Belated NGD - My Custom Select Soloist!

[groverj3]

So, about 9 months ago this baby began gestating (hah). Pics first, then details!







Not the greatest pictures, but I'm currently moving out of my studio apartment (finally) and am pressed for space at the moment.

Specs/Changes from Stock SL2H Specs:
Stainless Steel Jumbo Frets
No Fretboard Inlays
Oil Finished Neck (matte/satin)
No truss rod cover
Black Logo
Controls Relocated 1/2" back
Pickup selector in 1st position, tone 2nd, volume 3rd
500k no load tone pot
Pickups: Duncan Custom Bridge, Sentient Neck, w/Black covers and screws
Direct Mounted Pickups
Lime Green Metallic Finish

I'm not sure what the holdup was, since I was quoted three to four months. However, it was well worth the wait! There was some confusion about the color, but luckily I was contacted to confirm before they sprayed it. I'm loving the pickup combo. Originally I was going to put in Dimarzio Illuminators, but the bridge pickup was a bit taller than normal and they wouldn't have worked with the direct mounting, odd. However, the Custom is excellent! I think the Sentient is now my favorite Duncan neck pickup. Much more usable than the 59 in the neck. I had the shop install my pickups after receiving it, since custom selects have a pretty limited pickup selection.

I'm sure you've noticed that there is no option for changing control layouts on the order form. That's true, but that option for the 1/2" back placement was a life saver. I had the shop I bought it from swapped the selector into the first position and due to the lack of pickup rings combined with that slightly relocated placement there's plenty of room for your hand. I also usually take off the tone pot due to Jackson's normal control layout, so I decided to use a no load tone pot to simulate the effect of it being wide open like that, without losing verstility if I want it.


After playing on this for a few days I will never understand those that don't like stainless steel frets. Bends are effortless. I'm sure they're a pain to work on, but to play... beautiful.

Anyway, thought I'd share!

[neilli]

Very nice! And you can change the control config, you just have to ask (I have single volume, 3 way blade in a custom position)..

Oh and in case anybody points it out, the paint over the trussrod end isn't a big deal - that's just a 'cap' that doesn't turn..

[claxor]

Very nice! And you can change the control config, you just have to ask (I have single volume, 3 way blade in a custom position).

On a custom select? I thought you can't change the config more than 1/2 "?

[claxor]

Groverj3 :

Regarding swapping the selector and the volume pot. I thought the hole for the selector is quite large, and the volume pot will fall through the previous hole the custom shop made in the body. Is this not correct?

[groverj3]

On a custom select? I thought you can't change the config more than 1/2 "?

Yeah, that was my understanding. Unless certain dealers can pull strings.

Groverj3 :

Regarding swapping the selector and the volume pot. I thought the hole for the selector is quite large, and the volume pot will fall through the previous hole the custom shop made in the body. Is this not correct?

The hole for the selector is bigger, you're right. A washer was used to keep the pot in the larger hole and the one it came out of was opened up to accomodate the switch. I was nervous about this, since I could easily imagine someone screwing this up. However, the store I ordered it from is a Jackson/Fender licensed repair center... so I figured it would be safe enough. You seriously can't tell it didn't come that way from the factory. Unless you take off the tone knob you'd never know. Worked out great!

[xenophobe]

I like the no truss cover. I order them like that too. Putting a .50c piece of crap plastic to cover it and drilling a hole into the guitar to secure it is silly.

Sweet guitar!

[shreddermon]

Looks fantastic! Love that lime green color, and the black hardware with black logo is a perfect match. Congrats.

[Matt_B]

That's really cool. I like how you opted for a lot of non-standard things (no fret markers on fingerboard, direct mount pickups with covers, etc.) to make it unique. I too like the no truss rod cover too. I always take them off myself so I don't have to mess around with them.

[gallery]

Wow that is beautiful! Great color. I love the black covered clean install humbuckers.

So both your controls are volume and tone is wired wide open? That would be perfect for me since I constantly use my volume to regulate gain and I will use my toggle to switch between clean in the neck to dirt in the bridge.

[neilli]

Yeah, that was my understanding. Unless certain dealers can pull strings

That might help, but they did this without any quibbling..

[gallery]

1 volume is an option on the Custom Select order form, but it's typically for 1 hum config.

I want the 30th Anniversary control layout with Vol 1, Vol 2, and Master Tone.

[toejam]

That lime green metallic is a great color! Congrats.

[neilli]

I want the 30th Anniversary control layout with Vol 1, Vol 2, and Master Tone.

Pretty sure they'd do that. It's not like it requires a different control cavity, a switch on the top horn or something..

[Tho]

So awesome!! Congrats man, I love everything about it!

I'm quite surprised as well that they allowed ALL controls 1/2 inch back. And isn't 500 K pots standard? Or was this custom too?

[groverj3]

Wow that is beautiful! Great color. I love the black covered clean install humbuckers.

So both your controls are volume and tone is wired wide open? That would be perfect for me since I constantly use my volume to regulate gain and I will use my toggle to switch between clean in the neck to dirt in the bridge.

Not quite. The first knob is tone, but it's a 500k no-load pot. When it's wide open it's essentially out of the circuit. The volume is a standard pot, but I've thought about swapping it for a 1M audio taper. I've done that to my SL2H and I really like the taper on that, not that I do many volume swells.