Jackson Adrian Smith

[srommes]

I Have two of AS USA's. I wouldn't of paid $2k new for them but I got them both in brand new condition used for $1100 or $1200 each. Well worth that. Similar neck to the Charvel SoCal but a little thinner and I felt, overall, a nicer finish. I love mine

 

[Anonymous]

I know a lot of people like the Indonesian Adrian smiths.
I have a hard time believing that the USA is not worth paying extra. I've owned a USA soloist and compared to the import ones I've owned/played, no comparison at all IMO.

The USA models are that good. Plus, correcte if I'm wrong, but aren't the body's on the import 3 piece vs one solid piece on the U.S. Models? I know some of the imported Mexican strats are like that.

 

[neilli]

I'd bet the US guitars are at least a 2 piece body. I picked up the SDX version at a store and I have to say it felt kind of cheap to me. Not surprising given the price and I would bet 20 mins of TLC would have improved things a lot. I have two US Adrians and they're awesome guitars - I bought the first new but the second cos me a grand used..

 

[Chris O]

I like what you did with those - nice!

 

[Racerxrated]

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.

Thanks for the tip!

 

[sytharnia1560]

The USA models are that good. Plus, correcte if I'm wrong, but aren't the body's on the import 3 piece vs one solid piece on the U.S. Models? I know some of the imported Mexican strats are like that.

don't know about charvels but I can tell you my expensive yngwie malmsteen strat, which is made in the good old US is a 5 piece body ... great guitar though

But then again my ears and fingers a retarded so they can't hear/feel how many pieces of wood there are

 

[Racerxrated]

The USA models are that good. Plus, correcte if I'm wrong, but aren't the body's on the import 3 piece vs one solid piece on the U.S. Models? I know some of the imported Mexican strats are like that.

don't know about charvels but I can tell you my expensive yngwie malmsteen strat, which is made in the good old US is a 5 piece body ... great guitar though

But then again my ears and fingers a retarded so they can't hear/feel how many pieces of wood there are

You need to take an online course to become a "wood whisperer".... Its only 5K. You can then achieve your goal. I hear you can put your hand on a tree trunk and tell how old it is......

 

[RG955TT]

I had one of the US ones, really nice guitar, kind of heavy though and I have too many Super Strats already so I let it go. Didn't like that I had to remove the neck to adjust the truss rod either but that's somewhat common (more so than it ought to be though). Sounded good though and was made nice enough, liked the ebony board.

 

[Anonymous]

You just need to count the rings on the inside of the trunk to tell its age. Regarding the amount of pieces in the body... Strum an open chord and place the body on or near the genitailia.

A tingling effect should take place soon after. The stronger and longer will indicate a solid one piece body.

 

[thiswaythatway]

You know what it is.....I find maple fingerboards a bit addicting, something about them. Check out this Jackson I had back in 1990. You can see I cut it up for a neck humbucker.

 

[sytharnia1560]

don't know about charvels but I can tell you my expensive yngwie malmsteen strat, which is made in the good old US is a 5 piece body ... great guitar though

But then again my ears and fingers a retarded so they can't hear/feel how many pieces of wood there are

how do you know its a 5 piece>? it is sprayed clear?

I sanded it back to bare wood

 

[sytharnia1560]

You need to take an online course to become a "wood whisperer".... Its only 5K. You can then achieve your goal. I hear you can put your hand on a tree trunk and tell how old it is......

sounds like money well spent

 

[Racerxrated]

You know what it is.....I find maple fingerboards a bit addicting, something about them. Check out this Jackson I had back in 1990. You can see I cut it up for a neck humbucker.

Ha! Look at that. The ADA rig.....I couldn't afford the MP1 in 1990 but I had a DigiTech GSP 21 with that same Mosvalve power amp, through a Hughes n Kettner 4x12. Ahh the memories..... I was 22....

 

[CaseyCor]

I found a used Jackson Adrian Smith for $350 a few minutes ago..white with the rosewood board. Seems like a good deal, yeah?

 

[thiswaythatway]

Hey, I played another Indonesian one at a Sam Ash and it felt and played like a turd. But I still the neck profile. Now how close is a regular USA Charvel to one of the USA Adrian Smith models? Used USA one's can be had for $1200-$1400 normally.