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This is my first entry into JCFonline, so my apologize if this is a bit long, but I'm looking for help on my Jackson Custom Shop Tele, and have already gone through the Jackson/Charvel Facebook groups ... So please read on, and PLEASE offer any help you can, as I think this may be my last ditch effort.
So I've been holding on to this Jackson for a friend of mine after he borrowed some money from me (so he wouldn't sell it and lose it outright). I've drooled over the way it looks and sounds for what seems like forever, and about a week ago, he wants to trade it to me for a brand new ESP LTD GL-200 SBT I acquired, so yeah, I agreed to it. Now that I'm the proud owner of this Jackson, I'm trying to get more detail on it. He said he bought it used in a shop in 1989, and has owned it since then (until now), which makes sense since the "4000" serial number matches up with a guitar that would have been built sometime between 1987-1989. The Custom Shop build looks completely stock and unmodified, though I personally don't recall ever seeing a tele body on a Custom Shop guitar. Further investigation with members of the FB groups (some of them may be here as well) yielded interesting information and guidance, and I have gone as far as pulling the neck, as well as the pickups to get more info as well, but we were only able to go so far. Here's what I have so far ...
Bridge Pickup and Pocket:
There is no marking in the pocket itself, but there is a "Jackson" stamping on the bottom of the pickup, and a "J-90C" sticker that would indicate the pickup model ... nice pickup.
Neck Pickup and Pocket:
There is no marking in the pocket itself, but there is a "Jackson" stamping on the bottom of the pickup, with no other sticker or marking. Is it logical to think the neck pickup is also a J-90C, or is it just as possible that some other pickup could be used in the neck position with a J-90C bridge pickup?
Neck Pocket:
There is no marking in the pocket itself, but there is what appears to be a small "shim" at the bottom of the pocket. Upon further examination, the "shim" is what looks like a folded over portion of a business card from the now-defunct "Unlimited Music Center" shop (US Rte-1, Cherry Hill Plaza, Branford, CT 203.488.9886), so this further confirms what my best friend indicated, that he had purchased it from the "Unlimited Music Center", who I suspect did a set-up of the guitar when it was in their store.
Neck:
It appears there was a truss rod repair done that required a bit of the heel of the neck to be routed out, and there is very little marked on the heel. The work order# "2592" is written in either pen or pencil, and it also looks like the same number was written in thicker black marker on the bottom of the heel before part of it was routed away, leaving only the beginning and ending "2" on either side of the routing. Unfortunately, aside from that, there is no other marking of any sort that I could find.
I've also tried going through Matt's Music (as their website advertises them to be "one of the largest Jackson Custom Shop dealers in the world") to ask about the work order#, but they promptly responded back "Unfortunately the records at the Custom Shop do not go back that far for WO and specs and since it didn't come from us I don't have any info on it. Your best bet for this type of older build is forums."
So here I am making what I think may be a last ditch effort to find out a bit more info about this Jackson I've been drooling over for years. In particular, if anyone can help, I'd be looking to find out (from the work order or otherwise) the actual build date of the guitar (other than a 3 year window), what the neck pickup should be, the name of the person or shop the guitar was built for, and anything else anyone can come up with. Alternatively, please also let me know if any of you can point me in another direction to get this information. Thank you in advance.
So I've been holding on to this Jackson for a friend of mine after he borrowed some money from me (so he wouldn't sell it and lose it outright). I've drooled over the way it looks and sounds for what seems like forever, and about a week ago, he wants to trade it to me for a brand new ESP LTD GL-200 SBT I acquired, so yeah, I agreed to it. Now that I'm the proud owner of this Jackson, I'm trying to get more detail on it. He said he bought it used in a shop in 1989, and has owned it since then (until now), which makes sense since the "4000" serial number matches up with a guitar that would have been built sometime between 1987-1989. The Custom Shop build looks completely stock and unmodified, though I personally don't recall ever seeing a tele body on a Custom Shop guitar. Further investigation with members of the FB groups (some of them may be here as well) yielded interesting information and guidance, and I have gone as far as pulling the neck, as well as the pickups to get more info as well, but we were only able to go so far. Here's what I have so far ...
Bridge Pickup and Pocket:
There is no marking in the pocket itself, but there is a "Jackson" stamping on the bottom of the pickup, and a "J-90C" sticker that would indicate the pickup model ... nice pickup.
Neck Pickup and Pocket:
There is no marking in the pocket itself, but there is a "Jackson" stamping on the bottom of the pickup, with no other sticker or marking. Is it logical to think the neck pickup is also a J-90C, or is it just as possible that some other pickup could be used in the neck position with a J-90C bridge pickup?
Neck Pocket:
There is no marking in the pocket itself, but there is what appears to be a small "shim" at the bottom of the pocket. Upon further examination, the "shim" is what looks like a folded over portion of a business card from the now-defunct "Unlimited Music Center" shop (US Rte-1, Cherry Hill Plaza, Branford, CT 203.488.9886), so this further confirms what my best friend indicated, that he had purchased it from the "Unlimited Music Center", who I suspect did a set-up of the guitar when it was in their store.
Neck:
It appears there was a truss rod repair done that required a bit of the heel of the neck to be routed out, and there is very little marked on the heel. The work order# "2592" is written in either pen or pencil, and it also looks like the same number was written in thicker black marker on the bottom of the heel before part of it was routed away, leaving only the beginning and ending "2" on either side of the routing. Unfortunately, aside from that, there is no other marking of any sort that I could find.
I've also tried going through Matt's Music (as their website advertises them to be "one of the largest Jackson Custom Shop dealers in the world") to ask about the work order#, but they promptly responded back "Unfortunately the records at the Custom Shop do not go back that far for WO and specs and since it didn't come from us I don't have any info on it. Your best bet for this type of older build is forums."
So here I am making what I think may be a last ditch effort to find out a bit more info about this Jackson I've been drooling over for years. In particular, if anyone can help, I'd be looking to find out (from the work order or otherwise) the actual build date of the guitar (other than a 3 year window), what the neck pickup should be, the name of the person or shop the guitar was built for, and anything else anyone can come up with. Alternatively, please also let me know if any of you can point me in another direction to get this information. Thank you in advance.
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