Fusion ID?

[kenneth]

Funny - I was just saying how hard these are to find - I stumbled across another one - but I'm having a hard time ID'ing it. It's got sharkfin inlays, no pickguard, HSS - but the hardware is chrome and the headstock only says Jackson - no "professional" or anything after it. Serial number is 9611740. Any idea which model and/or year this is?

[DonP]

Is the fretboard bound? What is the fretboard made out of? Rosewood, Ebony or Maple? Are the inlays real MOP, or MOTO (fake stuff)?

[kenneth]

It's hard to tell some of the details - it's an online sale and the photos aren't that great. The pickups are Duncan "designed" - the Jackson logo is white painted, not MOP, the fretboard looks like it may be bound and appears to be rosewood. I can't tell if the inlays are real or not. There's no mini-switch.

[VitaminG]

sounds like a recent DK2. What indicates to you that it's a Fusion?

[Jacksonfan]

+1

[NextInLine]

The year should be something like 96-97 (made in japan) and it sounds like a dk-2 to me also

[kenneth]

Thanks for the help, everyone. I think you're right - I don't think it's a Fusion, although that's what the guy is advertising it as. Funny thing is, I ran into the same problem yesterday with a guy listing a Charvel Fusion - after looking at the pic carefully, I don't think it's a Fusion after all - he says he bought it new in 97, and it's got straight, not slanted singles, no pickup covers.

[DonP]

A lot of people have no clue as to what model they are selling. To confirm whether or not a Fusion is a Fusion, I ask them to measure from the nut to the 12th fret. If they don't know how to do this or if they come up with a number other than 12 3/4" and 12 3/8", I pass. 12 3/8" is the correct answer for a Fusion. Fusions are always 24 frets as far as I know, so pass if it has 22 frets.

[mm2002]

Even a tape measure is a difficult tool for some people to figure out.
.....and to think, these people vote for our presidents!

[VitaminG]

I thought voting was optional there....

[kenneth]

Thanks again for all the help. I think you're right - the Jackson must be a DK, not a Fusion. I'm still trying to ID the Charvel - even though the guy says he bought it after '91, it might be NOS. It actually looks just like the Fusion Custom in the '91 catalog, except I don't think it has a matching blue headstock (hard to tell in the photo). It's funny, but until I stumbled across this forum, I never knew any company made a super strat with a 24 3/4" scale neck - it's what I've been looking for literally for years - and it turns out my favorite guitar company had a line of them all this time! I grew up idolizing Eddie, Warren, Jake, George, etc. - but I've never actually owned a Charvel or a Jackson...!

[DonP]

The MIJ Jackson and Charvel Fusions (I guess all models too) up to 1991 were fantastic axes. After that, they were still good, but they didn't have the features of USA axes. Reason: They were outselling the Made In USA axes, so Jackson had to "sour" the imports to keep the USA axes selling.