Jake E Lee Sig Model

[vklobucar]

Everyone is always so keen to get an EXACT copy of their fav guitarist's axe and then they realize that the ones he used on tour or in the studio are shall we say "tweaked" a little more or different than what Joe Public is buying.

Think Adrian's Jackson is the EXACT same as your USA Jackson AS model? Think again! Figure that your PC1 is the spot on replica that Phil uses night after night? Nope!

You want an absolute 100% copy of The Johnny Famous This Month guitar? Ok shell out 3K and it will be close!

Notice I said close and NOT spot on!

To each his own mind you!

[1994]

At that price you'd be better off getting a second hand ESP J.E.L signature model or even better, one of purple burst replicas that a USA company (can't remember the name) made a few years back.

[BlackRR]

I agree , you won't get a quality guitar built from quality parts for a grand unless it's used and it still won't be a Charvel.

[ulijdavid]

I know many of you will laugh when I say that Warmoth and a decent luthier can make a BETTER copy for around a grand.

Yup.
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Made a long time ago. Unfortunately can't go anywhere near that headstock anymore.

[Rupe]

Everyone is always so keen to get an EXACT copy of their fav guitarist's axe and then they realize that the ones he used on tour or in the studio are shall we say "tweaked" a little more or different than what Joe Public is buying.

Think Adrian's Jackson is the EXACT same as your USA Jackson AS model? Think again! Figure that your PC1 is the spot on replica that Phil uses night after night? Nope!

Ok, I'll bite. What are these tweaks that you speak of on an artist sig guitar that make them different from what the public can purchase? What is different about Adrian's guitar? Phil adds FU trem parts...big deal, you can too. What else is special about his guitar?

I can't think of much that an artist would change beyond adding a few performance enhancing parts (trem blocks and other trem parts, pickup changes, hardware changes, etc) that would be extremely easy for the fanboy to copy. And these usually take place over time as tastes change and parts wear out.

I think the majority of high end sig models remain largely untouched by the artists...at least that's the case with the one's I'm familiar with.

And for the record, I'm not a big fan of sig guitars in general, but if I play one and it "speaks to me" and it's something that I feel I'll use, I'll buy it (like my Jem or Voyager)...with one exception (Jackson LTD) I've never bought a guitar because of the associated artist. But as you say, "to each their own".

[~K~]

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[shreddermon]

Phil's personal PC1's also have even thicker necks. Guess he likes a baseball bat. Big whoop, the ones available to the public are still great guitars. They'd be even cooler without his signature on the headstock, IMHO. Nothing against Phil, mind you, I just don't like artist sigs slathered on my guitars in general. In any event, as Rupe says, the sig wouldn't stop me from buying one, though. A great guitar is a great guitar.

[algeriet]

Think Adrian's Jackson is the EXACT same as your USA Jackson AS model?

I don't understand. What's different with his personal Jacksons and his signature? I've seen one with the truss rod wheel at the fretboard end, one which he added a white pickguard to it and his original/protos with a regular Strat input jack, otherwise nothing else is different.


And I love signature guitars except when they are TOO unique, with like their name or band symbol/logo on the twelfth fret etc. S'gay. The Adrian Smith, KV1 or KE1 are excellent sig guitars that anyone can use without people who aren't geeks (JCF:ers) recognizing as some famous artist's guitar.

[guitardudeluke]

just seen this on charvels website

[algeriet]

This will be amazing!

[ALZ]

well about time imho , jake e lee roxx , i wanna show you the tribute i had built from all old orig parts , the neck is a 82 charvel replacement neck , old logo, body is old boggie , paint is new , well 6 years ago , all hardware is old 1980's ! happy new year to all , rock on , see ya , alz / 2013

[algeriet]

Tasty!

[Psh511]

I dig that

[ginsambo]

^ That is what it's more about IMO. I'm still in the process of collecting parts for my own JEL build. Although I like the Charvel issue in it's own right and I'd jump on it if the price was right, you cannot possibly even hope to get even halfway near Jake's original '80's tone without using a cut down headstocked, bullet truss rod 7.25" neck with a higher action and a heavy Fender ash body. Specifically, going with a 4 bolt Charvel neckplate as opposed to the originally 3 bolt 70's F type has significant affects on the tonality of the instrument and will have massive impact upon your ability to sound like Jake. No, seriously I've Jakeified my Dreamsicle with an sds-1 and a JB as a players instrument. I just thought it's be fun to have a rock machine with a 7.25" radius.

[Sharkfin]

It's really cool that Jake is back in the limelight and Charvel will soon offer a signature model. The white Pro mods when they came out reminded me of Jake's whitey minus the maple neck. If you have the money, I guess that's nice go and get one when they come out. Personally I agree with a few posts about making your own to spec, close to spec or your own tribute guitar (in the style of) rather than pay the exorbitant amount of money, especially if you can get the same quality and feel for less. I put one together a few years ago and not only did I learn a few things about putting a guitar together, as I had never done some of the work I needed to get this one done. The guitar has more sentimental value from all the work I put into getting it all assembled. In the end it's not an exact replica but that wasn't what I was going for. I tried to build one on the cheap to get the look, and It plays great to me which is all that matters. But it was definitely inspired by Jake's whitey. I say build away!