Opinions on Charvel Fusion Deluxe project direction.

[Dak]

Back with another update. After playing this guitar for a couple months it's had a nagging issue that has been aggravating me. I struggle with pinch harmonics on it. On my Jackson Fusion Std. I can pretty much hit them at will. On this one it's like I'm a newb and struggle so bad. I initially blamed the JB as it was even worse with it. It's really had me baffled as both are the same scale, virtually the same bridge, same string gauge, action height. Also the neck pickup was a little ice picky with distortion but a different pickup might solve that. The P.H. though I couldn't get past and was so frustrated that when a Jackson Fusion HH body showed up on Ebay I bought it to replace this one with to see if it made a difference. So sad to report that currently this guitar is no more. I cannibalized the bridge and neck for the HH body. I actually put the Duncan Designed HB102 I hated in that Rhoads copy in it and after the one time I played it. It sounds fine. I may actually like it. I haven't side by sided it with the std. yet but I think it does sound different, just not bad different like the Deluxe body did with a JB. Also not sure if the P.H. squeal like the Fusion std. but they are much improved. I wonder if the absence of a middle pickup has an effect. I am going to swap this HB102 out with the real JB once I pull it out of another guitar I was trying it in. So maybe I don't hate the JB. It just didn't match the guitar I had it in. Oh I put an old Screamin' Demon I had laying around in the neck. Much better.

Also this deluxe body had 3 or 4 cracks running the length of the body like it took a hard neck hit that had been glued in an attempted repair. Some of them around the pocket would open up if flexed so I tried to glue them before paint. I wonder it they are having some kind of effect?

If I ever get off my butt and get an Imgur account I'll still post those pics.

[Dak]

This Fusion HH body was listed as a 1994. I just discovered that according to the catalog scan in '94 the HH was mahogany on all finishes, not just the transparent ones. Not sure how much difference that makes but maybe that's why I like the JB in this guitar.

[ed]

Mahogany is supposed to be darker in tone or warmer.

[Dak]

Mahogany is supposed to be darker in tone or warmer.

I would definitely say the JB isn't as bright in this HH body. Yeah darker I would say. I've watched youtube videos over the years about body wood making/not making a difference and most times I couldn't tell one. This has me wondering if maybe it does. I guess I would just say one pickup may not be the answer for all guitars.

[Sanctuary]

Hotrails or keep the stock neck pickup. Job done and no routing required.