hello - JS30 lots of questions

[Pointy]

Hi there

I am a guitarist on a budget who is getting back to playing after a long break. I own an Ibanez RG270DX upgraded with a JB & 59 Seymour Duncan combo and the obligatory Marshall MG30 DFX.

Looking for a fresh start and some gear to spice it up, i have my eyes set on the JS30 RR, and lots of questions about it. The main reason for asking all of this is that i just can't find one at the stores! The closest i got was a store that had a badly sety up Dinky JS30, which didn't really let me form an opinion.

First of all, is it any good? I know it is the cheapest model around, but it is still a Jackson! No hiding behind other brands. Can i expect a decent entry-level guitar that will give me no problems? I don't expect the stock pickups to compare with my Duncans, but i plan to upgrade them as soon as i can if i like the instrument (EMG 81 maybe). For comparison, I am perfectly happy with the quality of my low-end RG, but i have also seen cheap Ibanez guitars that kind of suck, think it was an RX.

How does it compare with an RR-3? I would consider saving a bit more to get an RR-3 but i want a fixed bridge, and the next model up with a fixed bridge is quite more expensive.

What is it made of?? The Jackson website says both Indian Cedro and Alder, so which is it? In the 2005 and 2006 catalogue scans i can see it listed as Indian Cedro, but most online stores that sell it say it is an Alder body. I feel a bit lost here as i don't even know what Indian Cedro is.

Same with the compound radius fingerboard, some sources mention it, others not.

That's all i can think for now, thanks if you read this long post

PS: good quality pictures of a dark metalic blue JS30 RR would be appreciated as i can't find any either!

[RacerX]

Hey dude!

The body is Cedro, not alder. They're made in India. Check out my really detailed thread about these from 3 years ago:

http://www.jcfonline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=4552

[Pointy]

Looks like lots of good info, thanks man.

[BenoA]

Here are other posts about the JS series:

http://www.jcfonline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=64505

http://www.jcfonline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=63989

http://www.jcfonline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=64330

As you will read in these thread, I own a JS30 kelly. Funny but it is my main guitar these days. Only mod I did is put some Planet Waves tuners (see first link). BTW, I also own, an Ibanez RG760, ESP LTD M207 and a Charvel model 4.

My son got a blue JS dinky. It is not very dark, it's mostly a very bright blue. Not a bad color but I prefer the red or the black. But he wanted the blue, so!

Are the JS guitars good??? I've got 3 in my house. My 2 oldest sons wanted to start playing guitar and this what I decided to get for them, the other is my beloved Kelly. I think they are quite good for the price. My Kelly is being abused at my band's rehearsal every week and I played a few times live with it. For the price I paid, I'm quite happy.

Good luck and keep us posted. Hope to see ya join the Jackson family.

[Pointy]

Thanks BenoA. I found more threads in the import guitars forum - i couldn't use the search function before i registered.

Your thread about the locking tuners is making me think. I will probably need those; i am used to my RG which is impossible to knock out of tune no matter how i abuse it, and it only has the cheapo single lock trem.

So here i am already thinking about modding the thing and i haven't even decided to buy it! If it plays well and doesn't fall apart - and judging from the posts here it does and it won't - i can see myself spending a fair bit on upgrades over time (a fair bit in this case means about as much as this guitar costs ). There is no fixed-bridge MIJ Rhoads on the way, is there?

[AlexL]

There is no fixed-bridge MIJ Rhoads on the way, is there?

The RR5 is a MIJ fixed bridge. Quite a bit more $$$ than the JS30. As a former owner, I can say that the RR5 is worth every penny, though.


- E.

[CharvelRocker]

The RR5 is a MIJ fixed bridge. Quite a bit more $$$ than the JS30. As a former owner, I can say that the RR5 is worth every penny, though.


- E.

+1

[Pointy]

That's definately a sweet guitar, but it's €1200 more than i can afford at the moment so it is not an option. Besides that, i don't like the color! Heresy? Maybe, but i generally prefer modern finishes. I wouldn't play a polka-dot flying V either .

[rocksoldier]

Not bad guitars at all, but if you can live with a floyd, get a used RR3 instead, worth the extra money to me.

[Rich#6]

It has a floyd but the x series rhoads are nice too and cost less than a RR3