Demmelition V arrives!

[SlasZ]

Haven't really had time to play with it yet as I first have to tune it to E (unfortunately the shop forgot to do this...).
The neck is a bit thicker than my KV2 and it's a bit lighter too.
Otherwise it feels very solid and fast
The inlays are not MOP but a kind of plastic that looks like MOP.
It does fit in a KV2 case perfectly however.

[shadowcat]

Nice, congrats!

I'm looking forward to a more detailed review.

[KBRR]

Yea very nice axe! i have been thinking about getting one to , but i want to hear more about it . congrats

[SlasZ]

Nice, congrats!

I'm looking forward to a more detailed review.

Well I put up a review on www.ultimate-guitar.com:

Features: This is the new Jackson Demmelition V. I bought it in white because I already own a black King V, and I didn't like the red one. It has 24 jumbo frets, maple neck with ebony fretboard, perloid sharkfin inlays (not real MOP but looks like it) and black binding. The neck is thin, but not as thin as the KV2. It's still quite fast however. The Jackson logo is painted, the struss rod cover is signed by Phil Demmel and is plastic. The body is alder (not quatersawn), and comes with EMG 60 (neck) and EMG 81 (bridge) pickups. The bridge is an Original Floyd Rose, but doesn't feel or handle as well as the one on my KV2. The pickup selector is 3 way and there are 2 volume knobs (no tone as opposed to the KV2). Still the guitar is great value for money. There is a battery hole forseen which makes it easy to replace the battery without the need for a screwdriver. All the back cavity covers are plastic as well. The guitar is a bit lighter than the KV2, and feels less expensive. The guitar does not come with a case, but I got one with it. It fits in the same case as my KV2. // 8

Sound: This guitar is made to play metal and fits it perfectly. The pickups are quiet, and the volume knobs do their job in keeping the guitar silent when turned down. I've only used it on a Marshall VS65W combo amp, but will try it later with my Bogner Uberschall to make the guitar come to it's right. So no real opinion on this yet but I'm sure it will sound killer. // 9

Action, Fit & Finish: When I got the guitar it was out of tune, which is normal because of the international shipping. It was a still tuned to B with GHS strings even though I asked to shop to tune it to E. The action was very low, as it's the case with most Jacksons. It comes with 2 allen wrenches and a truss rod Tool to easily adjust & replace strings. However there was no place forseen on the guitar to put the tools as was the case with the KV2 (on the back of the headstock). When a string snaps during Live playing you will need to search for the tools somewhere instead of just taking them from the guitar. The guitar was balanced well enough, but it's not as perfect as the KV2. There is a very slight neckdive but a good strap remedies this easily. Nothing to worry about. The pickups were a bit low but that's easily adjusted. I haven't detected any other flaws, besides the Floyd Rose tremolo bar that is a bit rough to handle (it's not very smooth to turn around). // 8

Reliability & Durability: This guitar is ofcourse perfectly fit to play Live, and it is built with top craftmanship. It does not feel like a Jackson USA, but the difference in built quality is negligable. The straps are decent and the same ones found on USA models. I haven't played it enough to say anything about the paint but I'm positive it will last long with proper care. // 8

Impression: I play death or thrash metal and this guitar will do it all. I do prefer the KV2 to play but the Demmelition comes really close in terms of playability, balance and feel. There was some unclarity whether it came with real MOP or not but that wasn't very important to me. Also the black binding seems to have put off a lot of people, but I prefer any binding over no binding. I also own a Jackson KV2 and to me this is still the best Jackson I ever played. The Demmelition V comes in as a close second though. // 9

[toejam]

Action, Fit & Finish: When I got the guitar it was out of tune, which is normal because of the international shipping. It was a still tuned to B with GHS strings even though I asked to shop to tune it to E. The action was very low, as it's the case with most Jacksons.

Aren't the standard strings 11-56 for the Drop-B tuning that guitar is set up for? It would be hard to tune to E, and wreak havoc on the neck if you tried tuning to E without a truss rod and trem adjustment. The shop probably got lazy and didn't want to put lighter strings on to accomodate the E tuning.

Congrats on a sweet guitar, though!

[SlasZ]

Aren't the standard strings 11-56 for the Drop-B tuning that guitar is set up for? It would be hard to tune to E, and wreak havoc on the neck if you tried tuning to E without a truss rod and trem adjustment. The shop probably got lazy and didn't want to put lighter strings on to accomodate the E tuning.

Congrats on a sweet guitar, though!

Yeah or Matt forgot :P

[toejam]

Maybe.

[emperor_black]

well, loss of memory/consciousness is bound to happen while handling such a sweet guitar.

Nice review! Congrats!

[dangerous_dave]

Could you take a couple of close ups of the floyd?

Particularly the posts...

[metalchurch79]

Very nice indeed, and that's the color that I want also. I'd get the Black one if it had White bevels..

The side by side w/ your KV2 was a good picture, thanks for posting that, cause it lets me A/B between them better.
Did you notice that the strap buttons are in different locations between the 2? That may account for some of the neck dive you were experiencing?
2 Volumes and no tone, that means the neck could be turned down like a Gibson, and the switch could be a make shift KillSwitch! Sweet!

Awesome review, now I really want one!!
How about a rear picture of those two?
Thanks

[metalchurch79]

I almost forgot, does this have true Jumbo Frets compared to the KV2?

That's weird that the neck is thicker.

[SlasZ]

Here's an album with high quality pics:
http://s231.photobucket.com/albums/e...mmelition%20V/

I think the strap lock is put in a different place because the guitar has a different balance because it's lighter than a KV2.
I won't start drilling holes in it just yet, it's really not bad. The headstock drops maybe 1cm when you hold it in any position with a good strap whereas the KV2 stays put.

[SlasZ]

I almost forgot, does this have true Jumbo Frets compared to the KV2?

That's weird that the neck is thicker.

Is there a way to check which frets are on it? I have no idea about the difference between the 2.

[metalchurch79]

Not sure aside from measuring the frets, or compare them by feel between the KV2 and the Demmel.

Thanks for all the pictures, that was real cool of you to take the time to share.

[Gank]

Gah, this isn't helping my GAS.