1990 Fusion Deluxe - worth restoring?

[thud]

I have a 1990 Fusion Deluxe that was my warhorse for years. I stupidly sold it to a friend briefly and he ended up giving it back after a while.

He had put a Screamin’ Demon pickup in the bridge slot, and now it sounds not just wonky, but bad. Really bad.

I took it to the local shop to get it checked out and properly set up, and I was told that the pickup was installed backwards so it’s out of phase.

Not only that, it sounds downright clunky and the neck may need a lot of adjustment.

I’m not a guitar tech, but I’m willing to learn if I can salvage and restore this thing to original condition. It may need a bridge replacement, and I’d like to find a J90C pickup for the bridge slot.
I think the bridge is a Schaller Floyd Rose copy.

Would it be worth the effort to restore it, or just hang it up and hope I can find a worthy replacement?

[Dak]

Not at all. You need to send it to me so I can properly dispose of it. I'll even pay shipping.

[Dak]

On a more serious note. It doesn't sound too bad. New Schaller's like the JT-590 that likely came in it are available. As long as the necks not broken and the truss rod works you should be able to get it back in adjustment. Adjust a little at a time. 1/4 turn increments. there's Youtube videos explain it pretty well. Not sure on the pickup. I think I'd just replace it like you said as I'm not the biggest fan of them in the bridge. I have one I've had for years and it's currently being used as a neck pickup rather than it's intended bridge position.

[DonP]

I think you can get it to work. The screamin demon can sound good if wired and installed Correctly.

[john.w.lawson]

It has a shaller in it.

[thud]

Not at all. You need to send it to me so I can properly dispose of it. I'll even pay shipping.

Heh….nice try, but I’m gonna hang onto her if there’s hope to salvage and restore it. “A” for effort, though.

[thud]

I think you can get it to work. The screamin demon can sound good if wired and installed Correctly.

I’m not sure if it’s wired backwards or just set in place backwards. If I knew more about the default wiring, I’d be able to tell. I should’ve learned to be my own tech years ago.

[thud]

On a more serious note. It doesn't sound too bad. New Schaller's like the JT-590 that likely came in it are available. As long as the necks not broken and the truss rod works you should be able to get it back in adjustment. Adjust a little at a time. 1/4 turn increments. there's Youtube videos explain it pretty well. Not sure on the pickup. I think I'd just replace it like you said as I'm not the biggest fan of them in the bridge. I have one I've had for years and it's currently being used as a neck pickup rather than it's intended bridge position.

Neck isn’t broken. Warped a bit, maybe, but not broken. It may need a new bridge, good to know they can still be found. Is it possible to use a licensed Floyd copy or is the routing/posts a different spec?

Also wondering what you folks would recommend for a bridge pickup in place of the current one or a J90C?

[Dak]

Neck isn’t broken. Warped a bit, maybe, but not broken. It may need a new bridge, good to know they can still be found. Is it possible to use a licensed Floyd copy or is the routing/posts a different spec?

Also wondering what you folks would recommend for a bridge pickup in place of the current one or a J90C?

Hopefully the neck just needs the trus rod adjusted. This is my goto video when I have to adjust one. Truss Rod Adjustment - YouTube Ifworst come to worse Charvel Fusion necks do pop up on Ebay from time to time but they aren't cheap anymore. 1989-91 Charvel Fusion Custom Toothpaste Logo RW Guitar Neck Floyd Ready | eBay

Seems the Schallers are easier to find in chrome. Black ones seem harder to find for a decent price. Schaller Floyd Tremolo Assembly 42mm Block R3 Nut Chrome 13020242.03 | eBay
Due to the shorter string locking screws on the Schaller the Floyd Rose doesn't technically drop in. The post spacing is the same but depending on the location of the saddles due to intonation the screws may hit the body. I like the Schaller almost as much as an OFR so I would just get one of theose if the bridge had to be replaced.

As for pickups I'm partial to a Duncan Distortion or sometimes an Invader. I also really like this Duncan Designed HB103 from an Ibanez I have a couple of. It says Duncan/ Ibanez on it and should be a Distortion but it has a darker tone. It has a row of allen screws were the flat heads normally are. I read it is wound hotter than a normal Duncan Designed Distortion but who knows. I think they did something different for Ibanez whatever it is.

[thud]

Seems the Schallers are easier to find in chrome. Black ones seem harder to find for a decent price.

Chrome is fine. Matches the original stuff. Thanks tons for the links, will definitely check them out.

Now comes the really tough problem (this is embarrassing) ; while I was rooming in an apartment with some idiots, the body got gouged a bit on the front, toward the back end around where the “armrest” contour starts. I’d love to eventually get that fixed and get a refinish in the original color, but I don’t know if that’s even a possibility. Lesson learned; when idiots are around, best to keep your axe locked up in a hardshell case if there’s ANY reason you may have to leave the room.

[Dak]

Chrome is fine. Matches the original stuff. Thanks tons for the links, will definitely check them out.

Now comes the really tough problem (this is embarrassing) ; while I was rooming in an apartment with some idiots, the body got gouged a bit on the front, toward the back end around where the “armrest” contour starts. I’d love to eventually get that fixed and get a refinish in the original color, but I don’t know if that’s even a possibility. Lesson learned; when idiots are around, best to keep your axe locked up in a hardshell case if there’s ANY reason you may have to leave the room.

I'm not sure how to do it not seeing it but I'm sure it's possible. I would guess it just taking that section down to the wood and using a filler of some sort to fill the gouge and smooth it back out. rest of the guitar probably only has to go down to the primer. Prime, sand said section prime and blend with old primer possibly a thin coat of primer on the whole guitar and refinish with color and clear. I'm still a hack at luthier work so my directions may be way off, but I think for a good luthier it'd be no problem.

[Razor]

As long as it's not in a million broken pieces it's worth restoring. Based on your description I'd be restoring it.

[metalhobo]

+1 on absolutely restoring it to playability

regarding the gouge in the body, while anything is technically "fixable," you're potentially running into diminishing returns if you're trying to make the repair look "invisible." there are two school of purity regarding the mass repair, and several more school regarding the finishing.

mass repair:
a) you could do nothing and wear the gouge as a battle scar
b) you could have the gouge filled with filler. this has a good likelihood of swelling or shrinking over time with respect to the body and will likely become raised/indented after a number of years
c) you could have the gouge routed or chiseled out and replaced with a block of the same kind of wood. of course this is best done by somebody with a lot of experience with this kind of repair and is going to cost you a good bit of money, but it has the greatest chance of being invisible

finish repair (assuming one of the applicable mass repairs is done previously)
i) you could do nothing and leave the repair "raw"
ii) you could try to have a professional color match the spot finish over the repair. even if you do get a perfect color match at the time of repair there is no guarantee the colors will continue to match as they age. once again, there is a likelihood the repair will not be invisible after some time
iii) you could refinish the whole guitar. this is a better option than ii) as far an consistency is concerned, but then you're losing the original finish, and IMO the original finish has value. it's a personal choice.
vi) you could spot finish over the repair in a conspicuous color that highlights the repaired area instead of hiding it. there is a whole school of thought behind this, especially in japan (see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kintsugi). instead of trying to hide the imperfection, embrace it. of course, this is just one option and would have to be your personal choice.

[ThePitbullofLove]

Restore it.
Post pix!

[thud]

Ok, restoration will be a long term project, due to financial constraints, but I want to get it done eventually. I’ll be researching where to source parts and such.

I wouldn’t mind getting a J-90C pickup if I can find one in good condition, but for now I have some homework to do in case the Lynch pickup isn’t to my liking once the wiring is sorted. Specs on it say it kinda scoops the mids, not sure I’m gonna like that. I want it to cut through in a mix.

I’d kinda like to be able to replicate the body somehow and build a similar guitar later on, or just have a “spare” body available, but I don’t know how I’d match the contours without access to any CNC equipment. Mainly the “bevel” on the bottom cutaway and the recess around the heel joint.