# Jackson Soloist Advice/Comments/Pics



## djpharoah (May 21, 2008)

Guys - really feeling like going back to a 6 string guitar for a while as I think I might need a break from a 7 and to get into different types of music with friends. The only 6 string I have loved from day 1 was a jackson soloist.

So how are they as players? Better to get the ones with the EMGs or SDs? Anything you can say about its playability? How are the trems (OFRS?))? My brother has a jackson guitar which I love to play.

Whats the price range for them? Also how does one differentiate between the various models of them? I would love to get the neck through one.

Thanks - if you have one let me know


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## jacksonplayer (May 21, 2008)

Guess I'd be the logical one to answer your questions. 

--All Soloists are neckthru. If it's a bolt-on with that shape, Jackson calls it a Dinky.

--There are four current Soloist models (that I'm aware of), the SL-1, SL-2H, SL-3, and SLSMG, plus minor variants of these. Here's the breakdown:

SL-1 - USA-made, with H/S/S pickup config and OFR. This is the closest to the "classic" Soloist from the '80s. The SL-1T is a fixed-bridge version.

SL-2H - USA-made, with H/H config and OFR. SL-2HT has a fixed bridge, and the SL-2H MAH has a mahogany neck and body with a thin maple top.

SL-3 - Japanese made, essentially the same specs as the SL-1, but with unbound rosewood fretboard, plastic inlays, and Ping-made Floyd.

SLSMG - Japanese made "super light" Soloist with a tapered body ala the Ibanez Sabre. Mahogany neck and body, bound ebony board, and EMG-81s.

Occasionally, Jackson introduces small runs of other other Soloist variants, with a current one being the SLS, which is a USA super-light Soloist with somewhat different specs than the Japanese version.

If you are looking at used Soloists, then that opens up a huge can of worms, since Jackson has had about 50 gazillion different Soloist variations over the years, as well as different names and specifications for the basic models.

I've owned Soloists from almost all periods, including a couple of very early ones from 1985. My current Soloist is a 1990 Soloist Pro, which is a Japanese model made exactly to the same specs as the standard USA Soloist of that era (a few minor differences from today). They were so good that they destroyed the sales of the USA guitars, and Jackson "dumbed down" its Japanese line shortly after that. The Soloist Pro is essentially the ancestor to the current SL-3 model, but about 150 times better. The hardware on the SL-3 is cheap, and the quality of the woods (and therefore the tone) is inferior to the USA guitars. Not so with the 1990-95 Soloist Pro, which you can usually find for between $600-800--quite a bit less than used USA Soloists have been going for lately. I believe that jim777 had a Soloist Pro for sale in the classifieds here recently--look for it, because it's worth it if still for sale.

Beyond that, I highly recommend the SLSMG as a very good "starter Soloist." It's not exactly the classic design, but they are very good players and can be gotten used on eBay all the time for about $500.

A new USA Soloist is going to run you just under $2,000 at the moment, with used ones in good shape fetching somewhere around $1,200. Occasionally, you'll find a better deal on eBay.


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## djpharoah (May 21, 2008)

I might be looking at the Jackson Soloist Pro with that ebony fretboard and OFR. Thanks a lot for your help Chris.


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## daybean (May 21, 2008)

ive been thinking about selling my sl1. i dont need the money but i dont play it since i play a 7 string, so its just little by litttle collecting dust (when i open the case and just look at it). its about 7 years old and ordered it thru jackson, i dont really know what one of these things sell for, so if you are intreseted let me know.


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## Demeyes (May 21, 2008)

2 of my main guitars are Soloists. A japanese Sl3 and a US Sl2. Both are nice guitars. The sl3 was main gigging guitar for ages. Its got SD pickups and a licensed trem. It plays very nicely, hold its tune reall well and I have no real problems witrh the trem. And I really abused that trem. 
The Sl2 is a really nice player. Its got emg's in it and an OFR. Its a fantastic guitar.
I'd seriously recomend getting something used. I got both my soloists fairly cheap from eBay and both are fine guitars. Jacksons are just great playing axes for sure.
Those pro models are great too. They keep raising in price. I've a Rhoads Pro that is another really solid player. Its got the lowest action of any of my guitars.


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## jacksonplayer (May 21, 2008)

djpharoah said:


> I might be looking at the Jackson Soloist Pro with that ebony fretboard and OFR. Thanks a lot for your help Chris.



A small point of clarification. The Soloist Pro uses a Schaller trem rather than an OFR, because that's what Jackson was using on all its guitars at the time, including the USAs. For my money, the Schaller is just as good as the OFR and many miles better than the TRS licensed Floyds you see today. If anything, I like the tone you get from a Schaller better than the OFR. If you're not familiar with it, it's the trem that Caparison uses on all of its 6-string guitars. Both the Schaller and OFR are actually made in the same factory in Germany, but the Schaller is a slightly different design that was originally marketed as the second version of the "Floyd Rose II" (the first version was a single-locking POS). I find them to be equivalents and never hesitate to buy a guitar with a Schaller.

Jackson didn't start using OFRs as regular equipment until 1996, though you occasionally see '80s Jacksons with them. Which means that somebody bought a Kramer and sent the OFR from it to Jackson for a custom job, because Kramer had exclusive rights to the OFR back then.


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## eaeolian (May 21, 2008)

jacksonplayer said:


> Jackson didn't start using OFRs as regular equipment until 1996, though you occasionally see '80s Jacksons with them. Which means that somebody bought a Kramer and sent the OFR from it to Jackson for a custom job, because Kramer had exclusive rights to the OFR back then.



By 1987 you could buy them separately from Kramer, but they were around $350, IIRC, which is why Jackson came up with the JT6. 

Pre-87 Jacksons with Floyds are pretty rare.


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## djpharoah (May 21, 2008)

eaeolian said:


> By 1987 you could buy them separately from Kramer, but they were around $350, IIRC, which is why Jackson came up with the JT6.
> 
> Pre-87 Jacksons with Floyds are pretty rare.



Oh man I hate that trem - my brother's jackson has that trem and I have had to replace saddles on that 

So only the USA SL1 had an OFR huh - well Im sure the Schaller is just as good.

Thanks for the help guys.


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## TemjinStrife (May 21, 2008)

I have an SLSMG and it is an AMAZING guitar. Beautifully light and balanced, with deeper contouring than an Ibanez S. I'm also a huge fan of the teeny sharkfin inlays on the ebony board... very classy. 

It is hardtail, though.


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## jacksonplayer (May 21, 2008)

djpharoah said:


> So only the USA SL1 had an OFR huh - well Im sure the Schaller is just as good.



All the USA Jacksons have OFRs now, as well as a few of the Japanese models. Basically, the history with the USA Soloists is this:

1984-86: Mostly Kahlers, with a few Floyds showing up here and there.

1987-88: A mix of Kahlers, JT-6s, and OFRs, with JT-6s probably the most common since it was the default bridge if nothing else was specified.

1989-95: Schaller trem, known as a "JT-590" in Jackson parlance.

1996-present: OFR.

The Japanese Soloists have a more complicated history with bridges, simply because of wide variety of models over the years. You have to include the early Japanese Soloists marketed as Charvels here, also.

1986: Charvel Models 5 and 6 had Kahlers.
1987-88: Model 5 and 6 had JT-6s
1989-91 Charvel 550xl and 650xl had Schallers
1990-95 Jackson Soloist Pro had Schallers
1992-95? Soloist XL had Schallers (at least in the first year or two)
1992-95? Soloist Std. had TRS-made JT-580LP
1996?-2006 SL-3 had the TRS.
Current SL-3 has the cheaper Ping-made OFR.
Early 2000s SL-4 (dual hum guitar) had TRS

As you can see from this list, charting the history of the import Soloists is almost a full-time job! 

BTW, a Soloist XL is a worthwhile acquisition, too, though rarer than the Soloist Pro. Basically, it was the same except for having a rosewood fretboard and passive electronics (which is actually a plus). 

What makes it confusing is that all of the early-mid '90s Japanese Jacksons say "Professional" on the headstock, since they were part of the "Professional Series". But the the "Pro" models were only the top parts of "Professional" line from 1992 on, and they are the only ones with the full USA features. Confused?  Basically, Jackson effed up their model line in the '90s with a confusing array of models and series, and you have to see a bunch of instruments and talk to knowledgeable people to figure it all out.


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## YYZ2112 (May 21, 2008)

jacksonplayer said:


> Jackson didn't start using OFRs as regular equipment until 1996, though you occasionally see '80s Jacksons with them. Which means that somebody bought a Kramer and sent the OFR from it to Jackson for a custom job, because Kramer had exclusive rights to the OFR back then.



I never knew that.


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## IM04 (May 21, 2008)

I've got an SL2H and another one on order from mattsmusic. I got my first one used for about $1,200 (before import taxes, delivery) I think. You can probably get them cheaper, but I got the snakeskin which tends to go for more. Plus living in the UK, it's a great price. They go for £2000 ($4000) new over here.

It does have some fret issues however, I noticed they had lifted on the edges. Took it to a tech. He used his fret rocker thingymajig and the frets that were lifting weren't actually out of level. Strange, but i'm pretty sure it's just a one-off problem with mine. He levelled + glued the frets as normal and it's fine to play.

Apart from that it's a fantastic guitar, everyone whos played it thinks so too, never heard anything negative about it. (Apart from my taste in finishes lol)


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## kmanick (May 21, 2008)

My main 6'er's have always been jacksons or Charvels.
I have a 2001 SL2H that I will never sell, it's that nice of a guitar.
I used to have quite a collection of bolt ons and soloists but I sold them all off when I bought my house 3 years ago.
Besides the Jackson Pro models I would also check out the Charvel Model 6 or the Charvel 650 xl's.
the 650's are basically the same guitars as the jackson pros, great bang for the buck.
I've owned a few and with an OFR dropped in you are all set.
they have Jackson pickups in them but they actually sound pretty good.


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## YYZ2112 (May 21, 2008)

kmanick said:


> Besides the Jackson Pro models I would also check out the Charvel Model 6 or the Charvel 650 xl's.
> the 650's are basically the same guitars as the jackson pros, great bang for the buck.
> I've owned a few and with an OFR dropped in you are all set.
> they have Jackson pickups in them but they actually sound pretty good.



+1 for the Charvel Model 6 as I _had_ two of them and I had one 650 xl as well. The model 6 was my work horse for years. I installed an OFR and EMG's in one of them and it was always a great guitar.


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## God Hand Apostle (May 21, 2008)

Hey Chris, whats the deal with Jackson Stars soloists, and do you know why its such a bitch for me to find a Model 6 with a Kahler? Did Charvel only use Kahlers on those for like...a year or something, or are people just hording them. Cause I see way more Model 5's with Kahlers than anything else.

You've done backflips off of my face with all this great info!


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## YYZ2112 (May 21, 2008)

I'll take a stab at this.... I believe you're correct. I think the Kahlers were only in the first year of production of the model 6 which I think was in 1985 or 86. The following year Charvel started using those awful Jackson trems.


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## jacksonplayer (May 21, 2008)

God Hand Apostle said:


> Hey Chris, whats the deal with Jackson Stars soloists, and do you know why its such a bitch for me to find a Model 6 with a Kahler? Did Charvel only use Kahlers on those for like...a year or something, or are people just hording them. Cause I see way more Model 5's with Kahlers than anything else.



Jackson Stars guitars are sold only in Japan--the "Stars" part is added because of some trademark issue concerning the use of the name Jackson over there. The Japanese factory builds a whole range of guitars that are not exported, sort of like Ibanez. The Stars Soloists come in two flavors, though the names may have changed recently--the J2 series, which is at about the same level as the SL-3 (but not exactly the same), and the J1 series, which is at the level of the USA Soloist. The Stars guitars typically have better features than the import Jacksons in the rest of the world, since they don't have to worry about competing with the USA Jacksons.

Jackson did indeed use the Kahler only for the first year of the import Charvels--1986. As to why more 1986 Model 5s show up for sale as compared to Model 6s, I'm not sure why that is. It could be that in recent years more Model 6 owners have hung on to their guitars. You used to see more Model 6s on eBay, actually, and it seems to have reversed only in the last couple of years. It also might be that the Model 5 was the bigger seller, since it cost $100 less at the time--$599 vs. $699 (I remember because I desperately wanted either one and didn't have the cash).

The neckthru Charvels are good (better than an SL-3, IMHO), but not at the level of a Soloist Pro. And I've owned several of them. Lowest action I've ever gotten on any guitar was on a 1989 650xl, but that thing was a sonic dog. But I had an '86 Model 5 that sounded incredible--unfortunately the neck had warped by the time I got it. Most of the others I've had have been somewhere in between. They were a great value until the past couple of years--the prices have started to shoot up, and I absolutely would not pay $600 for a Model 6.


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## sakeido (May 21, 2008)

I'll put it another good word for the SLSMG.. I like mine so much, I bought another one just to put different pickups in. The one I do have has been my main sixer for a very long time now. 
It supposedly has a thinner neck than a regular Soloist, and it is the only one in the entire lineup with its particular body, inlays, and woods. They are also a complete steal on eBay for the prices they go for.


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## YYZ2112 (May 21, 2008)

I was lucky enough to sell one model 6 a few years ago on Ebay for $550 and the other for about $500.


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## jacksonplayer (May 21, 2008)

YYZ2112 said:


> I was lucky enough to sell one model 6 a few years ago on Ebay for $550 and the other for about $500.



Within the last 10 years, I bought my Model 5 for $150 (it needed some work), and my 650xl for $250. I made a nice little bit of coin selling off the 650, but I wish I'd kept it even longer so that I could sell it for the silly prices they go for now.

But then, I guess I could say the same thing about the 1976 Les Paul Custom that I bought for $500 in 1986.


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## God Hand Apostle (May 21, 2008)

jacksonplayer said:


> But then, I guess I could say the same thing about the 1976 Les Paul Custom that I bought for $500 in 1986.



Man, my dad bought his Gibson ES-335 in 1963 for like 300 boners. Shit is recockulous!


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## ajdehoogh (May 21, 2008)

Alot of DAMN fine info here.


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## yellowv (May 21, 2008)

IMO the Schaller is better than an OFR. I have both. I fond the Schaller to be a better and beefier piece. I think it adds a bit to the tone.


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## djpharoah (May 21, 2008)

yellowv said:


> IMO the Schaller is better than an OFR. I have both. I fond the Schaller to be a better and beefier piece. I think it adds a bit to the tone.





So the one with the Schaller would be the Jackson Soloist Pro (MIJ)?? Hmm... looks soo nice. Whats the story with the pickups? How come some come with emgs, some with SDs and some with Jackson "active" looking pups??


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## yellowv (May 21, 2008)

Look at the baseplate on that bad boy. Now thats what I call well built.


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## Shawn (May 21, 2008)

I've always wanted a Jackson Soloist.


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## TemjinStrife (May 22, 2008)

Like I said earlier, and like Sakeido said... the SLSMG is where it's at. I normally can't stand thin necks... but for some reason this one really 'gels' with me, and it might well be slimmer than a Wizard (although infinitely more comfortable, probably because it's rounded!) Razor low action and huge frets make for effortless playability and the thing weighs only slightly more than a Parker Fly.

I love the look of the headstock; and it's only one of two Jacksons I know of that use that design. The mini-sharktooths are classy; and it's the only mahogany neckthru/mahogany body I know of in Jackson's catalog, as well as the only one with that kind of contouring. Mine's satin black and feels smooth and slick, as well as showing off the contouring.

Mine is unfortunately not for sale... but if you see one of these on eBay, I'd recommend nabbing it, even if you do get an early model and have to swap out EMG-HZs (as I did...).
Playability and feel is just amazing.


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## djpharoah (May 22, 2008)

I am really feeling the old school H-S-S Jackson Soloists, just feel the SLSMG kind of draws away from the traditional Jackson headstock which I 

Lets see what happens


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## darren (May 22, 2008)

The Schaller Floyd base plates are thick because i think they're cast metal with hardened steel inserts for the knife edges. An OFR is stamped, case-hardened steel.


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## eaeolian (May 22, 2008)

darren said:


> The Schaller Floyd base plates are thick because i think they're cast metal with hardened steel inserts for the knife edges. An OFR is stamped, case-hardened steel.



Correct. The Schaller may feel "beefier", but the OFR is actually stronger (and more expensive to make).


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## djpharoah (May 22, 2008)

darren said:


> The Schaller Floyd base plates are thick because i think they're cast metal with hardened steel inserts for the knife edges. An OFR is stamped, case-hardened steel.





eaeolian said:


> Correct. The Schaller may feel "beefier", but the OFR is actually stronger (and more expensive to make).



Thanks for confirming it - as a materials science student I knew thicker base =/= stronger.

Man decisions...


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## eaeolian (May 22, 2008)

djpharoah said:


> So the one with the Schaller would be the Jackson Soloist Pro (MIJ)?? Hmm... looks soo nice. Whats the story with the pickups? How come some come with emgs, some with SDs and some with Jackson "active" looking pups??



pre-1990 Soloists came with whatever they were ordered with - since each was technically a "custom" piece. Jackson pickups were standard, so a lot of them just came with those, since many were ordered by stores and the new owner was probably just going to replace them with what they liked, anyway. (Didn't *everybody* replace their pickups in the '80s?  ) The part that sucks is the single coil routes are *very* narrow and most standard singles from other companies won't fit. EMGs are popular because they will fit.

1990-94 will have Jackson pickups and electronics stock. You'll be wanting to remove those and replace them with something that doesn't suck, although replacing the singles is still challenging. 

94 and forward generally have Duncans, although the Professional guitars still have Jackson pickups until the SL3-SL4 are introduced (in '99, I think?) There have been USA short runs with different pickups, though, so almost anything - some have Bill Lawrences, for example, and some of the USA SLSs have Kent Armstrongs (but most have Duncans).


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## darren (May 22, 2008)

The Schaller Floyds are still nice units. Some of the original Jackson pickups (before they started putting them under the plastic covers) were actually pretty tasty. I knew a guy that had a mongrel Tele with a J-95 or J-90C and it sounded killer.

The problem with their plastic-cover pickups is that the humbuckers were larger than a standard open-coil humbucker.


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## Demeyes (May 22, 2008)

I'm pretty happy with the tones I get from my Jacksons pups. The ones in my Rhoads and Charvel model 4 are pretty sweet. 
Also with the trems, I wouldn't be turning down all of them. The lic floyd in my Sl3 holds its tuning really well. The schaller in my Rhoads pro is also fine. Both of these guitars are about 10+ years and still playing well with no issues with their trems. The jt-6 on my mod 4 though... Well its in poor enough shape, so I don't use it a whole lot. But hey, that trem is 20 years young.


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## jacksonplayer (May 22, 2008)

I always remove the Jackson humbuckers, whenever I encounter them. The Soloist Pro has a J50 humbucker and 2 J200 stacked humbuckers (single-coil sized), with the J1200 active midrange circuit. The J50 in the Pro has the smaller-sized cover. Jackson got rid of that ridiculous oversized cover after 1989, I believe. I removed the entire electronics assembly from my Pro and replaced it with a Duncan Custom, Hot Rails neck, and Quarter Pounder middle in a passive setup.

Some people like the J1200 circuit, and it does work well with the J200 pickups. But to me it's just a big old background noise creator that adds little to the tone.

EMGs are a good option if you want to keep the replacement comparatively simple, and the single coils fit the routs. That's one reason I chose the Hot Rails/Quarter Pounder combo, since most of the other Duncans and Dimarzios have that traditional "lip" on the bottom of the pickup that won't fit in the old Jackson single-coil routs.

Bottom line--if you want no hassles, spend a few more bucks and get a USA Soloist from 1996 or later. They already come with great electronics and an OFR. If you like tinkering or need to save a few bucks, the older Jacksons are a great choice.


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## eaeolian (May 22, 2008)

Demeyes said:


> I'm pretty happy with the tones I get from my Jacksons pups. The ones in my Rhoads and Charvel model 4 are pretty sweet.
> Also with the trems, I wouldn't be turning down all of them. The lic floyd in my Sl3 holds its tuning really well. The schaller in my Rhoads pro is also fine. Both of these guitars are about 10+ years and still playing well with no issues with their trems. The jt-6 on my mod 4 though... Well its in poor enough shape, so I don't use it a whole lot. But hey, that trem is 20 years young.



I have a 20 year old Floyd that's still solid as a rock. The JT6 was crap pot metal casting, and they don't age well.


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## jacksonplayer (May 22, 2008)

eaeolian said:


> I have a 20 year old Floyd that's still solid as a rock.



 The OFR on my '80s ESP still works perfectly...on a guitar that looks like it survived combat. I have to do some pretty crazy shit to make that guitar go out of tune.


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## djpharoah (May 23, 2008)

Glad to know about the OFRs and the quality of the soloist. I dont understand what was being said though about the single coil pickups and replacing them?


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## jacksonplayer (May 23, 2008)

djpharoah said:


> I dont understand what was being said though about the single coil pickups and replacing them?



If you look at most single coils, you'll notice that they have a base plate that's wider around than the pickup itself on one side, and sort of triangular shaped. On Strats, it's not an issue, since they attach to the pickguard from below. But on non-pickguard guitars, like Soloists, the single-coil routs have to be specially shaped to fit those pickups. Jackson's own single coils back in the day didn't have that oversized base plate, and the routs were cut narrowly to fit those pickups. As a result, most Duncans and Dimarzios won't fit in those pre-1996 Jacksons without heavy modifications. However, Duncan does make certain single-coils (and single-coil sized humbuckers) that will fit. EMGs also don't have that "lip", and they also fit perfectly.


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## TemjinStrife (May 23, 2008)

The DiMarzio dual-rail single-coil-sized humbuckers fit in those slots as well, but not the Duncan ones.


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## ElDuderino (May 23, 2008)

Just wanted to put in another good word for the SL2H. For me it is an absolutely perfect guitar. Awesome ebony fretboard, you can have super-low action with no fret-buzz, great electronics, and it has the indestructible OFR. There is no comparison between the OFR and the licensed Floyds on my other guitars - both the feel and stability are way better.


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## zimbloth (May 23, 2008)

ElDuderino said:


> Just wanted to put in another good word for the SL2H. For me it is an absolutely perfect guitar. Awesome ebony fretboard, you can have super-low action with no fret-buzz, great electronics, and it has the indestructible OFR. There is no comparison between the OFR and the licensed Floyds on my other guitars - both the feel and stability are way better.



I agree with all of that. The OFR is terrific, they play great, built great, very solid all around. The only thing I think some people are leaving out is tone. Most USA Soloists I've played over the years sounded extremely thin and brittle in stock form. Sometimes I wonder if the frets have something to do with it. Different pickups can help, but they're still not the best sounding guitars out there IMHO. 

Now, of course it depends on the amp, I liked how they sounded even stock through darker amps like 5150s or older Mesas, but I'm just talking about in general. 

I personally would pass unless you could find a remarkable deal somewhere on a used one, like $800-1000.


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## D-EJ915 (May 23, 2008)

I've played a few SL-2s and a bunch of old ESP M-1000s and I like the M-1000s more, even though they're cheaper the all maple combo absolutely destroys the soloist, at least imo.


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## eaeolian (May 23, 2008)

zimbloth said:


> I agree with all of that. The OFR is terrific, they play great, built great, very solid all around. The only thing I think some people are leaving out is tone. Most USA Soloists I've played over the years sounded extremely thin and brittle in stock form. Sometimes I wonder if the frets have something to do with it. Different pickups can help, but they're still not the best sounding guitars out there IMHO.



Really? They do have a distinctive upper-mid, but I've played them that run the gamut from nasally to wooly, with the '80s guitars having the most variation. Some of the newer SL1s-SL2Hs I've played have been pretty thin, but certainly not to Kelly or King V standards, and I played a brand-new one a couple of months ago that sounded great, other than a bad pot.

YMMV, as always. I actually generally like the '90s DK1s better than the Soloists from that era, but I'm really a bolt-on guy at heart. However, I'd take most of the SLs I've played over the similar guitars from all the "big guys", especially during the '90s.


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## jacksonplayer (May 23, 2008)

TemjinStrife said:


> The DiMarzio dual-rail single-coil-sized humbuckers fit in those slots as well, but not the Duncan ones.



I thought it was the other way around. When I looked for Dimarzios that would fit my Soloist Pro, I didn't find any, whereas there were several Duncans that would. Duncan redesigned its dual-rail mini-humbuckers a couple of years ago, and they now fit. You have to watch closely if you buy used pickups, though, to see which version you get.



eaeolian said:


> Really? They do have a distinctive upper-mid, but I've played them that run the gamut from nasally to wooly, with the '80s guitars having the most variation.



That's been my experience, as well. Most of the USA Soloists I've had have sounded pretty "alive", with only one tonal dog in the bunch--which, weirdly enough, was one of the vaunted San Dimas-era guitars and the oldest one I've owned. I would put my Soloist Pro up against any neckthru guitar at any price, in terms of warm, huge tone. But I admit that's just getting a bit lucky and finding the pick of the litter.


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## noodles (May 23, 2008)

zimbloth said:


> I agree with all of that. The OFR is terrific, they play great, built great, very solid all around. The only thing I think some people are leaving out is tone. Most USA Soloists I've played over the years sounded extremely thin and brittle in stock form. Sometimes I wonder if the frets have something to do with it. Different pickups can help, but they're still not the best sounding guitars out there IMHO.



Huh? I've been playing Soloists for years, and to me, they have a very present upper-midrange "clonk" to them. It makes for very full sounding chords and singing solos.

I think the biggest problem is the trem spaced JBs they load them with. Those pickups are thin and harsh in comparison to the standard spaced pickup.


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## djpharoah (May 23, 2008)

Whats the stock humbucker in the bridge? What are its tonal characteristics? Mids or scooped ?


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## jacksonplayer (May 23, 2008)

djpharoah said:


> Whats the stock humbucker in the bridge? What are its tonal characteristics? Mids or scooped ?



The trem-spaced Duncan JB. They tend to be somewhat mid-oriented, and certainly not scooped. It's not my favorite pickup, but that's just me. I have a Duncan Custom in my Pro.


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## Crazy German (May 26, 2008)

i got a fairly new slsmg in gloss black and i have a few issues with it. The first being is that its very neck heavy which is kinda annoying but the main problem is the neck is very wide to wide for my hands so if ur a small dude you should keep that in mind. But yeah im selling mine p.m if ur interested.


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## sakeido (May 26, 2008)

Crazy German said:


> i got a fairly new slsmg in gloss black and i have a few issues with it. The first being is that its very neck heavy which is kinda annoying but the main problem is the neck is very wide to wide for my hands so if ur a small dude you should keep that in mind. But yeah im selling mine p.m if ur interested.



How small are your hands? Like god damn it has the thinnest neck of all the Jacksons out there and the same wide nut every Charvel and Jackson has had since the early 1980s. And very neck heavy... again WTF, its a Soloist. Not a SG. It doesn't balance as well as the USA ones do, sure, but it is not "very" neck heavy.


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## TemjinStrife (May 26, 2008)

Really? Mine balances really nicely, and has a somewhat wide neck (but not terribly so.)


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## Crazy German (May 26, 2008)

I do have pretty small hands, the jp6 i have now fits my hand very nicely. well by neck heavy I ment that when I let go of the neck it would hang really real but that isnt an issue when playing just something to keep in mind. Other then that the guitar is really fantastic and worth the money sounds good and feels more expensive then it really is.


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## sean392 (Sep 11, 2008)

TemjinStrife said:


> The DiMarzio dual-rail single-coil-sized humbuckers fit in those slots as well, but not the Duncan ones.





jacksonplayer said:


> . However, Duncan does make certain single-coils (and single-coil sized humbuckers) that will fit. EMGs also don't have that "lip", and they also fit perfectly.


Hmm, could you guys provide some examples of the range of Dimarzio and Duncans which can fit the undersized routing?

I have 93 Soloist Custom Special, 2 undersized direct mount single coil slots, arranged in a way it looks like a humbucker.

I'm thinking a Dimarzio Cruizer or Duncan little 59 and a maybe single coil, maybe a Fralin Vintage single coil (if it fits)

Thx guys, I'm new here btw!


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## caughtinamosh (Mar 10, 2009)

curtis said:


> *how,s it going guy's i have a question im hoping someone might be able to help me with....*
> *I have a peavey xxx half stack 400w head and cab.*
> *I have put it up for trade, and i got an offer for a 1992 usa jackson sl1.*
> *Im wondering if ne1 might be able to let me know if this is a good trade.*
> ...


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## curtis (Mar 10, 2009)

i dont get it??


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## caughtinamosh (Mar 10, 2009)

curtis said:


> i dont get it??



Sorry man, don't worry about it - just saying that this sort of thing merits a thread of it's own, rather than bumping an old one.

EDIT : And my apologies if I came off as a douchebag.


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## curtis (Mar 10, 2009)

o ok well i cant figure out how to post a new one?


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## caughtinamosh (Mar 10, 2009)

1) Scroll to the top of this page
2) Click the text "standard guitars" next to the specifics of this thread ("Jackson advice/comments/pics" etc)
3) When the new page loads, simply click "new thread" and proceed


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## curtis (Mar 10, 2009)

*hey guy's i have a question...*
*I have a peavey xxx half stack head and cab. 400w.*
*I was trying to trade.*
*I was offerd a 1992 usa jackson sl1.*
*I was wondering if this would be a good trade. *
*Also i was wondering if enyone could give me advise on how to tell if this is an authentic jackson and not a knockoff.*
*THANKS IN ADVANCE.*
*CURTIS*

thanks alot dude.

thanks alot dude.


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