Buying my first Jackson Soloist, Help me decide (Custom Select Options)

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First post so let's make it a doozy.

I've drolled over Jackson's since the 80's when I was a kid rocking out to Anthrax (Scott Ian), Slayer (Jeff Hanneman), Megadeth (Marty Friedman) and all the Jackson players of the thrash era. I couldn't afford one then and ended up owning a BC Rich and some other lesser know shredder guitar brands.

By the time I grew up, moved out, got a job and could afford my dream guitar, I decided it was a Les Paul. That led to 15 years of being a Gibson fanboy, owning various Les Paul's and ES-335's. I'm not sure why it took me so long, but I finally want to buy that Soloist now and I'm looking for a little guidance on placing a custom select order.


My current guitars: Les Paul Studio, Les Paul '58 RI, ES-335 Dot, DG-335. So basically all my guitars are HH and hard tail. I've tried Fenders, but I prefer set necks, which leads me to the soloist.

My style: I'm all over the place from John Lee Hooker to Mastadon. I primarily want the soloist for heavier music, but part of me wants it to truely be a super strat, giving me some of those strat sounds I'm missing with my Gibsons. I'm leaning towards the SL1 so that I can have the bridge humbucker for playing Anthrax and the single coils for playing SRV. Is this an unrealistic expectation



Here are my dilemas/questions for Soloist experts out there:

SL1 vs SL2 - I have no single coils in my arsenal right now. Although I am much more accustomed to HH it might be nice to have an SH or SSH guitar and since the Soloist is the ultimate super strat why not get single coils? Any thoughts on SL1 vs SL2?

Hard tail vs Floyd - I haven't had a trem on one of my guitars since before 2000. The problems with alternate tunings and added complexity of changing strings always bothered me. There have been a few times I wished I had one, but I've gotten by without it. Should I go back to the Floyd or stick with what I know?


A few other options I'm considering:

1 Humbucker & 1 single coil - If I go with the SL1 I was thinking about skipping the middle SC all together. I've heard many people complain it gets in their way and they don't use it. Since I'm accustomed to HH I thought that SH might be a good idea. I know quite a few blues player are into that middle pup (SRV, Buddy Guy, John Mayer). Should I keep it or ditch the middle pup?

Volume placement 1/2" back - Another common complaint is the volume control getting in the way. Is it worth moving it back since I'm custom ordering?

Top mount vs recessed Floyd - If I do get a Floyd the idea of routing out a big block of sustain doesn't appeal to me. Can anyone explain the benefits of top vs recessed mount Floyds?


Thanks all for the help!

[shreddermon]

If all your guitars are H-H and fixed bridges, get something different. Variety is the spice of life, you know? Assuming you're not someone who's so set in their ways, that it's difficult to adjust to something new/different, though.

That said, I'd go with HSS or HS, and a Floyd. Some guys do have trouble with that middle SC, so I'd lean towards HS. That's my personal favorite PU route, though. As to the Floyd, recessed vs non-recessed is more about neck angle and feel, IMHO. If you're used to Gibsons with TOMs, I'd say go with non-recessed. That will feel more similar to what you're used to.

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Thanks for the reply. That's a good point about the neck angle.

With the top mount Floyd, will it still be floating and subject to the same alternate tuning issues, or will it be flush mount, dive only, and allow for alternate tunings?

[Larz]

Once you change the strings a couple of times, a floyd ain't nothing to worry about. Plenty of good vids out there on stringing a floyd.

I used the middle single coil on my SL1 maybe the first day I got it, but rarely since, if ever. Therefore, I think the H S layout is a great one with a custom select order.

I think you'd have to have a super human ear to detect sustain difference following the routing for a floyd, but I'm sure some think they can notice. I couldn't tell just by sound. Another reason for the recessed is to allow for more upward use of the floyd. Not something you need everyday I'm sure, but its there if you want it.

[shreddermon]

With the top mount Floyd, will it still be floating and subject to the same alternate tuning issues, or will it be flush mount, dive only, and allow for alternate tunings?

The Floyd will float either way, non-recessed or recessed. And you'll have plenty of pull-up room either way, too. It's a common misperception that all top-mount Floyds are flush with the body. That's not how Soloists are done.

IMHO the only real advantage with having a recessed Floyd is not having to worry about marring your paint, if you get too aggressively wild with the pull-ups. LOL.

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Can it be flush mount? To allow for alternate tunings? Or do they only do Soloists with the floating mount?

I'm only asking because I think Strat style dive only might be all I need and I really would like to be able to drop D and drop 1/2 step on the fly.

[neilli]

1 - SL1 vs SL2H is all about the single coils vs the neck hum, otherwise it's the same guitar - personally, I like h/s with a stacked humbucker in the neck, but then I don't really play any SRV type blues.
2 - If you don't like Floyds, go for the hardtail. No point trying to put a square peg in a round hole.

3 - if you're seriously contemplating the SL2H (or SL2HT), then you can't be that sure you need the middle pickup. I'm biased as I said in #1, but h/s covers a lot of ground and looks cool
4 - not sure about the volume move - I've never had an issue with hitting the volume in the standard place.
5 - As Pat said, the non recessed gives more of a Gibson vibe because the strings are that much higher off the body. I like the feel, but I can play either fully recessed, face mounted or non recessed perfectly happily. I also like the look without the hole in the face of the guitar..

[neilli]

Can it be flush mount? To allow for alternate tunings? Or do they only do Soloists with the floating mount?

You really don't want to do a neck thru with a flush mount - I did it and it's very tough to get it setup right when you can't really move the bridge down...

[pianoguyy]

Middle coils get in the way. But that is why you lower them as far as they go - to get them out of the way.
Then, you use it as a volume control. Because the middle pickup volume will be so low, when combined with the bridge pickup, it will have a smaller volume and less 'high' tone as just the bridge alone.
It becomes a 'solo' switch.

I can't tell you one the difference between a top mount and a recessed trem -- but of the ones I personally own, I seem to like top mount better.

I do not complain about the knobs getting in the way.



You know what I like ---
I am liking the HH Ibanez guitars that have the 5 position switch. Allowing for the coil splitting and series/parallel options.
Its sort of the best of both worlds. Single coil tones without the single coils.

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5 - As Pat said, the non recessed gives more of a Gibson vibe because the strings are that much higher off the body. I like the feel, but I can play either fully recessed, face mounted or non recessed perfectly happily. I also like the look without the hole in the face of the guitar..

Sorry about all the questions guys, but...

Does the recessed mount allow for lower action than the top mount? Or does the neck angle account for that?

[pianoguyy]

In theory, you can get a lower action. Getting it without buzz is a separate matter unto itself.
But, really, the neck angle usually takes care the action - so it ends up being a zero sum.

[shreddermon]

I've got to strongly disagree with that. Assuming everything is built and set-up correctly, you can get the same great action either way. And no buzzing, either.

If you're really worried about the pull-up and prefer dive-only for alternate tunings, I'd suggest you just have the trem blocked in the cavity for this after you receive the guitar. It's an easy and cheap mod that a local shop should be able to do for you, by just gluing in a small piece of wood on one side of the trem block in the back cavity. Best of all, it can't be seen and is completely reversible, if you later decide to sell the guitar.

So my vote would be non-recessed for the neck angle and feel, and block the trem after it arrives.

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Rather than blocking it, would something like the Tremol-no be an option with the top mount?

[shreddermon]

Sure. That'll work, too. I have no experience with those, though. Not sure how hard they are to install/set-up and how it works, if you're trying to go to an alternate tuning.

[Larz]

If you're thinking of using a D Tuna, I think it has to be blocked somehow