Your take on Japanese Jacksons

[Offrampmotel]

Re: Your take on Japanese Jacksons

Once I replaced the cheap pickups in my DK2 with real Seymour Duncans, it plays and sounds as good as anything else I've ever played.

[Newc]

Re: Your take on Japanese Jacksons

Actually it's not racism or any other -ism against the Japanese people - it's the economic fact that the majority of US-based companies open or move a shop to Asia so they don't have to pay as much in wages as they do in America, so the consumer, logically, feels that instead of such a company selling said item for $1500 when they only spent $10 to make it, and pocketing $1490 profit, the consumer should only pay $500-$700 tops. Yes this means the company only pockets $490-$690 per item sold, but said consumer will always say "tough sh!t - you paid less to make it, we pay less to buy it. Period." [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

Newc

[YetAnotherOne]

Re: Your take on Japanese Jacksons

Not exactly an import Jackson but the two I'm playing a lot at the moment are an '87 Charvel Model 6 and an '87 Jackson (Ontario) Soloist. The Charvel is hands-down the better guitar in terms of both playability and fit & finish (the comparison isn't even a close one in the latter category). So yeah, the imports can be as good, and in some cases better, than the domestics.

[RP]

Re: Your take on Japanese Jacksons

Shouldn't a $1,500 Japanese model be better than a $1,500 USA model? I mean, the reason they're produced overseas is so they can make a higher quality product at a certain price point.

Theoretically, the reason Jackson doesn't make its lower-priced guitars in the United States is because it would cost too much to make them with the same parts and at the same level of quality in the United States.

So, if the Japanese were given the USA parts, woods, what-have-you to equal a USA Jackson, they should be able to crank out the same level of quality, etc. for a lower price still, right?

So maybe a Japanese Custom Shop guitar would be better and/or cheaper than a USA Custom Shop guitar (at least at the production end. When supply and demand gets hold, the retail prices can be quite different, especially given the rarity of Japanese custom shop Jacksons).

So I don't think it's a knock on the ability of the Japanese to make quality instuments. I think they're just given less to work with because that's what Jackson wants out of an overseas factory. When they want the highest-end, they produce them in the USA because cost is less of a concern.

[RacerX]

Re: Your take on Japanese Jacksons

I like 'em!

[Black Mariah]

Re: Your take on Japanese Jacksons

I've got to agree with retro_6 a bit. I remember last year just a couple of months after I started working at Jackson there was a thread about Jackson being run by a Japanese company. I can't recall names or exact quotes, but I do remember comments like "How do you like having your checks signed by some Japanese guy?" Well, I didn't care then, still don't care, and my checks were signed by a dude named Jack Norman, thanks a lot. Yes, a lot of the disdain for imports around here IS racism, plain and simple. This doesn't mean that everyone that dislikes imports is a racist, that would be a really stupid statement (although it would result in some really fun discussion [img]graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] ). Opinions vary, and that's cool. What isn't cool is playing stupid point-of-origin games. It doesn't matter where a guitar is from. Every country has great luthiers, and every country has CNC machines. Put the two together and you're looking at some good guitars no matter where they're from.

You don't have to like imports, but if you don't like them, have a GOOD reason. "They're made in Japan!" is NOT a good reason. A good reason is "I don't like the neck/body joint on the SL3, and I prefer ebony." At one point Jackson DID make guitars just as good as their US counterparts in Japan, but they started undermining USA sales, so that was canned. Now the Japanese neckthrus have the same playability of the USA's, but at a lower price point and with fewer frills.

Quality is a variable. One person's quality is another person's POS. What I personally look for in a guitar is playability, plain and simple. Looks don't matter to me. Hell, I'd play Daisy Rocks if they had good necks (I've never seen one, so I don't know). For me, Japanese guitars are just as good as USAs. They are matched in terms of playability, and that's all that's really important to me. In fact, I prefer Japanese Soloists because the neck/body joint feels better in my hands. But if you need your binding, pearl sharks, and ebony, the USAs are the only way to go.

The way I see it you can get the important stuff with an import, but the flashy stuff is for the USAs and that's pretty much the only difference between them.

Oh, before anyone mentions hardware. I had just as many problems with USAs and faulty pots as I did with imports. All pots suck to some degree. I haven't had a problem with the JT580 on my SL3 although I have heard some horror stories (Newc [img]graemlins/poke.gif[/img] ) I've never personally see anything with a screwed up trem. Eh... except Indian guitars. [img]graemlins/puke.gif[/img] Not saying it doesn't happen, but I'm sure some Floyds are f**ked too. [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[Accept2]

Re: Your take on Japanese Jacksons

The Japanesse Charvel/Jacksons I have are 2 Model 6s, a Model 5, and a Jackson neckthru Rhoads. The 3 Charvels are top notch guitars, but I think the Rhoads is a dog. The Rhoads has cheap ass hardware, its made fairly well, but not as good as the Charvels, and it doesnt play as good as the Charvels. From other companies, its the same thing, I have Japanesse guitars that are great, and I HAD Japanesse guitars that were dogs as well. The best built instruments I've ever had were US made though, but the US made instruments that are dogs too. Ever heard of PV?...........

[Newc]

Re: Your take on Japanese Jacksons

I don't mind cheap/crappy hardware on any import as long as the wood and construction is good. It's far cheaper to replace bad hardware than to replace a bad neck, especially on a neckthrough.
So what if the DK-2 has a crappy weak trem and noisy pickups? An OFR and USA Duncans fit in the same slot, and the wood is poplar/alder, maple, and rosewood [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

Newc

[AlexL]

Re: Your take on Japanese Jacksons

If I were in a financial crunch, I would have just as hard a time (emotionally) unloading my DKMGT and RR5 as I would my PC-1 and RR1T. The DKMGT and RR5 are great guitars for the money, and I have grown quite attached to them.

Playability-wise and sound-wise, there is very little difference between my RR5 and my RR1T. In fact, last night, I opted to play my RR5 instead of my RR1T. The only thing the RR5 lacks compared to its USA counterpart is "trimmings" - no binding and no mother of pearl. And my jury is still out on the topic of rosewood vs. ebony; I like both, and can't say I prefer one over the other. So - I can honestly say, except for the window dressing, the RR5 is as good an axe as the RR1T.

I do love my USAs; I'm a slightly superficial guy, and like having a couple "top of the line" guitars. But I would have no qualms at all about adding another Japanese Jackson to my collection.

And by the way, all of the boys get along fine with each other - they share the same wall:



- E.

[Jim]

Re: Your take on Japanese Jacksons

in my earlier post, i used the word racisim. i now feel that word was wrong to use in that context. so, change it to natonalisim. you know, like "good 'ole boys" driving a beat up ford instead of a new toyota, just because the ford is american. no thought of quality involved. just the "i won't buy anything non-american" mentality. like the bumperstickers that say, "support america, buy american."

countries are good for the olympics and all, but the world should all be together to solve it's problems and live as one. but i digress. i sound like some kind of hippy.

[Accept2]

Re: Your take on Japanese Jacksons

Racism and Nationalism have nothing to do with it. Countries like the USA, Canada, Japan, and Europe have people building guitars that live and breathe the guitar, go home and play their guitars, and listen to guitars all day and night all their lives. Countries like India, Korea, etc, are building guitars to satisfy a contract with a customer. Most of their guitars are made by machines, and tested by some clown who discovered that Beatles are more than just a car only two weeks ago......Also, the countries that make cheap guitars, will use cheap woods and materials. Some guitars coming out of India are sold by the manufacturer to the distributor for as little as $20US.....If you want great wine, or a fine suit you go to Italy. If you want fine engineered products you go to Germany. There are strenghs of every nation, and thats just the way it is. Just look at Korea. They now have the world lead in constructing buildings in record time, and they also lead the world in building that collapse for no apparent reason.......I wouldnt buy a guitar or a building from them, but if I was in the market for a building that falls down by itself, and I needed it built right away, they'd be the first people I'd call............

[slayer]

Re: Your take on Japanese Jacksons

Yuo know what, i really like the DK2, and I may just get a basic black one or whatever color, just to learn how to set up my own Floyd and stuff. I can change the pickups, so I can learn soldering skills and such. What was that luthier book someone suggested by Dale Erwyn or something? I want to get that book!! I love my USA Jacksons, but I also like the Japanese DK2, didn`t like the SL4, I thought it was way overpriced for what you got :-( Jack.

[straycat]

Re: Your take on Japanese Jacksons

Jack that was Dan Erlewine and the book is HOW TO MAKE YOUR ELECTRIC GUITAR PLAY GREAT.He works for Ibanez so he knows floyds and how to set them up properly.He also owns a guitar repair and restoration shop in Athens Ohio.Fenders are his big thing but the info in his books is priceless.Cleaning tips,set up tips,even radius guages in the back of the book. [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img] [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img] [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[slayer]

Re: Your take on Japanese Jacksons

Thanks Richard, I will hunt this book down!! Jack.

[Newc]

Re: Your take on Japanese Jacksons

Originally posted by AlexL:
If I were in a financial crunch, I would have just as hard a time (emotionally) unloading my DKMGT and RR5 as I would my PC-1 and RR1T. The DKMGT and RR5 are great guitars for the money, and I have grown quite attached to them.

Playability-wise and sound-wise, there is very little difference between my RR5 and my RR1T. In fact, last night, I opted to play my RR5 instead of my RR1T. The only thing the RR5 lacks compared to its USA counterpart is "trimmings" - no binding and no mother of pearl. And my jury is still out on the topic of rosewood vs. ebony; I like both, and can't say I prefer one over the other. So - I can honestly say, except for the window dressing, the RR5 is as good an axe as the RR1T.

I do love my USAs; I'm a slightly superficial guy, and like having a couple "top of the line" guitars. But I would have no qualms at all about adding another Japanese Jackson to my collection.

And by the way, all of the boys get along fine with each other - they share the same wall:



- E.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">2 questions:
-What's that red thing on the wall
-What's that hanging from the ceiling

[img]graemlins/brow.gif[/img]

Newc