Need help with serial number on SL-1

[goshac]

I have a nice cherry burst sl-1 with serial "u 14574".
Can anyone tell me what year it was made?
thanks

[xenophobe]

My best guess would be 2003-2004ish.

[Ward]

I have U14804 that was built in Nov 04
I have U16092 that was built in Oct 05

Using monthly averages (which obviously aren't accurate) yours would be a 2004.

Member Johnnyryche has a killer list of USA production serial #s. Hopefully he will offer some better info...

[Johnnyryche]

Member Johnnyryche has a killer list of USA production serial #s. Hopefully he will offer some better info...

Thanks for the compliment. Based on my log, I show another soloist that has a serial # about 30 after yours and that had a completion date of October 22, 2004. So my best guess is early October 2004 for your cherryburst.

[goshac]

thanks everybody.
must admit that it's a very successful guitar:
1. the guitar is not too heavy or too light - right the perfect weight and balance with the neck
2. excellent unplugged sound - the body is very resonant (when strumming different notes, the body gives back a lot of echo and overtones), and also the unplugged sound is strong and loud
3. it has the thinnest neck i ever seen on a jackson - 19mm on 1st fret and 20mm on 12th. very comfortable and fast neck.

my previous 2000 SL-1 in black that i sold, was very heavy and unbalanced (like les paul), not resonant at all and with a baseball bat instead of a neck.
my previous 1992 Soloist Pro in pearl white was a nice guitar - well balanced, with slim neck...but i felt it was a dead peace of wood - without any character, resonance and acoustic characteristics, just a dull sound.
after i changed a lot of pickups on it, still i wasn't satisfied with the unplugged and plugged sound. maybe it was because of poplar wings, or the lack of maple top, i don't know

so now i'm very happy, not to mention a stunning boockmached flame maple top

[goshac]

i'm also glad it's a 2004 because the fellow i bought the guitar from told me it's a 2007.
the older=the better

[RacerX]

Pics

[goshac]

current pickups are: DiMarzio PafPro bridge (not on a pictures), DiMarzio YJM middle, DiMarzio Air Norton S Neck
tone pot disconnected














i also added a big brass block (5/8" thickness) i've bought from KCG, it made the sound even more balsy and strong
very recommended.
here it is:

[Devotee]

Woah that's a big ass block. How does it affect dives and pull-ups?

[goshac]

It doesn't. 5/8" block gives me a free movement to both sides (on my particular guitar of course). I made measurements before I bought. I think that older Jacksons or charvels have a smaller cavity.
KGC make even 3/4" blocks, but these limit the movement for sure.