My next Charvel

[pro-fusion]

Well, it now makes some sense to call me 'pro-fusion' again. Check out my new acquisition:

Charvel Fusion Deluxe

I sold my Fusion Pro a year and a half ago and instantly regretted it. I guess this is making amends.

[taxistationary]

Re: My next Charvel

Your finally living up to your name again! lol..j/k

Nice geetar. I need to pick me up one of them fusions one day! [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

[guitarsjb]

Re: My next Charvel

Cool guitar. Congrats

[pro-fusion]

Re: My next Charvel

Thanks! It's really insane how good a value the 'toothpaste' Charvels have become. This one has Reflex pickups and a Schaller trem, and I got it for $200. You couldn't buy the crappiest new Korean ESP LTD for that! And a Charvel 375 w/Reflex pickups sold yesterday for $175. Just amazing.

Since I favor pretty floppy strings, the 24.75" scale length of the Fusion is perfect for me to tune down C# with 10-46 strings. That sounds crazy, but it works to allow me to be a shredder-wannabe without risking a bout of carpal tunnel syndrome, which I've gotten before. My other 6-string is a 25.5" scale Ibanez tuned one step down from normal with 9-42 strings. But I find the jump to 10-46 strings difficult unless I have really low tension on them.

[1trussell]

Re: My next Charvel

Very nice. I personally was never a fan of the crackle finishes. But I've become a fan of the short scale length myself. I've been meaning to pick up a Fusion for a while but other things keep coming up. Enjoy it.

[pro-fusion]

Re: My next Charvel

I think the Rainbow Crackle finish is pretty snazzy, even though I tend to favor more conservative finishes. Funny, there seem to have been a lot of Rainbow Crackle Fusion Deluxes on eBay recently--there are two still up for auction as I write this. The majority of Fusion Deluxes must have been made in that finish. This is the only one I've ever seen with Reflex pickups, however, which is why I grabbed it.

[1trussell]

Re: My next Charvel

How are those reflex pickups? I've never heard them.

[pro-fusion]

Re: My next Charvel

I'll let you know when I get the guitar... [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

[Jackson-Charvel]

Re: My next Charvel

Sweet axe! I see that finish quite alot lately as you said, on Ebay. Good score!

[pro-fusion]

Re: My next Charvel

Just got it in the mail today. Pretty sweet. Couple of quick thoughts:

--This one seems to be made of poplar--it's pretty heavy and has that solid-but-bright tone characteristic of poplar or alder. I had thought that all Fusions, Charvel or Jackson, were made of basswood. Guess not.

--The Reflex pickups are pretty hot--and these are the 'milder' Silver Series. The Red Series must melt your strings! The bridge humbucker reminds me a lot of an EMG-85. Beefier than an 81, while maybe lacking just a little bit of edge. The neck single coil is pretty intense, also--does a passable imitation of a humbucker.

--Mine apparently has the JE-1500 circuit, since there is a switch that activates a sweepable mid control. Oddly, when I opened up the control cavity, I didn't see a circuit board for it, or anything like what you find with the JE-1200 mid-boost. Could this be a Reflex setup, rather than the JE-1500?

--Neck is thicker than other Fusions I've played, but not as thick as you typically find on a neckthru C/J. Very fast and fits the hand well.

I'd say I got my $200 worth! [img]/images/graemlins/headbang.gif[/img]

[dg]

Re: My next Charvel

Man, I don't see how you can beat a deal like that. Great score! [img]/images/graemlins/toast.gif[/img] I was going to ask about the neck, but you answered my question.

[Surge]

Re: My next Charvel

Cool score!

[pro-fusion]

Re: My next Charvel

[ QUOTE ]
Man, I don't see how you can beat a deal like that. Great score! [img]/images/graemlins/toast.gif[/img] I was going to ask about the neck, but you answered my question.

[/ QUOTE ]

Let me elaborate a bit on the neck for you. It reminds me a LOT of Charvel bolt-ons from the Model era that I've played, more than it does a Fusion neck. Of course, my perspective has changed a bit recently, as I've mostly been playing on an Ibanez Wizard neck in the last several months. Anything feels thick compared to that! [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

The neck on my old Fusion Pro, however, was a lot thinner and closer to a Wizard profile than this new Fusion Deluxe is. However, the neck on the Deluxe is thinner than what you'd find on a new DK-2, and with a more pronounced D-profile. Just about the perfect shredding neck. Woohoo! [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

My old Fusion Pro, being basswood and having a thinner neck, felt 'delicate', even if it was a monster shredder--it had a more trebly 'voice' and wasn't a punishing rhythm guitar. This new Fusion Deluxe has much more heft and solidity to it, with a more full-throated voice that strongly reminds me of the Jackson Ltd. Edition '88 that I owned several years ago. Shred City, baby!