Ok, Got my DKMG todayand.....

[Riffmeister]

I'm not very happy with a few things

I love the way It plays and feels, which is Why I got it after playing with it in the store, but first off, There is a problem with the nut, the G string WILL NOT stay locked properly, you hear and feel this loud ping when you pull up or dive the tremolo.

I have it as tight as it will get and it feels like it will strip out real easy!

The Tremolo on it seems to be a piece of crap, the fine tuners don't turn easily at all and sometimes feel stuck and I have already tried WD -40 on them. It doesn't seem like you can really clamp any of the bolts down before aproaching stripping them out.


I don't know if this is an issue or not, but never saw this, the block seems a lot shorter than any floyd or other locking trem I have seen, and you can actually see the springs curve UP towards the baseplate, is this normal and will it affect anything.

The set up from the factory wasn't all that great either, the bridge was tilted WAY back and not level at all.

I don't know yet as to weather I like the EMG's , I have yet to play it thorugh a decent amp, but that is just a matter of taste, the other stuff though, I wouldn't expect from a Jackson.

[Fender]

I kind of warned you about the EMG's. As for the rest. The factory tune is null. Think about it for a second. That guitar came tuned and set in Japan, months ago, traveled the oceans on a rickity boat, sustained temperature changes and has been hanging on a store stand for a while. You will have to set it up. Adjusting the tension should level your bridge and spring problem. Probably a good time to slap some new strings, like i said reset the bridge and adjust everything. Check the neck while you're at it. As for the nut, i am a little beat :S. I've never encountered this problem, but maybe it'll resolve itself after the string change. The tuners on the bridge are, in my experience, always like that on cheaper trems. It's not a floyd rose and it was probably cost 5$ to produce. It provides the feel and fun of a Floyd, but for a lot less and quality tends to get the lesser half of that deal. They are usually good guitars, but i stay adamant about the initial suggestion i made. I find you would have been more suited to a nice DK2. If you're having second thoughts, you should maybe return and trade in for something else. I know you got it for a good price, but you're obviously not entirely happy with it. Especially since you said you don't buy many guitars, you should get one that you're satisfied with. My two cents

[jdr94]

sounds like a bad lock plate or possibly the nut was changed and the locknut screws themselves are just a hair too long causing it to not completly lock properly. also double check your string seating on the bridge itself sometimes that can cause an issue. as for the jt580lp, i havnt had any issues with mine since i set it up over a year ago. was it new or used?

[mustaine-who?]

Put on new strings...and while you're doing that swap the 85 in the neck and the 81 in the bridge around. You'll like that a lot better. Check the bottom of the string clamp down "block" and make sure the casting is smooth and that there are no burrs. The JT580lp is a piece of crap...buy a Gotoh trem and be very happy.

[Acesofbelkan]

There is a problem with the nut, the G string WILL NOT stay locked properly, you hear and feel this loud ping when you pull up or dive the tremolo.
.

The Loud Ping could be a stripped screw hole or a loose screw in the nut. The ping sound happens because the nut is loose. and a lose nut is a very common problem with tuning issues. Unlock your strings and inspect the screws. Make sure theyre tight. I suspect it my be a stripped hole. Also some pics of the tremelo block would help so I can better understand what youre describing

[Riffmeister]

I took the blocks off and checked to make sure the screws holding the nut were tight, they were. I also have used two different nut lock screws as I replaced the ones that felt like they were going to strip out with some new ones I got from Stew Mac.

Double checked the bridge end also, non of this worked, so I am thinkg that it is that the nut slot was cut wrong as someone said. IF the hole was stripped, the screws wouldn't be able to be tight right ?

When I tune it up, and then pull the bridge back,Ping and the G is out of tune, if I dive it down, ping again, and it is back in tune, so that is why I THINK the string slipping is causeing the pinging.

Oh, this was a brand new Guitar, it was still in the box and foam wrap from Jackson.

The issue is going to be fixed one way or another, I already let the store owner know and he said there is no problem, they are just backed up right now from being closed for three days due to weather. I figured it was just a simple issue like the nut being loose, and thought I could fix it myself, which I why I opted to bring it home and not leave it sit there for a week.

The issue with the nut and stuff if enough for me to swap it for another one, but I have been playing long enough to know that just cause you don't like some Pup's in a guitar, is no reason to take it back . I have had more pups in my soloist than I can say, and I KNOW I don't like Duncans anyway so there is no reason for me to go get a DK with them in it.

There are a lot of things I like about the EMG's , the more I play them , The more I seem to like them, the totally scream and harmonics come out great, plus for some reason, my effects seem to respond well or jsut sound better with them.

The ONLY thing I don't seem to like so far is the neck pup when I play clean, it just sounds a little thin and tinny. But I figure I may be able to thicken that up with some chorus and some EQ, which is no problem.

What effect will I get out of swithcing the 81 and 85 around?

Thanks guys for all your help!

Oh, I had iniatailly decide that I am going to put an original Floyd on it anyway, I jsut want the Piece of Mind of having an OFR on it, but I jsut didn't expect I would have so many issues with it from day one

That being said, Does it take an R3 or R4 Nut?

Thanks again!

[mustaine-who?]

85 is beefier, thicker, more "passive" sounding. Listen to KSE...thier past 2 albums are all 85 in the bridge.

[Fender]

You'll get a rhythm guitar with the 85 in there. It's not terribly precise sounding, if you do a lot of lead. I still say they are really good pick ups if you only do one thing with them. Otherwise, totally overrated and uninspiring.

[gmbob22]

Put on new strings...and while you're doing that swap the 85 in the neck and the 81 in the bridge around. You'll like that a lot better. Check the bottom of the string clamp down "block" and make sure the casting is smooth and that there are no burrs. The JT580lp is a piece of crap...buy a Gotoh trem and be very happy.

+ for for GOTOH trem

[Riffmeister]

Ok, So I decided to put my glasses on and take a closer look

I could actually see the nut moving when depressing the bar. The first thing I did was check those screws, but I had to really crank down on them to stop the nut from moving.

Are those screws just screwed into the wood on the neck? What do you do it they ever strip out?

I still want to at least put a better nut on it, R3 or R4, and will the holes line up with the nut that is on there?

[toejam]

You'll get a rhythm guitar with the 85 in there. It's not terribly precise sounding, if you do a lot of lead. I still say they are really good pick ups if you only do one thing with them. Otherwise, totally overrated and uninspiring.

Ever listen to Shadows Fall? Jon Donais uses the 85 in the bridge and his leads sound great. The 85 is the way to go for a bridge pup with either a 60 or 81 in the neck.
You've apparently never listened to Steve Lukather either, and he doesn't play metal.

[Fender]

Two exceptions, but same goes for a lot of stuff. I can explain that too. Ever wonder how John Petrucci gets such a crisp precise tone out of his Dual Rectifier ? I don't. It's modded obviously and his rack is packed tight full of large band eqs and effects that he cuts through the muddiness. Probably modded to run some more exotic tubes. Same goes for that. Those guys are probably running an arsenal of mayhem to get that tone, apart from their playing. I know Steve Luthaker, but there are probably a hand full of people on here who can actually play what he can, and maybe 1 person tops who can nail his tone. Again, just my opinion, i feel that they are more suited for rhythm guitars. Most other bands who use the 81 bridge and 85 neck use it for lead. I don't think it's a very versatile pick-up, but it does it's job great in the same way that a Ferrari F-40 is a stunning track race car, but you'd be hard pressed to find someone who drives it daily to work. No AC, racing seats, full cage, no interior trim, and i believe there isn't even a radio, but don't quote me on that last thing. You can't hear it really well when its blasting through a straight .

I don't disagree with you, but if he doesn't like the muddy sounding seymours they slap in the dk2's, i doubt he's gonna trip over the 85 bridge. Then again, it takes two seconds to switch out, so its worth a try

[Riffmeister]

It's jsut the opposite, I went through about 6 Different Duncans in two of my Jacksons before and they were WAY TOO BRIGHT. I never said I didn't like them cause they were muddy.

I had 2 Duncan designeds that were, but I tried the Distortion, the Screamin Demon, the Trembucker , a JB and a JAzz in the neck and I didn't like any of them. As soon as I put some Dimarzios in , I was a lot happier.

I will say this about the EMG's now that I have had a few days to fool with them, they make my little 15 watt rage amp sound very good (when it works) for playing old 80's stuff and the clean really isn't that bad with some phase and delay on it.

My effects respond better to them, and I can get harmonics out of them that I can't get with my other guitar that has a Full shred in it( Yes another Duncan that I tried in my Jacksons)

I have a Tube amp coming tommorow and just ordered a Black Label Chorus, so I will get to run them through some pretty decent stuff, Then I will decide whether they stay or go.

I have got the nut fixed to where with some normal trem use, it doesn't move and stays in tune. You can't dive bomb it fully and flop the strings around, but I would suspect that is a problem with cheaper trems anyway.

Also, I have Never been able to keep a floating trem in tune like my blocked ones. I don't like floating bridges and it will be blocked soon enough

[toejam]

I use the 85 in my all mahogany Les Paul (yes, even the top is mahogany)... it's not muddy at all.

[jdr94]

I use the 85 in my all mahogany Les Paul (yes, even the top is mahogany)... it's not muddy at all.

i get the feeling some people may not know that you dont need your gain on 8 to sound brutal. school em joe