My first USA Jackson - Chlorine PC1 Strathead

[BYeh1]

Just got this today, quilt top with the new "chlorine" which looks more transparent blue, having a great time with the sustainer, what an awesome feature!

One thing I've noticed is the long neck heel makes it difficult for me to play at the 24th fret, anyone else have the same issue?

[akoch]

Re: My first USA Jackson - Chlorine PC1 Strathead

Great guitar! As for the heel - well, it is a bolt-on. Try soloist. With bolt-ons, Ibanez does a really desent job design-wise, very comfy.

[Chrisb]

Re: My first USA Jackson - Chlorine PC1 Strathead

I dunno why they even call it Chlorine anymore, its almost exactly like trans blue. I know John said something about the original color was like illegal by Environmental Standards or something (WTF?!) but they may as well just call it trans blue or dark blue burst. I loved the old chlorine so much, I really wish they could find a way to bring it back. Sorry to hijack your thread with my rant, thats a gorgeous guitar btw. Does this mean you're not looking for a quilty strathead anymore?

The standard bolt on neck heel for a Jackson isn't very good for lower fret access, but it makes for an extremely stable guitar, some of the shaved neck heels, contoured healed or odd bolt necks have stability issues. Where as Jackson bolt ons are solid as a rock. Hopefully the contour on my custom won't cause stability problems but I would assume it won't.

[Johnnyryche]

Re: My first USA Jackson - Chlorine PC1 Strathead

Sweet guitar! Congrats. [img]/images/graemlins/toast.gif[/img]

[shredmonster]

Re: My first USA Jackson - Chlorine PC1 Strathead

PC1 is one of the absolute best guitars out there today. Total quality. Fantastic tone and sustain even without the sustainer option.

PC1 has a beefier neck. I think this adds to the tone and sustain of the guitar. I have tried thin necks and I don't get enough anchor when I vibrato so my hands get tired and my vibratos are not as good on a thin neck. I find the neck extremely comfortable on these and I can play just as fast as on any thin neck.

The neck heel is somewhat scalloped on the PC1 so it has less of a neck heel than a standard Charvel or Fender bolt on.

I have been sort of researching this neck heel thing for a while now. I got a custom Jackson recently based on the PC1 with a different body style but same neck and same body woods, etc... The big difference is on my custom the neck heel is more like a Charvel - more of a block - not scalloped like the PC1. At first I thought it would suck. Guess what - now I am glad it came that way!

I have big hands so I can deal with it. I had to adjust to a various different hand positions when playing at the 24th fret. Now its not a problem. What I found was that larger neck heel seems to have resulted in a very noticeable increase in sustain. My Custom Shop Bolt On has more sustain than my Neck Through Warrior or my PC1 or any other guitar I have. I was speaking with someone at Jackson and I think the deal is that they feel more mass and a solid connection between the neck and body adds tone and sustain. I have had Ibanez guitars with the small neck joints and every Ibanez I have played has a thin tone and lack of sustain.

I know there are fans of the All Access Neck Joint out there but I have had the opportunity to plug in Jacksons and Ibanez guitars into the same equipment and compare one against the other. There is a definitely a huge difference and I think a lot of it is due to the lack of mass at the neck and body joint ie. the neck heel.

I don't think there is a perfect guitar out there. Every design has its good points and bad points. Personally I will take tone and sustain of ease of reaching the 24th fret every time.

Keep playing with it. Sometimes when you first get a guitar there is something that bothers you or feels uncomfortable because you are not use to it. Sometimes you adjust to it over time and are glad you stuck with what you have.

Unless you get a custom it will be hard to find a guitar with a better tone than that PC1. But that is assuming tone is important to you. It may not be as big of an issue for you as it is for me. But if you take that guitar into say Guitar Center and plug it in and compare it to any guitar they have I think you will be pleasantly suprised.

[dyingsea]

Re: My first USA Jackson - Chlorine PC1 Strathead

Beautiful guitar man, I love the pc1's.

[Crusher]

Re: My first USA Jackson - Chlorine PC1 Strathead

[img]/images/graemlins/toast.gif[/img]

[rjohnstone]

Re: My first USA Jackson - Chlorine PC1 Strathead

Perfect choice... shredmonster pretty much nailed it.
You'll get used to the neck heel.
I love mine and it's the most played guitar I own.

[shreddermon]

Re: My first USA Jackson - Chlorine PC1 Strathead

Cool guitar. Congrats. Where'd you buy from? Just curious.

[RR05xx]

Re: My first USA Jackson - Chlorine PC1 Strathead

Fukin awsome. These are growing on me. I dunno, 24 frets and a s-head, very cool Jackson!

[JZ06]

Re: My first USA Jackson - Chlorine PC1 Strathead

Very sweet axe!

[BYeh1]

Re: My first USA Jackson - Chlorine PC1 Strathead

Thanks for the props everyone. I'm thinking this baby is gonna be a mainstay in my rotation, at least for a while...

I hear you Chris on the color, you're right, it really isnt anything like the old chlorine, but if they can get away with it why not?

I'm still looking for nice quilty stratheads, so appreciate a heads up if any...

The sustainer is freakin awesome, adds a completely new dimension I've never explored before... when does the fun end?


[img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]

[sambencuda]

Re: My first USA Jackson - Chlorine PC1 Strathead

[ QUOTE ]
I hear you Chris on the color, you're right, it really isnt anything like the old chlorine, but if they can get away with it why not?

[/ QUOTE ]

I agree that it's not like the original Chlorine that had an almost greenish center, but on the other hand, it looks way better than most of the recent Chlorines. It's become almost a trans blue with only a little burst into the center. Yours has such a nice burst. If it had just a hint of green in the center it would be perfect.

Nice ax!

[toejam]

Re: My first USA Jackson - Chlorine PC1 Strathead

Nice!!! I want one in either Chlorine or Mocha.

[cookiemonster2]

Re: My first USA Jackson - Chlorine PC1 Strathead

I like the flame maple necks on those things.