The Steel Guitar Forum

Some questions for the Jackson owners....

I am possibly searching for a new Steel.... this would be my second "pro" steel as I am coming up on 2 years into it... my first steel I bought (to remain nameless) is fine but now after playing for a while I am understanding more what I want etc

The Jacksons really intrigue me as I am a huge fan of the older steel tone... I love that the sounds of Mooney, Brumley, Rhodes, S. Pete, Green, etc.

I tend to play my Fender style tube amps (Headstrongs) whenever possible at gigs... so you see the sound maybe I am leaning towards... Unfortunately there are not a lot of steels to look at around these parts but there is an old sho-bud at the local music store that I do some hours at...and although it plays TERRIBLY right now.. the tone is incredible coming out of that thing...!!

My main questions are this:

1. How has the single coil pickup worked for you in different rooms? I LOVE single coil pickups and have them in EVERY guitar that I have (non steel)...but a HUGE single coil like that scares the hell out of me thruthfully... the single coil on the Sho-Bud here in town is LOUD even though it sounds glorious...

So I am asking for a honest assement of the pickups... and it looks like they have some sort of quick change pickup system but I haven't looked at that too closely yet...

2. I know it has been discussed in other threads but I am always interested in hearing current opinions of Jackson guitars, their feel, upkeep, and tone...

Thanks ya'll!
Josh

oh yea.... also.. does Jackson make an S10 or just a SD10..... ?

Jackson does make a S10 called the BlackJack.
Maple body, single coil, 3 floor, 4 knee. This is a pro level guitar. Smooth and sturdy, and not heavy.

Single Coil pickups do the job for lots of people in all kinds of venues/rooms.

Try to attend a Steel show asap. You will see great players, making great sounds, with all kinds of guitars, pickups, and amps.

check out their website.

Josh, This link should answer at least some of your questions, but what exactly do you mean by "huge single coil" pickup?

http://www.jacksonsteelguitar.com/

The Jackson BlackJack Custom can be built with a pad, so it can be an SD-10.

Brett

It does sound like you might be looking for that older sound of the Sho Bud. If so, the 63 Madison, I believe does that for me. Using some of the original design in the guitar and yet updating the mechanics in other ways, the guitar gives you a unique feel and sound that makes it easier to find melody in a song. That is my experience anyway. It is just sweeter than normal. The single coils are necessary to get what you are after and are a tool rather than a hinderance.
Tuning on both ends is not a problem. In fact it is organized. Raises on the right, lowers on the left. If you can remember that, you can figure it out. It is done for a very important reason as David Jackson will tell you. I suggest you talk to him. Please call me anytime with any questions.
Gary 217 433 7455 Cell

It does sound like you might be looking for that older sound of the Sho Bud. If so, the 63 Madison, I believe does that for me. Using some of the original design in the guitar and yet updating the mechanics in other ways, the guitar gives you a unique feel and sound that makes it easier to find melody in a song. That is my experience anyway. It is just sweeter than normal. The single coils are necessary to get what you are after and are a tool rather than a hinderance.
Tuning on both ends is not a problem. In fact it is organized. Raises on the right, lowers on the left. If you can remember that, you can figure it out. It is done for a very important reason as David Jackson will tell you. I suggest you talk to him. Please call me anytime with any questions.
Gary 217 433 7455 Cell

It does sound like you might be looking for that older sound of the Sho Bud. If so, the 63 Madison, I believe does that for me. Using some of the original design in the guitar and yet updating the mechanics in other ways, the guitar gives you a unique feel and sound that makes it easier to find melody in a song. That is my experience anyway. It is just sweeter than normal. The single coils are necessary to get what you are after and are a tool rather than a hinderance.
Tuning on both ends is not a problem. In fact it is organized. Raises on the right, lowers on the left. If you can remember that, you can figure it out. It is done for a very important reason as David Jackson will tell you. I suggest you talk to him. Please call me anytime with any questions.
Gary 217 433 7455 Cell

Gary Sill wrote: Tuning on both ends is not a problem. In fact it is organized. Raises on the right, lowers on the left.

Looks like they have already decided which strings you should be allowed to lower. I suppose I could drill more holes in the end plate.

righty raisey...lefty lowery..

lots of screws too...

yes that's interesting as to the lowering holes. are they built to any set-up or one cut and dried concept?

very pretty.

it is nice to see some variation in steel design, though.

Earnest Bovine wrote:
Looks like they have already decided which strings you should be allowed to lower. I suppose I could drill more holes in the end plate.

I guess they are serious when they call it a permanent.

I bet you could order it w/ extended slots.

I wonder if there are some design updates or various options?

Here's a Madison 63 with the lower adjuster slots on the right endplate...




And a Blackjack Custom... Rusty Rhoads' guitar has the lowering adjusters on the left endplate, this one doesn't.





The Commemorative model has tipping tuning keys for the lowers... only one that way as far as I know.
The black prototype has the lower adjusters on the left endplate.


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While this Commemorative has them on the other endplate.

I'm sure Jackson will build any guitar to your personal specs, including hybrid models with a mixture of model features. The pictures above prove that point. My Pro IV, for instance, has a '63 Madison changer housing. Either way, you'll get that deep, rich Sho~Bud tone of yesteryear with the added bonus of positive, effortless pedal/lever action and tuning stability.

After 30+ years of buying and playing pedal steels, I've recently made up my mind not to buy any new pedal steels that don't manufacture their own pickups for their guitars. If the guitar doesn't have your tone from the start, you will spend big bucks and countless hours, trying to get the tone you're looking for. My first pedal steel was a '64 Emmons, and my second guitar was a '73 Sho-Bud, so I tend to hear those guitar tones when I'm buying a new pedal steel. For me, I prefer having a factory Sho-Bud pickup on my Jackson Madison '63. This promotes the original Sho-Bud tone. The YouTube video of Tim Sergent playing a Madison at Bobbe's Nashville Steel Shop, sold me on the tone of Jackson Guitars. I also heard Johnny Cox play at the 2010 TSGA show, and was impressed with the Jackson Guitar tone, and Johnny's playing too. My Madison is going to Phoenix in a couple of weeks so members of the SWSGA can play and see the new Jackson Madison ’63 guitar.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0PbGqBY8sw

I have to say, The Jackson guitar is working well for me and the pickups are perfectly matched for my guitar.

The Madison is an extremely cool gtr, but yeah, almost every one I see is a little different, changer-wise.
Check this one out...

OOH!White necks,white fretboards,and white pickups SWEET!

Handsom Jacksons!

Yea I really dug the sound of the Jacksons that I have heard (online only unfortunately) and am going to pull the trigger on a demo model they have for sale...

Oh boy a Jackson right here in Petaluma! Which model are you getting Yen?