Stealth HX

[Bengal]

I've run across one of these and don't know much about them other than what's in the catalogue.

You know the specs. This is the one with 3 hums and a TOM bridge. Pretty beat but playable. I like the 3 hum option.

Any thoughts on these?

[toejam]

I always thought they were cool looking. Never realized they were made out of basswood, though. It's kind of odd for a Stealth in that it doesn't have the jack on the top of the body like the others.
http://audiozone.dk/cm/displayimage.php?album=62&pos=20

Venomboy here has this one that's pretty sweet, loaded with EMG 81/58/85, if I recall correctly.

[Bengal]

Joe,
When I searched about this guitar I came across a thread where you stated that you assumed there were only about 100 of these HX's made. Is that right?

I think they rule, I've liked them since I first saw one back in the day. Never got one. Today the dude comes out of the back with a Jackson/Charvel case (I always know I'm in trouble when he does that) with one of these in it. Needs some tweaking but nothing major.

I may be in the minority but I like basswood. Good tone wood from my expierence.

Would be better if it was mahogany like the Ibanez S though.

That's a nice Stealth there. Black with EMG's always looks sweet.

[toejam]

I'm not sure about the Stealth HX. I was talking about the Dinky HX only about 100 being made in '94, that's what Kevin Easton told me some years back. They're string-thru, made of poplar and have 24 frets with offset plastic dot inlays. I've got this black one and also had a red one I sold to Carl (SpaceAce). They had cheap Jackson pickups with a push/pull coil tap in the tone control, but I put in the EMG 85 and 60.

[Bengal]

Joe,
Ah. I read it wrong.

Any idea how many years they made this Stealth HX?

(I could search the catalogue scans but I'm feeling damn lazy today)

[toejam]

Not sure about the Stealth HX. I remember seeing them back in the MF catalogs in the mid '90s, and some guy in a local band here had one, but never knew much else about them or how many were made. I would think there were probably more made than the Dinky HX, though, since they were actually in the J/C catalog.
I don't think the Dinky HX was ever shown in a Jackson catalog, but I saw an ad for them on sale in the Venneman's Music Emporium newspaper/catalog back in the day, and that's where I ordered mine from.

[Bengal]

Joe,
I've never seen one of those Dinkys. Pretty sweet.

I found the Stealth in both the 94 and 95 catalogues. I assume there are a few out there. Don't see them much around here.

The serial number starts with 94 so I assume that's the year it is.

(Before you guys jump on me about that, I read in a past thread that some you can tell the year by the first 2 on the serial number-I am assuming this is one of them)

[toejam]

Yeah, back then the start of the serial was the year. My Dinky HX serial starts with 94 (I'm pretty sure my old red one did too), and I know that's the only year they were made. Not sure when they stopped doing that with the serial numbers, though.

[Bengal]

Thanks for the info Joe.

Info Joe.

I'm a poet.

[toejam]

No problem. You're a poet and you didn't even know it. LOL

[pro-fusion]

I played a Stealth HX at a local store several years ago. Very nice, actually. They're a little unusual in that one side of the body tapers like the other Stealth models, but the other side is full thickness like a Dinky (which is why the input jack can be put on the side).

[Bengal]

Too bad for this one. The neck has developed a small hump around the 2nd or 3rd fret causing the notes not to ring on the first fret. In order to get the notes to ring, there must be a ton of relief in the neck. Then you can't get the action low and still bend and have the notes ring.

I wanted to get this one but I feel the neck is a lost cause. If someone can show me that it's not I'd love to hear it.

Maybe it's because it's super thin? Or maybe because I think it was hanging on a wall for some time.

[MetalMedal II]

I bought a dark blue Stealth HX several years ago. I loved the string thru body and neck shape, but hated how narrow the nut was. The strings tapered in so much at the first few frets, that I couldn't play chords there. Maybe it's my fat fingers! Anyway, I replaced the neck with one from a Charvel Model 4 and couldn't be happier. It was essentially a drop in replacement. I just needed to use the larger diameter neck screws from the charvel, but 2 of them needed to be the short screws to accomodate the tapered neck pocket.

I picked up another fixer upper in red, but haven't had time to monkey with it yet.

[metalchurch79]

Too bad for this one. The neck has developed a small hump around the 2nd or 3rd fret causing the notes not to ring on the first fret. In order to get the notes to ring, there must be a ton of relief in the neck. Then you can't get the action low and still bend and have the notes ring.

I wanted to get this one but I feel the neck is a lost cause. If someone can show me that it's not I'd love to hear it.

Maybe it's because it's super thin? Or maybe because I think it was hanging on a wall for some time.

Either put a new nut on it, or find which string is the worst and add a dab of super glue in the nut slot, and then use fine sand paper to smooth it out and get the string height to match up.

*or you could possibly adjust the truss rod back to where you would normally have it and lightly sand w/ 1,000 then 2,000 grit paper on the frets that seem higher.

* a neck shim may help also, I can't remember if it's the front or back side, try one at a time and see what happens.
-remember to adjust the action afterwards.
The intonation will also go out slightly, keep that in mind.

But it could very well be toast that's not out of the question. I hope those tips can cure it for ya. They have worked for me plenty of times.
Good luck
-Joe

[JACKSONFREAK]

I had an HX ans i miss it. It was a great guitar. Plenty of tone and sustain. And the three hum option was killer. Just needed a swap out of the stock pups and it was a keeper that unfortunately i had to sell. I may get another soon tho. I have a lead one for a really fair price. But no case . I think they only made them for 94 and part of 95. So not too many out there. Exact numbers are still M.I.A. but it's got to be low. Like maybe 250 range. i wouldnt pay more than 350-400 for a dead mint in something other than black. but a played balck one about 250-300 range is fair i think.
Gil