My 89 custom shop soloist is finally home!

[kmanick]

bought this on ebay about 2 weeks ago, used to be TMDiamonds, he sold it, I got it from the guy he sold it to.
Sent it to Jim Mouridian, got the frets leveled , all pots and input jack cleaned complete set up. Ready to rock
lots of pics








my headbanging daughter had to get in a shot [img]/images/graemlins/cool.gif[/img]

OK likes and dislikes
LOVE the neck, nice and wide and pretty slim so it's fast and comfortable, it's wide, looks like a 1 3/4 nut so It took a little bit to get used to it but now I am loving it.
It's in great shape just a couple of mior dings that Tom had filled in with a perfectly matching color.
Love the matching headstock
I've got a trem spring plate cover on the way from budman as we speak.
Dislikes.
Who the F*ck puts a Schaller bridge on a custom shop soloist? dude spend the extra $50.00 bucks! As soon as Matt has one in the store an Original Floyd is going on there.
Active pickups have got to go, I'm sorry not a big fan, maybe I need someone to show me what's good about them, Seymor Duncans are going in. All black hardware is going to chrome. did a mockup on the custom genereator this morning and it looks great. chrome pickup ring around the bridge pick up makes it look real cool.

[MetalMedal II]

Re: My 89 custom shop soloist is finally home!

[ QUOTE ]

Dislikes.
Who the F*ck puts a Schaller bridge on a custom shop soloist? dude spend the extra $50.00 bucks! As soon as Matt has one in the store an Original Floyd is going on there.
Active pickups have got to go, I'm sorry not a big fan, maybe I need someone to show me what's good about them, Seymor Duncans are going in. All black hardware is going to chrome. did a mockup on the custom genereator this morning and it looks great. chrome pickup ring around the bridge pick up makes it look real cool.

[/ QUOTE ]

Just be thankful it's a Schaller trem on there as even USA models came with the JT-6 trem from that era! Some actually prefer the Schaller versus an OFR. I find there's more finer-tuner travel on Schallers compared to OFRs, but all things equal would prefer an OFR.

I'm not a huge fan of the Jackson active system either, but they're not all equal. There's one active system with the 3 trim pot/switches in the back that sounds better than the ones that came on Charvel Model 4/6s.

Looks like a sweet guitar overall! [img]/images/graemlins/toast.gif[/img]

[spencer4hire]

Re: My 89 custom shop soloist is finally home!

Looks cool to me. Really like the matching headstock. [img]/images/graemlins/headbang.gif[/img]

[dinkyjacksonman]

Re: My 89 custom shop soloist is finally home!

Looks Great!
Better than the pics on E-bay!

About the Schaller, it was common at the time.
I would say it is better than the Jackson trem they used to use at least or the Kahler trem.
The same for the pickups.
You can always swap with Duncans.

This is why the newer Soloists are cool.
They have Original Floyd and Duncans.
So you really don't need to change anything.

Anyway, Congrats!
[img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[sparky]

Re: My 89 custom shop soloist is finally home!

Sweet guitar, and Jim Mouridian rocks!!!

[kmanick]

Re: My 89 custom shop soloist is finally home!

Thanks guys, I've got a 2001 trans black sl2H and that's my main guitar, I just wanted a soloist that I could tune to e Flat, because my sl2h is tuned to 440. I noticed that the e string(.009) pulls off easily on this, not annoyingly but easier than it should, when I change the bridge I'll have to look at the nut more closely, it looks like it may be off center just a hair and I'm changing that as well so...., but overall I'm real happy with it. Toru I already bought an Ibanez les paul today so please , I know it's friday night but don't post any "someone buy this" tonight, the wife doesn't even know about the ibanez yet! I can't afford to succumb to anything else tonight [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[dinkyjacksonman]

Re: My 89 custom shop soloist is finally home!

[img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]
I know what you mean.
There are too many cool Jackson for sale right now... [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]

[kmanick]

Re: My 89 custom shop soloist is finally home!

here's what I'm thinking of doing to it hardware wise.
Please give me opinions I'm still at the thinking about it stage.
thanks

[dinkyjacksonman]

Re: My 89 custom shop soloist is finally home!

I don't know but the Black hardwares look fine to me..
Maybe the pickups, you can go with Black singles and Zebra Hum.

[Hollywood]

Re: My 89 custom shop soloist is finally home!

Nice guitar! I use the purple Tortex picks also. [img]/images/graemlins/cool.gif[/img] Cute daughter too. I don't see Tom Petty, but I see a future heartbreaker. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[sambencuda]

Re: My 89 custom shop soloist is finally home!

I liked that one when I saw it on eBay. Nice score. I think the chrome hardware will go great with that color, but I don't think the black looks bad enought to swap out IMO. I love matching headstocks on solid colors.

[kmanick]

Re: My 89 custom shop soloist is finally home!

Thanks , she keeps me on my toes that's for sure. this soloist is darker in person than it shows in the pictures, has some purple in it and that's her favorite color, so guess what she always want to play with now?

[kmanick]

Re: My 89 custom shop soloist is finally home!

I'm swapping the bridge anyway, I just haven't decided on the chrome yet, I may stay with all black, That's why I'm asking for opnions on this. I tried gold on the CS generator and it looked terrible with this shade of red. I know I'm definitly swapping out the pickups though. I think custom tb-5 in the bridge (I have one on my GMW and it sounds great), and either clasic stacks for the 2 singles or a cool rail in the mid and a hot rail in the neck. I need these pick ups without the wide bases on them, I hope I can get that from Seymour Duncan.
Opinions on these are welcomed as well [img]/images/graemlins/popcorn.gif[/img]
thanks guys
Nick

[TDurden]

Re: My 89 custom shop soloist is finally home!

I love the matching headstock! [img]/images/graemlins/drool2.gif[/img] Keep the black hardware!!! Keep the black hardware!!! Keep the black hardware!!! [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[MetalMedal II]

Re: My 89 custom shop soloist is finally home!

[ QUOTE ]
I'm swapping the bridge anyway, I just haven't decided on the chrome yet, I may stay with all black, That's why I'm asking for opnions on this.


[/ QUOTE ]

If you're swapping with an OFR, the longer string lock screws will make it so that the ends of them (where the allen wrench goes) will be closer to the body when you pull up on the trem compared to the shorter barrel screws of the Schaller. Not too big a deal since this looks to be a non-recessed trem anyway, but if you like to pull the trem way up, a la Dime, you could risk hitting the longer screws into the finish.

I would keep the black hardware. I think chrome hardware has its place, but on that guitar, I think I like the black better.