USA Jacksons?

This topic has 9 replies, 6 voices, and was last updated 14 years, 11 months ago by fusoid.

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- May 13, 2008 at 12:32 pm
Goliath
Member

Anyone have any USA Jacksons? I played a Gibson Custom LP over the weekend and it was a joy to play, doesn’t have the sound to play anything that I like to play (does sound great paired w/ a marshall JCM900 2×12 combo). Point being, I want a guitar that PLAYS as good as that and I’m not really interested in buying another Korean guitar that will not hold ANY value and has dodgy quality at best. After playing the Gibson Custom, my LTD even felt cheap. All of my Ibanez guitars felt REALLY cheap. I played a Jackson Kelly bolt on import after playing it (the $750 Eerie Dess model) and it felt like it had pretty good quality, on par with my DV8-R, so I began to question whether a high end USA Jackson would play close to as good as the LP… Trouble is, no shops nearby have USA Jacksons. I’ve got my sights set on the KV2, but am open to the idea of an RR1, WR1, or KE1. I think I could settle for an SL2 (I want HH not SSH), but prefer the V shape. I love the blue ghost flame finish as well. I’ve talked to someone who has a Dean VMNT1 and a KV2 and he says that the KV2 absolutely blows away the VMNT1, and I understand the DV8-R is comparable to the VMNT1.

So, anyone have any experience with USA jackson?

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- May 13, 2008 at 1:32 pm
InFlames
Member

i am in the market to buy a new jackson as well. although i hear that the USA jacksons rock from what iv been reading the overseas stuff also rocks. im picking up a jackson dkgmt in the next few weeks (http://www.guitarcenter.com/Jackson-DKMGT-Dinky-Electric-Guitar-512241-i1147632.gc) iv been playing alot of jacksons. i live about 20 minutes away from two guitar centers so i go to each one all the time. from what iv pllayed i hate the RR3 it feels like plasic. but the Dinky series (why do they call it dinky!@$#%#? so unmetal) plays amazing. personaly im turned off by EMG pickups but i cant seem to get the model i want without them. i do not want a floyd rose. just a normal bridge for me lol.

i hate deans. what they are doing with dimebags name is horrible. and ESP are a sell out comany IMO. nothing is more metal then a jackson. with that said check out http://www.jacksonguitarpalace.com and http://www.jcfonline.com/ they will be able to help you im sure. good luck finding the jackson u want
- May 13, 2008 at 1:50 pm
Goliath
Member

I’m awaiting approval for JCF, but am registered. I’ll check out Jackson Guitar Palace.

I think “Dinky” came from the letters used to describe the guitar. I really wanted someone’s opinion who has played other high end brand guitars and would be possibly less biased than at JCF or JGP. Seriously, even my Ibanez Prestige did not come CLOSE. The ESP I own is fantastic played every bit as good as a MIJ Jackson, and was neck thru instead of bolt on. I still would like some insight into USA Jacksons. I’m done buying midrange guitars. You get fleced on resale.
- May 13, 2008 at 8:58 pm
Gollum
Member

Ok, what gibson was this? And what Ibanez prestige is it you own?

I actually have a friend that uses me as his guitar tech/amp programmer (vetta II) and thus I’ve had his les paul standard weeks on end before, and that thing sells at guitar center, musicians friend, zzsound, and sweetwater over 2k.

The more I play it the more I like the OTHER les pauls. Many of the gibsons I play just don’t feel right. They don’t play right. And they certainly don’t sound right. It’s not so much the quality, but the components they choose. They’re living in the past imo. Nearly half of their guitars are reissues or vintage take back models of some sort and I think they’d be better off getting rid of most of them.

Then when I go back and play something with REAL frets and a REAL neck and REAL pickups I realize how much I love other guitars. Sure the quality is amazing, and the tone is increadibly vintage, but you have to search so long to find a les paul that feels like it was made in this century.

But I know what you mean about other guitars feeling cheap. Thanks to my agile (off brand korean LP copy) I don’t like flat top guitars at all anymore. A flat top guitar now just feels cheap. I also can’t stand guitars that don’t have good naturally resonance unplugged. If the guitar can’t sing on it’s own it’ll have a hard time singing with an amp. That’s something an LP always has, mass. That mass makes for one increadible instrument no matter what pickups they put in it.

As far as the jackson guitars go. I wish i could help you. Jackson is just one of the brands I’ve never been interested in, and I rarely see high end ones around for me to test drive. I don’t know why, but I tend to stray away from companies that have a “metal” image to me like BC Rich, ESP/LTD, Jackson, even schecter to an extent. To me my best metal tones come from GOOD instruments, not instruments made for metal, people that say otherwise are either fanboys or are trying to sell something. The les paul is one of the oldest electric guitar designs, designed by les paul years before gibson took him up on this design idea. His origonal ideas were close to the 60’s iconic les pauls than the early prototyles gibson made because gibson thought they could “improve” on the design.

Designed in the 50’s, perfect for 60’s rock, 70’s rock, 80’s rock, 90’s rock, and it’s still good for todays rock. It’s been a big player in metal since the term was coined and it’s still one of the most popular designs in metal today.

My point? It’s just a plain good instrument. Adaptable to any style. Not many metal guitars can claim that kind of versatility.
- May 13, 2008 at 10:59 pm
Goliath
Member

Let me clarify, I played a black beauty.

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Gibson-Custom-Shop-Les-Paul-Custom-Electric-Guitar?sku=517110

In Black. Split Diamond/H inlay at the headstock.

My prestige is an Ibanez RG550 20th Reissue. Paper thin neck, decent accessibility to the whole fretboard, The sustain is rather weak. The sustain falls off HARD on bends unless generous vibrato is used. There just feels like there’s a disconnect between the body and the neck, which I don’t like. It’s possibly because a maple neck tied to a basswood body, the neck is hard, the body is soft. The pickups are really low output. Playing while standing is uncomfortable with it because of the balance pulls it hard to my right and then it’s difficult for me to access the higher frets. The neck is too thin for the body to be so heavy, in my opinion. Couple the limited playability with the low output and weak sustain and I just can’t get into it. I don’t think another bolt on J-made Ibanez is in the cards. The JEM leaves the same taste in my mouth, but with hotter pick ups.

That said, a lot of those same characteristics with that Les Paul turned me off. Fantastic sustain. Superior Vintage tone, very well suited for classic rock. The accessibility of the higher frets is dodgy at best, perhaps I just need more time with one to adapt, but I didn’t have very great access to the high end. The output of the pickups is low so I would have to get the sound I like by either going into new pickups (no way jose on a 3300 guitar) or cranking the gain, which I’m afraid would result in sacrifice in clarity. I totally agree with you that Gibson (and Fender) are living in the past and just banking on their reputation rather than furthering their reputation.

That said, I really like the KV2 because it has an OFR, Neck Thru, great balance, superior accessibility, great acoustics unplugged (now, i’m assuming the KV2 has the same resonance that the DV8-R has). So if you can make a recommendation of a high end guitar that I might not have considered, by all means. I think about $3k would be the most I’d want to spend. This is a future investment and somethign I’d like to take a lot of time making my mind up on, as opposed to past guitars. I think Ibanez is off the table, unless they have some Neck-Thrus or Set Necks I’m not aware of. Jackson looks good. I don’t think an LP is going to make the team. A Caparison might be in the cards. I might even consider a PRS. So if you’ve got any other recommendations I’d love to hear them.

I have a low end Schecter that I like OK, and the high ends are steps up, I’m sure, but I don’t really see that as a guitar I’d want to pick up for the long run.
- May 14, 2008 at 4:49 pm
Gollum
Member

Geez, 3k would get you just about the best carvin possible…

If you’ve never looked into carvin guitars DO! I simply don’t like the looks of most of their stuff, but if you can stand a PRS thier newer California Carve Top (or CT for short) looks just like a PRS.

Highest quality wood and finish I’ve seen from ANY guitar company. Very much like PRS. You know how the flame and quilt maple on PRS guitars just make the other companies look like a joke? Well carvin I’d argue is even better in that regard. They only use the best wood and their construction methods and finishing are second to none. Absolutely the most consistant guitars I’ve ever come across. You can play 100 in the store and they all feel different unless it was built with particular specs in mind.

One thing that I really love about them, is that they’ll give you a NO QUESTIONS ASKED 10 day trial period. So if you don’t like it, just pay to ship it back. Sure you have to pay shipping, but they’re going to take a hit selling it for less now that it’s “used” so fair is fair right?

Parker guitars are pretty nuts, but for a good one they’re pretty pricey.

Oh, and you’re issues with sustain on your RG550 is probably the bridge, not the wood. Tremelos are sustain killers unless you can put it in a locking position in which something gets clamped or fastened from the body to the bridge.

What do you like in a guitar? Obviously fret access is an issue. Do you like super thin necks, or was the neck on the les paul refreshing and easy to play? Do you need a tremelo? Do you want huge walls of warm sound or thinner more focused shred tone?

If this video wets your appetite, then I’d suggest heading over to the carvin forums and seeing if anyone in your area has one you can go check out to play around with a bit. The hard part about a carvin is deciding what options you want, knowing what you’ll like, and visualizing what it’ll feel, sound, and look like. Anyways, here’s the video link to their demo of the CT. Notice that it’s NOT done by carvin, but a popular magazine.

http://www.carvinguitars.com/jamroom/rooms/ct6/ct6m.php
- May 14, 2008 at 7:25 pm
Goliath
Member

I got a Carvin catalog a while back and was absolutely floored by their quilt maple tops. They were like nothing I had seen before but I was pretty stuck on the new Ibanez I was planning on getting.

I’d agree with your assessment of the Floyd , except the ZR trem on my S470 doesn’t kill sustain quite like the original Edge on the RG550 20th does. It sounds like I’m being hard on the RG550 and to some extent I am, because I don’t feel like it was a good value and I bought it sight unseen so I didn’t know how I would like it.

As far as necks go, I like the Jackson style D neck. If the curve on the 60s style neck was a little more aggressive where it flattens out as you get to the edges of the neck more but still has girth in the middle for chording.

Carvin even has a V style guitar I think I could live with. Sweet. Plus with the “build your own” section I can get a custom guitar without the extra hassle of going through custom shop, right there on the web.

I was going to look at perhaps getting a KxK custom. I suspect that this will meet all of my requirements and be cheaper than a full on custom like I was beginning to think I would have to do.

A guitar built to my specs would run just shy of $1600 with a 4A bookmatched quilt top on a basically reverse Rhoads V (the bottom fin is more important for playing seated) w/ a triple “Dragon burst” finish w/ blackburst edges. Block Abalone inlays, abalone logo, headstock matches body, ebony board. That’s certainly a good option. I like how they simplify the process using a web form. Their 4A tops are disgusting. I can’t decide whether I want alder or mahogany body though…. Or go with black dot inlays over a light colored fingerboard… This is a fun tool, I’m glad you put it in front of me.

The video you showed me is pretty cool, I was amazed how much the tone pot affected the sound. It was as if he switched pickups. I’ll see if I can’t find one locally and go mess around on it.

I’m going to make myself decide over 3 months what I REALLY want.

This seems like something I can really get excited about. USA made guitars with QUALITY woods. I don’t know how I’ll like the electronics, but that’s pretty easy to fix if I decide I want to swap them. I picked their highest output pickup.

Good looking out Gollum. I’ll talk to KxK and see what they’ve got as well.
- May 14, 2008 at 9:31 pm
shredmandan
Member

I used to have an awesome Jackson DK2 pile of skulls.It was my favorite guitar i have ever had.The paint job was amazing and i wish i never had to sell it.Once i have enough to buy my next guitar im going for Jackson or Charvel prefered mid 90’s or back.
- October 28, 2008 at 1:15 am
PinkyFailure
Member

I have several USA Jackson Soloists and one is Custom Shop made for my specs. In my opinion the custom ones kill anything I’ve ever played so far and I’ve played Suhrs, Andersons and other high end guitars. To clarify to me there’s ONLY 2 guitars, a Fender Strat and a Gibson Les Paul the rest are all copies and wannabes but Jacksons have the best of both of those great guitars.

I’m shocked that a few posts ago someone said Gibson was living in the past and they’re not as good or something like that. That is truly a shocking statement being that the best guitars you could get are easily older Les Pauls and Strats and that is NOT an opinion, that is gospel. You can play eveyrhing out there and then play older Strats or Pauls and like the original poster said..everything else will feel and sound like a turd and I mean that. There’s no comparison when it comes to older well made quality.

The newer Gibsons are not as good as the older ones and the Jackson Soloists are possibly better. They have better sustain and just about the same neck with either 22 or 24 frets. Myself, I’ve played all kinds of Ibanez guitars and they just feel so weak and so empty. I currently own a black prestige 1570 and yes, nice neck but the tone even with 200 pickup changes over the last year, it still sounds like a thin piece of toilet paper next to my USA Strats or USA Jacksons. They have no soul those guitars and I really doubt that Vai and Satch would play them if Ibanez were not paying them huge $$ for endorsements. I know that Vai uses alot of his Strat in the studio but of course not live due to the endorsement. Ibanez was always a cheap guitar anyways with crap parts and terrible electronics but they caught on with endorsements and we know how that is. If your idol plays a baseball bat with dental floss..so will most.

The USA Soloists would be my second choice after the Fender Strat since you can’t go wrong with them. You can’t go wrong with a Deluxe Strat either and as with any guitar, you change the pickups to your choice. Strats are very solid Alder body and not having a Floyd you retain alot of the tone since as we all know Floyds and Ibanez trems suck alot of tone. I highly recommend a USA Soloist if that’s what you want, you won’t regret it.

I’d stay about a year away from Carvin, even cheaper parts and electronics than Ibanez and terribly quality control. I’ve taken apart a few and they’re expensive guitars for what they’re built like. Better off to go with a Warmoth made guitar than Carvin. Carvin amps are garbage also, my friend had 2 burn up on him and I borrowed one a few years ago for a gig and it shorted all over the place. The pcb boards are made of wafer cookies I think. If you want quality you have to pay, that’s just how it is.
- June 14, 2009 at 3:44 am
fusoid
Member

I just ordered a USA Soloist SL2H MAHQ in trans green. It’ll take about five months to get here, but I’ve been waiting for this guitar a long time. I’ve owned three Les Paul Standards in the past and I loved them. I’ve also owned a Strat which is a different animal to be sure.

The Soloist MAH is akin to a Les Paul Custom on the electric guitar hierarchy in that it is the top of the line model. The major difference(s) of course, is the Floyd Rose and the 25 1/2 inch scale length. The longer scale length and floating bridge take some of the low end chunk away, so I ordered mine with a mahogany body to warm up the tone a bit.

The guitar is only part of the signal chain, so I’m sure I’ll be able to get some nice fat sounds out of it when I want to. Amps are a musical instrument in and of themselves these days. They have evolved into true tone monsters that can replicate the best sounds of yesterday as well as a slew of other great clean and overdriven tones. You can get any sound you want.

Stomp boxes have evolved to include hard bypass with a more musical and transparent quality to them. There are many overdrive pedals out there that sound truly musical, like the Xotic boxes, Radials’ stuff, Fuller ODs, of course the Tube Screamer, (and clones).

I guess I’m saying that a guitar players ‘rig’ includes all of the above to achieve the sound.

I can’t wait to get my Soloist! I’m back on subject now. I do so love the gear!