I have several Jackson USA guitars, i also have this guitar in Taxi cab yellow. Obviously this isn't as good as the USA version, BUT, this is the best bang for your buck. I use it alot when I go to jam sessions, nobody has said anything about the playability or sound. Those Indonesians know how to make a good guitar
This is my second guitar also in taxi yellow (first was a cheap yamaha) and despite of a few issues it's grown on me and I don't think any other style guitar would satisfy me. The only thing I don't like is the cheaper trem/arm but that's easy to replace and I've sorted mine out, also the pickup selector switch is hard to get to because of the volume knobs when you need to quickly flick it but it's not that big of a deal but then again it is when you really want to nail that particular song.
Right! I fully agree. In all honesty, I think Schecter and ESP are the best value by FAR out there, mainly because many of their Models around $1000 are made in Korea as well as their incredible attention to detail/specs. But, Indonesian stuff is getting better all the time. Certainly leagues better than Chinese or Vietnamese firewood.
I owned a Jackson american soloist 1987 model, one of the best guitars I ever owned... I saw one of these In the shop, fell in love with the color, and just bought it on principal wanting a matching guitar/motorcycle/car/ (thought that would be cool) and missing my old 87'. It plays great efficient and I agree with this whole video. It is a great instrument for young and old and it is cool to look at...
I had a lot of issues with the trem arm on this, I bought the same one and had the same issues, then I bought the one from schaller as recommended and still had issues after a month or so and finally I bought one from USA on ebay called "Floyd Rose Old Style Tremolo Arm", never had an issue since, if it gets lose you tighten it and if you keep tightening it you just replace the washers in the end but I've had it for 6 months not had to tighten it once, hope this helps anyone else having same issues.
I have this guitar in lefty in trans black but, with a laurel fingerboard. So far, I'm loving the guitar. I've had to temporarily put my Les Paul down. Thx for the review and I appreciated the pictures of the 3 types of Floyd Roses you displayed.
I have just traded all of my crappy and damaged and broken guitars for half of an immaculate, used, left handed one of these in Matt black.. and now i owe the guitar shop the other £200 before I can go and pick it up.. I can't wait to get it!! it plays go nice that I was blown away to be fair!
I got mine in yesterday after seeing your review I spend the 555 euros with the idea of: "it's not that expensive to take a gamble". I have a Fender Deluxe, Charvel and a Washburn super strat too but frankly the handling out of the box of this Jackson out done the factory setup of the others hands down! The pickups are nice and hot (similar impedance to the Seymour Duncans in the Washburn and Charvel) I love the clarity like you described too of hearing the individual strings being strummed. Something the washburn struggles with despite being the more expensive guitar (also from Indonesia). I first tried the India made Adrian Smith SDX series and I was not impressed with that but this is slightly more expensive but is a ton better! In short I am blown away by this guitar at that price point!
I bought one recently. It needed some work to be set up properly. The overall feel is pretty good. The frets are a bit sharp and the binding contains some staining. indeed the paint job is not all that consistent. It is not the most resonant guitar and the neck is not as slim as I thought but I am pretty happy with it. Maybe it is because of the colour....but there is something about it that makes you want to play it.
My Jackson SLX arrives Monday....I got the Satin Red Pearl color, its beautiful. I ordered the solid steel bridge saddles, and the "Push In" tremolo arm from Floyd Rose too. \m/
The USA Jackson´s don´t have full body thickness necks either. Check out some in transparent colors and you´ll see, though there are a couple of the new Pro Series that do have them if the neck is 3piece like the KVQ and KVTQ models.
I've check out the metallic blue at local GC, and, Man!, this axe is nice! Thru body neck lets you easy shred to 24th fret, and the neck is scary thin. The only fault I see is that it should have an ebony fretboard (but I know you can stain rosewood to get darker). I'm going to get me one!
So i'm looking for a new axe and I'm coming from a Strat style. I'd consider myself beginner - intermediate. I want more of a modern sound possibly with Floyd Rose for... yes you guessed it... DIVE BOMBS. Now I know there are ways to set up and upgrade your guitar to get the same result but these are the ones I've narrowed it down to. Yes, I'm using the term narrowed down lightly. Also, because its Covid I can't go in and try all of these. The most I can do is buy one and if I don't like it I can return it within 30 days. That just sounds unreasonable. I've done a shit ton of listening tests with and without headphones online, tonnes of comparisons and I'm only more confused. Would love any help and insight. Not trying to break the bank but also don't want to go half way. JACKSON JS32 DINKY or SCHECTER OMEN SERIES OMEN 6 or JEM555 or JACKSON X SERIES SOLOIST SLX DX or IBANEZ SA360 or IBANEZ SA260FM
If you damage it take it to a good luthier, they can do miracles and when they put them back together it will be stronger than before. If it costs too much sell it and get a new one, there are those who will pay good money for it repair it and sell it and hopefully it wont end up costing you much more than if you were to replace a neck if anything at all.
This newer model comes Duncan designed or Jackson high output a poplar body and a Laurel fingerboard where as the older models have a basswood body and a Rosewood fingerboard.
I just picked one of the new ones up, but I plan on fully replacing all of the hardware and pickups. Build quality wise, it’s grade a. I think I got a lucky one
I bought this guitar based on this review but the floyd rose trem was just the opposite for me, the string kept popping out and every time I would tighten it more it would pop out again until you over tighten it and strip the thread so I would say deffo replace at least the saddles with a genuine one and if you plan on keeping it for long time get the whole thing, and the whammy bar pissed me right off every time you bend it it's ever so slightly lose even when fully tightened and when distorted it makes shit noise and nothing you can do to fix it it, you put a washer it still makes noise, you put electrical tape it makes noise again, I looked online and someone recommended a German made one high quality and all that so I ordered one and although better even that wasn't snug I would hope a genuine FR trem isn't this troublesome man but apart from that it looks and plays perfect, the neck is beautiful, the pickups are good enough for me although lately I've lost a lot of sustain can't figure out why but it's lasted me 3 years of learning, thrashing and messing about on it and it's still in great condition looks like new.
Some facts are a bit misleading. First of all pickup resistance does not actually mean that the pickup will have high or low output. For example P-Rails pickup has about 19 kOhm resistance, however it provides less output that JB. Ceramic is not a bad magnet at all. Lots of great players are using pickups with ceramic magnets - Steve Vai, John Petrucci, Synyster Gates, Tosin Abasi. It's more of a preference thing. Basically the resistance of the pickup show how prononced regarding the mids the pickup is. Duncan distortion, JB, Black Winter has the same resistance, however each pickup has different output, because the magnets are different. The only thing I would like to point out that there are no low/medium output pickups, however alnico magnets have low/medium/high ones.
Hey Alex, you're right. To only use coil resistance is only a crude reference to overall output mV. This is why I have the link in this section (5:05) to my full-explanation video on pickups etc... Check it out ruclips.net/video/s6meFeRWcqc/видео.html. this video will also explain the intricacies of magnet, resistance, gauge, base plate materials etc.. which affect the sound. Thanks for your input. More information is always good.
Andrew Scott I'll check that video out, thank you. Nice overview overall, really looking into details and providing lots of explanation. This is very useful. Lots of reveiws do not have that.
Just to add a little more about the pickups (to appease some viewers and) add to the accuracy of the review. 16.6K resistance is found at the high end of the output spectrum... it is not the highest as Dimarzio and Seymour Duncan both have pickups in the 22-25K range... this is coil resistance (not as applicable to Active Pickups) and is not a direct indicator of output voltage... I will have a Facts & Figures on active and passive pickups... I welcome input and feedback, but let's keep it pleasant and focused. View this video... ruclips.net/video/s6meFeRWcqc/видео.html
Dimarzio Super Distortion is approx 13.5K the Duncan JB around 15.5K and the Duncan Distortion is about 16.5K Also, the Floyd Rose Special is made in China, the 1000 is made in Korea, the Original is made in Germany.
I like your video, but you're wrong when you say Flayd Special have the same materials than the original. That is the Floyd rose 1000. But fine video. Great sound
Insightful review, man, well done! It helped me decide to buy my first Jackson in 30 years, lol. Had a Randy V and Soloist back in the late 80s - traded them in the 90s for Custom Shop Strats. I could not resist nabbing a new Lighting Blue SLX for $512 (it's en route)...happy to get a Soloist back in my hands. :)
Just bought a black one. Other than some fret sprout, and minor buffer scratches, it will be a great guitar once I replace the cheap Floyd Rose Special with a Floyd Rose Original, and the muddy Duncan Design pickups with real Seymour Duncans.
Hi! I'm thinking of getting one of these SLX jacksons but now im confused about the body woods. Everyone says that they are basswood and Jackson website says it too when you go to SLX page. But in the specs in different color bodys says some of them are nato? Like the slime green and taxi cab yellow. So are they two different body woods or is it some sort of error there?
And also some retailers say that the necks are one piece maple. But in Jackson website it says 3-piece neck and one piece neck on the SL3X models...So right now im really not sure which model should i buy :D
Was about to say that. Nato or mora is referred to as eastern mahogany. I don't know much about the tonal qualities of nato but it is a harder wood than even some species of mahogany. Probably a similar tone to mahogany but that's just my guess
Dylan Taylor ive got the black one.its amazing.its the best jackson i have for sustain and i have a V and and a performer with a JB and a Jazz. Not sure about the hate on the Floyd either.its by far the best out of my 3.its a really top notch guitar and the neck is beautiful
I have been looking at finding an early 90s Jackson Dinky or Soloist XL, but this review may have sold me. Question: do you have any concerns about the lifespan of the paint finish, the binding, or the pearloid shark fins?
+Benjamin Pennington I've just checked out the SL3X... That pink is 80s awesome... The paint, inlay and binding wouldn't be an issue. Inlay doesn't come out unless you get heavy-handed in scalloping. The binding is glued on and then painted over so it has several coats of urethane clear coat holding it into place. The paint finish will last a life time if you keep it in a case... or leave the guitar in direct sun, drag it along the ground or play it aggressively for 10-20 years without respect.
+Andrew Scott Haha! They should have named the pink "80s Awesome"! Thanks for the reply and your videos, man! I almost went for Slime Green but snagged the Taxi Cab Yellow!
its ligit, i bought the mahogany one but steve via plays bass wood guitars with rose wood fretboards. if you wanted to save money this guitar is a great buy, cheap enough to find some nice pickups for it and replace the fr special if in you wanted to (never had an issue with the one i owned thou i did plan on replacing it one day before id sold it,, it wasn't a soloist but all the same hardware)
Made me buy this Guitar... i do not regret it, thanks alot ;) (by the way, aim thinking about switching the duncan designed PU to the equivalent Seymore Duncan (TB4 i think) is it worth it or do you have other recommendations?)
+Julius Albe Good to hear Julius. Hope you got the Slime Green model. The Seymour Duncan "JB TB-4" or "SH-6" pickups are the comparable models. Checkout my new video on Pickup Facts & Figures for more info. ruclips.net/video/s6meFeRWcqc/видео.html
Great informative review, man. I wish there were more like it. Normally, you'll find about a 1 min video of somebody playing through a few settings and that's about it. So, kudos to you my friend. I was searching because I recently picked up the 2019 Neon Orange Soloist SL3X, and that thing is very impressive. For a $700 range guitar, I enjoy playing it just as much as my ESP Eclipse that was 3X the price. Jackson really put together a nice guitar with that one 👍👍 If anyone out there is debating buying one of these, this guitar definitely out plays it's price tag.
+Anomaly The Floyd Rose (and most licensed copies) have a screw collar at the base of the bar which can be loosened or tightened. This clamps down onto a nylon washer which firms up the tremolo arm movement.
+Dr venom The simple answer is - of course you can. It's mainly your Amp and Effects which shape the tone of a guitar... The bridge pickup is high output so It's great for top-end accuracy while chugging... you might want to just boost the bass a notch or two on your amp or effects - maybe even scoop the mid a little.
Id pick the LTD M-1000 over this. They are Top of the LTD line and can be found new for $700. And believe it or not, the reverse headstocks dont get dinged up as much as the standard pointys. Both suffer from totally painted necks and they are both a thicker profile neck then you might think. I will say you can find the Jacksons new for $500 now but the either can be found used for like $400 or less.
Well what can i say, not everyone can afford an all original SL 1 american made series or custom series. I would die for an all 80's original sl1 or a san dimas, but it cost a fortune. The SLX range is lets say a low medium quality. I dont think that the wood is the most quality one, not talking about the hardware part, they put the same potmeters and electronics inside the guitar as what the indonesian ibaneze's have. I say that if i would have this guitar i would take out the floyd rose special, the electronics, the pickups, the tuners, and replace them with quality, or i would invest into an old school carvin which is still much more affordable than an all original U.S jackson
thank you for a wonderful review. I was actually came upon this because I recenty purchased a charvel dx-1 soloist , which was (chravel recently discontinued the line) made in China. Though many really really bad instruments have come out of China IMHO this is not one of them, but a quality instrument for a much more reasonable price that Charvel sold for the last 2-3 years. It seems to me the 2 guitars have a much in common (similar neck, neck-thru body design, and more). I am older, and the sound of the active pickups it came with just doesn't sit with me; and wanted to hear what passives sounded like on a very similar type of guitar, and the passives Jackson chose for that particular neck-thru body design and wood combinaation.
+roland1313 Thanks for your king remarks. The DX-1 is a nice piece of guitar.... very well finished and also a full neck-through - the feature wood tops are just that much classier in my mind. While EMGs are very useful for their intended purpose, they can lack "feel". I did a rundown on several active and passive pickups on my channel (check it out). Have a listen to this link... It is a more emotional solo piece which shows the dynamic of the guitar... soundcloud.com/andyrooj/somehow-romantic
Basswood is not worse , just different. Also the original USA one is poplar wings on a three piece laminated quarter sawn maple full depth centre section with scarf joined head. Those have a piece of wood to make up the depth of the one piece neck blank on the back of the body. New USA ones are like this also. The truss rod rout interferes with the wood needed to screw down the lock nut, also now on the USA one. Best to look for the made in Japan professional model produced between 1990 and 1995.
One important reason they didn’t use Alder is that it doesn’t grow in that part of the World. So they would have pay a premium to import it. Basswood seems fine for high gain anyway.
mine had some fret problems honestly. . . . . . yes though 300 for a nice cheap guitar used, that is a good enough find. I just would rather spend a little extra money to go up to mij quality and am still disappointed of Jackson refusing to find a way to create a usa made competitive mid range line. btw i'm selling mine if anyone wants it, if they even see my comment. I had it replaced by another jackson model equip with a schaller. mij
I do prefer basswood for lots of things, I don't much like Alder. I can't get a DiMarzio Joe sound well on a maple top, but as they are made for Satch's basswood Ibanez'ez, hell aye they're chewy.
@@Metallex depends on the model, and DKMG is different from DK2MG. Mine was the lightest guitar I ever had (japanese one from the 90's) and you cant find any used one in good condition under 800cad (so 1k with shipping). I also had the cheaper ones you are talking about and its true they are heavy as fuck. But this soloist slx is pretty heavy too compared to the good old japanese one.
@@mathieuroy1301 Oh, right I didn't know! I assumed the original DKMG was a US model. TY for the info. Yeah, if the DK2 had been lighter it would've been a much harder decision to part with.
I just bought Aa Dkm2. From 06 I believe. I love it, maple fretboard, sharkfins. But I think I want a soloist, I feel wierd playing a guitar that is designated as being " smaller". I dont need a small guitar, I love heavy pigs. Buy that maple fretboard with the sharkfins...
MRSP is not the price. Its price is near 500 dollars. And I bought it today with a good discount around 320 dollars. I will write my thoughts when i took the guitar if anyove is interested. Just put a comment.
I like Jackson and Ibanez better than fender stratocaster because they are like a fender on steroids. Dont get me wrong strats do got a wider range of tone than both Ibanez and Jackson but you can always get pedals that make up for the tone difference that the fender offers. Jackson's action on the neck is amazing I like playing my leads on a Jackson I own a Jackson dinky and and an Ibanez gio grg250. I used to love Floyd Rose but I like the Ibanez edge tremolo better because its seems smoother and no knocking noise. I wont use a guitar unless it has a locking tremolo. I'm gonna up grade my pickups on my Jackson dinky not that there bad but I'm into Seymour Duncan pickups. And basically it will be the same as a soloist accept the bolt on neck which makes absolutely no difference to me than neck thru.
This review is crap man. Sure the guitar is not bad. But the pickups sound no way as good as JB4s and they are noisy as hell. Hot output alone says nothing about the actual sound. The Floyd Rose special is indeed a piece of shit and it does not stay in tune at all. The trem arm is loose and wobbly. Besides the pickups and bridge, this guitar is still a good choice for 700 bugs
Please, don't review ever a guitar that is not made in the U.S.A and is worth less than 5k, i just hate the way you talk about an instrument whatever the price it is, jus mention it's price and tell, well you know it is a 700 dlls, guitar so it is a fucking piece of shit.
+Gerardo Prado Segura It's unfortunate that you choose to have this opinion. Besides your anger doesn't suggest a great knowledge of guitars. Remember Van Halen made his first "frankinstrat" with $120 worth of "reject parts" from Kramer & Charvel... he made history with that guitar and it had little to do with the cost. What about Vai's Japanese made "Jems", Michael Romeo's Caparison (Japan), Tommy Emmanuel's Maton (Australia) etc... This is not a place for slagging. Have a good day.
I know about guitars, but what is really really unfortunate is a review where you only talk about the price and how cheap it is, and not focus on the quality, craftsmanship, and sound, don't tell about prices, just give a honest review based on your experience while playing, seeing or just touching the guitar, we play with woods, metals, magnets, not dollars, just remember SRV playing Mexican strats that were all messed up and repaired countless times, is not the price. You too have a good day.
I have several Jackson USA guitars, i also have this guitar in Taxi cab yellow. Obviously this isn't as good as the USA version, BUT, this is the best bang for your buck. I use it alot when I go to jam sessions, nobody has said anything about the playability or sound. Those Indonesians know how to make a good guitar
This is my second guitar also in taxi yellow (first was a cheap yamaha) and despite of a few issues it's grown on me and I don't think any other style guitar would satisfy me. The only thing I don't like is the cheaper trem/arm but that's easy to replace and I've sorted mine out, also the pickup selector switch is hard to get to because of the volume knobs when you need to quickly flick it but it's not that big of a deal but then again it is when you really want to nail that particular song.
Right! I fully agree. In all honesty, I think Schecter and ESP are the best value by FAR out there, mainly because many of their Models around $1000 are made in Korea as well as their incredible attention to detail/specs. But, Indonesian stuff is getting better all the time. Certainly leagues better than Chinese or Vietnamese firewood.
where are these made ? Indonesia ?
Thank you for this awesome review. Extremely informative and comprehensive
Great review. A lot of really good info. I've been wanting to purchase this guitar for sometime and I think I definitely will now!
I owned a Jackson american soloist 1987 model, one of the best guitars I ever owned... I saw one of these In the shop, fell in love with the color, and just bought it on principal wanting a matching guitar/motorcycle/car/ (thought that would be cool) and missing my old 87'. It plays great efficient and I agree with this whole video. It is a great instrument for young and old and it is cool to look at...
Such a great review! I own a Usa Select SL-2h and clearly it's the best six string I've ever played. But, this SLX would be great as a backup guitar!
The most informative review I have seen. Temolo... sold me!!! pickups... sold me!!!
I had a lot of issues with the trem arm on this, I bought the same one and had the same issues, then I bought the one from schaller as recommended and still had issues after a month or so and finally I bought one from USA on ebay called "Floyd Rose Old Style Tremolo Arm", never had an issue since, if it gets lose you tighten it and if you keep tightening it you just replace the washers in the end but I've had it for 6 months not had to tighten it once, hope this helps anyone else having same issues.
I have this guitar in lefty in trans black but, with a laurel fingerboard. So far, I'm loving the guitar. I've had to temporarily put my Les Paul down. Thx for the review and I appreciated the pictures of the 3 types of Floyd Roses you displayed.
I have just traded all of my crappy and damaged and broken guitars for half of an immaculate, used, left handed one of these in Matt black.. and now i owe the guitar shop the other £200 before I can go and pick it up..
I can't wait to get it!!
it plays go nice that I was blown away to be fair!
Great color..very nice
I got mine in yesterday after seeing your review I spend the 555 euros with the idea of: "it's not that expensive to take a gamble".
I have a Fender Deluxe, Charvel and a Washburn super strat too but frankly the handling out of the box of this Jackson out done the factory setup of the others hands down! The pickups are nice and hot (similar impedance to the Seymour Duncans in the Washburn and Charvel) I love the clarity like you described too of hearing the individual strings being strummed. Something the washburn struggles with despite being the more expensive guitar (also from Indonesia).
I first tried the India made Adrian Smith SDX series and I was not impressed with that but this is slightly more expensive but is a ton better!
In short I am blown away by this guitar at that price point!
I bought one recently. It needed some work to be set up properly. The overall feel is pretty good. The frets are a bit sharp and the binding contains some staining. indeed the paint job is not all that consistent. It is not the most resonant guitar and the neck is not as slim as I thought but I am pretty happy with it. Maybe it is because of the colour....but there is something about it that makes you want to play it.
5:45 I'm sold. Sounds killer.
Very informative. You makes me wants to buy this particular model
My Jackson SLX arrives Monday....I got the Satin Red Pearl color, its beautiful. I ordered the solid steel bridge saddles, and the "Push In" tremolo arm from Floyd Rose too. \m/
Best review of a guitar I´ve seen. Thanks!
The USA Jackson´s don´t have full body thickness necks either. Check out some in transparent colors and you´ll see, though there are a couple of the new Pro Series that do have them if the neck is 3piece like the KVQ and KVTQ models.
The trick about those zinc plated FR-S', is just replace the tuning & tone blocks w/OEM FR parts.
That locking nut, too. 👍
So the saddles and the little locking blocks inside , probably best to do first. Could also add a big brass block .
I like the way you explain do you have a video of Jackson rrxt
Excellent review
I have this guitar, put in in and jazz pickups and tuned it to drop D, love it
Great review, it helps ..... Now i want one
I've check out the metallic blue at local GC, and, Man!, this axe is nice! Thru body neck lets you easy shred to 24th fret, and the neck is scary thin. The only fault I see is that it should have an ebony fretboard (but I know you can stain rosewood to get darker). I'm going to get me one!
So i'm looking for a new axe and I'm coming from a Strat style. I'd consider myself beginner - intermediate.
I want more of a modern sound possibly with Floyd Rose for... yes you guessed it... DIVE BOMBS. Now I know there
are ways to set up and upgrade your guitar to get the same result but these are the ones I've narrowed it down to.
Yes, I'm using the term narrowed down lightly. Also, because its Covid I can't go in and try all of these. The
most I can do is buy one and if I don't like it I can return it within 30 days. That just sounds unreasonable. I've
done a shit ton of listening tests with and without headphones online, tonnes of comparisons and I'm only more confused.
Would love any help and insight. Not trying to break the bank but also don't want to go half way.
JACKSON JS32 DINKY or SCHECTER OMEN SERIES OMEN 6 or JEM555 or JACKSON X SERIES SOLOIST SLX DX or IBANEZ SA360 or IBANEZ SA260FM
Online is always a gamble, keep that in mind.. Check out Charvel too there’s a new pro-mod SoCal in slime green..
Out of that list id go jem 555 or the soloist
Yes yes yes... but how does it taste?!
Jackson's guitars are used by many metal band, can I cet great tones and enjoy playing if i play a lot of E standard song ?
jimbo 2001 yes
Michael Gonzalez nice, thanks a lot!
So Would you recommend these guitars over an ibanez rgt42dx with similar specks ?
The only real difference to me with set neck or neckthrough compared to bolt on is, if I destroy it I can never get a new one.
If you damage it take it to a good luthier, they can do miracles and when they put them back together it will be stronger than before. If it costs too much sell it and get a new one, there are those who will pay good money for it repair it and sell it and hopefully it wont end up costing you much more than if you were to replace a neck if anything at all.
What's the difference between this guitar and Jackson Soloist SLX DX (the newer one) ?
This newer model comes Duncan designed or Jackson high output a poplar body and a Laurel fingerboard where as the older models have a basswood body and a Rosewood fingerboard.
Why can’t they make les Paul neck throughs like this guitar and with a belly cut. My Guitar was only £299.00 that’s half the retail price.
I just picked one of the new ones up, but I plan on fully replacing all of the hardware and pickups. Build quality wise, it’s grade a. I think I got a lucky one
I have this guitar, bought second hand in great condition.
I have a ltd alexi200 with a Floyd roses special and it's hands down a grate term for the money
what you think of the Jackson Soloist SLATXMG3-6 compared to this guitar ?
If it tips over accidentally will those graphite rods get damaged If the head doesn’t break or crack?
No, not all all. Graphite is really tough stuff. I've seen entire necks snap, but the rods survived.
I bought this guitar based on this review but the floyd rose trem was just the opposite for me, the string kept popping out and every time I would tighten it more it would pop out again until you over tighten it and strip the thread so I would say deffo replace at least the saddles with a genuine one and if you plan on keeping it for long time get the whole thing, and the whammy bar pissed me right off every time you bend it it's ever so slightly lose even when fully tightened and when distorted it makes shit noise and nothing you can do to fix it it, you put a washer it still makes noise, you put electrical tape it makes noise again, I looked online and someone recommended a German made one high quality and all that so I ordered one and although better even that wasn't snug I would hope a genuine FR trem isn't this troublesome man but apart from that it looks and plays perfect, the neck is beautiful, the pickups are good enough for me although lately I've lost a lot of sustain can't figure out why but it's lasted me 3 years of learning, thrashing and messing about on it and it's still in great condition looks like new.
How much is this guitar new
Some facts are a bit misleading. First of all pickup resistance does not actually mean that the pickup will have high or low output. For example P-Rails pickup has about 19 kOhm resistance, however it provides less output that JB. Ceramic is not a bad magnet at all. Lots of great players are using pickups with ceramic magnets - Steve Vai, John Petrucci, Synyster Gates, Tosin Abasi. It's more of a preference thing. Basically the resistance of the pickup show how prononced regarding the mids the pickup is. Duncan distortion, JB, Black Winter has the same resistance, however each pickup has different output, because the magnets are different. The only thing I would like to point out that there are no low/medium output pickups, however alnico magnets have low/medium/high ones.
Hey Alex, you're right. To only use coil resistance is only a crude reference to overall output mV. This is why I have the link in this section (5:05) to my full-explanation video on pickups etc... Check it out ruclips.net/video/s6meFeRWcqc/видео.html. this video will also explain the intricacies of magnet, resistance, gauge, base plate materials etc.. which affect the sound. Thanks for your input. More information is always good.
Andrew Scott I'll check that video out, thank you. Nice overview overall, really looking into details and providing lots of explanation. This is very useful. Lots of reveiws do not have that.
Just to add a little more about the pickups (to appease some viewers and) add to the accuracy of the review. 16.6K resistance is found at the high end of the output spectrum... it is not the highest as Dimarzio and Seymour Duncan both have pickups in the 22-25K range... this is coil resistance (not as applicable to Active Pickups) and is not a direct indicator of output voltage... I will have a Facts & Figures on active and passive pickups... I welcome input and feedback, but let's keep it pleasant and focused. View this video... ruclips.net/video/s6meFeRWcqc/видео.html
Dimarzio Super Distortion is approx 13.5K the Duncan JB around 15.5K and the Duncan Distortion is about 16.5K
Also, the Floyd Rose Special is made in China, the 1000 is made in Korea, the Original is made in Germany.
I like your video, but you're wrong when you say Flayd Special have the same materials than the original. That is the Floyd rose 1000. But fine video. Great sound
+Portuguese Beer Thanks for the correction and your input guys. This information is valuable to know and adds to the review.
Insightful review, man, well done! It helped me decide to buy my first Jackson in 30 years, lol. Had a Randy V and Soloist back in the late 80s - traded them in the 90s for Custom Shop Strats. I could not resist nabbing a new Lighting Blue SLX for $512 (it's en route)...happy to get a Soloist back in my hands. :)
Just bought a black one. Other than some fret sprout, and minor buffer scratches, it will be a great guitar once I replace the cheap Floyd Rose Special with a Floyd Rose Original, and the muddy Duncan Design pickups with real Seymour Duncans.
Hi! I'm thinking of getting one of these SLX jacksons but now im confused about the body woods. Everyone says that they are basswood and Jackson website says it too when you go to SLX page. But in the specs in different color bodys says some of them are nato? Like the slime green and taxi cab yellow. So are they two different body woods or is it some sort of error there?
And also some retailers say that the necks are one piece maple. But in Jackson website it says 3-piece neck and one piece neck on the SL3X models...So right now im really not sure which model should i buy :D
Was about to say that. Nato or mora is referred to as eastern mahogany. I don't know much about the tonal qualities of nato but it is a harder wood than even some species of mahogany. Probably a similar tone to mahogany but that's just my guess
Dylan Taylor ive got the black one.its amazing.its the best jackson i have for sustain and i have a V and and a performer with a JB and a Jazz.
Not sure about the hate on the Floyd either.its by far the best out of my 3.its a really top notch guitar and the neck is beautiful
Seems like a dream guitar
I have been looking at finding an early 90s Jackson Dinky or Soloist XL, but this review may have sold me. Question: do you have any concerns about the lifespan of the paint finish, the binding, or the pearloid shark fins?
I am looking at the SL3X because I like the pickup configuration.
+Benjamin Pennington I've just checked out the SL3X... That pink is 80s awesome... The paint, inlay and binding wouldn't be an issue. Inlay doesn't come out unless you get heavy-handed in scalloping. The binding is glued on and then painted over so it has several coats of urethane clear coat holding it into place. The paint finish will last a life time if you keep it in a case... or leave the guitar in direct sun, drag it along the ground or play it aggressively for 10-20 years without respect.
+Andrew Scott Haha! They should have named the pink "80s Awesome"! Thanks for the reply and your videos, man! I almost went for Slime Green but snagged the Taxi Cab Yellow!
+Benjamin Pennington congrats! I'm pulling the trigger on a pink SL3X this weekend.
+Kingshuk Mukherjee they really are impressive for the price man! Congrats on the 80s Awesome!
its ligit, i bought the mahogany one but steve via plays bass wood guitars with rose wood fretboards. if you wanted to save money this guitar is a great buy, cheap enough to find some nice pickups for it and replace the fr special if in you wanted to (never had an issue with the one i owned thou i did plan on replacing it one day before id sold it,, it wasn't a soloist but all the same hardware)
Made me buy this Guitar... i do not regret it, thanks alot ;) (by the way, aim thinking about switching the duncan designed PU to the equivalent Seymore Duncan (TB4 i think) is it worth it or do you have other recommendations?)
+Julius Albe Good to hear Julius. Hope you got the Slime Green model. The Seymour Duncan "JB TB-4" or "SH-6" pickups are the comparable models. Checkout my new video on Pickup Facts & Figures for more info. ruclips.net/video/s6meFeRWcqc/видео.html
+Andrew Scott yep slime green :D thx
That neck through design was different in the 80's for the ontario and san dimas series
Cool vid & I GOTTA get a slimer axe. I've always wanted a neckthru super Strat.
Nice guitar,, great colour
How is the action on this guitar ?
Nice review....appreciated.
Thanks
Andrew,does the SLX have the same neck, fingerboard shape as the US Soloist??Is it as flat and wide?
Yep... 12 inch (nut) to16 inch (at body)
Great informative review, man. I wish there were more like it. Normally, you'll find about a 1 min video of somebody playing through a few settings and that's about it. So, kudos to you my friend. I was searching because I recently picked up the 2019 Neon Orange Soloist SL3X, and that thing is very impressive. For a $700 range guitar, I enjoy playing it just as much as my ESP Eclipse that was 3X the price. Jackson really put together a nice guitar with that one 👍👍 If anyone out there is debating buying one of these, this guitar definitely out plays it's price tag.
I love my Orange Jackson SL4X too
How do you get your whammy bar to stay in place?
+Anomaly The Floyd Rose (and most licensed copies) have a screw collar at the base of the bar which can be loosened or tightened. This clamps down onto a nylon washer which firms up the tremolo arm movement.
Cool, I dismantled it and there's no washer in mine, no big deal.
quick question , can I play metal and grunge music on this guitar
+Dr venom The simple answer is - of course you can. It's mainly your Amp and Effects which shape the tone of a guitar... The bridge pickup is high output so It's great for top-end accuracy while chugging... you might want to just boost the bass a notch or two on your amp or effects - maybe even scoop the mid a little.
+Andrew Scott thank you so much for response and for your awesome advice, also keep up the good work
Can't you tell just by looking at it? This guitar is strictly for country music only!
Country AND Western.. it's that versatile.
Id pick the LTD M-1000 over this. They are Top of the LTD line and can be found new for $700. And believe it or not, the reverse headstocks dont get dinged up as much as the standard pointys. Both suffer from totally painted necks and they are both a thicker profile neck then you might think. I will say you can find the Jacksons new for $500 now but the either can be found used for like $400 or less.
great review.
I tried one of these today. Freaking Ace
Well what can i say, not everyone can afford an all original SL 1 american made series or custom series.
I would die for an all 80's original sl1 or a san dimas, but it cost a fortune. The SLX range is lets say a low medium quality. I dont think that the wood is the most quality one, not talking about the hardware part, they put the same potmeters and electronics inside the guitar as what the indonesian ibaneze's have. I say that if i would have this guitar i would take out the floyd rose special, the electronics, the pickups, the tuners, and replace them with quality, or i would invest into an old school carvin which is still much more affordable than an all original U.S jackson
Can i play in this guitar witch C drop ?
You can... I would recommend a longer scale (like a baritone) if that's your main style and tuning.
I did it with 11s, and it plays fine.
Nice
thank you for a wonderful review. I was actually came upon this because I recenty purchased a charvel dx-1 soloist , which was (chravel recently discontinued the line) made in China.
Though many really really bad instruments have come out of China IMHO this is not one of them, but a quality instrument for a much more reasonable price that Charvel sold for the last 2-3 years. It seems to me the 2 guitars have a much in common (similar neck, neck-thru body design, and more). I am older, and the sound of the active pickups it came with just doesn't sit with me; and wanted to hear what passives sounded like on a very similar type of guitar, and the passives Jackson chose for that particular neck-thru body design and wood combinaation.
+roland1313 Thanks for your king remarks. The DX-1 is a nice piece of guitar.... very well finished and also a full neck-through - the feature wood tops are just that much classier in my mind. While EMGs are very useful for their intended purpose, they can lack "feel". I did a rundown on several active and passive pickups on my channel (check it out). Have a listen to this link... It is a more emotional solo piece which shows the dynamic of the guitar... soundcloud.com/andyrooj/somehow-romantic
beautiful performance
nice tone!
Basswood is not worse , just different. Also the original USA one is poplar wings on a three piece laminated quarter sawn maple full depth centre section with scarf joined head. Those have a piece of wood to make up the depth of the one piece neck blank on the back of the body. New USA ones are like this also. The truss rod rout interferes with the wood needed to screw down the lock nut, also now on the USA one. Best to look for the made in Japan professional model produced between 1990 and 1995.
One important reason they didn’t use Alder is that it doesn’t grow in that part of the World. So they would have pay a premium to import it.
Basswood seems fine for high gain anyway.
Very usefull video
The slx Jacksons are my favorite,they look better then the sl2 especially if we are talking fret boards
mine had some fret problems honestly. . . . . . yes though 300 for a nice cheap guitar used, that is a good enough find. I just would rather spend a little extra money to go up to mij quality and am still disappointed of Jackson refusing to find a way to create a usa made competitive mid range line. btw i'm selling mine if anyone wants it, if they even see my comment. I had it replaced by another jackson model equip with a schaller. mij
I do prefer basswood for lots of things, I don't much like Alder.
I can't get a DiMarzio Joe sound well on a maple top, but as they are made for Satch's basswood
Ibanez'ez, hell aye they're chewy.
Indonesia's aren't bad I've had a few Ibanez from them just don't get a Floyd system. Unless it states the material quality
Just bought this because I missed my DKMG ... Such a shame that the japanese Factory got wrecked though
I just sold on a DK2MG - great instrument. Body is very heavy though, and it's not a neck through. You can find them for around 3-400 used.
@@Metallex depends on the model, and DKMG is different from DK2MG. Mine was the lightest guitar I ever had (japanese one from the 90's) and you cant find any used one in good condition under 800cad (so 1k with shipping). I also had the cheaper ones you are talking about and its true they are heavy as fuck. But this soloist slx is pretty heavy too compared to the good old japanese one.
@@mathieuroy1301 Oh, right I didn't know! I assumed the original DKMG was a US model. TY for the info. Yeah, if the DK2 had been lighter it would've been a much harder decision to part with.
I just bought Aa Dkm2. From 06 I believe. I love it, maple fretboard, sharkfins. But I think I want a soloist, I feel wierd playing a guitar that is designated as being " smaller". I dont need a small guitar, I love heavy pigs. Buy that maple fretboard with the sharkfins...
You must be quite wealthy if you call an $800.00 guitar "cheap"!
MRSP is not the price. Its price is near 500 dollars. And I bought it today with a good discount around 320 dollars. I will write my thoughts when i took the guitar if anyove is interested. Just put a comment.
I like Jackson and Ibanez better than fender stratocaster because they are like a fender on steroids. Dont get me wrong strats do got a wider range of tone than both Ibanez and Jackson but you can always get pedals that make up for the tone difference that the fender offers. Jackson's action on the neck is amazing I like playing my leads on a Jackson I own a Jackson dinky and and an Ibanez gio grg250. I used to love Floyd Rose but I like the Ibanez edge tremolo better because its seems smoother and no knocking noise. I wont use a guitar unless it has a locking tremolo. I'm gonna up grade my pickups on my Jackson dinky not that there bad but I'm into Seymour Duncan pickups. And basically it will be the same as a soloist accept the bolt on neck which makes absolutely no difference to me than neck thru.
I got the same Jackson guitar solid green bottom nice Woodstock please good I'm getting electric amplifier tomorrow from church
Play the fuckin thing damn it !
My SLXQ Soloist was made in India...
really
They were in 2011. 2012 brought Indonesians.
Got this exact guitar in Green from Indonesia but without the Jackson logo. the headstock is Jackson headstock shape.
Andertons knocking them out at £350, would be rude not to...
First thing all that paint would go the it's limitless pretty much.
Those are great guitars but my only complaint is overall it fells pretty dead. No spank. No resonance. Good frets but had to sell both that I owned
omg must has it
That thing screams poison
I believe C.C Deville did have a fluro green BC Rich
Of course the neck thru is keeping with the original Soloist. EVERY Soloist is neck thru.
where are you?
Brisbane, Australia
+Andrew Scott I mean,where are the new videos?
+Andrew Scott cause U R doing very cool videos,and it will be sad,if U will stop
+Andrew Scott sorry for my English,I don't know it very well(
Yes I saw that LTD, but I think your Jackson is still better ;)
Honestly they should lower the slx price to about 350 to 399 and for the sl2 they should be 750+
AlwaySJeckSonLifE
I love this guitar but i hate floyd rose
What a stud 🙄
The U.S. Soloist has the same neck as the x series soloist. I have both and both the same.
The pickups don't even compare to Duncan's !!! They need replaced .
Made in Indonesia
You never play the f guitar main
Are you sure Jackson Guitars are made in India ?
Not since 2011. Indonesia/Mexico/China since 2012 for imports.
This review is crap man. Sure the guitar is not bad. But the pickups sound no way as good as JB4s and they are noisy as hell. Hot output alone says nothing about the actual sound. The Floyd Rose special is indeed a piece of shit and it does not stay in tune at all. The trem arm is loose and wobbly. Besides the pickups and bridge, this guitar is still a good choice for 700 bugs
I had two of these and the necks warp easy, it is made out of WEAK wood. Seriously. Junk.
BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH playing the guitar
Dude if you want to see me play.... look at my music videos. This is an information video so that's what you get.
Please, don't review ever a guitar that is not made in the U.S.A and is worth less than 5k, i just hate the way you talk about an instrument whatever the price it is, jus mention it's price and tell, well you know it is a 700 dlls, guitar so it is a fucking piece of shit.
+Gerardo Prado Segura It's unfortunate that you choose to have this opinion. Besides your anger doesn't suggest a great knowledge of guitars. Remember Van Halen made his first "frankinstrat" with $120 worth of "reject parts" from Kramer & Charvel... he made history with that guitar and it had little to do with the cost. What about Vai's Japanese made "Jems", Michael Romeo's Caparison (Japan), Tommy Emmanuel's Maton (Australia) etc... This is not a place for slagging. Have a good day.
I know about guitars, but what is really really unfortunate is a review where you only talk about the price and how cheap it is, and not focus on the quality, craftsmanship, and sound, don't tell about prices, just give a honest review based on your experience while playing, seeing or just touching the guitar, we play with woods, metals, magnets, not dollars, just remember SRV playing Mexican strats that were all messed up and repaired countless times, is not the price. You too have a good day.