The Steel Guitar Forum

Recently there was a lengthy discussion about what people liked and didn't like about the looks and features of the Jackson Blackjack Custom. This steel appeals to me not just because of how it plays, but how it sounds. Here are (I HOPE!) two links to Youtube videos of my Blackjack Custom being played through a small Fender tube amp, no effects, just a Goodrich volume pedal. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCwKVtdMnpo
and
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VrfM2oXUrtE
If the links don't work, you can check them out under Curio Cowboys Crazy Arms and Never Be Free

You can also hear my Jackson BlackJack Custom in a few videos too. Love the way it looks and sounds-Wonderful guitar!

Brett

Of all the new guitars, those Jacksons seem to come closest to the old Sho-Bud sound, it's amazing. They are virtually unknown over here. Hope some day I'll get a chance to play one. Still, my favorite would be the Madison '63 (just dreaming).

Joerg,
The Madison is magnificent. I hope you will get a chance to play one. Are there players in Europe who have Jacksons?

Sounds great.And the living room pickin is the most fun you can have!

John,
I don't know of any, but then of course there are many players in Europe that I don't know about... it's not just one small country. Maybe someone will jump in here?

Joerg,
I know in the "glory days" of pedal steel playing, all the differing makers had their committed players in Europe. It would be worth it for the Jacksons to get a guitar or two over there so you all could see and hear them...

Elton, thanks for listening, and I agree with you about that "living room" sound...

Are there players in Europe who have Jacksons?

there very well could be John
Europa's purty big & wide
so far i have'nt seen or heard of any

Well done guys, Livingroom music - live and real. Nice steel sound
Jeff

John , with all due respect, to set the record straight, Jeff Metz Jr.'s original post mentioned looks of the Jackson Blackjack NOT the looks of Blackjack Custom. To me, there is a difference in the look between the too. Here is Jeff's link which started the discussion and dealt with his opinion of the LOOK of the Blackjack.

http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopi ... +blackjack

A number of members wrote in mentioning things other than the appearance of the Jackson or a model other than the Blackjack.

I'm also confused about what a Jackson Custom is. Zane said his green lacquered steel is a Blackjack Custom but according to the Jackson website it comes in charcoal black lacquer :

"Due to the overwhelming requests for custom modifications to our BlackJack model, we are now offering a BlackJack Custom. It has the same components and capabilities as the original BlackJack, which combines old and new worlds, featuring some component concepts from the original Sho-Buds. Still the perfect pedal steel for players of all levels. A charcoal black lacquer finish over instrument-grade hard maple lets the grain show through slightly. Lightweight, that signature sound, accurate tuning and great pedal action (superior to the Professional Series and SuperPro). Incorporates Variable Radius pulls. Each string is capable of raising and/or lowering. Comes with the red and white arched cluster of the heart, spade, diamond and club front and center to match the old-style Sho-Bud fret board
Standard Components: 10 strings, 3 foot pedals, 4 knee levers"

Again, Jeff's original post dealt with the looks of the Blackjack only. steve t

Steve, I can understand the confusion. I did weigh in on that thread about the appearance, but I wanted to say something about the sound. Jackson came out with the Blackjack, which is a laminate body, very light and highly stable. I played one and it sounded and played great. The laminate was black.
The same design (pedals, tuning pans, etc.) went into the Blacjack Custom, which is a wood guitar, and Zane's instrument, and mine, are really beautiful examples of wood cabinets. Actually all of the Blackjack Customs I have seen have had a very individual look. Some are rounded, some are square. Mine has an added layer of wood underneath at each end that enhances the sound, but the guitar is still very light, and it has other design features that make it stable. My Blackjack Custom, and the others I have seen and played, sound like the other Jackson steels, which is to say a very "Sho-Budy", wooden sound, with highs that can get a west coast vibe, and really distinct lows. I attribute that mostly to the pick-ups. When I got mine, I was not in the market for a steel, but with 5 knees and four pedals (including a zero pedal), I just did not have anything that could play and sound like this. It is hard to describe sound in words, which is why I put the link out there to our recent Youtubes...