I usually buy more expensive guitars, but recently picked up a JS32 Rhoads to practice soldering pickups on. I am sold on the quality of this line, and have another JS32 on the way to mess around with. The strap button placement is my biggest gripe, but hopefully I will be able to fix that as well. Thanks for your reviews!
The JS series is the only way I get to have a warrior I want these days, since I think they look better with reversed headstocks haha. As for the pickups, the only real difference I heard was the Duncan was slightly hotter, but not something that couldn't be adusted for in the amping stage. If other's looking to upgrade a JS don't like the black/white pickups and don't have a set of ducans laying around, there's places that sell bobbin sickers. $10 for a set, 1/20th of the price of new pickups.
Totally agree with your thoughts on the Duncan Distortion. Maybe turning up the gain slightly on the amp, or the level on the TS-9 might make them sound exactly alike. Great suggestion on the bobbin stickers, I forgot those existed!
I love that Jackson put good pickups in their affordable line. Wish they'd stop with the white/black colour scheme though. Congratulations on the free upgrade to the block on your special. I think people complain about specials because the QC is all over the place. My x series soloist special is fine it'll probably work long after I'm dead. My x series Rhoads is getting a new OFR next month because it's been nothing but issues.
@@mikefrombloodofthewolf7076 I travel a lot, and I'm in (rural) Ohio. I pass thru Chicago periodically. Would love to buy you a beverage sometime and talk music!
@@mikefrombloodofthewolf7076 Southern Ohio. Regarding the black/white/grey Camo soloist, did you find any evidence it's actually a wrap, and not paint?
@@cincypiper ah, does the cincy on cincy piper have a connection with Cincinnati? No, no evidence on the camo soloist. Just intuition, I guess. They all look identical, even the Rhoads camo V has the same pattern. It seems impractical that they're hand painted. But no, I don't have any evidence.
@@mikefrombloodofthewolf7076 Correct! I live with horses now, don't like the cities anymore. What's the best way to share some pics of my 'evidence' with you? Also, if Blood of the Wolf needs a piper for a show.... ;).
Glad I saw this. I want to get one of these and do the same upgrades. I will save money on the pickups and put it into the bridge and tuners. Nice review!
Damn, very good video! I am actually thinking about buying one of these as my first floyd guitar. The shape is intriguing, it does look very comfortable, and the pickups are very similar to distortion. Definitely gonna try buying one of em!
I had a js32 king V. I did a Vid for it which is on my channel, but I absolutely adored that guitar. Hit a hard spot and had to sell it tho, but it was an amazing guitar for the price. Ordered the Warrior today and I gotta say I’m quite stoked about it. The pickups are good, the over all quality of the js32 range is good. I’ve got a JS32 8 string that I painted and it’s my main guitar for my band. I love the JS stuff.
Cool review. I love this JS32 Warrior guitar shape - absolutely my favorite out there. I had the Harley Benton Ex-84 EMG for a while which has the Explorer type shape, but want to try something with a Floyd Rose... I might take the plunge. I found one of these for 290USD equivalent with the white bevel. Tempting.
I got a js32t a few years back and I find that I play it way more than my RR3. I upgraded the tuners on it and moved the strap button to the neck plate. I just ordered a used js32 warrior for 229 plus shipping. Hopefully it's a good one!
It turned out to be rougher than I thought. The previous owner installed an Ibanez type Floyd stud contraption that screws to the top of the body and drilled 1/2" holes for the studs. I decided to glue in 1/2" oak dowels and redrill the studs. After a full setup, it plays decent but not as good as the Rhoads hardtail.
did you need to change the studs form the jackson trem to the floyd special?.. i think having great studs saves a lot of long term wear issues.. metal quality.. and were they the same bushing sizes?.. I know Gotoh 1996 bridges uses massive 11mm and deep studs.. OEM floyd is 10mm and not as deep.. nice vid.. !!
Got this one for an absolute steal for 160€ from a guy on Facebook marketplace who he didn’t like the Floyd part of the guitar I think it was a good investment
Great video Mike- the Jackson pickups are surprisingly good. Much better than they used to be. I’m currently looking for a clean White Warrior Wrx24m w reverse headstock, lmk if you see one reasonably priced!!
Please make review on your RRX24, that was on blackouts, and now on your EMGs. I would like to know your opinion about this guitar. Black inlays looks realy good and black binding, blackened logo. This guitars looks so metal, like LTD black metal, but by jackson.
I bought this exact guitar and it's great aside from a few minor finish blemishes. The neck is thin, comfortable and smooth, fretboard is nice and dark, looks like ebony (unlike the vomitwood they put on the X series). Frets could use a polish and the ends are just a tad sharp, but well leveled and perfectly playable. The body is smaller than I expected (I'm yuuge tho), it's very light and resonant. The posture and level of comfort when sitting is about the same as any Strat shaped guitar. When standing, the upper strap button position causes the strap to awkwardly chafe against the tip of the horn, it's a discomfort, but fairly easily fixable I imagine. Stock licensed Floyd is alright, keeps tuning well, not great at flutters and divebombs. I bought a Schaller Lockmeister and a fat block, which might be a bit overkill but whatever. I also bought some locking tuners because I hate winding strings. The stock pickups are great actually, very high output, they sound quite similar to the SD Black Winter in my other guitar. However, they have one major issue - they are half white which cheapens the overall look and I don't like it, so I ordered some Aliexpress rail pickups to replace them (I'm not buying big brand pickups anymore, prices have gone ridiculous over the past 2 years and it's not worth it for a marginal at best improvement in sound.) When the pickups arrive, I'm taking it to a tech to install all the upgrade parts, give the frets some love and set it up in C standard with 11-56, it's gonna be killer. I may feel a bit of buyer remorse for not getting the white one, otherwise it's a great guitar and I like it much more than the RRX24 it replaced, that thing was a torture to play sitting.
I don't know, I've had my satin finish KVXMG for over a year and the finish is still pretty damn clean, but I wipe it down after playing. I'm pretty disciplined in that regard. But, yes, you are correct, the finish will inevitably wear and leave an oil stain wherever your skin makes consistent contact with the guitar.
When you upgraded the JS22 7 string, were the pickup cavities large enough for the new pickups? If so, what pickups did you use? BTW, great guitar collection you have there.🤘
@@therisendead7 thank you very much! Great question. I installed a set of Seymour Duncan Distortion active mount, soap bar style pick-ups. They fit perfectly. I can't find the exact model, but just like this: www.ebay.com/itm/304936453499?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=qUEYN4fTSka&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=WR7nBWo1QHS&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY
@@therisendead7 My model did. I'll post the link as well as my band's bandcamp page. Thanks for asking! www.guitarcenter.com/Jackson/Dinky-Arch-Top-JS22-7-DKA-HT-Electric-Guitar-Black-1500000240740.gc bloodofthewolf.bandcamp.com/album/iv-the-declaration-of-war-eternal
Hey there my fellow Jackson Guitars Bretheren!! Just actually discovered your channel through another favorite of mine!!! Saw you actually Reviewing THE EXACT Jackson Model I've been actually...best way to put it, is lusting over the damn thing 😆😂😆😂 which is the JS32 Warrior WITH or WITHOUT THE TREMOLO!!! Without the Tremolo I'd have to get it in Natural/Wood Finish, WITH THE TREM, would have to be Black or Red 🤘🏻😈🤘🏻 Definitely want to rebuy a Kelly too, that was my first ever real guitar 🎸 back in 2000 was a '96 Japanese Jackson KE3 Kelly Professional w/ a floyd an custom case.
@@mikefrombloodofthewolf7076 lol indeed you did!! It was that video I needed I truly needed to ask a fellow Jackson player...with the Warrior I'm gonna go non-trem cause I dig the Natural Woodgrain color, then when I go get my Kelly Body again I'll do that in a Tremolo. Definitely dig your content buddy, we make similar content when it comes to reviews, if you like or are interested in the 'in-depths' of the luither/tech side of things, that's where Ill spend more of time focusing on
Hey did your seymour duncans or whatever get rid of the goofy poppy midrange of the guitar? Just need to know if it is the guitar or pickups so i can fix mine. Also installing stainless fretwire. It would be better to steam off the amaranth fretboard and harvest the frets and inlays and replace it with even that fake wood, either that or it is the body wood. It is way too poppy sounding somewhere in that thing, i thought it was the pickups but it is still awful. Probably need to make the body out of at least nato mahogany or something, get a fake ebony fretboard and i am gold. oops need an entire guitar built instead, may as well. i am getting a warmoth star body mahogany with goncalo alvez neck and Canary fretboard. Yesh now i am crazy gumby gold. Some day, some day.
What guitar would you recommend to me, im looking for one with a spiky kinda shape because i have an ibanez grg121dx which i like but i want something different would need to be less than £500, was looking at that jackson in the video but from what youve said hopefully there is something better. Great video 😃
That's a really tough question to answer. I have two KVXMGs. One in gloss black and one in satin black. They are both excellent and I highly recommend getting one. I also really like my RRX24 Reverse in all black. That one is very metal.
@@mikefrombloodofthewolf7076 Thanks. I thought so. I saw one on sale a few years back but couldn't get to buy it, then it was gone. I really dig the kelly/king v hybrid design.
@@hysteresis They pop up every now and then on eBay and Reverb. I had a saved search for years until I found the one you see in the background. It's a very cool guitar.
one take away from this vid is that the Jackson pickups,. which u can buy used for 20usd sound just as good as 'premium semour duncan... expencive pickups are a scam. ive bought just cheep no name pickups from chinaand they sound totally fine, there is no reason to pay more than 30usd for a pickup, there is no sound quality improvement
Shhh don’t let the secret out! 24 frets and a decent Floyd that you can always upgrade later, the kind of guitar you can man handle and learn to do dives etc and of course nice to learn how to work on without the fear or guilt of dinging up a far more unnecessarily overpriced guitar all for under 400 bucks, the necks are thin and fast and they look sick in white imo
I usually buy more expensive guitars, but recently picked up a JS32 Rhoads to practice soldering pickups on. I am sold on the quality of this line, and have another JS32 on the way to mess around with. The strap button placement is my biggest gripe, but hopefully I will be able to fix that as well. Thanks for your reviews!
My pleasure! Thanks for the compliment!
Good to see you back again! Been thinking about getting a Warrior js32t to mod so great to see this video lol.
Thank you my friend!
The JS series is the only way I get to have a warrior I want these days, since I think they look better with reversed headstocks haha.
As for the pickups, the only real difference I heard was the Duncan was slightly hotter, but not something that couldn't be adusted for in the amping stage.
If other's looking to upgrade a JS don't like the black/white pickups and don't have a set of ducans laying around, there's places that sell bobbin sickers. $10 for a set, 1/20th of the price of new pickups.
Totally agree with your thoughts on the Duncan Distortion. Maybe turning up the gain slightly on the amp, or the level on the TS-9 might make them sound exactly alike. Great suggestion on the bobbin stickers, I forgot those existed!
I thought for sure you'd return this guitar 😂. I had mine for 2 years and loved it. Traded it for a kkv bc rich. I'll rebuy my js22 warrior one day
Yeah, I thought I'd be returning it too. Glad I got a good one!
I love that Jackson put good pickups in their affordable line. Wish they'd stop with the white/black colour scheme though.
Congratulations on the free upgrade to the block on your special. I think people complain about specials because the QC is all over the place. My x series soloist special is fine it'll probably work long after I'm dead. My x series Rhoads is getting a new OFR next month because it's been nothing but issues.
Yeah, I'm not a fan of the zebra pickups. Sound-wise, they're just fine.
HAIL MIKE! Would love to see y'all in person! Love your content!
Thank you! Where are you from?
@@mikefrombloodofthewolf7076 I travel a lot, and I'm in (rural) Ohio. I pass thru Chicago periodically. Would love to buy you a beverage sometime and talk music!
@@mikefrombloodofthewolf7076 Southern Ohio. Regarding the black/white/grey Camo soloist, did you find any evidence it's actually a wrap, and not paint?
@@cincypiper ah, does the cincy on cincy piper have a connection with Cincinnati? No, no evidence on the camo soloist. Just intuition, I guess. They all look identical, even the Rhoads camo V has the same pattern. It seems impractical that they're hand painted. But no, I don't have any evidence.
@@mikefrombloodofthewolf7076 Correct! I live with horses now, don't like the cities anymore. What's the best way to share some pics of my 'evidence' with you? Also, if Blood of the Wolf needs a piper for a show.... ;).
I have a warrior from the 90’s. It’s my favorite guitar.
Glad I saw this. I want to get one of these and do the same upgrades. I will save money on the pickups and put it into the bridge and tuners. Nice review!
Thanks! Good luck with the project!
Damn, very good video!
I am actually thinking about buying one of these as my first floyd guitar. The shape is intriguing, it does look very comfortable, and the pickups are very similar to distortion.
Definitely gonna try buying one of em!
Great channel!! So I subscribed Love Jackson as well. Thanks for your in-depth review.
Thanks man! My pleasure!
I had a js32 king V. I did a Vid for it which is on my channel, but I absolutely adored that guitar. Hit a hard spot and had to sell it tho, but it was an amazing guitar for the price. Ordered the Warrior today and I gotta say I’m quite stoked about it. The pickups are good, the over all quality of the js32 range is good. I’ve got a JS32 8 string that I painted and it’s my main guitar for my band. I love the JS stuff.
🤘🤘
Cool review. I love this JS32 Warrior guitar shape - absolutely my favorite out there. I had the Harley Benton Ex-84 EMG for a while which has the Explorer type shape, but want to try something with a Floyd Rose... I might take the plunge. I found one of these for 290USD equivalent with the white bevel. Tempting.
I got a js32t a few years back and I find that I play it way more than my RR3. I upgraded the tuners on it and moved the strap button to the neck plate. I just ordered a used js32 warrior for 229 plus shipping. Hopefully it's a good one!
It turned out to be rougher than I thought. The previous owner installed an Ibanez type Floyd stud contraption that screws to the top of the body and drilled 1/2" holes for the studs. I decided to glue in 1/2" oak dowels and redrill the studs. After a full setup, it plays decent but not as good as the Rhoads hardtail.
Great in-depth review. I like the look and the sound of the guitar. I like how you showed the fretboards, compared and talked about them.
Thanks Frank!
did you need to change the studs form the jackson trem to the floyd special?.. i think having great studs saves a lot of long term wear issues.. metal quality.. and were they the same bushing sizes?.. I know Gotoh 1996 bridges uses massive 11mm and deep studs.. OEM floyd is 10mm and not as deep.. nice vid.. !!
When I put in the FR Special I used the studs that came with it, so yes, I replaced the stock studs. Great question.
Got this one for an absolute steal for 160€ from a guy on Facebook marketplace who he didn’t like the Floyd part of the guitar I think it was a good investment
Awesome!
Amazing how in this information age, he couldnt have simply googled and found that you can block it. Nice deal mate.
@@cycomiles4225 indeed but it is what it is. Thanks!
Great video Mike- the Jackson pickups are surprisingly good. Much better than they used to be.
I’m currently looking for a clean White Warrior Wrx24m w reverse headstock, lmk if you see one reasonably priced!!
Thanks! Are you on Reverb or eBay? I find it helpful to save a search on those two websites, unless, of course, you're already doing that.
@@mikefrombloodofthewolf7076 - yessir! I haven’t seen a whole lot lately however. One on Reverb now but he’s asking more than they were new.
Please make review on your RRX24, that was on blackouts, and now on your EMGs. I would like to know your opinion about this guitar. Black inlays looks realy good and black binding, blackened logo. This guitars looks so metal, like LTD black metal, but by jackson.
It's one of my favorites! Both looks and build quality are top notch! I plan on doing a guitar collection video soon.
I bought this exact guitar and it's great aside from a few minor finish blemishes. The neck is thin, comfortable and smooth, fretboard is nice and dark, looks like ebony (unlike the vomitwood they put on the X series). Frets could use a polish and the ends are just a tad sharp, but well leveled and perfectly playable. The body is smaller than I expected (I'm yuuge tho), it's very light and resonant. The posture and level of comfort when sitting is about the same as any Strat shaped guitar. When standing, the upper strap button position causes the strap to awkwardly chafe against the tip of the horn, it's a discomfort, but fairly easily fixable I imagine.
Stock licensed Floyd is alright, keeps tuning well, not great at flutters and divebombs. I bought a Schaller Lockmeister and a fat block, which might be a bit overkill but whatever. I also bought some locking tuners because I hate winding strings.
The stock pickups are great actually, very high output, they sound quite similar to the SD Black Winter in my other guitar. However, they have one major issue - they are half white which cheapens the overall look and I don't like it, so I ordered some Aliexpress rail pickups to replace them (I'm not buying big brand pickups anymore, prices have gone ridiculous over the past 2 years and it's not worth it for a marginal at best improvement in sound.)
When the pickups arrive, I'm taking it to a tech to install all the upgrade parts, give the frets some love and set it up in C standard with 11-56, it's gonna be killer. I may feel a bit of buyer remorse for not getting the white one, otherwise it's a great guitar and I like it much more than the RRX24 it replaced, that thing was a torture to play sitting.
Satin finishes look great right out of the box, but after a month or so those grease stains start appearing and it just ends up looking like crap.
I don't know, I've had my satin finish KVXMG for over a year and the finish is still pretty damn clean, but I wipe it down after playing. I'm pretty disciplined in that regard. But, yes, you are correct, the finish will inevitably wear and leave an oil stain wherever your skin makes consistent contact with the guitar.
When you upgraded the JS22 7 string, were the pickup cavities large enough for the new pickups? If so, what pickups did you use? BTW, great guitar collection you have there.🤘
@@therisendead7 thank you very much! Great question. I installed a set of Seymour Duncan Distortion active mount, soap bar style pick-ups. They fit perfectly. I can't find the exact model, but just like this: www.ebay.com/itm/304936453499?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=qUEYN4fTSka&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=WR7nBWo1QHS&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY
@@mikefrombloodofthewolf7076 Awesome, thanks man! 🤘
@mikefrombloodofthewolf7076 If you don't mind me asking, were the original pickups soap bar style? Have any links of your band?
@@therisendead7 My model did. I'll post the link as well as my band's bandcamp page. Thanks for asking!
www.guitarcenter.com/Jackson/Dinky-Arch-Top-JS22-7-DKA-HT-Electric-Guitar-Black-1500000240740.gc
bloodofthewolf.bandcamp.com/album/iv-the-declaration-of-war-eternal
Hey there my fellow Jackson Guitars Bretheren!! Just actually discovered your channel through another favorite of mine!!!
Saw you actually Reviewing THE EXACT Jackson Model I've been actually...best way to put it, is lusting over the damn thing 😆😂😆😂 which is the JS32 Warrior WITH or WITHOUT THE TREMOLO!!! Without the Tremolo I'd have to get it in Natural/Wood Finish, WITH THE TREM, would have to be Black or Red 🤘🏻😈🤘🏻
Definitely want to rebuy a Kelly too, that was my first ever real guitar 🎸 back in 2000 was a '96 Japanese Jackson KE3 Kelly Professional w/ a floyd an custom case.
Thanks for commenting. Did I convince you one way or another?
@@mikefrombloodofthewolf7076 lol indeed you did!! It was that video I needed I truly needed to ask a fellow Jackson player...with the Warrior I'm gonna go non-trem cause I dig the Natural Woodgrain color, then when I go get my Kelly Body again I'll do that in a Tremolo.
Definitely dig your content buddy, we make similar content when it comes to reviews, if you like or are interested in the 'in-depths' of the luither/tech side of things, that's where Ill spend more of time focusing on
Hey did your seymour duncans or whatever get rid of the goofy poppy midrange of the guitar? Just need to know if it is the guitar or pickups so i can fix mine. Also installing stainless fretwire. It would be better to steam off the amaranth fretboard and harvest the frets and inlays and replace it with even that fake wood, either that or it is the body wood. It is way too poppy sounding somewhere in that thing, i thought it was the pickups but it is still awful. Probably need to make the body out of at least nato mahogany or something, get a fake ebony fretboard and i am gold. oops need an entire guitar built instead, may as well. i am getting a warmoth star body mahogany with goncalo alvez neck and Canary fretboard. Yesh now i am crazy gumby gold. Some day, some day.
What guitar would you recommend to me, im looking for one with a spiky kinda shape because i have an ibanez grg121dx which i like but i want something different would need to be less than £500, was looking at that jackson in the video but from what youve said hopefully there is something better. Great video 😃
Hey mate, which one of your Jackson’s is your favourite? I’m thinking of getting an x kvxmg
That's a really tough question to answer. I have two KVXMGs. One in gloss black and one in satin black. They are both excellent and I highly recommend getting one. I also really like my RRX24 Reverse in all black. That one is very metal.
Bro is that a kellystar in the back?!
Yes it is! It was on my eBay and Reverb saved searches for many, many years.
Hi Mike, does the guitar have neck dive? Standing!
No, not at all.
@@mikefrombloodofthewolf7076 Thank you
@@deHelli also, if you relocate the strap button, it will be even more comfortable standing up. Watch 0:16
definitely prefer the amaranth over the laurel.
What model is that guitar hanging between your head and the warrior?
A Kelly Star. Rare model. That was only in production 2000-2001 and 2001-2002.
@@mikefrombloodofthewolf7076 Thanks. I thought so. I saw one on sale a few years back but couldn't get to buy it, then it was gone. I really dig the kelly/king v hybrid design.
@@hysteresis They pop up every now and then on eBay and Reverb. I had a saved search for years until I found the one you see in the background. It's a very cool guitar.
Will a floyd rose original drop in with no mods?
I don't know for sure, but a FR Special fits with no mods, and to my knowledge, the Special and Original share the same dimensions.
Did you use a longer screw when you installed the button in the neck plate? If so, do you happen to know the length?
I did not use a longer screw.
one take away from this vid is that the Jackson pickups,. which u can buy used for 20usd sound just as good as 'premium semour duncan... expencive pickups are a scam. ive bought just cheep no name pickups from chinaand they sound totally fine, there is no reason to pay more than 30usd for a pickup, there is no sound quality improvement
Shhh don’t let the secret out!
24 frets and a decent Floyd that you can always upgrade later, the kind of guitar you can man handle and learn to do dives etc and of course nice to learn how to work on without the fear or guilt of dinging up a far more unnecessarily overpriced guitar all for under 400 bucks, the necks are thin and fast and they look sick in white imo