Which guitar?

[Oddkid]

As mentioned in my intro post, I play in a metal band as lead guitarist. I've been playing around 10 years now and I've had a few guitars and some nice ones at that. However the music I'm now playing is a bit heavier than I've played previously. I feel my main guitar, a Jackson RR5, doesn't deliver a harsh enough sound. The Seymour duncans sound too warm, they're suited more to classic rock and metal rather than metalcore.

Basically I've been looking for a new guitar with Active EMG's, 24 frets, neck thru design, a floyd rose and an eye catching body shape. I've narrowed it down to the new X series jacksons (KVXMG, RRXMG) which are cheaper, made in India and constructed of basswood, or the BC Rich Pro X Mockingbird and NJ Duxe JR-V which are both made of mahogany but are more expensive by £200+. Jackson have a better reputation for build quality overall but these are the lower end of their line where the BC Rich models are more of the companties premier build.

Sadly I can't test any of the guitars because my local shops don't stock them. Can anyone offer me their take please?

Matt

 

[Ye Black Knight]

Lo, hath thee taken note of ye Schecter Hellraiser V weaponry? Forged from mahogany it sport'eth EMGs, and Sir Floyd Rose's whammification device. 'Tis not a neck-through axe, yet ye "set through" doth give ye access to high frets.

Lord Gary Holt's string-o-six banshee may thou also consider'eth:

This post now concludeth!

 

[Oddkid]

Both of those look very tasty. I didn't realise Schecter did any V's! They're not as aggressive looking as the others i mentioned though. Can't deny i've heard VERY good things aboute build quality mind.

 

[Ye Black Knight]

Both of those look very tasty. I didn't realise Schecter did any V's! They're not as aggressive looking as the others i mentioned though. Can't deny i've heard VERY good things aboute build quality mind.

Aye, ye construction of these Schecters be'ith steadfast and true. As with ye Mockingbird these axes forge'th'd in ye Orient: ye realm of South Korea.

A query for thee, Oddkid: doth length of scale sway'eth thine decision? For Jackson sport 25.5" breadth, whereas BC Rich Mockingbird be'ith 24.75" (if this knight's recollection serve'th him well.)

Verily, for if thee art soliciting preference between Mockingbird and either Jackson [KVXMG, RRXMG] then Mockingbird would I advise. For these BC Rich axes be'ith of fine materials and workmanship.

Ye Jacksons may well be formidable weaponry, yet wary am I of basswood and their build quality be'ith unknown to me.

Godspeed, Sir Oddkid!

This post now concludeth!

 

[Oddkid]

Thankyou good Sir Knight.

Its the basswood body and India factory that's worrying me. I would imagine Korean build quality to be better. We'd agree the BC Rich axes are probably the better choice then?

Would you say there is much difference between the JR-V and the Bird? Will the carved maple arch top make a difference? Is it worth an extra £100

Thanks for your most noble and chivalrous assistance.

 

[Ye Black Knight]

Verily, this knight woulde estimate ye Korean construction be'ith more resolute.

Doth thine post refer'eth to ye Jr V Deluxe? If so then this knight's own preference be'ith for that particular weapon. Not only doth ye save numerous sheckles (to which thee may add a pedal-box to thine sonic onslaught!) but ye V shape offer'eth a most pleasing midrange boost to one's tonal palette!

Additionally, ye matte finish of Mockingbird Pro X does age'th most quickly and unsatisfactorily to this knight. For thine rhythm arm doth wear upon ye matte, giv'eth it shine amongst ye matte - and this shine cannot be buffed out.


This post now concludeth!

 

[Oddkid]

Thanks very much! Your advice is sound and much appreciated.

 

[Episteme]

lol.

I'm sporting a Schecter Hellraiser C1FR, EMG 81TW-89. mahogany body, original floyd, 24 frets. I took some time to actually do an 18v mod to it, and it sounds heaps better than it did straight out of the box. Possibly my favourite guitar now next to my Gibson Explorer.

 

[Oddkid]

I'd never heard of an 18v mod untill you mentioned it! Shows how much I knew about active pick ups. I bet the Hellraiser is a brilliant guitar, I've heard only good things about Schecter.

I've seen the JR-V on a website at 0% finance so I think that's the one f

 

[Oddkid]

For me, all the features I want at an affordable price with a good payment solution.

Thanks for the advice everyone.

 

[Oddkid]

Irritatingly, the website I saw it on got back to me to say that the current NJ Deluxe JR-V is now out of stock and production. The new reverse headstock model is due in store in a few months even though that's the one advertised for sale.

Damn.

 

[Vacant_Planets]

I have an Ibanez Prestige 1527 and a Schecter Hellraiser 7 with the EMGs etc and I love the hell outta both of them. I've several others but i abuse these the most.

 

[Oddkid]

There are a lot of unsung heroes out there in my opinion, people forget there are other makes than fender and Gibson.

Anyone got a 7-string? I've never touched one.

 

[Episteme]

I'm thinking of grabbing an Agile Interceptor Pro 725 string as soon as I have enough cash.

edit: Word of advise though. I have a lot of Jacksons but they are all made in Japan before Fender bought them over and moved their factory to India/Indonesia. I've played on the newer ones and they really are poorly made compared to the Japanese Jacksons. Stay away from them.

 

[Oddkid]

Thanks for the advice.

The black knight has convinced me BC Rich are the way to go I just need to wait for them to come in stock. I wish I could have a white one though...

 

[Vacant_Planets]

There are a lot of unsung heroes out there in my opinion, people forget there are other makes than fender and Gibson.

Anyone got a 7-string? I've never touched one.

Yep, the 2 I mentioned having are both 7 strings, I love them. I'm quite small my hands are tiny, and the string spacing is just so comfy, as are the Ibanez necks, etc.

 

[Oddkid]

I'm certainly thinking of going 7-string but i'm concerned the wider neck will make shredding slower.

 

[Inazone]

The neck width is less an issue than the neck thickness or shape. For instance, I have an Ibanez RG7321 with a wide neck, but it has a very flat shape. I also have a Jackson DK7 (aka "COW7" Christian Olde Wolbers sig) with a slightly rounder neck shape. Both are very comfortable and really not that much different from each company's six-string necks. On the other hand, I had a Washburn a few years ago that felt like the guitar neck version of a Louisville Slugger and was miserably to play.

Going back to your initial post, I wouldn't think of EMG pickups as being any more harsh than the stock pickups in your Jackson. If anything, they might be less harsh because EMGs are generally more balanced in terms of the overall frequency range. When I think of harsh-sounding pickups, a Duncan Distortion or Invader would come to mind rather than EMGs. I also have a couple of guitars with Kent Armstrong pickups that are much "dirtier" than something like a Duncan JB; the JB is more of a rock pickup, although it is fine for metal with the right amp and EQ settings. The DiMarzio X2N would also be worth looking into, if you've never tried a rail-style pickup before.

I just looked at the new Jackson X-series Soloists and Rhoads V (don't know specific model names/numbers) and they look and feel really nice. However, because they used seemingly random pickup choices from one to the next - active EMGs on one, EMG-HZs on another and Duncan Designed on yet another - comparing them isn't exactly "apples to apples" in terms of tone. I wouldn't be quick to judge specifically based on the basswood bodies or being built in India, but rather on feel (weight, neck profile, balance) and what tone you're trying to get. I have actually had my best recorded tones come from basswood guitars, and better luck with trying various pickups since basswood is tonally more balanced than most, but I'm generally more concerned with neck profile than anything else. Jackson pretty much ignored Korea and moved a lot of their overseas production straight to India years ago, so I figure they must be happy with the results. However, BC Rich had a pretty bad reputation for build quality for a long time and has turned things around recently, so if you absolutely must have mahogany, this is a better time to buy a BC Rich import than any time in the past decade.

 

[Oddkid]

Sound advice again.

In my experience, Active pick ups have got a certain quality that passives struggle to match for this sort of music. If I was playing something a bit less heavy, it wouldn't bother me. The Jackson is perfect for say, Iron Maiden, but heavier stuff, like Inflames its just not quite I dunno... there.

Our other guitarist has EMG's in his ESP, they sound ace.

 

[Inazone]

What amp and other gear do you use? It has become pretty common for metal guitarists to use overdrive or distortion pedals to boost amp distortion, mostly to make it tighter when playing in lower tunings, and now there are manufacturers making specific pickup-boosting pedals.

Also, are you a heavy whammy user? Have a bridge preference? Although my only Ibanez is a fixed-bridge seven, their "ZR" trem is (in my opinion) one of the best I've ever used.