Post Fender Buyout

[Nightbat]

I notice a tonal difference

SSS pickup config and poplar body wood.
Thw WR1 has an HH config and alder body wood.

Apples/Oranges

[wilkinsi]

You lick your guitars?

[SHREDINATOR]

I have an 09 KV2 had to be sent back to Fender/Jackson to fix an electrical problem, perfect since then. Have a 96 RR1 on the way, should be here tonight. Will post later findings?

[Soloist-USA]

Yeah the top is a veneer which I agree won't affect tone, but the back of a trans finish guitar is also transparent so I think that tend to make them grab wood with a more pleasing grain than for a guitar they know they are painting over...

Stop it with your V images already! I'm seeing that color in my sleep! I'm on the verge of offering a trade.

[Soloist-USA]

I'm so glad things are cool with the new Jacksons. Mine was ordered in '92 and delivered in '93, so it has the old J50BC, sounds good to me and the finish belongs on an old 3-window coupe Like ZZ's. I just can't afford anything more. Tapped-out. I have what I need, but they're all family and I can't sell.

[Soloist-USA]

Of course I'm *cough*, older than most you cats, so it took me a long time to get my guitars. I lost everything in '92 and my first guitar after was a great Japanese Epi Riviera, the a '59 Dano that was a gift from a friend. I almost lost all interest in guitar after that. God forbid, if that happens to any of you, stay strong and remember there is strength inmusic it is part of your soul. Don't turn to a bottle if you lose everything. I did and it wasn't pretty. I haven't had a beer in years and don't miss it. Though I'm still Catholic Irish and German and pissed. Ha. JK.

Peace

[Hellbat]

Sorry, the only thing that would ever separate me from my RR1T is 6 feet of earth.

[SHREDINATOR]

Ok I gots my 96 RR1 in and compaired it to my 09KV2. After getting the Floyd Set up and everything back to factory settings with the truss rod and string hight it is unbeleivable! The ebony on the neck is WAY better than the any of the new jacksons I've played. This is the 1st Pre-Fender USA I've ever owned but hands down a better guitar. I don't know much about the trem block but there is a big azz brass thing instead of the original black one and man the harmonics sqeel for days! It's tough to get to ring out for very long on the new one. Mine also has different pups than what came factory so that may have a little difference but the tone is way better! Cleans are much clearer and bassier. KV2 cleasn are a little muddy? Fret board snaps better than the Kv2 and the it looks ten times better. Ebony is like glass on the 96. Had a builder look at it and said the same, neck is awesome!

So theres my 2 cents! Check out the post I made, "newest member to family" to see it

[Animus]

Sorry, but I disagree. To my ears, there is a tone difference between a painted guitar and a trans finish guitar. It is subtle - not a huge difference by any means - but it is there. Wouldn't stop me from buying either, but there is a slight difference.

BTW, love the trans blue RR1T. That's a finish you don't see very often on a Rhoads.

To the original poster: there are good and bad guitars from both eras. As a general matter, though, no difference in QC.

That would be impossible to quantify as even the same model guitars with different finishes would still have slight variations in wood and build quality. One piece of mahagony might sound a little better than another etc.

[SHREDINATOR]

ANIMUS, I agree 1000%! Some guitars just have magic! I've played VERY high priced guitars that sound ok some good, then another that is a "standard" model etc that were awesome.

[malevolent]

Maybe build quality is same ，even better,but good wood is less and less

[Mazrim]

You lick your guitars?

At least.

[pfw]

Trans finishes such as flamed maple versus solid finishes have absolutely NO AFFECT on tonality. Tone woods don't care if it's flamed, quilted, spalted, or whatever, the wood is the same in tonality. A highly figured top with beautiful tiger stripes is not different in tonality from a maple top that is not figured. Besides, aren't the USA Production trans finishes just a veneer anyway?

I thought the imports and other companies like ESP, Schecter, Ibanez, etc...used Veneer tops but Jackson's were the real deal when it came to tops?????

[VitaminG]

Maybe build quality is same ，even better,but good wood is less and less

all new Jacksons are made from balsa and reclaimed construction pine

I thought the imports and other companies like ESP, Schecter, Ibanez, etc...used Veneer tops but Jackson's were the real deal when it came to tops?????

a veneer is just a really thin slice of wood. Some companies don't use wood veneers, using a photo of wood grain under clear instead. Jackson actually did this for a period in the 90s on some imports. Check out the photoflame Reverse Dinkies of that time.

[ginsambo]

The veneer on my 2002 Japanese SL3 is a little wobbly on the finish, but you are hard pushed to see the shadows from the neck through construction on the back, don't know if that counts as fender? The only other one I have is another Japanese one a Professional Stealth LT which is pre fender. You can just make out the wood joints in that body also, but the paint a metallic candy dark red is about an inch thick.

I have two USA pro mods and to be honest the finish is a little wobbly, a lot worse than the other Jacksons. A slime green body is all over the place and the black Style 2 is better but still a bit wobbly. I cream my pants everytime I touch them though. The necks are beautiful and I'd rather have a wobbly finish than two inches of base primer/filler. The slime green does have a knot in the wood on the face of it. Not something that is going to fall out, just the remnant interior of an exterior knot, enough to show when you angle it against the light. Probably you wouldn't have hot this before, as the guitar would have had 3 litres of primer applied to it.

I don't think quality has gotten any worse personally. I think you can get better woods, say if you say buy a KNE body for example and put it together yourself, but by the time its painted, you've probably already spent $400 at least over the price of a production guitar.

Regarding necks, the pro mod USA heels vary between 2 3/16 and 2 1/4" from the ones I have, and there are stories on here about low tolerances on neck heel fit which makes me think that the USA Charvels do vary a bit. Don't know about the Japanese ones. Knowing the Japanese they are probably spot on 2 1/4", each and every time, like the Jacksons of old. But the USA necks are reasonably consistant and still play and feel great so who cares. I know the old pro series early 90's jap guitars were real tight on the neck pocket, almost every one I've seen has a laquer crack at the neck joint.

Has quality changed? Not for the mid range guitars at least, I reckon. No Jackson I've ever owned, or any other mid range guitar for that matter sounded as good as a home made/sourced body, but they are out there if you trawl the stores. I've never owned USA top end guitars so don't know them.

Shooting a laquer over a 'Photo' of a veneer is just so plain wrong. For all that effort they could has used a photo of something more interesting surely?