what's a good jackson model to start with?

[Black Mask]

Re: what\'s a good jackson model to start with?

Originally posted by lerxstcat:
and because "Cat" is also musician slang for
"dude"!

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">That's one of my favorite slang words. I don't play jazz, but I love jazz vernacular. My goal in life is to be so cool that someone, somewhere calls me a "cat". [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img] Did you ever read "How the Fender Bass Changed the World" by Jim Roberts? Marcus Miller wrote the introduction... I think he calls cool people "cats" about 80 times.

[lerxstcat]

Re: what\'s a good jackson model to start with?

Hey Black Mask, you're one cool cat, dig?

Now your life's goal has been achieved!
It's all downhill from here! [img]graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] j/k!

I never read that book, but yeah, the jazz guys just have a cool dialect of their own. When I was a kid, the jazz cats were the only technical players that tolerated and even liked us dumb rock kids! Classical players just thought we
were Neanderthals, and were also jealous because rockers got laid a lot more! The classical groupies are just too reserved
I guess! [img]graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[RacerX]

Re: what\'s a good jackson model to start with?

[micha]

Re: what\'s a good jackson model to start with?

Originally posted by lerxstcat:
Many people call me Lerx for short, which
sounds like "lurks", so some think it means I'm a board lurker, but I have too big a mouth to lurk and not talk! [img]graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]
So that's a misleading nickname, but I answer to it anyway!

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">[img]graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] oh, I'm sorry, I simply didn't know how to pronounce it, and I always try to avoid writing words which I'm not even able to spell out... [img]graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

but still don't know what a lerxst is?!
is it something I should know? [img]graemlins/brow.gif[/img]
I know allice in wonderland!! she's not a friend of lerxst, is she?


but cats are cool!!
they're funny creatures!! we're just about cats having a great time, so; here's another one!! [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

[lerxstcat]

Re: what\'s a good jackson model to start with?

I think a lerxst was one of the creatures
in Alice in Wonderland, but it's been too
long since my childhood for me to remember! I'll have to run a search! The section in the Rush song is jazzy, like a big-band stomp or something, another reason Lerxst + cat occurred to me.

Nice cat pic though; they are unique creatures and I love them!

[mm2002]

Re: what\'s a good jackson model to start with?

quote lerxstcat:
Lerxst refers to "A Lerxst in Wonderland"
section of "La Villa Strangiata", an instrumental on Rush's "Hemispheres" album. Cat is because I like cats, and because "Cat" is also musician slang for
"dude"! So I became Lerxstcat!

Wow Lerx, I can't believe I just heard a reference to my FAVORITE old Rush tune of all time!! When I was playing out in the early/mid 80's we were one of the only cover bands that even played Rush and we did a cover of La Villa Strangiato (scuse me for correcting your spelling [img]images/icons/wink.gif[/img] ) that used to put the whole bar in a state of trance!! Damn, that brought back memories. I'm gonna go hook up right now and see if I still remember how to play it! Thanks for the De-ja-vue bro [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]
BTW, we did the complete "Exit...Stage Left" album in one set. Those were the days.

[cryoprison]

Re: what\'s a good jackson model to start with?

uh oh... astronomy fiends are comin' outta' the woodworkings again! [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

to contribute to this thread though, i'd honestly say to get the kid a pretty solid guitar that'll last awhile. a big regret i have right now is skipping around the damn mulberry bush w/ my head up my rear goin' from one crap to another crap and finally sitting with the crap collection i've had for two years. [not really bad, just not comparative quality to a USA Jackson] so i say get the kid an RR1. or an RR1T. it'll be worthwhile in the long run. i know people have said, and probably still say, that it is better to buy a guitar that fits your level... screw that. buy a guitar way out of your price range, grow attached to it, grow into it, learn to utilize it. by the time you successfully accomplish that, you'll be comfortable with the gear and pleased. at least it's what i've found.

[lerxstcat]

Re: what\'s a good jackson model to start with?

Originally posted by mm2002:
quote lerxstcat:
Lerxst refers to "A Lerxst in Wonderland"
section of "La Villa Strangiata", an instrumental on Rush's "Hemispheres" album. Cat is because I like cats, and because "Cat" is also musician slang for
"dude"! So I became Lerxstcat!

Wow Lerx, I can't believe I just heard a reference to my FAVORITE old Rush tune of all time!! When I was playing out in the early/mid 80's we were one of the only cover bands that even played Rush and we did a cover of La Villa Strangiato (scuse me for correcting your spelling [img]images/icons/wink.gif[/img] ) that used to put the whole bar in a state of trance!! Damn, that brought back memories. I'm gonna go hook up right now and see if I still remember how to play it! Thanks for the De-ja-vue bro [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]
BTW, we did the complete "Exit...Stage Left" album in one set. Those were the days.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Hey I've always had a mental block about the 'a' for the 'o' in that song. Maybe it's all the weed I smoked back then. No problems playing it though; I went to all the concerts from 2112 through Moving Pictures just to check my homework after
learning each record entirely as soon as
they came out. My old drummer John Herron, from the time I met him in September 1975, could play Peart's stuff
effortlessly, so just like Alex with Neil, I had to bust azz to keep up! I was disillusioned by the trend that started with Signals, and wasn't as avid after that, though they still had their moments. We played mostly old Rush, UFO
and Scorpions (Uli era) and people were really caught up in that stuff, but not all the clubs would book that stuff. I guess we sort of did the All The World's a Stage concert, though we thought of it as the highlights of Fly By Night and Caress Of Steel, and all of 2112. Same diff I guess. Good times! [img]graemlins/toast.gif[/img]

[ September 22, 2003, 10:28 PM: Message edited by: lerxstcat ]

[mm2002]

Re: what\'s a good jackson model to start with?

Lerx, thank you! ....and if you had a drummer that could even come close to emulating Neil I salute him!! (ours was close but....ehhhh.....well, ya know) And I also was disillusioned with the advent of "signals" and most of their work thereafter, but I still love their old stuff with a passion. 2112 RULED! [img]graemlins/toast.gif[/img]

[lerxstcat]

Re: what\'s a good jackson model to start with?

Originally posted by cryoprison:
uh oh... astronomy fiends are comin' outta' the woodworkings again! [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

to contribute to this thread though, i'd honestly say to get the kid a pretty solid guitar that'll last awhile. a big regret i have right now is skipping around the damn mulberry bush w/ my head up my rear goin' from one crap to another crap and finally sitting with the crap collection i've had for two years. [not really bad, just not comparative quality to a USA Jackson] so i say get the kid an RR1. or an RR1T. it'll be worthwhile in the long run. i know people have said, and probably still say, that it is better to buy a guitar that fits your level... screw that. buy a guitar way out of your price range, grow attached to it, grow into it, learn to utilize it. by the time you successfully accomplish that, you'll be comfortable with the gear and pleased. at least it's what i've found.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Good ideas Cryo, but you have to consider that in Germany this stuff is 50% more than here in the States, and also that he
is somewhat set on 24 frets and Floyd, which puts the RR1 out of the picture. It's great to get a USA Jackson if you can, but the imports are still fine guitars and will give years of reliable service. Micha knows more than we do about his student's economic situation, so if he's talking PS-4 or DK-2 range, don't diss that if that's what he can afford. It's more the player than the guitar anyway!

[cryoprison]

Re: what\'s a good jackson model to start with?

ohhhh, alright. see... i pretty much sent that after not reading the entire two pages. i read this thread when it was first posted and kept up with it a lil', just checked it out again. i had remembered him saying that the student was into "off shapes" or something to that effect? such as an RR or KV. so i assumed it'd be up his ally... eventhough i never fully stated that.

i wasn't raggin' on those other imports though. hell, i was in the same situation but instead of saving my money, i went out and bought half-assed instruments: Ibanez, Schecter [still quality, stupid buy w/ the specific thing, for me at least], and LTD. if those are his choices, so be it. still a Jackson no less. i know nothing about them really, but if they're deemed to be quality for the price, then go for it. i was just saying that to me, looking back on it, it'd pay to save up a bit more and put the money into something you'll enjoy and last for awhile... then again... i don't know how old the kid is... and that has a lot to do with it as well...

[lerxstcat]

Re: what\'s a good jackson model to start with?

Originally posted by mm2002:
Lerx, thank you! ....and if you had a drummer that could even come close to emulating Neil I salute him!! (ours was close but....ehhhh.....well, ya know) And I also was disillusioned with the advent of "signals" and most of their work thereafter, but I still love their old stuff with a passion. 2112 RULED! [img]graemlins/toast.gif[/img]

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Man, you may not believe me, but I swear he was embellishing Peart's parts in 1975
while he waited for me to get the Alex parts right. He was a big jazz fan too and was up on Bily Cobham and Tony Williams, Return o Forever and that stuff
so Rush was a walk in the park for him!
I've lost touch, but our old bassist told me he got in a bad car wreck and lost a lot from physical damage. That guy was a
frikkin' monster though, and he forced me
to become a decent guitarist! We just couldn't gig enough as a Rush tribute when the real Rush was out touring all the time, so we divided into dfferent Top
40 bands. Herron hit the road as a hired
play-with-anyone guy, and the bass player and I ended up in a Top 40 band with a cute chick singer, with steady gigs doing
Fleetwood Mac and Heart stuff; boring, but paying, and better than work! [img]graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] We milked the military base circuit and the local civilian clubs for quite awhile
there! But any drummer in this area over 30 will just drop his jaw when you mention John Herron; the guys who are considered hot now will just kinda shudder like they'd seen God! They all know they are second or third rate by comparison. What a shame the guy got hurt. [img]images/icons/frown.gif[/img]

[cryoprison]

Re: what\'s a good jackson model to start with?

forgot to hit the edit in time... i see i did infact state that he should get an RR1 or RR1T. wow... i'm really burnt from typing up this damn "college rèsumè."

[mm2002]

Re: what\'s a good jackson model to start with?

Wow, that is a shame lerx. Sounds like we need more John Herrons around today. I'm not knocking any of todays drummers but you have to admit a lot of them sound very mechanical and sterile as compared to the likes of Neil. He wasn't just a drummer..he was an entire rythim section surrounded by more percussion instruments than most drummers have even heard of.

[lerxstcat]

Re: what\'s a good jackson model to start with?

Originally posted by cryoprison:
ohhhh, alright. see... i pretty much sent that after not reading the entire two pages. i read this thread when it was first posted and kept up with it a lil', just checked it out again. i had remembered him saying that the student was into "off shapes" or something to that effect? such as an RR or KV. so i assumed it'd be up his ally... eventhough i never fully stated that.

i wasn't raggin' on those other imports though. hell, i was in the same situation but instead of saving my money, i went out and bought half-assed instruments: Ibanez, Schecter [still quality, stupid buy w/ the specific thing, for me at least], and LTD. if those are his choices, so be it. still a Jackson no less. i know nothing about them really, but if they're deemed to be quality for the price, then go for it. i was just saying that to me, looking back on it, it'd pay to save up a bit more and put the money into something you'll enjoy and last for awhile... then again... i don't know how old the kid is... and that has a lot to do with it as well...

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">You do have some good points and respect you trying to help the guy avoid some pitfalls, but in Germany USA Jacksons are pretty rare, and even more overpriced than the imports. I have a DK-2 and it has decent wood, with pickups and hardware that are adequate to start. You would often replace the bridge pickup even in a USA model, so the DK-2 as a solid base for upgrades is a good investment. Buy it, change the bridge pickup, and you're good for a year or two. Then the JT580 starts to wear, so
you throw a Schaller trem in and it's good from then on in. It might take him 2 years to save for the USA Jackson, and meanwhile he's playing a Peavey Predator or something like that! That would hold you back 2 years'progress IMO. Like I've
said, we don't realize here in the US how easy our economic lot is. This kid's been stuck with the cheap Peavey since age 13, and he's 18 now. So he needs a decent upgrade NOW to keep progressing.
Believe me the DK-2 is better than any low to mid Ibanez, and any LTD and most ESPs too. Schechter is good stuff, but as you said, if it doesn't fit your style it's not helping you progress.

When someone asks for advice on this stuff, I click on their profile first to see where they're from. I know it's a different market in Europe and Australia than here, with about 1/10 the selection
we have on US Ebay. Sometimes it means I just can't offer advice, but at least I'm
not telling them something that doesn't work in their world. Like your used $750 USA Soloist might be $2,000 over there, and while you could snap one up here anytime, they might have to search 6 months to find one. It probably bugs them that they keep telling us this on threads, but we don't pay attention. We
keep telling them a Model 2's $200 when it may be $400 - $500 for them, etc... so
try to have an idea, though it may not be completely accurate, that this stuff costs a LOT more over there, and that they may make a lot less than we do at work, on average. The two together make
a financial pinch.

OKay, soapbox rant's over.