First ever Jackson !! I have some hardware questions

[oachs83]

Hello everybody, I bought my very first Jackson guitar yesterday and I am unfamiliar with all the workings of the makeup of Jackson and was hoping I could get some good advice. First off I am a big Gibson Les Paul guy and that is really all I have ever known. However I play in a cover band and since we cover so many different types of music I wanted to get a metal guitar for some of the heavier songs that we do. Like I said being a LP player I naturally was drawn to the new Jackson Monarkh SC Pro series guitar. IMO it basically is the metal version of a Les Paul. I tried so many guitars yesterday for over 3 hours and this one was the winner. BTW I really dig the ebony board I have never owned a ebony fretboard guitar. Having a Guitar Center 20% off coupon I grabbed this bad boy for $640 which again coming from the land of Gibson could not believe the quality of instrument this is for that little amount of cash, seriously would have to drop over $2k for a LP with this type of quality. Okay, I really like this axe and how I can play up and down the neck is really sweet I love everything about it except I have a few issues with the hardware.

The locking tuners seem to be really cheap and so does the bridge (tune-o-matic). I can't get the darn low E string to intonate. No matter how far I bring the saddle back it is a quarter sharp at the 12th, I have tried lowering the pickup on the bass side as well. Mostly everything I try hardly moves the intonation. I have not replaced the string yet I am letting the neck settle in my house as well but this guitar is not wanting to stay in tune in the low E as well it's all over the place. I will tune it then play it a bit it goes out of tune, just sitting it goes out of tune. Sometimes it sharp sometimes it's flat. Also unless I press very very light the low E buzzes, hardly at all through the amp but unplugged it's not great.

So basically I need some advice and also where do I shop and what do I get to upgrade my hardware? I definitely want to get much better locking tuners and probably want to upgrade the bridge as well. Where do I go and what brands do I look for? Thanks guys also here is a picture of the specs this Monarkh has.

[Schadenfreude]

The low E going out could be the string not being stretched enough when playing, when sitting and going out of tune it sounds like its binding at the nut, try rubbing graphite in to the slot.

I`m at a loss as to why changing pickup height would alter the intonation???

[Mudlark]

I have horrible luck with factory plastic nuts. Slots cut too high, string binding/tuning issues...

With locking tuners and intonation issues, a bone/graphite nut upgrade may be of no help for you, though.

As mentioned, shaving some pencil lead in the nut slots isn't a bad idea.

[oachs83]

Hey thanks guys, yeah I use the graphite trick on my LP and it works great I'll give it a try on this Jackson. As far as the pickup height I was doing google searches and found on three different sites people claiming if your too close to the strings the magnets can cause it to pull funny and not letting it intonate. Believe me I don't totally buying it but after seeing it on multiple sites I decided to atleast try it after all I needed to find that sweet spot with my height anyways.

Any recommendations on brands and where to shop for a good set of tuners and maybe a bridge for this? Would it be a metric bridge? Thanks

[Schadenfreude]

I saw somewhere the other day someone claiming that only having one pickup let the guitar sustain longer cause there was less pull on the strings from the magnets, snake oil in my opinion.

[Nightbat]

I saw somewhere the other day someone claiming that only having one pickup let the guitar sustain longer cause there was less pull on the strings from the magnets, snake oil in my opinion.

When discussing real life physics, that's correct,... the question remains: Is it noticeable to the human ear?

[warlok]

I don't know if it is the same but my import RRTMG has a factory TonePros T3BT (metric) bridge. Could be the same. And you say "locking tuners".. All the pics I see have the regular Gotoh style die cast tuners. Is yours different?

[oachs83]

Are there drop in tuning pegs for this model Jackson? Or do I have to drill new holes? The tuners are really the weak link in this guitar in my opinion.

[warlok]

I changed from black to gold and used Wilkerson "locking" tuners that seem to work fine. But I didn't know of a problem with the factory ones either. In my opinion, you'll benefit from a TUSQ or bone nut more than anything. The plastic crap nuts they use are often a big issue with tuning. I really like Graphtech TUSQ replacement nuts.

[oachs83]

I don't know it's just the feel to the tuners to me. Sometimes it feels like a gear is missing when I tune it like the tolerance is kind of loose? I will look into a nut as well. Thank You

[Mudlark]

I can't find any pics of the tuners, so I can't offer a replacement. If they're the standard Gotoh styled Jackson logo'd tuners, you'll be safe getting a similar Gotoh tuner. Just make sure the mounting screw lines up.

Sounds like Wilkinson makes a drop in, too.

My USA Soloist has Jackson/Gotoh tuners, my Japanese Dinky has Jackson tuners made in Korea, same as most/all imports. After a bone nut upgrade the Dinky has the same great tuning stability as the Soloist's Gotohs.
It's entirely possible you got a bad set of tuners, though.

[oachs83]

Here is a picture of the tuners.

[Axewielder]

That intonation issue could be a real problem. I returned the last guitar that had that issue. On some TOM's you can reverse the saddles, which, depending on the orientation, might get you a bit more travel in the direction you need.

[warlok]

The Wilkinson's I used were the EZ Lok with the 2 holes in the post. Great price and direct fit for the "normal" Jackson tuners. Made by Jin-Ho which also makes the Jackson ones from the research I did. Also read they make or made Gotohs at some point..

[Mudlark]

Yes, my 2011 Japanese DKMGT has the Jin-Ho Jackson logo'd tuners...same as the Monarkh I'd assume, since those don't look like locking tuners to me.

A Gotoh SG381 tuner should be a drop in. I believe the 381 is available as a locking tuner, also.