Opinions on Charvel Fusion Deluxe project direction.

[Dak]

So I've been watching Ebay for a Fusion body since I have a Charvel Fusion neck I picked up last year. I ended up getting a Fusion Deluxe body. It has some cracks in the body( mostly the back) which I knew might be the case from the pictures. Looks like it took a hit to the neck as all the crack originate from the neck area.I've got the paint off the back and it appears they have been glued and are solid. My question is I'm not sure how I feel about the angle single size neck pickup. How does it sound compared to a full size humbucker? I had originally planned on filling it in and routing for a traditional humbucker. Now I'm torn between that and just restoring it, but since it's built from parts does keeping it original even matter? What say you? Keep the single size humbucker or route and go full size?

[Number Of The Priest]

If you want a humbucker, get a humbucker that is sized as a single coil.

Examples from two popular aftermarket pickup companies:

https://www.dimarzio.com/pickups/strat/hum-canceling-strat

https://www.seymourduncan.com/pickups/guitars/stratocaster?meta_params=type=Single%20Coil%20Sized%20Humbucker&solo=1&post_t=product-pickups&taxonomy_slug=stratocaster&taxonomy=pickup-types&order_by=

[Dak]

If you want a humbucker, get a humbucker that is sized as a single coil.

Examples from two popular aftermarket pickup companies:

https://www.dimarzio.com/pickups/strat/hum-canceling-strat

https://www.seymourduncan.com/pickups/guitars/stratocaster?meta_params=type=Single%20Coil%20Sized%20Humbucker&solo=1&post_t=product-pickups&taxonomy_slug=stratocaster&taxonomy=pickup-types&order_by=

I'd kinda like a cool rails or Lil' 59er if I leave it like it is but I'll probably cheap out and try to find a J200R on Ebay since the ones in My Fusion Std. sound ok. I'm just curious how that angled one that is spaced back from the fretboard will sound vs. a full size in the normal location. It's probably much ado about nothing since I use the bridge 90% of the time anyway.

[ed]

The original routing for the fusion deluxe single coil is one of those narrow routings Jackson/Charvel used in the early nineties and most of the current single coils wont fit in there.

[CaptNasty]

The original routing for the fusion deluxe single coil is one of those narrow routings Jackson/Charvel used in the early nineties and most of the current single coils wont fit in there.

You can get a pickup custom made with a slim base. I just had Bare Knuckles build me a Trilogy to fit a slim single coil route on an old Jackson I have. I think Seymour Duncan and DiMarzio can do the same if you call.

[Dak]

I think I'm just going to somewhat restore it, and leave the pickup route alone. I say somewhat because I think I am going to paint it in a metallic black color Jackson didn't offer on this model. I have a J200R in my 650xl so I think I'll get a J200 off Ebay to swap with it and use the J200R in the deluxe. At this point I just need to find a JT-590 bridge and I'll have all the pieces here or on the way. Going to try a Seymour Duncan JB in the bridge.

[Black Shadow]

Definitely keep the single rout. I believe Alex Masi used the Jackson J200R at the neck back in the day? Cool neck lead tones for sure. I have that in my Soloist and also a Duncan Cool Rails in another guitar, and both offer something between a single coil and full humbucker.

[slayer]

I`d keep the single route for originality. But my first choice would be to get rid of the neck pickup all together. Get rid of a tone knob and all switches except the bridge humbucker and volume knob. I love 1 hum guitars though. Keep us updated.

[germaug]

you can be a hot mic like Seymour d. or dimarzio.. Carvin/kiesel have the same, one single above the other single in the same space...very interesting, have carvins and the mic its incredible

[Dak]

you can be a hot mic like Seymour d. or dimarzio.. Carvin/kiesel have the same, one single above the other single in the same space...very interesting, have carvins and the mic its incredible

Have you got a link to that? I tried searching but had no luck. I did find this https://www.kieselguitars.com/products/TBH60 on Carvin/Kiesel's site. At half of what a SD cool rails costs and only $10 or $15 more than J200's are going for( which I would need to be able to take the J200R I have out of my 650XL)I my just pick one up and use it. It has good reviews for the most part.

As an update besides the neck pick up all the parts are here or on the way. The Stratoshere on Ebay had new Schaller bridges for a good price so I just ordered one of them. It just won't say Jackson on it like a JT590 would have.I need to post some pictures as it'll all be a moot point if any of the cracks aren't repairable. Most have been glued but there is at least one running from the neck pocket that seems to have no glue and be fairly deep though stable. Probably gonna try my hand at using hide glue. It's supposed to migrate into cracks well and be very strong.

[DonP]

The original J200R that was in there is a great neck pickup.

[germaug]

Have you got a link to that? I tried searching but had no luck. I did find this https://www.kieselguitars.com/products/TBH60 on Carvin/Kiesel's site. At half of what a SD cool rails costs and only $10 or $15 more than J200's are going for( which I would need to be able to take the J200R I have out of my 650XL)I my just pick one up and use it. It has good reviews for the most part.

As an update besides the neck pick up all the parts are here or on the way. The Stratoshere on Ebay had new Schaller bridges for a good price so I just ordered one of them. It just won't say Jackson on it like a JT590 would have.I need to post some pictures as it'll all be a moot point if any of the cracks aren't repairable. Most have been glued but there is at least one running from the neck pocket that seems to have no glue and be fairly deep though stable. Probably gonna try my hand at using hide glue. It's supposed to migrate into cracks well and be very strong.

sorry, my bad, not is double, its reverse-wound version for hum-cancelling. here in the description have de models: https://www.kieselguitars.com/products/AP11R

[Dak]

sorry, my bad, not is double, its reverse-wound version for hum-cancelling. here in the description have de models: https://www.kieselguitars.com/products/AP11R

Hey no problem. Since I last posted I ended up finding a J200R on Ebay for a good price. I'll keep this pickup in mind for future refernce if I need a single coil for the neck of something later on.

I need to get a build thread started to post all my pictures in as all I have left to do is wet sand and buff it and then I can put it together.

[FloydRose4Prez]

I have the same guitar and I had an S D Hot Rails installed. This was sometime in '03 or so. Barring my Floyd problems (that's in another post), The guitar sounds good enough for me.

[Dak]

So I though I'd post an update on this guitar. I finally finished it. Once I get around to getting an imgur or other image hosting service account I'll post pictures in a build thread. So as to the original post I used a J200R in the stock neck position. It sounds fine. Not exactly like my Fusion Std. neck pickup but it is angled and further from the fretboard, which was my original concern. All in all it sounds good enough. I have no complaints about the neck pup. The bridge is another story. I did not really like it all that much. I used a Seymour Duncan JB. I had this expectation this guitar would sound similar to my Fusion Std. having the same body wood and all. Though I did discover this one has a maple veneer on top. It was brighter than my std. and more fizzy( from this point on we're talking metal distortion tone). It was not I wanted and I was disappointed. In hindsight I shouldn't have chosen a JB but I'd always heard good things about them and a friend at work has a Pro mod he raves about and it has a JB. My Fusion Std. has a Duncan/Ibanez HB103. Which I understand to be a Duncan Design Distortion that's wound hotter and has allen head screws in place of the slugs similar to a Screamin' Demon. I probably should've used a Distortion. So did I put a Distortion in it? No. I put in an Invader since they're hotter than a Distortion. I also had a plan from the internet. Totally changed the sound. I liked it better but it was a little too dark and maybe to compressed on the bottom. Like I had read on the internet before I bought it I replaced half the button head screws with black set screws from Ace Hardware. I replaced the row towards the neck. Now I like it. It doesn't sound exactly like the std. but it's close. Got some of the angry growl back I'm happy now.

As a side note I had a HB102 in Kramer Rhoads copy with a Stealth neck and I just never liked it. To bright and wonky. I almost sold the guitar I hated it so much. Of course I hadn't really liked any pickup I had in that guitar but the J-50BC I had in it sounded better, just not enough output. I put a HB108( Duncan Designed Invader clone. Detonator?) in it and it totally changed it. I really like it now. Moral of the story I apparently like ceramic magnets better than alnico V.