1990 Fusion Pro pickups & Floyd questions

[badger71]

Hello,

First post, long time lurker. Anyway, I have a 1990 Jackson Fusion Pro on the way. It's the model with the active mid circuit. My question is: What do the pickups sound like? Are they similar to any Seymour Duncan/Dimarzio models as a reference? Are they dark, bright, flat sounding. Better at cleans or dirty? If I end up replacing the pickups, can I keep the active circuit or would I have to scrap it? If you've replaced yours, what do you have in and how do they sound?

To the Floyd: if the one on the way needs a replacement, can I just drop in a Schaller replacement or would I have to find a JT-90?

Thanks in advance for any responses.

[jackson1]

To the Floyd: if the one on the way needs a replacement, can I just drop in a Schaller replacement or would I have to find a JT-90?

Yes, the Schaller Floyd = JT-590. Exactly the same. Finding a JT-90 would be difficult though

[straycat]

I like the Jackson pickups and the mid boost.The Jackson pickups are passive so any other pickup of your choosing will work with the mid boost pre amp.
The key to using the mid boost is find the tone you like with the amp an then control the amount of boost with the guitar.

[Extant]

Did you buy the one on Chris' Guitars? I was eyeing that one.

[badger71]

yup...that's the one I got. It should be here on Friday.

[DonP]

I love the Jackson Pro pickups. The J50B(c?) sounds great. The J200's are muddy without the boost but sound great with it.

I'm not going to say anything more. Your muddy could be my thick tone. My singing lead could be your harsh. Amps and everything else come into play as well. I'll just say they work great for me.

[badger71]

I'm not going to say anything more. Your muddy could be my thick tone. My singing lead could be your harsh. Amps and everything else come into play as well. I'll just say they work great for me.

Understood. I was just trying to see if the pickups were equal to, lets say, a Duncan JB in the bridge or Lil' 59s in the neck/middle. I'm just trying to get an idea for a comparison.

[DonP]

I have a soloist with a JB, but comparing that to the Fusion (different scale length / construction / wood) makes it not a very god coomparision. Definitely fatter tone than the soloist with the JB.

Neck pickups sound stratty when used with the preamp.

[badger71]

Thanks, Don. I was hoping for a fatter sound with these pickups...especially a basswood body with a fat humbucker in the bridge.

[badger71]

I got the Fusion in yesterday. A ground wire had been knocked off due to the battery being knocked out of its sleeve and rattling around the electronics compartment. But, that was an easy fix. All I gotta say is, wow! The Floyd is in mint shape, the frets are nearly perfect, ebony is minty, and the electronics work flawlessly. The body is a little dinged here and there, but I expect that from an 18 year old guitar. I gotta feeling this was somebody's Madison Square Living Room guitar.

Anyway, I'm glad I took a chance on the Jackson. The scale, body/neck woods, frets, neck carve, etc....have been what I've been slowly gravitating towards on my quest for the right ones. I almost ponied up for a Tom Anderson Cobra S....my wife and wallet thank me that I didn't!