WARNING Jackson Custom Shop Quality Control. Worse than Gibson?

I've gotten better quality control and attention to detail on every import guitar I've ever had. Even my Gibson's don't have all the sloppy workmanship this USA Jackson shows. I hope this is a fluke and not what the company usually puts out.

[@StickerBook3SO]

No such thing as being nitpicky with a Custon Shop guitar.

[@NoBody-ub3jt]

I mean he payed 3800$ for this. I understand him when he dont want a fucking hole on the fretboard

[@kahea2018]

At 4 grand!? Damn right!

[@18JR78]

Custom shop at that price means you should be nitpicking. Someone chose the exact specs on that and should be pristine at that price.

[@a_hope_in_hell]

Sadly some people don’t understand that and are like: oh, you could have gotten a 200$ guitar aswell, why buy such an expensive guitar anyways? 🙄

[@guitarjams1008]

Shit I'm picky af with 600$ and 800$ guitars . I had my 7 string jlv purple bc rich back of it got scratched up has two pretty deep ones . At a shop I left it thare to have a set up done and new strings

[@FuglyStick]

Silly complaints for a $400 guitar, perfectly reasonable for a $4000 guitar. If you're going to charge a premium price, you have to deliver a premium product, period.

[@bolerdweller]

I agree up until he got to the dents at the bottom of the neck. Even a low end guitar shouldnt come with that much damage, and no ignoring that because you'll feel it every time you're playing up there

[@babyyoda2190]

If this happened to me i would’ve don’t everything to take them down

[@captaincrunch7661]

I would not buy that for 400 dollars. You could just pay a little more for good Ibaneze. Or just the RG for the 400. They would not look like that Jackson he had

[@thereisnopandemic]

@Larry Smithart That’s actually average price, anything lower than $2,000 it can be considered lower end China, Indonesia made guitars. Higher end guitars are $7,000 and up.

[@dep7up]

$400 or $4000 i still want my product in good shape. Even if it cost me $10. Terrible business. No respect for the product and customers.

[@ed_weird]

"Custom shop" actually means "the intern built it".

[@jameshill2015]

Too bad they don't drug test the interns!😆

[@jstyles510]

Lol

[@669rd]

So true. I was at Japan ESP in Tokyo but even that I don’t even get to speak with the luthier while it’s the sales rep that’s taking down my options. Custom shops are BS.

[@cooltheengines]

No.

[@rockerneck]

The orbital marks make it look homemade, not handmade.

[@JENDALL714]

A $4,000 guitar should be hand sanded. You use an electrical sander when you mass produce a guitar on an assembly line and need to ship out hundreds of guitars a day.

[@bolerdweller]

@@JENDALL714 have you ever hand sanded hardwood? I mean its mahogany so a bit softer but that's not something that would ever be done by any business running a shop. They should put more care into cleaning up the marks and more qc checks to make sure it doesnt happen

[@JENDALL714]

@@bolerdweller I just completed an Ash wood guitar and it's as hard of wood as you can find. It's my favorite wood for guitars.

[@bolerdweller]

@@JENDALL714 yeah but Jackson is in business, paying someone to sit and hand sand and shape a guitar makes no sense when you could pay them less money to use a sander. Same end result if done properly(obviously not the case here) also less carpal tunnel for the person hand sanding everyday

[@Jeff-ik9zj]

Why is that thing that expensive in the first place, looks like a 500 dollar guitar

[@AntonioLopez-kw3ev]

200$

[@alexanderlidbury3687]

@@AntonioLopez-kw3ev $150. I have a family to feed and that's my final offer

[@Nonexistanthuman]

Parts alone go for about that much give or take a few 100. I agree with you none the less

[@SomeJustice19k]

I just got a 200$ Jackson Dinky and it looks IDENTICAL to this except it's matte black and the inlays are much nicer. I got it from Sweetwater, who inspects every guitar they put out, and I'm thrilled with it.

[@ShinMadero]

The features aren't that great. The roasted mahogany, Gotoh tuners, Seymour Duncans, original Floyd, will probably be typical of like a $1200 guitar. But the idea of a custom shop is to have expert craftsmen get everything perfect. The fretwork should be sublime, the neck should be dead straight. The fit and finish should be perfect. But it looks like that isn't the case at all here. That fretwork looked like trash.

[@matthewtiner7485]

“Custom Shop” is the most overused marketing ploy in guitar

[@johnnybgood774]

Yup

[@manosassassin]

EXACTLY. it's a 500 dollar guitar with a 3000 dollar piece of paper. No specs or quality can justify this price.

[@matthewtiner7485]

xanos .lauwereys Amen!

[@galenmarek8287]

This is why I started ordering Kiesels, they are worth every penny and stand behind their products 110% and make some of the finest dadburn guitars out there.

[@deanlatter5657]

It usually means a small group of people like the fender custom shop and then there is masterbuilt which is meant to be one dude. However who exactly works in the 'custom shop' is another question. Both my old $600 Korean made PRS SE's felt great with a lowering of the action and a intonation setup etc. Shocking times man!

[@clanofhousecats8079]

Man, this is heartbreaking being a Jackson fan. This shouldn't have happened.

[@paulaeden5934]

Blindness? Bad day at factory? Lol who knows.. appallingly thou yep ..

[@joeyever1511]

I bought last year a custom Shop soloist. The qualitiy was terrible and I took it back to the Shop! Never again a new Jackson! I have a Jackson dinky Usa from 90’ s , and way better than the new custom shop shit!

[@clanofhousecats8079]

@@joeyever1511 Really??!! I looked into ordering a King V but with a Kahler fixed like Mustaine Jackson but I didn't even see it in the options, I don't know how people are able to order a crasy custom Jackson. Worse off that they're not worth the money? Almost all my Jacksons are Japan made and they're amazing

[@clanofhousecats8079]

@@lessthanhumanmusic3410 Fender bought them almost 20 years ago

[@thereisnopandemic]

@@joeyever1511 I have a 1996 DNKY made in Japan at Chushin Gakki Factory. Absolutely flawless guitar. Never am selling it, getting buried with me.

[@hjubris]

A $1000, made in Korea Schecter SLS has absolutely NONE of those flaws, has double the specs, and looks awesome. My god you have all the rights to be furious.

[@jozhaoyuansong6937]

Americans just no longer know how to make guitar

[@EstelonAgarwaen]

the cheapest prs se guitars have better fretwork

[@Bedroomrips]

Not true my sls elite had binding tool marks and weird clear coat that was raised

[@thereisnopandemic]

@@jozhaoyuansong6937 or anything else, cars included. We are slowly becoming China.

[@MK4vDubbin]

In 2020 with the quality standards that have been set by sub $1k import guitars, even a SINGLE orbital sanding mark on a $4k custom shop USA guitar is 100% unacceptable. At that price range you are paying to get something immaculately crafted and exceptional beyond the average high end instrument.

[@MaestroJericho]

yeah exactly, Jackson CS is really premium too. They should not have these issues, hell a US standard Jackson shouldn't either.

[@deanlatter5657]

@@MaestroJericho All roads lead to the banks and money my friend!

[@lone-wolf-1]

Dunno, if I bought it to play it- I would not bodher of these minor surface flaws. Playing daily for 6 weeks will get me a lot more visible scratches... First of all: will never spend this amount of money on ANY guitar ever😅

[@robertfizer]

MK4vDubbin Right on the Mark, man! I commented earlier saying how production numbers trump quality of craftsmanship. There are a number of guitar companies who I believe from my own perspective take shortcuts when it comes to production time, materials like tone woods; hardware; electronics; etc., and putting stress on and rushing the shop workers and quality inspectors. I hold the management accountable. Luthiers are hard to come by these days I’m assuming. Hell! I’m not an expert, I’m just passionate about craftsmanship. People shouldn’t be getting stiffed like this.

[@ripley7t429]

Since this is 6 months old, I am hoping it got sent back. I would not accept the dents and there are way too many scratches. No way I would pay 4k for it.

[@jed_shred_guitars]

Ripley7t oh yeah went back the next day

[@danielmanrique4830]

@@jed_shred_guitars did they fix it?

[@jayrodm643]

@@danielmanrique4830 or get a refund

[@GeorgeZimmermen]

I’ve been playing for 16 years now and I’ve come to the conclusion, no production guitar is worth more than a grand imo. Only handmade or custom guitars should draw higher prices. My number one guitar is a USA Chris Broderick Jackson 7 string. I paid 3 grand for it. It’s my fav guitar, but it’s not worth 3 thousand dollars. It’s ridiculous what they charge for guitars these days.

[@Jordan-rb28]

PRS guitars can be worth over a grand. Some of the Pro 2 strats are also worth it

[@GeorgeZimmermen]

@@Jordan-rb28 not to me. I find their body shape to be ugly as hell. They have excellent wood grains and paint jobs and may play great, but aesthetics are as important to me and prs isnt my look

[@benrosow7997]

Especially for solid bodies. Carved top jazz boxes are another story, but a solid body simply doesn't cost that much when factory produced.

[@GeorgeZimmermen]

@@benrosow7997 I know, they just have wood that isn’t really picked out like a custom guitar would be, thrown into a cnc machine and pay a painter and a fat non English speaking women to wind pickups and pop the price sticker out and ship it. The robots are doing a lot of the hard stuff

[@ScttSt_vocals]

Reasonable. Unless you are after smth like a production 9 string with weird specs or some not so standard stuff

[@strawman3059]

Small custom builders are putting these big brands to shame at less than half the price!

[@johnnyghoul8100]

We appreciate tips😜

[@ChubToneGuitars]

Yep!

[@V1C10US]

"Made in USA" means less and less these days.

[@Zastav42]

Ryan Weiss very true

[@iamalpharius9483]

Only with a few of the big companies. Tell me how many guitar and bass makers from the US are some of the finest instruments that have ever been crafted. The list is endless.

[@blackhaloful]

Yep, my Larrivée was hand made in Victoria, British Columbia. Gives me more love than reading ‘Made in USA’ maybe I’m just biased.... being Canadian and all lol however my Martin says ‘Made in Mexico’ 😢 it’s still a rocket though

[@Chris741113]

Yeah...Made In Japan is where it's at these days. I recently got an ESP original series guitar and it's probably the best made instrument I've ever had. And I have 2 Fender CS Set-Neck guitars, a PRS and some other stuff.

[@blackhaloful]

christian larsson Paul Reed Smith’s are beautiful guitars, I’m envious.

[@LowdenFTW]

Wow. I'm a certified guitar tech and currently work at PRS right now in the wood shop, so I know exactly what it's like to see everything wrong with a guitar and not be able to unsee it. I can't believe all of the issues this thing has, especially the inlay and dents on the back of the neck. I hope you got all of your money back (I'm sure you did) and a better guitar.

[@hazedhippy]

Must have been finished on a Friday lol

[@sprintbass]

At 4:50 pm..lol jk

[@Juaq1n]

Lol

[@thecityofficial6367]

I really actually liked how you took the time to complement them in some areas. Very classy.

[@endtyme1345]

That guitar looks like an $400 Indonesian replica. Seriously THAT costs almost $ 4.000 dollars??? Mmmm...😐 💩

[@truckerkevthepaidtourist]

no he had too many zeros

[@endtyme1345]

@@truckerkevthepaidtourist Lol! U mean he probably pay less for that?

[@truckerkevthepaidtourist]

@@endtyme1345 I sure hope so...

[@endtyme1345]

@@truckerkevthepaidtourist I don't think that guitar costs that ridiculous amount of money either ;)

[@truckerkevthepaidtourist]

@@endtyme1345 a Jackson hell no.. or else they saw him coming a mile away here's a sucker...anytime it says custom shop it is what it is and could be a great piece of wood or to be a piece of shit.. that's the chance you get with a custom shop..

[@Hellseeker1]

ESP has pieces of art for that price! Shoulda bought a Schecter!

[@mateomarquez4343]

Appreciate your comment!

[@beefnacos6258]

ESP and Schecter play like shit to me.

[@Chumly-sh6xu]

Someone understands. Absolutely stellar companies.

[@10FootMushroom]

Agreed. Esp is crushing it with their quality per price. I would never own a Jackson personally. I cant see how an unfinished body with such basic appointments cost him 3800. If that was a USA ESP at that price it would be a beautiful lifelong instrument.

[@10FootMushroom]

beef nacos I don’t know what models you’ve played but ESP even the LTD line has some amazing instruments. Schecter is definitely lower end than ESP I will admit but still solid value instruments.

[@davidmurray9193]

For a custom you would expect perfection hence the prices you pay, shame this happened to you

[@prestilence1]

when i first saw this video, i originally thought “who the hell cares about some small little dents? you have a custom shop jackson bro.” but now i’m looking at this a year later, and realize if I spend 3,800 dollars on a guitar and it had flaws? i’d be pretty pissed too. cheers to you man for doing this vid, hope you got the guitar you deserve.

[@nicholastname]

$3,800!? I'd send that back for being so plain!

[@markolivares6943]

Nick Ostrye this looks like a 400 dollar guitar at most.

[@thehybinator2155]

Literally looks like X series soloist

[@bigdawgygo464]

Ehh I prefer plain guitars. I’ve owned flashy guitars and I just get sick of looking at them after a while

[@AntonioLopez-kw3ev]

mark olivares a 200$ guitar

[@juliusnisonen2431]

Wtf why does everyone think that an expensive guitar has to have a flashy finish

[@jamesfulton8310]

This guy would have a heart attack if he bought a new Gibson

[@clamus68]

He did, he preferred it. It is in his reply comment to another poster above.

[@markolivares6943]

James Fulton 🤣

[@skylerspringsteen5730]

James Fulton you mean a Gibson from a couple years ago, the new ones are amazing

[@Vor_Tex_Sun]

Go Epiphone. I switched just recently and wont go back.

[@jed_shred_guitars]

James Fulton I bought a new 2019 les Paul standard 50’s out of all things and absolutely love it. I’ll make a video soon

[@dannyahansen]

Having owned and currently own Custom Shop Jackson's, I have never seen something like this before. I am familiar with some of the horror stories. I'd send this one back. Can't really make an excuse on this one. There is some sloppy work going on.

[@Zoso981]

Damn! My teenage son's $250 Squier arrived in better condition than that.

[@Dljjfbjfgkh]

i've been a jackson fanboy for 15 years, since i've only had great experiences with their cheaper, overseas made guitars ($500-$1500) and seeing this nasty work from the usa custom shop really hurts. looks like they let an apprentice lead a build and they dropped the ball. needless to say, i won't be filling out this custom order form. good video, m8.

[@jed_shred_guitars]

I was the same way. They have always been my favorite brand. Who knows I just the worst one they have ever made and 99% of the rest are amazing. I do know the wait is crazy long to get a custom from them

[@PulledPurk]

@@jed_shred_guitars Well, Whats the word? Did you get a new one?

[@hawkinthewind]

Have wanted a quality Jackson since the Eighties. I'm Left. which has made it nearly impossible until a few years ago when they made the SL2 pro in LH. They are still trying to sell off the remaining stock of that. Why? If they would have made some COLORS with some diff configurations other than black I can pretty much guarantee they'd be gone. Ignorance has no room for logistics when it comes to fast greed. I spoke to a suit about this and got the same stink ass response I did 30 yrs ago "Not enough demand." Dumbass just didn't want to listen to what I had to say. Yet they continue to cut corners everywhere to the mainstream as well and make us pay for quality instruments by forcing the "custom shop" illusion - where this is now happening. Well, it's finally catching up to them and I call bullshit. This industry is built so much on hype it's refukendikluous. And now it's become a lawyer infested soap opera. What a f'cked up paradigm we are in. I've personally had enough. Have learned to do my own mods where i can, and found companies that are willing to work with their customers when it comes to buying new - which is NOT easy in the LH world. Apparently the apathy has been bleeding into my fellow RH's for awhile now as well. The industry is gonna hit a wall at some point, and the cpmpanies that truly care about customers will survive. Somebody please hire me as writer. I need work. Rant over.

[@jed_shred_guitars]

Hawk InTheWind 👏 well said my friend!

[@Ndlanding]

@@PulledPurk The *word* is "got", as in "Who knows, I just GOT the worst one..." Hope this helps, and I appreciate your concerns for quality.

[@cliffordamey4822]

You have every right to send it back that’s a lot of money for a half ass finished guitar

[@rantnpod]

Has to be a rushed job... It's all about the money, were living in a world where the value of things mean nothing...

[@Whathuhwhowhere]

When you can find $1000 range instruments with no finish issues or imperfections (maybe the hardware and electronics make it cheaper) but when a $1000 chunk of wood has no issues and a $3800 instrument has all of this, you’re definitely right to complain!

[@scottdunn2178]

When you ordered a Jackson back in the day (1983-86), it took a minimum of 6 months to be delivered, and there were NEVER quality control issues. They took pride in their guitars back then. Looks like a $599 Indonesian made SLX Soloist would have been a better guitar. Shame.

[@crazeyjoe]

Back when Grover Jackson was heading his own guitar brand. Now that Fender owns the Jackson name, different story. If I were to spend that much for a new "custom" guitar. I would purchase it from a small company that takes pride in its work!

[@fireemblemistrash75]

Joe Dazey ESP or BC Rich would probably have better quality control. To me this is used quality at it’s best, nothing here in this Jackson deserves the title of Custom Shop.

[@crazeyjoe]

@@fireemblemistrash75 I especially agree w/ ESP. With that said, ESP custom shop guitars start at about $3.2k and most are over 4k. So while they do make great quality custom shop guitars. part of that price is just due to the name alone. An example of a "small guitar company" that I am referring to is... www.fireplantguitars.com/fireplant-guitars-splitsville.htm

[@nategin9009]

In 2014 I ordered a Jackson concert bass, there was none of the color I wanted in North America, so the manufacturer has to make my bass for me, there was nothing wrong with my bass

[@scottdunn2178]

Joe Dazey I've been playing ESP M-ll Deluxe guitars since the early 1990's after Grover sold out to IMC (International Music Corporation) in 1990. Actually, Grovers wife at the time, Joanne, helped me with orders and such. But, her and Grover were pretty much gone by 1992 or so. That's when I switched to ESP.

[@vividvulpe9842]

The orbital sander marks would be an instant return for me... yikes!

[@Cookie4yabro]

Sharp fret ends too

[@camdenwaters6574]

The dents for me

[@hibernative]

NickHyphy Yeah man, the frets are the first I’d notice and it’s unacceptable.

[@OpSic66]

Those look like CNC tooling marks, not orbital sander marks. If they are, that makes it 10x worse as the body wasn't sanded properly before finishing.

[@vividvulpe9842]

Diezel i used to paint houses and refinish exterior and interiors for 3 years... i really think those are orbital markings. They never dropped down in grit to button things up.

[@61john2112]

No you're not being to fussy,i was a fitter and machinist for years,then when into fine furniture making..my friends would say "oh you're being to anal going that far on furniture", my reply was if somebody buys one of my pieces i want them to walk into their room 10 or 20 years from now and say"that is a beautiful piece i'm glad i bought it" It is having pride in the piece and pride and conscience in yourself.

[@jed_shred_guitars]

Absolutely!

[@Vindsvelle]

Your grammar gave me COVID, so I fixed it for you: No, you're not being too fussy. I was a fitter and machinist for years, then went into fine furniture making. My friends would say: "Oh, you're being too anal going that far on furniture." My reply was: "If somebody buys one of my pieces, I want them to walk into their room ten or twenty years from now and say 'That is a beautiful piece; I'm glad I bought it.'" It is having pride in the piece and pride and conscience in yourself.

[@taunokekkonen5733]

Those circles left from the orbital sander was absolutely disgusting. No pride in the making of that guitar.

[@jakeqwaninne8502]

@@Vindsvelle i'm gonna fix it further, fuck you english major,i lived with a bunch of you assholes at a frat house, you all suck, and what did you actually do with you dumb assed degree, did it put you at next in line for manager at mickey dees, you people piss me off, i wish it had given you COVID fuckin 19, and AIDS with a touch of EBOLA, we're all tryin to be rock stars if we are watching this, bad grammer , spelling, alcohol, and drugs are almost a requirement

[@oldchannellolz6086]

@@jakeqwaninne8502 are you ok?

[@jackcharron2813]

I would pay him to go Guitar shopping with me so he can tell me if I’m buying good quality

[@Clean97gti]

A lot of it comes down to how much you want to spend. If you're spending less than $1000, you can do most of the cursory inspection things he's doing. The fine scratches in the top would be a whole lot more noticeable if it were a glossy finish or a solid color gloss finish. You'd see the scratches. The fret ends are a quick giveaway. You'll know immediately if they're sharp. If you want to avoid some of the binding problems he noted, just don't buy a bound guitar or at least not a bound neck. I don't really like the look of binding anyway so that's not a thing for me. The thing that kills me is that for this guitar to be nearly $4000 is ridiculously overpriced. There is nothing on that instrument that even comes close to making it worth that price. I'd be willing to bet the body and neck are CNC cut pieces. Nobody at Jackson stood there and shaped that body by hand. CNC the pieces, slap them in a gluing jig, apply pressure and done. Final fit and finish is easy when CNC gets it so close to begin with. The frets are likely PLEK'd, not hand-installed. Gotoh tuners? I mean, the Japanese ones are good pieces, but they aren't all that fancy shmancy. Passive SD pickups? Meh. I think they should pay the user to use a Floyd. It should literally be a discount. Most of the issues he mentions are very nitpicky, and on a guitar that expensive, I can see why. But you can have a comparable Schecter for a whole lot less and pay a local guitar tech to address any little issues for you and still be in under that price. The CNC machine doesn't care where it lives.

[@raahimkamaal5363]

Answer high end prs sc 245 or custom 24 mid end prs se standard 24 low end idk it's just a starter guitar best to get a mid end

[@StringBanger]

Great vid but I am not surprised. I have had some great high end Jackson's in the day and for a custom shop that is terribly unacceptable espressically fret sprout. Their guitars really went down hill. I went to Mayones and never looked back. Now I have 3 and just got my master grade koa duvell elite. Guitar is gorgeous and plays like a dream. The quality is unprecedented. Thank you for putting time in this vid and I am glad to hear there are still builders like yourself taking pride in their work!

[@alwaysopen7970]

No guitar is perfect. No guitar is perfect.

[@dhoops616]

Mike McKeen yeah no way they hand made that neck. I know Warmoth hand makes their necks.

[@phillippitts6294]

The one thing I take away from this video. Don’t buy a guitar without holding it in your hands.

[@krystofseman7511]

yeah this is so sad. Nowadayes you just cannot trust the companies and buy guitar online ...

[@nimitz1739]

Phillip Pitts But a lot of times you have to buy online because the local guitar shops don’t have what you want. Iv got 3 from online with no problems. You can send them back if you do find problems. Specially if you paid as much as this guy did.

[@jed_shred_guitars]

Or have a great return policy. Sweetwater and music zoo have taken great care of me. Guitar center lets you return to any physical store

[@georgekaplin3490]

True that! Shopping on line really is all kinds of bad; starve your city, make it more expensive for small businesses to set up, de-personalise shopping & de socialise people, etc. The list goes on. The only 'benefit' is convenience...like we can afford to get any lazier. I bet we won't stop. I'm still paying about ten percent more for stuff because I'd rather the high street of my city got the money and could pay rates back into local services.....but nahhhhh quick deal and the brain goes off. Brave new world.

[@cptdoobs3691]

I guess im just kind of confused why that instrument is 3800, even if the errors seen here were not part of the equation.

[@mayniac5.09]

Brenden Dooley because fender is a joke.:worse than gibson

[@eddiejr540]

Dude....I agree...I don’t see anything there that justifies 3800 bucks...maybe $2000 TOPS...and that’s pushing it

[@Deamonition]

@@mayniac5.09 well I have serious doubts about that... I own a Jackson and bought a Gibson that I sent back cause it was utter shit. What we see in this video is "small defects", but they shouldn't be there nonetheless. The Gibson bass I ordered had defective pickups and a broken tuning peg... Like.. Wtf... Anyway for me Gibson is the king of shit guitars and basses

[@Deamonition]

@@eddiejr540 true. Even without the defects, no reason for this to be more than 2k....

[@MK4vDubbin]

Hugues B You’re comparing a custom shop Jackson to an off the shelf Gibson. As someone who has zero interest in owning a Gibson, their custom shop quality is actually stellar and should be thought of as completely separate from their production line stuff.

[@christianlarsson2038]

For quality rock/metal guitars ESP is the way to go these days. Their MIJ E-II series are already usually fantastic. Their Original Series and Custom Shop are ALWAYS insane level quality GUARANTEED.

[@enidsnarb]

I worked at Charvel San Dimas for Grover Jackson ! These details never would have flown there ! I was there during the transition to the Jackson name and those first Jacksons made in San Dimas were impeccable as far as quality control !!!!

[@jed_shred_guitars]

Charvel and Jackson are just a name and shapes now. The soul has left and been replaced with numbers

[@sambeltram8711]

When charvel and Jackson were together quality was always the finest of details still dream of owning a charvel

[@drippinglass]

Joe Williams built my Warrior. It’s a work of art.

[@pigjubby1]

I did too. Next to the boat finisher in the commercial complex! I didn't go to Ontario. I quit and moved to Los Angeles......

[@enidsnarb]

@@pigjubby1 Me neither ! I left before Ontario ! Grover begged me to stay , gave him a full 6 weeks ! And it was back to making bicycles in Claremont!

[@ericnootebos5855]

I guess buying an american made overpriced guitar these day’s is not a very good idea any more?

[@johnhruby6205]

it was never a good idea

[@renatovalverdediaz6420]

@@johnhruby6205 never was..

[@dexstevens5993]

better off getting a $500-$800 dollar ibanez and modding the shit out of it... or get a prs

[@theshotgunscientists]

To an extent that’s true. I’ve got guitars under $200 that are flawless and I have high end guitars that could be better. But I can attest a custom shop Gibson or fender and so on, when you get a truly great one, they’re worth the money.

[@ShinMadero]

PRS, Fender, Suhr, Kiesel, and a bunch of other boutique brands will not have these issues.

[@markleadbeatter6196]

Hmmm, here’s another reason why I don’t buy super-expensive guitars. Don’t these companies realise that expectation levels are very high when someone parts with that kind of money? About $1500 is my spend limit and just recently I have been buying less known brand guitars and upgrading their shortcomings. That way I still get a great guitar at much lower outlay.

[@ArmyBoiSweat]

yep, my bass started as a 200 ibanez. the only thing ibanez about it is the body. all custom parts done by me

[@dmar3651]

Mark Leadbeatter for acoustic guitars, Martin Guitar’s custom shop is famous for their hand crafted works. Extremely expensive, for extremely high quality.

[@TheWolvesCurse]

if it was a Js or a x series, i'd "meh, okay for the money" for almost 4 grand, this is unacceptable.

[@jakeqwaninne8502]

i have a JS and the adrien smith X , and they were actually perfect rite off the rack, it suprised me, but my sam ash does try to do a set up on all the guitars that come through there store, so ?? maybe that's not how they arived at the store, but hoshino would have fired all of us in QC if we had let something like that go, even the lower end shit went out set up and cleaned , no finish flaws

[@alexanderholden82]

I just purchased a J S Series dka Lefty seriously had none of these issues, finish and craftsmanship was near impeccable for a $300 guitar. The neck and fret work was perfect and The Finish overall was nice.

[@Wojtasguitar1]

Hey ! Can we talk privately about Jackson. I recently bought Jackson ht6 usa and it has some quality control issues. Wanted to know if I can somehow repair them, because Jackson is not going to do that, I bought it used :(

[@WillMaskellTaylor]

Even if it was perfect, its way overpriced

[@7James77]

Exactly, no way in hell I'd pay 4000 for any guitar, especially a mahagoney body. That thing better be Alder or Poplar if I'm dropping that amount.

[@jeffarab4947]

Not worth it

[@dontransue9843]

Part of the reason I almost always buy used guitars.

[@Gonboo]

Seriously, let someone else beta test the guitar for you.

[@hellodumplings8564]

To get them even worse?

[@jonathankeith524]

I build my own guitars from scratch. That's how you make sure you're getting exactly what you want. I even choose my own woods, and I can build a custom shop-quality guitar or better, for the price of a cheap guitar. It just takes time and patience. You get faster at making them over time though.

[@quentin536]

@@hellodumplings8564 To get something that's built to last

[@kaksoisdikki]

@@hellodumplings8564 You can always sell used guitar at the same price you have bought. I have owned 2x esp custom shops and 1x music man petrucci custom and they are the best guitars i have ever used. And yes they were used guitars. What is the point them getting worse? All of them were in mint condition.

[@RoadTripEddie]

Sad to see Jackson going down like that, hopefully it's just a one-time fluke that should have never surpassed by the final quality control checksheet. But extremely happy to see your first video has such a whopping number of views. You're doing things the right way.

[@olekaarvaag9405]

In 2012 I bought a Jackson Warrior with a burst maple top and Floyd Rose (Tacky af I know) from a Norwegian online store. I literally got a different guitar. It was still a Jackson Warrior but it was black and hardtailed with EMGs. I was so disappointed but Iwas so insecure and dumb I did not even contact the store.. Oh well, live and learn. It is still one of my best playing guitars and I am so glad it did not come with a Floyd Rose.

[@jed_shred_guitars]

That’s crazy man. How could they confuse them? I had a warrior a few years back, it was sick. Ended up trading it for some tattoo work to some crazy pregnant lady. I’m glad you like it man

[@jambertin54]

When fender takes over, this is what happens..... sad

[@crappy60]

Jamie Bertin preach!

[@johnnybgood774]

Facts

[@YourFriendToodles]

I mean, Fenders and Charvels play good no matter what you pay

[@bdamotta]

To be fair, this type of shit has been going on with Jackson long before Fender came into the picture.

[@jambertin54]

@@bdamotta I don't know about that. They turned out some world class guitars when they were custom shop only

[@bigfarting]

The least they could've done was fretwork. Crazy

[@northernlefty5412]

This makes me happy I chose an Ibanez J custom over Jackson custom shop. Those neck dents and headstock bubbles are horrifying for a guitar of that price. What a shame.

[@arturomadrid7167]

Did you ever get your money back or new Jackson replacement?

[@rrguitar1]

I appreciate your attention to detail. Some people would watch this and say that you're going to far. I would disagree. When your hard earned 3-4k guitar comes in and has these issues, it's a big deal. They should ashamed to let it out the shop like that. Honestly, my biggest issue that you pointed out, was the inlay. Ues, i aldo have seem that beforr, but this is a custom build order, you pay extra for the care and quality. Thats how i see it, and that alone would do it for me. The rest of those blemishes would be the icing on the cake. Are you going for another CS Jackson? For $999, I brought a new Japanese Ibanez back in Jan. Ove been playing since the late 80's, and this guitar is up there amongst the best I've owned. Ever played one?

[@jed_shred_guitars]

rrguitar1 is that Ibanez one of the origin reissues? Ive played quite a few Ibanez and own two rgs. I prefer the neck, string spacing, and look of a Jackson. You can’t beat the Ibanez quality. Even the Indonesian models have far better quality control that this USA Jackson. I ended up with a new Gibson Les Paul out of all things. They get a lot of crap for their quality control, but this one is perfect. Sounds and feels like the real deal

[@rrguitar1]

@@jed_shred_guitars I heard that newer LP'S are.really nice. I want one also. The ibanez is the RG550 genesis. I love those isa Jackson's, always have. It's sad to see this happening with them.

[@jed_shred_guitars]

rrguitar1 agreed

[@80sday36]

@@jed_shred_guitars exactly, thats why Ibanez move their 3rd class product to Indonesia. Even some people prefer premium Ibanez made in Indonesia rather than the prestige Ibanez made in Japan. Jackson also have some model made in Indonesia, and its not bad at all for the shake of your dollar and quality that comes with it.

[@hessian7777]

I bought an Ibanez Prestige recently...guitar is flawless and plays even better than the jacksons I used to play..Mustain complains about Jacksons awhile back as well

[@brian8076]

yeah a $3800 guitar should be PERFECT

[@nudesoftheworld]

Mate, very good video. Very impressed how you managed to stay so calm. I had a similar issue with a Jackson DX1 backin 1997. Got replaced and still has issues. But for 3800$, this thing should be perfect.

[@rodrigog5654]

What was the reply from jackson of the neck finish? how is it called? thank you

[@alif499]

Almost $4k for this??? You can get a J. Custom (Japan made) Ibanez with waaaaaay better specs!

[@NDRWCHNNL]

Well, Ibanez is a brand that you get what you pay

[@CHOPERUS23]

@@NDRWCHNNL And it seems in this case Jackson is a brand you don't get what you pay.

[@EOHRyan]

What do you mean way better specs? This Jackson clearly has all top quality hardware/electronics. J-customs are not actually custom either, you can't order what you want.

[@alif499]

EOHRyan I agree it has good specs but it doesn’t have $4k worth of specs. Also, most customs you can’t order what you want, I know, so in no way is this the buyers fault. Jackson priced this wrong or at least the store did.

[@EOHRyan]

@@alif499 Better specs in what sense though? High end guitar builds aren't priced on their specs, they are priced on labour. And with custom shop stuff the whole point is that you can order what you want, be it Fender, Suhr, Tom Anderson, Kiesel. They obviously offer standard spec stuff, or a shop will order a batch of their own specs, but if you want to order your own build you can, as I did with my Suhr. With Ibanez you can't though, the J-custom stuff is set spec, the LA Custom shop only builds prototypes for artists.

[@donweb9689]

I've owned just about every major guitar brand over the years , the two jacksons I owned were the biggest pieces of junk by far

[@MaestroJericho]

I love my USA Chris Broderick Soloist but I notice it has more finish flaws than my PRS and Mayones which run for the same price. I also notice the Jackson imports feel more unfinished compared to LTD and Schecter

[@5urg3x]

Dave Mustaine said way back in the day that Jackson was going to turn into a crap company after the buyout.

[@grafforlock]

Can I ask where you work? I like your attention to detail I would like to see what guitars you have.

[@FretboardToAsh]

They do Jackson soloist models with the relic finish now?

[@sohamsengupta6470]

OOOF

[@astarothgr]

@@sohamsengupta6470 IT BUUURNS! double OOOOOF!

[@A-G-F-]

woah, sharp frets? Thats like.. a 100 dollar guitar problem, almost excludive to those

[@disklamer]

It's an emo guitar for people who want to cut themselves.

[@pigjubby1]

The wood shrunk. Metal does not shrink.

[@briang8579]

Seems to be a problem with expensive Ibanezes too, disappointing for a company I held so high. My first guitar I ever got, an 80 dollar strat felt and played better than my current 900 dollar Ibanez and jackson

[@briang8579]

@@ShadowBannedagain I had jagged frets, 1 broken tuner and two inlays not completely filled out. I had no issues with my strat, I also had issues with the metal softness in the floyd rose of the ibanez. I'm not lying

[@AydinZahedi]

What happened after this video? I'm about to place an order for a custom shop and I want to know how they've handles this situation.

[@jed_shred_guitars]

I didn’t go through the custom shop. I bought it from the music zoo and returned it to them, no issues

[@thefam9179]

What store u buy it from? Eddys?

[@markolivares6943]

I’m returning my Jackson. They rushed mine as well and the neck isn’t even sanded down correctly.

[@phreak1118]

I have an '87 Jackson Soloist custom shop. Still looks amazing today.

[@Warrior-X]

Why did you buy it then?

[@brandonharris9160]

Hey how do you feel about the Schecter Hellraiser C1 from South Korea? I just ordered one for a good deal with a case from 2014

[@jed_shred_guitars]

They rule. I had one around 2014 and it was very well made.

[@LeoM-zt3pl]

Those schecters are very nice guitars in terms of quality for your money. I'm not wild about how ornate they are with the abalone etc however pay that no mind

[@RocketPunchArmy]

I dont have a custom but my 20+ year old MIJ Soloist pro is PERFECT. I still go over it today and the finishing is amazing. Sad to see how your USA had all those things. My $900 dollar LTD was better finished it seems.

[@Metalbass10000]

Wow! That's amazingly disappointing! I'm a guitar and bass builder also, my own shop now (well, my wife and I, that is). The crappy CNC pocketing, the fret work, the LACK of fret work, the finishing issues, just stunning that it was allowed out of the shop. Scratches on pickups, with no plastic protective film on anything, and body scratches, says, "floor model," to me, And I would see those small scratches, also. That's not being nitpicky, either, that's expecting professionalism, that's expecting a fellow craftsman to be holding himself to the highest standard in the work being done. That's expecting something that some people just don't have in them, unfortunately. It's easy to say that it's a product of our time, and to some extent that's true, but there have always been lazy people, there have always been, people who did sloppy work, there have always been people that in a room full of people doing their best possible work, giving their maximum effort, because they care, there's always some who just don't care, and do whatever they feel like doing, however little that happens to be. Some people are just willing to say f*** it close enough and walk away. Funny, I sent this halfway through your video, and you ended up saying a few things that I had typed just a few minutes earlier. One of my best friends, an ex-bandmate of mine, had to send back a custom shop Jackson V TWICE. This was several years ago, and he had many of the same issues you have with your guitar, but he also had a few more significant problems with the actual structure of the guitar. That was the last Jackson he bought. He only buys Ibanez and Schecter now. He can't afford mine, yet.

[@jed_shred_guitars]

Metalbass10000 another factor is time pressures in a factory environment. If management allowed this to go out. It was most likely inspected after sanding, again after finish, and again after final assembly. They allowed it to get it out the door. The management cares more about sales than service to their customer and pride in what have to offer the world. Where can I check out your builds?

[@matejbeckup4700]

Do you have any Prs and if you do what you think

[@IMPULSOESTATICO]

hey dude what guitar company do you work for? I'm super OCD and always looking for flaws and I return a lot of expensive guitars because of poor QA like this Jackson. I'd like to buy something from you, let me know dude!

[@thetechfromheaven]

"Don't wanna damage it because I want all my money back" Jackson "bro it is damaged, it has "swirl" marks and scratches, we won't give U our money back "

[@gjm1971]

LOL ...and people bitching about some Harley Bentons imperfections!!!

[@rockcastlemusic]

😆

[@ruthlesscutthroat4030]

i hear your complaints but what if it plays really well? will you still hang up on aesthetics?

[@Lisa-ec9qb]

Just curious... Did you order another one? If so, how did the second one turn out? Did Jackson ever contact you over the problem (courtesy call)?

[@jed_shred_guitars]

No I returned to the store I bought it from and they offered a discount but didn’t see anything else I liked. Ended up getting a Gibson Les Paul standard 50’s and plan to make my own soloist

[@devious.instinct]

Funny thing is Jackson posted this guitar on their official instagram page 😂

[@jed_shred_guitars]

How far down is it? I can’t find it

[@jeffreytraynhamii4460]

Found something veeerrryyyy similar on a post for October 26, 2019

[@theheadlessguitarist2433]

"Do I have any of those problems on this Ibanez?" The answer is no, 'cause it's an IBANEZ!

[@souloftheage]

Is "CSTOM SHOP" done promariy by hand and the standard dne by C.A.D. workings?

[@jed_shred_guitars]

Modern factory/custom shop guitar making is a mix. Cnc cuts the rough shape of body, neck, headstock, cavities, etc. also most paint and buffing in a lot of factories. Most of the work needs to be done by hand still. Sanding, most binding, fretwork, glueing, inlays, So really all guitars are hand made with the help of cnc for efficiency and consistency of dimensions. Custom shop generally means a smaller group of people working on one off rather than standard models. They usually market this as getting higher attention to detail from more experience and the best of the best employees. The best woods are generally saved for the custom shop as well.

[@Ndlanding]

My "J" was pretty good. The pickups were quiet and never distorted, but had a fantastic feedback effect, even when playing folk music. The neck was tightly screwed on and hardly wobbled, and the guitar stayed in tune for long periods of time when sitting on its stand. The volume and tone controls rotated and the pickup selecter switch moved from one setting to another. While the action was a little high, this was normal back then in the 60s before shredding was invented. At a weight of only two pounds (with tapewound strings), that Jedson was possibly the best guitar I ever owned and lasted me for ages, especially the strap buttons. I really don't know why people are criticizing Jedson guitars so much, since for the price, they were better than some others.

[@williamlewis6615]

I have a Jackson custom shop Chris Broderick and the guitar is absolutely flawless in every detail

[@jed_shred_guitars]

William Lewis I’m glad you got a good one man. Enjoy!

[@kenmasters007]

Looks like this was done by a third party... Can't be custom shop.

[@kenmasters007]

@Mendozer01 another reason why Jackson may not have a true in house custom shop

[@megamanx9870]

@Mendozer01 thanks for sharing that story, i've searched it and it's probably the funniest thread i've ever seen on sevenstring (i've been in the same boat as this guy , though it was a 750€ guitar ...). Gibson really took all the credit for having the worse QC , people don't call out on the jackson CS enough.

[@kbar3612]

It's not really a custom shop. It's more of a mass production factory.

[@brunoeiler8192]

That thing was probably made in China ...

[@MaestroJericho]

@Mendozer01 is it true that all the US Jackson sigs are dont by their custom shop guys?

[@sicmonic]

Sorry to hear that man. I can see how that would be disappointing. Would you take it if when you sent it back, and they fix it up perfect and send it back to you? I just got the Jackson pro series lightening crackle V and it was made in China… And it was perfect. Maybe once they know there’s an issue with it they’ll jump all over it.

[@lynnzi3d]

OMG , those dents look like a hammer hit or what. That whole body needs to be totally a rebuild 😾 . USA made doesn’t mean its great.

[@kyleboren7372]

Even if there were no flaws, where is the $3,800 in this guitar..? Standard guitar tonewoods, normal finish, $200-$250 pickups, $200 floyd, $150 max for all the inlays, $50-$60 Tremol-No, $40-$50 tuners, $20-$30 for the pots and switch, $5-$10 for the wiring...with the case I could see this going for MAYBE $1,000-$1,200 without these flaws...where is the other $2,600 value in this thing..?

[@Stoicbushman]

“Custom shop” means “get ready to pay more”

[@michaelfjmusic]

I think he mentions it being USA-made. So expect 2-3x + the normal price.

[@9dewittk]

I've seen these for sale from time to time at The Music Zoo. The idea of getting one has been sitting in the back of my mind for a while, but when I heard about how Fender bought Jackson I decided to order a Suhr Custom Modern instead. I feel like every time a giant corporation consumes a smaller one, the quality is guaranteed to suffer regardless of what kind of product is being produced. This might seem like a bizarre comparison, but I used to love Rolling Rock beer. Great signature taste, painted on labels....all unique good stuff. Then Anheuser-Busch bought them out and the bottles are now made with a cheap sticker label and the taste is just slightly reminiscent of it's former self.

[@jed_shred_guitars]

I’ve seen the same thing happen many times. The passion and identity are lost to pure profit motives

[@clintwilson6380]

Yep, you're right

[@hectorgonzalez9170]

Hey..... I love Rolling rock beer or at least I used to.....,?? Lol

[@alwaysopen7970]

@longrider Harley isn't owned by an umbrella corporation and Levis went the way of any other mass produced item in this country. They are farmed out and don't fit right. I buy Wranglers at Walmart for cheap.

[@alwaysopen7970]

@@hectorgonzalez9170 The old 33.

[@thedondeluxe6941]

This honestly looks very similar to the workmanship on my $399 Gretsch. But the Gretsch has nicer binding and no sharp fret ends. Didn't really have any noticeable scratches or dents either. Pretty shocking stuff.

[@jackiechan5798]

wow we have same tastes in guitar design, i really love the simplicity , but for the price i would agree that those things you pointed out was sloppy craftsmanship. so did you get a refuned?

[@ErkulKurulay]

Great to see someone as picky as I am. Also sad to see a Custom Shop guitar not living up to its name. Those problems (and more) are not uncommon for imported guitars. For a 4K USD gear, it should be as flawless as possible.

[@brians3948]

Dude those orbital marks the logo and that inlay would bother me constantly.

[@TheAustinely]

Any updates on this? Has Jackson done right by you and fixed this mess or perhaps they still have the guitar on their workbench? I am literally dying to know.

[@jed_shred_guitars]

I sent it back to the dealer the next day and they gave me all my money back, apologized, and offered me a pretty good discount on another guitar. They said they were sending it back to Jackson. I’ve heard horror stories about Jackson and didn’t want to deal with them.

[@TheAustinely]

@@jed_shred_guitars probably for the best, the jacksons in my local guitar store are listed around 2 to 3 grand and ive noticed it is pretty common to have sharp fretts and dented wood. Hope all went well in the end!

[@joes9545]

If you did not order it direct from the custom shop, is it possible this was purchased as a factory second at a discount from the store? Looks like a guitar that would not have passed Jackson QC.

[@Foojoy1]

How come the shop did not inspect / QC upon receiving it?

[@jed_shred_guitars]

Good question! They took care of me and made it right though

[@williamdon3442]

If I want a a Jackson I want Grover or Wayne’s name on it. How many guitars they did in the late 70s/80s idk. But that is a beauty. Sucks you have to send it back keep us updated plz

[@andrewmagana8093]

Awesome video man, I have a question, I'm thinking of having Jackson make me a custom shop guitar. If you get your guitar and for whatever reason you are not completely satisfied with it, what can you do?. Can you get a refund, cause I mean its already built so what are your options

[@vorpalblades]

Get a Kiesel.

[@jed_shred_guitars]

I don’t know, I got mine from a music store. There are some amazing small independent builders then can make you absolutely anything and it will be perfect. There is also keisel which is kind of in between

[@erickaufmancustomguitars1351]

Are any parts made in the usa?

[@SrDeMaFp]

Not the first time I've seen issues like this on a USA Jackson. Unbelievable. I'd be pissed too! They need to get their shit together. After you get your $ back what guitar are you looking at getting? I'm gonna guess not a Jackson haha

[@rockcastlemusic]

This is like the jackson version of my indonesian made rg470mhz, but mine is only 500 dollars and it is very well made.

[@souflikar6702]

Good for you for having the experience and a good eye. There’s no excuse for poor quality from a custom shop and at custom shop prices.

[@trakoss2092]

May I recommend Ormsby?

[@tacoconch7678]

I bought a Jackson USA series back in 2004 right after Fender bought them. It's immaculate. It's so sad to see that even their custom shops aren't up to standards now. I too have always wanted a custom shop Jackson but seeing stuff like this is why I didn't. I'm usually a, "buy Murican" guy but I just ordered a custom shop ESP. Hopefully they don't let me down.

[@oh033]

Hows the esp?

[@wisteriahill7584]

We demand an ESP update!

[@tacoconch7678]

@@wisteriahill7584 It's absolutely perfect! Looked over it thoroughly and couldn't find any flaws. Sounds great too!

[@tacoconch7678]

@@oh033 It's perfect!

[@animaegray]

Absolutely amazing. I have two Korean LTDs that have less issues than this "custom shop", and those are about 1/5 the price. For $4k the guitar should be absolutely spotless and perfect, instead it looks like a $300 Indo-made B-stock, the issues with the neck alone are absurd at this price. Seriously, for $2k, which is half the price of this Jackson, you can get a Japanese Ibby or an ESP and then have them set up professionally, and you'd get one hell of a guitar (and to be honest, even the $1-1.5k top Korean or Indo models would work great as well). The extra $2k above this level of quality should be a guarantee that the guitar is 99.9% free of even the smallest defects, you should get the nicest, roundest, smoothest fret ends possible and surgically precise leveling and fret crowns. That inlay alone is a firm return at this price point, let alone all other issues.

[@jed_shred_guitars]

animaegray absolutely!

[@Dude_Slick]

My guitars range from $850 to $1800, and I couldn't imagine sending even the $800 model out to a client in that condition. You're not buying a Walmart guitar at that price, you expect quality and a fare bit of pride of craftsmanship to have gone into it.

[@nathandale6413]

Any update here? What was the outcome?