Questions about 80's custom shop I might be buying

[kingV]

Hey!

I wonder if you guys can help me with some information on a guitar I'm interesting in buying.

It should be a 1987 USA Custom with according to the seller, original floyd rose. Its hard for me to tell by the pictures if the bridge is an original or not so I would appreciate some help.

Some pix:






Thanks for your help!
/Mathias, Sweden

[toejam]

That's not an Original Floyd. It's a Schaller (Jackson JT-590), and it looks correct for that guitar.
The guitar also looks like a Fusion, so it's got a 24.75" scale.

[Jack]

The bridge PUP does not look original, but that's no big deal IMO

[Ward]

They didn't make fusions that long ago, so the year is probably wrong too. Didn't fusions start in 1990?

Also, I don't think it's a custom. That was a standard finish offered by Jackson (I had that finish on a fusion). Serial number would answer that and the year question.

And Jack is right, they didn't come with Seymour Duncans in the bridge, they came with a Jackson pickup. Every one I had was a J50BC.

[PowerTube]

That's not an Original Floyd. It's a Schaller (Jackson JT-590), and it looks correct for that guitar.
The guitar also looks like a Fusion, so it's got a 24.75" scale.

Absolutely. Anytime you see that little square next to where the bar inserts, that's the "Made in Germany" stamp of a Schaller. It's a great trem, but not an original Floyd, even though the OFR is also made by Schaller. I think the string spacing is slightly different, isn't it?

[PowerTube]

Also, the big "Licensed Under Floyd Rose Patents" stamp might offer a clue.

[neilli]

It's definitely not 80's and it's not custom. That's an early 90's production guitar.

Is it a bolt-on or a neck thru? If bolt-on, I'd agree with Joe that it's likely a fusion, but the pics give a Soloist (neck-thru) vibe.

[charvel750]

Not a Soloist, a Fusion. See the mini toggle in the middle? A Soloist from that time would have three knobs, no mini toggle.

[Mazrim]

The bridge pup looks like a lousy Invader. Instaswap!

I say Fusion too and it looks great.

[Vass]

Absolutely. Anytime you see that little square next to where the bar inserts, that's the "Made in Germany" stamp of a Schaller. It's a great trem, but not an original Floyd, even though the OFR is also made by Schaller. I think the string spacing is slightly different, isn't it?

Shorter string lock screws too with the smaller route.

I have 590s on a handful of guitars. I see them as the same as an OFR as far as features go and not a negative.

Artist is Nagel (at least the original art is. No idea if he did it himself or if it was reproduced en mass).

http://www.patricknagel.com/

[Jack]

Just be aware, even though the Shaller and OFR and almost identical, the route is often not as long as what's needed for a OFR (due to the string locking screws) and that does prevent a change to a OFR if you wanted to due that. But, as much as I prefer the OFR, the Shaller has hardened inserts at the pivot points and that's a nice feature that the OFR does not have.

[adampone]

Since Nagel died in '84, he definitely didn't do it himself. lol!

Do you know which piece of Nagel art this is based on? I've owned many prints and the book, but don't recognize this image.

[neilli]

I didn't think it was anything to do with Nagel - the graphic was called 'Deco Dream'.

[Hellbat]

Thats not a Nagel image, it's totally not in his style at all. It's definitely Deco Dream.

Get the serial number and somebody here should be able to provide you the correct year roughly.

[toejam]

Is it a bolt-on or a neck thru? If bolt-on, I'd agree with Joe that it's likely a fusion, but the pics give a Soloist (neck-thru) vibe.

I was assuming it's bolt-on since it's got the mini switch like the Fusions do.