I think? Rosewood fingerboard.
Super strat design through neck.
Bridge is a licensed schaller floyd rose copy trem system.
Tuners are marked as Jackson so I guess schaller as well.

I have played lots of different styles of music from dance, to rock, AOR, metal etc I am currently playing punk. Go to http://www.mp3.com/jesterpunkuk to here our music. The lead guitar is me and it is the 650XL. It suits this music well because of the beefed midrange on the bridge pick-up. I play through a rack system GSP2101 Digitech pre amp into four Eminence speaker powered at 500 watts. This beats most PA's if I want but its more about clarity than anything else. This guitar will do any style with ease it is the most versatile instrument I have ever pick-up. Once you master the tone controls you can turn the boost down on the bridge pick up to get an almost strat type sound and with the boost in the sound is very thick and full. By moving the selector to the neck position and turning the EQ/boost pot (furthest one) down you can get amazing blues sounds. I have had the same problem as a previous writer with the bridge pick up being too hot for my gear so I have lowered this pick up so its level with the body and the sound is now amazing it really brings out the depth of the wood/through neck and really comes into its own when soloing. I recently borrowed a 1968 vintage Gibson SG Standard and while for rhythm the guitar was very nice indeed, for lead it didn't come close to the Charvel!
There is no noise from any of the pick ups.
Sometimes the bridge pick up is too much and I can see the benefit of swapping to an EMG or Dimarzio but I haven't done so.

The guitar was set up by a plum! As I said earlier you couldn't play an F bar chord without going into cramp but after some hammer and chisel and neck adjustment I can get the action almost as low as a Jackson soloist if I want. It came with the famous "bow and arrow" action!!

There were no other problems with the guitar at the time of purchase.

This guitar is very solid it has been dropped, kicked, pranged you name it and its still going strong :-)

I have been playing live non stop since I purchased this instrument in 1988 and apart from string breakages (because I'm handfisted!!) it has never let me down.

The only hardware issues I had were the tiny anvil pieces in the saddles broke but these were easily purchased and replaced. I have also renewed the locking nut, but I think that is to be expected after a certain amount of abuse.

The neck still plays beautifully, but the body finish has faded badly from white to a creamy yellow.

Strap buttons have been replaced with a locking system..

This guitar is my first choise at every gig, I use a recently purchased Jackson PS2 as a spare which I have modified with a dimarzio super distortion and the Charvel still gets my vote the Jackson build quality seems no where near as good, while the actual wood of the guitar is OK the hardware seems of very poor and cheap quality which is very disappointing.

Never had to use it yet??

I have been playing for over twenty years. I own a Digitech GSP 2101 guitar pre-amp processor connected to an A&B Graphic routed through an old M&M 500 stereo power amp into two 2x12 eminence 300 watt (each speaker) speaker cabinets. All controlled with a midi footswitch. Back to the future ! BLAM!!
I wish I had asked for a 50% discount!! because of the unjustifiable depreciation this guitar has.
I would definately search out another one if I lost it, or invest in a Jackson soloist (if I could get the mortgage!) The versatility of the guitar would be irreplaceable.
I hate the way the paintwork has faded, it needs respraying! My favourite feature is the different sounds you can get with all the pick-ups, the tone pots actually do something!!
I compared it to the Jackson soloist at the time of purchase, the soloist was double the price for roughly the same guitar...
I wish I had a new 650XL.. ( or a soloist)
Why don't the Japs make em like that now, I'm so disappointed with my Jackson PS2 the quality control seem to have been abandonned which is a great shame, while the appearance of the new guitars are quite stunning the quality of the hardware is almost toy-like :-(. Come on boys you did it before so do it again!!

bought this guitar at guitar den about 6 months ago and im eating it up!! i love the active electronics, really gives it a growl! super super hot pickups, and are worth just what i payed for the guitar alone! soloist body, schaller floyd rose, neck through, these guitars are very rare and are worth alot, from what i heard from the local music store, the person tat bought this guitar new paid over 1000, and the music store said i could easyily get 700 for it.

the sound is great, i love those pickups! i play alot of ozzy, and also alot of stuff like vai and satch, and i get a great sound with the 5 way selctor switch in any postion, i play this guitar thought a marshall stack and love the tone

this thing feels as good as my 1984 les paul studio! the action was low (the way i like it) when i got it, the guitar really suits me well for the stlye i play, the finsh is starting to get to the point where its starting to get to that point where if the guitar gets a dent or chip, the fish wont fall off but will sink in, which is good (i think)

this damn thing is bulit like a tank! the thing has some nicks but i have droped it once a thought it was the end for that guitar, lets put it this way, the damn thing didnt go out if tune!!

Never worked with jackson/charvel

i love this thing! and i would never sell it for anything!! pickups, electronics, body, everything is great, and if your looking at this deciding if you should get one or not i say go for it!

Basically, the 650xl was a Japanese-made Jackson Soloist that was produced between 1989-91. The '90-'91 catalog lists them as the "650 Custom", but it's the same exact guitar as the 650xl. The serial number on mine indicates it was made in 1989. The 650xl was a continuation of the earlier Charvel Model 6 that had been produced from 1986-88. The changeover to the 650xl name included the following changes:

--Jackson-made JT-6 Floyd Rose copy tremolo on the Model 6 switched to the vastly superior Schaller-made JT-590. The 590 is very high quality--equal to an original Floyd Rose bridge.

--Kahler-style behind the nut string lock on the Model 6 replaced with a Floyd Rose-style locking nut. The locking nut provides easier fine tuning when changing strings because engaging the clamps causes less tuning change than on the Kahler string lock system.

--Toggle switches for each pickup on the Model 6 replaced with a standard Strat-style 5-way blade switch.

--Logo on headstock changed from old-style "guitar-shaped" logo to the word 'Charvel' in the same font used for Jacksons--commonly called the "toothpaste" logo because it resembles toothpaste that's been squeezed out to form the word 'Charvel'! :) Anyway, this is the easiest way to tell the 650xl apart from the Model 6.

Apart from these differences, the Model 6 and 650xl are identical. Structurally, the 650xl has a maple neck-thru construction with poplar body wings and a rosewood fretboard. The electronics are a Jackson J-50 bridge humbucker pickup and J-200 'stacked' humbucking single coils in the neck and middle. The pickups are passive, but they are routed through an active (battery-operated) mid-boost circuit that makes them quite hot with the boost fully dialed in.

Apart from the fact that the Jackson USA Soloist has an ebony fretboard, the 650xl is structurally and functionally identical to its pricey US-made brother. It has pretty much all the features that a metalhead guitarist would want, so I give it a high rating.

How 'bout some metal???? The maple and poplar woods, along with the neck-thru construction, give the 650xl a fairly bright sound, but still deep because the guitar is fairly heavy and substantial. Ideal for most forms of metal music. Tonally, the neck-thru construction has several advantages: longer sustain, better intonation on the higher frets, and better note definition on high distortion settings. This note definition makes the 650xl a powerful axe when detuned if you play speed or death metal. Personally, I'm more of a shredder, but I also love the note clarity and definition all up and down the neck. The only downside I can see to the neckthru is that all that clarity can lead to a somewhat "clinical" sound compared to a bolt-on guitar--you probably won't be getting Eddie Van Halen's "brown sound" with this guitar. This 'clinical' sound issue is also true, I think, compared to more traditional set-necks like a Les Paul. The 650xl is meant to play heavily overdriven metal. It'll do other things (blues, jazz, classic rock), but it's not really meant for those styles and won't show off as well. Some claim that pick harmonic "squeals" are difficult with this instrument--that hasn't been my experience. But this guitar is definitely for the metalhead who wants a more aggressive, full-throated sound that you wouldn't get through an Ibanez or such.

As far as the pickups go, well, I don't personally like the sound of the Jackson humbucker bridge pickup in this guitar. It seems very harsh and muddy compared to an EMG-81, which sounded great in another very similar Charvel neck-thru I used to own (a Model 5). But the great thing about these old Charvel neck-thrus is that they can be bought so cheap these days that they make a great platform for switching pickups--no 'collectabilty' issues whatsoever. Personally, I plan on getting at least one or two more Model 6's or 650xl's for different tunings that I use--but also to have several different pickup combinations. The J-200 pickups in the neck and middle sound great, in my opinion. They are 'stacked' humbuckers--meaning one single coil stacked on top of another to form a hum-canceling pickup that has a sound somewhat in between a real humbucker and a real single coil--but no background hum at all! I don't plan on changing these out unless I switch to a EMG in the bridge position--and then I would only change because it is very difficult to mix EMG's with other pickups in the same guitar due to EMG's requiring low-impedance volume/tone pots that don't work with traditional high-impedance pickups. Another issue for changing the stock neck/middle pickups: the 650xl has narrow routing for these pickups that fit them well but wouldn't work for other manufacturers' single coils, which have a little "lip" at their base that won't fit into the 650xl's routs. EMG single coils don't have this "lip" and will fit fine into a 650xl. But almost any other option and you're going to have to do some surgery on the guitar--something to think about if you get one and don't like the J-200's.

The mid-boost circuit sounds pretty hot going into a regular guitar amplifier. But it makes it more difficult to get a good clean sound, since it greatly boosts the output level from the guitar. I only do home studio stuff nowadays and plug into a Behringer V-Amp or Digitech 2101 preamp direct into the board. And the J-50 pickup with the mid-boost way overloads these units, causing a less pleasant sound, since neither preamp was meant to have a really hot signal coming in. Time for a pickup change, and a mid-boost circuit removal!!

As a result of all this, I give the 650xl a moderatly low rating for sound, but this would greatly improve with different pickups.

I bought my 650xl used about ten years after the last one left the factory, so I have no idea how well it was set up originally. But my guitar needed work after I brought it home--no fault of Jackson/Charvel, though. Some turkey had put, like, 13-gauge strings on it but didn't bother to readjust the spring tension on the bridge, which was bent way forward in a comical and unplayable fashion. About 30 minutes with new .09-.42 strings and a bunch of screwdriver adjustments to the tremolo springs brought the trem into alignment and the action down to an almost unbelievably perfect low level above the frets. When set up properly, this guitar almost plays itself. Currently, I use .10-.46 strings on it because I have it tuned down to D. And yes, I readjusted the tremolo spring tension when I did that! :) Living in the Mid-Atlantic region where we have hot humid summers and very cold winters means that I have to adjust the truss rod pretty frequently. But this is true of all my guitars and basses, and the 650xl is no worse in this regard than my other instruments, and actually more stable than most.

The bridge pickup is quite hot, so I lowered it a bit so that it wouldn't interfere with the string action. The magnetic pull on strings by pickups causes them to be tighter and vibrate less. By lowering the pickup, I loosened the string action by increasing the distance from string to pole piece--making it easier to play and bend strings and improving sustain. And the pickup is so hot that it doesn't impact the output level--and to the extent it does, I consider that a good thing. The volume balance between the pickups is still great even with the bridge pickup lowered.

One great thing about the 650xl is that the hardware is all top-notch stuff. At that time, Jackson/Charvel used the same high-quality materials on its Japanese-made guitars that it put on the expensive USA guitars. So the bridge, tuners, pots, etc. are all good stuff that don't need replacing, even after a decade.

The fret job, given a good polish when I got the guitar home, is nicely smooth. I believe these frets are Dunlop 6105 wire--not quite as absurdly jumbo as the 6100 wire used on some other Jackson/Charvels, but still plenty jumbo to allow for great speed playing and string bending. The finish on the frets is very good, although probably not quite as good as you'd find on a USA Jackson. Fret finishing is handwork, and obviously the USA craftsmen are going to put that extra little effort into it that the mass-production Japanese guys would not, considering that the USA Jacksons are very expensive guitars. That said, the frets on this and other Japanese Charvels I've played are better than most and more than good enough for an accomplished player.

Very high rating in this category

This thing's a tank. Nothing on the guitar has worn out in the 13 years since it was built. Apart from the expected normal dents and dings, the finish looks brand new--very thick and lustrous. The hardware (bridge, pots, tuners) are all still functioning as new. The frets show almost no wear.

And I seem to see lots of these '86-'91 Charvel neckthrus (Model 5, Model 6, 650xl) still around in used guitar stores and pawnshops. They were built to last by a company that gave a damn about even its Japanese mass production guitars. And they were not cheap guitars when new, so most haven't been given the "Pete Townshend Treatment." :) Sadly, I don't think the newer foreign-built Jacksons are quite the same. They use cheaper hardware now, even if the workmanship is still high. But if you find a old Charvel neck-thru, even if it hasn't been treated well, a little TLC can fix it right up in most cases. Another great factor here is that the JT-590 bridge is completely interchangeable on these guitars with an original Floyd Rose or a current Schaller Floyd Rose copy--meaning if the original bridge's knife edge pivot points or anchor pins wear out, you can plop in a new Floyd or Schaller with no body modifications. And all Floyd-style bridges DO wear out eventually if the trem is used very much. More good news: the JT-6 on the earlier Model 6 is also fully interchangeable--this is good because the JT-6 bridge has a bad reputation for wearing out more quickly than real Floyds or Schallers.

I think this is a guitar you can keep for life if you want to. Totally dependable for live use, I would guess. Of course, given that it has a Floyd, you'd better get a backup if you gig with it, since string breakage causes tuning chaos and string changes require a bit of work. Of course, they are so cheap on the used market that you could get two or three for the price of a new Japanese-made Jackson SL3 Soloist.

Very high rating.

Jackson doesn't provide diddly for their old Japanese-made guitars in my experience. Owners of USA-made guitars can do serial number inquiries that will tell them their guitar's date of completion, as well as the guitar's original configuration. But geez, why should you expect the company to support you if you buy a used 650xl rather than their new overpriced SL3??? I will say that Jackson does have a very nice web site that lists details about every production model the company has made, including the 650xl. And the company endorses (but doesn't run) the Jackson/Charvel Forum, www.jcfonline.com, which is an excellent bulletin board where you can find the answers to all sorts of Jackson/Charvel questions.

Want an expensive Jackson Soloist but don't have the $$$ or want to spend it that way? Simple. Get a used 650xl--pretty much the same thing as the Soloist for hundreds of dollars less.

650xl's are harder to find than Model 6's because I don't believe nearly as many were made. By 1990, Jackson had introduced its Japanese "Professional" line, including the Soloist Professional that was built to the exact specifications of a USA Soloist. So Jackson had two very similar Japanese-made Soloists in production at the same time--some wacky marketing going on there, huh? But the Soloist Professional had an ebony fretboard, metal cover plates on the back, and said "Jackson" on the headstock--little wonder that it drove the 650xl into extinction even though the Pro cost more than the 650xl. That said, Jackson's loss is your gain, since you can pick up a used 650xl (or a Model 6) these days for under $400--way under that if you look hard enough like I did.

I really can't say enough positive about the 650xl. If it were stolen I'd certainly want another one. I would probably buy an easier-to-find Model 6 as an initial replacement, but I would jump on the next 650xl that I found--their hardware gives them the edge over the Model 6. And even a pickup change is no big deal--a Bill Lawrence 500xl or an EMG-81 would be perfect for the 650xl and turn it into a monster machine that probably still costs less than Paul Reed Smith's lunch tab!! :)

I think this is a -88 model, made in Japan. 24 freets with neck trough. 5 way strat selector and volume, tone and drive knobs. Original Jackson Hm + 2 Sc active, later changed the Hm to a SD. I don't know of what sort of wood the guitars made of. It's a customart since it's a desert crackle. Bridge Schaller locking. came with a hardcase saying Charvel by Jackson

I play mostly old Lizzy covers, and ever since I changed the pickup the guitar is giving me what I'm looking for. Just bought a Marshall TSL 60 using a Zoom on the loop, major push. I dislike the fact that the customart is on the back of the neck, it lowers the feel. The neck Sc gave up a few yars ago, but hey who cares about a neck pickup.

Quality is OK, 4th freet is lose, and one pickup is gone.

The guitar will outlive me, I've played a lot and the finish is still like it just came out from the factory. Using it with out a backup......equipped with Floyd Rose, who dares.

Never had the opportunety

Recomendable for any type of music or level of musician.

I own 2 of these. The first is a pearl blue and was made in or around '89. The second is metallic black and I am guessing it was made in '91. Both have Active Jackson electronics with mid-boost. Has a Jackson J200 in Neck and Middle Positions, and a J50 (I'm not sure if it's a J50b or J50bc) 5 way toggle switch with a volume, tone, and mid-boost knob. Floyd Rose copy by Schaller and locking nut. 24 big frets. The tuners just say Jackson on them. Neck through body construction. Shark fins inlays (why would you own a charvel or jackson without the sharkfins?) Cream-colored binding on the fretboard. The main difference is that on the blue guitar, the pickup covers have a raised Jackson logo. On the black guitar, the pickup covers have the Jackson logo silkscreened on. I prefer the raised pickup covers. These guitars were made in Japan.

The pickups are really quiet. I have never really found a lead sound that I liked, but I have never experimented much with that. I just turned everything up. It sounds better with distortion than on clean, but the clean sounds are passable. I keep one tuned standard, the other tuned 1/2 step down. I would say that the guitar tuned 1/2 step down sounds much better, so I think this guitar is better suited for that. Neither guitar is very good for playing harmonics. However, for metal rythm playing, this guitar is great.

The blue one I bought new, so it was great. I raised the pickups a little. I put 10-52 strings on, which some say is a little heavy for a Floyd, but the tech that did it adjusted the bridge and added some strings. The guitar plays just fine. Minimum of fret buzz. The black one I bought used, and the previous owner did not take very good care of it. The neck was extremely bent, lots of chips in the finish, the 19th fret was popping out and needed replaced anyway. Some of the parts are rusting, however, that can be fixed with a little oil. No big deal. However, in a testament to how good these guitars were made, the tech I took it to, (same guy as worked on the blue one) was able to fix the 19th fret, file down the sharp edges on the other ones, set the black one to have the same measurements as the blue one and did it all in one hours time. (Thus saving me lots of $$$$ on labor). I was able to help get rid of some of the finish problems with lots of Maguires #7 car polish. Also, on the black one, I had to modify the string gauge to accomodate the alternate tuning. The black one uses 52-48-42-18(p)-14-11. The action is very low and even, due to design of Floyd Rose. The drawback is that Floyds do not allow you to develop finger strength in your left hand. If you do not believe me, try playing barre cords on a floyd, then on a fixed bridge. However, the low action allows for extremely fast playing. Also, the black guitar seems to have better sustain when I use the whammy bar.

I can only rate the blue one in this category. I would say that if you take care of these things properly, they are very reliable and durable. As described above, the black one was transformed from a mediocre guitar to a really good one in short order and a minimum of work. So I would say that helps the reliability/durability. However, the binding does yellow with age, but this in no way affects playability, so who cares. Also, the body is made of Poplar, which does not take kindly to have screws screwed in and out often. This really sucks since the active electronics require a 9-volt battery which has to be changed every so often.

At one point, I thought the pickup was going microphonic. (It just turns out it was the setting on my Boss Metal Zone pedal) I wrote to Jackson customer service, and they told me that the parts I would need are still being made and overall were very cool about answering my questions about the guitar. They could have easily said that they make Jacksons and don't deal with Charvels, but they understand their legacy.

Overall, I would rate this an 8 1/2. This guitar can take punishment, plays great for metal, ok for other styles. This guitar can be whipped back into good shape in relatively short order. This guitar just looks awesome, really well made for a Japanese guitar. Some minor irritations due to use of soft Poplar wood. I have both loved and abused (through playing) these guitars, and they have not failed me. I searched 4 years to find the black one, so that shows that people don't want to give these guitars up. When and if I have money, if I find more of these, I will buy them up.