I Just can't do it, can't get rid of my Soloist

[TLR]

Ok, I was on here a few weeks back talking about getting rid of my 1988 Soloist and getting a Les Paul. Been playing several Les Pauls, Standard Traditional Pro and Studio Deluxe. Have to say the Traditional played the better of the two. Then picked up my Soloist, no comparison, the salesman at Guitar Center even said, are you sure you want to get rid of this Jackson. Anyway, my metal days are gone, for the most part and I do love the sound of the Paul. So it might be a sin, but, I am thinking of putting a '57 classic humbucker at the bridge and a Seymour Duncan Little '59 at the neck. Has anyone ever tried this and what is the outcome?

[Sukkoi19]

I always go throught the same though process when thinking of getting another Les Paul. Great looking instruments and great sounding but would I actually play it over my Soloists? Probably not enough to justify the costs.

[Cygnus X1]

I don't have a lot of guitars by most people's standards.
And I don't play metal as much as I used to...well I've always been a bit eclectic.
My limit is 10 electrics, 3 of which are Jackson or Charvel.
The rest cover the map...sort of.
Keep the Soloist and find the LP you want, just take your time.Don't try to turn it into that LP.

[MakeAJazzNoiseHere]

Yep, if you must have a Les Paul then you must have a Les Paul, the '57 is not wax potted, too, so it will squeal like crazy with high gain.

Hell, I would more recommend getting an Epiphone than trying to do some quasi-Les-Paul thing with the Jackson. :dunno:

[Tmoran]

Id say keep the jackson and get something less expensive to cover the les paul territory. But im biased as after owning a custom shop paul Id never buy another gibson again. In the end no guitar is going to capture the tone of a true 59 or 60 burst paul. Not even if it says gibson on it. I really think their is a prestige factor with the les paul and most who play them will swear you cant get a les paul sound without it actually being a les paul. This as we know is bullshit. Being Im an 80s kid my idea of the les paul sound is slash. And his main guitar is a custom copy of a les paul and had nothing to do with gibson. Try telling him it doesnt sound like a les paul. While the soloist may have been geared toward the average metal player the instrument is by no means a one trick pony. It will never sound like a les paul though. Im of the mindset that that sound is more in the construction methods, electronics and hardware. With a neck through design its just not going to have the sound your looking for. But fortunately their are many many lower cost alternatives that are almost carbon copies of les pauls. With a few electronics upgrades I would dare anyone to a blind hearing test.

[Axewielder]

You could always look for a 750XL, which is as close as Jackson/Charvel got to a Les Paul on a production model.

[TLR]

I did play a Epiphone today that felt good and sounded good for $400, Does seymour D. make a pickup that is wax potted that would not squeal?

[Cygnus X1]

Back at it...no guitar does it all.
If I was limited to three electrics it would be a "Shredder", J/C, Kramer, whatever,
a true Standard LP, and a Telecaster.
The Strat is a guitar (to me) that tries to be a Tele but ended up something else.

I disagree, a good LP is not an easy knockoff.
Save up and do it right the first time.

[Cygnus X1]

I did play a Epiphone today that felt good and sounded good for $400, Does seymour D. make a pickup that is wax potted that would not squeal?

If an Epi fits your style then check out Agile.
IMO they blow Epi's away, but still not anything like a high end LP.

Not sure why you're having issues with squealing pups, that's usually a problem with the
setup with the effects/amp/speakers.
I've had people bring guitars to me to have them repaired over it...
usually it's just bad settings by the user.

[MakeAJazzNoiseHere]

Cyg, he's talking about an unpotted pickup, like the '57. They get microphonic really easy.

Almost any other Duncan will be wax potted, TLR.

[Corpsegrinder88]

I 2nd the agile.. I have a neckthru les paul from them.. two piece 1-1/2 inch Mahogany with a 3/4 inch Maple cap. and a 5 piece maple/walnut neckthru. I would go so far as to say it will hold a candle to alot of USA gibby's and for 675 bucks!.. WHAT A BARGIN!!!

Here is a pic of it. Its the Cherry burst the other is a Burl top. it was ok but i sent it back to rondo because of the heel access. Hated it.. The CSB has a contoured heel so it feels much better. the burl was designed like a setneck but neckthru. not sure why they did that..

[pro-fusion]

So what if your "metal days are over"? A Soloist is a lot more than just a metal guitar. It's a kickass instrument, period. Hell, Jeff Beck played one!

You can absolutely put a lower-output bridge pickup in a Soloist and get great fat tones. In fact, the early Soloists mostly came with the original Jackson J-50B uncovered pickup, which was a lower-powered Alnico V humbucker somewhere between a PAF and a JB in output. My '85 Soloist Student has one, and it sounds great. Jackson screwed things up by making the J-50 a hot ceramic pickup later on, in my opinion. My advice is to go with a Duncan '59 or Pearly Gates rather than a Gibson unpotted Classic 57, though.

I have a Lil '59er in the neck position of one of my Soloists, and it's OK. It doesn't do the exact same thing as a full-size humbucker, and it's never going to sound the same as the neck position on a Les Paul for a variety of reasons. But it will get you a thicker, non-strat sound, if that's what you want.

As for Les Pauls, they are cool to own and have a unique sound. I don't know what your budget would be like if you keep the Soloist, but check out used Les Paul Studios--a good one is every bit as nice as a fancier looking Standard and will get you where you need to go. Also check out Heritage Guitars. They are made by the "real" Gibson guys in the former Gibson plant in Kalamazoo, Mich., and are basically the same quality as Gibson Custom Shop guitars at about half the price. You can pick up a used Heritage H-150 (their version of a Standard) for $1,000 or less, and it will be a better guitar than any recent Gibson.

[DonP]

I love Gibson Les Pauls.

I love USA Jacksons.

I love my 750XL.

I only play hard rock / metal.

Hmmm.....That is all.

[Nagash02]

Jackson USA Soloist is one of the guitars with the best playability and technical specs out there. Gibson Les Pauls on the other hand have this more than legendary tone. I wouldn't try to combine both in a single guitar... I'd buy both ^^

If you still feel like playing the Soloist, keep it. If you're SO deep into the LP, get the LP. If you have no money problems, I'd get the LP, play it, and see afterwards if yes or no I'd keep the Jackson. Cause if you sell the Jackson to pay the LP, and then you feel like wanting the Jackson back, you're stuffed.

[roodyrocker]

I have both and like 'em all but there is no way I'd get rid of any of my Jacksons in favor of another brand. As cool as Les Pauls are there is nothing that compares to a USA Jackson IMHO. And yes, they did put lower output pickups in some model Jacksons as mentioned before. The Shannon Soloists had a Pearly Gates in the neck but I personally don't like them, too weak of a pickup for me.
If the choice was between a Soloist or a Les Paul and I could only have one, its hands down Soloist for me