Conical fingerboards and the Alexi/Roope Jacksons

[dying2live]

Hi guys,

Someone told me that the 80s/90s Jackson RR's did not have conical fretboards like the RR24 and RR-J2SP. Could anyone shed some light on this? Does anyone the details of Alexi and Stone Jackson neck profiles? Also were they KV-2 speed neck or standard?

On another note is it true the wildchild RR had a non-recessed bridge? If so how was Alexi able to pull back so far on it :think:. I haven't used non-recessed floyd bridges before so I'd be interested to know. Thanks.

[Spivonious]

I can't say for sure, but it was my understanding that Jacksons have always had compound radii.

[Nazgul]

Yes, always compound radius. Yes, non-recessed bridges, you can pull up on them no problem.

[VitaminG]

they were advertising the compound fretboards as a feature on the import Charvels in the guitar mags back in the late 80s. I remember the ad having a picture of Grover in the corner.
here's an auction with one of the ads. You can see the conical cross section when you enlarge the image:

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/1988-GROVER-JACKSON-PRESIDENT-IN-A-CHARVEL-GUITAR-AD_W0QQitemZ230415146950QQcmdZViewItemQQptZGuitar_Accessories?hash=item35a5d01fc6

Non-recessed trems can be setup to have as much pull up as recessed trems. Most non-recessed trems will have some pull up range anyway as the trem usually sits away from the face of the guitar.

[dg]

I'd like to know for sure exactly when they began with the compound radius on the USA guitars. The price lists up until '85 just say 16" radius.

[dying2live]

Thanks for the answers guys. So just to clarify were they 16" or 12"-16"? Also if anyone could tell me more on if those RR's had the speed neck profile or standard, and what Jacksons other than the KV2 had them I'd really appreciate it.

[dg]

12" - 16" would be conical, aka compound radius, with the radius being 12" at the nut end and flattening to 16" at the high end of the neck. 16" would mean that same radius from the nut to the end of the fretboard. The first mention of the conical fretboard in any J/C literature I've seen is the 1988 flyer, but it was used on guitars going back at least 2 years before that on import Charvels. Here's another link for that flyer:

http://audiozone.dk/cm/displayimage.php?album=39&pos=0

The question is, exactly when did they start using it on the USA guitars? There's no mention of fretboard radius in the early catalogs, but here are the '84 Charvel & Jackson price lists, which both say "16 inch radius at nut":

http://audiozone.dk/cm/displayimage.php?pid=427&fullsize=1

http://audiozone.dk/cm/displayimage.php?pid=426&fullsize=1

[dying2live]

This tech I know seemed really sure that the customs (and perhaps USA models as well?) did not have conical radii and that it is a more recent thing. Judging from those scans I'm guessing maybe the USA models didn't start having them until more recently?

[Axewielder]

All I've got to work with are these crappy Stew Mac plastic radius gauges, but the '87 Jackson Strat that I am working on looks to be 14" all the way down.