One of the best things about Jackson is it'll say "Jackson" on the headstock no matter the price range. So newer players can be proud to own a guitar just like their heroes play. Love my Jackson (RR24)
Way back in my youth, I did the inlay and fretting in 1985-1986 at Charvel/Jackson. Fun year but moved on for a career away from guitars. Those were good times for a 21 year old.
I slept on Jacksons for way too long, but picked up a JS32 Dinky for cheap on a whim and I was blown away. I love how it feels to hold. The carved top and quilted maple cap are beautiful, and the neck is great. Even the licensed Floyd Rose is acceptable, though I'll likely upgrade to a real FR and of course a pickup swap is in the plan, but even stock it's a great value and sounds pretty good.
The King V is named after late RATT guitarist Robbin "King" Crosby who inspired the adoption of the Gibson Flying V shape in 1983. An early version can be seen in the video to "Round and Round", with a model that is pretty close to a Flying V. The video to "Lay it Down" features a white King V in its close to final design.
Contrary to popular belief... Robbin played a double Rhoads not a King V BTW: The red one was called "Big Red" and the white one "Angel" (which he traded to CC Deville sometime in '86 for a '64 Gibson Firebird).
I have a King V. Robin Crosby was a very tall guitarist, so the King V is balanced well for a tall player because of the two equal lengths in the guitar wings. The Randy Rhodes is unbalanced for a taller person.
No matter the price range a Jackson guitar will always get the job done if the deal is playing heavy and fast music, from the cheapiest to the wildest ones, they kill it!
This was a really great breakdown, very clearly explained. Personally, I've always found Schecter's way of organising their ranges and shapes kind of confusing, I bet a video on them in a similar style to this would be interesting.
I have the cheapest 7 string model jackson offers, the js22. Out of the box it's playable, but I've upgraded the pickups to duncan blackouts outs, hipshot locking tuners and bridge and a dimarzio locking strap mount. With a truss rod adjustment, the thing plays like one of their $2k models.
Build quality has improved immensely since CNC machines have become so prevalent. The biggest difference in cost these days has more to do with exotic woods, custom finishes, and top shelf hardware.
The Jackson Dominion is the most comfortable shape i and a few friends have ever played. Whether you like Lamb of God or not i highly recommend you try it out! Its basically like a tele and an LP mixed into one with a Jackson neck, absolutely wonderful
jackson makes some great basses as well. they gave amazing range and can be used for anything, not only metal. rock, r&b, pretty much anything sound good on those basses
Last 2006, our church gave me a Made In Japan DK2 Jackson. It has served me well. I never believed Jackson is strictly a metal guitar brand. I used mine for fusion, soul, r&b, classic rock and of course 80s rock and metal. They are more versatile than you would think. Not letting go of that one. The Seymour Duncan JB humbucker sounds just so great. Thanks for this video, I learned a lot. BTW, before joining Ibanez, Steve Vai for a short while endorsed Jackson.
Funny eh that just a few short years ago playing an electric guitar or rock music was considered was considered evil AF let alone playing rock in a church! Glad they changed their minds on subject church leaders are ignorant about…again lol. Someday ppl will realize it’s all a scam. 👍🏽
Hey ! Man I've always wondered this and needed to hear this from someone! Cz I've been looking at these guitars and I liked for the style! So you can play it in most genres right? Also how's it for more cleaner tone music?
The Dinky body shape is based on the Charvel 88. The body shape and weight of a soloist is different, not just because of the neck-thru construction. When I was a kid I thought sustain should increase from bolt-on necks to set necks to neck-through construction. Later I realized this wasn't necessarily the case. It seems the quality of the wood employed is most important. Difficult to express as two adjacent trees can produce entirely different tones. Your ears are the difference, go find something you like the sound of. For me, my #1 is an '84 Baretta body with a Jackson custom shop neck I designed myself, 1 3/4" nut, 12-16 compound fretboard, 1/4 inch with 1" heel, all quarter sawn maple, Dunlop 6100 wire. As articulate as they come. The darkest day in guitar history is when Fender bought Jackson. Or when Eddie died. Definitely the two when real metal players knew things were changing, and not for the better.
DAMN! I'm a 42 year old, guitar playing, metalhead and didn't know that Jackson was made by charvel. Or you know what I mean. Lol that's crazy. I knew that the "Rhoades" was a custom deal, but I thought Jackson was an established brand already. That's awesome man! Great story.
Just to point out, it’s not just the pro series made in Indonesia, I have a Scott Ian signature x series, also made in Indonesia. Fantastic build quality, plays amazing, just generally great.
I have a MIJ soloist with EMGs.I play Dire Straits/J J Cale laid back blues style on it.People freak when I bring it out at the blues club with its metal looks and reverse pointy headstock.It has a beautiful mellow bell like sound to it through my Fender twin.I don’t think I have ever overdriven it like on the demos.I have a Marshall half stack and I have never plugged the Jackson in it.I don’t think I have even turned the Marshall on in ten years.Makes a nice bit of furniture though.
The used market can be a great way to get Jackson's at fractions of the price if you want something good too. I have a JTX Std from 1994 (made in Japan) that is on par with the MJ series they make today and I got it for 225 USD. Best guitar I have ever played.
the jackson warrior is actually quite ergonomic, the bottom back fin can hook on your leg for a nice playing angle and its short enough that it doesnt stab into the chair so you dont have to sit on the edge of a seat like you do with a flying v also the back top fin works great as an arm rest its also not so extreme of a shape that you couldnt use it for multiple genres, although the back top fin and front bottom horn are disproportionately large in my opinion, it would look a lot cooler if they were shortened to give the body a less slanted look
Both of mine are pre-Fender and MiJ: '97 SL3 and an '02 DKMG (with an '06 DKMGFF neck-cuz why not? the flame inlays and reverse headstock ROCK) The crown jewel is my '87 Charvel Model 5, of the legendary MiJ import line. I was actually offered $4K for it (and the chainsaw case) when I took it into guitar center for a fret lvl last year. I said, "pick it up and play it." He was blown away, saying "I guess that offer was a bit low." I will NEVER sell it.
I love my Jacksons, but it would have been helpful to point out that most Jacksons come with a Floyd Rose trem as well as a hardtail bridge option. For new guitar players I would say that a Floyd Rose is a terrible choice. They are a pain to setup and maintain. The quality of the JS series "Licensed Floyd Rose" trems are not that great and you are much better off getting a hardtail at that price point.
ABSOLUTELY 100%.........Floyds on a JS series are a Gimmick!!.....Won't hold tuning and will quickly lose function....they are soft metal, it's Not going to last.....Period. Granted you CAN Block the trem with wood or pennies wrapped in electrical tape, and Turn it into a Hard Tail guitar......But you're asking for serious problems with a Floyd if your New to guitars.....I have 2 Floyd guitars, 1 is blocked off, and the Other I installed a Real German Floyd.......All my other guitars are Hard Tails, I avoid Floyd at most costs.....once you start getting 5 or 6 guitars, you can't possibly play All of them and maintain them with Floyds......you just can't!
When i was just starting out learning guitar. A family friend leant me one of their beat up guitars. Back then I was probably around 14 or 15 years old. I didnt know who the brand really were but I never forgot the guitar I was handed to learn on... -It was 'wine red' (although more brown looking...) with a black pickguard. Jackson Soloist/Soloist XL.- *Actually it wasnt the XL. It was a 91' or 93' Soloist SL1' he had.* He had used the guitar for a very very long time playing with his band and he had too many guitars so gave me that one to borrow and learn on when my parents didnt want to stump up the cash. I remember many many years later when I was more proficient at playing. I went back to him and asked him if he was willing to sell it as a joke. He laughed and said he could possible be talked into it but I was still young, still in school and didnt have much money to my name. I wish I had asked my parents for money because that Jackson would be worth maybe 3 or 4 times more than whatever I paid for it and this guy was willing to let it go for almost nothing back then. My parents still thought it was too expensive. Which is rather ironic because they later got me a first gen PRS Santana SE which I think cost somewhere around £600-700. Both are amazing guitars but I still still think about the jackson.
Even the bottom tier Jackson guitars are top notch. The pickups are cheap and sometimes microphonic, but replace the pickups and they become absolute monsters.
I just bought a Jackson X series bass, blue/amber burst. She picked it out. I was not familiar with the brand. Thank you for filling me in on the history.
I've got the Soloist Silverburst, equipped with the Kerry King EMG kit, and it's a beast! I love it. Some of the more senior players say it's got a wide neck, and that Schecter is better, so I'd like to try one those out because of my small hands problem, but as it is I don't even notice. It's a great guitar.
I played Ibanez rgs for years, and then I bought an older Jackson professional, and it changed my playing abilities,Jackson is the superior guitar for metal.. soloing/shredding...has never been so easy....
Iv had Gibson les Paul’s, fender Stratocasters, evh etc etc, and the 2 guitars I always picked up no matter what was near was my Jackson js 11, absolutely amazing guitar for 130 pounds uk price, the other is my Martin Ed Sheeran edition, both necks were absolutely perfect to me, but the cheap as chips Jackson was always the electric guitar I picked up and still do. it will be with me until the end 😊
The real reason why soloists are not featured in the JS series is mainly due to procuction costs. And a neck-through soloist has no intonation problems at all. Intonation is adjusted through the string saddles and yes, also by adjusting the neck via truss-rod. And soloists are equipped with truss-rods, too. So, no problems there at all.
Just a comment - why would a neck through have problems with intonation over a bolton? The intonation is done by adjusting the bridge saddles... the only guitar with these problems is an acoustic where you can't adjust like an electric.
i think he was referring to how in the event of your neckthrough guitar warping over time, you're a bit screwed as opposed to just getting a new neck on bolt-ons. Also bolt ons technically have more volume and sustain than a neckthrough or setneck, it's been proven time and time again.
I thought about that too and I have heard several people say this. The only thing I can come up with is that maybe they are referring to the fact that you can't raise/lower the neck at the neck pocket on a neck through because there is no neck pocket and its one solid piece from headstock to tail. That is really the only thing I can possibly come up with.
I doubt any of their neck through guitars...with their carbon fiber rods, AND, not to mention truss rods...are ever going to have that problem. That whole statement is a complete flub.
Just came across this video after looking up and buying a Jackson/"jacksonbacker" bass lol I love it. Never thought I'd buy a Jackson least of all a Jackson bass but this is a great instrument. As for guitars I'm no shredder so definitely not for me but thought this video was pretty cool and educational.
Wish Jackson should make more HSS pick up configuration guitar or just a Single coil neck & a Humbucker bridge guitar. Sure gonna get some crazy tones out of it... And i always been a Jackson fan from Malaysia.
Buy a used JTX Std. Made in Japan and is on par with current mj series for a fraction of the cost. Mine was made in 1993 and is still to date the best guitar I have ever played.
One thing nobody told me and I wish I knew is that ALL JS series guitars come with massive bolt-on necks and have poor high fret access, while if you pay the little extra for X, you get neck thru on the corresponding models and sculpted heels on Dinky and other bolt-on models. This is for me the biggest thing to say about this subject.
I am a lefty and there is like no other V under 700€ that you can buy. I ve decided to go with Jackson Rhoads JS32 left handed, as I have owned a pro series jackson. I swear I could not have done a better move. I ve got decent guitar for 300€, neck feels exactly the same as on the pro model. Of course you can do a few mods to it, such as trem stabilizer, or buy a better set of pups, but man, Jacksons are really something even at a low price point.
I’m a lefty I love my Jacksons (I’ve got two USA models, 2 MiJ, an X series, and an JS32). Sadly Jackson don’t give a damn about lefties. Same three entry level guitars for last last decade? I want a Warrior and a Kelly without having to pay for custom shop!!
just to be clear about the Pro series. not all of them are made in Indonesia. Most of them are but a few of them are made in China (the crazier finishes), others in Korea (the DK Moderns) and a few others in Mexico (the Dinkys). The latter two are the ones you should go for and the former two you should avoid at all cost.
I had a Chinese Rainbow Crackle Soloist and Indonesian neon pink soloist and a green crackle made in China soloist Best guitars I’ve ever played . I’m currently hoping to sell my Slash signature Gibson to help me move house but plan on buying another soloist with part of the money
So the thing is with a bolt on neck, if you ever run into problems and can't get your action just right you could always add a shim/or sand the the neck pocket . you just have more adjustability with the bolt on then you would with a neck through my opinion is,it's not worth the trade off For having a neck thru with a little more dave mustsustain lol
got three, japanese dnky2 floyd rose, jackson hss pickups, a jackson fusion offset dot markers in antique burst dimarzio pickups floyd rose, japan made, and newest one is a jackson dk2m pro series made in mexico with floyd rose and seymours in silverburst, all three are magnificent solid dependable and play like butter.
I own 16 guitars , my OG and most comfy to play is still “JackyBoy” my JS22 dinky ….. I love that guitar and I’d recommend a Jackson dinky as a great beginner guitar over everything else
Im not a fan of the Flame maple and burled tops these days, and when i think of Jackson its a solid color of maybe a custom graphic. I will say that the Wildcard Flame maple does have a really cool look. The maple binding is almost neon looking and the thing just pops. I do wish that they got more uniform in the models and where theyre built. I feel like you can get a great intermediate level jackson and get a crappy $1700 one. Im getting a Loomis Kelly tomorrow, my fingers are crossed that its one of the good ones
Looking at a Dinky JS32 DKA. Don't want to shred or chug and I HATE that head stock, and I'd rather have much lower resistance humbuckers (or SSH), but I love the Dinkly body and love love love that neon orange finish.
Been playing and collecting Jackson guitars since the 80s and have owned literally 100s of them. Most have been USA San Dimas models but plenty of import ones as well. Early 90s made in Japan Jackson guitars are some of the best they ever made as far as the import lines go. I still have my made in Japan 92 Fusion H-H Jackson and I will never sell it. Still have my 86 USA San Dimas Jackson one humbucker super strat and play it all the time. I have owned some of the early USA Charvels and they were fantastic guitars as well. The current import line doesn't do a lot for me and still go for the originals.
What is the serial number of your 92 mij, I’m looking at 90 mij With serial number 00043124 on plate but no Jackson logo on plate Only the serial number Not sure this adds up
I dont understand why the soloist has intonation problems. The intonation is adjusted by the truss rod and saddles, and the neck thru is probably even more stable than bolt on, so there isn't really a difference in intonation between bolt on and neck thru.
Thanks for the explanation man🤩. I own a Jackson JS11 which is my second guitar but first ever with tremolo bridge. The first time i plug it in , I can't stop playing. The distortion sound is heavy enough for my ears and it is really enjoy to play with the smooth maple neck. Eventhough the tune always out when using the whammy..I understand bcs it's an entry level guitar but looking forward to upgrade the tuners.It's been 3 years and i never feel regret of purchasing it. Also i have i question , what about adrian smith jackson SDX? It's signature model too right?i really like the bright headstock with black Jackson logo on it
I am more of a Gibson, fender traditionalist however I wanted to play around with a more metal guitar. I picked up the Chris Broderick soloist and it did not disappoint. Made in Indonesia I was a little bit skeptical and actually went to return it. When I got to the guitar store I tried about seven or eight other metal guitars and ended up leaving with my original Jackson. Keep up the good work. I think the DiMarzio pick ups are amazing. And the build quality from Indonesia is remarkable. There is not a flaw on this guitar and it sounds amazing.
yeah man I would agree, a lot of the Indo guitars really are great instruments. you'll get the occasional lemon but i think that technology has helped alot when it comes to production guitars
I own a 1985 Jackson Kelly (serial number) and these were made in San Dimas, California and not made in Indonesia or Japan. I didn't hear anything about the San Dimas USA Professional Custom which are the original Jackson guitars made by Grover Jackson. These are the the top quality Jackson guitars and not the subsequent pro customs.
I have never really understood the X-series and specially not the price tag vs the JS32´s. I tried both guitars + Pro-series some years back and ended up getting the Chinese made JS32Q DKA HT, changed the original tuners to very cheap locking ones and its become a very good and capable guitar for little money and its very well made, even the stock pickups(made by Belcat) are actually very good with decent output at around 15k and a nice compression in the sound, easy to record with very little EQing needed! I own an ESP LTD EC-1000 with Seymour Duncans so i know what i´m saying here, the JS32´s without a floyd are very good, just change the stock tuners and you have a very good guitar. The X-series just does not make sense to me.
My main guitars are two modded Jackson Kellys. Seymour Duncan PATB-2 in the bridge and Sustainiac in the neck for both, and my Ferrari Red KEX has Super Jumbo stainless steel frets. Not only are they visually striking, they’re great modding platforms. IMO the ultimate metal guitar 🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘
I've always wanted a monarkh neck on a dinky body. I'm not got the money for a custom guitar but I would definitely be in line to buy a production model.
I had a mid range dinky for years and loved the feel of the neck, the profile and the finish. Anyone that doesn't click with the feel of an ibanez rg should definitely give Jackson a go....
Video is factually incorrect right out of the gate. Wayne Charvel never manufactured a single guitar - not even the pre-pros. The closest thing he did was some assembly. ALL Charvel guitars were manufactured under Grover Jackson after he bought Wayne out. Wayne didn't even have the equipment to make a neck. What we know of Charvel today, and what we knew of Charvel 40 years ago is all about what Grover did after buying Wayne out.
@@RoastPotato-s7x The only tie to Charvel was the slide decal on the bolt-on necks. Both Charvel's and Jackson's were made in the same place by the same guys. If it was a thru-neck, it was a Jackson. If it were a bolt-on, it was a Charvel. Unless the final production guys changed it at the last minute, that was the typical production.
They (Gover n Wayne) had a difference on how things should go...so Wayne made a deal with Gover n sold his company to him.... after that n still to this day he has had NOTHING to do with the company
I've been looking on the internet but I can't get a straight answer from the Jackson electric guitar series I know the JS series is the cheaper one what's the next series and the next series after that and the next series
I have no idea about music or guitar , and when i saw the black jackson i fell in love, i have a budget of 220$ which jackson do you recommend me to get at that price range and thank you
Can I request a piece of advice please? If I buy a JS-32 for example, (Floyd Rose Is crucial for me), and upgrade it with Seymour/EMG pickups, would it be ok? Tbh, I used to play a JS30 when I was 16, and I liked it too much. Tried Schecter Omen and JLV-7, and didn't enjoed it at all. Now I want to switch my guitar, but don't want to spend more than $1000 on it. I want a guitar which class is not lower than my Schecter JLV-7. Thanks!
One of the best things about Jackson is it'll say "Jackson" on the headstock no matter the price range. So newer players can be proud to own a guitar just like their heroes play. Love my Jackson (RR24)
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@@ryanrodriguez3757 you took the words from my brain brother
Yeah, but they can keep all those cheaper budget models. Just ditch t whole J's and js32 things. Those are junk.
That's a pretty bad thing, really. When companies make way too many models at way too many price points, it just dilutes their allure.
Just going to put this out there, Jackson has by far the coolest headstock.
Yeah, maybe a tie with BC Rich NJ Series
Opinion.
Agreed
Caparison oc
I think the Washburn dimebag signature had the coolest headstock
Way back in my youth, I did the inlay and fretting in 1985-1986 at Charvel/Jackson. Fun year but moved on for a career away from guitars. Those were good times for a 21 year old.
That’d be the job to have at that age!
I was a body sander at Carvin after I got out of the Marines. I miss it too lol.
It's hard to find a charvel Jackson guitar I've seen pics of them but never seen one for sale
@@barrymatthews6149 I found a Model 3 used in Dublin and snatched it immediately
@@KonwTheTrut Is Boomer still the painter at Carvin guitars?
I slept on Jacksons for way too long, but picked up a JS32 Dinky for cheap on a whim and I was blown away. I love how it feels to hold. The carved top and quilted maple cap are beautiful, and the neck is great. Even the licensed Floyd Rose is acceptable, though I'll likely upgrade to a real FR and of course a pickup swap is in the plan, but even stock it's a great value and sounds pretty good.
The King V is named after late RATT guitarist Robbin "King" Crosby who inspired the adoption of the Gibson Flying V shape in 1983. An early version can be seen in the video to "Round and Round", with a model that is pretty close to a Flying V. The video to "Lay it Down" features a white King V in its close to final design.
That's a cool fact, I never new that
Contrary to popular belief... Robbin played a double Rhoads not a King V
BTW: The red one was called "Big Red" and the white one "Angel" (which he traded to CC Deville sometime in '86 for a '64 Gibson Firebird).
I have a King V. Robin Crosby was a very tall guitarist, so the King V is balanced well for a tall player because of the two equal lengths in the guitar wings. The Randy Rhodes is unbalanced for a taller person.
@@racheladkins6060 Robbin played a double Rhoads... not a King V.
@@racheladkins6060 taller person? It was made for Randy he was almost a dwarf
No matter the price range a Jackson guitar will always get the job done if the deal is playing heavy and fast music, from the cheapiest to the wildest ones, they kill it!
This was a really great breakdown, very clearly explained.
Personally, I've always found Schecter's way of organising their ranges and shapes kind of confusing, I bet a video on them in a similar style to this would be interesting.
Yeah, I think schecter is quite strange with there shapes too
I have the cheapest 7 string model jackson offers, the js22. Out of the box it's playable, but I've upgraded the pickups to duncan blackouts outs, hipshot locking tuners and bridge and a dimarzio locking strap mount. With a truss rod adjustment, the thing plays like one of their $2k models.
I've always heard that Jackson's lower end models are fantastic for modding out.
Yep. Had to loosen that truss rod by about a half turn or so. Plays like a dream now! Same for you?
@@WretchedOne666yes they’re lower end guitars are solid out of the box but modding yourself makes them a whole fun machine
Build quality has improved immensely since CNC machines have become so prevalent. The biggest difference in cost these days has more to do with exotic woods, custom finishes, and top shelf hardware.
The Jackson Dominion is the most comfortable shape i and a few friends have ever played. Whether you like Lamb of God or not i highly recommend you try it out! Its basically like a tele and an LP mixed into one with a Jackson neck, absolutely wonderful
It seems like it be unbalanced? I'm guessing it's not?
jackson makes some great basses as well. they gave amazing range and can be used for anything, not only metal. rock, r&b, pretty much anything sound good on those basses
Last 2006, our church gave me a Made In Japan DK2 Jackson. It has served me well. I never believed Jackson is strictly a metal guitar brand. I used mine for fusion, soul, r&b, classic rock and of course 80s rock and metal. They are more versatile than you would think. Not letting go of that one. The Seymour Duncan JB humbucker sounds just so great.
Thanks for this video, I learned a lot. BTW, before joining Ibanez, Steve Vai for a short while endorsed Jackson.
I use mine at church too. Love it nThe fishman fluency pickups fit in any song.. and every once in a while I fit a riff it. Haha.
I have the same guitar and it’s my favorite. 🕊♥️
Funny eh that just a few short years ago playing an electric guitar or rock music was considered was considered evil AF let alone playing rock in a church! Glad they changed their minds on subject church leaders are ignorant about…again lol.
Someday ppl will realize it’s all a scam. 👍🏽
Hey ! Man I've always wondered this and needed to hear this from someone!
Cz I've been looking at these guitars and I liked for the style! So you can play it in most genres right?
Also how's it for more cleaner tone music?
@@aakashnaik1040 passable for those in between single coil pickup positions. But don't expect Ventures/Shadows clean.
The Dinky body shape is based on the Charvel 88. The body shape and weight of a soloist is different, not just because of the neck-thru construction. When I was a kid I thought sustain should increase from bolt-on necks to set necks to neck-through construction. Later I realized this wasn't necessarily the case. It seems the quality of the wood employed is most important. Difficult to express as two adjacent trees can produce entirely different tones. Your ears are the difference, go find something you like the sound of. For me, my #1 is an '84 Baretta body with a Jackson custom shop neck I designed myself, 1 3/4" nut, 12-16 compound fretboard, 1/4 inch with 1" heel, all quarter sawn maple, Dunlop 6100 wire. As articulate as they come. The darkest day in guitar history is when Fender bought Jackson. Or when Eddie died. Definitely the two when real metal players knew things were changing, and not for the better.
DAMN! I'm a 42 year old, guitar playing, metalhead and didn't know that Jackson was made by charvel. Or you know what I mean. Lol that's crazy. I knew that the "Rhoades" was a custom deal, but I thought Jackson was an established brand already. That's awesome man! Great story.
Please cover B.C.Rich in this way, their history is equally interesting. If not as well propped up by giants like Rhodes.
I'd like to see that too!
Just to point out, it’s not just the pro series made in Indonesia, I have a Scott Ian signature x series, also made in Indonesia. Fantastic build quality, plays amazing, just generally great.
My pro is made in China. Not that it matters these days. What makes someone in Indonesia better at crafting guitars than say someone in Malaysia.
@Matt I just bought 2 series pro guitars and both were lemons. I'm hella sad. I just ordered a 3rd so hopefully it's better.
I have a MIJ soloist with EMGs.I play Dire Straits/J J Cale laid back blues style on it.People freak when I bring it out at the blues club with its metal looks and reverse pointy headstock.It has a beautiful mellow bell like sound to it through my Fender twin.I don’t think I have ever overdriven it like on the demos.I have a Marshall half stack and I have never plugged the Jackson in it.I don’t think I have even turned the Marshall on in ten years.Makes a nice bit of furniture though.
The used market can be a great way to get Jackson's at fractions of the price if you want something good too. I have a JTX Std from 1994 (made in Japan) that is on par with the MJ series they make today and I got it for 225 USD. Best guitar I have ever played.
the jackson warrior is actually quite ergonomic, the bottom back fin can hook on your leg for a nice playing angle and its short enough that it doesnt stab into the chair so you dont have to sit on the edge of a seat like you do with a flying v
also the back top fin works great as an arm rest
its also not so extreme of a shape that you couldnt use it for multiple genres, although the back top fin and front bottom horn are disproportionately large in my opinion, it would look a lot cooler if they were shortened to give the body a less slanted look
A Jackson always has their crushing logo. And hot humbuckers. And sweet neck.
Never disappointed. 😎💯🎇💖🥁
i want the Jackson X Series Soloist SLX DX Camo, Laurel Fingerboard, Winter Camo
i fell in love with it .. going to buy it for sure
I bought a 1991 12th anniversary limited edition 005 out of 200 built,,, simply just a beautiful guitar. Love the inlays and brazian rosewood neck.
I own 2 Jacksons and I absolutely love them
My $200 archtop Dinky with the Floyd plays like a $600 guitar when properly set up. Best entry level gear in my opinion.
@@cottonhill813 Absolutely amazing guitars
Agreed! My 93 JTX Std made in Japan plays like a modern MJ series but I picked it up for like 225. It's the envy of everyone who has played it lol
Yeah I've got 2 Jacksons too. A dinky JS22 and dinky JS32 in snow white. Amazing guitars, never had an issue.
Both of mine are pre-Fender and MiJ: '97 SL3 and an '02 DKMG (with an '06 DKMGFF neck-cuz why not? the flame inlays and reverse headstock ROCK)
The crown jewel is my '87 Charvel Model 5, of the legendary MiJ import line. I was actually offered $4K for it (and the chainsaw case) when I took it into guitar center for a fret lvl last year. I said, "pick it up and play it." He was blown away, saying "I guess that offer was a bit low."
I will NEVER sell it.
I love my Jacksons, but it would have been helpful to point out that most Jacksons come with a Floyd Rose trem as well as a hardtail bridge option. For new guitar players I would say that a Floyd Rose is a terrible choice. They are a pain to setup and maintain. The quality of the JS series "Licensed Floyd Rose" trems are not that great and you are much better off getting a hardtail at that price point.
ABSOLUTELY 100%.........Floyds on a JS series are a Gimmick!!.....Won't hold tuning and will quickly lose function....they are soft metal, it's Not going to last.....Period. Granted you CAN Block the trem with wood or pennies wrapped in electrical tape, and Turn it into a Hard Tail guitar......But you're asking for serious problems with a Floyd if your New to guitars.....I have 2 Floyd guitars, 1 is blocked off, and the Other I installed a Real German Floyd.......All my other guitars are Hard Tails, I avoid Floyd at most costs.....once you start getting 5 or 6 guitars, you can't possibly play All of them and maintain them with Floyds......you just can't!
I absolutely agree, I own a hard tail and FR JS series, and the FR trem on the JS has... issues.
When i was just starting out learning guitar. A family friend leant me one of their beat up guitars. Back then I was probably around 14 or 15 years old. I didnt know who the brand really were but I never forgot the guitar I was handed to learn on... -It was 'wine red' (although more brown looking...) with a black pickguard. Jackson Soloist/Soloist XL.- *Actually it wasnt the XL. It was a 91' or 93' Soloist SL1' he had.* He had used the guitar for a very very long time playing with his band and he had too many guitars so gave me that one to borrow and learn on when my parents didnt want to stump up the cash.
I remember many many years later when I was more proficient at playing. I went back to him and asked him if he was willing to sell it as a joke. He laughed and said he could possible be talked into it but I was still young, still in school and didnt have much money to my name. I wish I had asked my parents for money because that Jackson would be worth maybe 3 or 4 times more than whatever I paid for it and this guy was willing to let it go for almost nothing back then. My parents still thought it was too expensive. Which is rather ironic because they later got me a first gen PRS Santana SE which I think cost somewhere around £600-700.
Both are amazing guitars but I still still think about the jackson.
I just pulled the trigger on the RR3 TOM bridge version in Ivory with Ebony fingerboard with black pinstripes. Thanks Randy!
Even the bottom tier Jackson guitars are top notch. The pickups are cheap and sometimes microphonic, but replace the pickups and they become absolute monsters.
4:52 I have this exact guitar, it’s treated me very well so far
JACKSON : KING OF POP and METAL !
Jackson was the birth for the love of guitars for me. Rhoads having a hand is so sick.
I have a Jackson dinky I like it.
On cheap side but sounds and plays very nice. And looks great too.
I repeat: This was a really great breakdown, very clearly explained. thank you man!
I just bought a Jackson X series bass, blue/amber burst. She picked it out. I was not familiar with the brand. Thank you for filling me in on the history.
The outro was YUMMY 🎆
I've got the Soloist Silverburst, equipped with the Kerry King EMG kit, and it's a beast! I love it. Some of the more senior players say it's got a wide neck, and that Schecter is better, so I'd like to try one those out because of my small hands problem, but as it is I don't even notice. It's a great guitar.
The bolt on neck compared to neck through body are arguable when it comes to sustain 👍🏼
I played Ibanez rgs for years, and then I bought an older Jackson professional, and it changed my playing abilities,Jackson is the superior guitar for metal.. soloing/shredding...has never been so easy....
I was thinking the same thing ...what do you think makes them so easy to play ?
@@vincealv3567 the thin neck profile and the compound fretboard radius.
@@atakdragonfly1675 them compound radius necks fuck me up (in a great way). Completely changed my life.
owned a sl1 custom shop with silver swirl finish, the best fretboard wood I ever seen and play
Iv had Gibson les Paul’s, fender Stratocasters, evh etc etc, and the 2 guitars I always picked up no matter what was near was my Jackson js 11, absolutely amazing guitar for 130 pounds uk price, the other is my Martin Ed Sheeran edition, both necks were absolutely perfect to me, but the cheap as chips Jackson was always the electric guitar I picked up and still do. it will be with me until the end 😊
Best cost / quality ratio of all manufacturers
7:09...that was a dope ending! Nailed that note!
The real reason why soloists are not featured in the JS series is mainly due to procuction costs. And a neck-through soloist has no intonation problems at all. Intonation is adjusted through the string saddles and yes, also by adjusting the neck via truss-rod. And soloists are equipped with truss-rods, too. So, no problems there at all.
Yeah that's true, they need to sort this out 😂😂😂
what do you mean soloists have no intonation problems at all? all guitars need intonation
Intonation is never adjusted with the truss rod. Only via the saddle length (distance from bridge to nut)
JS is entry level cheap shit.......that's why there's No soloist.
12:31 some bolt-on guitars have more sustain than neck-thru
Just a comment - why would a neck through have problems with intonation over a bolton? The intonation is done by adjusting the bridge saddles... the only guitar with these problems is an acoustic where you can't adjust like an electric.
I'm annoyed for some reason about the fact that they said this😂
i think he was referring to how in the event of your neckthrough guitar warping over time, you're a bit screwed as opposed to just getting a new neck on bolt-ons. Also bolt ons technically have more volume and sustain than a neckthrough or setneck, it's been proven time and time again.
I thought about that too and I have heard several people say this. The only thing I can come up with is that maybe they are referring to the fact that you can't raise/lower the neck at the neck pocket on a neck through because there is no neck pocket and its one solid piece from headstock to tail. That is really the only thing I can possibly come up with.
I doubt any of their neck through guitars...with their carbon fiber rods, AND, not to mention truss rods...are ever going to have that problem. That whole statement is a complete flub.
And most acoustics have truss rods too nowadays.
Just came across this video after looking up and buying a Jackson/"jacksonbacker" bass lol I love it. Never thought I'd buy a Jackson least of all a Jackson bass but this is a great instrument. As for guitars I'm no shredder so definitely not for me but thought this video was pretty cool and educational.
Wish Jackson should make more HSS pick up configuration guitar or just a Single coil neck & a Humbucker bridge guitar. Sure gonna get some crazy tones out of it... And i always been a Jackson fan from Malaysia.
I would like a HSS
Buy a used JTX Std. Made in Japan and is on par with current mj series for a fraction of the cost. Mine was made in 1993 and is still to date the best guitar I have ever played.
Just split the humbucker
Close enough for me
16:33 Umm.. it's actually Lester, not Leslie...
Doh! Of Course it was.
@@GakCoUk GAK is becoming homer simpson. DOH
GREAT VIDEO! I have that same Jackson pro series. Still have my original Jackson dinky reverse from 1993.
One thing nobody told me and I wish I knew is that ALL JS series guitars come with massive bolt-on necks and have poor high fret access, while if you pay the little extra for X, you get neck thru on the corresponding models and sculpted heels on Dinky and other bolt-on models. This is for me the biggest thing to say about this subject.
I am a lefty and there is like no other V under 700€ that you can buy. I ve decided to go with Jackson Rhoads JS32 left handed, as I have owned a pro series jackson. I swear I could not have done a better move. I ve got decent guitar for 300€, neck feels exactly the same as on the pro model. Of course you can do a few mods to it, such as trem stabilizer, or buy a better set of pups, but man, Jacksons are really something even at a low price point.
That one definitely has my interest too. Very few good budget lefties.
I’m a lefty I love my Jacksons (I’ve got two USA models, 2 MiJ, an X series, and an JS32). Sadly Jackson don’t give a damn about lefties. Same three entry level guitars for last last decade? I want a Warrior and a Kelly without having to pay for custom shop!!
@@TheWinterwraith lefty warrior is something I hope we will see in future... :(
Jackson Charvel is in my blood!
Thanks for this video 🥺🖤
just to be clear about the Pro series.
not all of them are made in Indonesia. Most of them are but a few of them are made in China (the crazier finishes), others in Korea (the DK Moderns) and a few others in Mexico (the Dinkys). The latter two are the ones you should go for and the former two you should avoid at all cost.
I had a Chinese Rainbow Crackle Soloist and Indonesian neon pink soloist and a green crackle made in China soloist
Best guitars I’ve ever played . I’m currently hoping to sell my Slash signature Gibson to help me move house but plan on buying another soloist with part of the money
I have a 92 Jackson Dinky XL and it still works flawlessly.
Never faced any tuning stability problems in my SLX Solist..steady even after whammy bar dives....
So the thing is with a bolt on neck, if you ever run into problems and can't get your action just right you could always add a shim/or sand the the neck pocket . you just have more adjustability with the bolt on then you would with a neck through my opinion is,it's not worth the trade off For having a neck thru with a little more dave mustsustain lol
Cool video I have a js32q Jackson and it's great for the price.
Nice, I've got a 97 mij kelly ke3. Very nice playing guitar after a setup
If I was to buy another Jackson definitely be the kelly cool shape reminds me of the explorer models
What is deference between dd2 Mexico and dr3 Japan are they both pro series?? I know R is for reverse headstock
got three, japanese dnky2 floyd rose, jackson hss pickups, a jackson fusion offset dot markers in antique burst dimarzio pickups floyd rose, japan made, and newest one is a jackson dk2m pro series made in mexico with floyd rose and seymours in silverburst, all three are magnificent solid dependable and play like butter.
I own 16 guitars , my OG and most comfy to play is still “JackyBoy” my JS22 dinky ….. I love that guitar and I’d recommend a Jackson dinky as a great beginner guitar over everything else
Im not a fan of the Flame maple and burled tops these days, and when i think of Jackson its a solid color of maybe a custom graphic. I will say that the Wildcard Flame maple does have a really cool look. The maple binding is almost neon looking and the thing just pops.
I do wish that they got more uniform in the models and where theyre built. I feel like you can get a great intermediate level jackson and get a crappy $1700 one. Im getting a Loomis Kelly tomorrow, my fingers are crossed that its one of the good ones
Very informative video! 🤘🏼
I have a 1996 warrior wrxt and I play it along with my vintage les paul daily
Looking at a Dinky JS32 DKA. Don't want to shred or chug and I HATE that head stock, and I'd rather have much lower resistance humbuckers (or SSH), but I love the Dinkly body and love love love that neon orange finish.
What's the clean sound on these guitars? Why nobody ever plays them clean?! I tried to search for jackson clean sound but nothing comes up.
we perceive them as "metal"
JS22-7 THE BEST ENTRANCE LEVEL 7 STRING.
I ADDED BLACK WINTER PUPS, 4WAY SELECTOR AND KILL SWITCH TWINS, TAP & TOGGLE!
Been playing and collecting Jackson guitars since the 80s and have owned literally 100s of them.
Most have been USA San Dimas models but plenty of import ones as well.
Early 90s made in Japan Jackson guitars are some of the best they ever made as far as the import lines go.
I still have my made in Japan 92 Fusion H-H Jackson and I will never sell it.
Still have my 86 USA San Dimas Jackson one humbucker super strat and play it all the time.
I have owned some of the early USA Charvels and they were fantastic guitars as well.
The current import line doesn't do a lot for me and still go for the originals.
What is the serial number of your 92 mij, I’m looking at 90 mij
With serial number 00043124 on plate but no Jackson logo on plate
Only the serial number
Not sure this adds up
How would you rate the RR3 compared to the RRX24? Stuck on the best option to buy. I had the RR3 before and regrettably sold it.
The American made wood V guitar Jackson looks great, I would get one like that.
Scored a 1996 Made in Japan Jackson Dinky and it plays like a dream. $399 and it was complete steal :P
I also have a 96, paid $399 with hard case but made in Taiwan HSS, licensed FR, reverse, rosewood, shark fin inlays, plays very well for me.
I dont understand why the soloist has intonation problems. The intonation is adjusted by the truss rod and saddles, and the neck thru is probably even more stable than bolt on, so there isn't really a difference in intonation between bolt on and neck thru.
Thanks for the explanation man🤩. I own a Jackson JS11 which is my second guitar but first ever with tremolo bridge. The first time i plug it in , I can't stop playing. The distortion sound is heavy enough for my ears and it is really enjoy to play with the smooth maple neck. Eventhough the tune always out when using the whammy..I understand bcs it's an entry level guitar but looking forward to upgrade the tuners.It's been 3 years and i never feel regret of purchasing it.
Also i have i question , what about adrian smith jackson SDX? It's signature model too right?i really like the bright headstock with black Jackson logo on it
I am more of a Gibson, fender traditionalist however I wanted to play around with a more metal guitar. I picked up the Chris Broderick soloist and it did not disappoint. Made in Indonesia I was a little bit skeptical and actually went to return it. When I got to the guitar store I tried about seven or eight other metal guitars and ended up leaving with my original Jackson. Keep up the good work. I think the DiMarzio pick ups are amazing. And the build quality from Indonesia is remarkable. There is not a flaw on this guitar and it sounds amazing.
yeah man I would agree, a lot of the Indo guitars really are great instruments. you'll get the occasional lemon but i think that technology has helped alot when it comes to production guitars
Indonesian guitars are superb. Every bit as good as any USA or Japan model
Can the guy who played please make a video on "how to write killer riffs" thank you
I own a 1985 Jackson Kelly (serial number) and these were made in San Dimas, California and not made in Indonesia or Japan. I didn't hear anything about the San Dimas USA Professional Custom which are the original Jackson guitars made by Grover Jackson. These are the the top quality Jackson guitars and not the subsequent pro customs.
@@pigjubby1 Cool, you worked at Jackson then?
@@pigjubby1 Yeah mine is black with ebony fretboard with sharkfin inlays, Seymour Duncans and a Kayler tremelo
Do they make an SG style, if not can you list other brands that do?
Fun fact, you can gig just as well on the JS as the USA and Japanese custom built guitars
You missed the Jackson Select USA range. Wich is the none Customshop and the USA production line instrument..A bit cheaper then the Customshop ones.
That very JS Rhodes(string through tho) goes onstage with me and sounds consistently powerful. It definitely got my foot in the metal door.
I have never really understood the X-series and specially not the price tag vs the JS32´s. I tried both guitars + Pro-series some years back and ended up getting the Chinese made JS32Q DKA HT, changed the original tuners to very cheap locking ones and its become a very good and capable guitar for little money and its very well made, even the stock pickups(made by Belcat) are actually very good with decent output at around 15k and a nice compression in the sound, easy to record with very little EQing needed! I own an ESP LTD EC-1000 with Seymour Duncans so i know what i´m saying here, the JS32´s without a floyd are very good, just change the stock tuners and you have a very good guitar. The X-series just does not make sense to me.
My main guitars are two modded Jackson Kellys. Seymour Duncan PATB-2 in the bridge and Sustainiac in the neck for both, and my Ferrari Red KEX has Super Jumbo stainless steel frets. Not only are they visually striking, they’re great modding platforms. IMO the ultimate metal guitar 🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘
Jackson still are my weapons of choice i love them!
Can you do an update for 2023, like the American Series?
😂9:27 - 9:36 Good one!! Great review too. 🤘
I've always wanted a monarkh neck on a dinky body. I'm not got the money for a custom guitar but I would definitely be in line to buy a production model.
I like how good the stock pups handle distortion but the JS' stock pups really lack mids
I LOVE JACKSONS SO MUCH ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
What’s the story with the performer guitars? I have an old one from many years ago that I put new hardware and pickups in - cool guitar!
Neck through doesn't mean more sustain. Ola mad an entire video about bolt on and neck through. Turned out the bolt on variant has more sustain. :D
I had a mid range dinky for years and loved the feel of the neck, the profile and the finish. Anyone that doesn't click with the feel of an ibanez rg should definitely give Jackson a go....
Oh I wonder if that Black Japanese Jackson is made by the same guys who made Ibanez? The tremolo bridge looks very similar to an Edge-Zero bridge
7:42: Any particular song he's playing?
Basically just something I improvised to a click track in the room and popped some drums on later on!
5:33-5:34 is it me or did the guitar nut change?
I think it was the light reflecting off that shiny, shiny gold :D
@@GakCoUk ok, thank you for the clarification
@@jadensmith4607 yeah, it was just lighting :)
As a Jackson owner of a few pre fender usa soloists to js32 dinkies, they all play well and the necks are pretty dang consistent.
Video is factually incorrect right out of the gate. Wayne Charvel never manufactured a single guitar - not even the pre-pros. The closest thing he did was some assembly. ALL Charvel guitars were manufactured under Grover Jackson after he bought Wayne out. Wayne didn't even have the equipment to make a neck. What we know of Charvel today, and what we knew of Charvel 40 years ago is all about what Grover did after buying Wayne out.
Exactly, it's wasted 20 minutes of my life on complete incorrect info.
@@RoastPotato-s7x The only tie to Charvel was the slide decal on the bolt-on necks. Both Charvel's and Jackson's were made in the same place by the same guys. If it was a thru-neck, it was a Jackson. If it were a bolt-on, it was a Charvel. Unless the final production guys changed it at the last minute, that was the typical production.
They (Gover n Wayne) had a difference on how things should go...so Wayne made a deal with Gover n sold his company to him.... after that n still to this day he has had NOTHING to do with the company
THE coolest headstock
Hello
Is it true that Grover Jackson lines of guitars were the student line of Jackson Japan !? Thanks
I've been looking on the internet but I can't get a straight answer from the Jackson electric guitar series I know the JS series is the cheaper one what's the next series and the next series after that and the next series
I have a dinky dk3xr and want to change pick ups to better ones any suggestions?
I have no idea about music or guitar , and when i saw the black jackson i fell in love, i have a budget of 220$ which jackson do you recommend me to get at that price range and thank you
Can I request a piece of advice please?
If I buy a JS-32 for example, (Floyd Rose Is crucial for me), and upgrade it with Seymour/EMG pickups, would it be ok? Tbh, I used to play a JS30 when I was 16, and I liked it too much. Tried Schecter Omen and JLV-7, and didn't enjoed it at all. Now I want to switch my guitar, but don't want to spend more than $1000 on it. I want a guitar which class is not lower than my Schecter JLV-7. Thanks!