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  • About to order a SL2H......got a few questions

    Hi guys,

    I'm about to order my first Jackson, in the form of a lefty SL2H (probly be ordering tomorrow from wild west guitars).

    Firstly, call me crazy, but I have never actually played a proper USA Jackson Soloist. However, being a lefty and living in the UK, it is impossible for me to find one to play. However, I get on with the strat design and I want something for playing fast and metal really now (I have a les paul guitar and a fender strat already). If the very unlikely case happened that I didn't like it I could probly sell it on ebay over here for possibly even more than i paid for it so i am safe [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img].

    Firstly, some guy on harmony central was saying that the new jacksons have been fitted with 250k tone pots when they should be 500k for humbuckers. He said he fit a 240k resistor in series to compensate and it made a world of difference. Is this true? Is this something I should definitely consider doing when I get mine?

    Also, what is the JB/59 standard pickup combination in the soloists like? I've read before that the JB in the bridge is great for leads but lacks any bottom end for good rhythm, especially palm muted. Is this true? Are there any other pickup combos well suited to the soloists?

    How much of a difference does the painted neck make? I am used to unpainted necks, like my strat. Also my les paul (Gordon smith hand made in the UK not gibson) is stained red on the neck but still not painted, so that feels really smooth too. Does a painted neck take some getting used to, in terms of moving around the neck fast and smoothly?

    Finally, this is going to be hard to explain but I'll give it a go anyway. In terms of playing, I figured that the Jackson would be similar too my strat, because the wood, scale length, shape etc are all very similar. However, I find my strat difficult to play fast (in comparison to my les paul) because the strings tend to "snap back" at me when I play them. In essense they are effected too much by my picking and it kinda messes up my picking a bit. It feels like my pick is being caught and stopped from playing sometimes! lol. Is this just because I am using old, puny 9's on my strat currently and 10's on my les paul? Or is the "snap-back" because of the bolt-on neck and won't be present in a neck-through soloist? Or is it something else? I ask mainly because if it is the strings for example, I may ask Jim, at wild west guitars, to set it up for 10's instead before shipping, even though they will be harder to bend etc. I've normally found 10's are a little stiff on a 25.5" guitar but perfect on a 24.75".

    Thanks for all your help guys, I look forward to being a proud Jackson owner like the rest of you (though I have to wait 4-6 months for the order!),

    Luke

  • #2
    Re: About to order a SL2H......got a few questions

    Rather than waiting 4-6 months for a brand new one, why not check eBay and get one used? Unless you want a specific one. I've seen a few leftys there.

    The JB/Jazz combination is great. I haven't played too many pups, but compared to ESP 81, SD Livewire, and a few other passive SDs, I am quite impressed. The JB has a very warm, beefy tone, and the Jazz has a great lead tone, especially when played through a tube amp .... has that great milky sound jazz and blues artists produce when they play live. Not sure about the pots, but I think the volume is 500k and the tone is 250k, which is standard on a lot of guitars. As for the strings, the "snap back" you describe may be because of 9s or it may be because of something else. I don't know, but if you want Wild West to set it up with 10s, make sure they put an extra spring in the back if you're going to tune it standard. Hope someone else can help you out more.
    My YouTube Videos | My SoundCloud Page

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    • #3
      Re: About to order a SL2H......got a few questions

      Cheers for the info. I really want transparent black which is a major factor. I found a couple of lefty SL2H's in stock on some websites. However, they weren't in any colours I wanted.

      Regarding ebay, I live in the UK and most people won't ship to the UK and even if they would, I don't think I'd risk buying such an expensive guitar off ebay from another country. Even so, I haven't seen a lefty SL2H pop up even on the worldwide ebay.com, however I can't boast to check every day or anything.

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      • #4
        Re: About to order a SL2H......got a few questions

        [ QUOTE ]

        Firstly, some guy on harmony central was saying that the new jacksons have been fitted with 250k tone pots when they should be 500k for humbuckers...

        [/ QUOTE ]

        Hard to believe that after 50 years there are still people that believe this.

        TRADITIONALLY Strats have 250k pots and Les Pauls have 300k pots. 500k actually didn´t come into widespread use until about the 60s.

        Choice of pot value is 100% personal preference. A higher value will bleed off less highs and "brighten" the tone, a lower value will roll off more highs and round it out or darken it a bit.

        The JB was originally designed around 250k pots, btw, and a lot of people find it too bright with 500k pots. YMMV.

        BTW, with the 240k resistor in series, you will NOT be able to mute the guitar anymore w/ the volume pot, becasue you´ll always have a minimum load of 240k on the circuit. If anything, just buy a new pot for 10 quid [img]/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif[/img]

        I personally use a Duncan Custon and 1 meg pots [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

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        • #5
          Re: About to order a SL2H......got a few questions

          Merlyn,
          In regards to your question about the painted neck.. My main guitar has been a PC1, which has the raw feeling neck, so when I added a SL2H to my line up..I thought it was slow me down a bit. I was pleasantly surprise at how slick and fast the painted neck was! None of that feeling like your hand was sticking to the neck, like I had experienced on the Les Pauls I've owned.
          As far as the JB goes, I prefer the sound of the JB in alder bodied bolt-on guitars...not that it sounds bad in the SL2, but it lacks just a little thickness that I was looking for.
          The fret work on mine is immaculate as well. Everything is top notch!
          Hope this helps some.
          DiMarzio Endorsee
          www.dimarzio.com
          Morley Endorsee
          www.morley.com
          "Intelli-Shred" author
          www.myspace.com/intellishred
          NEW BOOK OUT! "ARPEGGIO MADNESS

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          • #6
            Re: About to order a SL2H......got a few questions

            OK great cheers guys, thanks for the info. Good to hear about the neck. I guess I'll leave the pots as they are too [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

            I managed to find a lefty Randy Rhoads model in london, which I tried. Though I realised I will never buy one because it physically cannot be played sitting down lol, I did notice how solid and well constructed the guitar felt and appeared to be......in particular the fretwork was amazing, as you said! [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

            I ordered mine about 1.5 hours ago from Wild West Guitars. Jim seems like a great guy. Got 4-6 months to wait though and its gonna last forever! lol

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            • #7
              Re: About to order a SL2H......got a few questions

              Sounds like an awesome guitar!
              4-6 months wait?
              5 days for my charvel was killing me [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

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              • #8
                Re: About to order a SL2H......got a few questions

                With regards to having not played any....don't sweat it...trust me it's a killer axe [img]/images/graemlins/headbang.gif[/img]. I also prefer a JB bridge but there are alot of great p/ups out there if it doesn't suit you....I prefer Duncans across the board. Basically if your into 80's Megadeth type metal you'll dig it...if your looking for newer metal tones it may lack a little of what you want.

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                • #9
                  Re: About to order a SL2H......got a few questions

                  If the painted neck bothers you, have it wet sanded. This takes the smoothness off and your hand will slide better. It probably will not even be a concern though. These have the best painted necks I have ever played, not sure why, but they rock.

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                  • #10
                    Re: About to order a SL2H......got a few questions

                    Merlyn, I may not have what you are looking for, But I am an authorized Jackson dealer and forum sponsor.
                    Take a look at my Usa Lefty Stock:
                    http://www.vwallguitars.com/Jackson_...d_Guitars.html

                    Please let me know if there is anything I can do to help.
                    Thanks

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                    • #11
                      Re: About to order a SL2H......got a few questions

                      I know, I contacted you before but I specifically wanted an SL2H in trans black. I have already ordered from wild west guitars now.

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                      • #12
                        Re: About to order a SL2H......got a few questions

                        [ QUOTE ]
                        I managed to find a lefty Randy Rhoads model in london, which I tried. Though I realised I will never buy one because it physically cannot be played sitting down lol

                        [/ QUOTE ]

                        Why does everyone think this, i play my left handed rhoads sitting down without problems, you just gotta adjust slightly, but it's ok.

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                        • #13
                          Re: About to order a SL2H......got a few questions

                          Really? Well I can't play for crap standing up, which is probably a similar thing lol. I'm totally used to the guitar being horizontal. The only way to balance the rhoads was to sit it on top of my thigh and then it was pointing more vertical and was off centre. I just couldn't get to grips with it at all.

                          How you finding the guitar?

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                          • #14
                            Re: About to order a SL2H......got a few questions

                            fuckin awesome since i customized it [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img], with a jackson j50bc p/up and a je-1000 preamp, though i still need to get a 24fret neck put on it, it's not a usa jackson so it's bolt on, it was the ps3tl, got it cheap for christmas bout £250 i think. Solid build, though had a few probs with the trem, but im a heavy trem user, i bash the shit out the trem really lol, so i cant really moan. Where abouts in the uk are you man, maybe we can hook up sometime and i'll show you how to play a rhoads sitting down :P

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                            • #15
                              Re: About to order a SL2H......got a few questions

                              I was in exactly the same position about 18months ago. I had never even seen a Jackson guitar (inc. imports), and I still ordered a lefty SL1 from the US because I couldnt refuse the price. I think you will love it, the neck is nothing short of incredible, the painted factor hasnt bothered me at all, and infact I now prefer it. I also agree with what has been said about the JB, I do like it alot, but im planning to swap it out soon for something that sounds more sharp and with a higher output. Im sure ill miss it when I swap it out though, I just want to try new things.

                              BTW, do you have a name , phone number or website for that store in London for the Rhoads (RR1????)? [img]/images/graemlins/cool.gif[/img]

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