floyd quality question

[ramone]

Hey guys and gals! Long time stalker, first time poster here. Let me get straight to the problem: I'm in the process of buying a used jackson - more specifically it's a battle between a 1993 rhoads std and a warrior mg (don't know the year because I haven't contacted the seller yet, I know it has emg passive pickups) but I believe it's from the modern, fender era. The question that keeps popping into my head is how good/bad are the licensed floyds on the 90's guitars vs the modern ones? I used to own a RR3 (also from the fender era) and the floyd was complete crap so I'm worried history might repeat itself. The overall prices are both around 400 bucks. Any ideas what to get? Tnx.

[straycat]

The trems Jackson uses do a fine job.
As long as the guitar is clean and not beat to shit and has rust all over the trem you should be fine.
Post a pic here before you buy and maybe we can help you make a wise choice.
Most licensed trems are good its just most people don't know how to set them up to work properly.

[etepbbb]

I never had an issue with the 580lp, but I don't use the trem that much. I say try it, if your unhappy upgrade it to an OFR.

[Newc]

'93 RR should have either a Schaller or a Takeuchi, which will both be better-quality trems than the 580LP of the WRMG. However, while only a Schaller-specific trem will fit on the RR, the WR can take the Schaller or the OFR. The trem recess is the deciding factor here - too short for an OFR on the Rhoads.

As well, with the Rhoads, it's at least 10 years older than the WR, which means 10 more years of wear, particularly on that long wing tip. Then the frets and the trem posts and knife edges.

As well, the Rhoads will have 22 frets, the WR 24.
The WR will also be more comfortable for sitting.

The RR Std will have dots on the fretboard, which looks like shit. The WR will have piranhas, which aren't as shitty as plain-old-Leo-Fender dots.

If the WRMG has the AfterBurner/TurboCharger (easy to tell - it'll have 3 knobs), then the pickups would have been HZ3s, which are not bad IMO, but the booster really does help them. Of course that assumes it has the original pickups. It's more likely the RR has upgraded pickups, and it's possible the trem was upgraded over the years with a new Schaller.
However, there's still the issue of the fretwear and the locking nut wear.

Now, the somewhat-good news is that both are bolt-ons and thus lend themselves readily to neck swaps, however, the RR is going to have quite the limited selection as compared to the WR.

With the WR, you could put on any 24 fret Jackson neck from almost any other model - DK2M (older ones with fins, haven't heard about the new ones with dots), the mid-90s Dinky Reverse necks (Dinky Revs were commonly found in a grey concrete finish), original DK2 necks (from the H-S-S models - rosewood boards with MOTO inlays), 1990s USA Dinky necks, 1990s USA Fusion necks, and PC-1 and PC-3 necks.

With the RR, you're stuck with 22 frets, which will be practically all the Charvel Model series necks (1, 2, 3, and 4, anyway), and some of the import KVs (early KV2 and later KV3). I'm not sure of the KE3 neck. I want to say they were 24. Later KVX models I believe were 24 fret.

Anyway, there's also the various other RR models with and without fins and binding, but a painfully-limited selection of anything other than rosewood. Maple and Ebony 22 fretters with fins AND a Floyd nut are insanely hard to find for sale, especially imports. If you found a San Dimas neck, you might want to consider the cost of that vs what it's going on.

[Zedder]

Now, the somewhat-good news is that both are bolt-ons and thus lend themselves readily to neck swaps, however, the RR is going to have quite the limited selection as compared to the WR.

1993 Professional series Rhoads Std should be a neck-thru guitar with maple neck and poplar wings, I think.

[Mudlark]

Nah, the Rhoads Std is a bolt-on with a rosewood board. The Rhoads PRO was neck thru with an ebony board.

[Zedder]

Nah, the Rhoads Std is a bolt-on with a rosewood board. The Rhoads PRO was neck thru with an ebony board.

No, it´s rosewood 22 fret neck-thru with dot markers and a JT-580LP:

http://audiozone.dk/index-filer/jack...ofessional.htm