just nabbed a mint Soloist Pro

[kmanick]

good deal?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=290456226718&ss

I hope so,
guitar looks very clean and I believe that Serial Number puts it as a first year?

[Model 88]

Nice score five bills in great price for a early PRO . They are every bit as good a USA as everyone says . I have owned two soloist PROs , and still have five Archtop PROs . I bet you will be very happy with it .

[RacerX]

Plus the seller listed it as a SL3 I'll bet that kept the price down.

[Forrest]

Plus the seller listed it as a SL3 I'll bet that kept the price down.

Absolutely did. I wouldn't have let it go for 500 if I had looked closer. I have 2 pro's, one of them looks identical to that one. Congrats man, you got a steal, and the seller can only blame himself.

[pro-fusion]

Nice score! My Soloist Pro has been a trusted weapon of choice for several years. Definitely the equivalent of a USA Soloist.

It is indeed a 1990 Pro, which seems to be the year in which most of them were made. You don't see that many come up on eBay that were made in later years, even though they were produced through 1995. Based on the serial numbers that come up, the entire original Pro series seems to have come in with a bang in 1990 and then kind of limped on after that.

[kmanick]

Awesome to hear guys thanks!
I had been gasing for a model 6 for a while now since I sold all 3 of mine a few years back and I've missed
not having them around. I saw the SL3 tag in the listing and almost kept going but I figured I'd take a look anyway.
Seller sent me a pic of the serial Number.
Looks like ebony to me and that seems to be a first year Serial #
WHOOHOO!!!!!!!
it was listed at $549.00 or make an offer.
I had no idea it would get accepted , I was ready to hit the BIN of $549.00

so another question.
Were these being produced at the same time as the 650XL(model 6) or did these replace those?

[Model 88]

Yes for a couple of years you could get the Soloist PRO and the Charvel 650XL . The 650 replaced the Model 6 . The whole PRO line was new and did not replace anything . It was offer as a way to get a USA style guitar with no options except for the color . They still made quite a few import Charvels . Check out the 90-91 catalog to see for yourself http://www.jacksonguitars.com/suppor...91_catalog.pdf

[kmanick]

Thanks Mike!
so are these early Pros considered to be better quality than the model 6/650Xl or are they basically the same
guitar with a Jackson logo instead of the charvel logo.
the only difference I can see between these and a 650xl is bound ebony VS bound rosewood on the fret board?

[dg]

The necks on Soloist Pros are quartersawn. The neckthrough Charvels had flatsawn necks. Not necessarily a huge deal on a painted neck, but it's just an indication that they were serious about the Soloist Pros being made from the best materials like the USA models.

[Model 88]

I would say hardware wise they are better the Model series . You get a real good trem in the Schaller an proper Floyd lock nut . Instead of the JT6 and Kalher nut. Looking at the specs the 650 and Soloist are almost identical except you get ebony , MOP logo and inlays on the PRO like you mention . IMO if you can live without those features the 650 would be just as good . But for me I am a ebony snob . I just can not stand the way rosewood looks .

[kmanick]

same here . Rosewood is my least favorite fret board wood.
too bad jackson didn't offer these with a maple board, I would love one of those.

[algeriet]

I own a blue Soloist Pro from that same year and it is one of the best Jacksons I've played on. I envy you a lot since I really want it in that colour. Nice steal!

[warlok]

Me too.. 1990 Soloist Pro in blue. And a modded Model 6 with a quilted maple top. But mine are way better!!!.... Cause they're mine!!

[algeriet]

Haha amen to that!

[pro-fusion]

I would say hardware wise they are better the Model series . You get a real good trem in the Schaller an proper Floyd lock nut . Instead of the JT6 and Kalher nut. Looking at the specs the 650 and Soloist are almost identical except you get ebony , MOP logo and inlays on the PRO like you mention . IMO if you can live without those features the 650 would be just as good . But for me I am a ebony snob . I just can not stand the way rosewood looks .

The 650xl commands as much, or occasionally more, on eBay than the Soloist Pro typically does. Having owned both, I'd say the Pro is a much better instrument. Obviously, each individual instrument varies.