Ngd: Jtx

[jjfeu662]

I recieved by trade a 1993 Jackson JTX.

It's MIJ, has an ash body and a maple 1-piece neck that is a lot thinner than a normal Jackson neck, and a maple fretboard. It has a JT580 trem, Bartolini pups (H/S), a 3 way pup selector, volume knob and coil splitting switch.

Is it normal for a JT580 to be terrible at keeping tune, or a setup problem? I don't think the locking nuts are aligned properly, it doesn't have a string retainer, and the 3rd locking nut screw won't screw tight. If I fix all that, will it still not keep tune? (I'm new to trems).

Serial number on a sticker at the back: J 000534

Apart from the trem suckiness, it's an all-round great-playing guitar. The Bartolinis sound great and versatile, the neck is very shreddy and that maple neck has a nice snappiness to it (or is that the ash? I'm also new to that wood). And don't get me started on that trans purple finish

That dice sticker is sticky so you can stick your picks to it. I'm probably gonna replace it with a bat or a babe or something once I figure out where to buy them from.

[84sups]

Doesn't look like the lock nuts are the right size from the pick. They seem to be too narrow to me. Does it hold tune when not using the bar? Also check to make sure the knife edges on the trem aren't worn out

[jjfeu662]

Doesn't look like the lock nuts are the right size from the pick. They seem to be too narrow to me. Does it hold tune when not using the bar? Also check to make sure the knife edges on the trem aren't worn out

Yeah, it keeps tune when I don't use the bar, but the minute I do a dive bomb the tuning goes haywire. Like dropping almost a half step. I'll check out what the problem is with the locking nut. Not sure, but does the knife-edge-checking require restringing?

[Force]

I think the 580 is a 'hit & miss' bridge, a couple of mine go out slightly while the others get brutalized without messing up at all :think:

[kuerbo]

Pretty guitar, I'm loving it! Congratulations.
I never got a problem with a 580 in my life, and I've abused more than few of those...

[jjfeu662]

It's probably the new strings.

But this guitar's awesome. Shame they only made it a year.

[84sups]

Definitely try the locking nut blocks. Take a better pic so I can see whats going on there. It almost looks like they aren't wide enough for the nut to me. Did you stretch the strings before locking them down?

[jjfeu662]

Stretched the strings, didn't help.



Locking nuts look like that. I can't find my flathead to align them better.

It is a 20 year old stock trem, could it be the knife edges? I don't want to take the trem apart and have to replace new strings to find out, but that may be it.

[MrBlues]

The locking blocks on the nut should fit snuggish into the nut If I'm not mistaken, Meaning they wont move back and forth once tightened down. To me it looks like someones lost the blocks and replaced them with whatever tiny pieces of mystical darkness they are meant to be. Thats my 2 pence.

[straycat]

Looks like the blocks have been changed find some new blocks.
Look at the bottom and see if they have grooves in them.If they do a little filing will fix that.

[84sups]

Yeah the blocks don't look like they fit right. Go grab a new set and you should be good. Another thing, are the intonation screws tight?

[Newc]

You can pop the springs out the back without detuning to check the knife edges.

[jjfeu662]

Yeah, it does look like the nuts were replaced. Also I think there's a stripped screw hole on the B/E nut. I will probably try this method for it.

And managed to pop out the trem, and the knife edges are definitely worn. Now how do I go about putting the springs back in (weakling here)?

[Hellbat]

That's a cool finish on that one! I've never seen a trans-sparkle before that I can recall.

[MrBlues]

You can buy/swap out for a new nut easy If you have too. Just remember not too tighten it up too much.