Bought a new guitar yesterday

[Budweiser]

I wasn't planning on it. It just sort of happened. Went to a local music store to help pick out a beginner guitar package for my girlfriend. BTW, she got the "stop dreaming, start playing" Squire strat & Fender amp in a box & I must say, the quality surprised me.
Anyway, while she was deciding on a colour, I turned around & looked at the wall of guitars. There was a beam of sunshine coming through the window & lighting up this one guitar. Then I thought I heard a whisper: "if you play me, the sale will come." LOL!
I tried it out & was blown away. Acoustically it sounded fantastic (which I always thought was a sign of a good guitar) then I plugged it in & was sold. It had the quack of a strat & the growl of a Les Paul. I've been searching for a Charvel So-Cal & had no luck. Well this guitar has everything that I wanted but is not a Charvel. I love the maple neck & it has a Seymour Duncan JB in the bridge & a Jazz in the neck. And after countless dive bombs with the Floyd Rose, she stayed perfectly in tune.
Well here it is, a Jackson DK2M. Didn't think I'd buy a Jackson (cuz I'm such a Fender nut), but when it plays like a whip, it doesn't matter what name is on the headstock IMO.

 

[cakire82]

Re: Bought a new guitar yesterday

I remember recommending this guitar in previous thread of yours regarding to Charvel So-cal. I told you so

DK2M is one of the most comfortable guitars I have ever played. Amazing neck.

Enjoy it man. It is a great guitar. You won't regret it.

 

[80's_Metal]

Re: Bought a new guitar yesterday

Sweet buy my friend!
That a very capable axe right there!
Hooooah!

 

[Jeff5]

Re: Bought a new guitar yesterday

Nice guitar!

 

[lex666]

Re: Bought a new guitar yesterday

Congrats! Rock that baby! :friday:

 

[Frantic_Rock]

Re: Bought a new guitar yesterday

Wow that's really great. Well you can't go wrong with a japanese jackson.

I see one on ebay right now that has been upgraded with an original floyd and different pickups.
http://cgi.ebay.com/Jackson-DK2M-Or...QQcmdZViewItemQQptZGuitar?hash=item35a793d64d

I'd buy it if i had the cash.

 

[Budweiser]

Re: Bought a new guitar yesterday

Thanks guys.

I've never had a Floyd Rose before. Not as quick to change strings I guess. So you snip the ball off the string & lock it in the saddle with an alan key? For this Floyd Rose, the string locks to tighten are right behind the saddle unlike older Floyd Roses that are under the fine tuners? Am I correct?

Just wanna make sure I know what's going on. Don't have guitar in front of me cuz I'm at work.

 

[Fender_Punk]

Re: Bought a new guitar yesterday

Congrats on the nice new axe! Jackson is owned by Fender Musical Instruments Corporation (FMIC), just like Charvel.

 

[cakire82]

Re: Bought a new guitar yesterday

Thanks guys.

I've never had a Floyd Rose before. Not as quick to change strings I guess. So you snip the ball off the string & lock it in the saddle with an alan key? For this Floyd Rose, the string locks to tighten are right behind the saddle unlike older Floyd Roses that are under the fine tuners? Am I correct?

Just wanna make sure I know what's going on. Don't have guitar in front of me cuz I'm at work.

Yes, this model has a recessed floyd rose. It is lower than the originals. it provides more comfort to your right hand IMO. I have made a list for myself in order to maintain a FR equipped guitar. These help me a lot and saved me a lot of time. I have pulled these instructions from a combination of videos from youtube. One of them was posted by an Italian guy called Frudua. the other set of videos were a tech changing string on Snake Skin (beautiful) jackson soloist. These techniques will let set you FR easily even when you change string gauges. I wish I could provide you the video links but I am at work and youtube is blocked.

MAINTENANCE OF A FLOATING TREMOLO GUITAR (ANY STRING GAUGE)
• Place an electric band wrapped 9 volt battery (a piece of wood or anything that will not damage the finish of the guitar) under the tremolo bridge. Use the tremolo bar to raise the bridge towards the neck. 45 degree angle from the body will be enough
• Loosen the locking nut if you guitar is equipped with one.
• Loosen all the saddles and remove string from the bridge.
• Clean the guitar body and the tremolo bridge. An old tooth brush can be used to clean to bridge.
• Drop a just a little of 3in1 oil into each individual saddle slot along with any other moving part. Use a q-tip in order to oil the screws going in to the saddles.
• Mask the frets suing a binding tape or fret masks and clean the frets with a 0000 level steel wool. Use metal polish afterwards if necessary.
• Clean the fret board with alcohol using a toothbrush.
• Oil the fret board using lemon oil or any other fret board finishing oil.
• Set all of the fine tuners (on the tremolo) in the middle position.
• Put the new set of strings in. Use the locking method, in-under-over method.
• Pull the wedge out that was placed underneath the tremolo bridge.
• Place an electric tape wrapped block of wood or a 3/16” stick (anything that will not damage the finish of the guitar) under bridge and adjust it to make the tremolo flush with the body.
• Tune your guitar up to pitch (assuming 440 standard E tuning) as it was a non-tremolo bridge. Always tune the guitar in playing position.
• Stretch your strings and tune your guitar up to pitch again and again until it is in tune and stretching is not necessary anymore.
• Adjust the trust rod if necessary. (Always loosen it first)
• Tune your guitar up to pitch again.
• Adjust the string action and pickup height.
• Adjust spring tension at the back of the guitar until the tremolo bridge is flush and the block or stick underneath the bridge is loose. (until it drops)
• Adjust the intonation.
• Lock the locking nuts.
• Fine tune the guitar using the fine tuners on the tremolo.

 

[Budweiser]

Re: Bought a new guitar yesterday

Yes, this model has a recessed floyd rose. It is lower than the originals. it provides more comfort to your right hand IMO. I have made a list for myself in order to maintain a FR equipped guitar. These help me a lot and saved me a lot of time. I have pulled these instructions from a combination of videos from youtube. One of them was posted by an Italian guy called Frudua. the other set of videos were a tech changing string on Snake Skin (beautiful) jackson soloist. These techniques will let set you FR easily even when you change string gauges. I wish I could provide you the video links but I am at work and youtube is blocked.

MAINTENANCE OF A FLOATING TREMOLO GUITAR (ANY STRING GAUGE)
• Place an electric band wrapped 9 volt battery (a piece of wood or anything that will not damage the finish of the guitar) under the tremolo bridge. Use the tremolo bar to raise the bridge towards the neck. 45 degree angle from the body will be enough
• Loosen the locking nut if you guitar is equipped with one.
• Loosen all the saddles and remove string from the bridge.
• Clean the guitar body and the tremolo bridge. An old tooth brush can be used to clean to bridge.
• Drop a just a little of 3in1 oil into each individual saddle slot along with any other moving part. Use a q-tip in order to oil the screws going in to the saddles.
• Mask the frets suing a binding tape or fret masks and clean the frets with a 0000 level steel wool. Use metal polish afterwards if necessary.
• Clean the fret board with alcohol using a toothbrush.
• Oil the fret board using lemon oil or any other fret board finishing oil.
• Set all of the fine tuners (on the tremolo) in the middle position.
• Put the new set of strings in. Use the locking method, in-under-over method.
• Pull the wedge out that was placed underneath the tremolo bridge.
• Place an electric tape wrapped block of wood or a 3/16” stick (anything that will not damage the finish of the guitar) under bridge and adjust it to make the tremolo flush with the body.
• Tune your guitar up to pitch (assuming 440 standard E tuning) as it was a non-tremolo bridge. Always tune the guitar in playing position.
• Stretch your strings and tune your guitar up to pitch again and again until it is in tune and stretching is not necessary anymore.
• Adjust the trust rod if necessary. (Always loosen it first)
• Tune your guitar up to pitch again.
• Adjust the string action and pickup height.
• Adjust spring tension at the back of the guitar until the tremolo bridge is flush and the block or stick underneath the bridge is loose. (until it drops)
• Adjust the intonation.
• Lock the locking nuts.
• Fine tune the guitar using the fine tuners on the tremolo.

Wow! Thanks. Not like changing the strings on a LP!

Do I still need to oil the fretboard even tho it's maple?

And BTW, I don't know why any guitarist would go to any other site for info than here. This is where it's at. You guys are the best.

 

[Diego]

Re: Bought a new guitar yesterday

Don't use oil on the fretboard.
Maple fretboards have that lacquer finish that doesn't need any lubrication.
In fact, I understand that oil will damage the finish in maple fretboards.

 

[cakire82]

Re: Bought a new guitar yesterday

Wow! Thanks. Not like changing the strings on a LP!

Do I still need to oil the fretboard even tho it's maple?

And BTW, I don't know why any guitarist would go to any other site for info than here. This is where it's at. You guys are the best.

No, you won't need to do that for maple fret boards.

 

[lex666]

Re: Bought a new guitar yesterday

Use regular guitar polish on maple fretboards...

 

[Diocletian]

Re: Bought a new guitar yesterday

Thanks guys.

I've never had a Floyd Rose before. Not as quick to change strings I guess. So you snip the ball off the string & lock it in the saddle with an alan key? For this Floyd Rose, the string locks to tighten are right behind the saddle unlike older Floyd Roses that are under the fine tuners? Am I correct?

Just wanna make sure I know what's going on. Don't have guitar in front of me cuz I'm at work.

Don't bother with snipping the ball off the string, just put that end through the tuner, and snip the string to the correct length at the other end.

Like this (mine):

Here's mine again, I put a DiMarzio Super D and PAF in there (with flat black plastic EMG style covers over them), just for something different. They are really good guitars, really allow you to play as fast as you possibly can.

CONGRATS!

 

[cakire82]

Re: Bought a new guitar yesterday

Don't bother with snipping the ball off the string, just put that end through the tuner, and snip the string to the correct length at the other end.

I hear that leaving the ball end on the tuner pegs is a harmful approach. It makes them wear out faster. It is safer to lock the strings by wrapping them tightly using the in-under-over approach.

 

[cakire82]

Re: Bought a new guitar yesterday

Here is 1 of the videos I have based my instructions on. I could not find the other one.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQQT9-Y0R9A

I also stole some ideas from couple Dan Erlewine videos while he was setting up an Ibanez Jem. Key Intonation tool from stewmac very handy for FR guitars. Highly recommended by master Dan also.

 

[Budweiser]

Re: Bought a new guitar yesterday

Here is 1 of the videos I have based my instructions on. I could not find the other one.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQQT9-Y0R9A

I also stole some ideas from couple Dan Erlewine videos while he was setting up an Ibanez Jem. Key Intonation tool from stewmac very handy for FR guitars. Highly recommended by master Dan also.

Cool video! Thanks. Let the back springs stretch the strings. Neat idea.

BTW, I have finally found the holy grail of tone. My Jackson through my Orange Tiny Terror. Only took 28 years! LOL!

 

[Lucid_Lunatic]

Re: Bought a new guitar yesterday

 

[BloodRose]

Re: Bought a new guitar yesterday

Don't bother with snipping the ball off the string, just put that end through the tuner, and snip the string to the correct length at the other end.

Like this (mine):

Here's mine again, I put a DiMarzio Super D and PAF in there (with flat black plastic EMG style covers over them), just for something different. They are really good guitars, really allow you to play as fast as you possibly can.

CONGRATS!

this is what I do too!! only have to cut one end.. big help! That and there is just something about the term "cutting the balls off " that I try to avoid..

LOL

Congrats on the new axe!! I LOVE the look of these!! Wanted one since they came out.

 

[cakire82]

Re: Bought a new guitar yesterday

this is what I do too!! only have to cut one end.. big help! That and there is just something about the term "cutting the balls off " that I try to avoid..

LOL

Congrats on the new axe!! I LOVE the look of these!! Wanted one since they came out.

Too bad they won't be a production model anymore. As far as I know both RR24M and DK2M are being discontinued starting 2010. They are not in the Jackson catalog anymore. If anyone wants to buy a new one they better hurry.