Jackson Adrian Smith SDX, questions.

[mike_bax]

Hi Y'all, wondered if you guys could shed light or offer opinions on these.

Just picked up a used Adrian Smith SDX, White/White model with the Rosewood Board.

Couple of things that I wondered if you could help with.

1. The single coils, mine seem pretty gutless, in fact, comparing then to the closest guitar is have to the SDX (a MIM Fender Floyd Rose Strat), they sound positively awful and weak. Has anyone else had this experience?

2. Even with the action as low as it goes (and I have got it down pretty low), the single coils still seem and awful long way from the strings, even with them wound up as high as they go. I have took the neck off, and it isn't shimmed, so the heel is sitting as low as it can go. Is the neck on these naturally tilted back a little compared to a Strat?

Cheers

[Force]

My singles don't sound awful but they are very weak. I don't use them on the SDX anyway. As you say, they don't wind up very far, a possible manufacturing error, a bit like the E1 string slipping off the board.

The neck is angled because it's a top mount floyd.

[mike_bax]

Might swap the coils out for some better ones, I like the neck/middle (position 4 on switch) for clean work.

Reckon some MIM Strat ones, same as in my Floyd Rose Strat.

Does the USA model suffer from the same issue?

[jclogston]

how bad the "e string slipping off" issue?

[mike_bax]

To be fair, this hasn't been an issue for me ..................... yet

I gigged with it already, out of all the songs in the 36 song set, I used it on about 30 songs, no real issues, except the weak sounding single coils.

[jclogston]

To be fair, this hasn't been an issue for me ..................... yet

I gigged with it already, out of all the songs in the 36 song set, I used it on about 30 songs, no real issues, except the weak sounding single coils.

Thanks. It has everything in terms of specs but I just keep hearing about the e string.
Might pull the trigger and swap out the pickups for a duncan distortion in the bridge and possibly the duncan yngwie fury in the neck...and possibly a d-tuna (the mods might cost more than the guitar LOL)...

[Force]

I have the maple board version & it's quite common, haven't heard of one that doesn't have a string slip problem. This can be solved by using a different locking nut.

[mike_bax]

I have the maple board version & it's quite common, haven't heard of one that doesn't have a string slip problem. This can be solved by using a different locking nut.

I bought mine from ebay, used, so maybe the nut has been changed already.

[jclogston]

I have the maple board version & it's quite common, haven't heard of one that doesn't have a string slip problem. This can be solved by using a different locking nut.

My concern is that the replacement locking nut won't have the same screw position.

[mike_bax]

I think if you buy a genuine front mount Floyd nut, the holes will line up.

[straycat]

Nope you will have to dowel and redrill the holes for the OFR nut.
The original nut is a B/H 43 and the holes are different. I used an R3 OFR nut on mine .
The E strings were too close to the edge of the fingerboard with the original nut.The R3 fixed that issue.
The stock singles are Fender noiseless FYI. Mine sounded just fine but I gutted the electronics and used an RSguitarworks pot upgrade kit and vintage DiMarzio pick ups.
Had to replace the neck plate screws and the trem claw screws because they were bent.Used stock Fender replacement screws which are a tad bigger than the originals and better quality.
The guitar is a beast and one of the best players I have.

[mike_bax]

Nope you will have to dowel and redrill the holes for the OFR nut.
The original nut is a B/H 43 and the holes are different. I used an R3 OFR nut on mine .
The E strings were too close to the edge of the fingerboard with the original nut.The R3 fixed that issue.
The stock singles are Fender noiseless FYI. Mine sounded just fine but I gutted the electronics and used an RSguitarworks pot upgrade kit and vintage DiMarzio pick ups.
Had to replace the neck plate screws and the trem claw screws because they were bent.Used stock Fender replacement screws which are a tad bigger than the originals and better quality.
The guitar is a beast and one of the best players I have.

Jackson website says the Indian SDX has Jackson noiseless coils, and that the USA San Dimas has the Fender SCN noiselss ones.

[straycat]

Is there really any difference?
They are Fender pick ups either way.

[mike_bax]

Is there really any difference?
They are Fender pick ups either way.

There must be a difference, I have 2 MIM Strats with HSS pickup configuration, a Floyd Rose Model, and a Vintage Trem model, and the coils in these knock spots off the coils in my SDX.

[mike_bax]

Single Coil Update

OK, I have done everything possible with these.

I have checked the wiring, all is good.

I have tried them at all heights, including removing the springs from the pickup, allowing me to get another 2mm of height on the pickup.

Now, I have had these as close to the strings as possible, any closer, and the strings would hit the pickup poles when playing on higher frets.

They are now closer to the strings than the strings on my MIM Floyd Rose Strat.

They are still gutless. These must be amongst the most pathetic single coil pickups i have ever had the misfortune to encounter. I have had 6 Strats, 2 Ibanez RG's (with HSH configuration), 2 Charvel Models 3's, a Kramer, A Washburn KC40, there may be others that has single coil(s), but I don't recall right now.

These, in the SDX are the worst, fact. Jackson should be ashamed of themselves. To the people that are saying these are fundamentally Fender Noiseless coils, please, go out and play an Import SDX, you will find that just because FMIC own Jackson, sometimes the Fender quality is sadly absent.

Looking out for some MIM single coils, at least I (a) know they work, and (b) they will match my other guitars for consistent stage sound.