Jackson JS20 for Fender G-Dec Jr

[kiteman]

I have my epi telecaster and the g-dec jr for sale in CL. Guy called me and wanted to trade the guitar for the amp.

I traded him. Good deal? :)

http://www.jimlaabsmusic.com/guitars/electric-guitars/jackson-js20-3-colors-available/prod_1777.html

It has two things I don't have, compound radius fretboard and tremolo.

EDIT: it's got an SD pup in the bridge mounted in a bezel made for carved top.

[marnold]

I assume that the SD pup is either aftermarket or Duncan Designed? The low-end Jacksons don't come with real Duncans. Don't expect to do a ton of dive-bombing with that trem--it's basically a Strat trem.

[kiteman]

It's a real SD, it's put in with a bezel that was made for a carved top. On this guitar it sits at an angle.

Now, I got a pic. :)

http://img716.imageshack.us/img716/1998/s5030042.jpg (http://img716.imageshack.us/i/s5030042.jpg/)

[Commodore 64]

If you didn't like the G Dec or didn't use it much, it's a great deal. I'm all about trading on CL. I love CL.

[kiteman]

The g-dec was collecting dust not that I didn't like it. I got more fun stuff. :)

I played with the guitar and it needs a setup but the neck feel good to me. The SD sounded like moderate output but I'll find out when I do a string change and a setup.

[marnold]

Any idea what Duncan it is?

[kiteman]

Any idea what Duncan it is?

Yep, got it now and I changed the bezel to a flat one. The pup is an SH6B - distortion pickup. :)

The truss rod is loosened and settled for the night. Don''t worry, the strings are off.

[marnold]

A Duncan Distortion certainly sweetens the pot in your direction. That's a pretty heavy pickup!

[kiteman]

Yea, I looked in MF and it sells for $72. That's certainly in my favor. :)

What can I say? He wanted the amp.

[Tig]

Yep, got it now and I changed the bezel to a flat one. The pup is an SH6B - distortion pickup. :)


That's the same set that was in my $50 Squier Tele buy. :AOK Give us your impressions once you get the guitar going the way you like.

I gotta' admit that I've enjoyed the SH6 bridge much more than expected. It can play fairly clean, but give it some guitar volume or heavy pickin', and she gets all kinds of crunch before breaking up. The SH6 neck is a bit muddy, so you aren't missing out there.

Now I'm not so afraid of running a hot bridge humbucker, like the Dirty Fingers in future guitars.

[kiteman]

That's the same set that was in my $50 Squier Tele buy. :AOK Give us your impressions once you get the guitar going the way you like.

I gotta' admit that I've enjoyed the SH6 bridge much more than expected. It can play fairly clean, but give it some guitar volume or heavy pickin', and she gets all kinds of crunch before breaking up. The SH6 neck is a bit muddy, so you aren't missing out there.

Now I'm not so afraid of running a hot bridge humbucker, like the Dirty Fingers in future guitars.

I agree, them hot pups really brings out the tone. This one was so far under the strings it sounded weak. Also it was at an angle.

I got the guitar strung, rod adjusted and action set so far. Just need intonations and I'm done.

[kiteman]

Whew! I played all morning with the guitar. I think it's ready for a second round of setup, rod and action.

Playing damn good for a budget guitar. I played songs and flubbed a few times because the neck was different but got it down. The Duncan sounded good but the singles, they're only good if you use 'em together. Alone, they're awful. Nothing that GFS can't fix. :)

The guitar feels small because the fretboard is deeper into the body but pretty comfy.

[marnold]

The guitar feels small because the fretboard is deeper into the body but pretty comfy.
And it feels small because it is small. It's a Dinky body which is so called because it is 7/8ths the size of a Strat body.

[kiteman]

Ah, that explains it. :)

I've read that the body is Indian Cedro, never heard of that wood.

[kiteman]

My action keeps getting higher even after the second round so I pulled the neck.

What the hell?

http://img707.imageshack.us/img707/1935/s5030045.jpg (http://img707.imageshack.us/i/s5030045.jpg/)

Maybe I should've got a clue. :)

http://img717.imageshack.us/img717/831/s5030046.jpg (http://img717.imageshack.us/i/s5030046.jpg/)

[Tig]

My action keeps getting higher even after the second round so I pulled the neck.

What the hell?


Yikes! A broken pick for a shim?
:eek:
No tellin' what you'll find next...
:confused:

[kiteman]

Now the neck is back in without the crap and it looks like the saddles will bottom out before I get the action close. I got a set of saddles that was on my Carvin Bolt with shorter screws and lower profile. Maybe I can make it work.

Right now I don't want to mess with it for a while. :)

[kiteman]

Ok I messed with it. :happy

Sanded the mating areas of the neck/pocket to bare wood, put the neck on and replaced the saddles. The E string saddles are flat on the plate and the saddles radiused. Didn't get the action as close as I'd like but the guitar played a lot better and sounded better. Even the single coils are sounding better now that the strings are closer.

http://img42.imageshack.us/img42/7767/s5030047.jpg (http://img42.imageshack.us/i/s5030047.jpg/)

http://img42.imageshack.us/img42/7487/s5030048.jpg (http://img42.imageshack.us/i/s5030048.jpg/)

I just remembered, I gotta intonate it, duh!

[kiteman]

Well, gotta have closer action so I pulled the neck and stuck a half-pick in the bottom of the cavity. That tilted the neck enough where I have to raise the saddles and got .040" over the last dot.

The guitar played good and I'm not going to get used to the compound radius fretboard so I'm going to put it up and start figuring stuff to put up for sale.