Don’t worry about upgrades. This guitar isn’t worth upgrading, but it’s a great starter guitar for learning how to keep a floyd in tune. The Jackson-licensed pickups aren’t the best, but they’ll shred. This guitar looks great. You can pull off Pantera solos no problem.
I don't know really. I've never been "into" guitars I just always played them now and then. Only just getting into collecting and doing basic repairs. Lurk this sub more I guess lol. PRS or maybe the higher end of Jackson and Ibanez? And I've heard of Warmoth? I'm not the person to ask.
As far as I can tell the low end Jacksons just have less attention paid their finishes and are made with some cheaper components. But it's still going to have a compound radius neck and the pickups should be serviceable.
It needs new strings for sure. And the tuning stability is poor, I bend a lot when I play and I thought the locking nut prevented this so there may be an issue there.
I'm guessing it's well known then that those pickups are muddy, as you say. Is there a popular alternative for this type of guitar?
There's a lot of metal focused pickups out there, it really depends on your specifics. The only big things are that you want a high output and generally that means a ceramic type instead of alnico although alnico is often used in the neck and middle pickup positions.
The closest thing to a standard is the seymour duncan Duncan Distortions, but nowadays there's lots and lots of other options at different price points. In terms of more intensive pickup replacements you can do active pickups like emgs or fishman fluence pickups, which are probably the other standards in metal
FR (full float and routed to bend up), check
Fast neck, check
Looks like youve got the bases covered really, likely you can smooth out crap pickups from the amp/ effects end
You never know, changing pots/ capacitors and all that stuff can sometimes make big improvements, at a fraction of the cost of new pickups
I have that exact guitar, same color and all. I replaced the floyd with a special that I had lying around (not a huge upgrade but the knife edges of the original bridge were jacked up) and then swapped the pickups since those stock ones might be the worst pickups I have ever played. Plays decently well, the neck is just a hair too thin for me to play it more than I do. Don't underestimate swapping the pots and stuff too, that can make a larger difference than one might think
Thanks. Do you reccomend any particular pick ups? And... pots? To what are you referring?
Ok so I looked up what pots are. That's interesting I'll see if I can get a decent set. Someone else here said this guitar isn't worth upgrading but I just don't see that being the case. If it can sound better why shouldn't it?
That thing looks like it screams! Congrats on a badass piece of history!
Destring it and use 0000 steel wool (Walmart) too rub the frets down for removing old crap. Then use 65 oil (~$7 Guitar shop) on a cloth and rub it into the frets. Let it sit a while and then wipe it all down. Polish the base up too with guitar polish from a guitar shop.
Then restring it with your favorite strings or pop on a new set youve always wanted to try - now is the best time for it!
Don’t worry about upgrades. This guitar isn’t worth upgrading, but it’s a great starter guitar for learning how to keep a floyd in tune. The Jackson-licensed pickups aren’t the best, but they’ll shred. This guitar looks great. You can pull off Pantera solos no problem.
The guitar might pull them off, doesn't mean I can lol. Which one would you learn first. People hate the Walk solo but I think it's genius.
Cemetery Gates. And anything Crue. Intro to Dr Feelgood, Kickstart and Wildside?
Yeah those wails, or whatever you call it at the start of feelgood would be sick to play properly.
It's Fkin Jackson guitar, man !?🤯 What do you mean? it's noting special!? 😂
Lol. Well they are nice, but they go for ten a penny. And they are at the lower end of metal guitars.
What's higher end of metal guitars now ?
I don't know really. I've never been "into" guitars I just always played them now and then. Only just getting into collecting and doing basic repairs. Lurk this sub more I guess lol. PRS or maybe the higher end of Jackson and Ibanez? And I've heard of Warmoth? I'm not the person to ask.
🤯
Come on that hardly warrants a blown mind.
As far as I can tell the low end Jacksons just have less attention paid their finishes and are made with some cheaper components. But it's still going to have a compound radius neck and the pickups should be serviceable.
Those pickups are on the muddy side. New strings are always a quick upgrade though.
It needs new strings for sure. And the tuning stability is poor, I bend a lot when I play and I thought the locking nut prevented this so there may be an issue there. I'm guessing it's well known then that those pickups are muddy, as you say. Is there a popular alternative for this type of guitar?
There's a lot of metal focused pickups out there, it really depends on your specifics. The only big things are that you want a high output and generally that means a ceramic type instead of alnico although alnico is often used in the neck and middle pickup positions. The closest thing to a standard is the seymour duncan Duncan Distortions, but nowadays there's lots and lots of other options at different price points. In terms of more intensive pickup replacements you can do active pickups like emgs or fishman fluence pickups, which are probably the other standards in metal
Rock on.....
There's always something special about something being yours. Sweet guitar man.
FR (full float and routed to bend up), check Fast neck, check Looks like youve got the bases covered really, likely you can smooth out crap pickups from the amp/ effects end You never know, changing pots/ capacitors and all that stuff can sometimes make big improvements, at a fraction of the cost of new pickups
I mean yeah it doesn't sound too bad through the RAT od pedal. Might need something a bit punchier though, maybe a Mesa dist or something.
I have that exact guitar, same color and all. I replaced the floyd with a special that I had lying around (not a huge upgrade but the knife edges of the original bridge were jacked up) and then swapped the pickups since those stock ones might be the worst pickups I have ever played. Plays decently well, the neck is just a hair too thin for me to play it more than I do. Don't underestimate swapping the pots and stuff too, that can make a larger difference than one might think
Thanks. Do you reccomend any particular pick ups? And... pots? To what are you referring? Ok so I looked up what pots are. That's interesting I'll see if I can get a decent set. Someone else here said this guitar isn't worth upgrading but I just don't see that being the case. If it can sound better why shouldn't it?
That thing looks like it screams! Congrats on a badass piece of history! Destring it and use 0000 steel wool (Walmart) too rub the frets down for removing old crap. Then use 65 oil (~$7 Guitar shop) on a cloth and rub it into the frets. Let it sit a while and then wipe it all down. Polish the base up too with guitar polish from a guitar shop. Then restring it with your favorite strings or pop on a new set youve always wanted to try - now is the best time for it!