KVJ2 Stars

[Chapov]

I saw this auction for a KVJ2 Stars guitar
The axe costs 699 (+100$ shipping), and it looks fairly mint.

Before I buy it I have a few questions:

How would it compare to a KV2 (USA)?
Does the Schaller floyd keep tune well?
Is 800$ a good price for one (with some dings)?
How much do they go for new? The one I saw has a Rosewood fretboard.


And some questions about Katana guitars:
How fast does the guitar come?
It says that the guitar comes w/ a gig bag. How well do they wrap those things?


Here are some pics


and finally



Thanks for all the Advice!!!


Alon

[ken]

Hi Alon.

How would it compare to a KV2 (USA)?

In basic construction they're the same: maple neck and alder wings. Cosmetically, at least, it's quite different. The J2 has "striped ebony" fretboard instead of "ebony", which will have rosewood like figuring. The inlays are Moto (plastic) instead of Mother of Pearl. If you were comparing a KVJ1, it would be much more like a KV2 (except you could get it with EMGs and/or a Kahler). I have no experience in this, but some of the JCFers based in Japan have claimed that the J1s are better built than J2s.

Does the Schaller floyd keep tune well?

Apparently they're good bridges.

Is 800$ a good price for one (with some dings)?

Perhaps, but if I was you, I'd save that little bit more for a second hand plain coloured USA KV2 or look for a Stars KV-J1. Mother of Pearl looks about a million times better than Moto, as does ebony over stripped ebony, IMO.

How much do they go for new?

Guitar Japan sells them for $1280:

http://www.guitarjapan.com/jackson/jackson_kekvwr.html

On Japanese sites, with current exchange rates, they're around $1100 new. Shipping would be around $100-$200, something like that.

The one I saw has a Rosewood fretboard.

That's the "stripped ebony" I was talking about. It is ebony, it just looks like rosewood.

And some questions about Katana guitars:
How fast does the guitar come?
It says that the guitar comes w/ a gig bag. How well do they wrap those things?

I haven't bought anything from Katana. I expect they wrap it as well as any store that's familiar with shipping guitars, but the best wrapping is insurance... which will be part of the shipping fee. New J1s come with a hardcase (which explainsm part of the price difference), while J2s only come with a soft case.

One last thing, it appears that the naming scheme has changed for next year and there will be a big price hike. So, if you do want a KV-J(1 or 2), now is probably a good time to go get one...

Cheers,

Ken

[hksb_alex]

The Stars will be more expensive...one thing for sure.

[slash-ed]

Ken - it's "striped" ebony, thus the lighter figuring that makes it look like rosewood. I don't mind a bit of figuring as long as it's still dark - I love macassar ebony fretboards!

[Nazgul]

Also, this one has 1 5/8" inch nut....KV2 has 1 11/16" .

[Brooke]

Also, this one has 1 5/8" inch nut....KV2 has 1 11/16" .

I feel really stupid asking this question,,but what is the Nut Width? I don't know what that is?

[ken]

Ken - it's "striped" ebony, thus the lighter figuring that makes it look like rosewood. I don't mind a bit of figuring as long as it's still dark - I love macassar ebony fretboards!

Thanks, but of course I know. "Stripped" was a typo! That there's both "striped" and "stripped" in my post should have given it away... Stripped Ebony sounds like something you'd find in adult film collection.

I like figured fretboards too, but it's hard to beat a none-more-black ebony board. I was looking at a 27" scale 7-string Ibenhad recently that had fantastic figuring in its rosewood fretboard. Maybe I shouldn't have confessed that sin on this board.

Also, this one has 1 5/8" inch nut....KV2 has 1 11/16" .

I should have mentioned that too: Nazgul hates those skinny nuts. I've never heard anyone else complain about them!

[Nazgul]

I should have mentioned that too: Nazgul hates those skinny nuts. I've never heard anyone else complain about them!

Yeah! I wondered why noone ever mentions this except me .

Nut width...think of the fretboard width..but measured at the nut. There's 1/16" difference between 1 5/8" and 1 11/16". Sounds little, but *I* don't like it.

If you're not sure if you'd like it or not..FYI, Jackson Stars is going back to 1 11/16" nut widths with the new year on all their standard models.

[The Mitch]

I now came to the conclusion that Jackson Stars are in no way as good like USAs (playing wise).
I got the chance to play 4 different Stars in the last few months(including my KV-J1).

I spent days finding the right setup and they never reached the feel, speed and low action of a KV2 or even of an early 90s Pro.

Sad to say, but the KV-J1 was my last Stars.
The new prices of Jackson Stars also pushed me to the only real solution: I will buy used USA Jacksons in the future.

[Frigo89]

that site has me tempted to buy a soloist with a kahler!

[Nazgul]

Mitch, which Stars did you play?

[The Mitch]

Mitch, which Stars did you play?

Hi Naz,

I asked some local guitarists at our rehearsal room-baracks and a friend, who is a real freaky guitar collector, about their Jacksons...
I played two more KVs (one of them was a KV-J1) and a RR, don't know the exact model names but they were all loaded with original floyds.
All the Jackson Stars had the same problem with that heavy string tension. All of them tested with 09-42 strings/standart E-tuning.

Don't get me wrong, I still love my KV-J1. But I can't find the right setup for her, and as I know now, others have the same issue.

[Nazgul]

I see...I guess that's a preference thing then...I like a little stiffer string tension. Could be the floyd springs? I see no other way how could instrument or build quality affect with the string tension.

[ken]

That's interesting Mitch. I'm sorry you don't like your Stars as much as your KV2.

I have two USA Jacksons (slatqh, KV2) and a Jackson Stars (KE7). I love all of them. They're quite different guitars and the Stars has a ToM, but I don't think there's any obvious quality difference between them. The Stars has a plastic nut, which its only cheap odditty. I certainly don't have trouble with "heavy string tension".

Of course the real reason for going for a Stars is because of the semi-custom options. That recently posted RR2-JSP would have costed at least twice what it did, if he bought it from the US Custom Shop. My Kelly would have cost three times as much. No chance of getting either of them on the second hand market. If the semi-custom options at Stars goes the way of the US Custom Shop, I expect the Stars enthusiasm will end.

[Brooke]

The Bond Rhoads plays very nicely. I think that that guitar can be considered a Jackson star, because it really is, same with the RR24.

Both of those guitars play very very well.

I think that every guitar is a little different.

One may want tighter string tension to off set the effects of other strings going out of tune while making a bend? This has always been my problem with trem systems. I was also never a good enough guitarist to be able to use them properly as well.

Anywhy, from what I can tell, I don't think that the Japanese plant has changed the way that they make their guitars....s I don't see why there would be a huge difference between the professional series, and the Jackson star series,,and the new Kevin Bond guitar,,,they are all the same guitar really. Different woods, but same design.