Please help me Identify this Guitar

[BLHornyak001]

Hello everyone, First post ever here at JCF! hopefully I can get some help in my process of restoring this old Charvel Jackson that I have, and maybe even make some new acquaintances and friends along the way.

I was given this guitar from my step-fathers adoptive-father several years ago. He had started stripping it down to repaint it himself and of course most of the hardware is missing. I have the body, neck (including the tuners), back plate, back plate spacer, and the neck screws. I have spent many a days google searching to see if I could find any information about what model guitar this is so that I can find replacement hardware and get it back to being a playable guitar.

I am not worried if any of the parts that I have are fake, or if they are import vs US made. At this point I only care about finishing my step grandpas project so that I can have another playable guitar.

Thank you in advance for any help you fine people may be able to provide!

Brennan

Edit: Missed a picture.

http://imageshack.com/a/img922/796/09wqzn.jpg

http://imageshack.com/a/img924/5455/zDsE29.jpg

http://imageshack.com/a/img922/9800/zYTOcm.jpg

http://imageshack.com/a/img922/1627/makMFb.jpg

http://imageshack.com/a/img923/228/LSMltz.jpg

http://imageshack.com/a/img924/3341/pm20Yb.jpg

http://imageshack.com/a/img923/2707/34X2c6.jpg

http://imageshack.com/a/img923/7709/U087ec.jpg

http://imageshack.com/a/img922/4594/MdZWxO.jpg

[Number Of The Priest]

Body doesn't look anything like any Jackson/Charvel around, especially the shape of that electronics cavity route and the control layout which I've never seen before. But like you said, you are not worried that it's not authentic.

The neck is a Model Series neck from somewhere between 1986-1989. These are Japanese necks and are awesome. The neck originally belonged on a Charvel Model 2, 3, or 4. More about the Charvel Model Series in general: http://www.charvelusa.com/charvel_model_series.html

So by now we know the guitar is a parts mutt since the body and neck didn't belong together originally. Since the neck and body were originally mated, I imagine that the guitar intonated properly, otherwise your step-grandfather would not have played this guitar. This suggests to me that the neck pocket on the body is compatible with the Charvel Model Series neck.

[BLHornyak001]

I was starting to lean that way being that I could not find a single Jackson or Charvel body that looked like that with the shape of the cavities, and the holes for pots / switches.

Nice. Thats good news. Thanks for the info. I will be reading up for sure as id like to know more about these guitars anyways. I always wanted a nice Jackson strat body guitar so when this project was handed down to me, I thought it may just be too good to be true.

That make sense. I am not 100% sure that he had it set up and intonated properly as I don't know the history of it other than he was the one tearing it down to paint it. I know that is the case for sure because for his career he used to so auto body work and paint so I know he was more than capable of painting this thing properly.
If it adds to the last bit of your replay, I do know that the neck and body were bolted together when I received them, and I have taken them apart and put them back together numerous times just as a sanity check to make sure in my mind that they do belong together.

Thanks for the reply and the good info. I will continue doing some searching around to see if i can where this body may have come from.

[Mudlark]

Kramer body?

[BLHornyak001]

It certainly does look like a lot of the kramer bodies, but i am not finding one thats exactly like what i have. Ill continue searching. Logically im assuming that if the neck is from the mid to late 80's then the body that was attached when i got it must also be from the same time period. It may be a bad assumption on my part though...

[Mudlark]

The electronics cavity, knob/toggle position look very much like an '80s Kramer Focus 2000, but the front and rear body contours appear to have been reworked.

[pianoguyy]

I don't know if the bolt on imports were different, but I know this applies to the neck thru models --
Charvel TM were 86/87. His is a Charvel R, so we at least know that it wasn't an early one.

[BLHornyak001]

Mudlark, I would agree. I was sort of thinking it looked like the Kramer Striker st200 also, but the electronics cavity isnt quite right on the st200. The Focus 2000 is definitely the closest I have seen. Could it be just the fact that there is no paint on the body that is throwing off how the contours look? They look pretty similar to my amateur eye. And I suppose for all intents and purposes that doesnt matter too much for being able to potentially make this a working guitar. Now I just need to find out if an original Floyd Rose will work on this body (Which it sounds and looks like it should) and if I can find a wiring diagram for a Kramer Focus 2000.

Thanks for the Input Pianoguyy. At least I know that I have a nice (relatively) Jackson Charvel neck.

[AAEA]

totally a kramer body with a jackson neck

[BLHornyak001]

Thanks AAEA.

My next question is then, do you guys feel that going through the trouble of getting all the parts needed for the Kramer body and matching it with the Jackson neck is worth pursuing? Or do i just cut my loses with that body / and or neck and just buy the opposite neck / body? I suppose it would be a good excuse to give the wife to add two more guitars to my collection....

[hunterkolb]

well, you could either have the best of both worlds, or I'd suggest that you make a model series from that neck.

[BLHornyak001]

hunterkolb do you suggest that because of the fact that we are on the JC Forum? or because that is truly the better option? I ask because if there's any guitars that i know nothing about, its Kramer's. Not intentionally, its just that I have never been exposed to them. I have played mostly Epi's, fenders (including Squier's) Gibson's, and Ibanez's and that's what most people I know who play have owned or do own. I know one guy who has always been a big Jackson / Charvel fan and I know he would agree with your suggestion. Just looking for multiple opinions.

Thanks much for the reply.

[Mudlark]

I'd go Kramer 'cause I think it'd be cool looking.

[Guitarkid8]

Good necks are more expensive than a good body, which is a reason why I would go that way vs the other. I would probably build both honestly and sell the one you don't like as much as the other.

[BLHornyak001]

Thanks for the suggestions guys. For now I am thinking I will find a Jackson body to go with this neck, and then sooner or later find a nice Kramer neck to go with this body. I was actually really hoping this would be the correct body though because id like to build a nice two humbucker setup.
So I guess this all leads me to my next question. What all Jackson / Charvel bodies will work with this neck? only 86-89 model 2's, 3's, or 4's? Or is it possible that a newer Jackson body from the early to mid 90's or something like that would possibly work? I also ask because it seems as though its a little hard to find model 2, 3 or 4 bodies from the mid to late 80's that are in decent shape. Maybe its also the case that i need to expand my searches beyond ebay....

Thanks guys!