Yeah, its easy to get confused, 22 fretters are standard on Rhoads, and 24 fret Rhoads are usually indicated in the name, but these are probably 24 frets for ease of production so they can share necks with the other JSes.
You touched on two excellent points; the necks on the Jackson’s in this price range are all the same and play GREAT!... and the pickups are all the same, and DO NOT!
Jade not too b**** for the money they're great guitars but you are going to have to do some finishing work you were lucky somebody's priority took it in and had it set up another thing they changed pickups to those high output they work really good with a tube amp now about 6 years back the pickups they were using in my opinion we're all around better they had that roads sound to him right out the box and nowhere near the finishing work but that's about 5 years ago the chest for what you're paying for that and for Ascent comes with it either do it yourself or take it in if you have somebody you can trust
Ive been playing Jackson since my first King V in the 90s. I have 2 now and can say that my "affordable" Dinky plays just as well as the more expensive Shadowcaster I own. Actually when I picked up the Dinky off some kid for 200 bucks I was blown away by how well a budget guitar could play. Had the EMG Hz pickups so I havent even changed those. Ive tried many brands in my old age, but I have never been let down by Jackson.
I just got that guitar today, i got it cheaper as it was a little bit chipped but easily fixible. They gave me a free hard case with it. I plugged it into my amp and fell in love with it 🤘🤘🤘
I have the hardtail version of this and love it. Nowhere near as G.A.S. crazy as I use to be but, I've owned Gibson Customs, Ibanez Prestiges, USA BC Richs and everything in between, but always go back to Jacksons because of their necks. I own two, JS32's and a SDX Adrian Smith and am perfectly content, for just making some noise when bored. Always enjoy your vids Max, keep it up.
The Bridges on these guitars can be swapped out for any Floyd special, 1000 series, OFR. They are great build platforms if you are getting into customizing your own fiddle. The pickups in them ain't bad they are Bellcat pickups. Chuck some Seymour Duncan's in there possibly change out the bridge... You have an even more serious shredder.
Yes $100 for a set of used duncans and $150 for a OFR. That guitar would rival a $1000 then for under $500. The basic reality is the more expensive import jacksons cost more because they have the upgraded duncans and OFR.
@@Murphy_R9 Also tuners and quilted tops and pricier hardware, but they really shouldn't account for such a high price range. Everything is still, in a reasonable world, worth about $500, though few companies can get away with the quality Jackson puts into $500 guitars, so we just accept it. At least they don't gouge us like Fender and Gibson.
bought a cheap Jackson js22 as a tester, was blowen away, bought the js32 15 months later, love it, love the necks, love my Jacksons. love the prices. love the sound.
Jackson (back when they were "Charvel/Jackson") studied strap button placement to the Nth degree for their "non-standard" body shapes to minimize neck dive..... If you'll re-watch the moment you let go the first coupla times (@ 12:20 or so), you'll notice that the guitar stops moving once the strap buttons are level with each other on the horizontal plane!! Perfect placement for near-perfect balance!! Keep on keepin' on: Blessed Be, & Peace!!
Don't think Vinnie can organize a root in a brothel. He's a sly lying scam artist that doesn't give a shizen about Kiss fans... and can't play guitar very well these days compared to his hay day.
I held this guitar at a local shop the other way and i will say its pretty light weight but solid in construction. The neck feels nice i would reccomend it !
good modding platform, I bought a js32t King V and added seymour duncan black winters, graph tech tusq xl nut and daddario auto trim locking tuners and made it a beast. great video and awesome guitars.
fr, i got a schecter with a much smoother neck and yet my jackson still feels so much better to play on. it has the right shape and amount of smoothness to make playability easier
Anything related to Randy Rhodes is awesome. Randy is and always will be my favorite guitarist. Great sound and looks. Now you need the correct Marshal amplifier to have the perfect sound. Great playing, loved the power chords. Can I get a Amen Randy? Upgrade sounds great. Then another video.
I love it when you do the JS32 reviews. I got the Kelly T this year because of your insight. You always bring the information in a perfectly engaging way and have easily the best playthroughs I've seen. You are truly a Shred King, my liege! 😄
I have one, ordered it new, absolutely love it and the killer tones! Mine is the black one with white bevels. I also have a Kelly and it's always in tune no matter how much you bury the bar. These sound good and look great hanging off yiu on stage.
I just bought a JS32 Rhoads string through... mostly because of how cheap it was.... I am blown away at the quality for $220 bucks. The sound and playability are far beyond what I expected. It's one thing to be impressed at the store for 10 minutes, but another to be stoked after putting several hours into it. Also, out of the box, mail order, it is set up perfectly. I haven't touched the bridge, haven't touched a fret, haven't touched the truss rod, haven't raised or lowered a pickup. It's u believable quality for the price.
Just got the king V js32 and everything you said here is spot on. I can’t believe how well it plays for the price. I would’ve killed for something like this in my teenage years, much better than my dx10d I had back then which had the trem arm jank you mentioned. Not this one. I swapped out the bridge pickup and this thing slays. Wiring needs some help in places but that’s to be expected and isn’t terrible. Overall these guitars rip regardless of price but it blows my mind how little money they cost for what you get. Fantastic playing too by the way, your technique is great!
I have the natural version of this. I also own the natural finish Jackson Dinky. Made around the same time. I've been preaching this to everyone....the pickups in this thing ROCK. Same with the Dinky. I changed out the pickups on my V but ended up keeping my Dinky stock. Going to keep the Jackson pickups to put in another Jackson build. Seriously, guys and gals. These pickups are really good.
i bought a Jackson Warrior (js32) foor two weeks ago and i love it. Had a Ibanez GIO and sold it to buy the warrior. Absolutely worth every penny love it!
DUDE!!! I Just ordered a new JS-32. White & a Jackson Case for V's, on YOUR review! I had a Custom Charvel Star body (San Dimas #. 3469) being made in '83, had multiple paint delays. They tried to get me to take a Rhodes V, (black IIRC), instead, but at the time I didn't think it would be a good idea, having just lost Randy. And like you I should've had a Rhodes model by now! So Thanks to You Mahn, the seed you planted with this vid, just exploded into my reality!!! Much appreciated Good Sir! \m/>
I have 3 'budget' Jacksons: JS32T King V, JS22, JS11. I love them ALL! They're an incredible bargain for what they do. My white JS22 is my go-to 80's rock/glam guitar! 🤘😎🤘
Agree w you,max that the JS32 Rhodes are really good guitars. Had a red/string thru/strat bridge(hardtail) got frm a pawnshop for round $140,as no one wanted it. Minor setup needed, but sharp,smooth sound w stock pickups, & she played like vanilla creme! Sweet guitar,wish I still had her!
bc rich headstocks are honestly too much- however these jackson headstocks are just so badass without being over the top, its my favorite headstock design on any guitar
@@lolickypeepee23xdd6 Yeah, I kind of like almost every Bc Rich out there, but when it comes to my dream guitars I always think about those Jacksons RR and Soloists. For me it's the best headstock shape too !
Hi Max, this is my experience with the guitar, unfortunately I got it and sent it back just the day after. The neck dive was really too much for my taste, I tried different straps too, totally unplayable in standing position. I didn't like the idea of moving the strap button onto the top screw of the neck joint points as many do. Yours have the basswood wood body, the actual version is made with poplar wood, it may be a difference on the body balance because of that. The guitar arrived with the 2nd string snapped off from the bridge, bad sign (not such a big issue since I considered the bridge update would be applied later). After replacing it in the correct position it kept snapping out of the saddle very easily. Another problem I found and that I didn't expect was it being so uncomfortable on the sitting position, for instance the lower horn, would hit a chair, a stool or the side of the bed or whatever place I was sat to. This can cause chips and dings very easily on the finish/body of the guitar, and i hate that :) plus unnatural position of playing. Other minor issues were the frets. They were not that bad in general but the first 4/5 or so you could feel they were a little sharp, you could feel the raw metal not filed to the best. The nut sides instead were really sharp and pointy and you could really cut your finger, not joking. Really cheap and poorly made this part too (again, keeping the guitar this was another part I'd swap). So, to make this long story short, I was planning to make the hardware upgrades like a better Floyd and so on but the playing position both stand up and sittings down made me take the decision to send it back immediately. A real pity because overall the guitar wasn't crafted that bad. I don't know which one to get now, this model was one of the few choices being myself left handed. Cheers \m/
Sweet playing ! Love your videos, Ive always wanted a Rhoads model since I was a kid. Randy was a big influence on me. May have to try one of these out.
That Jackson looks like it would make someone a great "starter" guitar or build platform, and you can't complain about the price. On a side note, you need to do a video and show off you cats. I've seen like three different cats in your videos I think in the last couple months. Your cats want to be in a video, you know it's true... LOL. Anyway, enjoyed the video. William C. central Indiana.
Its not only a great starter guitar....Its better than the Ibanez RG560 I used to own (except for the tremolo) its a little harder to hold when sitting down though.
If someone's looking for a Jackson starter with a tremolo bar that can work with them, the Dinky JS22 is for them. It comes equipped with a 2-point fulcrum tremolo and the sharkfin inlays. They can take the whammy bar out if they don't want to use it and it will just be a regular bridge with options. It easily gives any Squier or Ibanez starter a run for their money, and you can get it in Archtop for about $30 more. $200.
Great review...I have an RR1 swapped the pickups with a SD RTM custom in the bridge (aka RATT N ROLL Warren Demartini) and a Screamin Demon for the neck. Also put a Stone Tone sustain block for the Floyd and a set of strong green springs...weeeeeee doggy she sounds nice, it’s a very bright guitar cuts through the mix very well.
I have the same guitar in transparent red. Replaced the bridge with an original FR and dropped in a pair of SD pickups (SH4 + Jazz) and it is a monster now.
Yours sounds pretty killer! I have the same guitar in gloss black with red trim. I stuck an EMG 81 in the bridge. I would like to change out the bridge for a better one like you did. And change the pickups too. The 81 sounds great but I’m ready for something different. I don’t ever play that guitar because the low E string constantly pops out of the little string block. A new bridge would solve that problem though.
I believe the FR trem is actually made by the Korean Floyd Rose (special) factory. If you look at the trem block you will see genuine FR branding on it. That is how mine came on my JS32 Dinky.
I've been dreaming of having an RR guitar for many years and recently I finally managed to get a JS32T Black w/White Bevels, a beauty...totally in love!!!
Even brand new the JS32 series Jacksons are great guitars for money. I bought a JS32Q Dinky brand new last year and I love it. Thinking about a JS32 Kelly or Rhoads for my next acquisition.
When I was a younger man I used to drill a half inch hole in the under side of the top horn and filled it with lead so the neck stays were the hell it is supposed to. Very best mod you can do to those teenage guitars.
i keep watching your videos because i picked up the warrior JS, and i noticed the whole JS series has "Amaranth" fingerboards, and you have referenced them having rosewood in all your videos. Just to be clear, the JS series does not have a rosewood fingerboard. It's Amaranth. (love the content, picked up a Harley cab after one of your videos!)
Amazing! I'm waiting for you to review the JS11 of the Jackson cheap-o series haha, it's a much more accessible one for us who can't afford a gorgeous thing like that
I'm glad you covered the sitting position issue. Everyone crys and says you cant sit good with it. I'm like what? Its sits better than a Paul or strat.
I got the white one with black bevels w/o the Floyd, and its definitely an awesome guitar to play metal with. Mine came with a glob of glue on the first fret and the frets are kinda sharp, but nothing a little TLC cant fix. Definitely worth the money overall!
I have one black with red borders (coolest one for me with floyd rose and 24 frets) and i love it. Now has a SD Jazz on the neck and a Bill Lawrence 500 on the bridge and sounds amazing. The neck is amazing, jumbo frets and the floyd works well. And one important thing, Jackson' s RR are extreme light weight !
I'm still a bit "miffed". I busted my ass, saved and saved to buy a Charvel Avenger(Rhoads)...it was $600 back in 91. Nowadays you can get a Jackson...same-better quality for half the cost. Back then(91) a Jackson was "unattainable" for a 16 year old! Hell, cheap ass no name generic guitars were $300+ back then.
Thanks for the info on the nut-nuts. Your cat is pretty cool also. Looks like the Maine Coon (King) my wife an I adopted from a rescue group recently. Thanks Max!
Hi Max - Hope someday you will review the JS32T Warrior. I LOVE that guitar! Best thing in my life to come out of 2020. It's similar to this Rhoads in a lot of ways, but is hardtail. That guitar is 'effin sweet!
Good video bro I just subscribed, I've only owned one rhoads it was black with Red bevels. I have the King V version now but it's a pro series love Jackson's!!!!
I wasn't happy about the color at first either, but for $300 bucks its as fancy as one could expect. I'm just glad it's not $700 with Fishman Fluence MHs (I own enough of those), and a finish I totally hate. I'm hoping BC Rich starts making budget lefties. All black isn't a special color, and I could throw whatever humbuckers I wanted in it.
@@ChronicMetamorphosis I don't actually mind the colour, I think with the all black hardware it looks quite stealthy. Mine is actually the second one I have bought. I had one about 5 years ago and loaded it with Seymour Duncan Blackouts (had a battery compartment routed as well). Sounded killer but I sold it to fund something else. Regretted it and when my latest one came up, I snapped it up - cost me £180 pre-owned.
That is a killer price for what seems to be an outstanding guitar. Personally never really liked the asymmetrical V's but lots of nostalgia in this... Randy was great.
Hey max I love your show but from what I see you demo gear on most of your shows. Do you have any shows where you give beginner lessons? I'm 55 and just started playing and love it so far.
Replacing tuners and pickups plus having a professional setup by a luthier (or someone who does very good setups) are the best things you can do to a cheap guitar (plus I would also recommend getting a graph or bone nut as most cheap instruments have bad, plastic ones). If you buy a, let's say, Harley Benton, change pickups for ie Iron Gear pickups that cost around 60 pounds for a pair, buy some Wilkinson class locking tuners for ~30 pounds, a nut that costs ~5 and get it well-set up, you might have gone from a 150 to 300 pounds of cost but can sometimes get a guitar that plays, sounds and feels better than some
I taught myself how to do fretwork because the only difference between a cheap and expensive guitar is the fretwork and the electronics so a cheap Harley Benton throw on some steel frets Seymour Duncan pickups new pots and done👌
I got the Floyd Rose Discovery Flying V made by Floyd Rose. I replaced the pups with some Seymour Duncans lil 59 and Trembucker, took it apart and painted it metal flake gold. I then put an EVH D-Tuna on it and customized the bridge with neodynium magnets connected on the solid brass trem plate to a floating backstop so I can use the D-Tuna and still dive bomb in perfect tune and bend the strings while the other remain in perfect tune.
Word up Brother! Awesome review, I just recently got into V-shapes, coming from playing super strats forever. Cheers to the detailed look at the cheaper locking nut, that is an issue many don't realize can be an issue. Rock On All!!
That trem arm must be an aftermarket one that don't clank and flop around because I've about 5 of those Jacksons and all of the ones I had clanked and flopped around and wouldn't stay in place like yours does. Im pretty sure thats not the original trem arm.
They've upgraded them recently to have a plastic grommet in them, sad part is these arms are more quiet and stable than on the thousand series. I have a Charvel with a thousand series in it, the arm was so noisy I had to replace it with one of the push-ins... Best investment ever. Take care brother.
@@MrJam1001 It's not the threads that are loose. It's the whole inside of the arm does not make good contact with the bracket itself. I've had about 5 of them, they are all the same.
Guitar Center shipping is criminal. They shipped my Chapman in the single triangle box. Thomann shipped double boxed the triangle box in a thicker rectangle box.
Shipping cabs at GC is where its at. I bought a 2x12 online from a GC on the other side of the US, and shipped it for $32 bucks. (Pre-Biden gas crisis, mind you)
i get ur pain bro i know you wrote this a year ago but if they have metal shaped guitars lake v's and explorers and such i want to hear heavy music not blues calm shit
Good demo as usual, you like guitars with a Floyd Rose have you installed a D-Tuna ( EVH) or any other similar de tuning device in one of your guitars? and what’s your take on it
I have 2 Jackson rhoads and a King V love the necks. The one is a 7 string and it is so comfortable to play. Jackson kicks ass. Also I updated all with Seymour Duncan pickups.
I have the Snow White JS32 Kelly and love it! My question is what is the material of the frets? Don’t want to have to re-fret anytime soon.. and I’ve had mine since 2020
I bought 1 the same for my Birthday in June 2019 (just before I bought my ZoMBie BanTamP & 8" Cab). Some Seymour Duncans, either a Black Winter set or a Nazgul Bridge/Sentient Neck set of pups would be killer. A Gotoh FR Trem Bridge would be a nice upgrade also. 🤘
Hey Max, if you do the upgrades you're planning, can you either film the upgrades and/or do a "re-review" after you've made the upgrades? I've got a Schectre Demon6 FR with "small nut" problems, it's suuuuuch a pain to tune because of the string twist.
Mines different,new it was $500! You can see it on my Guitar wall! It came from Fender with an unfinished Rose cavity,and had paint flaws! It’s a walk hanger because of it! I kept the QC tag with the numb nuts signature on it where it came on the tuner. Prior i received a soloist with both sides of the neck cracked at the horns! We emailed them and called CS and they never contacted us for replacements!
You said "Great neck" several times but what about the necks profile? It is wizard II thin? which is 19mm @ the 1st fret and 21mm @ the 12th? That is the standard Jackson "Speed neck" shape or is it shaped like the USA RR model which is a little thicker than the Wizard II. 20mm @ the 1st fret and 22mm @ the 12th.
I bought one of these and it came to me and a few days after I received it, it started to produce screaming sounds due to electrical issues. I sent it back and they couldn’t fix it so they sent a new one, and it started producing screaming sounds again after 30 minutes of playing. I don’t know if it’s just me or if it’s something with Jackson, but I know that Jackson is a very good guitar brand.
- Great video! Have the same guitar and I love it... But they have this cheap electronics and pickups....in my opinion they are bad but great to start with.... body, frets and neck are great...had some tuning issues with that jackson stock bridge....so i swap that out and put a schaller bridge. Fun fact, my brother has the same guitar but its dinky JS 32... and does not have tuning problems with bridge. Recently I put in seymour duncans jb`s on it and I`m finally satisfied.... But it had issues that need to be solved. In comparison with my Ibanez grg 170 dx they seem to be made with cheaper craftsmanship and electronics. But has room for upgrades and customisation. Btw what amp are you using in this video?
I used to have a RR-1 V it was such an awesome guitar! I remember it being one of the best guitars I ever played ha ha I am so asked to say I had to sell it I miss it and hope to get another one some day! Also your tone was perfect! Sick dude!
When I picked up a Jackson guitar it has the fire like design in marble from portmans it was like 250$ to 300$ and picked up pack of vanhelan picks also the same guitar like that one also has a gold like bridge for about 280$ from guitar center
I bought the same Model in Black from Guitar Farm for 300 + S&H it sounded horrible and for some reason the Gain bottom would not work with the guitar i ended up reselling it for 150
Just a quick clarification: The neck has 24 frets. I realize I contradicted myself in this video, saying 24 first, and then 22 later. It's 24!
that was a steal!! I have always wanted a Jackson rhoades V. I may have to do some digging around on the net. ty for the awesome review
Yeah, its easy to get confused, 22 fretters are standard on Rhoads, and 24 fret Rhoads are usually indicated in the name, but these are probably 24 frets for ease of production so they can share necks with the other JSes.
Yes HE DID IT
You touched on two excellent points; the necks on the Jackson’s in this price range are all the same and play GREAT!... and the pickups are all the same, and DO NOT!
Jade not too b**** for the money they're great guitars but you are going to have to do some finishing work you were lucky somebody's priority took it in and had it set up another thing they changed pickups to those high output they work really good with a tube amp now about 6 years back the pickups they were using in my opinion we're all around better they had that roads sound to him right out the box and nowhere near the finishing work but that's about 5 years ago the chest for what you're paying for that and for Ascent comes with it either do it yourself or take it in if you have somebody you can trust
I just ordered this guitar in a left hand version for my son. It's a surprise for his birthday I think he's going to love it! Great review!
Ive been playing Jackson since my first King V in the 90s. I have 2 now and can say that my "affordable" Dinky plays just as well as the more expensive Shadowcaster I own. Actually when I picked up the Dinky off some kid for 200 bucks I was blown away by how well a budget guitar could play. Had the EMG Hz pickups so I havent even changed those. Ive tried many brands in my old age, but I have never been let down by Jackson.
I don't think I've ever come across a bad Jackson guitar.
What’s a dinky? Is that a model name ?
@@mikeydubs_tv Yes. I think the actual model is DKMG.
You got a magnificent narrating voice! And pretty to the point and detailed description too, never gets boring! Good job, man!
I just got that guitar today, i got it cheaper as it was a little bit chipped but easily fixible. They gave me a free hard case with it. I plugged it into my amp and fell in love with it 🤘🤘🤘
I have the hardtail version of this and love it. Nowhere near as G.A.S. crazy as I use to be but, I've owned Gibson Customs, Ibanez Prestiges, USA BC Richs and everything in between, but always go back to Jacksons because of their necks. I own two, JS32's and a SDX Adrian Smith and am perfectly content, for just making some noise when bored. Always enjoy your vids Max, keep it up.
The Bridges on these guitars can be swapped out for any Floyd special, 1000 series, OFR. They are great build platforms if you are getting into customizing your own fiddle. The pickups in them ain't bad they are Bellcat pickups. Chuck some Seymour Duncan's in there possibly change out the bridge... You have an even more serious shredder.
I expect some Crusaders. Max really seems to love them, and I've seen he's put them in a few guitars. They sound incredible.
@@chrismeadows4216 dragonfire? You have a set?
@@DSchea I do not, but yes. He's decked out some of his finest axes with the majestic, magnetic marvels of the gods.
Yes $100 for a set of used duncans and $150 for a OFR. That guitar would rival a $1000 then for under $500.
The basic reality is the more expensive import jacksons cost more because they have the upgraded duncans and OFR.
@@Murphy_R9 Also tuners and quilted tops and pricier hardware, but they really shouldn't account for such a high price range. Everything is still, in a reasonable world, worth about $500, though few companies can get away with the quality Jackson puts into $500 guitars, so we just accept it. At least they don't gouge us like Fender and Gibson.
The JS32s are awesome and cheap. That means more saved money for UPGRADES. Pickups, tuners and eventually a better FR (IMO). Awesome video as always.
bought a cheap Jackson js22 as a tester, was blowen away, bought the js32 15 months later, love it, love the necks, love my Jacksons. love the prices. love the sound.
Jackson (back when they were "Charvel/Jackson") studied strap button placement to the Nth degree for their "non-standard" body shapes to minimize neck dive..... If you'll re-watch the moment you let go the first coupla times (@ 12:20 or so), you'll notice that the guitar stops moving once the strap buttons are level with each other on the horizontal plane!! Perfect placement for near-perfect balance!! Keep on keepin' on: Blessed Be, & Peace!!
Also as another commenter pointed out, without the weight of the cable, it will dive a bit further.
The ding adds character. And even a beginner is thrilled with Jackson necks.
As someone who played Ibanez guitars, for decades...I agree 100% about the necks on the Jacksons, they are better than the Wizard necks.
@@xlr8r2010 Not anymore. Fender is really making them trash. $800-900 thick neck trash! I was pissed. Pre Fender Jacksons are killer.
@@SuperGuitar38 I love the one I got...I have a Jackson SLX (satin red pearl) too. I put Seymour Duncan Distortion pickups, in both guitars.
@@SuperGuitar38 fender really is getting one of the best metal guitar brands and trying to Stratocaster them
I'm still holding out hope that Vinnie Vincent will release a signature Double V at some point
He has a Double V body like 3 point? A Jackson also....Hot Pink
I don't think any company want anything to do with Vinnie Vincent. He's a known shyster! But I do like Vinnie Vincent Invasion 🎸
If you're willing to pay 10k Karl Zandoval will build you one
Don't think Vinnie can organize a root in a brothel. He's a sly lying scam artist that doesn't give a shizen about Kiss fans... and can't play guitar very well these days compared to his hay day.
@@KaddysJamKave Totally agree but I love his overly aggressive solos on record, that alone puts him in my top 5 players.
Amazing video! Been watching this guitar for days and I'll definitely buy it! 🤘🏻😎
I held this guitar at a local shop the other way and i will say its pretty light weight but solid in construction. The neck feels nice i would reccomend it !
The guitar sounds amazing, like WTF, the tone is absolutely fantastic.
good modding platform, I bought a js32t King V and added seymour duncan black winters, graph tech tusq xl nut and daddario auto trim locking tuners and made it a beast. great video and awesome guitars.
Something special about those Jackson necks........ They just feel so right.....
fr, i got a schecter with a much smoother neck and yet my jackson still feels so much better to play on. it has the right shape and amount of smoothness to make playability easier
@@lolickypeepee23xdd6 I also have a Schecter, the S1 Elite. Great guitar also !!!!
Anything related to Randy Rhodes is awesome. Randy is and always will be my favorite guitarist. Great sound and looks. Now you need the correct Marshal amplifier to have the perfect sound. Great playing, loved the power chords. Can I get a Amen Randy? Upgrade sounds great. Then another video.
*Rhoads
*MARSHALL*
The main differences between cheap and expensive guitars these days is feel and quality of the finish
I love it when you do the JS32 reviews. I got the Kelly T this year because of your insight. You always bring the information in a perfectly engaging way and have easily the best playthroughs I've seen. You are truly a Shred King, my liege! 😄
Thanks Chris!
@@GuitarMAXMusic You got it, dude!
I have one, ordered it new, absolutely love it and the killer tones! Mine is the black one with white bevels. I also have a Kelly and it's always in tune no matter how much you bury the bar. These sound good and look great hanging off yiu on stage.
which of both do you think is better ? the kelly or the rhoad ?
@@royalknight4099 i enjoy playing both, no preference of one over the other.
Always a pleasure, Max. You’re a djentleman.
I just bought a JS32 Rhoads string through... mostly because of how cheap it was.... I am blown away at the quality for $220 bucks. The sound and playability are far beyond what I expected. It's one thing to be impressed at the store for 10 minutes, but another to be stoked after putting several hours into it. Also, out of the box, mail order, it is set up perfectly. I haven't touched the bridge, haven't touched a fret, haven't touched the truss rod, haven't raised or lowered a pickup. It's u believable quality for the price.
Just got the king V js32 and everything you said here is spot on. I can’t believe how well it plays for the price. I would’ve killed for something like this in my teenage years, much better than my dx10d I had back then which had the trem arm jank you mentioned. Not this one. I swapped out the bridge pickup and this thing slays. Wiring needs some help in places but that’s to be expected and isn’t terrible. Overall these guitars rip regardless of price but it blows my mind how little money they cost for what you get. Fantastic playing too by the way, your technique is great!
It's a very badass guitar can't wait to get it soon that's the same model I want
I have the natural version of this. I also own the natural finish Jackson Dinky. Made around the same time. I've been preaching this to everyone....the pickups in this thing ROCK. Same with the Dinky.
I changed out the pickups on my V but ended up keeping my Dinky stock. Going to keep the Jackson pickups to put in another Jackson build.
Seriously, guys and gals. These pickups are really good.
I have a Jackson RR3 I bought 20 years ago. Black gloss finish, satin silver hardware, duncan designed pickups, 22 frets, and a Jackson JT-580 bridge.
I love me a Jackson Rhoads V!! Just had the purple RR24 delivered last week, and it is absolutely fantastic!!!
Man im so jealous! The one with the quilt and gold hardware?? 🤤
@@jackfox9101 yes it is!!
That is so sick, awesome choice! 🤘🤘
i bought a Jackson Warrior (js32) foor two weeks ago and i love it. Had a Ibanez GIO and sold it to buy the warrior. Absolutely worth every penny love it!
DUDE!!! I Just ordered a new JS-32. White & a Jackson Case for V's, on YOUR review! I had a Custom Charvel Star body (San Dimas #. 3469) being made in '83, had multiple paint delays. They tried to get me to take a Rhodes V, (black IIRC), instead, but at the time I didn't think it would be a good idea, having just lost Randy. And like you I should've had a Rhodes model by now! So Thanks to You Mahn, the seed you planted with this vid, just exploded into my reality!!! Much appreciated Good Sir! \m/>
Do a review on your new js32
I have 3 'budget' Jacksons: JS32T King V, JS22, JS11. I love them ALL! They're an incredible bargain for what they do. My white JS22 is my go-to 80's rock/glam guitar! 🤘😎🤘
I tried so many and couldn't vibe with em
@@DSchea Not everybody likes the same things.
Jackson ok for 80s metal and lead. But I don't like the way they sound for djent riffs. Just buy them all !!!!! jem, schecter , dean, esp.
Agree w you,max that the JS32 Rhodes are really good guitars. Had a red/string thru/strat bridge(hardtail) got frm a pawnshop for round $140,as no one wanted it. Minor setup needed, but sharp,smooth sound w stock pickups, & she played like vanilla creme! Sweet guitar,wish I still had her!
Jacksons are great, those headstocks are the most evil ever ! I also love Bc Rich, but Jackson is just perfect!
Some people feel they're too pointy, but for me, Jackson headstocks are just aggressive enough to be unassuming and still badass.
bc rich headstocks are honestly too much- however these jackson headstocks are just so badass without being over the top, its my favorite headstock design on any guitar
Yeah and they're cheap, cheap, cheap on the used market, because they're always chipped 👍
@@chrismeadows4216 I've heard something like this a couple of times, I'm a les paul guy, but even for me Jacksons are perfect !
@@lolickypeepee23xdd6 Yeah, I kind of like almost every Bc Rich out there, but when it comes to my dream guitars I always think about those Jacksons RR and Soloists. For me it's the best headstock shape too !
Hi Max, this is my experience with the guitar, unfortunately I got it and sent it back just the day after. The neck dive was really too much for my taste, I tried different straps too, totally unplayable in standing position. I didn't like the idea of moving the strap button onto the top screw of the neck joint points as many do.
Yours have the basswood wood body, the actual version is made with poplar wood, it may be a difference on the body balance because of that.
The guitar arrived with the 2nd string snapped off from the bridge, bad sign (not such a big issue since I considered the bridge update would be applied later).
After replacing it in the correct position it kept snapping out of the saddle very easily.
Another problem I found and that I didn't expect was it being so uncomfortable on the sitting position, for instance the lower horn, would hit a chair, a stool or the side of the bed or whatever place I was sat to. This can cause chips and dings very easily on the finish/body of the guitar, and i hate that :) plus unnatural position of playing.
Other minor issues were the frets. They were not that bad in general but the first 4/5 or so you could feel they were a little sharp, you could feel the raw metal not filed to the best. The nut sides instead were really sharp and pointy and you could really cut your finger, not joking. Really cheap and poorly made this part too (again, keeping the guitar this was another part I'd swap).
So, to make this long story short, I was planning to make the hardware upgrades like a better Floyd and so on but the playing position both stand up and sittings down made me take the decision to send it back immediately.
A real pity because overall the guitar wasn't crafted that bad. I don't know which one to get now, this model was one of the few choices being myself left handed.
Cheers \m/
Sweet playing ! Love your videos, Ive always wanted a Rhoads model since I was a kid. Randy was a big influence on me. May have to try one of these out.
That Jackson looks like it would make someone a great "starter" guitar or build platform, and you can't complain about the price. On a side note, you need to do a video and show off you cats. I've seen like three different cats in your videos I think in the last couple months. Your cats want to be in a video, you know it's true... LOL. Anyway, enjoyed the video. William C. central Indiana.
All the best shredders have awesome cats. It's a fact of metal. 😎
Yeah dude! Cat video! Hell I'll make one too, we have matching Washburn HM-20's 🤘
Its not only a great starter guitar....Its better than the Ibanez RG560 I used to own (except for the tremolo) its a little harder to hold when sitting down though.
nah I personally wouldn’t recommend any floyd rose equipped guitar for a beginner, it’s a living hell to setup/restring
If someone's looking for a Jackson starter with a tremolo bar that can work with them, the Dinky JS22 is for them. It comes equipped with a 2-point fulcrum tremolo and the sharkfin inlays. They can take the whammy bar out if they don't want to use it and it will just be a regular bridge with options. It easily gives any Squier or Ibanez starter a run for their money, and you can get it in Archtop for about $30 more. $200.
Mine doesn't have a Floyd, but I got one as a gift and it's been my go to ever since. Easily my favorite.
@Orangutan Guitars yeah, but almost all my guitars have a Floyd so I got used to it
It's a shame these have gone up to $400-$450 new average, ~$350 used now.
Damn Max that was probably one of the best reviews I have ever seen you do honest to the point
Thanks Roger!
Great review...I have an RR1 swapped the pickups with a SD RTM custom in the bridge (aka RATT N ROLL Warren Demartini) and a Screamin Demon for the neck. Also put a Stone Tone sustain block for the Floyd and a set of strong green springs...weeeeeee doggy she sounds nice, it’s a very bright guitar cuts through the mix very well.
I have the same guitar in transparent red. Replaced the bridge with an original FR and dropped in a pair of SD pickups (SH4 + Jazz) and it is a monster now.
Yours sounds pretty killer! I have the same guitar in gloss black with red trim. I stuck an EMG 81 in the bridge. I would like to change out the bridge for a better one like you did. And change the pickups too. The 81 sounds great but I’m ready for something different. I don’t ever play that guitar because the low E string constantly pops out of the little string block. A new bridge would solve that problem though.
Also the nuts twisting is a common thing on all guitars. Thats why theres also an adjuster at the bottom of the bridge.
I have the exact same one. And it’s awesome. The tone is awesome. The bridge is actually quite impressive for a licensed
Many of the JS32 are great blue prints for upgrading parts and turning the guitar into a great work horse.
I believe the FR trem is actually made by the Korean Floyd Rose (special) factory. If you look at the trem block you will see genuine FR branding on it. That is how mine came on my JS32 Dinky.
I've been dreaming of having an RR guitar for many years and recently I finally managed to get a JS32T Black w/White Bevels, a beauty...totally in love!!!
Even brand new the JS32 series Jacksons are great guitars for money. I bought a JS32Q Dinky brand new last year and I love it. Thinking about a JS32 Kelly or Rhoads for my next acquisition.
When I was a younger man I used to drill a half inch hole in the under side of the top horn and filled it with lead so the neck stays were the hell it is supposed to. Very best mod you can do to those teenage guitars.
i keep watching your videos because i picked up the warrior JS, and i noticed the whole JS series
has "Amaranth" fingerboards, and you have referenced them having rosewood in all your videos.
Just to be clear, the JS series does not have a rosewood fingerboard. It's Amaranth.
(love the content, picked up a Harley cab after one of your videos!)
You can mount the strap nut to the neck plate screw hole and substantially improve the balance.
You are right. I have the Dinky version. The neck is great, better than my expensive Fender Stratocaster. It plays fast and easy.
Amazing! I'm waiting for you to review the JS11 of the Jackson cheap-o series haha, it's a much more accessible one for us who can't afford a gorgeous thing like that
I have a Jackson dnky and the neck is amazing. Someone told me that Jackson calls them "speed necks". They definitely are fast.
So these do have the "speed neck" shape? They are the same as the Wizard II by ibanez.
It‘s awesome about JS series, that they also have “speed neck” and compound radius like more expensive ones
They should call them "Fast AF" necks. I agree about how amazing the necks are. So nice.
I'm glad you covered the sitting position issue. Everyone crys and says you cant sit good with it. I'm like what? Its sits better than a Paul or strat.
I got the white one with black bevels w/o the Floyd, and its definitely an awesome guitar to play metal with. Mine came with a glob of glue on the first fret and the frets are kinda sharp, but nothing a little TLC cant fix. Definitely worth the money overall!
I've got the model with the stop bar tailpiece in natural. I put a DiMarzio D activator in the bridge and added a killswitch. The thing is awesome!!!
Jackson concord next! When affordable and possible.
I have one black with red borders (coolest one for me with floyd rose and 24 frets) and i love it. Now has a SD Jazz on the neck and a Bill Lawrence 500 on the bridge and sounds amazing. The neck is amazing, jumbo frets and the floyd works well. And one important thing, Jackson' s RR are extreme light weight !
Jackson owes you money because this review is what sold me on buying it
cheers!
I'm still a bit "miffed". I busted my ass, saved and saved to buy a Charvel Avenger(Rhoads)...it was $600 back in 91. Nowadays you can get a Jackson...same-better quality for half the cost.
Back then(91) a Jackson was "unattainable" for a 16 year old! Hell, cheap ass no name generic guitars were $300+ back then.
Thanks for the info on the nut-nuts. Your cat is pretty cool also. Looks like the Maine Coon (King) my wife an I adopted from a rescue group recently. Thanks Max!
If you can you should make a review of the js32 warrior w/ Floyd Rose
Hi Max - Hope someday you will review the JS32T Warrior. I LOVE that guitar! Best thing in my life to come out of 2020. It's similar to this Rhoads in a lot of ways, but is hardtail. That guitar is 'effin sweet!
The Warriors are awesome! They balance so well it's crazy. Hopefully I'll get another one someday.
I bought this exact guitar used for 300$ and the owner had put on dimebucker pickups sounds awesome I love it
The cool thing about these guitars is a floyd rose original will drop right in
Good video bro I just subscribed, I've only owned one rhoads it was black with Red bevels. I have the King V version now but it's a pro series love Jackson's!!!!
Got a lefty one is satin grey.. (only colour for us unfortunately) Dropped an EVH D-Tuna on the Floyd. Great axe for the price really.
I wasn't happy about the color at first either, but for $300 bucks its as fancy as one could expect.
I'm just glad it's not $700 with Fishman Fluence MHs (I own enough of those), and a finish I totally hate.
I'm hoping BC Rich starts making budget lefties. All black isn't a special color, and I could throw whatever humbuckers I wanted in it.
@@ChronicMetamorphosis I don't actually mind the colour, I think with the all black hardware it looks quite stealthy. Mine is actually the second one I have bought. I had one about 5 years ago and loaded it with Seymour Duncan Blackouts (had a battery compartment routed as well). Sounded killer but I sold it to fund something else. Regretted it and when my latest one came up, I snapped it up - cost me £180 pre-owned.
That is a killer price for what seems to be an outstanding guitar. Personally never really liked the asymmetrical V's but lots of nostalgia in this... Randy was great.
Hey max I love your show but from what I see you demo gear on most of your shows. Do you have any shows where you give beginner lessons? I'm 55 and just started playing and love it so far.
METAL GUITAR BARGAIN - "I think I'm gonna switch pickups and few other things."
I put dave mustaine passive thrash factors in my king v woke it the fk up
Replacing tuners and pickups plus having a professional setup by a luthier (or someone who does very good setups) are the best things you can do to a cheap guitar (plus I would also recommend getting a graph or bone nut as most cheap instruments have bad, plastic ones). If you buy a, let's say, Harley Benton, change pickups for ie Iron Gear pickups that cost around 60 pounds for a pair, buy some Wilkinson class locking tuners for ~30 pounds, a nut that costs ~5 and get it well-set up, you might have gone from a 150 to 300 pounds of cost but can sometimes get a guitar that plays, sounds and feels better than some
Perfect bare bones shredder that you can personalise without killing the bank !
I taught myself how to do fretwork because the only difference between a cheap and expensive guitar is the fretwork and the electronics so a cheap Harley Benton throw on some steel frets Seymour Duncan pickups new pots and done👌
I got the Floyd Rose Discovery Flying V made by Floyd Rose. I replaced the pups with some Seymour Duncans lil 59 and Trembucker, took it apart and painted it metal flake gold. I then put an EVH D-Tuna on it and customized the bridge with neodynium magnets connected on the solid brass trem plate to a floating backstop so I can use the D-Tuna and still dive bomb in perfect tune and bend the strings while the other remain in perfect tune.
Dad ordered this for Christmas, so fucking excited
Word up Brother! Awesome review, I just recently got into V-shapes, coming from playing super strats forever. Cheers to the detailed look at the cheaper locking nut, that is an issue many don't realize can be an issue. Rock On All!!
I moved the strap button to the top right neck bolt on my Japanese made RR3 and that fixed everything about the balance
If you see the review of Jackson js32 king v of megahurz30 the guitar has the best balance when he is standing up
I own this exact same model. Great review. Bought mine new.
That trem arm must be an aftermarket one that don't clank and flop around because I've about 5 of those Jacksons and all of the ones I had clanked and flopped around and wouldn't stay in place like yours does. Im pretty sure thats not the original trem arm.
They've upgraded them recently to have a plastic grommet in them, sad part is these arms are more quiet and stable than on the thousand series. I have a Charvel with a thousand series in it, the arm was so noisy I had to replace it with one of the push-ins... Best investment ever. Take care brother.
Try a few wraps of Teflon tape around the threads.
@@MrJam1001 It's not the threads that are loose. It's the whole inside of the arm does not make good contact with the bracket itself. I've had about 5 of them, they are all the same.
Do they not have a set-screw underneath of them in the spring cavity like my Ibanez? (only floating trem I own).
I have a Jackson SL2Q and it is my favorite guitar I've ever owned.
Guitar Center shipping is criminal. They shipped my Chapman in the single triangle box. Thomann shipped double boxed the triangle box in a thicker rectangle box.
Shipping cabs at GC is where its at. I bought a 2x12 online from a GC on the other side of the US, and shipped it for $32 bucks.
(Pre-Biden gas crisis, mind you)
Insane Shredding!
Finally! A proper metal review of this guitar! Not shitty jazz and blues reviews like I find all the time.
i get ur pain bro i know you wrote this a year ago but if they have metal shaped guitars lake v's and explorers and such i want to hear heavy music not blues calm shit
I purchased one of those guitars I have one on order. I just gonna throw EMGs in mine and 81 in the 85.
Good demo as usual, you like guitars with a Floyd Rose have you installed a D-Tuna ( EVH) or any other similar de tuning device in one of your guitars?
and what’s your take on it
They suck on floating Floyd’s, but are ok on decked Floyd’s.
I love my js 32 warrior 🤘. Great video 💪🏼
I have the exact same one in the satin Grey that's the only color they have in Left handed it's really awesome and built for speed!!
I have 2 Jackson rhoads and a King V love the necks. The one is a 7 string and it is so comfortable to play. Jackson kicks ass. Also I updated all with Seymour Duncan pickups.
i got a grey version the other day. jackson has always been great.
I have the Snow White JS32 Kelly and love it! My question is what is the material of the frets? Don’t want to have to re-fret anytime soon.. and I’ve had mine since 2020
I bought 1 the same for my Birthday in June 2019 (just before I bought my ZoMBie BanTamP & 8" Cab).
Some Seymour Duncans, either a Black Winter set or a Nazgul Bridge/Sentient Neck set of pups would be killer.
A Gotoh FR Trem Bridge would be a nice upgrade also. 🤘
Hey Max, if you do the upgrades you're planning, can you either film the upgrades and/or do a "re-review" after you've made the upgrades? I've got a Schectre Demon6 FR with "small nut" problems, it's suuuuuch a pain to tune because of the string twist.
Will do!
Mines different,new it was $500! You can see it on my Guitar wall! It came from Fender with an unfinished Rose cavity,and had paint flaws! It’s a walk hanger because of it! I kept the QC tag with the numb nuts signature on it where it came on the tuner.
Prior i received a soloist with both sides of the neck cracked at the horns! We emailed them and called CS and they never contacted us for replacements!
You said "Great neck" several times but what about the necks profile?
It is wizard II thin? which is 19mm @ the 1st fret and 21mm @ the 12th? That is the standard Jackson "Speed neck" shape or is it shaped like the USA RR model which is a little thicker than the Wizard II. 20mm @ the 1st fret and 22mm @ the 12th.
I bought one of these and it came to me and a few days after I received it, it started to produce screaming sounds due to electrical issues. I sent it back and they couldn’t fix it so they sent a new one, and it started producing screaming sounds again after 30 minutes of playing. I don’t know if it’s just me or if it’s something with Jackson, but I know that Jackson is a very good guitar brand.
- Great video! Have the same guitar and I love it... But they have this cheap electronics and pickups....in my opinion they are bad but great to start with.... body, frets and neck are great...had some tuning issues with that jackson stock bridge....so i swap that out and put a schaller bridge. Fun fact, my brother has the same guitar but its dinky JS 32... and does not have tuning problems with bridge. Recently I put in seymour duncans jb`s on it and I`m finally satisfied.... But it had issues that need to be solved. In comparison with my Ibanez grg 170 dx they seem to be made with cheaper craftsmanship and electronics. But has room for upgrades and customisation. Btw what amp are you using in this video?
I used to have a RR-1 V it was such an awesome guitar! I remember it being one of the best guitars I ever played ha ha I am so asked to say I had to sell it
I miss it and hope to get another one some day!
Also your tone was perfect! Sick dude!
Thanks man! I don't think I ever saw you with that one!
Nice review, was curious about the neck profiles. If you replace the bridge could you try a Schaller Lockmeister. Would like your feedback on them.
When I picked up a Jackson guitar it has the fire like design in marble from portmans it was like 250$ to 300$ and picked up pack of vanhelan picks also the same guitar like that one also has a gold like bridge for about 280$ from guitar center
I bought the same Model in Black from Guitar Farm for 300 + S&H it sounded horrible and for some reason the Gain bottom would not work with the guitar i ended up reselling it for 150