Charvel Fusion Plus

Charvel made by Jackson, made in Japan '89-'91
Strat-style guitar, bolt-on thin maple neck (not as thin as
a Ibanez Wizard), 24 3/4 scale (hence fusion: a strat with
gibson scale) 24 Jumbo frets, rosewood fretboard with offset
small white fretmarkers, OEM Jackson tuners and schaller
locking nut, head matches body finish

Ash body with cherry sunburst finish (that needs getting used
to, Ash isn't the best figured wood, it looks like a plain
wooden board you make a table from....then add a sunburst =)

2 standard jackson pickups J80-bridge J50-neck (not entirely sure)
one volume and one tone.
very nice features are a scalloped neck heel for better acces to the
upper frets, a Schaller made Floyd rose (as good as an original),
and 5 way megaswitch which works in these positions:
#1 neck hum, #2 inner coils of both hums, #3 both hums, #4 outer
coils of both hums, #5 bridge Hum.

even though bought used, I got it with original case
which afer 10 years of use is a little out of whack and one clamp
has broken off (but I still have it)
It's not a full active BC Rich with knobs galore, or Parker Fly,
or Roland Midi-guitar, not even a Ibanez double-edge with piezo
pickup

Who cares? what features are needed to make it a 0 or 10?
It has everything I need

I play with gobs of gain, the overall tone with distortion is full
and dark (reason for me not to change P'ups) but this baby needs 10's
instead of 9-strings for even better tone
it's clean tone is acceptable but the neck p'up doesn't beat the
standard Neck p'up I have in a Jackson KV3
It's nothing really to write home about, but the different settings
give you a very reliable tone for clean playing

but,... I play 90% with distortion and 99% of that time with the
bridge humbucker, they don't sound like Duncan Alnico Pro's
they aren't that "sweet" and nowhere near a Duncan JB: these babies
have "body"
But I have 5 guitars if I need "versatility"
there's no guitar "that ends the needs for all other guitars"
I don't expect it to be a magic wand
and in comparison to a Jackson KV3 and RR1, an Ibanez RG 620, and
an Epiphone Les Paul Custom it holds it's own,..as it should
none of my guitars will go lower than a "7" for that matter
I know what I buy and what I can/need to change

Bought used but the action, intonation, neckrelief were fine,
had to adjust the floyd just a little which took me 5 mins.
the only thing (which was the stores fault) when I tested it it
playd like the strings were sandpaper, it was so hot that day
the sweat was dripping down my asscrack so I thought it was just
sweaty hands, when I came home I realized the strings were pure muck

the finish still looks perfect except for a little buckle-rash
and some idiot called Petrucci put his autograph on the back

10-11 years old and still looks and plays great, a little paintwear
on the trem and VEEEEEEERY smooth tone and volume pots,, same goes
for the tuners, but all work perfectly only had to clean the switch, it's 100% now, tight neck, added straplocks myself

no problems and none expected

I must be honest to say that the Great condition it's in must be
because of the previous owner, he treated it with great care
(but why that damn autograph????? =)
I thank you!

These things have been out of production for alot of years but
Jackson holds a link to JCF (Jackson Charvel Forum): ask there
As for official support, so far I had a couple of questions that
have always and swiftly gotten a reply.
as for parts, labour, etc. Never had problems so can't judge there

it plays like a dream!

I heard Jackson discontinued these because they were on par with
the USA made bolt-ons at a fraction of the USA price
Today these guitars are underrated to say the least, which doesn't
bother me coz I don't have to shell out $$$ just because it was a
special-issue-super-duper-vintage whatchamacallit

keep your eyes out for these babies, great guitars at low second
hand prices!