New Signature Jacksons

AdamBrad

AdamBrad

New member
New to the X series, so I guess this puts them at the mid-range price-point.

Scottsdale, AZ (July 26, 2012) – Jackson is proud to welcome two new X Series artist signature models to The Bloodline, developed by guitarists from two of the most influential bands in metal history – Iron Maiden’s Adrian Smith and Kreator’s Miland ‘Mille’ Petrozza.

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The Jackson Adrian Smith Signature SDX guitar features a Snow White basswood body, bolt-on maple neck, compound-radius rosewood or maple fingerboard, HSS configuration (high-output Jackson bridge pickup, noiseless middle and neck single-coil pickups), white pickguard (rosewood fingerboard model) or black pickguard (maple fingerboard model), five-way blade selector switch, Jackson tuners, Floyd Rose Special tremolo system and black hardware.

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The Jackson MillePhobia King V guitar, only available in Europe, was built to Kreator vocalist and guitarist Mille Petrozza’s exact specifications and is equipped with an EMG 81 active humbucking pickup, a maple neck with a compound radius rosewood fingerboard and 24 jumbo frets, recessed Floyd Rose Special bridge, two-way toggle switch and special gig bag with embroidered Kreator logo. Finished in matte Black, other features include a Kreator logo at the 12th fret and custom Shark fin outline inlays.
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Re: New Signature Jacksons

I know that all of the X-Series Jacksons are imports and cheaper (obviously) then the american made ones. The X-Series is their affordable line of guitars.
 
Re: New Signature Jacksons

Ive played a few of the new x series, (v and king V) and didnt have that high of expectations, but found em to be %#%@$ nice! Played the V back to back with a Jackson Japanese made one and could feel or tell any diff other than a tiny bit from the pickups..
 
Re: New Signature Jacksons

to me it looks like they simply slapped a jackson logo on a floyd strat....since fender owns them and all.
 
Re: New Signature Jacksons

I really like the Jackson Floyd strat kinda one. It looks dead on to an HSS Floyd Fender, but as well a Charvel.
 
Re: New Signature Jacksons

They had one of those new white import Adrian Smith's at my local G.C. in Phoenix last weekend...I didn't like it at all.

Most of the neck-through X-series guitars I've checked out recently were finished very nice, but the Adrian Smith model was brand new and needed a lot of work.

Everything about it was low-grade. The neck didn't feel nearly as good as any of my other Charvels/Jacksons. The frets were dull (poorly polished) and you could gut a fish with the fret overhang! The headstock treatment looked horribly cheap compared to the real sig. model...like someone on eBay tried their hand at a home-made "replica".

Even as a mid-range/budget model, it's one of the worst treatments I've seen in the Jackson line so far. Very "cheap" feel. Hopefully it was just an early production model and they'll get their act together. Could be a really cool guitar with nothing else like it in the price range...
 
Re: New Signature Jacksons

Yes, Fender owns Charvel. However, Fender does not (or rather, did not) make them (at least the USA ProMods - well, they made the bodies. And the necks. But they were trained by the USA Charvel crew on how to make Charvel neck profiles and compound radius Floyded Stratheads).

So yeah...moving on.

I used to have a USA Floyded Strat. It was weak. Not sure what year it was, but it was made at a time when everyone and their mother could turn out a half-decent Floyded Strat-copy and actually make it work, so I dunno what Fender's excuse was. Maybe they did need those guys from Charvel to teach them how to do it right, because the Charvel ProMods are the best Floyded Strats (and Teles) Fender ever made.


The X series is a step above the JS series, and a step below the Professional series. Depending on the model in questiion, it could be a JS model with an upgrade of some sort (poplar/alder body instead of basswood, or a hardware/pickup upgrade), or a Professional series model with a reduced spec (no binding on the neck, licensed Floyd instead of the FRT1000, or generic pickups instead of Duncans/active EMGs, etc).

However, unlike many other popular brands, Jackson has always been recognized for putting more money into quality wood on even their lowest import models, and skimping on the easily-replaceable stuff like hardware and electronics. While you can't turn a JS32 Rhoads into an RR3 by simply replacing the pickups and bridge, you can get pretty close.
 
Re: New Signature Jacksons

DrNewcenstein said:
However, unlike many other popular brands, Jackson has always been recognized for putting more money into quality wood on even their lowest import models, and skimping on the easily-replaceable stuff like hardware and electronics. While you can't turn a JS32 Rhoads into an RR3 by simply replacing the pickups and bridge, you can get pretty close.
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Actually, that's exactly how ESP does LTD's from~300 series and up.
 
Re: New Signature Jacksons

Those black shark fins just don't look right to me. Black fins on maple look ok though. I still think the MOP on ebony looks the best.
 
Re: New Signature Jacksons

There are also some new 6 and 7 string archtop Soloists in the X series, which is cool to see as I gather these are usually only US made?
 
Re: New Signature Jacksons

AdamBrad said:
There are also some new 6 and 7 string archtop Soloists in the X series, which is cool to see as I gather these are usually only US made?
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In response to this and other questions, I recommend looking at Jackson's website. Oddly, I didn't see mention of the Professional Series at all. It looks like it got squeezed out by the X Series.

http://www.jacksonguitars.com/
 
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