J4147 1988?

[Third Man]

With the neck angle no need to route the body.Shady trem route at that.
Looks like a not so good refin I see lots of orange peel.
A shame somebody hacked on it.
Hope you didn't pay too much for it.Pick up install isn't anything to worry about just turn it the right way.

Somebody said 'yikes!' and they're right, it's a dog's breakfast in an awful colour (and that from a dog lover!). However, on the upside, it was free - somebody gave it to me. You don't get many things for nothin' these days!

If all goes to plan, I'll check it out, and maybe take the paint off, stain & lacquer the body. Just interested in opinions from a few experts on how much has been altered since it was built.

[neilli]

I wouldn't want to bet that it's a refin: the paint doesn't look great, but then I've seen plenty of older Jacksons with less than perfect paint. Plus, it seems to be straight on top of the primer (white) which is unlikely for a refin. Most of the time they spray over the top, not strip down to primer. Plus it has the 'black line' around the control cavity.

Assuming that it's not a refin, the trem rout has been cut into the top and the neck's been striped. The trem rout ain't pretty but it might not look too bad when the bridge is in place. Likewise, the neck transition could be prettied up with a bit of effort. It could have had a 3 pot setup originally (it's been seen before on single hums) but that last switch was added. However, if it is a refin, then there's a good chance that it wasn't a single hum originally as they're fairly rare.

From that era (and with those studs) it'd likely have had the JT6, but a headstock pic would be good - it looks to have a Floyd nut on there, but that could have been aftermarket.

It's a shame that it has that chunk out of the top of the body, but even so, I'd suggest that you just take a bit of time to strip the neck join back, put a Floyd in it and have some fun with it! Either that or sell it to me for what you paid...

[pianoguyy]

It could have had a 3 pot setup originally (it's been seen before on single hums) but that last switch was added.

From that era:
I have a single hum with 3 knobs - bolt-on, not a soloist

But I also have a 3 pickup, 2 knobs, 5position switch, and two mini toggles. The mini toggles are actually almost exact positioning relative to the knobs as these two are. So, that 2nd little one may not be original, but it could have originally been something.

The part that doesn't match is:
On both of mine, the knobs are at a much tighter angle and therefore closer to the strings and trem. This purple one seems to run parallel with the edge of the body.




I am going to vote that the guitar has been painted.
I am looking at the two cavities on the back. They are painted. I see no shielding in the electronics cavities and the the trem cavity does not have the build information...
Although, where do they put that info on Kahler and non trem models?

[Third Man]

From that era:
I have a single hum with 3 knobs - bolt-on, not a soloist

But I also have a 3 pickup, 2 knobs, 5position switch, and two mini toggles. The mini toggles are actually almost exact positioning relative to the knobs as these two are. So, that 2nd little one may not be original, but it could have originally been something.

The part that doesn't match is:
On both of mine, the knobs are at a much tighter angle and therefore closer to the strings and trem. This purple one seems to run parallel with the edge of the body.




I am going to vote that the guitar has been painted.
I am looking at the two cavities on the back. They are painted. I see no shielding in the electronics cavities and the the trem cavity does not have the build information...
Although, where do they put that info on Kahler and non trem models?

OK, a headstock photo here:

<a href="http://s1060.photobucket.com/user/MF2680/media/WP_20140619_003.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1060.photobucket.com/albums/t452/MF2680/WP_20140619_003.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo WP_20140619_003.jpg"/></a>

Like the rest, it ain't pretty. Looks like a aftermarket fitted by somebody with a penchant for plywood (looks to be filled to make it flat).

PIANOGUYY - interesting about the knobs & switches; I've got a few 1980's Charvel's, and the knobs certainly look genuine.

NELLI - I like your thinking, and I hope you're right. Yep, I hope it will eventually be a bit of fun!

If you're on photobucket, you might like to look at this for a bit of a contrast. I owned it from new for 24 years, but - compared to Jackson/Charvel's - the neck was all wrong for me, so I finally sold it a few years ago (the last time I used photobucket in fact!). No regrets; the guy I sold it too said exactly the same thing, and flogged it on a few weeks later at a loss!

<a href="http://s1060.photobucket.com/user/MF2680/media/PA052669.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1060.photobucket.com/albums/t452/MF2680/PA052669.jpg" border="0" alt="RS4 (1) photo PA052669.jpg"/></a>

<a href="http://s1060.photobucket.com/user/MF2680/media/PA052656.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1060.photobucket.com/albums/t452/MF2680/PA052656.jpg" border="0" alt="RS4 (4) photo PA052656.jpg"/></a>

[neilli]

I had these two which both had the 3 pots (originally) at a similar angle to this one, albeit probably not exact:

[Third Man]

I had these two which both had the 3 pots (originally) at a similar angle to this one, albeit probably not exact:

Oh yes! I like the skeletons! I've not long joined a band called Skeleton Crew (UK). I see what you mean about the knob spacing (is it active?). With regards to the pink one, - could it be a pink metallic version of my butchered purple? What's the S/N?

[pianoguyy]

I had these two which both had the 3 pots (originally) at a similar angle to this one, albeit probably not exact:

Nelli, those look like mine, not his.

[neilli]

Oh right - without a pic of yours, I thought you meant that they were parallel with the strings like the vol / tone on an SD Soloist..

[Axewielder]

^^^ cool Strat, wasn't that one a neck-thru? 24 frets on a standard Strat body is really weird! I'll bet that upper fret access sucks diiiiiiiick!

[neilli]

Yeah, neck thru strat. Sold it to a member here..

[pianoguyy]

Oh right - without a pic of yours, I thought you meant that they were parallel with the strings like the vol / tone on an SD Soloist..

I didn't want to turn his thread into another 'look at mine' thread. but here is one:

https://fbcdn-photos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/s720x720/531986_621528587912401_2002013630_n.jpg

You can see my knobs and yours look the same. Using the strings as a baseline, the knobs are at a tight angle, which brings them closer to the string/trem area. Whereas his has a wider angle running closer to the edge of the body.


I may not be explaining it very well in print. But in my head I am a genius.