NGD: Jackson PC1 Purple Daze review

[MakeAJazzNoiseHere]

So, we had a thread recently about the PC1 and who likes Phil Collen, and who just likes the guitar. I don't hate Phil by any means, but I'm just not a fan of Leppard's newer (like, past 1983) sound. But I've wanted one of these for a while, because I love mahogany-bodied Super Strats and this is, at least on paper, quite the killer.

First, cosmetics...

OK, you've seen the guitar. I mean, the quilt top is beautiful, but we can all look at pics of them online, I'm trying to get something different across here than "isn't this guitar pretty?" because well, there are things about the PC1 that I think scare people off.

Sound...

Without the amp, it's got great tone, resonance, and sustain. REALLY good sustain! And generally, I feel if the tone of the guitar unplugged is good, you're a pickup away from a great guitar.

So, I plug it into my Mark V on the Lead channel which is dialed in for a heavy tone with a JB in a Soloist. I'm not expecting to like the tone, because I like a very heavy sound most of the time and Phil is just not someone I think of when I think of a really heavy crushing rhythm tone. But at least, I'm thinking I'm a pickup away from something really great...

Well, let me say I was pleasantly surprised, the PC1 sounded GREAT. Killer, killer tone. Chords are nice and clear but it can get a good chunky palm mute tone, VERY heavy.

Playability...

The neck is thick. Everyone knows that, or hears that. "Oh man the neck is so huge it's like a baseball bat sawed in half!" Well, relax. It's not that thick. If you like super-thin necks it's definitely going to feel thick. Thick necks give great tone and sustain, though. And, it's not as thick as say, an old Gibson "boat neck" or something. Pretty wide, fairly thick. Thicker than a DK1, a little thicker than a Soloist. Unless you're a freak for Wizard necks, do not let the chatter about the neck profile scare you off. I love it!

Comes strung with .010 - .052, pretty thick, for me, and not the typical .009 - .042 setup that you usually get on a Jackson. So, you might need a setup for .009's if you can't deal with the heavy strings (I plan to keep them because it will build strength in my hand, and since I only get to play for short periods most days I could use that.)

The contoured heel and cutaway setup is not quite as "free" as a Soloist, but, well, nothing much but a Soloist is. But there's no problem getting to the high frets AT ALL, it's very similar to a DK1/DK2 as far as that is concerned.

The sustainer...

With the sustainer set to "harmonic" mode, even at a "whisper quiet" bedroom tone you can get that "note fading to harmonic sustain" that usually requires a fair amount of volume to achieve. I would definitely use it, it's a really great addition.

You can leave it on and play lead as much as you like, until the note actually begins to fade out the sustainer doesn't really do that much. It didn't seem to interfere with picked single notes or anything like that. It's very controllable, if you're used to playing through high-gain amps anyway (where you have to watch out for ringing open strings.) I think it's very usable! A neat thing if you write your own music, maybe not something you'd use in a cover band.

This is a really great guitar. Not just for Phil fans. If you like mahogany-bodied super-Strats, outside of a Custom Shop, this is the one to get IMO.

[quiksilver]

Thanks for a very well-written review. I have a PC1 as well and would echo most of your comments. I agree that the neck, while thick for a Jackson, is not baseball-bat thick. Also, the lack of markers on the face of the fretboard has turned out to be a non-issue for me (I was a little worried about that).

All of the PC1s I have played have felt like very high quality instruments. My only dislikes are the bridge pickup, which I find too dark and the middle single coil pickup, which is placed right where I pick and, apparently, cannot be lowered. Oh yeah, and I would like a thinner neck, too. This neck is fine. I am just a big fan of very thin/wide necks.

[MakeAJazzNoiseHere]

You know that's funny about the fret position inlays... I did not think to mention that.

I have that SL2 with no inlays and when I got it I liked that it had no inlays for "looks" (it's all black) but it really tripped me up right at first.

After about a week, it's a non-issue, and that WAS something I worried about on the PC1 when I thought about buying one, before I had the SL2.

[DonP]

Would you guys say it's like a Gibson 50s neck (NOT and R2-R9 neck)? I have a 1998 SG Standard and it has the thickest neck I'd put up with. You guys are pretty re-assuring that the neck isn't stupid fat-one of the main reasons I've avoided these.

[JacksoNeal]

Good review there. I have a Mocha PC-1 and wouldn't trade it for anything. In fact if my house was on fire and I could only grab one of my Jacksons it would probably be my PC-1 over the Burnt Cherry Soloist or RR24m. In fact I want another. (Fucking economy) A local shop has one in chameleon and it's wicked looking. I'd like to have it, change the bridge p/u and I'd have two PC-1's w-different tones.

[MakeAJazzNoiseHere]

All of the PC1s I have played have felt like very high quality instruments. My only dislikes are the bridge pickup, which I find too dark and the middle single coil pickup, which is placed right where I pick and, apparently, cannot be lowered. Oh yeah, and I would like a thinner neck, too. This neck is fine. I am just a big fan of very thin/wide necks.

See, I have heard the "dark" comment about the bridge pickup and even with the amp set up for a JB, I didn't think it sounded dark. :think: And I do tend to like a fairly bright sound. But you are not the first person to say this, but you know how pickups are. One guy's favorite pickup is another's most hated, and they might even play the same style of music.

Also, I agree about the middle pickup. On any guitar, I always struggle with a middle pickup (I use pretty hard attack sometimes and "dip in" far enough to hit the pole pieces) so I lower them all the way but I *was* able to lower mine. I had to push down on the pickup firmly, and THEN turn the screw, otherwise it felt very tight. YMMV, don't blame me if you break your guitar.

Would you guys say it's like a Gibson 50s neck (NOT and R2-R9 neck)? I have a 1998 SG Standard and it has the thickest neck I'd put up with. You guys are pretty re-assuring that the neck isn't stupid fat-one of the main reasons I've avoided these.

I am not sure what a Gibson 50's neck is like. I've only owned 3 Gibsons, an Explorer ('76 Ressue style) an SG from around 1988, and a The Paul II.

It's thicker than the Explorer, however I would say almost certainly that the neck is thinner than the thickest Gibson neck I've ever played on (1997 The Paul II).

Actually my CS Charvel neck is about the same thickness and back shape (not like a Pro Mod).

The neck is NOT stupid fat. It is a fairly big neck, but not "big, fat slow neck" - I can't explain it other than to say it feels great in your hands for open chords by the nut and it doesn't seem to slow me down in the slightest playing lead.

[KBRR]

nice review man .. but where are the pics! i have always wanted either a purple daze or mocha pc1 .

[wilkinsi]

Yeah, but

[mustaine-who?]

Also, I agree about the middle pickup. On any guitar, I always struggle with a middle pickup (I use pretty hard attack sometimes and "dip in" far enough to hit the pole pieces) so I lower them all the way but I *was* able to lower mine. I had to push down on the pickup firmly, and THEN turn the screw, otherwise it felt very tight. YMMV, don't blame me if you break your guitar.

There's probably a thick piece of hard foam under the middle PuP. Has anyone pulled there's out to confirm this? If so, you could either trim, remove, or remove and use something like the foam that comes with a new PuP. I have done that before...

[MakeAJazzNoiseHere]

There's probably a thick piece of hard foam under the middle PuP. Has anyone pulled there's out to confirm this? If so, you could either trim, remove, or remove and use something like the foam that comes with a new PuP. I have done that before...

Oooh... Good point! If they do these how I've seen other C/J direct mount humbuckers they've got a 3/4" piece of foam under them smashed down to 1/8" which would explain how tight/hard it was to push down.

[CMH (OH)]

Nice writeup. I completely agree with your assessment.

You've had quite the week! The Model 88 returns and now a PC1 to add to the mix? Did you get this from ebay? I saw one similiar to your description up there earlier this week. (actually 2 in purple daze)

Welcome to the club. The only problems I've found with my PC1 is that owning one just makes you want more of them... Seriously, these need to be cheaper or J/C needs to offer volume discounts on these things... they are seriously addictive. I guess my only other complaint is that they are so gorgeous I sometimes feel guilty playing it. (hate to take a chance on blemishing it)

Oh, and the SD neck arrived safely tonight at my doorstep. Thanks for everything and I'll be sure to post some pics of my build progress as soon as I gather the remainder of the parts. After this one is complete (depending on how it goes), I may do 2 others as well.

Cheers,
Chris

[quiksilver]

Good pickup suggestions! I will have to try those! Per requests, here are some pics. I know I'm not the original poster, but hey, they're still PC1s! Here's the one I foolishly sold:

And here's the one I have now:

[MakeAJazzNoiseHere]

Nice writeup. I completely agree with your assessment.

You've had quite the week! The Model 88 returns and now a PC1 to add to the mix? Did you get this from ebay? I saw one similiar to your description up there earlier this week. (actually 2 in purple daze)

Welcome to the club. The only problems I've found with my PC1 is that owning one just makes you want more of them... Seriously, these need to be cheaper or J/C needs to offer volume discounts on these things... they are seriously addictive. I guess my only other complaint is that they are so gorgeous I sometimes feel guilty playing it. (hate to take a chance on blemishing it)

Oh, and the SD neck arrived safely tonight at my doorstep. Thanks for everything and I'll be sure to post some pics of my build progress as soon as I gather the remainder of the parts. After this one is complete (depending on how it goes), I may do 2 others as well.

Cheers,
Chris

Cool, Chris, I'm glad it showed up unmolested!

Yeah, the PC1 was listed on Ebay, I got it from Willoughby's. And I think you're right... The PC1 really is making me want another... I don't worry too much about blemishing them; I mean, I am very careful but I make sure that what I love about a guitar isn't its supposed "perfection" because you can always find a flaw or two, and although my guitars generally stay clean, none of mine are "case queens." In fact the only reason I ever put them in the case unless I'm taking them somewhere, is just because I don't have enough stands!

I play them all regularly or I don't keep them, it's as simple as that, for me.

[Grandturk]

Nice write-up, JazzNoise. Can you go into more detail about the sustainer? You mentioned the low-volume performance - how about when things get shakin'?

[MakeAJazzNoiseHere]

Sure, I'll try to give a little more detail...

I haven't had a chance to try it cranked up loud yet (hopefully this weekend!) but I would imagine that the vibration feedback from the speaker would increase the sustainer effect. There is an "intensity" control for the sustainer (a knob) which controls how much affect the sustainer is having. I don't imagine you'd need to turn it up quite as far with the amp really rocking, and it could just become uncontrollable if it were up too much, but at lower levels I have it up all the way and it is fun as hell!

When you have it on "fundamental" and strike a low note and hold it, you can literally feel the guitar vibrating, as if you were standing close to a cranked amp. Much like when you've got a nice tube amp good and loud, you can lightly fret a string and it will begin ringing, and you feel the bass vibrate the guitar. This effect is OK at lower volumes but I imagine it would be more fun when it's got a little more amp vibration helping it out.

When it is set for harmonic, doing the same thing results in what sounds the harmonic feeback that you get from a cranked up tube amp, when you hold a note and it sustains, and then shifts up to a harmonic; one of the most familiar examples of what it sounds like that I can think of is an old Soundgarden song "Loud Love" at the very beginning. The guy is obviously not using the PC1 sustainer, but it's an example of the kind of harmonic overtone I'm talking about.

When you're playing ordinary picked or legato lead phrases, you don't hear anything (at least I don't) but pick harmonics and longer (a couple of seconds) sustained notes get this cool trailing harmonic feedback, almost as if you are playing standing in front of a cranked up tube amp.

Now the Mark V will this kind of stuff (feedback/sustain) pretty easily and even at lower volumes, like "annoy the wife, but not the neighbors" volumes, but with the sustainer you can get the overtones and feel of playing through a massively cranked amp at a whisper-quiet volume.

I have not yet tried it with my little headphone practice thingy but I imagine it's pretty cool even with no feedback from a speaker at all. You know, the thing you're always missing at a low volume, or with headphones? This does that. I really like it!