New to me 88 Model 6

[jong]

Huh.. i can't post attachments? wth?

Haven't been here in quite some time.

Snagged an 88 Model 6 cheap last night off CL, no back story really. Def needs some TLC, the OFR (with huge brass block) was all outta whack, missing one Jackson single coil, there is a Tone Zone installed in the bridge position, and the wiring is atrocious. The locking nut inserts are missing, and someone installed Fender locking tuners (?) which seem nice but I don't think I really like them. The action is decent (considering the setup) and the fretware is minor (considering the age). I don't think it lived in a case much or maybe it just gigged a lot. The wear, dents and dings don't bother me at all, however unfortunately some crackhead (i'm assuming here) tried to install a blade switch where the 3 toggle switches were - and its a botch job with cracked finish edge and wood exposed in an unsightly split extending either direction from the center hole.

Last night I removed the remaining single coil (wasn't working anyway), removed the blade switch, disassembled, cleaned and reassembled the OFR. Setting up with just the Dimarzio for the time being.

It's a pretty cool metallic blue which i never would have picked out, but I don't hate it at all, especially since it shows its age. I'm not a fan of shiny new things.

What to do with this fiddle? I ask your input.

1 Leave as is and make loud noise?
2 Figure out some way to just fix the switch position mess?
3 Strip entire finish, fix wood issues, plug the single coil routes, plug all the extra pot/switch holes, repaint with ReRanch?
4 your idea?



maybe these photo links will work:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/4tjm56r085..._1544.jpg?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/u24sd44j09..._1545.JPG?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/4ndd72m2t8..._1546.jpg?dl=0

[paranoid]

Sounds and looiks like you should have left it on CL.

[jong]

Sounds and looiks like you should have left it on CL.

Because it's impossible to fix stuff? Pretty worthless post, but thanks for playing.

Nah, it’s a sweet fiddle. Just needed a little love. A new OFR would cost me more than what I paid.

Thought resurrecting the old ones was what JCF was all about. Maybe not any more.

[Patt]

That a nice guitar brother!!!! I have American Jacksons but my model 6 has a special place. The fit an finish on those were superb and they all played so good.

FWIW I'd put pickups you like in it and restore the nut etc. I wouldn't refinish it but thats me.

Solid player!!

Shore

[Number Of The Priest]

If Scotti Hill owned/played a Model 6, this would be it. Blue, chrome OFR, removed everything except the bridge humbucker and one volume pot.

[toejam]

Even Paul Stanley had a BC Rich with only a bridge pup and the singles ripped out. Just play it as is. Fretsonthenet.com can probably help you get the nut parts you need.

[Johnnyryche]

Cool model 6. I have a cobalt blue one just like it. If I found model 6 on CL that needed some TLC like that, I would ship it to GMW and have Lee fill the single routes and extra holes, retop it and give it a nice paint job. Depending upon the condition of the frets, might also be worth refretting with some jumbo frets too. Those model series Charvels make great project guitars.

[jong]

Cool suggestions all... i had no idea about Fretsonthenet.com, that looks like a great resource. Thanks! I didn't know GMW did fixups like that... i will have to keep that in mind.

Funny, last night I had set it up with the single humbucker and single knob just like that Scotti Hill pic (which I hadn't seen before), this guitar rips!! and I can't believe the clarity and how well it rings out. I've always been a Seymour Duncan fan but this Dimarzio breaks up loud and cleans up quiet incredibly. Looking forward to hearing it cranked at rehearsal tonight.

After a bit of shredding last night, the sticker epiphany came to me. I got my first guitar in 87, and by 88 it was covered in stickers. I know that's not everyone's cuppa... but this is the perfect candidate. So we are off on a peel & stick mission (the guitar and me). Why bother to grow up?

The Charvel is a nice pairing to my Jackson DK2M w Gotoh. Between the two i have less than $500 invested. I've had lots of high end stuff (6 PRS, Anderson, Fender, Gibson, G&L) and sometimes its difficult to justify the money for that stuff when you can get such a screaming deal on used Japanese fiddles that are well built, sound great, take my abuse, and come back for more.

[Johnnyryche]

Cool suggestions all... i had no idea about Fretsonthenet.com, that looks like a great resource. Thanks! I didn't know GMW did fixups like that... i will have to keep that in mind.

Budman (Dave) on Fretsonthenet is a good guy and his parts are awesome. And for a while, GMW was not doing any repair/mod/refin work but got back into a couple years back. Check out the GMW FB page for some cool recent projects he's done like the Charvel pro mod with the kameleon color changing paint job. And here's a link to a thread of mine from early in 2016 when I got my model 1 back from GMW. This has been one of my go-to guitars since I got it back.

https://www.jcfonline.com/threads/14...HRF?highlight=

[jong]

Budman (Dave) on Fretsonthenet is a good guy and his parts are awesome. And for a while, GMW was not doing any repair/mod/refin work but got back into a couple years back. Check out the GMW FB page for some cool recent projects he's done like the Charvel pro mod with the kameleon color changing paint job. And here's a link to a thread of mine from early in 2016 when I got my model 1 back from GMW. This has been one of my go-to guitars since I got it back.

https://www.jcfonline.com/threads/14...HRF?highlight=

He did an incredible job on that. Way cool. Love the resurrection and the thread! Thanks for posting that!

I dig these stories & guitars way more than new stuff, especially when they turn out to be great players like yours. Anybody can go buy a new guitar. But you have to have a little confidence, vision, and maybe even a little bit of lunacy to snag that abused step-child guitar with the idea of bringing it back to life.

I have a similar story from almost 20 years ago with an abused 83 USA Kramer Pacer that I got cheap... stripped it, bolted on a new Warmoth neck, dialed in the OFR, and then I might have added a few stripes like a certain guy who painted random red black & white stripes on his guitar way back. I would have been happy with it just hanging on the wall in tribute, but it turned out to be a great gig guitar for about 5 years and still plays amazing today. Sometimes I felt silly slinging an EVH style guitar (before Fender did theirs) live, but people loved it... so I did.

[Johnnyryche]

He did an incredible job on that. Way cool. Love the resurrection and the thread! Thanks for posting that!

I dig these stories & guitars way more than new stuff, especially when they turn out to be great players like yours. Anybody can go buy a new guitar. But you have to have a little confidence, vision, and maybe even a little bit of lunacy to snag that abused step-child guitar with the idea of bringing it back to life.

I have a similar story from almost 20 years ago with an abused 83 USA Kramer Pacer that I got cheap... stripped it, bolted on a new Warmoth neck, dialed in the OFR, and then I might have added a few stripes like a certain guy who painted random red black & white stripes on his guitar way back. I would have been happy with it just hanging on the wall in tribute, but it turned out to be a great gig guitar for about 5 years and still plays amazing today. Sometimes I felt silly slinging an EVH style guitar (before Fender did theirs) live, but people loved it... so I did.

Couldn't agree more! To me, I like finding project guitars, especially ones that have been abused, and bring them back to playing condition with some of my own personal touches/preferences added in. Don't get me wrong, I like new guitars to but it seems most of the newer stuff is a little boring and limited in specs. So I have fun modding and tweaking guitars to get a guitar that I will enjoy playing. That's what it's all about!

[kamanda]

If you got it as cheap as you are suggesting, then that's a good score. Really the only bummer is the blade switch issue, but that can be covered up in many ways.

Personally, I'd get er dialed in and in working order, and maybe just slap something over the blade botch if it bugs you that much, I wouldn't bother will a full refin...but that's just me.

[Razor]

I look forward to seeing this one get resurrected. Shouldn't take a hell of a lot to do it. Assuming the price is right there's absolutely nothing wrong with fixing that guitar up. Hell just a good clean up and setup would be cool too. If it were mine I'd be resurrecting it though. There are enough parts floating around on eBay to make it happen.

[jong]

Playability wise, its good to go now. Did a setup and cleaned up the wiring, really it didn't need all that much. I need to determine if I want to buy the string retainer lock plates or ditch the Kahler nut lock altogether (since it has locking tuners). I hate the fact that the Kahler requires you to string THROUGH the openings vs. the Floyd style nut lock where I usually remove the screws & plates to restring. Doesn't seem like a big deal but its awkward to me since I string ball end at the tuner. Or maybe I'm just used to the Floyd style. That's probably it.

I need to grab a D-tuna and a OFR bar as well, but those are extras.

Aesthetically, I have an idea I'm working on. I'll post an update pic when it all comes together.

Thanks for the interest. A new guitar is kinda like a new bike... doesn't matter how old you are... its always fun.

[Carbuff]

As far as the kahler locknut is concerned. That bar that forces you to feed the strings through it comes off. If you remove the nut there are 2 screws on the bottom that hold it on. Ive never done this but it should still work fine as a locknut if you remove the bar.