Questionable workmanship

[Deneb]

Re: Questionable workmanship

I've played some questionable guitars coming NEW out of the factory, most certainly not something I was to pay an arm and a leg for.

[Greg Crowe]

Re: Questionable workmanship

Jackson USA quality control has been inconsistent over the past several years...... they just don't make 'em like they used to. It's an economics/$'s vs. low pay/unskilled labor issue and unlikely to change.

Poorly finished fret ends chalked up to enviromental changes??? Hahahahahahahahaha....... come on guys.

[Snoogans]

Re: Questionable workmanship

I can think of a couple of guitar manufacturers' boards where a thread like this would have been pulled!

[Zerberus]

Re: Questionable workmanship

[ QUOTE ]
I can think of a couple of guitar manufacturers' boards where a thread like this would have been pulled!

[/ QUOTE ]

Yep. But Jackson doesn´t own this board, so the most they could do is ask an admin to pull it [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

I´ve heard a few stories about quality being spotty the last few years, but this is the first one ´ve been told "first-hand"......it´s not great, but I assume that quality control is still better than w/ Gibson [img]/images/graemlins/poke.gif[/img]

[~K~]

Re: Questionable workmanship

[ QUOTE ]
Poorly finished fret ends chalked up to enviromental changes??? Hahahahahahahahaha....... come on guys

[/ QUOTE ]

Actually it happens up here quite often and it isn't just Jackson it's the climate. I've had Wolfgangs and Warmoths do the same thing. Greg you wouldn't be accustomed to seeing that because where you are, your climate is a lot more stable than up here in the Northeast. It's also worse with figured woods on necks as they move drastically. It's also not limited to new guitars but all guitars in drastic humidity changes.. I have an 84 strathead that the fret ends peek out slightly in the drier winter months and to me thats not surprising considering these were built in a climate that remains a bit more consitent year round ..

[hippietim]

Re: Questionable workmanship

I'll jump in here and say I'm not overly impressed with new Jackson quality. In the last year the new J/C's I've bought are a KV2T, Big Red, RBW EVH, Diamond plate Kelly, and a JJ2.
<ul type="square">[*]KV2T - it was pretty great except for an ugly patchy blemish near the nut - not the end of the world but that thing wasn't cheap and you really don't expect to see something like that on guitar with that price tag
[*]Big Red - another nice guitar. But. The nut was shimmed too high and the pickup routes go down into the trem cavity. Again, no big deal but again we're talking about a freakin' expensive guitar.
[*]RBW EVH - wrong color red. How did they manage that? I mean c'mon, we're talking about one of the most photographed, mimiced, and famous guitar finishes ever. Home Depot does a better color matching job. Also, you can see tape ridges in the finish under the clear coat - not sure if this was intentional or not.
[*]Diamond Plate Kelly - whoohoo! no issues. at least none that I can attribute to workmanship - I don't like the placement of the volume control but that's not a quality issue.
[*]JJ2 - this is the most disappointing guitar of the lot. It plays very nice and it sounds great. However, it has some bad issues.

1) the second fret was WAY high. Playing anything on the first fret at all buzzed like crazy. It wasn't a matter of a lifted fret either - it was a bad level job. I got this fixed under warranty.

2) The warranty repair guy noticed that the truss rod is all the way loose and there is pretty much no relief in the neck. This is not encouraging - I would not be surprised if this one has to go back to Jackson soon.

3) The Black Ghost Flames finish is nowhere near as well done on this as it was on my KV2T. You can clearly see some tape ridges under the clear coat.

This guitar should have never left the factory. The dealer should have never let it out the door either. I mean we're not talking about a freakin' Korean made Squier for $89. [img]/images/graemlins/bs.gif[/img][/list]
Combine these quality issues with the fact that the resale value of a Jackson is sh!t, it's going to take a screaming deal for me to buy another brand new Jackson. The price increases don't help any either - Jackson has some truly great competition out there.

[Wizard of Ozz]

Re: Questionable workmanship

I own a 2004 DK-1 and it's actually one of the nicest playing/feeling guitars I've ever owned. Fretwork and finish are tops.

[RR05xx]

Re: Questionable workmanship

I am going to chime in on the environmental issue. I was just at Matt's Music and we were actually talking about this very issue and specifically cutting you hands on a guitar that has had fret board shrinkage b/c of bad temp/humidity exposure.

It sounds nuts, but ask Matt and he will tell you, the NE can be hell on guitars (he runs two humidifiers in his store and goes through 10-15 gallons of water per day to just bearly maintain 50% humidity because the the forced air heating system at his strip mall location).

[~K~]

Re: Questionable workmanship

Thanks for the backup .. lol

[Lordofgain]

Re: Questionable workmanship

I will throw my own 2 cents in here.

I bought a brand new snow white DK1 you guys may have seen pics that I posted when I got it.

Almost immediately I noticed several things I NEVER thought I would see.

&gt;The body cavity on the back wasn't sprayed properly and I had bare wood showing.
&gt;The neck wasn't fitted in the pocket correctly, it was off center!
&gt;This appeared to me because the neck was cut too wide at the pocket.
&gt;The logo was right on the binding.

I sent the guitar back to Jason after talking to a Fender rep who said they would take the guitar back no question although I was out 35 dollars to ship it back.
I am now waiting for Jason to get me a new case for a brand new Ferrari red KV2 that Jason and Ross have gone over with a fine tooth comb.
I used to be able to see a Jackson on Jason's website and just order it because I knew it would be built to traditional exacting Jackson standards.
I believe those days are gone forever now and Jackson has joined the ranks of Fender and Gibson for allowing sloppiness to leave the shop.
This makes me sad!

[toejam]

Re: Questionable workmanship

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I can think of a couple of guitar manufacturers' boards where a thread like this would have been pulled!

[/ QUOTE ]
Maybe I should post over at the Fender board how my '01 USA Double Fat Strat gives me a trouble with the action at least twice a year and is the only guitar I have to make adjustments to. [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] Two weeks ago it was fine. This week, the action is too high and I can't really tigthen the truss rod any more. It'll probably be too low once the weather warms up and I'll have to loosen it again like last year. [img]/images/graemlins/rant.gif[/img]

[Carbuff]

Re: Questionable workmanship

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I can think of a couple of guitar manufacturers' boards where a thread like this would have been pulled!

[/ QUOTE ]
Maybe I should post over at the Fender board how my '01 USA Double Fat Strat gives me a trouble with the action at least twice a year and is the only guitar I have to make adjustments to. [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] Two weeks ago it was fine. This week, the action is too high and I can't really tigthen the truss rod any more. It'll probably be too low once the weather warms up and I'll have to loosen it again like last year. [img]/images/graemlins/rant.gif[/img]

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah, that post would last 2 minutes before it got pulled. Thats why I never post over there anymore. [img]/images/graemlins/bs.gif[/img]

[toejam]

Re: Questionable workmanship

Yeah, and the FDP is privately owned and doesn't have anything to do with FMIC. I posted a question there about the Jackson/Charvel acquisition in 2002 when it was announced, the thread got quickly removed. I rarely go to that place any more, maybe every couple months and lurk around.

[Lordofgain]

Re: Questionable workmanship

[ QUOTE ]
Yeah, and the FDP is privately owned and doesn't have anything to do with FMIC. I posted a question there about the Jackson/Charvel acquisition in 2002 when it was announced, the thread got quickly removed. I rarely go to that place any more, maybe every couple months and lurk around.

[/ QUOTE ]
I used to go there alot Toe. This was back when I was still trying to get my Fenders to act the way I thought they should i.e. Jacksons! [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]
I don't go there anymore either. I like most people have gone through far too many Fenders to get the one I have kept. It is an 03' American Deluxe with the old noiseless pups. It is immaculate and thank God I don't have to buy anymore!! [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]
I stand by what I said about Jackson earlier and don't whether it gets pulled or not. They just don't have it together anymore like they used to. I don't know whether that is because Fender has monkeyed too much or if it is Shannon returning or just the lack of skilled labor at the custom shop anymore.
All I know is it makes me sad! [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]

[YetAnotherOne]

Re: Questionable workmanship

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I like most people have gone through far too many Fenders to get the one I have kept.

[/ QUOTE ]

Oh is that normal? And I was a little worried that there was something wrong with me back in the 90s when I went through 7-8 Strat Ultras before I found a keeper. [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]