are jacksons and similar guitars supposed to be less resonant?

[rashayritto]

i am NOT bashing jackson or similar manufacturers because clearly they make quality instruments that tons of players and pros love.

however, despite my unending admiration for their offset v guitar, i find that jacksons in general dont seem to have a lot of vibe going on. like i'll pluck a string, and its like the wood barely does anything and the note sounds dead and dry. this is only an observation of the ACOUSTIC qualities of the various jacksons i've tried. is this intentional or am i clearly having bad luck with jacksons? i've noticed this about a few ibby's as well. i just figured a less resonant body was ideal for their market (perhaps better note separation?). Is the idea to make the guitar a blank slate for the pickups to shine through more?

of course all this is referring to the "shredder" oriented axes. on all the ones i noticed this weird "deadness" on the action was of course super low and with a floyd rose.

 

[TattooedCarrot]

Re: are jacksons and similar guitars supposed to be less resonant?

Tone sucking Floyds and similar shredder trems.

 

[Binnerscot]

Re: are jacksons and similar guitars supposed to be less resonant?

I think I know what you mean. I wouldn't say they resonate less, but differently - its not a pronounced acoustic sound. In fact, its a feel and sound that really defines a properly made super strat to me. That type of vibration really shines when amplified, for specific styles and sounds. You made a very good observation.

 

[Diocletian]

Re: are jacksons and similar guitars supposed to be less resonant?

So Jacksons designed as electrics don't sound great acoustically? I've not noticed it myself, but I'd be more worried if they sounded crap when plugged in.
How do the ones you mention do in that respect?
Most people don't buy a Soloist or Dinky to play "Patience".

 

[Vasshu the humanoid typhoon]

Re: are jacksons and similar guitars supposed to be less resonant?

:eek13: Yo mate...you calleeeng me supers dead???
:bling:
Dunno as with all other guitars.....search and thee shall find!!
:friday:
:naughty:
Sometimes they need alittle pilot adjustment....
They being different beasts and such...hehe

 

[WhoFan]

Re: are jacksons and similar guitars supposed to be less resonant?

i love Jacksons... i find they are much better sounding axes then most Ibanez's for some reason... i wish i could find an Ibanez shred axe under a grand i like... i love some of the higher models like the Vai and the Satch models... But the Prestige line i have been trying to find one i like and it's not happening for me yet... i'll keep looking... I'd love to find one of those Ibanez guitars with the Zero friction trem that sounded better... that thing operates smooth! I have my eyes open for a new guitar with a locking trem

But Jacksons and me get along... and i'm not real metal or shred player... i'm a classic rock kind of guy who likes 80's style super strats to play on myself...

 

[Vasshu the humanoid typhoon]

Re: are jacksons and similar guitars supposed to be less resonant?

Ibanez is most cool from the 80s and early 90s....after that it kinda went Gibson on us...

 

[BluesGuyJ]

Re: are jacksons and similar guitars supposed to be less resonant?

How did Ibanez go Gibson? Like, selling out and making guitars cost more than they should?

 

[scottish]

Re: are jacksons and similar guitars supposed to be less resonant?

i dont think ive ever played a jackson or similar guitar but i would imagine the huge route for a floyd could cause some less resonance

 

[Vasshu the humanoid typhoon]

Re: are jacksons and similar guitars supposed to be less resonant?

They are not exactly making them how they used to do...it is all about cranking out the numbers bigtime now....living on their name.

 

[Vasshu the humanoid typhoon]

Re: are jacksons and similar guitars supposed to be less resonant?

So a 335 is less resonant then

 

[scottish]

Re: are jacksons and similar guitars supposed to be less resonant?

So a 335 is less resonant then

well the bridge is still mounted in a solid block of wood hence more transfer of energy from the strings to the body.

 

[Vasshu the humanoid typhoon]

Re: are jacksons and similar guitars supposed to be less resonant?

And a Floyd is not??

 

[scottish]

Re: are jacksons and similar guitars supposed to be less resonant?

And a Floyd is not??

much less contact.

but i know you're going to mention strat trems next and i have no answer to that one, lol.

it was just the 1st thing that popped into my head. i wasnt knocking floyds and i havent had enough experience to say one way or the other.

 

[Uk Ant]

Re: are jacksons and similar guitars supposed to be less resonant?

It's not just down to the trem in terms of acoustic tone. The loudest electric guitar I have, played unplugged is my Floyd equipped Kramer. The thing feels bright and alive an it may not sustain, or have the depth of tone of my Tokai LP but it's much more lively in other ways.
I like to think that trems should add something different to the tone rather than sucking it away.
Must say I was a tad disappointed when I tried an Ibanez with one of their swanky ZR trems. All very smooth and everything, but the guitar felt as dead as a door nail.

 

[Vasshu the humanoid typhoon]

Re: are jacksons and similar guitars supposed to be less resonant?

much less contact.

Well.....
In what way?
It all depends on the guitar....
I have had traditional guitars that sounded like a dead log, had muffled flat 335s too....even had a Tele that could not be bothered being lively
They had plenty of contact...a bad guitar is a bad guitar...no matter how it is made!
I have supers that works awhole lot better then most of the guitars I used to have....
I think I have one left without a Floyd these days..hehe
Gotta get myself a normal strat again, as I love strats!
And hopefully a good Tele....
But my supers with Floyds are anything but deadsounding....

 

[scottish]

Re: are jacksons and similar guitars supposed to be less resonant?

Well.....
In what way?
It all depends on the guitar....
I have had traditional guitars that sounded like a dead log, had muffled flat 335s too....even had a Tele that could not be bothered being lively
They had plenty of contact...a bad guitar is a bad guitar...no matter how it is made!
I have supers that works awhole lot better then most of the guitars I used to have....
I think I have one left without a Floyd these days..hehe
Gotta get myself a normal strat again, as I love strats!
And hopefully a good Tele....
But my supers with Floyds are anything but deadsounding....

Im not saying anything about floyds, or at least i didnt mean to, lol. I do agree with you that it comes down to the guitar. As you said, a dog is a dog.

 

[Vasshu the humanoid typhoon]

Re: are jacksons and similar guitars supposed to be less resonant?

Hehe yeah sorry about that....did not mean to come down hard...I think we agree...but people play differently on guitars...some feel more at ease on traditional guitars...a good feeling guitar will most likely make you get it to work better for you

 

[Jackson Distortion]

Re: are jacksons and similar guitars supposed to be less resonant?

That type of vibration really shines when amplified, for specific styles and sounds.

Jackson's are true electric guitars to the utmost extent. Jackson's are not strum-around-the-campfire guitars. They are made for high volume, high gain, high clarity, high articulation, and stage presence--pertaining to their sharp looks and outstanding paintjobs.

Think about the era in which Jackson's were made famous. These artist's were all about excess--onstage and offstage. They wanted unreal sustain that came from high voulme and more gain. The high output pickups helped push any amp someone was using back then. They still wanted to maintain clarity of notes at high volume, so they had ebony fretboards that made every note come through in detail and it was applied to a thinner maple neck (not to mention neck-through, though not always) that has a very tight, focused, and fast response--thusly increasing the clarity. Apply that to liquid sustain from both axe constuction and overdriven amplifier and you've got yourself a perfect electic guitar under those circumstances. So you can't blame any lack of tone on the Foyd Rose or the routing. Anything you feel you lose from those to things acoustically will be forgotten once you've blasted through a half stack and the sustain is superior.

Jacksons tend to sound cold as bleep acoustically, but that's because they were designed for any high volume assault--which results in a sound in and of itself.

Jackson's were designed much for the technical aspects that some music requires. It wasn't designed to sound beautiful by itself just to have barre chords played on it at low volume. It was meant to be played all out through a high gain amplifier! I mean, you don't invite the "Macho Man" Randy Savage at his peak to a tea party do ya?

 

[vinterland]

Re: are jacksons and similar guitars supposed to be less resonant?

Just depends on what you have the ear for. I have no problems with my soloist. Sounds like a solid body electric should sound like unplugged. I mean, it's not going to sound like a hollowbody here.