I dunno; "cheap" can also sound very positive, as in "getting expensive stuff cheaply". A win. That is what is sounds like to me, at least. I love getting good stuff for less money than normal. The cheaper, the better.
their guitars are not selling because there is NO reason for them to be sold at 7,000$ thats just dumb, and people were picking up guitars that were 400$ and playing them and suddenly finding out there not much difference in sound compared to the price
I can take a $200 guitar and easily make it sound/play like a $2,000+ at little cost. A good set of pickups can be found for less than $100. Luthier tools can be made easily that can polish and level frets. Decent tuning machines are inexpensive. And a good set-up is FREE when you do it yourself. A little skill, know-how, and patience goes a long way.
It's almost as if you could buy every tool and part needed to make a very quality guitar, including saws, sanders, files, routers, then the materials, and make it yourself and still be far under that price. If they're not going to do adequate QC, you can probably match it with a few weeks of work
They outsourced their work so the quality isn't nearly as good. Sad really. Gibson used to be the absolute best money could buy. Epiphone is just as good at half the price now.
got an epiphone lp plustop pro recently for 450€ here in austria. compared it side by side with 2000€+ gibsons in the store. obv the expensive ones are better but not that much. unless i become a billionaire i dont see a reason to pay for that much price difference
Hey man, THANKS FOR NOT BEING A "GUITAR DOUCHE"! You're really talented, and yet you talk to your followers like they're your friends... Also, thanks for sharing your wealth of knowledge... God bless and take care...
@@NubsWithGuns I couldn't have said it better bro! I remember when anything under a grand was just that... FIREWOOD! Now, you can get a 3 or 4 hundred dollars axe, and be shredding with the best of them! Forget the basement or the garage, these guitars make awesome back-ups. Spend another couple of hundred bucks, and you're shredding in the spotlight! If you know how to "set up" an axe, possibly solder new pickups, and maybe change the machine-heads to locking tuners if you don't have a "Floyd type" trem, your rocking with the $1,500.00 best of them! Thanks for the comment man! God bless and take care...
I just ordered one. They've went up in price. I'm paying $379. I've owned a lot of guitars over the years, but im excited to give this one a try and add it to my collection.
Glarry - any guitar, Rogue, Amoon - if you can get one, Ibinez - worth every penny. Fender Squire - change out pickups. Jackson, LTD, Epiphone's are sketchy because the head stocks break off so easy.
If we are indeed in an "age of cheap guitars, then I think it's great! Why do I feel that way? Because it would mean that more people that may either want a guitar, or learn to play guitar, but are hindered by their financial situation will now have a wider variety of lower priced guitars in which to choose from. Plus, thanks to all of the cheaper priced accessories and upgrades (pickups, tremelo bridges, loaded pickguards, effects pedals, etc.) that are now available online, along with the RUclips video tutorials made by luthiers, enthusiasts, and experienced guitarists (like yours that I enjoy so much, sir) those people that buy these cheaper guitars can now, not only learn to play, but can also learn how to repair and modify them to sound and perform like the more expensive botique guitars at a fraction of the cost. I'm sure some people may not agree, but that's my humble opinion. Thanks for making your videos. I both enjoy and have learned a lot from you. Cheers
+bwedges I disagree with you on the guitar slowly dying. This is something I've been hearing since synthesizers began being used more prominently in bands during the 1980s. The critics said the guitar was dead then, only to have Metal and Grunge (God, I hate that word. It was Hard Rock, people!) prove them wrong. You may not be seeing them used as much in this current cookie cutter pop music scene, but as long as there are clubs, bars, and followings of fans for guitar prominent bands or artists, the guitar isn't going anywhere
+bwedges Nope! I'm 100% confident about what I commented & replied. What I feel is really dying slowly are the major recording companies that have gave up on their artists expanding and taking risks in favor of this low risk, easy payoff, generic cookie cutter format that pop music has become. Thanks to ever expanding technology, Artists can now write, produce, record, and sell their music right from their homes. That's another reason why I feel the guitar will always be around. There's always going to be a demand for it by fans.
It's true and I'm one of them. I already have a Privia digital piano and a few other synth modules, but I've always been interested in guitar and bass, though I couldn't justify spending hundreds upon hundreds on one when I can't play a single note. When I learnt keyboard, you could buy a cheap Casio or Yamaha with built in speakers for £99.99 with a learning song book included. At the time, about 13 years ago now, the cheapest guitar kit with an amp was triple that. I was a broke teen working in McDonalds, so the £99 Casio was more appetising a price point! Now I'm finding usable Bass starter kits with included amp for as little as £99.99! £150 if you throw in a year's tuition. That's insane, and I'm seriously considering picking up a Jazz bass clone (Glarry GP, specifically).
Dude I totally agree, Its all about just changing the Electronics and hardware its just that easy. A lot These company's are building these guitars with REALLY nice wood and honestly that's all i care about. I mod my guitars already and swap out electronic and hardware even on the expensive guitars I've had. Thanks again Bud!
DNR1993 cheap vs expensive is more about wood quality in terms of weight, resonnance and grain pattern and the quality bounding and paintjob. Electronics are a few $$ parts and wire 😂😂😂 except for the pickups. You pay more for more handworking. Nowdays even basswood can sound good with seymour duncans full shreds. In fact I also built myself a hollowbody guitar out of scrapwood and an aluminum handle as a bridge. Plays nice and sound really good for « what it is » same as any cheap guitar😜
@@moimeme7839 Yeah thats true i used the same tuners on my Js jackson for years before i was brainwashed to thinking LOCKING TUNERS were the thing haha
DNR1993 it looks like a square cigar box craper😂😂😂😎 and isn’t quite done yet I have fret polishing job and action lowering still to do, but already plays good and sounds good too😜
DNR1993 well most of the time you don’t have any tuning key issues it’s only the nut that isn’t properly adjusted or filed and the strings get stuck in when you bend... and first of all never forget to stretch your new strings on every fret before playin’ until they don’t change tuning at all. I am myself very lazy on stretching strings for my non-floyd rose guitars and have to tune each time I play, but fortunately, I know why😜👍
I have a JS 32 Dinky string through and I absolutely love it.Red and black sun burst quilted maple. Swapped out the factory pick ups for a JB bridge and 59 neck,my workhorse and one I will never part with.Great vid brother!
Based on your review I bought a Wolf WPRS for my first guitar. Really love the guitar, and the setup by All In One! Haven’t even picked up my bass since I got it. Thanks Max, much appreciated!
Those do hold their tune for a while, however, after a time and use they will start loosing their reliability. That's the thing, but they do their job and you can always block FL.
Picked one up at a pawnshop for real cheap. I used to own a prefessionally custom tuned Gibson Les Paul Standard long ago but I just couldn't believe how good the action on the Jackson Kelly was! The neck is really really excellent with very low action. It really is a great guitar regardless of the price. Shockingly Amazing! The guitar overall feels solid.
I've been playing 40+ years - onstage and off. I've owned a few Gibsons, Fenders, and more expensive Ibanez's. I'm retired now (since some years ago). NONE of the guitars I currently own cost me over $200. I've set-up/fret-leveled/etc. all of them and modded most of them. They're all excellent and play as well as ANYTHING I've ever owned - including the Gibsons/Fenders/etc. ! ;-)
For the longest time my main #1 guitar was a pro series Jackson King V but around 2013 it was stolen from me. Picked up a js32 string through Rhoads for 150/200 used on Reverb and as soon as I played it I thought the neck felt like my pro series King V that was stolen. Since then I’ve changed out the stock pickups and replaced the volume and tone pots with CTS pots and it’s my main workhorse guitar. Plays great, sounds awesome and a Jackson Rhoads guitar with shark fin inlays just looks awesome. I paid 150-200 for the guitar and changing the stock pickups to Dimarzio pickups and replacing the volume and tone pots cost me around 130-140 and total and I’ve got a awesome playing and sounding guitar. Been thinking about getting a js32 Kelly in the same finish as the one you have in the video. That finish just looks great
ON your recommendation I got the Firefly 335 type guitar ... Out of the box, it was great... semi-hollow body double cut away, good action .... needs a few things, but $139, I couldn't be happier.... Thanks, Max !!
Absolutely sweet! Another thing to consider is that all these nice and cheap guitars are blowing up the used market and creating a big surplus there.. why buy used when a new axe costs 200 bucks ?
Some guitars are weird as if I was ment to have it. I got a dean V and Esp V-50 for $99-ea plus $20...They were both actually NEW. They just had minor scratch that I buffed out. I know how to build, work and set up guitars. It saves me lots of money. It actaully cuase more money to build one...but I already know what parts i want on them You play the guitar you build or custom more, The tenon on all my starts at the 17th fret..even if they're 24,75...Even on the JS neck...I would round the hard edges near the neck joint...it's avtaully piontless for me to get a new guitar becuase i'll take a wood file to all of them. i have expensive guitars...but play the cheaper ones more..You know how it it..Ident and scratch them. i dont care if they get lost or stolen... i can spot my custom built guitars from a mile away...even if you repainted it.
Why even sell your old guitar?? When I was a kid in the 70s it was way radical that Clapton had a whole extra room in his house full of guitars. Now anybody can.
I've bought a few guitars from Rondo Music. Two were great, one was junk that had to go back and another needed a lot of work but I liked it enough to keep it. Yesterday I did my very first guitar mod, I put a set of lace Hot Gold Pickups in an SX Gypsy Rose and I now have a kickass pink and purple strat.
I hear the stock pickups on Rondo Music's guitars benefit a lot from a magnet change which is a fairly simple and cheap mod so you might want to give it a try on one of your other guitars.
I have an Epi Studio LT I bought that I really enjoy ($200 USD), minus the stock tuners the instrument plays fantastic, I find with Epi's in the lower range it's best to check the serial number where they're made (Google this), mine came from Samick in Indonesia, and thus has that Samick quality I love. I put a bone nut in and a roller bridge and once I change the tuners on her (plus a left over Super Distortion I have for the bridge pup) I doubt I'll be interested in any other LP for a while. Cheers!
I got ripped off by a music store when i was a kid for a used (i didnt know it was) epi sg 310. Cost near 500 bucks and it kinda sucks considering cheap 80 buck guitars play and sound better. Not to mention i habe a epi special 2 and it sounds and plays exactly the same for a third of the price. So epiphones kinda not that great to me compared to other brands. Id put it with fender. There good guitars but they dont have that stand out from the rest vibe. And your really just paying for a name
I've owned dozens of both Gibson and Epiphone and after a personal set up, they all played fantastic! Granted, I cant really compare my love for how a Gibson feels and sounds off the shelf to any of my Epi's, but the Epi's do technically play as smooth and sound great after a few mods.
Yes! the first thing I noticed after I used a King VJS32 was the amazing fretwork, that neck radius aaaand it was bound! I seriously played a lot better on that thing
Definitely Jackson guitars have detailed structure, I really appreciate their job in low budget guitars... I never had one, but it seems to me that with some adjustments this guitar will kick ass.
I still own a made in Japan Kelly that I bought when I was a kid in the 90s. It was my second guitar, and probably the guitar that I've clocked the most hours on in the past 15 years. I don't own a JS-32, but I've tried them in a local store... Honestly I can't tell much of a difference, the necks definitely have that feel you'd expect from more expensive Jacksons ; super thin, comfortable, fast and good quality feel. All that at a much, much lower price than I paid for my japanese Kelly. It's kind of crazy, I really don't know how the manufacturers are doing it.
I have realy expensive guitars but i enjoy the cheao ones more then them ussually..... I got a cheap maestro thats a beast. A silvertone i paid 40 bucks for that is pretty decent. And a js32 rhoads thats amazing
I have the JS32 Rhoads V and the stock pickups on that guitar sound amazing. The entire JS32 line is phenomenal bang for the buck. They look, feel, and sound good without breaking the bank.
Great video Max. I really like the look of that Jackson js32. For the money its priced at you/anyone can't go wrong. Keep up the good work. Looking forward to the next video. All the best from Tommy in Scotland.
There are a ton of killer budget guitars and pickups out there right now! Put that together with the strides in modeling technology over the last 15 years or so, and you can build an amazing sounding rig for not a lot of money.
I'm in love with my JS32 Dinky. My buddy has a high end Chapman and I genuinly think it competes for 1/3 the price. I think of guitars like computer CPUs in terms of price to return on investment. His is better, certainly, but 3x better? No chance. Great video, Max!
Some while ago, you demoed some inexpensive dual rail, single coil-sized Chinese pickups you'd bought on Ebay, and I bought a set of them on your recommendation. I have to say they're some of the better sounding pickups I've used, and the guitars I put them in were $150 - $200 SX Strat copies, which are sold in the US by Rondo Music. I've done business with Rondo since 2007, and for the money you pay, which isn't much, they're some of the best guitars you'll find anywhere in this country. Better still, the customer service is excellent and the owner, Kurt Zentmaier, really goes the extra mile to make things right if there's a problem. Ever better still, as if all that weren't enough, he stocks plenty of left handed guitars and basses, which is a blessing for folks like me who don't have a ton of money but want a proper lefty instrument. Having said all that, I've also done business with TNT Guitars and purchased the Dragonfire Crusader pickups in the past. Those went into another Rond guitar I have and it, too, sounds fantastic. There's a great deal to be said for inexpensive guitars not made in the US (Rondo's guitars are made in South Korea and China), and you're quite right when you say that inexpensive instruments are now more plentiful than at any other time prior. Back when I was learning to play in the '70s, we had Ibanez (who then specialised in lefties as well as righties, until the infamous Gibson lawsuit) and Cortez, who made great copy guitars that I would have put up against any Gibson or Fender, even today. So yes, it's a great time in our history to be a guitar slinger and it keeps getting better! Thanks for all you do to inform us and keep up the great work!
So glad you reviewed this. I just ordered the warrior variant in natural oil finish and plan on ordering custom colored dragon fire pickups. Thanks!! Can't wait for the Jackson to arrive!!
I watch and enjoy your videos if for no other reason but to watch and listen to your incredible, amazing shred playing. Ty brother, for keeping Rock guitar alive. 🤘
In Mexico I bought a tele type guitar, maple neck and fingerboard, solid wood body 2 piece; for 110 uds dollars with shipping and bag... Really love this new guitar era
I just bought a Stratocaster Squire Affinity series. Got some 920D Everything Seymour Duncan pickups, I learned how to level my frets and shave off the fret ends for a way smother feel, I also changed the nut and the tuners to locking tuners. The guitar now sounds amazing.
Thanks for covering this guitar in particular. I too own the Jackson JS32 (Kelly) in the same color, also with Dragonfire pickups, except I installed their Power Rails X2N set-up. I love this guitar and the pick-ups look great with this color combination. For the money I've put in, you just can't go wrong. Love your reviews!
I've had the more expensive Jacksons over the years but I have to say I love the JS32 Series. I currently have three, all with double locking trems and they also stay in tune a lot better than a lot of the expensive models. I never bothered to change the pickups. I just fiddled about with my amp and pedals until I got the sound I wanted! The other thing about them is the neck. Again compared to some of the more expensive models the necks are very fast and sleek. Why bother spending a fortune when you don't have to?
On a whim, i picked up a JS32 Rhoades White w/ Black bevel and I love it!!! I have a few guitars that are now dust collectors - MIM Strat, 99' Dean Select Cadillac, 2015' Gibson LP Tribute, to name a few --- the JS32 is soo much fun to play. I agree w/ Bruce - AFFORDABLE - not cheap.
I recently bought the Jackson JS22-7 and I find the compound fret-board to be quite nice. Completely on-board with you about the golden age of cheap guitars factor. Even Schecter offer up some decent specs and bells & whistles at very affordable price points. Great Playing, Love from India \m/
My Jackson Dinky Minion is AWESOME - I have short fingers, so it really makes things accessible. I still have full sized guitars - an '86 MIJ Strat with a super skinny neck, A 7-String Ibanez with DiMarzio's, and a Stagg Jaguar. But I absolutely am amazed at how awesome that little Jackson plays and sounds for the price - and it's all black, which is my favorite!!
Also - speaking of cheap guitars - I bought that '86 Strat 20 years ago from a friend for $260.00 - it had (and still has) a Duncan Hotrails humbucker in the bridge. Between the super skinny neck and maple fret board, I really hit the jackpot. I bought my Ibanez RG7620 4 years later from a kid who told me he hated it - he let me have it for $100. Those DiMarzio's are cheap versions of the Blaze humbuckers, but still - another jackpot. My Jackson Dinky Minion was on eBay - with a nice gig bag - for $100.00. Poor guy was having hand surgery. And I really wanted something with a Jaguar shaped body, because I love Ronald Jones and Derek Brown of the the Flaming Lips. So when I saw a Stagg for $80.00 on Reverb, I just grabbed it. Turns out to have an alder body, a maple neck, and a rosewood fret board. The pickups actually sound nice!! But I feel like I have been very lucky to find some good deals such as these - and I love all of my guitars. Watching your channel has hipped me to some newer options, too - there are some Harley Benton LP and SG style guitars that I'd like to check out, eventually. Love your playing, your presentation, and the things I learn from you.
Absolutely correct. I remember how $250 guitars played back in the 80's and they're not remotely comparable to todays $150 to $500 guitars. A modern $150 Squier Affinity alone surpasses the guitars of back then for the same price. Just look at the Ibanez GRG series, Jackson JS series and the Kramer Baretta Special. Fantastic. I attribute this to modern machinery like the CNC machine and the fact Asian luthiers are finally on par with the US builders. Only took 30 years...
I have to say, you knock these videos out of the park! Can I suggest a general video showcasing some underrated guitars or good cheaper every-level guitars? Keep up the awesome work!
+Clover fox Ha! There ya go! And sitting next to that Fender Celercaster, in that parallel universe guitar shop, are a Gibson Les Plum and a vintage Flying Pea. Each plugged into a stack of Mushroom amps. Seriously, am I the only one getting hungry from this?
Bought a Wolf guitar after watching your review of one and you were spot on! Great playing guitar that screams right out of the box! The company was really great to deal with too! When you place your order they send you an email inquiring how you want the guitar set-up and that is exactly how it arrives! Great guitar for $300.00 with free shipping! Thank you and keep the great videos coming!
I currently own and play a Jackson SC22 Monarch and JS32 King V, both are budget/value guitars and both are great. Yes the stock pickups will need changing (they sound very bright IMO) upgrade the nut, tuners and bang.. it's a killer machine. I was thinking of getting this JS32T Kelly, and your review has convinced to move forward with buying it.
I just purchased a Squier Affinity Telecaster, and I have heard everyone complain about the 'muddy tone'. Not so. This Tele was designed to sound like Jimmy Page's Telecaster on the 1968 Led Zeppelin debut album. Lots of midrange, and no microphonic feedback. Fantastic neck by the way.
I got a couple of King Vs laying around. Had no problems with them at all. Grabbed a JS32 with a Floyd for under 300 bucks last year. Great instruments.
Great vid again Max, thanks. I recently bought a second hand Harley Benton TE 80 - which the previous owner had fitted with hand wound Lolar pick ups. It sounds amazing and looks gorgeous. A good set of tuning heads and I'm there. Probably my favourite guitar - cost me £130, £20 shipping and £25 for a pro set-up. I've picked up Fender teles I didn't like as much.
I bought an inexpensive John 5 black and chrome Squier Tele (that John 5 signed for me!). The 3-position switch is up top instead of being (clumsily) in the way by the volume knob. It's made nicely, with binding on the body, and is the first inexpensive guitar that I bought where I didn't have to change the pickups. It has great humbuckers that are made custom for his guitars. They retail at about $500 but most everyone sells them for about $450. I'm an Ibanez and Gibson dude and I love the guitar. I was so impressed with it that I got my SGs and Ibanez out of storage to see if they sounded as good as I remember - and they do. The J5 Tele is tight and a great addition to what I have; it sounds very different from my other main guitars, and in a very good way. Next I'm eyeballing the Epiphone SG Pro G-400. I'm interested in seeing if it's another inexpensive electric where perhaps I won't have to fool with the electronics. What you say about inexpensive guitars is completely true: One could buy a lesser priced guitar in the 80's and 90's but at the very least you were going to have to replace switches and pickups. I have an Ibanez Roadstar II that I bought new in 1986 (Strat style Ibanez) and the first thing to go was the bridge and middle pickups in favor of some SD Hot Rails. Even when I had the guitar fixed 32 years later, I think the Hot Rail pickup that I replaced on the bridge was a little less than what I paid 30 years ago. So when all was said and done did I have a $430 guitar after modifications? You bet your ass - I love that guitar. And now I'm thinking about getting a Jackson. Thanks for finding another way for me to burn $300. :-p
Hey man! Awesome review! I’ve been lookin for a new guitar for for a little bit now, and am not quite sure which one to get, till this one. I’ve been playing for about a year now. Would you recommend this for me?
I got the guitar yesterday. My Jackson has the black satin finish and that might be a little more fragile than a lot of players are used to - it almost gets damaged when you breathe on it. That's not a deal killer for me; guitars are supposed to be played and all of mine have some sort of wear and tear on them, but if someone wants a tougher finish then don't get the black satin. The stock pickups are horrible. The hum from them is insane. I installed the Dragonfire Crusaders (I do all the work myself) and those are some great pickups. They are hotter than the pickups on my other guitars, which I don't mind, because it gives the Jackson a very different sound from my others. I will have to do very minor setup with intonation and string height, but it's pretty much ready to go. I bought the guitar from Riff City (first time purchase from them) and have no complaints at all with anything they did to get the guitar set up and shipped (it shipped in 6 days cross-country). I'm stoked. What a value for $288!!! Time to play!
I just recently just bought this guitar in satin black and it is killer! It is my most affordable guitar I have and it puts up with my expensive guitars. The stock Jackson high output pickups are pretty killer and the neck is spot on 👌🏽
I was sold on the JS32 series because of your videos praising them, and currently have a 7 string dinky and one of the Kelly's (with the nazgul/sentient pickup set), can't go wrong for the price and mod-ability of these axes.
Another great guitar review. I agree with the other poster that prefers the word affordable instead of cheap. Either way it's a great value for beginners and experienced players. I'm not ashamed to play a JS32, Epiphone or Squier. I just cannot see paying thousands of dollars on a guitar to play dive bars and clubs unless I were a lawyer or a doctor.
For a short time, I owned a factory refurbished Jackson JS32 DKA. Bought it for only $199 and was blown away by its playability and features. I found that this China-made guitar that sells new for $299 plays every bit as good as some $500 guitars from Ibanez, Kramer, LTD, etc. The stock pickups are its weakness. In general they lack character, and the bridge pickup was prone to feedback with high-gain amp settings (Blackstar HT Club 40 Mk II, Overdrive channell with Gain on 5). I let flipped it go so I could get a used Ibanez RG450MB of equal quality but better pickups (Ibanez Quantum). But the Jackson playing experience was so positive (GREAT neck) that I would definitely consider a Jackson JS32 as a backup or first electric guitar for novice shredders.
I bought one of these cheaper Jacksons for my son, the JS22 I believe. The body was a little rough (natural finish), but you aren't afraid to do a little sanding, staining, sealing, this is the perfect guitar to experiment on. The neck was worth the price alone. No telling how it would hold up for a gigging musician, but I was blown away with the quality for the money. I have several MIA Jacksons and Charvels, and I was very impressed with this guitar. My first guitar was an almost unplayable Kay (strat-ish ) model back in 1986, young players just don't know how good they have it nowadays. These entry-level guitars are amazing at almost the same price point as the Kay in 1986. However, I did get a free 10 watt Gorilla amp with the package deal with the Kay. Now if more companies threw in free Gorilla amps with their entry level guitars, that would be the golden age right there!
I've played bass casually since 2000; my first ever 6-string was a Dean Vendetta XMT I bought earlier this year and I absolutely love it. Action and electronics are great. It's been a lot of fun. $199 and free shipping.
I was going to get a Jackson soloist but decided to give the js32 a chance. Glad I did. After some tremolo upgrades like springs, brass block, titanium insert blocks and swapping the volume/tone knobs which were junk, the guitar plays and feels awesome! You may receive an unplayable guitar like me, you'll just have to set it up. Mine had the tremolo sitting way high and the strings were loose so it was recessed into the tremolo cavity pushing against the foam. After you get it setup though, it is well worth the savings from buying a more expensive guitar.
I'm a USA Jackson player and the budget line is outstanding as well I have a 2012 Adrian Smith model Jackson strathead and its a fantastic guitar. Low in price does not always mean a cheap guitar.
I'm really enjoying your videos. Great for a newbie like me. Sooooo many choices out there. A brand new guitar is in my future but for now, I have vintage.
I've got the JS32 Rhodes I bought back in 2015. Insanely fun guitar to play. Nice neck as you said. I'm probably going to do the same and put some new pickups in it. The stock ones aren't half bad though. This guitar still really surprises me to this day.
This video inspired me to get the Jackson. I bought the Dragonfire Crusaders, which go for $27.95. I got the hot pink pickups, which add another $16.95, so $44.90 for pickups with free shipping. I then bought a demo black JS32T for $242.99 with free shipping. It comes today, and then I will install the pickups. We're talking spending $288 for a Jackson that is somewhat customized to my taste, in that it will be all black with these radical pink pickups. I will let you know what I think when all is said and done.
I have played for audiences for almost 50 years. own topline Gibsons, Fenders, and Ibamez guitars - but the Michael Kelly Hybrid 55 is a BEAST. It costed me a fraction of the name brands, I just bought it because of the acoustic guitar function, and to use as a backup electric... and it surprised the hell out of me, is now my main guitar. Just make sure you get the one with pinstripes and Korina wood.
I couldnt agree more! I bought a 7 String JS32 basswood body I put a Seymore Duncan Nazgul in the bridge Best sounding guitar ive ever played. Ive played a lot of high priced guitars but always finding myself drooling over the cheap ones for playability
Totally agree. When I was a kid I had to drop considerable coin to get something that was playable enough so I wouldn’t get frustrated and quit. Now , the amount of quality and down right good playable guitars that are available for little money is amazing. I just bought a Music Man Sub series bass (used, but barely) for $170 and the quality and sound are amazing at that price. Without a doubt I will be using it at my next gig.
I got a JS32 ferrary red almost as an accident and I can tell you this guitar is really amazing. By far one of the most satisfiyng neck Ive played (I own other 7 guitars ans a couple costs over 3k) and the stock pickups are way better that I could spect. It doesn´t feel cheap at all!!
Max you should take a look at the low end Gretsch stuff. The build quality is really excellent now and on the cheapest ones all you'd have to do is a pickup swap like you did on the Jackson in your vid. Check out some of these models. G5220, G2622, G5230, G5425 and the G5135.
I wonder if this is because we live in an age of precision computer aided manufacturing. The computer guided cuts and finishing would be precise every time resulting in less waste, higher product yields, and higher quality. They'll also work 24/7 without incurring extra costs. On a whim, I recently bought a new Harley Benton Tele (TE-30 BE) for just $84 and as far as the build, fit, finish, and playability of it goes it's every bit as good as the 80's Fender Tele I own! The pickups are Wilkinsons and are pretty damned good. The tuners could be better, but they still work fine and the guitar holds tune pretty well regardless, and I don't expect a lot there for $84 considering that top-of-the-line tuners can go for just as much!
You are totally right about that! I currently gig with a black Epiphone SG VE ($150) and a Squier Mustang FSR ($130). Both are great playing guitars, hardware and electronics aside. The other good thing about it is that if they get beat up, I don't feel too bad about it because they weren't so expensive.
I own a Sterling SUB Silo 3, a dean Phantom x, an Ibanez Gio, a Yamaha 112, and a Jackson JS32 Kelly. All great guitars. I love having 9 electrics in all different tu inks for half the cost of a Gibson or PRS. What's the point?
Love your videos man!! I always swap out pickups to Dragonfire, for the $$ they can't be beat. While you can certainly note differences between High end models, and low end models, the average guy does not have a $3,000 budget, that being said thanks for offering advise, and positive reviews of more affordable guitars. Rock on!!!
A couple years back I bought a Schecter C6 Plus for $299 and it’s a great budget guitar. Comes in a variety of quilted maple finishes, min was ocean blue burst. Has nice factory high output pickups and the neck is great. I highly recommend
I bought a jackson js34q and man that thing is a steal. I love the pickup config on it, and the stock hardware on it actually isn't half bad. Just goes to show you don't have to shell out a ton of money to get a decent quality guitar.
Id say we definitely still are in the golden age. About 4 months ago I bought a Jackson Rhoads minion V for 189 dollars. Sounds and plays pretty good for less than $200.
My favorite guitar is my dinky js32 natural. I swapped out the trem with a floyd rose special, added a brass block, then added a sd distortion bridge and sd full shred neck along with cts pots. Thing is absolutely killer.
After viewing your review on Wolf guitars I bought a lefty 335 from All in one. It really is very high quality for the money spent. Its the first guitar i have bought in 20 years that I didnt have to modify at all or spend $1500 because it is left handed. I havent put it down sice I got it. It has become very affordable for anybody to obtain a dream axe for less than $500 that does exactly what you want to do.
Yes Sirrr. I've got one of those. I got it after I saw you with yours. I'm very thankful to you for introducing me to Dragonfire man. I get a harness for every guitar I get. (Replacing the stock crap). I use dragonfire and duncan pickups. I do have 2 guitars with emgs also though. Thanks dude.
Sweet! I have a js32 king v, the white one with black bevels. I absolutely love that guitar! Neck is unbelievable for the money. Only neg I have is the body is a bit too light. I've put a brass trem block on it and it made a huge difference to the sound. Brill guitars! Thanks again for the excellent videos. Been watching ever since I seen your old ironbird video, which was bought as my 2nd guitar from seeing that video :)
I have the Rhoads JS32T in satin black and have to agree completely with your comments about the JS32 necks - it really is a fantastically crafted neck that is totally above it's price point. The assembly and finish on these things are crazy good for such a low priced instrument (full disclosure: I got mine mint condition second hand for under $100 CDN and dropped in a pair of EMG 85s I also picked up used for under $100CDN). It's a total metal machine for pocket change.
I bought the J Mascis signature Squier ($400 Jazzmaster), and it’s absolutely of the same quality as a Jazzmaster at double the price. And it’s cream colored with a gold pick guard. Sexy ass hell. Thanks for the js32 demo, been looking to get an explorer-style metal guitar for a while, I think I’ll pick this one up.
I'm so glad I picked guitar back up. When I was a young teen 6 years ago budget stuff wasn't nearly as good as it is now I definitely would have stuck with it if my first guitar was half as good as the cheap ass tele copy I use as my main axe
I have a js32 Rhoads with black winter pickups installed and it it's honestly better than my Rrxmg which is about 700$ new. The affordable js32 line does rival most an guitar in the medium range. Just swap out the pickups and you have an awesome long time guitar.
I've noticed a lot of people change out jackson pickups I'm not sure why. Jackson pick ups are very high quality. I just stick to the old saying if it's not broken don't fix it.
Those are the Dragonfire Crusader pickups, readily available on Reverb. They are excellent pickups! I've put Dragonfire pickups in 3 of my guitars and each set that I have gotten are just amazing, regardless of their prices, they sound great!
I like affordable over the term cheap. Cheap sounds more negative.
Bruce Wayne or “inexpensive “
Expensiven't
I dunno; "cheap" can also sound very positive, as in "getting expensive stuff cheaply".
A win.
That is what is sounds like to me, at least. I love getting good stuff for less money than normal. The cheaper, the better.
I have a cheap tele copy. After putting a shim in the neck and touching up the frets the thing plays like player series by fender
Ever seen Eating Raoul?
"I HOPE BY 'CHEAPEST' YOU MEAN 'LEAST EXPENSIVE', RIGHT? NOTHING IN MY STORE IS CHEAP!"
And Gibson wonders why their guitars aren’t selling
their guitars are not selling because there is NO reason for them to be sold at 7,000$ thats just dumb, and people were picking up guitars that were 400$ and playing them and suddenly finding out there not much difference in sound compared to the price
I can take a $200 guitar and easily make it sound/play like a $2,000+ at little cost. A good set of pickups can be found for less than $100. Luthier tools can be made easily that can polish and level frets. Decent tuning machines are inexpensive. And a good set-up is FREE when you do it yourself. A little skill, know-how, and patience goes a long way.
It's almost as if you could buy every tool and part needed to make a very quality guitar, including saws, sanders, files, routers, then the materials, and make it yourself and still be far under that price.
If they're not going to do adequate QC, you can probably match it with a few weeks of work
They outsourced their work so the quality isn't nearly as good. Sad really. Gibson used to be the absolute best money could buy. Epiphone is just as good at half the price now.
got an epiphone lp plustop pro recently for 450€ here in austria. compared it side by side with 2000€+ gibsons in the store. obv the expensive ones are better but not that much. unless i become a billionaire i dont see a reason to pay for that much price difference
I love the shark fin fret markers on Jackson guitars.
I did since I was a kid
Same!
yeah same I own a js32 satin black my self and my brother has a king v and I just love fin frets
Everyone loves the sharks
Those Marks are really iconic. I still remember Marty Friedman using a KE1 Jackson in his DVD "The Essentials". That guitar is a thing of beauty.
If you keep doing reviews of these cheap quality guitars, I'm going to go broke buying all of them.😎
Hahahaha! They really start to add up, don't they?
@@timothytobin1481 Ain't it the truth, and they're better than drugs.
@@audiophileman7047 With guitars you have something with drugs you don't.
Well get a js32 rhoads why your at it. Same guitar just cooler looking haha
at least with guitars you can resell them and make money back
Hey man, THANKS FOR NOT BEING A "GUITAR DOUCHE"!
You're really talented, and yet you talk to your followers like they're your friends...
Also, thanks for sharing your wealth of knowledge...
God bless and take care...
As a guitar douche myself ur comment is douchephobic.
@@worldeconomicforum7210 Lol...
Didn't mean to trigger dude...
God bless and take care, my brotha'... 🙂
@@NubsWithGuns I couldn't have said it better bro! I remember when anything under a grand was just that... FIREWOOD!
Now, you can get a 3 or 4 hundred dollars axe, and be shredding with the best of them! Forget the basement or the garage, these guitars make awesome back-ups. Spend another couple of hundred bucks, and you're shredding in the spotlight!
If you know how to "set up" an axe, possibly solder new pickups, and maybe change the machine-heads to locking tuners if you don't have a "Floyd type" trem, your rocking with the $1,500.00 best of them!
Thanks for the comment man!
God bless and take care...
The 80s was the gold age, when Japanese knockoffs could be the same quality as the guitars but quarter the price, before all the lawsuits
I got a JS32 Dinky in Artic white and i love that thing to death. Jackson really knows how to deliver amazing quality for an amazing price
I just ordered one. They've went up in price. I'm paying $379. I've owned a lot of guitars over the years, but im excited to give this one a try and add it to my collection.
Please, your top 5 cheap guitars under 300 dollars!
Squier Affinity Tele, 2nd hand VM's and CV's
Js32 jacskons any day any time
Schecter
Glarry - any guitar, Rogue, Amoon - if you can get one, Ibinez - worth every penny. Fender Squire - change out pickups. Jackson, LTD, Epiphone's are sketchy because the head stocks break off so easy.
Pacifica
If we are indeed in an "age of cheap guitars, then I think it's great! Why do I feel that way? Because it would mean that more people that may either want a guitar, or learn to play guitar, but are hindered by their financial situation will now have a wider variety of lower priced guitars in which to choose from. Plus, thanks to all of the cheaper priced accessories and upgrades (pickups, tremelo bridges, loaded pickguards, effects pedals, etc.) that are now available online, along with the RUclips video tutorials made by luthiers, enthusiasts, and experienced guitarists (like yours that I enjoy so much, sir) those people that buy these cheaper guitars can now, not only learn to play, but can also learn how to repair and modify them to sound and perform like the more expensive botique guitars at a fraction of the cost. I'm sure some people may not agree, but that's my humble opinion. Thanks for making your videos. I both enjoy and have learned a lot from you. Cheers
+bwedges I disagree with you on the guitar slowly dying. This is something I've been hearing since synthesizers began being used more prominently in bands during the 1980s. The critics said the guitar was dead then, only to have Metal and Grunge (God, I hate that word. It was Hard Rock, people!) prove them wrong. You may not be seeing them used as much in this current cookie cutter pop music scene, but as long as there are clubs, bars, and followings of fans for guitar prominent bands or artists, the guitar isn't going anywhere
+bwedges Nope! I'm 100% confident about what I commented & replied. What I feel is really dying slowly are the major recording companies that have gave up on their artists expanding and taking risks in favor of this low risk, easy payoff, generic cookie cutter format that pop music has become. Thanks to ever expanding technology, Artists can now write, produce, record, and sell their music right from their homes. That's another reason why I feel the guitar will always be around. There's always going to be a demand for it by fans.
@@reedeux7818
"Do you think Rock is dead"
-Asked by a reporter to Eddie van Halen in 1978
That's not your humble opinion. You're speaking facts :)
It's true and I'm one of them. I already have a Privia digital piano and a few other synth modules, but I've always been interested in guitar and bass, though I couldn't justify spending hundreds upon hundreds on one when I can't play a single note.
When I learnt keyboard, you could buy a cheap Casio or Yamaha with built in speakers for £99.99 with a learning song book included. At the time, about 13 years ago now, the cheapest guitar kit with an amp was triple that. I was a broke teen working in McDonalds, so the £99 Casio was more appetising a price point!
Now I'm finding usable Bass starter kits with included amp for as little as £99.99! £150 if you throw in a year's tuition. That's insane, and I'm seriously considering picking up a Jazz bass clone (Glarry GP, specifically).
Dude I totally agree, Its all about just changing the Electronics and hardware its just that easy. A lot These company's are building these guitars with REALLY nice wood and honestly that's all i care about. I mod my guitars already and swap out electronic and hardware even on the expensive guitars I've had. Thanks again Bud!
DNR1993 cheap vs expensive is more about wood quality in terms of weight, resonnance and grain pattern and the quality bounding and paintjob. Electronics are a few $$ parts and wire 😂😂😂 except for the pickups. You pay more for more handworking. Nowdays even basswood can sound good with seymour duncans full shreds. In fact I also built myself a hollowbody guitar out of scrapwood and an aluminum handle as a bridge. Plays nice and sound really good for « what it is » same as any cheap guitar😜
@@moimeme7839 Yeah thats true i used the same tuners on my Js jackson for years before i was brainwashed to thinking LOCKING TUNERS were the thing haha
@@moimeme7839 Have any videos or pics on the guitar build?
DNR1993 it looks like a square cigar box craper😂😂😂😎 and isn’t quite done yet I have fret polishing job and action lowering still to do, but already plays good and sounds good too😜
DNR1993 well most of the time you don’t have any tuning key issues it’s only the nut that isn’t properly adjusted or filed and the strings get stuck in when you bend... and first of all never forget to stretch your new strings on every fret before playin’ until they don’t change tuning at all. I am myself very lazy on stretching strings for my non-floyd rose guitars and have to tune each time I play, but fortunately, I know why😜👍
I have a JS 32 Dinky string through and I absolutely love it.Red and black sun burst quilted maple. Swapped out the factory pick ups for a JB bridge and 59 neck,my workhorse and one I will never part with.Great vid brother!
Darkseidx2015 can’t go wrong with the classic 59 and JB combo
Based on your review I bought a Wolf WPRS for my first guitar. Really love the guitar, and the setup by All In One! Haven’t even picked up my bass since I got it. Thanks Max, much appreciated!
Excellent!
Just bought a Jackson Kelly js32 with a licensed FL, i have no idea why people are bashing them, has stayed in absolute perfect tune for about a month
Those do hold their tune for a while, however, after a time and use they will start loosing their reliability. That's the thing, but they do their job and you can always block FL.
The quality isn't consistent. The good ones are good and the bad ones can be really bad.
Picked one up at a pawnshop for real cheap. I used to own a prefessionally custom tuned Gibson Les Paul Standard long ago but I just couldn't believe how good the action on the Jackson Kelly was! The neck is really really excellent with very low action. It really is a great guitar regardless of the price. Shockingly Amazing! The guitar overall feels solid.
I've been playing 40+ years - onstage and off. I've owned a few Gibsons, Fenders, and more expensive Ibanez's. I'm retired now (since some years ago). NONE of the guitars I currently own cost me over $200. I've set-up/fret-leveled/etc. all of them and modded most of them. They're all excellent and play as well as ANYTHING I've ever owned - including the Gibsons/Fenders/etc. ! ;-)
Love my JS32 Kelly. Threw a set of EMGs in it and I use it as my main live guitar. Thew tone and pliability are out of this world
For the longest time my main #1 guitar was a pro series Jackson King V but around 2013 it was stolen from me. Picked up a js32 string through Rhoads for 150/200 used on Reverb and as soon as I played it I thought the neck felt like my pro series King V that was stolen. Since then I’ve changed out the stock pickups and replaced the volume and tone pots with CTS pots and it’s my main workhorse guitar. Plays great, sounds awesome and a Jackson Rhoads guitar with shark fin inlays just looks awesome. I paid 150-200 for the guitar and changing the stock pickups to Dimarzio pickups and replacing the volume and tone pots cost me around 130-140 and total and I’ve got a awesome playing and sounding guitar. Been thinking about getting a js32 Kelly in the same finish as the one you have in the video. That finish just looks great
ON your recommendation I got the Firefly 335 type guitar ... Out of the box, it was great... semi-hollow body double cut away, good action .... needs a few things, but $139, I couldn't be happier.... Thanks, Max !!
dave f smith where did you find the Firefly for sale?
Ed Bauer . Amazon has it in stock right now but only in blue all other colors sold out.
Where did you buy for that price if you don't mind me asking ?
I bought one as well. I actually wanted the blue one. Putting 57 Classic & Classic Plus and adding the Bigsby / Vibromate combo (and locking tuners).
@@jaybuzz4071 I picked it up on Amazon... And they seem to replenish the stock every 4 months or so... "Firefly guitar" is the search that I used
Absolutely sweet! Another thing to consider is that all these nice and cheap guitars are blowing up the used market and creating a big surplus there.. why buy used when a new axe costs 200 bucks ?
Some guitars are weird as if I was ment to have it. I got a dean V and Esp V-50 for $99-ea plus $20...They were both actually NEW. They just had minor scratch that I buffed out. I know how to build, work and set up guitars. It saves me lots of money.
It actaully cuase more money to build one...but I already know what parts i want on them
You play the guitar you build or custom more, The tenon on all my starts at
the 17th fret..even if they're 24,75...Even on the JS neck...I would round
the hard edges near the neck joint...it's avtaully piontless for me to get a new guitar becuase i'll take a wood file to all of them.
i have expensive guitars...but play the cheaper ones more..You know how it it..Ident and scratch them. i dont care if they get lost or stolen...
i can spot my custom built guitars from a mile away...even if you repainted it.
Why even sell your old guitar??
When I was a kid in the 70s it was way radical that Clapton had a whole extra room in his house full of guitars.
Now anybody can.
I've bought a few guitars from Rondo Music. Two were great, one was junk that had to go back and another needed a lot of work but I liked it enough to keep it. Yesterday I did my very first guitar mod, I put a set of lace Hot Gold Pickups in an SX Gypsy Rose and I now have a kickass pink and purple strat.
I hear the stock pickups on Rondo Music's guitars benefit a lot from a magnet change which is a fairly simple and cheap mod so you might want to give it a try on one of your other guitars.
I have an epiphone LP traditional pro that cost me around 300 dollars, and for the money I paid is a really killer guitar
I have an Epi Studio LT I bought that I really enjoy ($200 USD), minus the stock tuners the instrument plays fantastic, I find with Epi's in the lower range it's best to check the serial number where they're made (Google this), mine came from Samick in Indonesia, and thus has that Samick quality I love. I put a bone nut in and a roller bridge and once I change the tuners on her (plus a left over Super Distortion I have for the bridge pup) I doubt I'll be interested in any other LP for a while. Cheers!
Same here, paid 200 for a goldtop epi traditional pro at a pawn shop and it's great
Got an epi SG gothic for 200$ great guitar I rock it
I got ripped off by a music store when i was a kid for a used (i didnt know it was) epi sg 310. Cost near 500 bucks and it kinda sucks considering cheap 80 buck guitars play and sound better. Not to mention i habe a epi special 2 and it sounds and plays exactly the same for a third of the price. So epiphones kinda not that great to me compared to other brands. Id put it with fender. There good guitars but they dont have that stand out from the rest vibe. And your really just paying for a name
I've owned dozens of both Gibson and Epiphone and after a personal set up, they all played fantastic! Granted, I cant really compare my love for how a Gibson feels and sounds off the shelf to any of my Epi's, but the Epi's do technically play as smooth and sound great after a few mods.
The neck on these js32 are really good ! great video !
Eric Labrek I have a JS32 Dinky and I can agree whole-heartedly.
Yup, I have the Warrior and I love it !
I have the Jackson JS32 Kelly with the Floyd Rose in Ferrari red.....fantastic guitar!!!
@@jameshughes6049 I love the Kelly
Yes! the first thing I noticed after I used a King VJS32 was the amazing fretwork, that neck radius aaaand it was bound! I seriously played a lot better on that thing
Definitely Jackson guitars have detailed structure, I really appreciate their job in low budget guitars... I never had one, but it seems to me that with some adjustments this guitar will kick ass.
Great Review/Demo! Guitar Players/buyers have never had it so good! I have an early Jackson JS23 Dinky, that I dearly love!
I still own a made in Japan Kelly that I bought when I was a kid in the 90s. It was my second guitar, and probably the guitar that I've clocked the most hours on in the past 15 years. I don't own a JS-32, but I've tried them in a local store... Honestly I can't tell much of a difference, the necks definitely have that feel you'd expect from more expensive Jacksons ; super thin, comfortable, fast and good quality feel. All that at a much, much lower price than I paid for my japanese Kelly. It's kind of crazy, I really don't know how the manufacturers are doing it.
I got a 20 dollar guitar and to be quite honest it's fine it certainly isn't high quality but I can still play it and have fun
20$ guitar holymoly god save his fingers
Apparently you have triggered people. It's 2018 so I'm not surprised. Enjoy the guitar.
@@MobileDecay I just got off my time machine from 20119 -> the insectoids have taken over! There's not much time!
@@goddessintriptych7046 Stupid phone and it's slippery screen. 😡
I have realy expensive guitars but i enjoy the cheao ones more then them ussually..... I got a cheap maestro thats a beast. A silvertone i paid 40 bucks for that is pretty decent. And a js32 rhoads thats amazing
Jackson Dinky basic models can be found barely used for $100-115 and sound and play fine and resell to get back nearly all of your $. What a deal!
I have the JS32 Rhoads V and the stock pickups on that guitar sound amazing. The entire JS32 line is phenomenal bang for the buck. They look, feel, and sound good without breaking the bank.
Great video Max. I really like the look of that Jackson js32. For the money its priced at you/anyone can't go wrong.
Keep up the good work. Looking forward to the next video. All the best from Tommy in Scotland.
Thanks Tommy!
This intro has to be the best solo I've ever seen you done. Your videos are awesome!
Thanks!!
There are a ton of killer budget guitars and pickups out there right now! Put that together with the strides in modeling technology over the last 15 years or so, and you can build an amazing sounding rig for not a lot of money.
I'm in love with my JS32 Dinky. My buddy has a high end Chapman and I genuinly think it competes for 1/3 the price. I think of guitars like computer CPUs in terms of price to return on investment. His is better, certainly, but 3x better? No chance. Great video, Max!
There is still a difference between cheap and expensive, it can be felt, but the cheap end is so very good. G&L tribute range is superb.
Some while ago, you demoed some inexpensive dual rail, single coil-sized Chinese pickups you'd bought on Ebay, and I bought a set of them on your recommendation. I have to say they're some of the better sounding pickups I've used, and the guitars I put them in were $150 - $200 SX Strat copies, which are sold in the US by Rondo Music. I've done business with Rondo since 2007, and for the money you pay, which isn't much, they're some of the best guitars you'll find anywhere in this country. Better still, the customer service is excellent and the owner, Kurt Zentmaier, really goes the extra mile to make things right if there's a problem. Ever better still, as if all that weren't enough, he stocks plenty of left handed guitars and basses, which is a blessing for folks like me who don't have a ton of money but want a proper lefty instrument. Having said all that, I've also done business with TNT Guitars and purchased the Dragonfire Crusader pickups in the past. Those went into another Rond guitar I have and it, too, sounds fantastic. There's a great deal to be said for inexpensive guitars not made in the US (Rondo's guitars are made in South Korea and China), and you're quite right when you say that inexpensive instruments are now more plentiful than at any other time prior. Back when I was learning to play in the '70s, we had Ibanez (who then specialised in lefties as well as righties, until the infamous Gibson lawsuit) and Cortez, who made great copy guitars that I would have put up against any Gibson or Fender, even today. So yes, it's a great time in our history to be a guitar slinger and it keeps getting better! Thanks for all you do to inform us and keep up the great work!
So glad you reviewed this. I just ordered the warrior variant in natural oil finish and plan on ordering custom colored dragon fire pickups. Thanks!! Can't wait for the Jackson to arrive!!
I watch and enjoy your videos if for no other reason but to watch and listen to your incredible, amazing shred playing. Ty brother, for keeping Rock guitar alive. 🤘
In Mexico I bought a tele type guitar, maple neck and fingerboard, solid wood body 2 piece; for 110 uds dollars with shipping and bag... Really love this new guitar era
Thanks for the guitar suggestion John Travolta.
I just bought a Stratocaster Squire Affinity series. Got some 920D Everything Seymour Duncan pickups, I learned how to level my frets and shave off the fret ends for a way smother feel, I also changed the nut and the tuners to locking tuners. The guitar now sounds amazing.
Thanks for covering this guitar in particular. I too own the Jackson JS32 (Kelly) in the same color, also with Dragonfire pickups, except I installed their Power Rails X2N set-up. I love this guitar and the pick-ups look great with this color combination. For the money I've put in, you just can't go wrong. Love your reviews!
I've had the more expensive Jacksons over the years but I have to say I love the JS32 Series. I currently have three, all with double locking trems and they also stay in tune a lot better than a lot of the expensive models. I never bothered to change the pickups. I just fiddled about with my amp and pedals until I got the sound I wanted! The other thing about them is the neck. Again compared to some of the more expensive models the necks are very fast and sleek. Why bother spending a fortune when you don't have to?
On a whim, i picked up a JS32 Rhoades White w/ Black bevel and I love it!!! I have a few guitars that are now dust collectors - MIM Strat, 99' Dean Select Cadillac, 2015' Gibson LP Tribute, to name a few --- the JS32 is soo much fun to play. I agree w/ Bruce - AFFORDABLE - not cheap.
I recently bought the Jackson JS22-7 and I find the compound fret-board to be quite nice. Completely on-board with you about the golden age of cheap guitars factor. Even Schecter offer up some decent specs and bells & whistles at very affordable price points.
Great Playing, Love from India \m/
My Jackson Dinky Minion is AWESOME - I have short fingers, so it really makes things accessible. I still have full sized guitars - an '86 MIJ Strat with a super skinny neck, A 7-String Ibanez with DiMarzio's, and a Stagg Jaguar. But I absolutely am amazed at how awesome that little Jackson plays and sounds for the price - and it's all black, which is my favorite!!
Also - speaking of cheap guitars - I bought that '86 Strat 20 years ago from a friend for $260.00 - it had (and still has) a Duncan Hotrails humbucker in the bridge. Between the super skinny neck and maple fret board, I really hit the jackpot. I bought my Ibanez RG7620 4 years later from a kid who told me he hated it - he let me have it for $100. Those DiMarzio's are cheap versions of the Blaze humbuckers, but still - another jackpot. My Jackson Dinky Minion was on eBay - with a nice gig bag - for $100.00. Poor guy was having hand surgery. And I really wanted something with a Jaguar shaped body, because I love Ronald Jones and Derek Brown of the the Flaming Lips. So when I saw a Stagg for $80.00 on Reverb, I just grabbed it. Turns out to have an alder body, a maple neck, and a rosewood fret board. The pickups actually sound nice!! But I feel like I have been very lucky to find some good deals such as these - and I love all of my guitars. Watching your channel has hipped me to some newer options, too - there are some Harley Benton LP and SG style guitars that I'd like to check out, eventually. Love your playing, your presentation, and the things I learn from you.
Absolutely correct. I remember how $250 guitars played back in the 80's and they're not remotely comparable to todays $150 to $500 guitars. A modern $150 Squier Affinity alone surpasses the guitars of back then for the same price. Just look at the Ibanez GRG series, Jackson JS series and the Kramer Baretta Special. Fantastic. I attribute this to modern machinery like the CNC machine and the fact Asian luthiers are finally on par with the US builders. Only took 30 years...
I have to say, you knock these videos out of the park! Can I suggest a general video showcasing some underrated guitars or good cheaper every-level guitars? Keep up the awesome work!
Sounds great but I have a feeling you could make a stick of celery sound great.
It would have to be a badass stick of celery with the right pickups!
Lol, Introducing, The new Fender "Celercaster"!!!
@@reedeux7818 well they have this parallel universe thing now ....
+Clover fox Ha! There ya go! And sitting next to that Fender Celercaster, in that parallel universe guitar shop, are
a Gibson Les Plum and a vintage Flying Pea. Each plugged into a stack of Mushroom amps.
Seriously, am I the only one getting hungry from this?
Your confusing Max with Justin Johnston.
Bought a Wolf guitar after watching your review of one and you were spot on! Great playing guitar that screams right out of the box! The company was really great to deal with too! When you
place your order they send you an email inquiring how you want the guitar set-up and that is exactly how it arrives! Great guitar for $300.00 with free shipping! Thank you and keep the great
videos coming!
I currently own and play a Jackson SC22 Monarch and JS32 King V, both are budget/value guitars and both are great. Yes the stock pickups will need changing (they sound very bright IMO) upgrade the nut, tuners and bang.. it's a killer machine. I was thinking of getting this JS32T Kelly, and your review has convinced to move forward with buying it.
I just purchased a Squier Affinity Telecaster, and I have heard everyone complain about the 'muddy tone'. Not so. This Tele was designed to sound like Jimmy Page's Telecaster on the 1968 Led Zeppelin debut album. Lots of midrange, and no microphonic feedback. Fantastic neck by the way.
I got a couple of King Vs laying around. Had no problems with them at all. Grabbed a JS32 with a Floyd for under 300 bucks last year. Great instruments.
Great vid again Max, thanks. I recently bought a second hand Harley Benton TE 80 - which the previous owner had fitted with hand wound Lolar pick ups. It sounds amazing and looks gorgeous. A good set of tuning heads and I'm there. Probably my favourite guitar - cost me £130, £20 shipping and £25 for a pro set-up. I've picked up Fender teles I didn't like as much.
I bought an inexpensive John 5 black and chrome Squier Tele (that John 5 signed for me!). The 3-position switch is up top instead of being (clumsily) in the way by the volume knob. It's made nicely, with binding on the body, and is the first inexpensive guitar that I bought where I didn't have to change the pickups. It has great humbuckers that are made custom for his guitars. They retail at about $500 but most everyone sells them for about $450. I'm an Ibanez and Gibson dude and I love the guitar. I was so impressed with it that I got my SGs and Ibanez out of storage to see if they sounded as good as I remember - and they do. The J5 Tele is tight and a great addition to what I have; it sounds very different from my other main guitars, and in a very good way.
Next I'm eyeballing the Epiphone SG Pro G-400. I'm interested in seeing if it's another inexpensive electric where perhaps I won't have to fool with the electronics.
What you say about inexpensive guitars is completely true: One could buy a lesser priced guitar in the 80's and 90's but at the very least you were going to have to replace switches and pickups. I have an Ibanez Roadstar II that I bought new in 1986 (Strat style Ibanez) and the first thing to go was the bridge and middle pickups in favor of some SD Hot Rails. Even when I had the guitar fixed 32 years later, I think the Hot Rail pickup that I replaced on the bridge was a little less than what I paid 30 years ago. So when all was said and done did I have a $430 guitar after modifications? You bet your ass - I love that guitar.
And now I'm thinking about getting a Jackson. Thanks for finding another way for me to burn $300. :-p
Hey man! Awesome review! I’ve been lookin for a new guitar for for a little bit now, and am not quite sure which one to get, till this one. I’ve been playing for about a year now. Would you recommend this for me?
I got the guitar yesterday. My Jackson has the black satin finish and that might be a little more fragile than a lot of players are used to - it almost gets damaged when you breathe on it. That's not a deal killer for me; guitars are supposed to be played and all of mine have some sort of wear and tear on them, but if someone wants a tougher finish then don't get the black satin.
The stock pickups are horrible. The hum from them is insane. I installed the Dragonfire Crusaders (I do all the work myself) and those are some great pickups. They are hotter than the pickups on my other guitars, which I don't mind, because it gives the Jackson a very different sound from my others.
I will have to do very minor setup with intonation and string height, but it's pretty much ready to go. I bought the guitar from Riff City (first time purchase from them) and have no complaints at all with anything they did to get the guitar set up and shipped (it shipped in 6 days cross-country).
I'm stoked. What a value for $288!!! Time to play!
Excellent!
I just recently just bought this guitar in satin black and it is killer! It is my most affordable guitar I have and it puts up with my expensive guitars. The stock Jackson high output pickups are pretty killer and the neck is spot on 👌🏽
I was sold on the JS32 series because of your videos praising them, and currently have a 7 string dinky and one of the Kelly's (with the nazgul/sentient pickup set), can't go wrong for the price and mod-ability of these axes.
Another great guitar review. I agree with the other poster that prefers the word affordable instead of cheap. Either way it's a great value for beginners and experienced players. I'm not ashamed to play a JS32, Epiphone or Squier. I just cannot see paying thousands of dollars on a guitar to play dive bars and clubs unless I were a lawyer or a doctor.
For a short time, I owned a factory refurbished Jackson JS32 DKA. Bought it for only $199 and was blown away by its playability and features. I found that this China-made guitar that sells new for $299 plays every bit as good as some $500 guitars from Ibanez, Kramer, LTD, etc. The stock pickups are its weakness. In general they lack character, and the bridge pickup was prone to feedback with high-gain amp settings (Blackstar HT Club 40 Mk II, Overdrive channell with Gain on 5). I let flipped it go so I could get a used Ibanez RG450MB of equal quality but better pickups (Ibanez Quantum). But the Jackson playing experience was so positive (GREAT neck) that I would definitely consider a Jackson JS32 as a backup or first electric guitar for novice shredders.
I bought one of these cheaper Jacksons for my son, the JS22 I believe. The body was a little rough (natural finish), but you aren't afraid to do a little sanding, staining, sealing, this is the perfect guitar to experiment on.
The neck was worth the price alone. No telling how it would hold up for a gigging musician, but I was blown away with the quality for the money. I have several MIA Jacksons and Charvels, and I was very impressed with this guitar.
My first guitar was an almost unplayable Kay (strat-ish ) model back in 1986, young players just don't know how good they have it nowadays. These entry-level guitars are amazing at almost the same price point as the Kay in 1986. However, I did get a free 10 watt Gorilla amp with the package deal with the Kay. Now if more companies threw in free Gorilla amps with their entry level guitars, that would be the golden age right there!
I'm 61 years old and I remember when Cort was the best of the el cheapo guitars back in the 80s.
I've played bass casually since 2000; my first ever 6-string was a Dean Vendetta XMT I bought earlier this year and I absolutely love it. Action and electronics are great. It's been a lot of fun. $199 and free shipping.
I just love the Jackson's tone. It reminds me of the 80's and 90's Megadeth tone.
Could you maybe make a video about what to think about before buying a guitar?
I was going to get a Jackson soloist but decided to give the js32 a chance. Glad I did. After some tremolo upgrades like springs, brass block, titanium insert blocks and swapping the volume/tone knobs which were junk, the guitar plays and feels awesome! You may receive an unplayable guitar like me, you'll just have to set it up. Mine had the tremolo sitting way high and the strings were loose so it was recessed into the tremolo cavity pushing against the foam. After you get it setup though, it is well worth the savings from buying a more expensive guitar.
I'm a USA Jackson player and the budget line is outstanding as well I have a 2012 Adrian Smith model Jackson strathead and its a fantastic guitar. Low in price does not always mean a cheap guitar.
I'm really enjoying your videos. Great for a newbie like me. Sooooo many choices out there. A brand new guitar is in my future but for now, I have vintage.
I just picked up two Jackson Kelly guitars. They are absolutely fantastic instruments.
I've got the JS32 Rhodes I bought back in 2015. Insanely fun guitar to play. Nice neck as you said. I'm probably going to do the same and put some new pickups in it. The stock ones aren't half bad though. This guitar still really surprises me to this day.
This video inspired me to get the Jackson. I bought the Dragonfire Crusaders, which go for $27.95. I got the hot pink pickups, which add another $16.95, so $44.90 for pickups with free shipping.
I then bought a demo black JS32T for $242.99 with free shipping. It comes today, and then I will install the pickups. We're talking spending $288 for a Jackson that is somewhat customized to my taste, in that it will be all black with these radical pink pickups. I will let you know what I think when all is said and done.
Sounds like a great setup! Definitely let us know what you think when you get it all together!
Definitely agree Max -- the cheap guitars you used to get in the 70's & 80's were REALLY bad. These days, it seems you have to work to find a bad one.
I have played for audiences for almost 50 years. own topline Gibsons, Fenders, and Ibamez guitars - but the Michael Kelly Hybrid 55 is a BEAST. It costed me a fraction of the name brands, I just bought it because of the acoustic guitar function, and to use as a backup electric... and it surprised the hell out of me, is now my main guitar.
Just make sure you get the one with pinstripes and Korina wood.
I loved these white pick-ups on Jackson Kelly =) Clear and nice voice too - congrats Max!
I couldnt agree more! I bought a 7 String JS32 basswood body I put a Seymore Duncan Nazgul in the bridge Best sounding guitar ive ever played. Ive played a lot of high priced guitars but always finding myself drooling over the cheap ones for playability
Totally agree. When I was a kid I had to drop considerable coin to get something that was playable enough so I wouldn’t get frustrated and quit. Now , the amount of quality and down right good playable guitars that are available for little money is amazing. I just bought a Music Man Sub series bass (used, but barely) for $170 and the quality and sound are amazing at that price. Without a doubt I will be using it at my next gig.
I got a JS32 ferrary red almost as an accident and I can tell you this guitar is really amazing. By far one of the most satisfiyng neck Ive played (I own other 7 guitars ans a couple costs over 3k) and the stock pickups are way better that I could spect. It doesn´t feel cheap at all!!
Max you should take a look at the low end Gretsch stuff. The build quality is really excellent now and on the cheapest ones all you'd have to do is a pickup swap like you did on the Jackson in your vid. Check out some of these models. G5220, G2622, G5230, G5425 and the G5135.
yeah!, your right about jackson necks!, love my dinky!, 250.00, how can you beat it ?
I wonder if this is because we live in an age of precision computer aided manufacturing. The computer guided cuts and finishing would be precise every time resulting in less waste, higher product yields, and higher quality. They'll also work 24/7 without incurring extra costs. On a whim, I recently bought a new Harley Benton Tele (TE-30 BE) for just $84 and as far as the build, fit, finish, and playability of it goes it's every bit as good as the 80's Fender Tele I own! The pickups are Wilkinsons and are pretty damned good. The tuners could be better, but they still work fine and the guitar holds tune pretty well regardless, and I don't expect a lot there for $84 considering that top-of-the-line tuners can go for just as much!
You are totally right about that! I currently gig with a black Epiphone SG VE ($150) and a Squier Mustang FSR ($130). Both are great playing guitars, hardware and electronics aside. The other good thing about it is that if they get beat up, I don't feel too bad about it because they weren't so expensive.
I own a Sterling SUB Silo 3, a dean Phantom x, an Ibanez Gio, a Yamaha 112, and a Jackson JS32 Kelly. All great guitars. I love having 9 electrics in all different tu inks for half the cost of a Gibson or PRS. What's the point?
Love your videos man!! I always swap out pickups to Dragonfire, for the $$ they can't be beat. While you can certainly note differences between High end models, and low end models, the average guy does not have a $3,000 budget, that being said thanks for offering advise, and positive reviews of more affordable guitars. Rock on!!!
A couple years back I bought a Schecter C6 Plus for $299 and it’s a great budget guitar. Comes in a variety of quilted maple finishes, min was ocean blue burst. Has nice factory high output pickups and the neck is great. I highly recommend
I bought a jackson js34q and man that thing is a steal. I love the pickup config on it, and the stock hardware on it actually isn't half bad. Just goes to show you don't have to shell out a ton of money to get a decent quality guitar.
Id say we definitely still are in the golden age. About 4 months ago I bought a Jackson Rhoads minion V for 189 dollars. Sounds and plays pretty good for less than $200.
Im planning to get this one for different tuning songs, the ones i have they are all Floyd rose and its pain to tune em up for different tunings.!
My favorite guitar is my dinky js32 natural. I swapped out the trem with a floyd rose special, added a brass block, then added a sd distortion bridge and sd full shred neck along with cts pots. Thing is absolutely killer.
After viewing your review on Wolf guitars I bought a lefty 335 from All in one. It really is very high quality for the money spent. Its the first guitar i have bought in 20 years that I didnt have to modify at all or spend $1500 because it is left handed.
I havent put it down sice I got it. It has become very affordable for anybody to obtain a dream axe for less than $500 that does exactly what you want to do.
Yes Sirrr. I've got one of those. I got it after I saw you with yours. I'm very thankful to you for introducing me to Dragonfire man. I get a harness for every guitar I get. (Replacing the stock crap). I use dragonfire and duncan pickups. I do have 2 guitars with emgs also though. Thanks dude.
Love it! The backing track is way louder than the lead channel though. More please!
Sweet! I have a js32 king v, the white one with black bevels. I absolutely love that guitar! Neck is unbelievable for the money. Only neg I have is the body is a bit too light. I've put a brass trem block on it and it made a huge difference to the sound. Brill guitars! Thanks again for the excellent videos. Been watching ever since I seen your old ironbird video, which was bought as my 2nd guitar from seeing that video :)
I have the Rhoads JS32T in satin black and have to agree completely with your comments about the JS32 necks - it really is a fantastically crafted neck that is totally above it's price point. The assembly and finish on these things are crazy good for such a low priced instrument (full disclosure: I got mine mint condition second hand for under $100 CDN and dropped in a pair of EMG 85s I also picked up used for under $100CDN). It's a total metal machine for pocket change.
I bought the J Mascis signature Squier ($400 Jazzmaster), and it’s absolutely of the same quality as a Jazzmaster at double the price. And it’s cream colored with a gold pick guard. Sexy ass hell. Thanks for the js32 demo, been looking to get an explorer-style metal guitar for a while, I think I’ll pick this one up.
I'm so glad I picked guitar back up. When I was a young teen 6 years ago budget stuff wasn't nearly as good as it is now I definitely would have stuck with it if my first guitar was half as good as the cheap ass tele copy I use as my main axe
I have a js32 Rhoads with black winter pickups installed and it it's honestly better than my Rrxmg which is about 700$ new. The affordable js32 line does rival most an guitar in the medium range. Just swap out the pickups and you have an awesome long time guitar.
I've noticed a lot of people change out jackson pickups I'm not sure why. Jackson pick ups are very high quality. I just stick to the old saying if it's not broken don't fix it.
You used to play in a band with Dave Chedrick. I did too with Hangar18 a tribute to Megadeth. Nice playing brother!
I just picked up a Jackson RR3 JS32 for under $240. Great guitar! Killer looks, and plays really nice.
Is that Seymour Duncan invader series pick ups. That's what they look like. They do sound nice. What kind are they and where can I buy a set?
Those are the Dragonfire Crusader pickups, readily available on Reverb. They are excellent pickups! I've put Dragonfire pickups in 3 of my guitars and each set that I have gotten are just amazing, regardless of their prices, they sound great!