'95 MIJ Soloist?

[Drew816]

https://reverb.com/item/6726794-jackson-95-japanese-soloist

I hope it's okay to post Reverb listings here (if not, sorry!).

So what can you guys tell me about this guitar? The protective wrap is still on all the surfaces (tuners, truss, it appears the back plates!) so I find it hard to believe it's a 1995 and if so it's brand flipping new. I couldn't find reference to a 2 Hum Rosewood bound model in the Pro/Professional era, and this one doesn't have either on the written out on the headstock (nor truss cover).

What's the consensus here, is this a legit early to mid 90's MIJ or???

If sound, how does these sound and play in comparison to their US cousins?

Were these cheapy EMG pickups in the MIJ's too? I don't know much about EMG pickups.

Sorry for so many questions, the MIJ Jacksons are an unknown to me and the idea of a brand new 22 year old guitar is intriguing...

Thanks!

[Mudlark]

That's a 2006ish Sam Ash exclusive SL2H archtop. Not to be confused with the USA SL2H... just poorly named.

[toejam]

Those EMGs are legit. An 81 in the bridge and 85 in the neck. If they were the passive models, they would say HZ or Select on them.

[Number Of The Priest]

I haven't played one or seen one in person, but based on specifications alone, this looks like a really nice guitar and I'd consider it one of the top Japanese Jacksons of the 2000s.

The lack of MOP sharkfin inlays (common for 2000s Japanese Jacksons, so no big deal) and lack of ebony fretboard are really the only minor things separating guitar this from USA specifications, though there are Japanese Soloists of the 2000s that did have ebony fretboards such as the SLSMG.

As was common on the highest-end Japanese Jacksons of the 2000s like the SL3, the RR24 (https://www.jcfonline.com/threads/15...they-called-it!), and the Charvel USA/Japanese Pro-Mods, this SL2H also likely has a 1000 Series Floyd Rose, which is essentially a tremolo identical in material and specification to a Schaller-made German Original Floyd Rose, except made in Korea (by Ping, I believe, and no one has ever corrected/refuted me on this).

Here are some previous threads on this archtop Sam Ash exclusive SL2H:

https://www.jcfonline.com/threads/141243-What-is-the-going-rate-of-Trans-Blue-Sam-Ash-quot-SL2H-quot-Archtop?highlight=sl2h

https://www.jcfonline.com/threads/140040-Identification-help-on-an-archtop-soloist?highlight=sl2h

https://www.jcfonline.com/threads/138081-2006-Jackson-soloist-atchtop-MIJ?highlight=sl2h

https://www.jcfonline.com/threads/136943-Jackson-Sl2H-TB?highlight=sl2h

https://www.jcfonline.com/threads/128693-NGD-My-jackson-Sl2h-sam-ash?highlight=sl2h

These were not in the catalogs. I spent the past two days "studying" all the catalogs available on the Jackson Guitars website (I'm trying to get up to "Human Catalog" Mudlark-level and toejam-level expertise ) and this guitar doesn't appear there, so I can understand why JCFers were stumped in the previous topics because I would have been frustrated trying to find/identify it too.

According to JCFer DonP in the above linked threads, these SL2Hs sold new at Sam Ash for USD$799. Street price is around USD$600. Based on that, the guitar in the Reverb ad is overpriced.

[Drew816]

Thanks for all the info and replies; great stuff. Once I learned people were picking these up used for $400 that ended my interest in this particular one for sure! ;-)

How are the necks on these Sam Ash Soloists? Fatter profile, more Wizard or SD era thin or in between? For $400-500 I might still look at picking one up someday.

[Number Of The Priest]

Since it's a Japanese Soloist of the 2000s era, I expect it would feel similar to its brethren, such as the SL3 and the SLSMG, if you've ever gotten your hand on any of those.

The big irony in my above speculative statement is that I have a fairly decent working knowledge of the 2000s-decade product listings (which was around the time I discovered Jackson Guitars) and consider myself knowledgeable about the pricing of this era of guitars, yet have not personally played any of these Japanese guitars I seem to know so much about.

[DonP]

Thanks for all the info and replies; great stuff. Once I learned people were picking these up used for $400 that ended my interest in this particular one for sure! ;-)

How are the necks on these Sam Ash Soloists? Fatter profile, more Wizard or SD era thin or in between? For $400-500 I might still look at picking one up someday.

Obviously it's not a 1995 per the reverb ad.

The necks are a bit fatter than a Model 6, real SL2H, etc.

I still have mine (blue flame maple) and still love the way it sounds and plays. It is very punchy with the stock JB in the bridge (59 in the neck).

The metallic black ones did come with the EMG set. You can see it has a built in battery compartment.

As for if $750 (you know you can haggle that down right), all I can say is where can you get a MIJ guitar similar to this. I have a 750XL as well which is similar, but there are just too many differences to compare the two (pickups, scale length, trem vs. fixed bridge). The 750XL has a thinner neck.

It's funny but when these first came out and for many years after, I wasn't really interested in them. Then I picked one up and found out I really like it.