Jackson Adrian Smith

[thiswaythatway]

I went into a shop that had some cool guitars. A Phil Collen Jackson with a roasted maple neck, a Jake E Lee Charvel, and I checked out an Adrian Smith Charvel. I really liked that guitar, neck felt good, nice big frets. The Adrian Smith was my favorite out of those 3, but to my surprise the Smith was made in China and the Jake and Collen were made in USA!

The Jake just had a really thin neck and the frets were a little smaller than I'd like. The Smith was just nice all around but it was setup perfect and it had no flaws anywhere. From what I saw I'd have to really think of a reasons why to spend 2k on a Charvel when the $500 one was that nice.

 

[yngzaklynch]

You are the player. You got to use a guitar that feels and sounds best. Forget everything else

 

[sytharnia1560]

You are the player. You got to use a guitar that feels and sounds best. Forget everything else

no, you can feel where a guitar is made if your hands are working properly

 

[Crunchtime]

Surprised. I heard they had paper-thin necks.

 

[ChadVanHalen]

Didn't those have a street price of $666 when they first came out? I was tempted to pick one up just based on that haha

And my Iceman was made in China, bought it fully expecting to return it or have it has a hard tail back up in case a Floyd goes down in a show, but it's since graduated into taking the place of a few of my beloved Floyded guitar for a few songs in the set... I was not expecting to like anything from China that much, like, at all.

 

[NaturalBornBoy]

The Jackson Adrian Smith SDX isn't MIC. It's Indonesian.

 

[IceMan]

I have the Adrian Smith SDX and it is freaking AWESOME!! People can say what they want about a $500 asian axe, but I've played the expensive one and it is in NO WAY worth $2000 MORE than the import. It's nice, yes. But when you can get the cheaper one - swap in some better pickups - and you have a kick-ass guitar for under $700!!!!! Mine stays in tune very well and I get compliments on the tone all the time. No brainer..................

 

[sytharnia1560]

I have the Adrian Smith SDX and it is freaking AWESOME!! People can say what they want about a $500 asian axe, but I've played the expensive one and it is in NO WAY worth $2000 MORE than the import. It's nice, yes. But when you can get the cheaper one - swap in some better pickups - and you have a kick-ass guitar for under $700!!!!! Mine stays in tune very well and I get compliments on the tone all the time. No brainer..................

clearly you need to train you ears to listen to your credit card more ... you need to be able to hear how great $1300 sounds

 

[IceMan]

I have the Adrian Smith SDX and it is freaking AWESOME!! People can say what they want about a $500 asian axe, but I've played the expensive one and it is in NO WAY worth $2000 MORE than the import. It's nice, yes. But when you can get the cheaper one - swap in some better pickups - and you have a kick-ass guitar for under $700!!!!! Mine stays in tune very well and I get compliments on the tone all the time. No brainer..................

clearly you need to train you ears to listen to your credit card more ... you need to be able to hear how great $1300 sounds

I keep hearing how "warm" 18% interest feels!!!!

 

[Michi]

I went into a shop that had some cool guitars. A Phil Collen Jackson with a roasted maple neck, a Jake E Lee Charvel, and I checked out an Adrian Smith Charvel. I really liked that guitar, neck felt good, nice big frets. The Adrian Smith was my favorite out of those 3, but to my surprise the Smith was made in China and the Jake and Collen were made in USA!

The Jake just had a really thin neck and the frets were a little smaller than I'd like. The Smith was just nice all around but it was setup perfect and it had no flaws anywhere. From what I saw I'd have to really think of a reasons why to spend 2k on a Charvel when the $500 one was that nice.

Darn & snap !

Danyeo, do you have any experience with the Charvel Pro Mod Japan models? I've been looking at the Adrian SDX again for a while, and been wondering how it compares with my Pro Mod San Dimas.

All input on this topic is appreciated again as well

 

[Chris O]

Mine was a turd.

 

[Michi]

Mine was a turd.

Could you define "a turd" in this respect? Not kidding would like to know what was it that made it a turd?

 

[Chris O]

Mine was a turd.

Could you define "a turd" in this respect? Not kidding would like to know what was it that made it a turd?

I had the one with the rosewood board.

1. Couldn't keep the strings on the fret board. I think locking nut was probably the wrong choice. hi/lo E would slip off with EASE, and I'm not a bender.
2. The tone block was rubbing somewhere in the trem cavity. It would go out of tune even without trem use, and I know how to set up guitars pretty well.
3. Had to shim the hell out of the neck to get the action where I like it.
4. Pickups were "just okay".
5. Sharp fret ends.
6. Trem "ping" tones.

Ultimately, I ended up returning it for credit. I wouldn't have wanted to sell it to anyone who wouldn't have gotten to play it first. I have played others that were better, but the personality issues in mine didn't really show until I had more time with it. I probably just got one put together by the new 6-y-o sweatshop employee.

 

[Michi]

Mine was a turd.

Could you define "a turd" in this respect? Not kidding would like to know what was it that made it a turd?

I had the one with the rosewood board.

1. Couldn't keep the strings on the fret board. I think locking nut was probably the wrong choice. hi/lo E would slip off with EASE, and I'm not a bender.
2. The tone block was rubbing somewhere in the trem cavity. It would go out of tune even without trem use, and I know how to set up guitars pretty well.
3. Had to shim the hell out of the neck to get the action where I like it.
4. Pickups were "just okay".
5. Sharp fret ends.
6. Trem "ping" tones.

Ultimately, I ended up returning it for credit. I wouldn't have wanted to sell it to anyone who wouldn't have gotten to play it first. I have played others that were better, but the personality issues in mine didn't really show until I had more time with it. I probably just got one put together by the new 6-y-o sweatshop employee.

Thanks for this. Doesn't sound like a guitar I'd like to start messing with... so it would seem I'd have to go and play a few IF I were to get me one... and change the pickups anywhoo .

Cheers!

 

[thiswaythatway]

Mine was a turd.

Could you define "a turd" in this respect? Not kidding would like to know what was it that made it a turd?

I had the one with the rosewood board.

1. Couldn't keep the strings on the fret board. I think locking nut was probably the wrong choice. hi/lo E would slip off with EASE, and I'm not a bender.
2. The tone block was rubbing somewhere in the trem cavity. It would go out of tune even without trem use, and I know how to set up guitars pretty well.
3. Had to shim the hell out of the neck to get the action where I like it.
4. Pickups were "just okay".
5. Sharp fret ends.
6. Trem "ping" tones.

Ultimately, I ended up returning it for credit. I wouldn't have wanted to sell it to anyone who wouldn't have gotten to play it first. I have played others that were better, but the personality issues in mine didn't really show until I had more time with it. I probably just got one put together by the new 6-y-o sweatshop employee.

The one I played was setup perfect, it didn't need anything. The USA Jake had the string action soo low the thing was buzzing all over. This was only from playing them both for 20 minutes or so and a little setup goes a long way once you take a guitar home. A friend of mine does have a USA Adrian Smith but I haven't had a chance to check it out. Maybe it's just luck of the draw?

 

[thiswaythatway]

Surprised. I heard they had paper-thin necks.

The Jake model was thinner for sure. The Smith model might be thin but not that thin like a Petrucci model or anything.

 

[thiswaythatway]

I went into a shop that had some cool guitars. A Phil Collen Jackson with a roasted maple neck, a Jake E Lee Charvel, and I checked out an Adrian Smith Charvel. I really liked that guitar, neck felt good, nice big frets. The Adrian Smith was my favorite out of those 3, but to my surprise the Smith was made in China and the Jake and Collen were made in USA!

The Jake just had a really thin neck and the frets were a little smaller than I'd like. The Smith was just nice all around but it was setup perfect and it had no flaws anywhere. From what I saw I'd have to really think of a reasons why to spend 2k on a Charvel when the $500 one was that nice.

Darn & snap !

Danyeo, do you have any experience with the Charvel Pro Mod Japan models? I've been looking at the Adrian SDX again for a while, and been wondering how it compares with my Pro Mod San Dimas.

All input on this topic is appreciated again as well

I don't like wide fretboards so 1 5/8th nut width are what I like. But some necks fool me and the Smith model didn't feel wide but I almost sure it's a 1 11/16th nut width. Whenever I play a Charvel I wish the neck was just a little more narrow like an Ernie Ball. But I like the big frets they use on the Charvels and that Ernie Ball Axis body bothers me.

 

[thiswaythatway]

Mine was a turd.

Could you define "a turd" in this respect? Not kidding would like to know what was it that made it a turd?

I had the one with the rosewood board.

1. Couldn't keep the strings on the fret board. I think locking nut was probably the wrong choice. hi/lo E would slip off with EASE, and I'm not a bender.
2. The tone block was rubbing somewhere in the trem cavity. It would go out of tune even without trem use, and I know how to set up guitars pretty well.
3. Had to shim the hell out of the neck to get the action where I like it.
4. Pickups were "just okay".
5. Sharp fret ends.
6. Trem "ping" tones.

Ultimately, I ended up returning it for credit. I wouldn't have wanted to sell it to anyone who wouldn't have gotten to play it first. I have played others that were better, but the personality issues in mine didn't really show until I had more time with it. I probably just got one put together by the new 6-y-o sweatshop employee.

There's an easy fix for that on any guitar. Just get some clear tubing that they sell at pet stores for fish tank air pumps and slide the tubes into the trem springs. You can even put a slice in the tube to make it fit. It will silence all trem noise.

 

[Chris O]

Mine was a turd.

Could you define "a turd" in this respect? Not kidding would like to know what was it that made it a turd?

I had the one with the rosewood board.

1. Couldn't keep the strings on the fret board. I think locking nut was probably the wrong choice. hi/lo E would slip off with EASE, and I'm not a bender.
2. The tone block was rubbing somewhere in the trem cavity. It would go out of tune even without trem use, and I know how to set up guitars pretty well.
3. Had to shim the hell out of the neck to get the action where I like it.
4. Pickups were "just okay".
5. Sharp fret ends.
6. Trem "ping" tones.

Ultimately, I ended up returning it for credit. I wouldn't have wanted to sell it to anyone who wouldn't have gotten to play it first. I have played others that were better, but the personality issues in mine didn't really show until I had more time with it. I probably just got one put together by the new 6-y-o sweatshop employee.

There's an easy fix for that on any guitar. Just get some clear tubing that they sell at pet stores for fish tank air pumps and slide the tubes into the trem springs. You can even put a slice in the tube to make it fit. It will silence all trem noise.

It wasn't gonna fix the other issues though. It was a turd. The springs weren't the issue - thinking it had more to do with the saddles. It was that metallic "ting" you hear when strings aren't seated right - make sense? That said, these were fine as far as string seating.

 

[thiswaythatway]

Mine was a turd.

Could you define "a turd" in this respect? Not kidding would like to know what was it that made it a turd?

I had the one with the rosewood board.

1. Couldn't keep the strings on the fret board. I think locking nut was probably the wrong choice. hi/lo E would slip off with EASE, and I'm not a bender.
2. The tone block was rubbing somewhere in the trem cavity. It would go out of tune even without trem use, and I know how to set up guitars pretty well.
3. Had to shim the hell out of the neck to get the action where I like it.
4. Pickups were "just okay".
5. Sharp fret ends.
6. Trem "ping" tones.

Ultimately, I ended up returning it for credit. I wouldn't have wanted to sell it to anyone who wouldn't have gotten to play it first. I have played others that were better, but the personality issues in mine didn't really show until I had more time with it. I probably just got one put together by the new 6-y-o sweatshop employee.

There's an easy fix for that on any guitar. Just get some clear tubing that they sell at pet stores for fish tank air pumps and slide the tubes into the trem springs. You can even put a slice in the tube to make it fit. It will silence all trem noise.

It wasn't gonna fix the other issues though. It was a turd. The springs weren't the issue - thinking it had more to do with the saddles. It was that metallic "ting" you hear when strings aren't seated right - make sense? That said, these were fine as far as string seating.

I haven't owned an import guitar in some time so I have no idea how they hold up once you get it home and put some time on it. I'd still like to checkout the USA one since I really did like that neck. It also doesn't hurt that I'm in an Iron Maiden tribute band