Jackson Prof. Fusion Pro - J200 vs DiMarzio

[Jackson/CharvelEnthusiast]

Hello fellow J/C-Enthusiasts


It's my very first post here on this forum. Altough for some time already I like to read the posts here. It's informative and helpful.
Nevertheless there is an issue, hopefully you can help me (the search results did not give me 100% of the information I'm looking for).
I'm from Switzerland, so my English might sound a little bit off..


I have got a Jackson Professional Fusion Pro. This Guitar is like dream, playing it feels like walking through a beautiful and calm forest on a warm sunday afternoon in autumn.

Pickups: H-S-S: J50B and two J200. Passive pickups, including active parametric mids Preamp J1500.
Everything works as it should, but the J200 lacks power/attitude. It does not suit me well. Even with the Preamp turned on it does not do justice to this guitar. Note that I do not use tons of gain on my amp (Peavey XXX), I like the sound to 'breath' a little bit.
I also own a very cool Jackson DKMG where I put a DiMarzio Liquifire (John Petrucci from Dream Teeater) in the Neck position. I prefer this kind of Sound.


I would like to Change the neck Position with a Dimarzio Pickup.
1. Is it true that the Jackson Wiring = Seymour Duncan Wiring?
2. There is no wood cavity to support the lip/flange from the DiMarzio Single Coils. And no one in Switzerland seems to know about those without the lip/flange.. strange? Is it only possible to get them from the states?
3. Will those Single Coils fit into my Jackson?
4. Is there something special about the wiring to consider? Especially thinking about the J1500 Preamp.
5. I was thinking about the Air Norton S or the Fast Track 1 or 2. I use the Neck Pickup mostly for playing Lead. Any other suggestions on Pickups?


I already express my gratefulness.

Have a nice day

[charvel750]

Dimarzio and Duncan sell their single coil pickups without the flange, you can email them through their websites and they can sell them direct to you. You can also very carefully carve out some of the cavity to allow the flange, this can be done without noticing it from the top, just inside the cavity you can carve it out if you have the right tools.

Once you get the new pickup in, you can leave the JE-1500 circuit, it will operate with any pickups.

[DonP]

First I'd say consider a pedal first since the guitar is working good.

1. dunno
2. not sure what you are asking. You will need to special order flange-less pickups.
3. if you special order pickups without the flange. Routing the body would kill the looks.
4. no. Think of the JE-1500 as a boost pedal after the pickups.
5. no. I personally like the J200's.

I've wired up an HS-2 and HS-3 to the boost in a Model 4 without issues. I don't remember the wiring, but if it's backwards, it's not too hard to reverse.

[Jackson/CharvelEnthusiast]

I thank you both for your replies.

From both answers I could grab helpful information.

I contacted DiMarzio. They forwarded me to a shop in Germany, which sells PUs without the flange to Switzerland.
Looks like the problem is solved.

[Jackson/CharvelEnthusiast]

Hey guys


It was not possible for to order a DiMarzio without the Flange. I was surprised.

It's time for Plan B: I was thinking about a Seymour Duncan Hot Rails for the Neck. They don't have the Flange.
Will they still fit the routing cavitiy in my Jackson?

Some Advices / Experiences with the Hot Rails combined with Jackson?


Thanks in advance.

[chispallate]

Hi, I have a soloist pro 1990(same routing) with a Seymour duncan hot rails in the neck and sound great IMHO
Regards

[Nightbat]

Nobody ever bothered just buying a flanged p'up and going to town on it's ass with a pair of cuttingpliers, exacto and file?

[artonsafari]

It's time for Plan B: I was thinking about a Seymour Duncan Hot Rails for the Neck. They don't have the Flange.
Will they still fit the routing cavitiy in my Jackson?

Some Advices / Experiences with the Hot Rails combined with Jackson?


Thanks in advance.

No experience with the Hot Rails, but I put a pair of STK-4 pickups (neck and middle) in my Charvel SDK (Japanese market Fusion) and I like them a lot. They have no lip and are pretty much noiseless (stacked humbucker). One of them was older and only had 3 wires, the neck I think but it works fine.

I did have to fill the holes in the wood and use smaller screws to hold them in as they have a threaded insert for pickguard mounting.

[Jackson/CharvelEnthusiast]

So, yesterday I ordered the Seymour Duncan Jeff Beck Junior. Friday I can go and get it.


@ chispallate - I saw a guy on youtube. He wrote that he had to cut away some millimeters from the woods to fit the SD JB jr. He owns a Charvel 650XL. So do Charvel and Jackson habe different routings?
Did you have to cut away some wood?

@ Nightbat - No, I would not do that and risk the danger of destroying the pickup by accident.

@ artonsafari - How did you fill the hole? The JB jr also has thread inserts. I hope very much that the screws instantly fit.


Thank you guys.

[kmanick]

Banjomikes on Ebay can order you any Dimarzio you like without the flange
I got a Heavy Blues 2 from him without the flange for the neck on my Soloist Pro XL

[Jackson/CharvelEnthusiast]

Hi kmanick

Thanks for this hint. I'll check him out immediately.
But: I need it in about 3 weeks and most of the times there is written 'will not ship to switzerland'.
But I will try.

Thanks!

[Jackson/CharvelEnthusiast]

Well.. he does not even ships the pickups to Europe.

It almost seems silly, that it is so complicated to buy one DiMarzio pickup without the flange. It' s not like I'm trying to buy rocket fuel...

I'm going with the JB Jr.


@ chispallate: Could you please answer the question i asked a few days ago concerning the routing?

Thank you very much.

[Axewielder]

Personally I wouldn't buy a full set of new Dimarzios and wire them up to the Jackson active electronics system. If you are going to do that much rewiring, you are better off just converting over to a full passive circuit with fresh pots and caps (VTT or VVT or whatever). The JE1500 is going to convert them to low impedance at all times, even if "off". So that may change the dynamics of the pickups noticeably from what you are expecting. It will work, and may even sound good, but those boards get wonky and scratchy over time and really aren't worth the trouble unless paired with the J200's that they were designed for.

[chispallate]

http://imgur.com/DBKLJCQ

look , fits perfect without mod
regards

[Jackson/CharvelEnthusiast]

@ Axewielder
Interesting thoughts. I did not consider this.
I will try it. I assume that is is possible just to not connect the neck-PU with the J1500-circuitry.

@ chispallate: THank you very much for taking this photo. I hope very much, that we have got the same routing.