Aiite so I am the furthest from a Floyd connoisseur so after seeing all the comments rinsing them on the 1500, I have done a ton of research. Basically my findings are: Floyd Rose Original: The OG made in Germany. Rock solid. Floyd Rose 1000: Exact same design, materials, and metals as the Original, but made in South Korea. Originally designed as an OEM-only series, which is why if you try to buy them aftermarket, it's actually more costly than an OFR lol. There is also a low-profile version that looks really clean, but with the OG design it's practically identical to the Original apart from country of origin. Floyd Rose 1500: Same as Floyd Rose 1000, except it has some stainless steel parts (that you can see), and a push-in trem bar ala Gotoh 1996T. Floyd Rose Special: Trash. Has softer zinc-alloy parts that wear quicker and makes for a less-reliable tremolo. Kind of confusing because Sweetwater has a "1000 Series Special", which is a Special and not a 1000/1500. Unless it's been "hot rodded" with stainless steel or titanium parts (Schecter does this), avoid at all costs. TL;DR 1000 is great, but on their "flagship" American production series, you could argue they should have put an OFR since it's on their MJ and Concept Series already. IMO the debate is kind of ridiculous, though, since Gotoh makes the best Floyd anyways lol. More information about the Jackson American Series » Sweetwater imp.i114863.net/9Wokq5 » Thomann for my international friends! bit.ly/3exUIMg » You can also try your luck on Reverb bit.ly/3RLda24
The worse Floyd I've ever had on a guitar was on a 2006 Korean ML 79. Utter shit. It was a Lo-Pro model that had a completely non-standard-shaped base plate. No one at Dean could give me a solid reply on a decent drop-in replacement. I eventually took it to bits, bought a 42mm brass block and all the other bits n'bobs, mainly import titanium parts when I could get them on sale. Works great now, what a fuckin' palaver though, The rest of the guitar, except maybe the pups were pretty great quality. I eventually swapped them out as well for Seymour Duncans.
All that midrange clouds up the guitars, And makes it unbearable after like 3 songs. you gotta remove it to make it listenable. Something the djent/ modern metal guys don't understand; it's like this gnashing annoying frequency that covers up the bass and drums and it makes great band sound like aids. Scooped guitar sounds ftw 👌
@@stevenhirsekorn3444 100 percent. That's why Petrucci and anyone even in his wheelhouse have listenable tone. It's bit fatiguing on the ears and the definition and clarity of notes is second to none. Glad someone else called ourmt the frequencies for what the are. Mush..
@@espojespo5 yeah exactly, that's why you can actually hear myung's bass in dream theater because petrucci knows how to leave that hole in the center and lower mids for the bass to come through. It also makes the guitar sound so mean and aggressive but yet pleasant and satisfying at the same time.
Its really better to have more mid range and scoop afterwards than have a scooped pickups or amp imo. A guitar is an instrument that shines more in the midrange, you just got to get that initial thickness of the bass and low mid and attack in the highs, afterwards you just clean it up. If you only have bass and highs in your guitar tone, it will cut in the mix but will play in the territory of other instruments so youll get less of the bass and cymbals.
I've had a Jackson Soloist since 1986, and it is the embodiment of a "special" guitar. After 35 years it still feels very special in my hands. Plays itself, fits like a glove and is so beautifully built. Magic in my hands.
The lack of binding makes me sad, it’s part of the DNA of Jackson. Also that should be a high end Floyd on a guitar that expensive:( How to quickly set it up? Make sure you have a tuner that registers all strings. Open the locks, set the fine tuners to neutral, strum, tune up towards the correct tuning (but just half a turn) and move to the next string. Then “sweep” tune until you are close (but never tune sharp). Then whammy and stretch and bend. Sweep into tune. Repeat until it doesn’t go out of tune. Lock. Done. If you tune one string at a time it takes *forever*. If you turn sharp it gets messy. (Yes, need to do the whole setup with the springs, neck, string height, etc too. But don’t need to do that when one is just swapping out strings.)
the Floyd thousand series are made from the same metals as the German made Floyds. They're just outsourced for "contract" mass produced guitar manufacturers. Anyone that says differently can email Floyd Rose directly, which I have many times and over the years I have been in contact w/ one of the production managers in Germany, and he swears they're the same, other than where they are produced.
This floyds 1500 are way better than the original floyd. Specialy for doing those fluttering sounds, because they have a allen screw to keep the whammy bar steady. Just like the gotoh floyds
@@ryant3600 Have you see both upclose? maybe they are made from the same metal etc but the fit and finish is different...And the arm on the Korean ones is not that stable...I have guitars with both bridges...
@@GalvaoRJ Looks like I missed it and they introduced a 1000 pro series, so this isn’t the same as in the lower tier Jacksons. I badly want one, but I really want the old school binding:) Got a pre Fender Jackson Fusion. Not a fan of the non standard “Floyd”, but replacing it is a big deal. And with an emotional guitar you don’t want to do that.
For the first time in my LIFE I’m gonna have the GBP for this level of guitar and you sir, after watching other videos and reading reviews, you’ve convinced me!!! Great video and Kudos from the UK 🇬🇧
I have 3 USA RR’s and they are absolutely amazing! One has stock Duncan pickups and the other two have EMG’s. One is in trans black flamed maple and one black and has a gold leaf pinstripe paint job by Mike Learn and another one is all black. Even have a Japanese model that is cool too. They play amazing!!
The soloist was my favorite guitar many years, then I went out and purchased an Ibanez RG5170b that has stainless steel frets and Fishman pickups... but I will always have a soft spot for the soloist LOL...
I think for USA made, unless you're willing to pay a crazy premium, you need to sacrifice those little bits. Floyd 1000 and nickel seems worth it if the alternative is paying $5k.
I like it, and I will eventually get myself a pro series Rhoads with a Alpha/Omega set, but I just wish they did this USA run sooner. They’ve been super behind the curve now with ESP, Schecter, and more blowing them away in a genre they began.
Ive got a MIJ Dk2 in Eerie Dess Swirl. It's HSS like this one with a JB in the bridge, super thin neck and I absolutely love it. This has a few higher end parts (locking tuners, floyd 1500 vs licensed, spoke wheel truss rod adjust and neck thru vs bolt on) but it's hard for me to really see the value proposition here when you can pick up an old MIJ for a lot cheaper and drop a fraction of the difference in upgrading a few parts and it's on par if not better. And that's not to mention the LTD 1000 series or E-II options out there which I know is a better comparison being new to new. I know you're paying a premium for the MIA factor but man. Regardless, I'm glad Fender seems to be giving Jackson some love after years of letting them wither on the vine for the last how many ever years, and I hope they continue to breathe life back into the company because I like tons of others love what Jackson used to be. Despite my criticisms this is a step in the right direction for them imo.
Agree with your position on this model's price. Yes, it's nice, but not $2600 nice. In 2018 I bought a used neck-through MIJ Rhoads for $450. That said, if they ditched the green or blue and made a blood red MIA Soloist, I could be tempted.
I picked up a reverse headstock bolt on neck mij DK2 not long ago off kijiji. I took the neck off and put it on an old mahogany king V body and created a monster the neck is so good. Match made in metal heaven
I have a fuchsia burst sl2 soloist, and its become my dream guitar. Its comfortable, easy to play, well balanced, you can get chunkeeeei and aggressive tones. And the color, looks amazing. Also i am a sucker for pointy headstocks on classy looking guitars. So im a biased jackson guy. It has character and i feel a lot of brands lack that today. Thats my take on jackson. Great video by the way.
I'm thinking about buying another SL2 guitar and wanted to ask if yours naturally (acoustically) more on the darker or brighter side tonally? I wanna put my alnico warpig in it and I'm afraid mahogany body will make it too dark sounding since warpig is a dark pickup to start with.
@@MATCHLESS789 Honestly i haven’t payed that much attention to the acoustic properties. But i can check today to see. I think it goes more towards that darker tone, but that also has to do with the Duncan distortions. There very punchy and high output.
Finally somebody notices the fucking binding You got to be kidding me Ebony board and binding is Zen This is still a decent guitar but not at that price pick one up street cheaper
Dude your tone sounded great. My first decent guitar was a early 90s Kelly and I still have it. I love that guitar and would never part with it. It still holds up today. Keep up the content you are fun to watch. Great attitude and you keep things fun.
The first real guitar I ever bought with my own money was an early 2000s limited run MIJ Soloist, and it's the guitar I compare everything else to. It pretty much defined what I like in a guitar, and only a select few have ever reached that bar since.
Thanks for the Demo! Glad you called out ESP and Jackson for their fret size.😄I love the stainless-steel bits on the Floyd and the locking nut. The locking Gotohs are another keen move. A new ESP or this? Thanks FMIC, you are making me seriously consider owning my first Jackson.
Just started getting into Jackson my first two times trying the brand I did t get lucky but then I found a Jackson king v Jenna Jameson model which I’ve been searching for 2 years and finally got one the guitars a metal beast
Jackson will always be first in my heart. 1984 Rhoads, 1989 Concert Bass, 1990 Soloist, 2015 Kelly, all US-made. The Kelly was my Custom Select order, I requested non-recessed to be able to install the D-Tuna. I love the neck profile - mine all have "standard" necks, a medium thickness comparable to Gibson slim taper. If they can have the Corona production line start making neck-thru instruments when they've only made Fender bolt-ons previously, I could see the Ensenada production line following suit in a few years (the Pro Series Dinkies are already made there). My only quibbles with the spec are that the fretboard seems to be unbound, and the case is a soft case. On unbound fretboards, I'd rather see dots or other small inlays. If they added a seven-string (and ideally in one of the pointy shapes and not just a Dinky/Soloist), it'll be an instant buy and I'll put the Rhoads back to E from B tuning.
I'd also like to see them improve the imports. Those were the only Jacksons I'd tried previously and compared to LTD, Schecter, or Ibanez, they seemed very behind. That being said, the guitar Josh Smith is teasing on his Instagram looks very, very sick!
Yeah, the stuff coming out of Indonesia is really hit or miss. Looking at pictures, the made in China stuff looks pretty good (odd that higher end models are being made there). I have an older made in Mexico and while it does have issues, they are easily overlooked for what I paid ($400) vs the specs (SD pickups, floyd 1500).
@@RyRyTheBassGuy yeah... I'm saying this as someone who has all the luck in the world with Indonesian Ibanez. The reason they use the Chinese factory is for their special finishes, because apparently they're the only factory that can do a crackle or a mirror finish. Like bruh, train the Mexican factory to make crackle, mirror and neck through and you wouldn't even need the far east for anything over 900$
@@Mr.Goldbar I get the feeling Fender doesn't really care about the Jackson brand. Look at what they've done with Charvel! The mexico plant is kicking ass with what they're producing under that brand.
@@RyRyTheBassGuy yes! I owned one of these Mexican Charvels, had to sell it to fund an older Japanese one but I wish I could keep both! That Mexican Charvel played better than any American Fender I've tried :) I wish they cared the same about Jackson
Nice vid to go with the equally nice guitar. Although I always have this weird thing to put in mods that I would do if I owned it. I'd take out the JB and neck single coil and swap them with rail humbuckers (Normal and single sizes), put in a three way switch for just the neck and bridge, put the middle coil to a push pull pot done on the tone knob, and have a coil split push pull on the volume knob for the neck and bridge. And I would try and do it with as little of drilling as I could.
With no Stainless Steel frets and no Floyd Rose Original, I don't see any reason to buy this over a Charvel Made in Mexico, besides the neck through. They even have the Soloist/Dinky shape!
Yeah not having Stainless should be a standard in that price point. As for the Floyds, I have talked quite a few times with a production mgr at Floyd in Germany, and he swears the floyd thousand series are the exact same as the German made floyds, all same metals/materials, just mass assembled in Korea for contract guitar manufacturers like: Charvel, Jackson, Cort, LTD's, etc..
Umm its made in the US. That's what you are paying for. The quality is the same as the Mexican charvels on these new Jacksons. Go get an old school early 90s rr1 or mij Jacksons professional rhoads pro or soloist pro if you want the old school quality.
Typical comment from someone who hasn't played it. This is the kind of stuff you need to try..... I think the Made in Indonesia Jacksons come close to the feel and at a lower price; they have lower end appointments, but feel very good. China and Korea Jacksons have the appointments, but don't feel the same.
I'm newer to playing guitar got an X Series Soloist a few months back. Gotta say it's an easy guitar to love when you're playing metal it's just begging to be played anything else... Well it's do able but you probably won't be doing it very comfortably or very conveniently, especially if you have big hands. That being said things to make tuning changing tuning and general set up easier 1. you can actually measure about how much you need to move the claw to change tunings so long as you keep the same string guage and springs measuring from the back of the claw to the wall of the cavity either at the center or behind the screws (write down measurements for future reference) 2. Tune from the g string first and alternate strings going out ending with the 6th string 3. Find or make something you can block the trem with to make string changes quicker 4 just about any of the pick ups from the X Series up can be split
I have a Jackson Kelley and a Dave Mustaine 1993 king v pro in silver metal flake, now this is a guitar that just never stops delivering, its metal as hell, sounds great and the look is killer. The Mustaine king v pro will never leave my collection, i play it every week and never get tired of it. I just bought a new Charvel pro mod So Cal, this guitar is a beast, the playability of the neck is second to none with hard maple and an ebony fret board ss frets of course. Its the smoothest guitar Ive ever laid my hands on and Ive played the 4-5k Keisel, PRS, and Strandberg guitars and they have nothing on this Charvel. Just got it yesterday and I had to say something, the orange blaze body with the ebony neck and hard maple headstock totally killer !!
Jackson used to be my favorite guitars. QC has been shaky lately to say the least, but I have high hopes for this line. I pre ordered the blue. I really hope it shreds.
I'd personally love to see Jackson bring back the old school Charvel guitar's, especially the model 5 and the model 5 A 🤘.and I'd love to see them do it in the old school colors.im dying for a reissue of the 1987-1988 Charvel Jackson model 5 in Black cherry metallic 🔥🤘🔥
Wait until you play a 1990 Japanese Jackson Professional Fusion Dinky or Soloist. I get what they were going for with this Soloist but for the price it's not fair for what you get, no binding on the fret board and headstock, no M.O.P logo, looks like they used a slight oversized headstock, If you are picky, there is also no Made in USA decal anywhere. I'm sure it plays great, but these are things Jackson is known for..
I just got a Jackson Pro Series Soloist SL2M in Magenta with Duncan Distortions. Sounds insane, looks killer, but needs a proper setup. I already love it, so I can't imagine how much I'll love it once its properly setup.
I gotta say Hunter, I'm not all that much into Thrash, but this demotrack was siick. :D No seriously, you've gotten so much better playing the guitar in the years I've followed you. Like, a few years ago, there was no way you would have laid down such a shreddy solo. Really love it. Sadly I myself am not there yet, can't really get the hang of shredding, don't really know what holds me back... Must be the guitar... Maybe I need a new one :D
My first love was the Les Paul, but much later on, I got into shreddy, pointy guitars. Ill have to check these out super strats just feel and look awesome.
Easiest way to balance a Floyd is to lock the bridge where you want it, tune it where you need it, lock the nut and release the block off the bridge. Then to get it all balanced, adjust the claw holding the tension springs until the guitar is back in tune. I’ve never had that fail. Learned it from Uncle Ben Eller ;)
Hell yeah 🤘 ngl, never really into those pointy guitars but the sound is pure 80s thrash metal. I also love the Silver Jubilee Marshall, the JCM800 sound is just so fat and meaty
The first guitar I ever got G.A.S. for was a USA Jackson Soloist SL1 in eerie dess swirl. I strayed far from any genre of music where that would be the appropriate choice, but this new american run (combined with how amazing my charvel dk24 is) is really drumming up some of those old feelings!
Love my USA Jacksons, glad you are finally warming up to them. USA Jacksons have always been my favorite. ESP E-II guitars are great, but their frets are smaller, which really annoyed me when I first tried them. Non-USA Jacksons have been hit and miss for me... personally would steer clear, unless you can find super early Made in Japan Jacksons from a specific era... those are right up there with Jackson USA Custom Shop.
over a decade with my RR24 and still holds up to this day. I cant wait to try the new soloist and I hope they will make some Rhoads Vs in the American series guitars.
I had a USA Dinky in 87 signed by Grover... haven't played another I like as much since but damn excited about these, now to figure out what to sell to get one!
They are more equivalent to the Fender American Performer Series not the American Professional since they use the lesser quality hardware parts on the jackson. it's watered down from an American Professional Series where they do not compromise on hardware quality.
Yeah and notice nowhere does it actually say "Made in the USA" on the guitar itself? Yeah i know its has corona,california on the back of the headstock but why that and not the Made in USA on the face of the headstock? All older USA Jackson's had this on the headstock.
@@Murphy_R9 yes and as far as i heard, it would be illegal for them to stamp made in usa since the hardware parts are imports. technically they are just assembled in the usa. the same as american fenders also just state corona california in the last years. i guess they make some hardware for the usa models in the mexican factory and that would be the reason
@@kevinstarofficial Yeah that would explain the lack of "Made in the USA" anywhere on the guitar. As a long time Jackson owner/player it is tragic to see FMIC run this once great brand into the ground! There was no reason to not use the Original floyd on these unless the FR 1000's and 1500's are that much cheaper? The OFR is $234 so how cheap are these 1500's? I also do not believe in a $2500 guitar coming with a glorified gig bag! hard shell cases only! I have other issues with these but they are personal preferences like i am not a fan of the inverted Shark fins at all. it throws me off looking at it. I like them the classic Jackson way. surprised they are actual MOP and not Pearloid like on the MIJ and other import ones. Would have been nice to see the Logo in MOP as well.
If you haven’t seen it yet, there’s these guitars on Amazon from a brand called Musi. They have one called the Virgo Fusion which is basically a super tele. Locking tuners, stainless steel frets, roasted maple, push/pull dual humbuckers, whammy bridge, cool ass colors, and it’s only $299. I’m not a professional so my opinions are weighted, but it’s pretty cool and feels good based on my novice review.
i just got a 1991 usa jackson custom shop, only 900$ shipped and tax. . best guitar iv ever owned easily lol cant believe i have it still for that price, has a custom fitted case too, a little smaller than a normal sl1
The company was acquired by the Fender Musical Instruments Corporation in 2002, which manufactures Jackson-branded guitars in its Corona, California, US and Ensenada, Mexico facilities.
easier floyd balance: Lock the bridge, tune to the desired tuning, the unpark, adjust the springs until it's level again - you should be in the ballpark of the tuning. rinse and repeat when you change height/string gauge/tuning. intonation is a bit more painful... but once set up, Floyds are cool as
hell yeah! i was sold on Jackson when i got scored a MIJ 96' Jackson Dinky, had to sell it for rent a few months ago but damn did this video remind me of FUUUUU why'd i do that!??! sick vid man!
I almost bought one of these. Ended up getting a Pro-plus, only because i don't WANT to pop double the price... but it is absolutely worth it. I know for a fact i am missing something, these Jackson usa feel amazing.
Yea,Nice Jackson...What say you we pull that beautiful Valiant or the Navigator out my man?!?!Huh, can we can we pleaseee😋🤘J/k sounds great.Also,those silver jubilees have been my favorite amp ever since I saw Ola take one out awhile back...in the words of Indiana Jones "you chose wisely"🤘
Aiite so I am the furthest from a Floyd connoisseur so after seeing all the comments rinsing them on the 1500, I have done a ton of research. Basically my findings are:
Floyd Rose Original: The OG made in Germany. Rock solid.
Floyd Rose 1000: Exact same design, materials, and metals as the Original, but made in South Korea. Originally designed as an OEM-only series, which is why if you try to buy them aftermarket, it's actually more costly than an OFR lol. There is also a low-profile version that looks really clean, but with the OG design it's practically identical to the Original apart from country of origin.
Floyd Rose 1500: Same as Floyd Rose 1000, except it has some stainless steel parts (that you can see), and a push-in trem bar ala Gotoh 1996T.
Floyd Rose Special: Trash. Has softer zinc-alloy parts that wear quicker and makes for a less-reliable tremolo. Kind of confusing because Sweetwater has a "1000 Series Special", which is a Special and not a 1000/1500. Unless it's been "hot rodded" with stainless steel or titanium parts (Schecter does this), avoid at all costs.
TL;DR 1000 is great, but on their "flagship" American production series, you could argue they should have put an OFR since it's on their MJ and Concept Series already. IMO the debate is kind of ridiculous, though, since Gotoh makes the best Floyd anyways lol.
More information about the Jackson American Series
» Sweetwater imp.i114863.net/9Wokq5
» Thomann for my international friends! bit.ly/3exUIMg
» You can also try your luck on Reverb bit.ly/3RLda24
ALL THE GAIN
NO MIDS
\m/
Slayer meets Cro-Mags
I like how you explained it, that Jackson put you in your place. Thanks for showing this gotta get one of those. Well off to sell gear now.
This would be a great guitar for about ＄1000 . But definitely not for ＄ 2600 .
The worse Floyd I've ever had on a guitar was on a 2006 Korean ML 79. Utter shit. It was a Lo-Pro model that had a completely non-standard-shaped base plate. No one at Dean could give me a solid reply on a decent drop-in replacement. I eventually took it to bits, bought a 42mm brass block and all the other bits n'bobs, mainly import titanium parts when I could get them on sale. Works great now, what a fuckin' palaver though, The rest of the guitar, except maybe the pups were pretty great quality. I eventually swapped them out as well for Seymour Duncans.
This guitar and that Marshall. I've been watching since the beginning and this is definitely the best tone you've had.
He also may be using some super special IR’s 😉
They should have included stainless steel frets and original Floyd for 2500 bucks.
For real. Jackson on some Jackson shit still
$2500 for an import Floyd 🤷🏻♂️😵💫
@@KaldDodeGitarist its some $4500 for a Misha sig type shit
Amen
Yep, dunno why? The cheaper Korean models have OFRs.
Looks and sounds awesome. I will say based on the tone I think I understand why 80s guitar tones were scooped. There's mid range for days.
Yeah good god there's so much midrange hahaha
All that midrange clouds up the guitars, And makes it unbearable after like 3 songs. you gotta remove it to make it listenable. Something the djent/ modern metal guys don't understand; it's like this gnashing annoying frequency that covers up the bass and drums and it makes great band sound like aids. Scooped guitar sounds ftw 👌
@@stevenhirsekorn3444 100 percent. That's why Petrucci and anyone even in his wheelhouse have listenable tone. It's bit fatiguing on the ears and the definition and clarity of notes is second to none. Glad someone else called ourmt the frequencies for what the are. Mush..
@@espojespo5 yeah exactly, that's why you can actually hear myung's bass in dream theater because petrucci knows how to leave that hole in the center and lower mids for the bass to come through. It also makes the guitar sound so mean and aggressive but yet pleasant and satisfying at the same time.
Its really better to have more mid range and scoop afterwards than have a scooped pickups or amp imo. A guitar is an instrument that shines more in the midrange, you just got to get that initial thickness of the bass and low mid and attack in the highs, afterwards you just clean it up. If you only have bass and highs in your guitar tone, it will cut in the mix but will play in the territory of other instruments so youll get less of the bass and cymbals.
Jackson man here! You had me at Seymoure Duncan 😊
I've had a Jackson Soloist since 1986, and it is the embodiment of a "special" guitar. After 35 years it still feels very special in my hands. Plays itself, fits like a glove and is so beautifully built. Magic in my hands.
I have a Jackson Charvel model 6, which is the Japanese version of your soloist. 1987. It is truly a very well built and special guitar.
@@216trixieMy '87 Model 5 will be buried with me. The 86-87 MIJ Charvels are grails.
@@lsu1992 Nice!
I am hearing this through my car. I cannot describe how awesome that guitar and amp combo sounds. Wow!
And possibly some super special IR’s 😉
Always loved Jackson guitars 🎸 and these are very awesome 👌 and I had a Soloist and it was awesome 😯would love to have one of those for sure 🎸☠️🙈🙉🙊🤘
The demo song is called "Tornado in an Alley"
The lack of binding makes me sad, it’s part of the DNA of Jackson. Also that should be a high end Floyd on a guitar that expensive:(
How to quickly set it up? Make sure you have a tuner that registers all strings. Open the locks, set the fine tuners to neutral, strum, tune up towards the correct tuning (but just half a turn) and move to the next string. Then “sweep” tune until you are close (but never tune sharp).
Then whammy and stretch and bend. Sweep into tune. Repeat until it doesn’t go out of tune. Lock. Done.
If you tune one string at a time it takes *forever*. If you turn sharp it gets messy.
(Yes, need to do the whole setup with the springs, neck, string height, etc too. But don’t need to do that when one is just swapping out strings.)
Yep. It especially makes the white one and the black one look "cheap" comparatively, and that floyd on a $2500 guitar is insane.
the Floyd thousand series are made from the same metals as the German made Floyds. They're just outsourced for "contract" mass produced guitar manufacturers. Anyone that says differently can email Floyd Rose directly, which I have many times and over the years I have been in contact w/ one of the production managers in Germany, and he swears they're the same, other than where they are produced.
This floyds 1500 are way better than the original floyd. Specialy for doing those fluttering sounds, because they have a allen screw to keep the whammy bar steady. Just like the gotoh floyds
@@ryant3600 Have you see both upclose? maybe they are made from the same metal etc but the fit and finish is different...And the arm on the Korean ones is not that stable...I have guitars with both bridges...
@@GalvaoRJ Looks like I missed it and they introduced a 1000 pro series, so this isn’t the same as in the lower tier Jacksons.
I badly want one, but I really want the old school binding:)
Got a pre Fender Jackson Fusion. Not a fan of the non standard “Floyd”, but replacing it is a big deal. And with an emotional guitar you don’t want to do that.
Gotta love that he decided to play Thrash and Wes Borland riffs with it
I really hope they'll make a HH T.O.M RR, even a HH T.O.M SL with a moved volume knob would be awesome!
For the first time in my LIFE I’m gonna have the GBP for this level of guitar and you sir, after watching other videos and reading reviews, you’ve convinced me!!! Great video and Kudos from the UK 🇬🇧
I have 3 USA RR’s and they are absolutely amazing! One has stock Duncan pickups and the other two have EMG’s. One is in trans black flamed maple and one black and has a gold leaf pinstripe paint job by Mike Learn and another one is all black. Even have a Japanese model that is cool too. They play amazing!!
Great demo, it sounded like something between Slayer and Bullet for my valentine
The soloist was my favorite guitar many years, then I went out and purchased an Ibanez RG5170b that has stainless steel frets and Fishman pickups... but I will always have a soft spot for the soloist LOL...
Mi first guitar is a Jackson, the best buy of my life. Now i upgraded the pickups and now sounds fenomenal.
I thought the best way to test a guitar was to see how well it plays Youth Gone Wild by Skid Row?
That is a solid throwback reference. Take my like.
Bro to watch your journey throughout the years has truly been a pleasure
That demo track was great! You definitely put your own spin on the style.
No hard case, no original floyd, no stainless steel frets, Les Paul pricing.
I dunno. I get inflation and all but for $2500 I want an original floyd rose and stainless frets. The green does look sick though
I think for USA made, unless you're willing to pay a crazy premium, you need to sacrifice those little bits. Floyd 1000 and nickel seems worth it if the alternative is paying $5k.
I have an American Jackson Soloist... and it is awesome! But mine was made in 1988.
Hunter, I don’t care what the demo sounded like…you loooked so freakin cool with that pointy green thing on…badass my man😎
I like it, and I will eventually get myself a pro series Rhoads with a Alpha/Omega set, but I just wish they did this USA run sooner. They’ve been super behind the curve now with ESP, Schecter, and more blowing them away in a genre they began.
Jackson makes a great guitar.
Nice to see you play a proper metal guitar instead of all those boomer Gibsons.
Bruh.
Lmao
@@agufish Brug
Best comment
Certified bruh moment
Ive got a MIJ Dk2 in Eerie Dess Swirl. It's HSS like this one with a JB in the bridge, super thin neck and I absolutely love it. This has a few higher end parts (locking tuners, floyd 1500 vs licensed, spoke wheel truss rod adjust and neck thru vs bolt on) but it's hard for me to really see the value proposition here when you can pick up an old MIJ for a lot cheaper and drop a fraction of the difference in upgrading a few parts and it's on par if not better. And that's not to mention the LTD 1000 series or E-II options out there which I know is a better comparison being new to new. I know you're paying a premium for the MIA factor but man. Regardless, I'm glad Fender seems to be giving Jackson some love after years of letting them wither on the vine for the last how many ever years, and I hope they continue to breathe life back into the company because I like tons of others love what Jackson used to be. Despite my criticisms this is a step in the right direction for them imo.
Agree with your position on this model's price. Yes, it's nice, but not $2600 nice. In 2018 I bought a used neck-through MIJ Rhoads for $450. That said, if they ditched the green or blue and made a blood red MIA Soloist, I could be tempted.
I picked up a reverse headstock bolt on neck mij DK2 not long ago off kijiji. I took the neck off and put it on an old mahogany king V body and created a monster the neck is so good. Match made in metal heaven
Same guitar and color. I upgraded mine with Schaller FR.
I have a fuchsia burst sl2 soloist, and its become my dream guitar. Its comfortable, easy to play, well balanced, you can get chunkeeeei and aggressive tones. And the color, looks amazing. Also i am a sucker for pointy headstocks on classy looking guitars. So im a biased jackson guy. It has character and i feel a lot of brands lack that today. Thats my take on jackson.
Great video by the way.
I'm thinking about buying another SL2 guitar and wanted to ask if yours naturally (acoustically) more on the darker or brighter side tonally? I wanna put my alnico warpig in it and I'm afraid mahogany body will make it too dark sounding since warpig is a dark pickup to start with.
@@MATCHLESS789 Honestly i haven’t payed that much attention to the acoustic properties. But i can check today to see. I think it goes more towards that darker tone, but that also has to do with the Duncan distortions. There very punchy and high output.
I have 2 late 90's American made Jackson Kellys. Wonderful necks. Great playing for sure. I'm glad others can experience this on a new instrument.
Awesome tone as well as the riffs 🎸☠️🤘
Oh yeah the tone is super sick. Might have something to do with the super special IR’s he’s using 😉
For the price I want OG German Floyd, correct orientation shark tooth inlays, neck and headstock binding, and SS frets.
Finally somebody notices the fucking binding You got to be kidding me
Ebony board and binding is Zen
This is still a decent guitar but not at that price pick one up street cheaper
Yeah, what you ask for and at the price you ask for..... will be made in China.
I want a USA Made Neck through Jackson BASS. I'd also take a Japanese Charvel in neck through, like the old model 3B
Dude your tone sounded great. My first decent guitar was a early 90s Kelly and I still have it. I love that guitar and would never part with it. It still holds up today. Keep up the content you are fun to watch. Great attitude and you keep things fun.
That demo song was pretty damn rockin man! I like it!!! People love that $hit!!!!
You get a chance, try out the SL1 or SL2.
I've got an SL1 hard tail flamed top in blue. 2004 model and definitely a step up
Plus a binded neck
Oooo…that little bit of arch enemy Nemesis, I felt that.
I had a DK2 back in the 90s man that guitar was amazing. Is one of my favorites that I’ve ever owned.
Damn dude the quality of production has taken a big step
Thanks, man! Been putting a lot of effort into upping the production quality, appreciate you taking notice
@@agufish What do you use for your drums?
@@kynde92 He uses a Luke Kramer lol
Yeah, backwards since 2008
@@brandonharris9160he’s talking about the video
The matte finish looks so good on this series!
The first real guitar I ever bought with my own money was an early 2000s limited run MIJ Soloist, and it's the guitar I compare everything else to. It pretty much defined what I like in a guitar, and only a select few have ever reached that bar since.
Thanks for the Demo! Glad you called out ESP and Jackson for their fret size.😄I love the stainless-steel bits on the Floyd and the locking nut. The locking Gotohs are another keen move. A new ESP or this? Thanks FMIC, you are making me seriously consider owning my first Jackson.
Exodus meets Helloween with a touch of Slayer. Dude, you nailed it.
Just started getting into Jackson my first two times trying the brand I did t get lucky but then I found a Jackson king v Jenna Jameson model which I’ve been searching for 2 years and finally got one the guitars a metal beast
Jackson will always be first in my heart. 1984 Rhoads, 1989 Concert Bass, 1990 Soloist, 2015 Kelly, all US-made. The Kelly was my Custom Select order, I requested non-recessed to be able to install the D-Tuna. I love the neck profile - mine all have "standard" necks, a medium thickness comparable to Gibson slim taper. If they can have the Corona production line start making neck-thru instruments when they've only made Fender bolt-ons previously, I could see the Ensenada production line following suit in a few years (the Pro Series Dinkies are already made there).
My only quibbles with the spec are that the fretboard seems to be unbound, and the case is a soft case. On unbound fretboards, I'd rather see dots or other small inlays. If they added a seven-string (and ideally in one of the pointy shapes and not just a Dinky/Soloist), it'll be an instant buy and I'll put the Rhoads back to E from B tuning.
Wish more companies made green gutiars.
A jackson with JB bridge is one of the best tones in metal
I wish they first perfected their imports (which are sub par), and then launch an American line
I'd also like to see them improve the imports. Those were the only Jacksons I'd tried previously and compared to LTD, Schecter, or Ibanez, they seemed very behind. That being said, the guitar Josh Smith is teasing on his Instagram looks very, very sick!
Yeah, the stuff coming out of Indonesia is really hit or miss. Looking at pictures, the made in China stuff looks pretty good (odd that higher end models are being made there).
I have an older made in Mexico and while it does have issues, they are easily overlooked for what I paid ($400) vs the specs (SD pickups, floyd 1500).
@@RyRyTheBassGuy yeah... I'm saying this as someone who has all the luck in the world with Indonesian Ibanez.
The reason they use the Chinese factory is for their special finishes, because apparently they're the only factory that can do a crackle or a mirror finish.
Like bruh, train the Mexican factory to make crackle, mirror and neck through and you wouldn't even need the far east for anything over 900$
@@Mr.Goldbar I get the feeling Fender doesn't really care about the Jackson brand. Look at what they've done with Charvel! The mexico plant is kicking ass with what they're producing under that brand.
@@RyRyTheBassGuy yes! I owned one of these Mexican Charvels, had to sell it to fund an older Japanese one but I wish I could keep both! That Mexican Charvel played better than any American Fender I've tried :)
I wish they cared the same about Jackson
Nice vid to go with the equally nice guitar.
Although I always have this weird thing to put in mods that I would do if I owned it.
I'd take out the JB and neck single coil and swap them with rail humbuckers (Normal and single sizes), put in a three way switch for just the neck and bridge, put the middle coil to a push pull pot done on the tone knob, and have a coil split push pull on the volume knob for the neck and bridge. And I would try and do it with as little of drilling as I could.
I love these, I might wait to see if an HH soloist or dinky is on the way
That thing sounds amazing
THIS VIDEO WAS AMAZING !!!
Great demo track
Cool guitar, still wish they made a neck with binding
With no Stainless Steel frets and no Floyd Rose Original, I don't see any reason to buy this over a Charvel Made in Mexico, besides the neck through. They even have the Soloist/Dinky shape!
Yeah not having Stainless should be a standard in that price point. As for the Floyds, I have talked quite a few times with a production mgr at Floyd in Germany, and he swears the floyd thousand series are the exact same as the German made floyds, all same metals/materials, just mass assembled in Korea for contract guitar manufacturers like: Charvel, Jackson, Cort, LTD's, etc..
Umm its made in the US. That's what you are paying for. The quality is the same as the Mexican charvels on these new Jacksons. Go get an old school early 90s rr1 or mij Jacksons professional rhoads pro or soloist pro if you want the old school quality.
Typical comment from someone who hasn't played it. This is the kind of stuff you need to try..... I think the Made in Indonesia Jacksons come close to the feel and at a lower price; they have lower end appointments, but feel very good. China and Korea Jacksons have the appointments, but don't feel the same.
I'm newer to playing guitar got an X Series Soloist a few months back. Gotta say it's an easy guitar to love when you're playing metal it's just begging to be played anything else... Well it's do able but you probably won't be doing it very comfortably or very conveniently, especially if you have big hands. That being said things to make tuning changing tuning and general set up easier 1. you can actually measure about how much you need to move the claw to change tunings so long as you keep the same string guage and springs measuring from the back of the claw to the wall of the cavity either at the center or behind the screws (write down measurements for future reference) 2. Tune from the g string first and alternate strings going out ending with the 6th string 3. Find or make something you can block the trem with to make string changes quicker 4 just about any of the pick ups from the X Series up can be split
"What would Kerry King do?" I mean- first, swap that out for something with a Kahler trem. But beyond that, yeah, accurate.
I have a Jackson Kelley and a Dave Mustaine 1993 king v pro in silver metal flake, now this is a guitar that just never stops delivering, its metal as hell, sounds great and the look is killer. The Mustaine king v pro will never leave my collection, i play it every week and never get tired of it. I just bought a new Charvel pro mod So Cal, this guitar is a beast, the playability of the neck is second to none with hard maple and an ebony fret board ss frets of course. Its the smoothest guitar Ive ever laid my hands on and Ive played the 4-5k Keisel, PRS, and Strandberg guitars and they have nothing on this Charvel. Just got it yesterday and I had to say something, the orange blaze body with the ebony neck and hard maple headstock totally killer !!
Jackson used to be my favorite guitars. QC has been shaky lately to say the least, but I have high hopes for this line. I pre ordered the blue. I really hope it shreds.
I'd personally love to see Jackson bring back the old school Charvel guitar's, especially the model 5 and the model 5 A 🤘.and I'd love to see them do it in the old school colors.im dying for a reissue of the 1987-1988 Charvel Jackson model 5 in Black cherry metallic 🔥🤘🔥
The demo track was actually pretty sick. Loved the riffs 🤘🏻 too bad the headstock is not reversed though.
stainless steel frets wear out strings more even if they’re also the same material and i could see this with titanium though that’s rare for both
Wait until you play a 1990 Japanese Jackson Professional Fusion Dinky or Soloist. I get what they were going for with this Soloist but for the price it's not fair for what you get, no binding on the fret board and headstock, no M.O.P logo, looks like they used a slight oversized headstock, If you are picky, there is also no Made in USA decal anywhere. I'm sure it plays great, but these are things Jackson is known for..
That solo might’ve been cheese’d, but it was a finely crafted cheese. Very Muenster-ous riffs.
I just got a Jackson Pro Series Soloist SL2M in Magenta with Duncan Distortions. Sounds insane, looks killer, but needs a proper setup. I already love it, so I can't imagine how much I'll love it once its properly setup.
I gotta say Hunter, I'm not all that much into Thrash, but this demotrack was siick. :D
No seriously, you've gotten so much better playing the guitar in the years I've followed you. Like, a few years ago, there was no way you would have laid down such a shreddy solo. Really love it. Sadly I myself am not there yet, can't really get the hang of shredding, don't really know what holds me back... Must be the guitar... Maybe I need a new one :D
I have a Dinky JS22, was amazed after the set up how low the action was and how well it played for a sub $200 Axe.
Dude, this might be my favorite tone you’ve ever gotten
One of my favorite tracks from you! 🤙🏻
Jeeee the backing track was so good!!!
My first love was the Les Paul, but much later on, I got into shreddy, pointy guitars. Ill have to check these out super strats just feel and look awesome.
When I think of Jackson, Adrian Smith is the first one that comes to mind.
dude....Jackson have ALWAYS BEEN crazy Metal....thanks for bringing back the USA Soloist...Floyd 1500 are the best.....great video
On Andertons' demo of these, Rabea mentions at one point that these are very "middy" guitars.
Easiest way to balance a Floyd is to lock the bridge where you want it, tune it where you need it, lock the nut and release the block off the bridge. Then to get it all balanced, adjust the claw holding the tension springs until the guitar is back in tune. I’ve never had that fail. Learned it from Uncle Ben Eller ;)
9:11 Kirk Hammett approves LoL
Hell yeah 🤘 ngl, never really into those pointy guitars but the sound is pure 80s thrash metal. I also love the Silver Jubilee Marshall, the JCM800 sound is just so fat and meaty
The first guitar I ever got G.A.S. for was a USA Jackson Soloist SL1 in eerie dess swirl. I strayed far from any genre of music where that would be the appropriate choice, but this new american run (combined with how amazing my charvel dk24 is) is really drumming up some of those old feelings!
Love my USA Jacksons, glad you are finally warming up to them. USA Jacksons have always been my favorite. ESP E-II guitars are great, but their frets are smaller, which really annoyed me when I first tried them. Non-USA Jacksons have been hit and miss for me... personally would steer clear, unless you can find super early Made in Japan Jacksons from a specific era... those are right up there with Jackson USA Custom Shop.
Love the jackson reviews.
You made a boomer happy lol
I've been playing jackson since the 80's. Rhoads V's and king V's.
Cool video, I'm working on getting one of these in Riviera Blue 💙
over a decade with my RR24 and still holds up to this day. I cant wait to try the new soloist and I hope they will make some Rhoads Vs in the American series guitars.
Best. Demo. Track. Ever.
That was really cool, more old school thrash in standard E please ❤️
I had a USA Dinky in 87 signed by Grover... haven't played another I like as much since but damn excited about these, now to figure out what to sell to get one!
They are more equivalent to the Fender American Performer Series not the American Professional since they use the lesser quality hardware parts on the jackson. it's watered down from an American Professional Series where they do not compromise on hardware quality.
Yeah and notice nowhere does it actually say "Made in the USA" on the guitar itself?
Yeah i know its has corona,california on the back of the headstock but why that and not
the Made in USA on the face of the headstock?
All older USA Jackson's had this on the headstock.
@@Murphy_R9 yes and as far as i heard, it would be illegal for them to stamp made in usa since the hardware parts are imports. technically they are just assembled in the usa. the same as american fenders also just state corona california in the last years. i guess they make some hardware for the usa models in the mexican factory and that would be the reason
@@kevinstarofficial Yeah that would explain the lack of "Made in the USA" anywhere on the guitar. As a long time Jackson owner/player it is tragic to see FMIC run this once great brand into the ground! There was no reason to not use the Original floyd on these unless the FR 1000's and 1500's are that much cheaper?
The OFR is $234 so how cheap are these 1500's?
I also do not believe in a $2500 guitar coming with a glorified gig bag! hard shell cases only! I have other issues with these but they are personal preferences like i am not a fan of the inverted Shark fins at all. it throws me off looking at it. I like them the classic Jackson way. surprised they are actual MOP and not Pearloid like on the MIJ and other import ones.
Would have been nice to see the Logo in MOP as well.
I would still go Ibanez prestige honestly. They’re just so good!
If you haven’t seen it yet, there’s these guitars on Amazon from a brand called Musi. They have one called the Virgo Fusion which is basically a super tele. Locking tuners, stainless steel frets, roasted maple, push/pull dual humbuckers, whammy bridge, cool ass colors, and it’s only $299. I’m not a professional so my opinions are weighted, but it’s pretty cool and feels good based on my novice review.
i just got a 1991 usa jackson custom shop, only 900$ shipped and tax. . best guitar iv ever owned easily lol cant believe i have it still for that price, has a custom fitted case too, a little smaller than a normal sl1
Metal dad mode: engaged!
The company was acquired by the Fender Musical Instruments Corporation in 2002, which manufactures Jackson-branded guitars in its Corona, California, US and Ensenada, Mexico facilities.
easier floyd balance: Lock the bridge, tune to the desired tuning, the unpark, adjust the springs until it's level again - you should be in the ballpark of the tuning.
rinse and repeat when you change height/string gauge/tuning.
intonation is a bit more painful... but once set up, Floyds are cool as
Damn imagine Jackson guitarist surviving 10000 years from now and referring to us as ”ancient magical Jackson playing legends“
hell yeah! i was sold on Jackson when i got scored a MIJ 96' Jackson Dinky, had to sell it for rent a few months ago but damn did this video remind me of FUUUUU why'd i do that!??! sick vid man!
I almost bought one of these. Ended up getting a Pro-plus, only because i don't WANT to pop double the price... but it is absolutely worth it. I know for a fact i am missing something, these Jackson usa feel amazing.
A dialed in Jackson is always fun to rip around on. 5 minute riff sounds like Psychosomatic - Riot Squadron and them guys shred on Jacksons too.🤘
Yea,Nice Jackson...What say you we pull that beautiful Valiant or the Navigator out my man?!?!Huh, can we can we pleaseee😋🤘J/k sounds great.Also,those silver jubilees have been my favorite amp ever since I saw Ola take one out awhile back...in the words of Indiana Jones "you chose wisely"🤘
That was a seriously kick ass thrash song!
$2500 and not a German Floyd Orginal? Thats crazy!
SLAYER 🤘🏼
That demo track was EASILY one of your best.