King V help?

[septicgore]

i just saw a USA king V, serial #U126xx that seems peculiar. it's got the standard black paint job, ebony fretboard, pearl sharkfins, bound neck and headstock and all that, however it only has one volume knob and a three way toggle switch. the serial number to me seems like it would have been made only 4 or 5 years ago, but i haven't seen a recent USA king V that doesn't have 2 vol, 1 tone and a blade switch. i'm not the most knowledgeable guy when it comes to jacksons, so could someone help out please?

[neilli]

Sounds like an odd one - With that serial it should fit to standard USA Select specs, but that control arrangement has never been std on a KV. Maybe it's been modified?

[septicgore]

if it was modded, it was one hell of a job. here's a pic, it's the only one i've got.


http://img32.imageshack.us/i/105438582lg.jpg/

i will try to get more pictures the next time i see it, thanks

[neilli]

Well with that control layout, it's not an unmolested production guitar.
And while I have seen semi-customs sneak through with U serials, that's usually just graphic changes not woodwork. So either it's a very unusual serial screwup where a CS has been given a U serial, or it's a USA Select that's been modified...

[Brian]

That picture isn't very good. Hard to tell anything from that. Though, it does look like it has jumbo frets instead of the usual medium KV2 frets.

[Grahf]

judging from that picture they might have just installed the EMG's and said "screw it" with putting the other 2 knobs back on leaving the holes, you cant really tell from that angle.

[neilli]

KV2s have a blade switch though...

[septicgore]

yeah, sorry for the poor quality of the picture, it's not actually mine. it's from guitar center's website under the "used" section, so some guy at one of their stores in north carolina took it. as much as i hate giving guitar center my business, the price they were selling it ($899) was too good to pass up, so i ended up getting it...it ships out today, the guy said it should arrive by wednesday or thursday. i tried getting details out of him, but all he was able to tell me was that it says "Jackson made in USA" on the headstock, the serial, and that it's not physically damaged, looks like new.

i'm not really too familiar with any changes the king v has undergone over the years, so for me, it's a head scratcher for sure. initially i thought it might have been one of those old japanese pro models that were built to USA specs; i've got an old mustaine pro signature model, so i pulled that out of the closet, but that's got the same layout as the newer KV2's. i guess there's really no way of knowing until i get it in my hands. if you guys are interested, i'll keep you posted on what i find out.

[toejam]

Can't tell, but is it bolt-on or neck-thru? The original KV2 was part of the Japanese Professional line, and it had a bolt-on neck with dot inlays and the toggle selector. Maybe a neck swap if it's a bolt-on.

[neilli]

Wouldn't be a U serial then though Joe...

[septicgore]

Can't tell, but is it bolt-on or neck-thru? The original KV2 was part of the Japanese Professional line, and it had a bolt-on neck with dot inlays and the toggle selector. Maybe a neck swap if it's a bolt-on.

Wouldn't be a U serial then though Joe...

i hadn't thought of that...i don't know of any bolt-on necks that would be bound with an ebony board though, aside from DK1's maybe? if that were the case, they would have a U serial, right? the guy i spoke with he never said it was neck through or bolt-on, never said the headstock was reversed like a dinky normally would be...i just assumed it was the standard issue KV2 specs when he said the headstock was marked "made in USA."

it's too late for me to call them back up and ask, i just have to wait til it arrives at my doorstep...luckily i have 30 days to figure out whether something is fishy with it, if there is i can just return it to a local store no harm no foul. this is getting more intriguing by the day, now i'm really excited to get it here.

[neilli]

No, U serials (and J serials) are neck thru only. Bolt-ons don't have a alpha prefix. It would either be 00**** or **** if it was a bolt-on. Unless it was an 88 limited, but let's not distract ourselves

[toejam]

Wouldn't be a U serial then though Joe...

Ah, good point. I didn't catch that.

[septicgore]

ok, got it in today.

neilli was right, it's been modified...i guess the simplest answer is more often than not the correct one, like they say. it's very hard to tell unless you look at it at a certain angle with good light. this thing was definitely set up to shred, the action is almost unplayably (for me) low, and a battery compartment was installed right smack in the middle of the aluminum control cavity plate, which i have never seen before.

unless the guys at guitar center detuned it for shipping (yeah, right), it was set up for C, but the strings are at best .09-.42; needless to say, there will be a full setup in its future with .11-.52's and a change to C#.

the mods don't really bother me, i'm actually glad to have a little variance; i've got a mustaine signature KV Pro with the kahler bridge, the bill lawrence in the neck and an evolution i put in the bridge, as well as a 2009 bolted steel KV2, all stock. the only thing that really bugs me about this new one is how "hollow" it sounds...it has a nice, solid tone, but whenever no notes are being played, i can hear the floyd creaking, if that makes any sense. maybe some WD40 will do the trick, or maybe it's just been a while since i've played through EMG's. meh.

either way, for 900 bucks, i'm most definitely pleased. aside from the mods, the thing is in flawless condition...once it's set up i'm sure it will be in competition for the main axe slot against the bolted steel KV2.

thanks for everyone who bothered reading this thread and tried helping out, i definitely appreciate it. also, sorry for being a lurker for 2 and a half years, haha. i'll see if i can borrow my buddy's digital camera and snap some pictures for you guys, if you're interested.

-tony

[wilkinsi]

Change the springs to solve the creaking. The battery box isn't unusual. I was gonna have one on one of my WR1's cavity plates until I decided to go 18v. Beats drilling a big hole into the body to fit the box(es).