Hatsubai « A rarer Jackson »
Published on 10/03/11 at 16:20You don't normally see this model in stores, and most people don't like to stock it because it doesn't sell quite as well as the other Jacksons. It had a slightly different body than most people are used to, and the bridge is closer to the Fender style bridges. On top of that, it doesn't have the standard Jackson headstock that most people are used to. The guitar features a mahogany body with a maple top, a maple neck-thru design with an ebony fretboard, 22 extra jumbo frets and special block inlays, two humbuckers, one volume, one tone and a three way switch.
UTILIZATION
The guitar is pretty much line any other USA Jackson in that it plays great. One thing worth noting is that the flame maple top on this is actually an extremely tight flame. It's not a super thick flame top like you see on certain other guitars. This can be a very love or hate thing, so be sure to check these out in person before deciding whether you like it or not. The bridge on this is a bit different, and Jackson doesn't utilize this quite as much as some of their other bridges. While I'm not a huge fan of hard tail bridges, this one isn't too bad in my hands. It feels nice, and it doesn't cut up my hand like some of the others sometimes do. Aside from that, the rest of the guitar is very good. The fretwork, binding, finish work, etc. are all top notch.
SOUNDS
The guitar had a Seymour Duncan Distortion installed in the bridge and a Jazz in the neck. The Duncan Distortion is like the JB's younger brother. It's tighter, a bit hotter and a little more "in your face" than the JB. It's actually a very similar wind except for the huge ceramic magnet installed in it. It's still as versatile as the JB, but you have some tighter bass, and that can really help when it comes to playing metal. The Jazz in the neck is a very clean and linear sounding pickup. It's not quite as organic as the 59, and the 59 tends to have a bit better bass. However, the Jazz is awesome when it comes to clean tones. Leads are good, but I tend to prefer the 59 for leads.
OVERALL OPINION
This is a very high quality guitar, and it's a shame that Jackson doesn't really make these anymore. You can still get these from the custom shop, but you'll be paying quite a bit of money for them if that's the case. Try to search eBay or different forums to find the best deal on one of these. I'm sure the used ones will sound just as good as this one did.
UTILIZATION
The guitar is pretty much line any other USA Jackson in that it plays great. One thing worth noting is that the flame maple top on this is actually an extremely tight flame. It's not a super thick flame top like you see on certain other guitars. This can be a very love or hate thing, so be sure to check these out in person before deciding whether you like it or not. The bridge on this is a bit different, and Jackson doesn't utilize this quite as much as some of their other bridges. While I'm not a huge fan of hard tail bridges, this one isn't too bad in my hands. It feels nice, and it doesn't cut up my hand like some of the others sometimes do. Aside from that, the rest of the guitar is very good. The fretwork, binding, finish work, etc. are all top notch.
SOUNDS
The guitar had a Seymour Duncan Distortion installed in the bridge and a Jazz in the neck. The Duncan Distortion is like the JB's younger brother. It's tighter, a bit hotter and a little more "in your face" than the JB. It's actually a very similar wind except for the huge ceramic magnet installed in it. It's still as versatile as the JB, but you have some tighter bass, and that can really help when it comes to playing metal. The Jazz in the neck is a very clean and linear sounding pickup. It's not quite as organic as the 59, and the 59 tends to have a bit better bass. However, the Jazz is awesome when it comes to clean tones. Leads are good, but I tend to prefer the 59 for leads.
OVERALL OPINION
This is a very high quality guitar, and it's a shame that Jackson doesn't really make these anymore. You can still get these from the custom shop, but you'll be paying quite a bit of money for them if that's the case. Try to search eBay or different forums to find the best deal on one of these. I'm sure the used ones will sound just as good as this one did.