# Quality control issues on a Jackson Pro Series Soloist



## The Silent Man (Jun 15, 2018)

I finally received an amazing Jackson Pro Series Soloist SL2Q HT MAH





It's an awesome machine, it sounds probably better than each of the 15 guitars I have owned through the years.

However I was quite disappointed when I found several little quality control issues:

4 very small darker spots on the quilted maple top: each of them "creates" an irregular surface on the top - in terms of thickness: if you put the guitar against the light you clearly see a difference in thickness on each of the dark spots;

On the right horn of the body, there are 3 very small points. They look like grains of dust or sand, but when touching them I figured out they were carved on the surface.
More minor flaws include:

a spot obviously lacking paint on an area between the body and the upper part of the fretboard; 

fretboard with messy binding on the last few frets, as if something (glue?) between ebony and white binding wasn't properly applied;
some frets around the 15th show stains and slight colour alteration: oxidation, already? :-(

All of the above flaws are basically unnoticeable when playing unless you know where they are.
I am nonetheless disappointed with the quality inspection of a Pro Series which is not supposed to be cheap.

The fact that it was made in Indonesia does not imply that if I am buying a brand new instrument I get one with faults and spots of rust on the frets.


Again, the guitar is impressive in terms of playability and sound. Has anyone experiences similiar troubles with Pro Series Jackson guitars?


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## MaxOfMetal (Jun 15, 2018)

That's pretty much par the course on something in this price range, <$800. 

Some will be better and some will be worse. But at that price stuff like binding is rarely done perfectly, same with finishing. 

I will say, the Indonesian Jackson stuff has been some of the worse I've seen in this bracket. Stick to the MIM stuff if you want a new, cheaper Jackson.


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## Glades (Jun 15, 2018)

My issue with Jackson entirely. They have their cheap Indo line and the super expensive USA line, and nothing in between. They don't have quality guitars in the $1,500-$2,000 range. I wish they had a MIJ line in this range.


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## MaxOfMetal (Jun 15, 2018)

Glades said:


> My issue with Jackson entirely. They have their cheap Indo line and the super expensive USA line, and nothing in between. They don't have quality guitars in the $1,500-$2,000 range. I wish they had a MIJ line in this range.



They rather push you into buying a $2400 SL2H. 

As before, the Japanese offerings eat into thiers bread and butter USA sales.


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## mikah912 (Jun 15, 2018)

Gah...that sucks. I'm just about to do a NGD for this guitar except in the Northern Lights Burst finish. Mine's pretty awesome. No irregular finish shenanigans, for the most part.


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## bnzboy (Jun 15, 2018)

MaxOfMetal said:


> They rather push you into buying a $2400 SL2H.
> 
> As before, the Japanese offerings eat into thiers bread and butter USA sales.



100% agreed. Also it is sad but I learned to accept that those minor flaws will always be noticed with budget models.


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## The Silent Man (Jun 15, 2018)

MaxOfMetal said:


> That's pretty much par the course on something in this price range, <$800.
> 
> Some will be better and some will be worse. But at that price stuff like binding is rarely done perfectly, same with finishing.
> 
> I will say, the Indonesian Jackson stuff has been some of the worse I've seen in this bracket. Stick to the MIM stuff if you want a new, cheaper Jackson.



Really?
I have a beautiful 2016 Ibanez Premium RG6PCMLTD made in Indonesia and, despite not being perfect, it's far from this one in terms of flaws.

I did not expect the guitar to look perfect, but those darker spots on the quilted maple are something I wasn't even aware of. I'm not expecting them on another unit, for instance.


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## MaxOfMetal (Jun 15, 2018)

The Silent Man said:


> Really?
> I have a beautiful 2016 Ibanez Premium RG6PCMLTD made in Indonesia and, despite not being perfect, it's far from this one in terms of flaws.
> 
> I did not expect the guitar to look perfect, but those darker spots on the quilted maple are something I wasn't even aware of. I'm not expecting them on another unit, for instance.



You got lucky with the Premium.

The cheaper you go, with the more features and your odds of getting something really good diminish. 

With Jackson, if you're not spending at least $2k, you're pretty much flipping a coin with what you get.


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## mikah912 (Jun 15, 2018)

MaxOfMetal said:


> You got lucky with the Premium.
> 
> The cheaper you go, with the more features and your odds of getting something really good diminish.
> 
> With Jackson, if you're not spending at least $2k, you're pretty much flipping a coin with what you get.



I think I made out great, then. Got a fantastic deal on an open-box one, and have been mega happy with the fit and finish. Reminds me a lot of the standard scale blue burst Ormsby GTR I used to have - which was made at WMI in Korea - but with a better feeling fretboard and better stock pickups. That one cost quite a bit more.


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## The Silent Man (Jun 15, 2018)

mikah912 said:


> Gah...that sucks. I'm just about to do a NGD for this guitar except in the Northern Lights Burst finish. Mine's pretty awesome. No irregular finish shenanigans, for the most part.


Which is great news for me: I'm probably going to return mine and test my luck again with the same model. I just love to play it and I really like the finish.



MaxOfMetal said:


> You got lucky with the Premium.
> The cheaper you go, with the more features and your odds of getting something really good diminish.
> With Jackson, if you're not spending at least $2k, you're pretty much flipping a coin with what you get.


It looks like that specific Premium model turned out to be a very good one. I read opinions of several happy owners.

Thanks for your warning on Jackson, though. I wasn't expecting to flip a coin with the purchase of a Pro Series model :-(


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## MaxOfMetal (Jun 15, 2018)

mikah912 said:


> I think I made out great, then. Got a fantastic deal on an open-box one, and have been mega happy with the fit and finish. Reminds me a lot of the standard scale blue burst Ormsby GTR I used to have - which was made at WMI in Korea - but with a better feeling fretboard and better stock pickups. That one cost quite a bit more.



I'm not saying it's a 1:1,000,000 shot at getting something good, but it's definitely not 1:1 either. 



The Silent Man said:


> Which is great news for me: I'm probably going to return mine and test my luck again with the same model. I just love to play it and I really like the finish.
> 
> 
> It looks like that specific Premium model turned out to be a very good one. I read opinions of several happy owners.
> ...



Not all Pro models are bad. I think the Mexican made Dinky models are pretty solid. I'd definitely go for a Pro Series DK over SL, even if I preferred neck-through.


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## The Silent Man (Jun 15, 2018)

MaxOfMetal said:


> Not all Pro models are bad. I think the Mexican made Dinky models are pretty solid. I'd definitely go for a Pro Series DK over SL, even if I preferred neck-through.



Because of build quality or because you don't trust their neck-through construction?


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## MaxOfMetal (Jun 15, 2018)

The Silent Man said:


> Because of build quality or because you don't trust their neck-through construction?



Quality overall. They just seem better made with better fit & finish.


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## groverj3 (Jun 15, 2018)

The Indonesian-made soloists are known for spotty QC, makes me sad because I love Jacksons. I thought they had been getting better, but I suppose I just saw a couple of good examples of them. Bummer. Max's point is well-taken that the Dinkies seem to have better QC since they're from Fender's plant in Mexico. If I was in the market for a new import Jackson it'd be one of those or a Charvel DK24 (made in the same factory).

There will be no MIJ Jacksons from here on. They discontinued them because they didn't make any money on them at the pricepoints they sold at, and the Chushin Gakki factory that they had contracted with for decades was shut down by the owners. Labor in Japan really isn't much, if any, cheaper than the US. The days of buying a Japanese-made soloist that's as-well made as the US stuff, with a free hard case thrown in, for <$1500 are over for good.


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## JustinRhoads1980 (Jun 15, 2018)

Glades said:


> My issue with Jackson entirely. They have their cheap Indo line and the super expensive USA line, and nothing in between. They don't have quality guitars in the $1,500-$2,000 range. I wish they had a MIJ line in this range.




THANK YOU!!!! I HAVE BEEN SAYING THIS FOR SO LONG!!!!!! THEY EITHER NEED A JAPANESE RANGE LIKE THE ELITES THEY DID A FEW YEARS AGO THAT WERE PERFECT OR A LOWER TIER USA GUITAR THAT IS VERY BASIC LIKE THEY DID IN THE LATE 90S-EARLY 2000S.

JACKSON NEEDS TO UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS HOW A LOT OF PEOPLE FEEL!!! Also baseline usa's start at $2700 and nothing in between that is a $1400 difference like tf


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## JustinRhoads1980 (Jun 15, 2018)

I think though for the price you pay IMO you can overlook it to some degree. Though personally I think maybe jackson should move production to south korea. I have a Schecter that I got that is made there for $1000 (although i paid less for it) and no QC issues. And their stuff is more sophisticated with carbon fiber binding, glow in the dark side dots, carved tops, MOP inlays and such. Some of their other guitars have stainless steel as well.

I love Jackson, but I think after getting my first pro series I might need to look elsewhere for other guitars. Thinking of getting an LTD M Black Metal guitar. Anyone have experience with this guitar or should I just stick with schecter on this?


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## mikah912 (Jun 15, 2018)

For $900 (the normal asking price), I can see people passing these over for a Korean Schecter. Of course, the Korean Schecters in that price range mostly have that bulky and uninspired "C1" body style (with the exception of the Banshee Elite, which has a boring finish).

Beyond that, you gotta spend a couple hundred more for stuff like the SLS Elite line. Meanwhile, I found a top/finish I fell in love with in a slim Soloist body in Mint condition in the $600 range. I think it's a great value once you swap the nut out for a graphite one and set up to your personal taste. I don't magically elevate an axe just because it was made at WMI Korea instead of Indonesia.


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## groverj3 (Jun 15, 2018)

JustinRhoads1980 said:


> THANK YOU!!!! I HAVE BEEN SAYING THIS FOR SO LONG!!!!!! THEY EITHER NEED A JAPANESE RANGE LIKE THE ELITES THEY DID A FEW YEARS AGO THAT WERE PERFECT OR A LOWER TIER USA GUITAR THAT IS VERY BASIC LIKE THEY DID IN THE LATE 90S-EARLY 2000S.
> 
> JACKSON NEEDS TO UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS HOW A LOT OF PEOPLE FEEL!!! Also baseline usa's start at $2700 and nothing in between that is a $1400 difference like tf


Those MIJ Elites were the absolute last things made at the Chushin Gakki factory as a sort of limited edition "Farewell to MIJ Jackson" kind of thing. With stainless steel frets and ebony fretboards they weren't exactly ever going to be a regular thing. 

It's never going to happen. Part of the reason they were in financial trouble before Fender bought them is because they didn't make any money on the MIJ stuff in the '90s-'00s.

What you can hope for, is that they move the pro series neck throughs to Mexico. From what I hear the MIM Charvels and Jackson Dinkies made there are far more consistent than the Indonesian stuff. I had hoped the QC had improved since the one I owned a while back, but that doesn't seem to be the case. The Ensenada factory was a Fender one, and therefore isn't set-up for neckthrough building.


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## JustinRhoads1980 (Jun 15, 2018)

groverj3 said:


> Those MIJ Elites were the absolute last things made at the Chushin Gakki factory as a sort of limited edition "Farewell to MIJ Jackson" kind of thing. With stainless steel frets and ebony fretboards they weren't exactly ever going to be a regular thing.
> 
> It's never going to happen. Part of the reason they were in financial trouble before Fender bought them is because they didn't make any money on the MIJ stuff in the '90s-'00s.
> 
> What you can hope for, is that they move the pro series neck throughs to Mexico. From what I hear the MIM Charvels and Jackson Dinkies made there are far more consistent than the Indonesian stuff. I had hoped the QC had improved since the one I owned a while back, but that doesn't seem to be the case. The Ensenada factory was a Fender one, and therefore isn't set-up for neckthrough building.




And another thing, I just found out that my bridge pickup is microphonic. Like legit.


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## Edika (Jun 15, 2018)

To my knowledge all Pro series production is now in Indoensia, dinky's included.


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## JustinRhoads1980 (Jun 15, 2018)

Edika said:


> To my knowledge all Pro series production is now in Indoensia, dinky's included.




No the dinkys are made in mexico.


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## groverj3 (Jun 15, 2018)

JustinRhoads1980 said:


> And another thing, I just found out that my bridge pickup is microphonic. Like legit.


That seems unlikely for an active pickup, but you never know I guess.


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## Edika (Jun 15, 2018)

JustinRhoads1980 said:


> No the dinkys are made in mexico.



They were made in Mexico. All new Dinky's with fancy colors and ebony boards are made in Indonesia. I was checking one of the new Dinky's in demo in youtube from a UK store and they said Indonesia. I asked in the comments about this and the store verified that are made in Indonesia.


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## groverj3 (Jun 15, 2018)

Edika said:


> They were made in Mexico. All new Dinky's with fancy colors and ebony boards are made in Indonesia. I was checking one of the new Dinky's in demo in youtube from a UK store and they said Indonesia. I asked in the comments about this and the store verified that are made in Indonesia.


I'd be interested to see that video. Link please? That's news to me.

I only see MIM pro Dinkies when I look online, myself. As of right now.

For example, this is a new model since NAMM, with an MXJ serial:
https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/DK3MCHLB--jackson-dk3qm-pro-series-dinky-chlorine-burst


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## MaxOfMetal (Jun 15, 2018)

groverj3 said:


> The Indonesian-made soloists are known for spotty QC, makes me sad because I love Jacksons. I thought they had been getting better, but I suppose I just saw a couple of good examples of them. Bummer. Max's point is well-taken that the Dinkies seem to have better QC since they're from Fender's plant in Mexico. If I was in the market for a new import Jackson it'd be one of those or a Charvel DK24 (made in the same factory).
> 
> There will be no MIJ Jacksons from here on. They discontinued them because they didn't make any money on them at the pricepoints they sold at, and the Chushin Gakki factory that they had contracted with for decades was shut down by the owners. Labor in Japan really isn't much, if any, cheaper than the US. The days of buying a Japanese-made soloist that's as-well made as the US stuff, with a free hard case thrown in, for <$1500 are over for good.



To be fair, Chushin was plagued by management issues. It wasn't that MIJ Jacksons were unsuccessful, they were unprofitable because Chushin was running into the ground.

Competitiors like Ibanez, ESP and Fernandes have no problem making great MIJ guitars between $1000 and $1600. Heck, not just competitors, as FMIC still makes affordable MIJ Fenders.

Jackson USA is going through a Renaissance of sorts and the last thing Jackson wants is to undercut sales of the USA models.


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## Edika (Jun 15, 2018)

At 1:28 he mentions where it's built. You can see my comment as Edika12 and his reply.

I'm not sure if they make some of them in Indonesia and some in Mexico now. Or they went back to Mexico for 2018.


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## MaxOfMetal (Jun 15, 2018)

Edika said:


> They were made in Mexico. All new Dinky's with fancy colors and ebony boards are made in Indonesia. I was checking one of the new Dinky's in demo in youtube from a UK store and they said Indonesia. I asked in the comments about this and the store verified that are made in Indonesia.



They're all listed with "MX", Made in Mexico serials in-stock at Sweetwater. 

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/DK2ChGryAsh--jackson-dk2-pro-series-ash-dinky-charcoal-gray
https://www.sweetwater.com/store/de...n-dk2qmht-pro-series-dinky-trans-purple-burst
https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/DK7QHCBST--jackson-dk7qht-pro-series-dinky-chlorine-burst


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## groverj3 (Jun 15, 2018)

Edika said:


> At 1:28 he mentions where it's built. You can see my comment as Edika12 and his reply.
> 
> I'm not sure if they make some of them in Indonesia and some in Mexico now. Or they went back to Mexico for 2018.



I actually found one that's the same finish as this on ebay and it does have an Indo serial, too.

http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-5...0001&campid=5338014327&icep_item=401513693007

It seems like they made at least this model with this finish in Indonesia. That's the first I've heard of it and the only one I can find. I don't think the line is moving there because like I said, all the new models are MIM that I can find. You learn something new every day.

I've been impressed with the MIM Dinkies, but the Cort/Samick-made stuff clearly still has QC issues. If they're making Dinkies in both Indonesia and Mexico I guess that means you need to know the country of origin or see it in-person to be confident in its quality level.


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## Edika (Jun 15, 2018)

I don't know what to tell you guys and it does get confusing. I also knew that the Dinky's were made in Mexico and then I saw this video. I checked back then a few more models and they did mention Made In Indonesia. It's actully good news that they're still made in Mexico and it gives me more incentive to get one.


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## groverj3 (Jun 15, 2018)

Edika said:


> I don't know what to tell you guys and it does get confusing. I also knew that the Dinky's were made in Mexico and then I saw this video. I checked back then a few more models and they did mention Made In Indonesia. It's actully good news that they're still made in Mexico and it gives me more incentive to get one.


It could be a factory capacity sort of thing where they had more models coming out than they could get made at the Ensenada factory in time. Could also be a situation where they were testing the waters on moving production, but apparently ended up not liking the results, etc. Or, they could be setting up to make them in both locations to increase the number of available models? It does mean that I guess you can't just assume the country of origin based on it being a Dinky or Soloist pro series we'll have to know the serials going forward.

Hasn't ESP done a similar thing recently where some previously Korean-made models are stealthily either being shifted to Indonesia or being made in both places concurrently? I think I remembered seeing a thread about some LTD like that, the model number escapes me though because I know little to nothing about their product lines.


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## JustinRhoads1980 (Jun 15, 2018)

groverj3 said:


> That seems unlikely for an active pickup, but you never know I guess.



I dunno. Still verifying. Then again it is blackouts so who the fuck knows?


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## JustinRhoads1980 (Jun 15, 2018)

MaxOfMetal said:


> Jackson USA is going through a Renaissance of sorts and the last thing Jackson wants is to undercut sales of the USA models.



I am confused by this statement. What do you mean by this?


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## MaxOfMetal (Jun 15, 2018)

JustinRhoads1980 said:


> I am confused by this statement. What do you mean by this?



They're doing very well as far as sales and popularity. 

Ten years ago the brand was practically dead. Heck, even five years ago they weren't moving much USA stock.


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## groverj3 (Jun 15, 2018)

JustinRhoads1980 said:


> I am confused by this statement. What do you mean by this?


The idea is that if they essentially offer the exact same guitar as a USA Jackson from their import line, and it's just about as well-built, then nobody would bother buying a USA-made one when they can get it cheaper.


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## JustinRhoads1980 (Jun 15, 2018)

MaxOfMetal said:


> They're doing very well as far as sales and popularity.
> 
> Ten years ago the brand was practically dead. Heck, even five years ago they weren't moving much USA stock.




ah ok. I wasn't even play guitar 5 years ago and even 2 years ago I didn't know what the hell was going on



groverj3 said:


> The idea is that if they essentially offer the exact same guitar as a USA Jackson from their import line, and it's just about as well-built, then nobody would bother buying a USA-made one when they can get it cheaper.



Oh yea of course I understand that. That is essentially why they stopped doing MIJ jacksons since they would have an negative impact on the USA's sales and such.


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## Matt08642 (Jun 15, 2018)

Man I got a brand new 2015 RG752FX that needed moderate fretwork and the nut still needs to be filed because even 9s bind, im jealous your Jackson had a paint flaw vs my guitar's issues lol


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## JustinRhoads1980 (Jun 15, 2018)

Matt08642 said:


> Man I got a brand new 2015 RG752FX that needed moderate fretwork and the nut still needs to be filed because even 9s bind, im jealous your Jackson had a paint flaw vs my guitar's issues lol



Yea. I heard that Ibanez is having a lot of QC problems with their stuff lately.


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## xzacx (Jun 15, 2018)

Glades said:


> They don't have quality guitars in the $1,500-$2,000 range. I wish they had a MIJ line in this range.



While I agree with this more or less, you can get literally any U.S.A. model they make used in this range and even less. Pretty much any configuration or color, graphics, trans tops, and on and on. I’ve bought Custom Shops and even master built shapes for under $2k. So for that reason, I don’t care that they don’t have a line of guitars prices in that range new, and I wouldn’t be interested in it if there was. These things are not hard to find with in that range, and there are so many cool ones out there.


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## JustinRhoads1980 (Jun 15, 2018)

xzacx said:


> While I agree with this more or less, you can get literally any U.S.A. model they make used in this range and even less. Pretty much any configuration or color, graphics, trans tops, and on and on. I’ve bought Custom Shops and even master built shapes for under $2k. So for that reason, I don’t care that they don’t have a line of guitars prices in that range new, and I wouldn’t be interested in it if there was. These things are not hard to find with in that range, and there are so many cool ones out there.




Make sense


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## MaxOfMetal (Jun 16, 2018)

xzacx said:


> While I agree with this more or less, you can get literally any U.S.A. model they make used in this range and even less. Pretty much any configuration or color, graphics, trans tops, and on and on. I’ve bought Custom Shops and even master built shapes for under $2k. So for that reason, I don’t care that they don’t have a line of guitars prices in that range new, and I wouldn’t be interested in it if there was. These things are not hard to find with in that range, and there are so many cool ones out there.



Not everyone is comfortable buying guitars in that price range used. 

I'm all for it, but I've known tons of folks who aren't.


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## Vhyle (Jun 16, 2018)

It saddens me to read this about their current Pro series guitars. The few Indo Jacksons I've seen and played have been good instruments, and they were the lower-tier SLX model Soloists. 

The Japanese-made Jacksons were the bee's knees, and you can find them used all day for almost nothing, so I'm just gonna keep going that route. They are often compared to their USA counterparts, and of course at a huge fraction of the price.


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## MaxOfMetal (Jun 16, 2018)

Vhyle said:


> It saddens me to read this about their current Pro series guitars. The few Indo Jacksons I've seen and played have been good instruments, and they were the lower-tier SLX model Soloists.
> 
> The Japanese-made Jacksons were the bee's knees, and you can find them used all day for almost nothing, so I'm just gonna keep going that route. They are often compared to their USA counterparts, and of course at a huge fraction of the price.



The SLX are actually pretty nice for the price. The issue with the Pro models is how expensive they are for not much of a quality upgrade from the X-Series models. 

The Indonesian Pro models are basically just X-Series with better pickups and trem. At least from what I've played. There are some gems out there though.


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## Edika (Jun 16, 2018)

Vhyle said:


> It saddens me to read this about their current Pro series guitars. The few Indo Jacksons I've seen and played have been good instruments, and they were the lower-tier SLX model Soloists.
> 
> The Japanese-made Jacksons were the bee's knees, and you can find them used all day for almost nothing, so I'm just gonna keep going that route. They are often compared to their USA counterparts, and of course at a huge fraction of the price.



Unfortunately that is no longer the case for Japanese made Jacksons. Prices in the UK at least have gone up because everyone's praising them lol.


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## Lemonbaby (Jun 16, 2018)

groverj3 said:


> That seems unlikely for an active pickup, but you never know I guess.


Active PUs can be just as microphonic as passives, doesn't correlate at all. Actives solve other things, mostly S/N ratio and sporadic noise induced by all kinds of grounding related problems.


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## Rocks256 (Jun 16, 2018)

Not bad, for a 750$ ESP Ltd mh 417 i have had really bad soldering of electronics. Jack input wasn't working at all if i have turned jack plug few degress it started to buzz or lose sound. Best quality i came along was and is still Mexico Fenders and Korean Schecters. Quality 10/10 nothing wrong with them, especially fenders


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## Vhyle (Jun 16, 2018)

Edika said:


> Unfortunately that is no longer the case for Japanese made Jacksons. Prices in the UK at least have gone up because everyone's praising them lol.



Ah yeah, unfortunately the UK is the bizarro world of guitars, it seems. My experience with buying them is only limited here in the States, so finding older MIJ Jacksons is easy cheesy for us. It's not uncommon to see them in the $200-500USD range here, at all.


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## MatiasTolkki (Jun 17, 2018)

Well, because the Indo jacksons are made at the same jawa factory as the Indo Ibanezes, I put zero faith in any of those. Good ones are good, horrible ones aren't even worthy to be firewood. 

I am currently hunting MIj Charvels (jacksons in everything but name) because they are INCREDIBLY cheap here, because of the charvel headstock (like my CRR-068). Some of the crackles can get kinda expensive (anywhere from 40,000-70,000 yen) but, in general, they are amazing quality BUDGET guitars (because of how cheap they generally go for).


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## noise in my mind (Jun 17, 2018)

I had this experience with a USA sl2h. $2400 should have no issues, but not with Jackson. It had a twisted neck, uneven frets, and dried out rosewood fingerboard. It's really a shame because they look cool, but as of now I am done with Jackson. They seemed more concern with making cheesy guitar posters with porn stars at the time.


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## MaxOfMetal (Jun 17, 2018)

noise in my mind said:


> I had this experience with a USA sl2h. $2400 should have no issues, but not with Jackson. It had a twisted neck, uneven frets, and dried out rosewood fingerboard. It's really a shame because they look cool, but as of now I am done with Jackson. They seemed more concern with making cheesy guitar posters with porn stars at the time.



That had to of been the better part of 15 years ago. At that time, early 00's, Jackson quality was at it's lowest point in decades. The USA stuff has come very far since then.


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## groverj3 (Jun 17, 2018)

MaxOfMetal said:


> That had to of been the better part of 15 years ago. At that time, early 00's, Jackson quality was at it's lowest point in decades. The USA stuff has come very far since then.


Not to mention that SL2Hs have always had ebony fretboards so I'm not sure this person knows what they're talking about.


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## noise in my mind (Jun 17, 2018)

groverj3 said:


> Not to mention that SL2Hs have always had ebony fretboards so I'm not sure this person knows what they're talking about.



I guess I got the wood wrong. It was was pretty light colored like rosewood. I guess If I don't know the wood I can't spot any building errors as mentioned. Solid logic.


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## MaxOfMetal (Jun 17, 2018)

It sounds like that SL2H had been sitting for a long time, or was introduced to a drier climate. If the board was left to dry out it would look lighter and almost "hazy", I can see how it would be mistaken for rosewood. It would also explain the uneven frets and warp to the neck. 

Or as I said, the Jackson of around 2000 to 2007 was not known for consistency of quality. The Jenna Jameson models came out in 2004, if I remember right, which is why I'm thinking it was around that time period. Correct me if I'm wrong.


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## Jamey36 (Jun 17, 2018)

xzacx said:


> While I agree with this more or less, you can get literally any U.S.A. model they make used in this range and even less. Pretty much any configuration or color, graphics, trans tops, and on and on. I’ve bought Custom Shops and even master built shapes for under $2k. So for that reason, I don’t care that they don’t have a line of guitars prices in that range new, and I wouldn’t be interested in it if there was. These things are not hard to find with in that range, and there are so many cool ones out there.


Bingo!This is why I don't even look at the new Pro model Soloists.I've bought nice Customs for less than $2k and production USAs for less than $1k.


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## mikah912 (Jun 17, 2018)

Jamey36 said:


> Bingo!This is why I don't even look at the new Pro model Soloists.I've bought nice Customs for less than $2k and production USAs for less than $1k.



In pristine condition with a hardtail bridge and decent top (read: non-gloss black or crackle finish)? Not that I've seen.

They're either in "playing condition", have a Floyd or a bunch of sharkfin/lightning 80s aesthetics I don't want.....or all of the above. Sometimes they have stock Jackson pickups or EMG 81s - which, again, I want neither.

I get that quality control may be less consistent on an Indonesian Soloist, but if you do the work to get detailed pictures of the one you want and have a good return policy as back up.....you can absolutely get a gem. I did. No issues with paint flaws or sharp frets. Good buzzless action. A pair of one of my favorite Duncan pickups. Hipshot stype bridge. Compound radius and ebony fretboard. Factory new, but literally 2/3rds of the price.


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## xzacx (Jun 17, 2018)

mikah912 said:


> In pristine condition with a hardtail bridge and decent top (read: non-gloss black or crackle finish)? Not that I've seen.
> 
> They're either in "playing condition", have a Floyd or a bunch of sharkfin/lightning 80s aesthetics I don't want.....or all of the above. Sometimes they have stock Jackson pickups or EMG 81s - which, again, I want neither.
> 
> I get that quality control may be less consistent on an Indonesian Soloist, but if you do the work to get detailed pictures of the one you want and have a good return policy as back up.....you can absolutely get a gem. I did. No issues with paint flaws or sharp frets. Good buzzless action. A pair of one of my favorite Duncan pickups. Hipshot stype bridge. Compound radius and ebony fretboard. Factory new, but literally 2/3rds of the price.



This took literally 10 seconds to find and meets all your criteria. Will never sell for that price either so it could be had for cheaper I’m sure. 

https://reverb.com/item/12774007-jackson-sl2ht-trans-green-flame-maple-top

It’s true that non-terms are harder to find, but you can always block a Floyd too. You just have to keep you eye out. The stuff that’s priced right sells fast. The stuff that isn’t is what you see sitting around at higher prices and never ends up selling.


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## Jamey36 (Jun 17, 2018)

Let me elaborate a little.I didn't mean they were all over the place all the time at those prices,they're not.But they are often enough if you are vigilant and ready to buy at a moments notice.One of the main reasons people don't believe they sell for those prices is because they never see the ads.......They sell FAST.I don't just check Reverb and other sites daily,I check them 4,5,6+ times a day.Otherwise when one pops up you either never see it or it is sold by the time you contact the seller.Also use the offer button,worst they can do is refuse.I've had offers accepted that were significantly lower than the asking price.It's all personal preference,but I'll not pay $900+ for an indo SL2 when I know persistence and patience will net me the USA version in good condition for the same price or a little more.


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## Shoeless_jose (Jun 17, 2018)

xzacx said:


> This took literally 10 seconds to find and meets all your criteria. Will never sell for that price either so it could be had for cheaper I’m sure.
> 
> https://reverb.com/item/12774007-jackson-sl2ht-trans-green-flame-maple-top
> 
> It’s true that non-terms are harder to find, but you can always block a Floyd too. You just have to keep you eye out. The stuff that’s priced right sells fast. The stuff that isn’t is what you see sitting around at higher prices and never ends up selling.



ummm not a hipshot style bridge so it's garbage, where have you been the last 3 years.


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## mikah912 (Jun 17, 2018)

xzacx said:


> This took literally 10 seconds to find and meets all your criteria. Will never sell for that price either so it could be had for cheaper I’m sure.
> 
> https://reverb.com/item/12774007-jackson-sl2ht-trans-green-flame-maple-top
> 
> It’s true that non-terms are harder to find, but you can always block a Floyd too. You just have to keep you eye out. The stuff that’s priced right sells fast. The stuff that isn’t is what you see sitting around at higher prices and never ends up selling.



Tune-0-Matic? No thanks. I'm not "Hipshot or GTFO", but that's my least favorite hardtail bridge. Also, don't want sharkfin inlays. Didnt want pickup rings, either. The top is boring, too. Most of all, I wouldn't pay 2k for it. Or even a "best offer" of $1500 or - assuming desperation - $1200.

I paid half of _that _for the Soloist I have with the exact specs and aesthetics that _I_ wanted. The country of origin doesn't magically make it more appealing to me.


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## groverj3 (Jun 18, 2018)

Lemonbaby said:


> Active PUs can be just as microphonic as passives, doesn't correlate at all. Actives solve other things, mostly S/N ratio and sporadic noise induced by all kinds of grounding related problems.


Sure, no reason why that can't happen but I've just never seen it personally. The fact that they're potted with epoxy to the point you can't even access the coils seems like it would reduce the chance that anything could be easily damaged, causing it to be microphonic. However, I am not some kind of encyclopedia of guitar knowledge  and could be full of shit.


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## groverj3 (Jun 18, 2018)

Personally, the Pro series' QC inconsistency (or really, the *Indonesian* models) has kept me from giving them another shot. However, the one I had a few years back was a pretty excellent guitar in all respects after giving it a little love.

I do think though, that the value proposition isn't quite there for me. However, if you can see the actual guitar before you buy and are happy with it, then the price is appropriate for the specs.

In general, the examples I've seen in person basically put them even with Ibanez premium/iron label. Can be solid if you get a good one, but can also be a bad deal for the price new, and will always need a good set-up. 

It looks like poster @JustinRhoads1980 got a pretty solid one. However, binding/finish cracks seen on others would've led to a return if it were me.


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## khm (Jun 18, 2018)

MatiasTolkki said:


> Well, because the Indo jacksons are made at the same jawa factory as the Indo Ibanezes, I put zero faith in any of those. Good ones are good, horrible ones aren't even worthy to be firewood.
> 
> I am currently hunting MIj Charvels (jacksons in everything but name) because they are INCREDIBLY cheap here, because of the charvel headstock (like my CRR-068). Some of the crackles can get kinda expensive (anywhere from 40,000-70,000 yen) but, in general, they are amazing quality BUDGET guitars (because of how cheap they generally go for).


The MIJ Charvels are lovely guitars man!


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## groverj3 (Jun 18, 2018)

MaxOfMetal said:


> It sounds like that SL2H had been sitting for a long time, or was introduced to a drier climate. If the board was left to dry out it would look lighter and almost "hazy", I can see how it would be mistaken for rosewood. It would also explain the uneven frets and warp to the neck.
> 
> Or as I said, the Jackson of around 2000 to 2007 was not known for consistency of quality. The Jenna Jameson models came out in 2004, if I remember right, which is why I'm thinking it was around that time period. Correct me if I'm wrong.


That's correct on the timeline, and it was during their move to the Fender USA building for USA Select production as I recall. I've also heard that this was a bad time for consistency in the USA stuff. FWIW, my SL2H is from that time period and is flawless, so I've never known whether this is just rumors or if there's actually something to it. Maybe I just have good luck with Jacksons like others have with Ibbys, etc.

Dried out rosewood, uneven fretwork, etc. describes my experiences with Schecters and Ibanez, myself. It also describes every guitar from any manufacturer after a month on the wall at a store in Arizona


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## JustinRhoads1980 (Jun 18, 2018)

groverj3 said:


> Personally, the Pro series' QC inconsistency (or really, the *Indonesian* models) has kept me from giving them another shot. However, the one I had a few years back was a pretty excellent guitar in all respects after giving it a little love.
> 
> I do think though, that the value proposition isn't quite there for me. However, if you can see the actual guitar before you buy and are happy with it, then the price is appropriate for the specs.
> 
> ...




Yea I got a fairly solid one. I think it would be rare to find one with the binding 100% if not impossible. I saw one at Sam Ash 2 weeks ago and there was tears in the binding and shit. Concerned me a bit.

I think next time I would have to agree with you @groverj3 on that one. If I get binding issues it is going back. With me though I loved this guitar so much I would overlook something like that. Plus I haven't touched any of my other guitars, but that one since tuesday, should probably start the rotation back up again.

I enjoy the guitar, but next time (which is now for me) I am just gonna save up for a USA that is used, wait until I find one that I like at a good deal and snatch it up.

I am thinking of another SL2h, Kelly, Or warrior, although the last two will prob not fit my price budget used unless it has some issues. For an SL2H I am considering either a black one or another trans finish or something like that. 

I think my Mick Thomson will be my certainly last pro series (again not because it doesn't play, sound, good, etc. it is just some minor QC issues piss me off), Only exceptions would be if I find something I love just as much as the MT.


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## eightsixboy (Jun 19, 2018)

Matt08642 said:


> Man I got a brand new 2015 RG752FX that needed moderate fretwork and the nut still needs to be filed because even 9s bind, im jealous your Jackson had a paint flaw vs my guitar's issues lol



How is that a QC issue lol?

Curious to how you bought a brand new 752 that's from 2015? Was it used?

I'd take having a nut filling issue which is like 5 mins work vs having paint/binding issues that are basically non fixable.


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## Matt08642 (Jun 19, 2018)

eightsixboy said:


> How is that a QC issue lol?
> 
> Curious to how you bought a brand new 752 that's from 2015? Was it used?



I did this by buying it in 2015 

It was a QC issue because I received a $1300 "Prestige" guitar with frets 12-24 being so shitty I had mega buzz even with 3mm high action lol


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## eightsixboy (Jun 19, 2018)

Matt08642 said:


> I did this by buying it in 2015
> 
> It was a QC issue because I received a $1300 "Prestige" guitar with frets 12-24 being so shitty I had mega buzz even with 3mm high action lol



Well it read "I got a brand new 2015 RG752", not When I got a brand new RG752 in 2015 lol.

TBH level issues are very uncommon on Prestige's. I've had like 6 or 7 RG752's bought new over the last few years and they were all perfectly fine level wise for a factory setup, even got one plek'd and that only got it maybe .2mm lower then the stock level, some were a little sharp on the fret ends but that's another (maple related) story lol.

You should have returned that guitar anyway imo, if something is that off that it needs a relevel brand new it should never have been sent out to a customer.


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## wannabguitarist (Jun 20, 2018)

Edika said:


> Unfortunately that is no longer the case for Japanese made Jacksons. Prices in the UK at least have gone up because everyone's praising them lol.



It's prices everywhere sadly. I bought my Fusion HH mahogany for $200 4 years ago. I've been hunting an ash version ever since and they're now all selling in the $600+ range. The basswood Fusion HHs are now occasionally selling in the $400 range now as well. The days of dirt cheap MIJ Jacksons are long gone

Or mostly. I bought a MIJ DK2M for $220 back in January . You just can't find the cool early 90's models in that price range anymore.


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## Flappydoodle (Jun 20, 2018)

Jackson lineup just seems weird to me. You can buy endless amounts of cheap crap, or pay over the odds for a guitar from the far east with questionable QC, or fork out $3,200+ for a guitar built in the USA.

Say you want something with a Floyd, the cheap guitars are using the shitty Floyds. The Far East ones are also using the budget Floyd with Chinese and Korean parts. So if you want the "proper" one, you're looking at a $3,200+ guitar.


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## MaxOfMetal (Jun 20, 2018)

Flappydoodle said:


> Jackson lineup just seems weird to me. You can buy endless amounts of cheap crap, or pay over the odds for a guitar from the far east with questionable QC, or fork out $3,200+ for a guitar built in the USA.
> 
> Say you want something with a Floyd, the cheap guitars are using the shitty Floyds. The Far East ones are also using the budget Floyd with Chinese and Korean parts. So if you want the "proper" one, you're looking at a $3,200+ guitar.



It's partly a regional thing. You're in the UK right?

Here, brand new USA Soloists start at $2400.

https://www.musiciansfriend.com/guitars/jackson-usa-select-sl2h-soloist-electric-guitar

I've seen them for as little as $2k even at shops that don't move them and/or when some of the bigger retailers have a deal going on. 

Again, made in Mexico stuff is damn solid for the $1k they sell for. On par with the better stuff coming out of South Korea.


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## Vhyle (Jun 20, 2018)

wannabguitarist said:


> <snip> The days of dirt cheap MIJ Jacksons are long gone
> 
> Or mostly. I bought a MIJ DK2M for $220 back in January . You just can't find the cool early 90's models in that price range anymore.



Dude, me too. I bought my DK2M for $200, and I bought my DK2T with its original case for $300. For the prices that I paid, I am blown away on how well they play. I love them, and I'm glad I was able to get them for such a low cost.

Plus, patrolling eBay and Reverb, I always see a good handful of older MIJ Jacksons for that range.


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## JustinRhoads1980 (Jun 20, 2018)

Flappydoodle said:


> Jackson lineup just seems weird to me. You can buy endless amounts of cheap crap, or pay over the odds for a guitar from the far east with questionable QC, or fork out $3,200+ for a guitar built in the USA.
> 
> Say you want something with a Floyd, the cheap guitars are using the shitty Floyds. The Far East ones are also using the budget Floyd with Chinese and Korean parts. So if you want the "proper" one, you're looking at a $3,200+ guitar.




Or if it bugs you that much you could always replace the trem for $200


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## Spicypickles (Jun 20, 2018)

I literally just bought a USA Jackson SL1 off reverb for 1k even. Deals are out there, just gotten wait.


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## eightsixboy (Jun 20, 2018)

Jackson are kind of like ESP in that their product lines are all over the shop. What's common in the USA is non existent elsewhere just like how ESP is everywhere in Japan but basically LTD around the rest of the world.

To me anyway this is why Ibanez do a lot better overseas, similar easy to grasp product lines available across the whole world with easy to understand marketing. 

I was tempted by the newer Jackson stuff after seeing Henning's review but really finding out they are MII for the price they are is a big turn off. You can buy a RG550/652/752 for about the same price brand new. Wasn't the point of MII guitars to make them cheaper?


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## A-Branger (Jun 20, 2018)

eightsixboy said:


> To me anyway this is why Ibanez do a lot better overseas, similar easy to grasp product lines available across the whole world with easy to understand marketing.


except they dont offer the same guitars across the world. So USA gets cool finishes, Europ get some other cool stuff thats not available in the USA, but then here in Oz we get a fraction of what they offer, and theres no way for you to buy an overseas finish unless you travel there.... All because some suits over here decided that those finishes "wont sell" 

instead of "heres the basic inventory of what sells..... if you want X model, then you ened to maek an order and wait X time for next batch to be shipped".....but nope. I would have bought couple of SR premium basses and a guitar in the past if it wasnt because of that


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## MatiasTolkki (Jun 20, 2018)

A-Branger said:


> except they dont offer the same guitars across the world. So USA gets cool finishes, Europ get some other cool stuff thats not available in the USA, but then here in Oz we get a fraction of what they offer, and theres no way for you to buy an overseas finish unless you travel there.... All because some suits over here decided that those finishes "wont sell"
> 
> instead of "heres the basic inventory of what sells..... if you want X model, then you ened to maek an order and wait X time for next batch to be shipped".....but nope. I would have bought couple of SR premium basses and a guitar in the past if it wasnt because of that



But All makers do that, even ESP does. Grassroots and Edwards are meant to be Japan-only product lines, with the overseas (worldwide) lines being LTD, E-II and ESP (and there are even japan-exclusive top line ESPs for Japan, like the Sonic the Hedgehog guitars)

Also, it's not Ibanez's fault some finishes dont reach certain markets. Rich at Ibanez Rules has said multiple times that if a dealer wants to sell a finish, they are completely able to, but they don't because the dealers themselves don't think certain colors will sell. So don't put the onus all on Ibanez as the dealers carry just as much, if not more, of that responsibility


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## Flappydoodle (Jun 21, 2018)

MaxOfMetal said:


> It's partly a regional thing. You're in the UK right?
> 
> Here, brand new USA Soloists start at $2400.
> 
> ...



Yeah, I guess it is. Same with ESP to be honest. An Eii is running £2,000 in the UK ($2,700 or so).

But those far easter Jacksons are available for pretty cheap. So we get the option of £600 for an Indonesian, or £2,800 for USA. Kinda sucks that there's nothing in between because I'd love a Jackson dinky or soloist, but £2,800 can buy a lot better guitars.



JustinRhoads1980 said:


> Or if it bugs you that much you could always replace the trem for $200



Sure, but you see my point about there being no middle ground in the lineup



eightsixboy said:


> Wasn't the point of MII guitars to make them cheaper?



Nope. The purpose was to increase their profit margins by cutting costs and selling for the same!


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## MaxOfMetal (Jun 21, 2018)

Flappydoodle said:


> Yeah, I guess it is. Same with ESP to be honest. An Eii is running £2,000 in the UK ($2,700 or so).
> 
> But those far easter Jacksons are available for pretty cheap. So we get the option of £600 for an Indonesian, or £2,800 for USA. Kinda sucks that there's nothing in between because I'd love a Jackson dinky or soloist, but £2,800 can buy a lot better guitars.
> 
> ...



How much are those MIM, not MII, Dinkys over there? Here they're between $700 and $1000.

It's pretty much the closest Jackson has to a "middle range".

I'd love to see a stripped down USA line priced between $1500 and $2000, something to replace the Elite models that were so short lived, but I don't see that happening while the Custom Select series is doing so well.

I kinda see what Jackson is doing. Pushing cheaper X and Pro models in hopes that as players, and thier wallets, mature they'll consider going with a Custom Select. They know they can't compete with the decades worth of cheap USA and Japanese stuff right now, they just don't have the capacity with the Custom Select taking up the Jackson shop and Fender once again restructuring thier lineup.

As for ESP, they're in the position of having the money and production capability to undercut thier competition, especially in markets where they're in competition with other imports, like Jackson, in Europe.


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## JustinRhoads1980 (Jun 21, 2018)

Spicypickles said:


> I literally just bought a USA Jackson SL1 off reverb for 1k even. Deals are out there, just gotten wait.




And not only that, but in the 90s Jackson did these stripped down USA Soloists and Dinkys where they would be a solid finish and no inlays and I have seen people get them in good coniditon for $800-$1000. Deals are out there. Too bad my wallet cannot support the good ones that come by in time.


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## JustinRhoads1980 (Jun 21, 2018)

Flappydoodle said:


> Sure, but you see my point about there being no middle ground in the lineup



Oh I have seen this for a *long time
*
Jackson doesn't have anything from $1000 (not including the signature model that is I believe $1300?) to $2600 which is ridiculous.

Plus Jackson doesn't have any kellys and warriors in the pro series, but they have them in the X series like wtf?


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## A-Branger (Jun 21, 2018)

MatiasTolkki said:


> But All makers do that, even ESP does. Grassroots and Edwards are meant to be Japan-only product lines, with the overseas (worldwide) lines being LTD, E-II and ESP (and there are even japan-exclusive top line ESPs for Japan, like the Sonic the Hedgehog guitars)
> 
> Also, it's not Ibanez's fault some finishes dont reach certain markets. Rich at Ibanez Rules has said multiple times that if a dealer wants to sell a finish, they are completely able to, but they don't because the dealers themselves don't think certain colors will sell. So don't put the onus all on Ibanez as the dealers carry just as much, if not more, of that responsibility


what ESP does is different. You can still buy all the ESP and the LTD lines here or anywhere, its only the Edwards kinds stuff and some of those crazy japanese sigs. If you jump to the LTD website you can buy anything you see there. Ibanez has different websites and different catalogs depending of country, and its not the prestige line and signature only, its the premium, standard and gio lines aswell

Im do blaming the dealers here, or the marketing suits team or whatever make those decisions. Because at the end of the day its a circle of "we only buy black guitars because its the only thing available"<--->"we only sell black guitars because thats what people buy"

and Im do blaming Ibanez too, because they are the ones who decided to make that strategy, instead to say "we can offer everything in the catalog worldwide". If someone likes a blue guitar in the UK, theres a good chance someone would want the same blue guitar in Australia. Theres no cultural thing that would make a country say "yay/nope" to an specific finish over a another country, unless you are talking about a local artist/flag/mascot something like that.

Like I said, they can still stock their most "easily to sell finishes", and then only offer those "hard to sell" ones by request/orders. Just like the prestige signatures guitars you always see onliine but they are never to be found in any store. As no store would buy a 4k$ guitar to be left sitting in their wall for years. You would never see an Ibanez m8m in any store here (around 6.7k$AUD in a local website), the guitar wont be stock anywhere, but if you want it, you are more than welcome to buy it.


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## FenderBluesAAA (Jun 22, 2018)

I bought a silver pro series soloist once and it had black marks everywhere. I thought it was used. I returned it and got another one and it was the same but it also had the bridge pickup slanting inwards. I returned that as well and I don't think I will risk another Indonesian Jackson. Most companies don't have the same issues even with their cheap guitars.


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## JustinRhoads1980 (Jun 22, 2018)

FenderBluesAAA said:


> I bought a silver pro series soloist once and it had black marks everywhere. I thought it was used. I returned it and got another one and it was the same but it also had the bridge pickup slanting inwards. I returned that as well and I don't think I will risk another Indonesian Jackson. Most companies don't have the same issues even with their cheap guitars.




Yeah that seems to be another severe case that I have heard of which upsets me since it kind of taints the brand and shit.

Also with other guitar companies like schecter their platinums which cost like $600-$700 are really nice and even in stores haven't seen much problems with the craftstmanship of them and such. Maybe it does have to do with Country of Origin that makes that impact since the schecters are made in Korea, which might play a role into the QC


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## FenderBluesAAA (Jun 22, 2018)

JustinRhoads1980 said:


> Yeah that seems to be another severe case that I have heard of which upsets me since it kind of taints the brand and shit.
> 
> Also with other guitar companies like schecter their platinums which cost like $600-$700 are really nice and even in stores haven't seen much problems with the craftstmanship of them and such. Maybe it does have to do with Country of Origin that makes that impact since the schecters are made in Korea, which might play a role into the QC



That's true. Korean guitars are usually well made. But some of these flaws aren't even in cheap China guitars. I bought a cheap Yamaha Pacifica for $150 to keep at the music store for my lessons. And that guitar looked "newer" than that Jackson. It didn't have any marks or problems in the finish or slanted pickups. And everything was good except some rough fret edges. Yeah, the Jackson is a much better guitar but it's silly that they can't keep an eye on the little stuff.


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## JustinRhoads1980 (Jun 22, 2018)

FenderBluesAAA said:


> That's true. Korean guitars are usually well made. But some of these flaws aren't even in cheap China guitars. I bought a cheap Yamaha Pacifica for $150 to keep at the music store for my lessons. And that guitar looked "newer" than that Jackson. It didn't have any marks or problems in the finish or slanted pickups. And everything was good except some rough fret edges. Yeah, the Jackson is a much better guitar but it's silly that they can't keep an eye on the little stuff.




Yeah agreed. If jackson were to just keep the QC better on the pro series I would have a few more in my collection. I decided that if i am already spending $1000 for an import, why not just save some more money and buy a USA that is used?


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