95 sl3 value?

[fender62]

i have an opportunity to purchase an sl3 MIJ 1995, The bridge pickup has been upgraded to a Bare Knuckle Aftermath and also has a no-trem fitted, has one ding on outer rim and the trem arm is missing, just need a rough idea of value ?

[Mudlark]

There was no SL3 in '95. They began around 2000-1.
Pic or serial?

[fender62]

Sn: 051826

[Rich#6]

I couldn't sell mine for shit. got 375.

[Mudlark]

If you're sure it's an SL3 that'd be 2005. They got black hardware, FRT02000 Floyd and Seymour Duncan's in 2006.

$375 is terrible for a pro series neck thru, but it clearly demonstrates the used market in North America. There are so many sellers compared to buyers that the great deals are everywhere if you're patient. People have to nearly give things away if they want to see cash.

That said, an '05 SL3 without case in players condition is worth $500 in my opinion. Mint shape as high as $650 maybe. The '06-'11's I'd add $50-100 for the trem and pup upgrades.

I see them priced over $800, but I can't see any informed buyer paying those prices. I've got my eye on a USA DK1 for $950 USD. The competition is stiff for imports when you get upwards of $800+...that's used USA territory.

[fender62]

it's here on ebay uk, http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Jackson-SL.../222494091883?

[fender62]

[IMG][/IMG]

[Number Of The Priest]

Noteworthy things about that eBay ad:

-The bridge is a Jackson JT580LP, made by Takeuchi.

-The tremolo-fixing device is called a Tremol-No, though I don't ever recall seeing the fingertip screws replaced with allen bolts. The whole purpose of the fingertip screws is for easy, on-demand adjustment of the Tremol-No so that you can instantly switch, in the context of a live performance, between full-floating, dive-only, and fixed. Having allen bolts would require the guitarist on stage to have the correct allen key available and then fidget with the device... that sounds so silly and counter-productive.

-Based on condition and my local CANADIAN market conditions, I would probably pay CAD$400 MAXIMUM (GBP225.20). The missing tremolo arm is inconsequential to the price (they're readily available) and I am of the mindset that Bareknuckle Pickups are not necessarily an "upgrade" or a price-booster over Seymour Duncan pickups, though I own guitars with both brands and I can understand the English pride of BKP.

If you're sure it's an SL3 that'd be 2005. They got black hardware, FRT02000 Floyd and Seymour Duncan's in 2006.

Wait, whaaat? My 2009 KE3 (with DK2S neck) has a JT580LP. I definitely would have preferred the Thousand Series Floyd.

[fender62]

thanks for info, it has no hard case just a bag, so you would say no more than £225

[Number Of The Priest]

I edited my reply above to offer more thoughts on that funny-looking Tremol-No.

Anyway, yes, no more than £225 in my opinion. Though, purchases are often emotional in nature and you may be willing to pay more or less based on how you feel, how desperately you want the guitar, and how much you value the Tremol-No and the BKP Aftermath pickup.

[fender62]

im used to playing a strat, so is there much difference, i used to have a charvel 375 i did not like the neck much.

[Number Of The Priest]

I don't play Fender Strats, but I believe the flattest fretboard radius on a Strat is 12" (with typical modern radius being 9.5" and typical vintage radius being 7.25") so a 12" radius will feel similar to the SL3 at the lowest end of the fretboard. As you go up the fretboard on the SL3 (or any typical Jackson/Charvel), the fretboard flattens to a 16" radius.

So the fretboard and playability will differ between a Jackson/Charvel and the flattest 12" Strat radius.

I would expect the neck carve on the SL3 to be thinner and flatter than a typical Strat, though I don't play Strats and I haven't played an SL3, so I'm purely speculating.

The SL3 (and virtually all Soloists) has a 25.5" scale, so at least a Strat player will feel familiar string tension.

The double-locking tremolo has Fender string spacing, so that will feel pretty familiar to you as a Strat player.

Depending on what bridges you have on your Strats, the Tremol-No fitted to this SL3 should be able to replicate all possibilities, which should ease your transition from Strat to SL3.

Depending on what pickups you have in your Strats, I would also expect sound differences compared to the SL3. The SL3 has very high output Seymour Duncan Hot Rails and BKP Aftermath.

[fender62]

so you would say this is an sl3 2005 and not a hybrid ie neck swapped out or worse

[Number Of The Priest]

The Soloist's neck-thru-body construction virtually eliminates all possibility of neck-swapping. Everything about that SL3 is totally legitimate and there is no cause for worry on my part. It's also completely stock, minus the BKP Aftermath replacing the original Seymour Duncan JB in the bridge position and the Tremol-No fitted to the tremolo cavity.

Mudlark is our resident expert on serial numbers and manufacturing dates so I am predisposed to defer to his information and would believe it is 2005 if he says so.

[fender62]

thanks for all your help it's much appreciated mate, ill probably get outbid over £225, any used ones going in canada for around that price, but then again there's shipping