Incoming NGD: Trying my luck with another Jackson!

[Top-L]

Its all about the lighting. Here is one with some lamps on in the room, but no bright overhead light. And another next to my Pau Ferro board.

I prefer the Ebony on my M1000 more. It has some depth and uniformity, and hasn't cracked (yet). Rosewood IME is universally good, even cheap pieces.

This Jackson is a good looking guitar UNTIL you get your hands on it. The defect on the binding really just gives away how cheap it is manufactured. I think they masked the fretboard before spraying the gloss, but the masking tape was accidentally over the top half of the binding so only half of it got sprayed. Its gross. Coupled with the neck problem, and the light fretboard, it feels really cheap. But hanging on the wall, its definintely the kind of guitar I wanted.

If it didn't have any issues I would absolutely keep it for this price. For $800? Thats a harder sell.

 

[Top-L]

A quick check with the fret rocker. Frets 9, 11 and 16 are high on the treble side and not by a small amount. Meaurement of the fingerboard shows that there is a hump in the 9-11 region. Don't know what is going on with 16.

I don't think the binding can be fixed.

 

[Phantasmagoria]

Obviously a bummer about the playability, (the other issues I personally could live with lol) but based on looks alone I would rock the shit out of that beauty!

The fretboard is kinda light, but other than that it's a spectacular looking axe! Too bad it's going back. My Kramer Striker that I just got had a Laurel fretboard but it was really dark & had some decent grain to it....

 

[Top-L]

Obviously a bummer about the playability, (the other issues I personally could live with lol) but based on looks alone I would rock the **** out of that beauty!

The fretboard is kinda light, but other than that it's a spectacular looking axe! Too bad it's going back. My Kramer Striker that I just got had a Laurel fretboard but it was really dark & had some decent grain to it....

Its hard to understand the problem with the fretboard from the pics I showed. There is what appears to be a deep gash under the clearcoat that goes from one end to the other. And the line is not straight, it wanders. It just looks so amateurish, it embodies what you would expect from a cheap Chinese guitar. It might be that someone used a knife to cut off masking tape and it left a deep gash in the finish, which they sprayed over again.

I can't believe this made it through QC so I just have to assume its B-stock that scummy sellers trying to sell as open box.

 

[larryguitar]

This would be a good situation for a notched level, to try and determine if the issue is the board or the frets. If it's the frets, it's fairly easy to fix. If it's the board, that thing needs to go back for sure.


Larry

 

[Mincer]

I kinda like the color of the fretboard under the lights. But if you aren't happy about the guitar, it will always bother you. Send it back. I did that with a PRS SE earlier this year.

 

[Top-L]

This would be a good situation for a notched level, to try and determine if the issue is the board or the frets. If it's the frets, it's fairly easy to fix. If it's the board, that thing needs to go back for sure.


Larry

I used a notched level. The hump is in the board.

 

[Top-L]

I kinda like the color of the fretboard under the lights. But if you aren't happy about the guitar, it will always bother you. Send it back. I did that with a PRS SE earlier this year.

Its causing my anxiety to spike because seller may try to impose 15% restocking.

 

[Mincer]

Its causing my anxiety to spike because seller may try to impose 15% restocking.

Is that because it is a B stock, or is that a general policy? Can that amount of money get the guitar into a playable instrument for you?

 

[Top-L]

Is that because it is a B stock, or is that a general policy? Can that amount of money get the guitar into a playable instrument for you?

I can level/crown the guitar myself. I think this one would take more than some spot leveling, but an entire level/crown.

That is not the issue. The problem is that because it has that ugly knife mark (or whatever ) running the length of the binding under the clear coat, the guitar looks bad. Its an obvious B-stock.

I talked to the guy and he said there might be restocking fee, he said he would have to look at it. I'm angry because they are pretending its not B-stock and just normal inventory they got from Fender, when the box is marked for UK/EU sale.

 

[Mincer]

I think you can fight them on it. But act fast.

 

[Top-L]

Here is a video of the binding problem. It looks to me like during the build, someone used a knife to remove some masking tape, then they clear coated over it. I can't imagine this would be sold as A-stock.

 

[Mincer]

Yeah, I'd be upset about that, too.

 

[JOLLY]

Its causing my anxiety to spike because seller may try to impose 15% restocking.

I've bought quite a bit of stuff from ProAudioStar. I've always gotten great deals and great gear from them. Mind you, it's all been new. However, about a month ago I bought a used Charvel Pro Mod from them off of Ebay. I was a little reluctant, but I emailed them, and I was told the guitar was in mint condition....which it was. However, the bridge saddles were jacked up high as hell, and the neck had quite a back bow to it. Mind you, I could have fixed all of these things, but honestly, I thought the guitar was really bright sounding, and I also didn't realize the Pharaoh's Gold paint job was a satin finish....which I don't care for. I returned it with the reason as being defective. They emailed me a return shipping label. I sent it back, and all of my money was returned to my PayPal one or two days after they had received it. I wasn't hit with any kind of shipping or restocking fees. It kind of blew my mind....lol.

 

[Top-L]

I've bought quite a bit of stuff from ProAudioStar. I've always gotten great deals and great gear from them. Mind you, it's all been new. However, about a month ago I bought a used Charvel Pro Mod from them off of Ebay. I was a little reluctant, but I emailed them, and I was told the guitar was in mint condition....which it was. However, the bridge saddles were jacked up high as hell, and the neck had quite a back bow to it. Mind you, I could have fixed all of these things, but honestly, I thought the guitar was really bright sounding, and I also didn't realize the Pharaoh's Gold paint job was a satin finish....which I don't care for. I returned it with the reason as being defective. They emailed me a return shipping label. I sent it back, and all of my money was returned to my PayPal one or two days after they had received it. I wasn't hit with any kind of shipping or restocking fees. It kind of blew my mind....lol.

Thanks for this. They approved the return, I am a bit more confident they will return all my money.

I am seriously considering ordering another one from Musician's Friend. Something about the painted neck through has a nice feel to it. After my last neck through M1000, I told myself all my new guitars would be neck through. Just something about grabbing the guitar at the heel and being greeted by smoothness. They also seem to have another degree of tuning stability for Floyd guitars.

If they had got the binding and fretwork right, I would have really enjoyed this guitar. But every time I pick it up to play, I just see that line.

I have been watching videos, and staining light fretboards is actually a thing.

 

[larryguitar]

Here is a video of the binding problem. It looks to me like during the build, someone used a knife to remove some masking tape, then they clear coated over it. I can't imagine this would be sold as A-stock.

That's NOT subtle. Wow. Maybe when they were scraping the binding?

Glad it seems like they're taking care of you; fixing a hump in the FB requires refretting to really 'fix', IMHO.

Larry

 

[Top-L]

That's NOT subtle. Wow. Maybe when they were scraping the binding?

Glad it seems like they're taking care of you; fixing a hump in the FB requires refretting to really 'fix', IMHO.

Larry

I don't really know how it happened. Its under the clear coat.

 

[Top-L]

Some final thoughts on this guitar before it goes back:

The tuning stability is excellent even though it is a FRS. I have long suspected that tuning stability is related to how well the posts are drilled and how well anchored they are, not the actual trem itself. Obviously higher end guitars with better trem hardware are better constructed. My experience so far with maple through neck Floyd guitars is 100%. They eliminate flex in the neck joint and the post anchors are drilled into hard maple.

This guitar is a through neck Basswood guitar, which is kinda rare afaict. The poplar JS34 was too light for my comfort and while it had a nice tone, it didn't have as much bass as this one and not quite as balanced overall. (I know unplugged tone not necessarily same as amplified.) The other Indonesian X-series Jacksons are all Poplar. With a maple core, they may be sonically identical to this guitar.

The fretwork on this Chinese Jackson is not up to par with Indonesian guitars in this price range. They handle the fret ends differently. They chop of the end at a sharp angle and smooth the edges. My other guitars which are Indonesian, Korean, and Japanese handle the fret ends in a similar way; they are individually shaped. Pictures on Sweetwater site shows that the Indonesion SL3X have better fret ends than the Chinese process. This guitar is not bad by any means, but its obvious it was done differently.

The neck is a D shape with rolled edges. It has a bit of a chunkier feeling. The action was already so high because of neck problems, and since I was returning it I didn't have an opportunity to polish the neck and make it faster. So it felt terrible.

Price. The SL3X guitars are in the $800-900 price range. An Indonesion "pro" model is $1200-1300. You get better trem hardware, ebony board, body binding, oiled neck, nicer finishes, and better construction. These SL3X guitars are overpriced by a couple hundred imo, yet if you want a neck through Jackson with Sharkfins that looks like the American models, this is what you are left with.

 

[beaubrummels]

Buying used might get it down to reasonable IME.

 

[Top-L]

Buying used might get it down to reasonable IME.

I used to buy used guitars and I am tired of inheriting other people's problems. Usually its a neck problem. Actually, its *always* a neck problem.

I just want a shiny new guitar that doesn't need any fretwork and that I can enjoy.

I am 100% convinced this guitar I'm returning was not intended for retail sale. The box has UK/EU markings, and there isn't any "inspected by" sticker on the back that I see on all the photos of this guitar for sale on sweetwater/reverb/etc. With the binding issue and the neck problem, I'm sure this didn't make it through Fender QC.

Intiated the return process but PAS uses a third party and they are very clear that shipping charges are not refunded. I am waiting to talk to them on Monday to clarify to see if I need to get my CC company preemtively involved.

NEVER buying anything from them again.

The question I'm pondering, do I buy another one? I can get a new SLX for around $600 which is reasonable, or another SL3X crackle for $800, which is overpriced. But I like the crackle better. I don't have any really gaudy guitars and I want one.