2014 Jackson Catalog

[leftykingv2]

Are they still makiing the Mark Morton model in Japan? Mine's from the first year they came out, with the painted neck and no body binding (2006, I believe). It's an incredible player!

I really like the Morton Model a lot but sadly like everything else I've never been able to find a lefty. From what I've read bro they're not making anything in Japan anymore. It would be sweet as hell if they came out with a USA Morton sig. I'd buy one. I love the body shape and the inlays on them.

[toejam]

Hmm, then I wonder where they'll be making the sig models then. I've never seen one in lefty either. A USA model would be nice, but not sure how many people would really buy one.
They did a small Custom Shop run here of his black beauty back in 2010, and I've seen a Custom Shop 7-string that was pretty cool. And they were supposed to put into production a version of his white one, but it seems that never came about.

[MartinBarre]

You're the only person I've EVER heard bad mouth the Japanese line of Jackson/Charvel guitars.

Actually, I had an MIJ RR3 and it was a dead piece of wood. Tried numerous pickups and stuff and it always sounded dead. Got a KE3 and that was much the same. No matter how much I tried I never got on with those guitars.
I have a MIC Charvel Star and now an MIC KEXTMG and they are both vastly superior to the RR3 and KE3 I had. Actually, they're better than the DK2M I had as well although that WAS a nice guitar.

Oh, I should qualify that by saying my MIJ JDR-94 and SL3 are brilliant guitars. The SL3 is the best playing and sounding guitar I've ever had.

[hunterkolb]

i am so getting one of those new RRs!

[Dog Boy]

"...despite his larger than life talent, Randy Rhoads was a diminutive 5' 2"."

lol

edit: I've come back and after re-reading this it sounds pretty bad. It reminded me of the band I'm in right now. Our drummer is like 5-7 or something and the rest of the guys are all over 6 feet. He is CONSTANTLY bringing up how short he is even to the point of talking about it over the mic between songs. We finally had a word with him and hopefully convinced him (I doubt it) that NO-ONE CARES! We don't think about it. Ever.

My point is why would Jackson print this? No one gives a rat's ass about how tall RR was.

[toejam]

I really like the Morton Model a lot but sadly like everything else I've never been able to find a lefty. From what I've read bro they're not making anything in Japan anymore. It would be sweet as hell if they came out with a USA Morton sig. I'd buy one. I love the body shape and the inlays on them.

Well, I didn't see the catalog page before, but apparently there is a Pro Dominion series, and they Ivory and Black Beauty models are in it. Still not sure where they're made, though.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/1143583...n/photostream/

[Newc]

I've had 2 USA Jacksons that were tonally dead, and none of the Japan-made Jacksons I've had sounded bad. Everyone makes a turd every so often, and the unlucky few find several of them. It happens. The gems of the Japan-made models far outweigh the turds, just as with the USA models.

Of the non-Japan imports I've had, about half were good and half were not as good.

[RobRR]

So ALL the Pro series is Mexico now, even neck thrus? Damn, this is all so hard to keep track of. There are so many models and places of manufacture!

[sixx_ gunner]

White Dominion....hmmm tasty!

[Confuse-a-Cat]

Goddamn, there's some nice stuff in there. Since the new Pros came out I've fancied a new-style DK2M (to go with my two Chushin Gakki ones) and a white KVMG. Now add to the list an RRT-3 and a DK7Q...

It's nice to see that the X series seems to have a permanent range of Kellys too, rather than just the limited edition ones we've had up till now. Now it's about time there was a Pro series model.

[xenophobe]

Didn't somebody in the know on here say that the Japan factory was already struggling before the earthquake? And their demise was likely to happen regardless?

No. The Japanese factory was in a long term contract that went bad. Prices were negotiated a long time ago and Fender wouldn't adjust the prices to compensate for exchange rates and inflation and in the end the Japanese factory had to close. The story was that they were losing money filling the contract and when time came to renew, Fender did not sign a new deal with them. They were at full capacity one day and then the next there was no more work. I have a feeling the X series... the last limited run from Japanese factory was sort of a 'gimmie'... Fender told Japan to produce one last run of high end guitars and paid them well for them. After that, the old man who was getting ready to retire got screwed in the end and had to declare bankruptcy.

[xenophobe]

I've had 2 USA Jacksons that were tonally dead, and none of the Japan-made Jacksons I've had sounded bad.

I had a painted 750xl that sounded pretty bad.

[guitardudeluke]

i can only see to the x series kelly's

[Chad]

No. The Japanese factory was in a long term contract that went bad. Prices were negotiated a long time ago and Fender wouldn't adjust the prices to compensate for exchange rates and inflation and in the end the Japanese factory had to close. The story was that they were losing money filling the contract and when time came to renew, Fender did not sign a new deal with them. They were at full capacity one day and then the next there was no more work. I have a feeling the X series... the last limited run from Japanese factory was sort of a 'gimmie'... Fender told Japan to produce one last run of high end guitars and paid them well for them. After that, the old man who was getting ready to retire got screwed in the end and had to declare bankruptcy.

Thanks for the clarification. The non-renewing of the contract and the timing of the earthquake was just coincidental, correct? In other words, the closing of the factory had nothing to do with the earthquake (like I've heard other people on this and other forums say).

[Hamner1]

Yup. Maybe i have just been extremely unfortunate. Either way the korean or american guitars i own were so much better in terms of sheer tone. So i completely gave up on jackson japan.
And its not bad mouthing its my experience with these. I swear i tried to like them. Anyway totally looking forward to this years pro series.

I think the Japan production that is lauded as superior/no duds is the 90s era production... especially early-mid 90s Japanese pro models. Around early 2000s we started to hear about a drop in quality. I've been one of the lucky people not to have played a dud Jackson, regardless of country of origin.