Help me find a Jackson please!!!

[Sunbane]

Re: Help me find a Jackson please!!!

Originally posted by Fragger:
Thanks for the post bro. Just one last question, would the humbucker serve well for the purpose of lead?

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Oh yes. Personally, I play 90% of my leads with the bridge humbucker. I like neck pickups because of the rounder sound - it's great for clean parts (it doesn't sound as "spikey" as the bridge pickup). It also sounds great for laid back melodic leads, but for the faster aggressive leads, I still use the bridge pickup (more snarl).

My point is this: You probably won't be playing leads exlusively with the neck and middle pickups, and a good bridge humbucker will take you a long way. If you've listened to Alexi Laiho's playing, that's a guy who uses only a bridge pickup.

If you settle for a DK2 and realise you want a beefier tone out of the neck pickup, I'm sure you can find a singlecoil sized humbucker that will beef it up a bit. It will probably not sound exactly the same as a full-size humbucker, but it will be a lot closer.

'bane

[Fragger]

Re: Help me find a Jackson please!!!

I tried playing righty and couldn't do it, just saw myself progressing with the left hand strumming and right hand-fretting. To be honest, I know guys who advise to me playing rigth-handed mean well, but after hearing this on EVERY single board, I'm getting tired of this. Anyway, I know you guys meant well. Probably will get a custom or whatever, later on, for now, I just wanna start playing, and LEARN how to play.

I heard about Kramers, and got excited too. However, people on the Harmony-Central didn't really like it, so I kinda took em off my list. If here at JCF, they are popular, then I think it is good news for me, as most of the Jackson players are hard rockers, and therefore, you guys should give me the best advice. By the way, how are the Kramer necks and Quad-Rails?

As soon as I get the money, I'm going for a DK2. However, I don't whether I could hold myself for that long. The Ibanez seems like a great guitar to me, don't know wy you guys say that its crap. Of course I intend to change its pickups, which should take me to around DK2's price. Oh well, will see when I get more money or find an Ibanez on Ebay. Thanks again all!

[Fragger]

Re: Help me find a Jackson please!!!

Originally posted by RacerX:
Hey Fragger! Here's yet another cool suggestion:
A MusicYo Kramer Baretta! Here's a brand new lefty model for $329! And you said you like the DK-2? How about NECK THROUGH, dude?!

http://www.musicyo.com/product_specs.asp?pf_id=459


Damn, I'm excited! [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img] The MusicYo Kramers are made in Korea, offer a lot of value, and a lot of JCFers like 'em too!
(Go to the Other Manufacturers forum and do a search on Kramer Baretta, there are all kinds of info-packed threads!)

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Hey man, could you please explain to me what neck through guitars are, and what are its advantage? Bear with me my igorance or lack of knowledge, I'm pretty new to this stuff. Thanks!

[Newc]

Re: Help me find a Jackson please!!!

There's no tonal or sustain differences between bolt-on, set-neck, and neckthrough guitars, as long as all 3 are made by reputable makers. Obviously an Arbor neckthrough is going to sound like crap compared to a USA Jackson bolt-on (or even import).

Single coils - ok, singles sound good when attached to 250k volume pots, but since the DK2 has one 500K volume pot, the singles sound thin, even Hot Rails. Get a Duncan JBJr or Lil 59 for the singles and be happy.

For Metal, you would not use the neck pickup for rhythm - that's for Jazz. Use the bridge pickup for rhythms and leads, and use the neck pickup for slower solos, harmonizing with another lead player, or for doing Iron Maiden solos.

Thickness of the neck has less to do with fast fretting action than the fretboard radius. Obviously, Jackson has the best radius.

Newc

[toejam]

Re: Help me find a Jackson please!!!

Try Carvin. They're USA made, reasonably priced, you can pick out different paint and hardware colors, choose between their different model pickups, and you can get just about any pickup option on most models DC models... S/S/S, H, H/H, H/S/S, H/S, H/S/H. Not to mention you can have your choice of TOM, Floyd, Wilkinson or hardtail bridges. You can choose different pickup wiring, have no tone control if you don't want it, coil tapping switches and phase switches, active/passive/piezo electronics. And, yes, they do offer left-hand models. [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img] www.carvin.com

[Sunbane]

Re: Help me find a Jackson please!!!

Originally posted by Fragger:
The Ibanez seems like a great guitar to me, don't know wy you guys say that its crap. Of course I intend to change its pickups, which should take me to around DK2's price. Oh well, will see when I get more money or find an Ibanez on Ebay. Thanks again all!

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Well, many argue that an equivalent Jackson has better value, sound, quality, etc. I have no solid opinion on that, because I've never owned an Ibanez and I got into Jacksons because of the wicked shapes. [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

'bane

[RacerX]

Re: Help me find a Jackson please!!!

Originally posted by Fragger:

I heard about Kramers, and got excited too. However, people on the Harmony-Central didn't really like it, so I kinda took em off my list.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Whatchoo talkin' bout, Willis? [img]graemlins/scratchhead.gif[/img]

The Barettas got pretty good reviews at HC:

http://www.harmony-central.com/Guita...404S-D-01.html

http://www.harmony-central.com/Guita...404S-D-01.html

They're in several different pages, so check all the FR404 reviews:

http://www.harmony-central.com/Guitar/Data4/Kramer/

[BTB007]

Re: Help me find a Jackson please!!!

Ron, you've been a tremendous help to this young gentlemen and I have been trying to help as well, but it seems like he has his mind made up. I remember when I bought my first guitar. I wanted a Jackson or Charvel and NOBODY was going to change my mind. The money aspect was the only reason I had to get a Charvel. If I had $700 more, I would have bought a Jackson Phil Collen archtop! It sounds like he is going through the same thing being restricted financially.
I have had the opportunity to play many Ibanez guitars. And, unless you buy one of the more expensive models, don't get one PERIOD! The cheaper ones are terrible, really. The cheaper import Jacksons, like the DK2, are very nice.
Brian

[RacerX]

Re: Help me find a Jackson please!!!

Originally posted by BTB007:
Ron, you've been a tremendous help to this young gentlemen and I have been trying to help as well,

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Thanks, man, I have been knocking myself out heh heh.

[RR_1525]

Re: Help me find a Jackson please!!!

I knew Ron had a heart in him. I agree about the Kramer as well. Great bang for the buck and I love some of the colors. Nuclear Yellow ROCKS!

D.

[j2379]

Re: Help me find a Jackson please!!!

how hard is it to find a lefty model5/6? i think that would be a great choice.

[Fragger]

Re: Help me find a Jackson please!!!

Originally posted by BTB007:
Ron, you've been a tremendous help to this young gentlemen and I have been trying to help as well, but it seems like he has his mind made up. I remember when I bought my first guitar. I wanted a Jackson or Charvel and NOBODY was going to change my mind. The money aspect was the only reason I had to get a Charvel. If I had $700 more, I would have bought a Jackson Phil Collen archtop! It sounds like he is going through the same thing being restricted financially.
I have had the opportunity to play many Ibanez guitars. And, unless you buy one of the more expensive models, don't get one PERIOD! The cheaper ones are terrible, really. The cheaper import Jacksons, like the DK2, are very nice.
Brian

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I thank you too Ron, just as I do to everyone else who posted here. I'm sorry if I'm making you guys go in circles here, but as Brian said, my finance and lack of knowledge is making me ask so many questions.

As for the Ibanez's, Brian, do you consider the RG1570 a lower-level guitar? It retails for $6XX. Do you think it compares to the DK2? Also, the reason why Ibanez sucking is not sitting well with me is the fact that so many of my influences have Ibanez signatures and stuff. Steve Vai, Paul Gilbert, and even Joe Satriani. Aren't these guys good guitarists? I'm sure they could have played ANY guitar they wanted, why the Ibanez? BTW, the Paul Gilbert Ibanez retails pretty close to the RG1570. I would have considered that too, but they don't come in leftys. Once again, thank you all for the help! I really appreciate it!

[Sunbane]

Re: Help me find a Jackson please!!!

Originally posted by Fragger:
Also, the reason why Ibanez sucking is not sitting well with me is the fact that so many of my influences have Ibanez signatures and stuff. Steve Vai, Paul Gilbert, and even Joe Satriani. Aren't these guys good guitarists? I'm sure they could have played ANY guitar they wanted, why the Ibanez?

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">The thing you need to be aware of, is that those guys are playing custom made guitars, built by the Ibanez luthiers, whereas their "signature" guitars are manufactured at an assembly line. The Ibanez you're buying may be built to Paul Gilbert's specs, but it will not have the same quality of wood as his, and not the same level of craftmanship or quality control.

The second thing to be aware of, is: The artists choose a certain brand if they get a good deal out of it. That's why you see more and more artists going from Jackson to ESP. ESP do not make a better guitar, but they make custom guitars that are just as good and also offer better service to their endorsers. But that doesn't say jack about their consumer line guitars, which may (or may not) blow for all we know.

It's the same with all guitar manufacturers: Ibanez, ESP, B.C. Rich, Jackson, etc. They build top notch instruments for their poster artists, while their plant churns out thousands upon thousands of "signature models". As you can see, who plays what doesn't really matter, IMO. If suddenly Steve Vai broke his contract with Ibanez and started endorsing Charvel again, would that mean that his Ibanez guitars sucked? Of course not. But he never played the consumer line guitars - he always got custom made ones.

'bane

[Newc]

Re: Help me find a Jackson please!!!

True Ibanez Story for Fragger to consider:

I bought a brand new Ibanez EX350 - H-S-H, Laser Blue (with a big black pickguard [img]graemlins/puke.gif[/img] ) and a locking trem. It was a great guitar; sharktooth inlays, dark rosewood board, head and neck binding, 24 frets of shredder's heaven [img]graemlins/drool2.gif[/img]

After 5 years (and being without a permanent band) I needed to replace the tremolo. Yeah I coulda bought an entirely new guitar, but since all that needed replacing was the trem, I figured 'why spend $600 when I don't have to?'
So I ordered a brand new replacement trem from my local Authorized Ibanez Dealer - same one I bought the guitar from 5 years earlier, and a die-hard Ibanez fan himself (with a sweet USA Custom made of Zebrawood [img]graemlins/drool2.gif[/img] ).
3 months after I ordered it, I got tired of waiting for Ibanez to ship the trem, so in disgust I traded the guitar and my Ibanez acoustic to another dealer for a used Jackson KE-3. I've been a Jackson devotee ever since, and Ibanez will always get slammed for that. Had I been Steve Vai or Paul Gilbert, they would have flown me the trem overnight and sent three technicians - two techs would have installed the trem and the 3rd would have given me head while I waited.
But a paying customer doesn't mean shit to them, so they can kiss my fuckin ass.
If I need a new trem for a Jackson, I just go buy a Floyd Rose or a Schaller. If you need a new trem for an Ibenhad, you're fucked.

Newc

[Fragger]

Re: Help me find a Jackson please!!!

Originally posted by Sunbane:
</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Originally posted by Fragger:
Also, the reason why Ibanez sucking is not sitting well with me is the fact that so many of my influences have Ibanez signatures and stuff. Steve Vai, Paul Gilbert, and even Joe Satriani. Aren't these guys good guitarists? I'm sure they could have played ANY guitar they wanted, why the Ibanez?

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">The thing you need to be aware of, is that those guys are playing custom made guitars, built by the Ibanez luthiers, whereas their "signature" guitars are manufactured at an assembly line. The Ibanez you're buying may be built to Paul Gilbert's specs, but it will not have the same quality of wood as his, and not the same level of craftmanship or quality control.

The second thing to be aware of, is: The artists choose a certain brand if they get a good deal out of it. That's why you see more and more artists going from Jackson to ESP. ESP do not make a better guitar, but they make custom guitars that are just as good and also offer better service to their endorsers. But that doesn't say jack about their consumer line guitars, which may (or may not) blow for all we know.

It's the same with all guitar manufacturers: Ibanez, ESP, B.C. Rich, Jackson, etc. They build top notch instruments for their poster artists, while their plant churns out thousands upon thousands of "signature models". As you can see, who plays what doesn't really matter, IMO. If suddenly Steve Vai broke his contract with Ibanez and started endorsing Charvel again, would that mean that his Ibanez guitars sucked? Of course not. But he never played the consumer line guitars - he always got custom made ones.

'bane </font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Hmm, that makes perfect sense! Wonder why I didn't think of that [img]graemlins/scratchhead.gif[/img] , newbie I guess...

So I think I should save up for the DK2, it comes with a hardcase too, right? Also guys, just wondering, because it will be my first guitar, not to mention a decent guitar, would I screw up or break of its stuff. I mean I have no idea how the bridges work, and how the electronics are set-up. Basically, what I'm saying is that, would it be too advanced for me to handle [img]images/icons/frown.gif[/img] ?

Nice story about the Ibanez thing. Just wondering why you couldn't get a Floyd Rose for the Ibanez from here, or did it have a different bridge? Also, why wasn't the part available here. In any case, nice story certainly makes me think about the customer support for Ibanez. Thanks all for helping me so much!