Serial Number = what year?

[DonP]

C805995 on this guitar.

http://www.jcfonline.com/threads/126131-Found-a-Model-5FX-for-259-at-a-pawn-shop

Thanks.

[Rich#6]

88

[RacerX]

1988 mij

[DonP]

And this is a 550XL, right? It replaced the Model 5FX?

[modelseriesman]

And this is a 550XL, right? It replaced the Model 5FX?

Right. 550XL. What's interesting about this guitar is that it's essentially a 1989 model made in late '88. C805995 indicates the 5,995th neck-through made in 1988. With the forth-coming change over from Model Series to the revamped line of the lipstick logos, all the new models were being made that late in the production year. I hesitate to label them prototypes, because they were not prototypes, but more likely the very beginning of the '89 model year standard production.

That said, she still is one of the very first 550XLs ever made.

As for the 550XL replacing the 5FX, basically yes (some slight changes; J100 single-coil (5FX) to J200R rail stacked hum (550XL), 3-way toggle to 3-way slider/switch, JT-6 to Chrome Schaller JT-590, black hardware to chrome). Interesting to remember the 5FX wasn't intended as a part of the production line-up for 1988. The 5FX was borne as a solution to the dismal sales of the Model 5A. The 5A was brand new for '88, but the single hum neck-through simply didn't sell. Reconfigured as Models 5FX, they finally sold.

[DonP]

Cool. Thanks for the info. I've read about batches of 5A's being sent back and factory-reconditioned adding the neck pickup.

Another "tweak" to this one compared to the 5FX is that this 550XL has the recess for the Floyd, but it's not a full recess. The neck angle is still there and the bridge sits high out of the body. In later years did this become a full recess? i.e. no neck angle and the bridge sunk fully into the body?

Were the 650XL's fully recessed?

[dg]

Nope, the 650XLs also were non-recessed with pullup rout.