NGD: Jackson content

[gwEm]

I was looking for a dual humbucker, 25.5", fixed bridge super strat of some kind in brilliant white. Tried a load of ESP LTD, an Ibanez and a couple of Schecters, didn't like the ESPs at all, found the Ibanez neck too thin and while the Schecters were actually quite fine I just didn't gel.

So anyway, I already knew I liked Jackson and Charvels so I was looking for a Dinky. Then this Rhoads came up as an ex-demo bargain and I realised it was the perfect thing.

Its in their X series, made in Indonesia. Its maple neck through with basswood wings. Must say it sounds like a really good maple neck through, it sustain for days, far better than I expected. The build quality isn't quite up to my Japanese RR24, but it is pretty close and I have no complaints especially at the bargain price.

I was expecting to need to change the Duncan Designed Distortion pickups that it came with. Actually they were decent, far better than I expected. I changed them for a set of DiMarzios I had laying around. They are only a smidgen better.

So yeah, I'm really impressed and pleased. It was about the same price as the Epiphone I got as my first guitar years ago, and its a clear step up from that.

Other than the pickups the only change I've done is to fit straplocks and remove the second volume knob and relocate the switch so that I have more space for my volume knob swell techniques.

I'd recommend the Jackson X-Series to anyone.

[richard]

I love white guitars. Congratulations. Are you going to stick with the DiMarzios ?

[dvorak]

Haha, metal attack!

Congrats, that's a cool guitar

[gwEm]

I love white guitars. Congratulations. Are you going to stick with the DiMarzios ?

I'm not entirely sure yet. I've fitted a Super Distortion in the bridge and a Humbucker from Hell in the neck, its a serviceable combo.

Its tempting to sell my MIJ RR24 now, in which case I could put the Painkiller out of it into this one. Possibly adding a Trilogy in the neck position.

The stock Duncan Designed were likable enough as I say, so I'm considering experimenting with a full Duncan Distortion set. But in the past I've never got on with Duncans.

All up in air!

I've ordered some cheapo pickup conversion rings for single coil and mini-humbucker for the neck position to try at some point.

[blue]

That looks pretty cool.  I've recently become quite fascinated by white guitars myself

[dave_mc]

sweet

[Telerocker]

Not really my kind of guitar, but nice catch anyway.

[Andrew W]

I like this. It's not a guitar I would ever be able to pull off, but I like it for itself and it sounds like a steal. Nicely done.

[Kiichi]

The kind of guitar you can hear by looking at it. Congrats on the catch. =)

[GuitarIv]

Congrats mate, the Rhoads model has such a unique badass look. 

Nice to hear that you're satisfied with an Indonesian made Jackson guitar. All the ones I tried so far didn't even come close to the Japanese made ones, but then again I myself own an Indonesian made Ibanez that puts pretty much every newer Gibson to shame and it cost me only a fraction of a Gibbos price. Sometimes fortune is on your side 

[gwEm]

Congrats mate, the Rhoads model has such a unique badass look. 

Nice to hear that you're satisfied with an Indonesian made Jackson guitar. All the ones I tried so far didn't even come close to the Japanese made ones, but then again I myself own an Indonesian made Ibanez that puts pretty much every newer Gibson to shame and it cost me only a fraction of a Gibbos price. Sometimes fortune is on your side 

yeah, I'd read reports the quality control from Indonesia was a bit erratic. as this particular one was a store demonstrator, I figured that they would have picked a good one for the shop floor. I bought it unseen online, but I did speak to the store first about it.

To speak more about the differences:
The neck shape is similar but not identical to my MIJ, not sure which I prefer, they both feel like Jacksons. The Indonesian one out sustains the MIJ for sure. However I do strongly prefer the feel of the ebony board on the MIJ, though the rosewood board is decent, better than a few Gibsons I own. Some of the routing could be a bit neater on the Indonesian (not that you can see it normally) and I can't get the action quite as low as on the MIJ (though its still fine).