The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
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  1. #1

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    Hello...new poster here...looking for information on the brand 'Fusion Blues'. Not what kind of guitar to play that style on! Just want to be clear about that!

    I just put an FB-700 on layaway. I had never heard of these guitars until I saw it at my local store. My Googling has found 2 reviews on HC, both glowing. These guitars were made in China and imported by a company called Switch Music, which appears to be defunct. Their website is offline and their MySpace page hasn't been logged into for over 2 years.

    The FB-700 is fully hollow with two humbuckers. A volume pot for each pickup, a master volume and a master tone. Trapeze tailpiece, rosewood bridge with tune-o-matic bridge. The nut is 1 11/16", scale is 25.5". What really caught my notice about the guitar was how extensively it was finished. Top, back , and sides are flame maple. There is a purfling of abalone along the top. It's supposed to be faux abalone, but it sure looks real. Fretboard and side binding are maple. Add in the faux abalone and mother-of-pearl fingerboard inlays, gold hardware, and Grover Imperial tuners, and you have one seriously tricked out axe!

    Of course, none of this matters if the guitar sounds like a cigar box...it doesn't. It has a good, clear acoustic sound. I plugged it into a tube amp, and the pickups didn't blow me away, but they didn't sound terrible. They are PAF-style Alnico 2 pickups, so I think I can work with them. The neck has a slim profile to it, it suited my hand and played very comfortably.

    Here's a stock picture I found online. It really doesn't do justice to the guitar:



    Does anybody have any knowledge of these guitars? I picked this one up with a hard case for well under $500, and I'm thrilled about it. Can't wait to get it home!

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  3. #2

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    I own a FB 200 and and FB 600. Below is a link to a product brochure describibing these beauties. Everyone that plays them, loves them and can't believe how cheap they were.

    http://www.chrisswanger.com/catalogs/fusion_blues.pdf

    Switch guitar also produced a full line of electric guitars. There were molded from a material called "Vibracell". I own 4 of the Signature line and they are fantastic too.

    Looking for more FB's, but they are no where to be found.

  4. #3

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    Paid 300 for both of mine over a year ago. You can't find them anymore.

  5. #4
    Thanks for the replies. It is next to impossible to find anything out about these guitars. Thanks for the link to the catalog, mligon, I actually did find that on my search and downloaded it.

    Evidently the Vibracell guitars were designed by Trev Wilkenson. What information I've been able to glean on them is very interesting.

    I'm impatiently waiting for the day I pay off the FB-700 and bring it home!

    As rare as these are, I'm glad I got mine. When it showed up in the guitar shop by my house, I was blown away by it. I called the next day to make a deal for it, but somebody had already snapped it up. However, a month later, the buyer backed out and it became available again. The store owner remembered my interest and rang me up. You can bet I moved quickly!

  6. #5

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    i just found a fusion blue fb600 for 395.are these guitars worth that much? i seen that someone else just got(probably couple years ago) a fusion blues for a little under 300.is this guy trying to rip me off??

  7. #6
    I don't think he's trying to rip you off. $395 is a good price and under $300 is a REALLY good price. Keep in mind these weren't around for very long. They were priced very competitively to begin with, and most people aren't aware of just how much bang-for-the-buck these guitars deliver.

    I got my FB700 for $429 with hard case and have never regretted it. The pickups aren't bad, but I don't feel they're suited to a hollow body. And the wiring could be better (the master volume function doesn't really work all that well). Eventually, I'll replace the pickups and electronics. But the guitar sounds so good and full acoustically that I haven't bothered swapping out the parts after almost 2 years!

    Well, I'm also a procrastinator...

  8. #7

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  9. #8

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    Hello I have a Fusion Blues FB300 that I paid 200 dollars for. Great guitar even if it was 1000 dollars. Ebony finger board, gold plating abalone/MOF position markers. Pickups are reminiscent of Duncan JB in bridge and Jazz in neck. They are THAT good!Killer abalone binding. Neck plays like a GOOD Les Paul SG. Looking to buy a few more. I have searched and only found one. A all natural FB300 for 500 with a nice case...snap! If yoiu have a Fusion Blues or know of one for sale email me at dboerst@yahoo.com

  10. #9

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    I own a Fusion Blues "Villager". I've never seen another one in person, although there must be others around. It sat rather ignored at Front Porch Music in Bakersfield for several years, and every time I went in I'd play it, knowing eventually I'd own it. One day I made a lowball offer on it and the owner took it. It plays great, has a nice neck profile, built like a tank. The only shortcoming is the "Chinese Johnny" pickup, which is pretty weak. I keep meaning to upgrade that however I don't gig with it and it's become my travel/beach/airplane guitar. I think there is another forum member that owns one.
    Attached Images Attached Images Fusion Blues guitars?-fb400vsb-jpg 

  11. #10

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    I'm "the other guy" on the forum with a Villager (FB 400?) Love it.
    It's not going anywhere! . . . true about the weak pickup, but I haven't had the heart to mess with it either.
    Totally cool & unique guitar

  12. #11

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    Got curious about these, and found the relevant website (apparently new models may be coming in 2015?):

    Fusion Blues Archives - Tonal CreationsTonal Creations

  13. #12

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    Quote Originally Posted by Longways to Go
    I'm "the other guy" on the forum with a Villager (FB 400?) Love it.
    It's not going anywhere! . . . true about the weak pickup, but I haven't had the heart to mess with it either.
    Totally cool & unique guitar
    I don't have any reason to sell either. I like it, it comes in handy when I'm traveling. And what am I going to get for it? Maybe 500 on a good day with the gig bag. It brings me 500 worth of utility and pleasure when I play it.
    LTG, I did look into upgrading the pickup and did some measurements on the mounting tabs. Seems pretty standard and KA, Lollar and Duncan all make what looks like pretty much a drop in replacement. I'll get around to it someday. I've used it as a test bed for strings also.
    Maybe we have a rare bird!

  14. #13

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  15. #14

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