Mystery: Is it a Jackson or a Charvel?

[dandea45]

[dandea45]

[lepard]

Holy crap ! Look at the tuners. I'm beginning to think this guitar was probably built in early-mid 1985 in the San Dimas shop. I think this is a USA made prototype for the 1986 Japanese production models.

[dandea45]

There's a gasket between the kahler and the body and the only number on the guitar is under the kahler in pencil, j603. the control cover is aluminum instead of plastic. the rollers on the kahler are steel instead of brass.

[lepard]

Sure enough, J0603 would be a February or March 1985 San Dimas guitar. Time to go look at my records for that one.

[lepard]

Well, so much for that idea:

[dandea45]

two very different guitars. The binding on the red has not yellowed and has grooves in it. which I have seen on Jackson soloist customs.

[dandea45]

The Jackson custom shop records show j0603 as a king v, but on the same page,j0609,j0612,j0613,j0622 are all Ferrari red dss Jackson soloist customs, maybe a clerical error?????

[dandea45]

and the lock nut is installed on top of the truss rod cover instead of the cover being cut out to fit the lock.

[dandea45]

The case is g and g, and original to the guitar.

[lepard]

You know what, I think you have the guitar on the cover of the 1986 Charvel Japan catalog. I also think that's a USA San Dimas made guitar.

Last bit of proof: Look at the length of the fretboard after the last fret compared to your black one. It's longer, like the USA guitars. The Japanese guitars have less wood there. Also notice there are no "Jackson" logos on the single coil covers, just like the guitar on the cover of the catalog.

[lepard]

More proof: Notice the standard size bridge humbucker pickup ring as compared to the larger ring on the black 1986 Model 6 which was for the Jackson pickup. 1986 Model 6's came with covered (large size) Jackson humbuckers. Notice the catalog cover guitar also has the smaller pickup, not covered.

[dandea45]

I have been collecting charvel models 30 years, never seen one of these other than the AD and the catalog.

[lepard]

Got a few myself

[dandea45]

Very nice!,,lepard.