why bother playing a Jackson

[Sean Phillips]

Re: why bother playing a Jackson

It was never my intent to say that people that modify equipment are not musicians, my frustration tends to lie in the fact that as a person that one may call a purist i have gotten flak from people that do modify equipment and have ben told that i f i cared about my sound i would fix those crappy pick ups or change thais or that out. We all have different tastes in tone i agree but it seems that i see more i just got a jackson wat do i need to change posts than most anything else. A buddy of mine was looking to purchase a new guitar and read posts in this forum and until he saw and played my dk-2 had ruled out jackson because all he seemed to see was how these pick ups sucked and thistrem is bad and this and that. Let's face it guys a stock import Jackson is better than some companies high end USA models. Innovation is good but remember that just because it does not have seymore duncan, dimarzio, or emg written on it does not mean it is crap. I would suggest that when taking about tone we all get smarter (me included) and say that it sounds better to my ear and not it is better for any other reason. We all have our likes and dislikes but i do think we need to encourage new people to these great guitars to explore the possibilities of what it has to offer before we give them the list of things to change out. No one is right or wrong here but i dont hear much on this board about stock equipment and we do need to remember that people that are considering a purchase of a new guitar may be investigating what others say about that guitar maker, and i dont think there is any doubt in any of our minds that Jackson makes the best gear for the money.

[SARJ]

Re: why bother playing a Jackson

You have a good point there Sean. I thought I knew alot about guitars until I came here. I had been a former Jackson owner/fan when i found this board and noticed the same thing with the JT580LP sucks and the Duncan Design pickups suck and this model is inferior and that model is good, but not as good as the one's Jackson put out 10 years ago. My first impression was, "Hell, Jackson makes crappy axes now as compared to the Fusion they made 12 years ago, should I even bother"? Well...........after I joined in here and actualy read between the lines and posted my first question about the quality and playability of the DK2 and DXMG I got nothing but rave reviews and alot of positive feedback. Yes, there was alot of people replying with "change the pickups to real Duncans or DiMarzio or EMG's" and "get an OFR". Well, based on the highly educated individuals here I went out and bought a DK2 and a Seymour Duncan Distortion humbucker for the bridge. I tuned up and played my DK2 as is and found that the harmonics sucked and it didn't fit my style as is because the bridge pickup was incapable of my squeeling pinch harmonic festivals and didn't have the low end to give me the chugging palm mute I love so much. I pulled that DD 102B out and the SD TB-6 Distortion went in. After all was restrung and set up again I plugged in and cranked her up and I'd have to say that was the best $400 bucks I had ever spent because that one pickup replacement made that second rate crappy pickup sound like a single coil from a JC Penny Harmony Strat. That mod was TOTALY justified. Later on down the road I put that 103B in an LTD Kamakazi and it gave me a damn near dead nailed George Lynch sound and there it stayed. I like the bridge in it for now so when it wears out I'll drop the cash on an OFR if need be. So, to sum it all up, DO JACKSON GUITARS NEED MODIFICATIONS TO SUIT THE INDIVIDUAL TASTES AND EAR OF THE PLAYER? Damn right they do. From the import JS30 to the USA SL2H. If every Jackson player kept em stock with the JB in there, there would be no individuality. If Eddy Van Halen hadn't routed out the single coil route in his Start and dropped an old Gibson humbucker in there, the Charvel would have never turned into the Jacksons we all know and love today. Now go and modify yer Jackson Sean. [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/headbang.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/headbang.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/headbang.gif[/img]

[Sean Phillips]

Re: why bother playing a Jackson

point taken and i agree i guess im interested in the process that people used to get to that point that Jackson was the choice we made. I have never been into modifications on anything my cars are all stock all my gear is stock the only thing i modified was my dog so although i understand why modification takes place i have had bad expiriences with those that have made modifications so i am sorry if i came across harsh and i like the input as to why things were done it helped me understand what got to that point and not just the this sucked so i fixed it line i usually get. i guess im of the opinion if it sucks dont buy it but i can see how things came about and it is all good

[shadowcat]

Re: why bother playing a Jackson

Well, just wanted to add that I played my DKMGT every day for eight months until I finally decided to put Seymour Duncan pickups in it.

It's not like I swapped them out just because I heard the HZs were supposed to be crappy or something. But over time my ears developed and I found that the sound could need an improvement. Especially after playing a USA Jackson with stock Seymours in a shop. (That was three months before I finally swapped the pickups in my DKMGT).

That said, I got my second Jackson in May this year, a KVX10. I swapped the bridge pickup for a Seymour Duncan Distortion after six weeks of playing it.
Why? Because everytime I switched between the KVX10 and my DKMGT I noticed that the DKMGT had so much more clarity, while the KVX10's bridge pickup sounded quite muddy. Again, the new bridge pickup improved the tone quite alot.

I hope you understand my decisions. [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

If I had tried to get a guitar that from the rack sounded as good as my modded Jacksons do now, I would have had to get a USA Jackson.

However, one USA Jackson would have cost me alot more than those two imports including all the mods. (BTW, I live in Germany)
Now I have two great sounding and playing axes that I'll want to keep for a very long time at least, if not forever. [img]graemlins/rant.gif[/img] [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[shadowcat]

Re: why bother playing a Jackson

Oh, and when I bought them I chose these Jacksons over all the other guitars in the shops because they felt great, seemed to be really sturdy and of great quality, and had an excellent unplugged sound.
(Well, and of course a "decent" amplified sound too.)
To sum it up: Long-lasting quality axes for a good price.

EDIT: typo...

[ August 20, 2003, 03:36 AM: Message edited by: Fifth_Horseman ]

[Newc]

Re: why bother playing a Jackson

I fully understand the point that was stated earlier about being *able* to do a show with a stock guitar, some of us simply do not wish to settle on a guitar that you have to "work" (i.e. tweak external EQ a lot) in order to enjoy. A great sounding guitar is as inspirational as a great playing guitar, but a guitar that sounds like crap to the person playing it is not going to be inspiring beyond the playability. If Vai grabbed a stock DK-2 and tried to work the bar like his Ibenhad trem, he'd probably do an Instant Replay of Crossroads - drop it on its back and leave it there.
While I'm certainly not wealthy, I don't have children and (ex-)wifey eating up my money, so I have only me to spend the majority of my money on. I have probably spent enough on guitars and upgrade hardware to buy a Custom Shop or two - but that's two at the most. I'd rather have 20+ bought here and there and upgraded over time than blow a big load on only two guitars.
Actually out of all the guitars I have now (23), I've only altered/modded 5; the HRF DK-2 (OFR and pickups, neck hum route), a JSX-94 parts body (routed for neck hum, waiting on a new neck, need bridge and stuff), the KV Pro (replaced pickups, will be refinished), a Performer Kelly parts body (put on neck, pickups, and trem), and the Soloist Pro (replaced pickups, replaced worn trem parts, will be refinished). The rest are stock.

While the mods/additions might be costly if taken all at once, I do intend to spread them out over time, doing one guitar at a time.

Newc

[lerxstcat]

Re: why bother playing a Jackson

I can see your point; as I said, and Shawn confirmed, this is really a thread about being looked down upon for NOT doing mods. If someone tells you you don't care about your music if you DON't do the mods, that's bull$chite to me, as much as saying you shouldn't change anything is also BS.

Personally I like to keep things stock until and unless something breaks or wears out. I also prefer to shape the tone through amplification, EQ and effects so my amp will deliver what I want with ANY of my stock guitars. They will each have their own sound too, because they won't be loaded with identical upgrades (I know, different woods need different pickups, but you get the idea - lots of folks throw EMGs or Duncans or DiMarzios into everything, and will argue relentlessly that THEIR aftermarket PU rules while YOURS sucks. The same is true of the guitars, amps and effects themselves. What I love you may hate, and vice versa. That's why you modding your guitars is great, just as my focusing on changing the sound through processing is no more - or less - valid.

Of course, you can do both, but I can't justify the cost to myself, so I choose the approach that lets me "mod" ALL my guitars at once! I am open to rethinking this approach the minute I win the Powerball Lottery though! [img]graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[ August 20, 2003, 08:46 AM: Message edited by: lerxstcat ]

[Tekky]

Re: why bother playing a Jackson

Originally posted by Sunbane:
The only things I've done to mine was to replace the pickups and remove the upper volume knob. This was done to improve sound and playability (the stock pickups were totally inadequate for the style of music I play). It doesn't make it any less of a Jackson.

I'm considering switching the trem to a real Floyd though, because the knife edges on the 580LP are going bad. But it still wouldn't be any less of a Jackson IMO.

'bane

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">

Originally posted by Newc:
You'll have to swap the posts as well, since the 580's are taller and won't screw in deep enough for the OFR.

Newc

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">don't mind me... Just cleaning up...

[peabuddy]

Re: why bother playing a Jackson

it must be something with guitars, but i love the tone of my jackson bass and charvel basses , they all have jackson p and j pickups with jackson active electronics. i don't use any other out board devices not even a compressor. i wouldn't think of changing pickups. i do have a couple of basses with emgs, but they're just not as crisp.but the whole charvel jackson thing was about making your guitar into what YOU want and the way they play and feel in my hands is like no other basses, and i have 17 various basses at this time

[ August 20, 2003, 08:44 PM: Message edited by: peabuddy ]

[mm2002]

Re: why bother playing a Jackson

Wow, this post is like reading a novel. I've got to go lay down now. [img]graemlins/sleep.gif[/img]

[SARJ]

Re: why bother playing a Jackson

I think the import Jackson models such as the DK2 and DXMG are a base for modifications. Notice how there is no problem swaping pickups from the Duncan designs to real Seymour Duncans. You can even use the stock pickup rings. It's also easy to go from the JT580LP to an OFR with no more modification that replacing a few parts, restringing, tuning up and letteing her rip. I have a Fender MIM Standard Strat now that I bought intending to replace the bridge single with a DiMarzio HS2. After giving it some time to grow on me I noticed that puting a stacked humbucker like the HS2 would take away from the sound only a Strat can deliver. I took into consideration that everybody who brought the Strat to the forefront like Hendrix, Buddy Guy, Jeff Beck and many others used a stock Strat and the pickups that came with it. They made their best music with stock axes. I won't change a thing about my Strat. It helped that I hand picked it too. I had a Jackson Dinky reverse Professional that stayed stock the whole 5 years I played it. Never changed a thing. After not finding what I wanted with stock pickups I had to go with after market mods. It all boils down to.........If it sounds good to the player stock..........leave it stock. If it sounds like a$$............modify it. Nobody here is wrong or right. We all have our preferences.

[Newc]

Re: why bother playing a Jackson

I had a KV-3 that I left the Duncan Designeds in, and when I listen back to the stuff I recorded with it (miked cab), I really notice the lack of oomph compared to the Kelly Pro I had. Harmonics didn't ring like they should have, and I used the same gain setting for both guitars. With "real" pickups, everything's so much better-sounding using the same patches and EQ settings I used with those DDs.

Newc

[Newc]

Re: why bother playing a Jackson

But then, there weren't any replacement pickups available when Hendrix was around. Yeah you could snag some from a Ric or Gibson and cut holes for 'em, but I doubt that was a viable option for them.

As for stock vs modded - Jimmy Page has a B-Bender in a Les Paul, and his pickups can be split, phased, inverse phased, and all that crap through push/pull knobs.
I'm sure Jimi would have loved to have his UniVibe and wah inside a Strat.

Newc

[SARJ]

Re: why bother playing a Jackson

Very true NewC. For a time Saturday night special guitar companies started over moding guitars. Remember all the cheapie Explorer and V copies with like 8 push buttons that were on board effects. How about the guitars that had modular pickups that could be pulled and replaced by unstrinigng the guitar and pulling out the pickup and inserting another one? Look at the Floyd Speed Loader. Seems like BC Rich has the corner on those things. It's like trying to build a better mouse trap. It all boils down to preference and whats on the market or what you can build yourself. After some carefull consideration and possibly this thread I have decided to mod my Strat with some new 500k pots and my DiMarzio HS2 single coil in the bridge and 2 Hot Blues singles in the neck and middle. I'm not getting the best out of my wah pedal and the output of the stock singles isn't cutting it. Now there's a justifiable reason to modify my axe! [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[straycat]

Re: why bother playing a Jackson

Hey Jon.
The dimarzio hs2 or hs3's are just what a strat needs.If you don't like your first choices try an hs3 in the neck hs2 middle, hs3 in the bridge.I have a korean squire 2 neck on a mexican body and 3 hs3's and vintage trem and the guitar is darn near perfect.Strat tone humbucker power and no noise. I'm not a big fender strat guy but I'll build one the way I want it.And play it for a while then trade for something else usually a jackson or charvel. I build a lot of strat parts guitars (fender parts)they are great trading fodder at guitar shows as well as pawn / music stores.My next strat project will be a 3 hum with a floyd.Going to the springfield ohio guitar show on the 31st I'm sure there will some parts floating around that I can use.Good choice on the pickups man you won't be sorry.