Jackson SL2H neck compared to USA Charvel???

[nitrous12]

First post here, so first off...greetings!


I have been primarily a Les Paul or PRS player for a long time with some other things here and there. My band does a lot of 80s rock and I was recently feeling the urge to get a nice shredder type more in line with what the classic 80s rockers were using. I had an EBMM Axis that wasn't quite doing it for me so I sold it and got a USA Charvel So Cal. I am really loving it and can see myself having a lot of fun gigging with it.
It has made me look more into what Charvel and Jackson has to offer and I am considering selling one of my 3 LP Traditionals to fund another Charvel or Jackson.

Having not played a Jackson Soloist SL2H I am curious how the neck compares to the USA Charvels and that neck carve.
I typically like bound fret boards and the neck through design is really cool on these Jackson's! To me it mixes some of the things I like about LPs and shredders into one guitar.
Thanks for any info.

[Grim]

I would say slightly thinner and for whatever reason, Jacksons feel wider than Charvels to me. Perhaps it is the binding.

[neilli]

Yeah, plus of course the SL2H neck is finished, so the glossy texture is a major difference.

[Newc]

As well, the SL has the flat-spot down the back of the neck, whereas the Charvel neck is round.

[Larz]

I play a soloist and I wonder why every guitar doesn't have a neck like that? Especially for playing high on the neck.

If you have an LP to spare, a soloist would be a great fit to your collection.

[ihaveagibsonsg]

The closest comparison to a widely produced guitar is that the charvel is similar to a fender neck and the soloist is similar to a prestige ibanez neck but is a tad wider. It's really personal preference but I prefer the new charvel guitars because I like their tone better than soloists. Both are great guitars though and you can't go wrong with either of them but I'm just over the thin neck guitars. Their tone never satisfies me because a lot of your tone comes from the neck. with that said they are wicked fast though

[church2224]

I play a soloist and I wonder why every guitar doesn't have a neck like that? Especially for playing high on the neck.

If you have an LP to spare, a soloist would be a great fit to your collection.

This^^^


All you need to know is that the neck of an SL2H feels like having sex with the hottest women you have ever seen. It feels THAT good.

[Newc]

Actually the fastest neck I played was on the JCF Rhoads, and it's fat as a baseball bat.

[lynchfan6]

Yeah,,,,I wouldn't compare a soloist/rhoads neck to an Ibanez prestige. To me, the soloist I had was closer to the neck on my Les Paul Classic - quite fat and round, yet wider. Ibanez prestige necks (I own five prestige guitars) are wide, but THIN!!!!! So much thinner that they weren't even comparable to the USA soloist. In fact, a true prestige wizard neck makes my Jem necks feel fat.

[nitrous12]

I received my new to me Transblue SL2H today and I really like the feel of the neck.
I can't help looking at this guitar as a great cross of an LP and a Super Strat. It has features of both that I like a lot.
I do like the neck and although it is different than my LPs and the Charvel it is easy to play and the width is right at home for me. I can see having a blast with this one!

[Hellbat]

I have a Trans Blue RR1T that I deeply love. Let's see some porn damnit!

[ginsambo]

Jackson necks feel wider because the fretboard edges are hardly bevelled and are mostly square, so they are wider in effect. A lot of charvels have severly bevelled fretboard edges, so the actual playing surface is comparable to a fender neck width, although its more comfortable than a fender neck because there is more wood to hug you hand over. My model 1A playing surface is the same as fender, even though it a 2 & 1/4" heel and a 11/16" nut, I've measured the frets! I think this is Charvel's secret recipe.

[Newc]

As well, while the Jackson specs say 1 11/16" nut width, if you measure the width of the actual board at the base of the nut, you'll see the binding adds another 1/32" total. This seems like a hair's breadth, but you can definitely tell the difference on a 1 11/16" unbound neck regardless of backshape.

[Xyrium]

I recently acquired an SL2HT, and compared to my Charvel model 6, it's worlds wider and thicker in feel. Yet, both are neck-throughs with binding. Were the earlier soloists thinner/more narrow? If so, when did they move to the overall larger neck carve?

[Cliff]

I recently got an SL2 custom, and found the same thing. I was beginning to wonder if the custom order had specified a thicker neck, so it's interesting to hear you say that.
I measured the width of the neck on the SL2 and the Model 6 at the nut and the 24th fret, and they're both the same. However, the string spacing on the Charvel is definitely closer at both bridge and nut, which I guess is a difference between OFR and the Jackson-licenced Floyd Rose. But the SL2 neck is measurably deeper/thicker also (don't have the measurements to hand).