Does anybody not like Jackson soloists???

[Scott Ians Beard]

They play great, but as danyeo said you look like a dork unless you are playing hard rock/metal. I wish you could get them without sharkfins, theyre the dealbreaker for me.

 

[ke2]

I've owned a few dozen USA Jacksons, and I just can't stand the way the soloists sound 'spongy'. I know it probably doesn't make much sense, but the tone just sucks IMHO. I think it has to do with the way the back of the neck joint is so sculpted out and the way it's one piece of wood basically with wings attached. I've never heard a Jackson soloist that amplified sounded 1/2 as good as a set neck hamer, gibson or PRS.

Favorite one I had that was almost normal sounding to me was a really old student archtop soloist - Sn was around 200, it freakin' killed but I had to pay bills and it had to go. I'd buy it back in a heartbeat if I could, was a killer guitar.

USA Jacksons are built well, my favorite years are early 90s, it seems like whoever was doing the fretwork then was a GOD. I just prefer bolt ons and currently have a DK2 quilt top bolt on Jackson that kills, along with a San Dimas strat (pointy head though) and a SD one HB pointy. Great guitars, I just can't get over the tone.

Here's a pic of two I used to have - the student archtop and a green ghost flame I called Kermit for obvious reasons.

Pete

Did the green ghost flame end up in Norway, by any chance?

 

['63-Strat]

I've owned a few dozen USA Jacksons, and I just can't stand the way the soloists sound 'spongy'. I know it probably doesn't make much sense, but the tone just sucks IMHO. I think it has to do with the way the back of the neck joint is so sculpted out and the way it's one piece of wood basically with wings attached. I've never heard a Jackson soloist that amplified sounded 1/2 as good as a set neck hamer, gibson or PRS.
Pete

Yeah, I know what you mean by "spongy."

 

[stratotone]

Did the green ghost flame end up in Norway, by any chance?

Yep, were you the one I sold it to? LOL

 

[FriedChickenBandit]

I'm thinking about picking one of these up, but I am used to/have favored mahogany - just curious if anybody thinks these are really bright guitars? I like their neck profiles from what I remember playing a few in the past. Anybody have one and change the bridge pup out for a beefier sound? FWIW, I'm looking at a SL1-T which would be string thru body not floyd.

I think obama supporters don't like Soloists..damn communists!

 

[Juggernaut]

I'm not a fan, not that they are bad, I just always prefered the B.C. Rich Gunslinger

 

[travis bickle]

one of my favorite guitars hands down. next i need to try out a dk-1. great neck, crushing tone, and looks mean. i hate the placement of the knobs as well, but you get used to it.

im gonna swap out the jb for an emg 85. cant fucken wait.

 

[ke2]

Did the green ghost flame end up in Norway, by any chance?

Yep, were you the one I sold it to? LOL

No, but I think I`ve seen it on a Norwegian board...and I wonder ig you sold it to Jonathan?
We`re a small society in Norway, hehehehe

edit:
I seem to be broke every time a nice deal is available. Jacksons prices are sick over here. A new US SL1 is 3600$ over here

 

[stratotone]

Did the green ghost flame end up in Norway, by any chance?

Yep, were you the one I sold it to? LOL

No, but I think I`ve seen it on a Norwegian board...and I wonder ig you sold it to Jonathan?
We`re a small society in Norway, hehehehe

edit:
I seem to be broke every time a nice deal is available. Jacksons prices are sick over here. A new US SL1 is 3600$ over here

Yes, I sold it to Jonathan in '04 I think. Is he still playing it? That's great if he is... it had that soloist sag thing I was talking about, but the craftsmanship was awesome and it nearly played itself.

Pete

 

[duodecim]

I'm thinking about picking one of these up, but I am used to/have favored mahogany - just curious if anybody thinks these are really bright guitars? I like their neck profiles from what I remember playing a few in the past. Anybody have one and change the bridge pup out for a beefier sound? FWIW, I'm looking at a SL1-T which would be string thru body not floyd.

I've got a mahogany Soloist. It's not especially bright, even with the JB. I've been thinking to get one through the custom shop with mahogany and a fixed bridge, without inlays, and a different knob layout (like on the PC model) because sometimes the volume knob gets in my way. That would also deal with most of the gripes other people have in this thread.

I don't think I'd change out the JB in this guitar, but I might try a Lundgren M6 if I would go for another Jackson. Together with a fixed bridge, it might add some punchiness.

A lot of people complain about Jacksons having wide necks, but isn't a 1-11/16 inch nut pretty much standard anyway?

 

[mrp5150]

I don't care for them. IMO, the Caparison TAT's kill them and they have almost identical specs, but they just play and sound much better to me. I do have horrible GAS for a Jackson PC-1 though.

 

[AmpliFIRE]

I've owned a few dozen USA Jacksons, and I just can't stand the way the soloists sound 'spongy'. I know it probably doesn't make much sense, but the tone just sucks IMHO. I think it has to do with the way the back of the neck joint is so sculpted out and the way it's one piece of wood basically with wings attached. I've never heard a Jackson soloist that amplified sounded 1/2 as good as a set neck hamer, gibson or PRS.
Pete

Yeah, I know what you mean by "spongy."

+1

I agree 100%