They can't even get the name right...

[MakeAJazzNoiseHere]

I can't comment on what Guitar Center and Sam Ash do with returned guitars, I am always suspicious when something is in stock, then "out of stock, more expected in 60 days" and then magically a couple weeks later it's "in stock" again.

This dealer is not one that moves a lot of guitars like a Sam Ash. Although they are a fairly new dealer.

But come on, Tony, that neck pocket gap is small? Get outta here! You can almost get a .88 Dunlop in there! At the back edge it's fine but the gap at the entry is pretty freakin' big.

Although if it bothered me, I wouldn't have bought it. And, I just cut a little wood shim for it. The guitar plays kick ass (especially since the frets are nice and level) and sounds awesome. But, that kind of neck pocket gap is not what I'd expect to see on a Custom Shop guitar.

What they didn't do which bugs me, was, trim the binding on the fretboard overhang correctly. The white one was "touching" but not enough to cause damage (I added a slight clearance as you can see) and the red one was just bolted down and crushed into the body. I am not 100% certain that the heel warped but the last two frets were high, so either the heel was warped or they did a crappy job of leveling the frets on it, but it's taken care of now.

I guess my point in all of this is, it sucks when the customer has to be the QC guy. I'd like to be able to just click "add to cart" on a brand-new USA Jackson at any dealer's site and be assured that a great guitar is going to show up. The fact is, you look at a lot of pictures and you can clearly see that the high "E" is going off the neck or the pickups aren't screwed on in the right spot, and you move on. This is exactly why I "special ordered" a guitar - because instead of getting a dud that's sitting around waiting for a non-discriminating customer, I figured I'd have a good shot at getting a really outstanding guitar, but so far after getting two in a row that are substantially less than perfect (this most recent one being pretty decent overall) I'm kinda frustrated.

I don't know if I'm keeping the guitar or not. I straightened the saddles up, dropped the action a little (it was pretty high!) and really the only remaining issue is the gunk under the clear over the logo.

I still have a white SL2H on order and I am literally going to SHIT BRICKS if it is messed up in any way.

[Musician78]

At least you are going to give them another chance. I will never buy another new Jackson again.

[MakeAJazzNoiseHere]

About the pickup, if you are referring to the 2 vs. 4 conductor thing, then I can confirm that they definitely put 2 conductor '59s in some models. I've had two where that was the case.

Yeah, it's definitely a 2-conductor pickup, which is fine.

The question was if the 2-conductor version (which, this is the first one I have seen, so it could just be my inexperience) only has the cloth tape around the bobbins on half the pickup.

Basically the cloth tape wrap starts halfway up the neck side coil, wraps around the gap between the coils, then halfway down the bridge side coil. THere is some "other" tape (rubber?) underneath this which goes all the way around but I'm just used to the cloth going all the way around. :think:

Again, all of the '59's I've seen are 4-conductor and I would swear the tape goes all the way around, so I could be wrong and that's "just how they are" on the 2-conductor version.

[MakeAJazzNoiseHere]

At least you are going to give them another chance. I will never buy another new Jackson again.

Not really giving them another chance so much as, I ordered both of these at the same time. The white one just has not come in yet. Technically I have not paid for the white one, so I guess if it comes down to it, I could walk away from it. :ROTF:

[javert]

Yeah, it's definitely a 2-conductor pickup, which is fine.

The question was if the 2-conductor version (which, this is the first one I have seen, so it could just be my inexperience) only has the cloth tape around the bobbins on half the pickup.

Basically the cloth tape wrap starts halfway up the neck side coil, wraps around the gap between the coils, then halfway down the bridge side coil. THere is some "other" tape (rubber?) underneath this which goes all the way around but I'm just used to the cloth going all the way around. :think:

Again, all of the '59's I've seen are 4-conductor and I would swear the tape goes all the way around, so I could be wrong and that's "just how they are" on the 2-conductor version.

Ah, okay, then I did understand you the first time I can't say for sure as I quite simply can't remember what mine were like. I sold one of them and I can't remember what it was like, but I do remember that there was something funny about the cloth on the other one which is still have. I just checked it and there's not cloth all the way, rather I (or the past owner) covered it in duct tape. But I can't say if it was never there...

[Trussrod]

Cosmetic flaws can hurt a guitar's re-sale value, but the fret issues you've shown can ruin a guitar's playability. I checked out some new MIM strats at GC this week and the frets were all hanging over the edge of the fret board. No way would I buy something like this.

[Grandturk]

But come on, Tony, that neck pocket gap is small? Get outta here! You can almost get a .88 Dunlop in there! At the back edge it's fine but the gap at the entry is pretty freakin' big.

I don't know if I'm keeping the guitar or not. I straightened the saddles up, dropped the action a little (it was pretty high!) and really the only remaining issue is the gunk under the clear over the logo.

Neck pocket gaps don't bother me as long as the neck is on straight. I've seen Master Built Strats with credit card sized slots.

The Floyd saddles being installed crooked is bizzarre... how does that happen? how can that happen? I don't understand.

[Musician78]

Not really giving them another chance so much as, I ordered both of these at the same time. The white one just has not come in yet. Technically I have not paid for the white one, so I guess if it comes down to it, I could walk away from it. :ROTF:

I tell you what; if mine didn't come out so beautiful, I would have totally sent it back.

[bcrich1975]

Oh I totally sympathize with you!
In the past two years, I've bought the following (all new) USA Jackson's:

Trans. Green DK1- Floyd Posts AND nut not correctly aligned. High E practically hanging off the fretboard. Returned.:think:

Black SL1- nothing wrong with it. Should have kept it, thinking, oh I can get another...sold for other gear.

Gray snakeskin DK1- same problem as the trans. green one, not as bad, few high frets also not seated into the fretboard properly (popping)...sold it at a loss.

Gray snakeskin SL2H- Loved it. Great................except for that massive crack in the ebony fingerboard between the 4th and 5th frets. Returned upon arrival.

Let's try again, one more time...another gray snakeskin DK1. This one plays great and at least, structurally, very good.....let's talk headstock logo EPIC FAIL, granted I got a good deal because of this, but it was sent to my dealer like this....ready....






..
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Wonderful isn't it. The folks at Jackson just keep doing such a good job with quality control.:ROTF: Oh here's another note on my DK1...the paint, powder coat, whatever it is, is now flaking off of the tremolo base plate. Good thing it plays great otherwise I'd lose my ass selling it.

Recently bought an '88 Model 6. Used to have one and missed it, so I sought out a near exact replacement. Sad to say, I love Jackson guitars for their playability, feel, looks, etc., but No more for me thanks. If I ever get the craving for another, I'm seeking out another Model 6 Charvel. Even though it was'nt built in the US, I've never seen or played one with any contruction or finish defects..and (my opinion), I like the feel of them better than the SL's today. Ditch the JT6 (although it isn't all that bad), chuck a (OFR)Floyd on it and I'll have a (perfect) SL1

[Jason1212]

With the wait time and cost I would expect nothing less than perfection. The whole point in going this route is to get what you want, exactly the way you want it. The paint on the HS would make me think fake if I saw it somewhere for sale.

[MakeAJazzNoiseHere]

Cosmetic flaws can hurt a guitar's re-sale value, but the fret issues you've shown can ruin a guitar's playability. I checked out some new MIM strats at GC this week and the frets were all hanging over the edge of the fret board. No way would I buy something like this.

Lack of humidity will cause this. I had that happen to both of my Charvels, it's not the fault of the guitar, it's the environment.

Neck pocket gaps don't bother me as long as the neck is on straight. I've seen Master Built Strats with credit card sized slots.

Well with a credit-card sized gap, you better be able to get the neck straight!

It doesn't bother me too much anymore, either, except it's sloppy. It's not something that has much effect on playability and I'm not one of those "neck pocket has to be really tight or the tone leaks out" guys.

But when I can put together a couple of guitars from Warmoth with a neck pocket you can't get a cigarette paper in, I gotta think someone's not taking the time to get it really right.

The Floyd saddles being installed crooked is bizzarre... how does that happen? how can that happen? I don't understand.

They do have a little "wiggle room" built into them, it comes from the gap between the edge of the string lock bolt to where it contacts the slot in the baseplate, and the play in the little hinges in the saddles.

Whenever I tighten down Floyd saddles, I put a shim of some kind between the saddle I'm tightening and the next one, because, when you tighten it, the friction of the cap head against the saddle will "twist" the saddle on the baseplate slightly, clockwise. That's what had happened.

Again, that's not a big deal (it's a few minutes to fix, hardest thing is just not letting them move forward or back) but it's another hurried/sloppy thing.

[Grandturk]

huh... don't think I've ever seen that. But I trust you!

[fatstrat]

stop being a lazy ass. fix it! lol. I don't know why that keeps being said by people in comments, but's it's funny.

[toejam]

Neck pickup only has half of the "tape"/ribbon on it - How in the hell do you grab a pickup to put it in a ring, install it in a guitar, wire it up, etc, and NOT NOTICE THAT HALF OF THE CLOTH RIBBON IS MISSING?

I think the Duncan Jazz in my '05 Charvel Star was like that, too, from what I remember.

[MakeAJazzNoiseHere]

Just got off the phone with Jackson Consumer Relations... He was pretty confident that my HS finish is delaminating, and will get worse. They made no excuses about covering it under warranty, so I gotta give them a thumbs up for that.

I looked it over at the store and I didn't see anything wrong... Even checked the logo since the masking on the last one was really crappy (or maybe the same issue? Jagged edges around the MOP letters) so I can understand why someone could miss it.

I'm going to give some really serious thought to sending it back for repair when I pick up my white SL2H or somewhere around then.

Hopefully the white SL2H is really great... Maybe perfect, even. Then, I'll drop a screwdriver on it.