THE QUESTION

[nonamemx]

Is it really worth it to buy an american made jackson? What does it do that an import can't?

[Hyperfuzz]

Re: THE QUESTION

Vote.

[surfdork]

Re: THE QUESTION

Run for president. [img]images/icons/cool.gif[/img]

[xenophobe]

Re: THE QUESTION

All I play are Jackson USA Customs...

They're the best guitars money can buy, top quality componets, with attention to every detail. You can pay for fancier looking, and prettier guitars, but you can't pay for better playing guitars. Fret work is plain amazing, as is sound and feel. Imports are nice guitars, and some of them play just as nice as the USA... but they aren't built with the same care.

[sully]

Re: THE QUESTION

drive on the right side of the road.

[Black Mariah]

Re: THE QUESTION

They can cost more and have more expensive components. That's about it, really. Comparing an SL3 (high end import) to an SL1, you get ebony, binding, better wood, and better hardware and electronics with the SL1. That's about it.

But if you have the cash, it's more than worth it. [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[HuntinDoug]

Re: THE QUESTION

Originally posted by nonamemx:
Is it really worth it to buy an american made jackson? What does it do that an import can't?

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Let me guess; You are a younger fella. Probobly havent played for a real long time. Don't have tons of cash. Not had the chance to really sit down and "get to know" how a USA Jackson plays.

Don't take it wrong...It's not a bad thing if you are. I noticed that the longer I played, & the more experience I got, the more I appreciated the value of a quality instrument. Imports are cool for gigging & some shreading, but there is a definate difference. It's not all about having USA on the headstock. It's a combination of sound, feel, looks, playability, ect. Quality & value are in there too I guess. Having a high quality guitar makes me more confident in my playing ability.....Don't know why, but it does.

I was playing a DK2 at a gig a couple years ago. It was the last song of the night (luckily), and my G string "slipped" during my lead. It was just enough to throw the guitar badly out of tune. It sounded terrible. If I had been playing a DK1 with an original Floyd, I doubt that would have happened. I decided shortly after that to use my USA Jacksons when playing out.

So...I guess the answer (or at least my opinion) is Yes, there is a definate difference. And Yes, a USA Jackson is worth the difference you pay.

[tmdiamond]

Re: THE QUESTION

I've played a lot of different brands over 25+ years: Guild, Ibanez, Dean, Gibson, Fender...But because I really cut my teeth on the guitar when I was a teenager in the 80's, Jacksons and Charvels became the "Excalibur" of electrics. They were out of reach then. My first Jackson was an import...a DKMG, dinky reverse, bound neck and head, cool pups, fairly ok trem....I thought it played as well as my Ibanez Jem 7VWH, one of Ibanez BEST models by far and I loved that axe. The i bought a USA Soloist, an '85 to be exact. There has never been a guitar that plays as nicely as a USA Jackson. The necks are fast and comfortable for most people. The craftsmanship is top notch. They almost have a personality in their appearance.
Oh, I sold all of my high end Ibanez guitars. I now have somewhere around 20 USA Jacksons, several USA Charvels, and yes, I still have the DKMG import Jackson. I only played it a couple of times before I started buying USA guitars. It's a nice guitar, for sure. But if you were to blinfold me and simply set my fretboard hand in position on the neck, I guarantee that I could tell you if it was one of my USA guitars or the import.

[nonamemx]

Re: THE QUESTION

Okay fine, i am a "younger fella" Im 16.

I just wanted to get a good ratio of if you pay for name/quality.

Im poor like any other teenager, and I am looking into a Jackson. I have a MIM strat that is complete driftwood and a paintball gun, so after I ebay in a month or so I will have about $700 to spend on a guitar.

So, It would be a better deal to get an old USA soloist or something than a new import dinky?

thanks

[SeventhSon]

Re: THE QUESTION

[QUOTE]Originally posted by nonamemx:
Okay fine, i am a "younger fella" Im 16.

I just wanted to get a good ratio of if you pay for name/quality.

Im poor like any other teenager, and I am looking into a Jackson. I have a MIM strat that is complete driftwood and a paintball gun, so after I ebay in a month or so I will have about $700 to spend on a guitar.

So, It would be a better deal to get an old USA soloist or something than a new import dinky?

thanks [/QUOTE

If you are a teenager with limited funds, there is absolutely no shame in starting out your Charvel/Jackson journey with one of the Model X Charvel imports off of eBay. Those are fantastic guitars. Go over to the Import Charvel board, browse, ask questions, have fun...

[chopper45hd]

Re: THE QUESTION

i agree with alan, a charvel model 6 or model 4 is awesome to play, and can be had for alot less which will leave you with some cash to spend on a back up model6 or 4 [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]
i started out on a p.o.s. strat and didnt know anything about charvel or jackson, after playing with a friends model 6 i was totally hooked.
then again i ride a harley, so it boils down to YOUR personal choice. try to find someone that has a usa jackson and play it. then find someone with a model 6 or 4 or even 475 and play it. the one you like the most and are happy playing is the one that is worth more.

[xenophobe]

Re: THE QUESTION

Originally posted by nonamemx:
I will have about $700 to spend on a guitar.

So, It would be a better deal to get an old USA soloist or something than a new import dinky?

thanks

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">For that price you can probably score a USA Soloist or Rhoads if you're lucky. I've seen decent ones sell for about that price range, but you may have to try sniping a few auctions before you actually get one.

DEFINTELY get a USA Jackson over an import if you can afford it. The quality is really there.

If you have to have new, there are some nice import models, I like the DKMG and the SLSMG...

[straycat]

Re: THE QUESTION

Seeing how you already have a guitar to play I would troll ebay for a fair priced older soloist if its a neckthru you want.Or if you want a bolt on wait for a San Dimas neckplated Ontario Jackson(87-89) to pop up both can be had in that price range.To be honest I have several import C/J model 2s and an 87 USA Jackson strat all have the JT-6 trem and 1 hum,to look at them one would think they were identical.Once you play the USA Jackson you can feel the difference the fret work is flawless the attention to detail is very easy to see.Well worth waiting for IMO.

[Toby]

Re: THE QUESTION

The Japanese Jacksons and Charvels are good guitars. They are way better than some more expensive Ibanez ore ESP.

Even if the Japanese Jacksons and Charvels are good guitars, the American made Jacksons and Charvels are a different world. Jackson/Charvel USA models are absolutely high end. They play fantastic and feel dreamlike. Even if the Japanese models are also good playing guitars, they play and feel very different to the USA models. USA models have different neck shapes and dimensions, better hardware and better better pickups than the non-USA models. USA Charvels and Jacksons are entirely hand built by luthiers to custom order or in small badges, the non-USA models are factory mass production.

Try a USA Charvel or Jackson. Play her, feel her, hear her. You will notice Charvel/Jackson USA models are much more worth than only the money they cost.

[PowerTube]

Re: THE QUESTION

By all means, don't overlook PAWN SHOPS! Quite often, a pawn shop will have a really nice guitar and have no idea what they have. Very few of them have a clue about guitars in the first place.

Imagine this: a pawn shop has had several low end Jacksons over the past couple of years, like DX Series, etc... These guitars were priced from $200-350.00 and they sat there for months. Then they get a Made in USA Jackson, a Charvel Model 6, a nice neckthrough import, you get the idea. To them, there's no difference. A Jackson is a Jackson and you can get some killer deals.