Randy Jackson Diamond Edition Acoustic Electric Guitar For Sale (2024 Update)

I had this on my wish list for a couple of years and after finally getting to try it out at my local Sam Ash, it did not disappoint. Online reviews were consistently good with a few mentions of the strings being coated and how it gave an unusual feel and sound. According to the Michael Kelly website, the strings are D'Addario EXP16 Coated Phosphor Bronze, Light, 12-53, so they shouldn't be some off the wall knock offs but my experience over the last few weeks has been that after a few minutes of playing, the tips of my fingers on my fret hand and the palm of my strumming hand turned black. I've never had this happen on any other guitars I have. I tried rotating after 15 minutes between my Jackson, my Strat, my Martin Backpacker and then my Michael Kelly and, every time, after a few minutes of playing the Forte Port, my fingers turned black. I've played a lot of guitars since the 80's (not professionally) and this is a new one on me. Obviously, the strings can be changed but I feel it is worth mentioning because for someone's first guitar, it may be off putting if they are unaware. If I can edit a review, I'll try to add a pic of my fingers (there's no way to make that sound right…) when I get time. That's my two cents…Sean

Overall: I was reluctant to buy this Michael Kelly. I like to try it before I buy it . With that being said , The guitar come it flawless. It was packaged very good . I played for about an hour after opening the box. The action is spot on. It plays and feels more like an electric guitar. Hammer on pull offs pitch bends are perfect. The sustain goes on forever. The neck feels a touch wider than my Martin, but that's a good thing for me. There are no fret buzzes at. It's vert light and comfortable , light weight is a must , I have had shoulder surgery 3 times. The balance and weight are near perfect . Michael Kelly may not have the prestige of Martin. Gibson and such , but as far as the sound and quality build , it simply can not be beat in this price range.Mark

I bought this guitar to serve as a backup while my main guitar, an Ibanez Premium RG1070FM, is gone several weeks for warranty repair. I needed a practice guitar with the same scale length and double-locking tremolo, and after three days, it's doing great. It's my first guitar with a poplar body, and tonally it seems similar to basswood but slightly brigher; this combination of woods and pickups makes the guitar nice for mid-heavy soloing without sounding brittle. The neck and fretboard rivals guitars costing three times as much, like the Charvel Pro-Mod DK24 HH FR I had. The neck joint and heel is less clunky than the Charvel's when it comes to reaching frets 19-24; although playing the upper frets is better on the JS32DKA, I still prefer the All-Access Neck Joint on late model Ibanez RGs. I've been an Ibanez RG devotee for 23 years, but thanks to the JS32DKA, I'll give Jackson guitars serious consideration when I'm in the market for a gigging gutiar. I'm thinking Soloist SL2 or SL3. A few negative: 1. There was too much play in the tremolo arm, despite the inner hex screw and arm collar being fully tightened. Sadly, I've played enough entry-level guitars to know that this is a fact of life. I had spare parts, so I replaced the arm socket with and arm with Floyd Rose branded one I had lying around. The collar still needs to be tightened down after every song, but the socket itself no longer wobbles in the base plate when you pull or push the bar. 2. My bridge pickup squeals with moderate gain dialed in on my Blackstar HT Club 40 MKII amp. I have DiMarzio pickups on my Ibanez and Seymour Duncans in my Schecter, and I get no feedback with those guitars; this leads me to believe the stock pickups in the JS32 are not wax potted to prevent feedback.Indiana_Tim

I needed a comfortable guitar to record some song ideas, and this one seemed to fit the bill. The finish is really nice, although it's a lot darker in person than it is in the pictures. It's really comfortable sitting down. It seems to stay in tune, so I don't have to put locking tuners on it just yet. And now for the downsides… There's a few minor blemishes on the back of the neck, but they can probably be easily sanded out, or them might smoothen out after significant playing time. The fretboard is incredibly dry, so I recommend conditioning it with some mineral oil right away. The pickups are low quality. As in, they kinda hurt your ears when playing them. No big deal, I'm gonna switch them out for some EMG 81/60 I got lying around, so I didn't expect them to be good from the start. No big deal, really. What IS a big deal is the quality control on the frets. They are very rough, they make a scraping sound when you bend strings (which can be heard even through heavy distortion) and kills the notes real fast. I can't play it until I get them properly polished, so I get to dump some more money into it. Despite the low price, I expected more from Jackson, honestlyThijs

I love jackson guitars. I recently purchased the js32 and not being picky at all. First thing out of the box, impressed that it was really close to in tune yet immediately it had fret buzz, Could see runs in the paint as well. Ended up adjusting the truss rod, to help with fret buzz, adjusting the bridge to combat overly high action then adjusting springs in the back to compensate. By the time i had done that i also had to run the pick-ups way down due to strings touching. Literally nothing left un-adjusted in order to make it playable compared to their higher dollar guitars. 2 hours into it i could enjoy it. I think i blame fender takeover. Side note, bought a 700 dollar jackson and everything was horrible, turned out brand new, the strings were way too thick and had excessive pressure on the bridge, impossible to play.Randall Tadych

I bought this guitar as a mod platform. As such, some of its stock faults, while present, simply don't matter. Top to bottom: Tuners suck, swapped them within hours. Nut is plastic, will replace with my first GraphTech nut. Neck is very thin, very nice. Frets are a mixed bag, as they may need very little leveling or polishing, but the fret ends are the sharpest I've ever seen! Pickups sound surprisingly good, though I'm only barely tempted to keep them. Bridge is maybe okay, swapped it first thing. I should mention that the stock bridge was decked. This is no problem with an old campaigner like me, but a beginner would have frustrating problems with it. This is my first guitar with a conical ("compound") fretboard radius! Never knew it could feel this good! If you're buying one for a rank beginner, either set aside money for a good setup or find your newb some good lessons in maintenance on YouTube.Edwin

Great guitar for under $200 , got this for reduced price because of very faint blemish on the back of the body. This is my second Jackson , also have the Rhoads JS32 V. Been wanting this one for a while , it sounds and plays great. The tuners are fine and I lowered the action to my liking and have no fret buzz , none on my other Jackson either. These are solid guitars and build is great for the price , they're comfortable to play especially with the thin necks. They come pretty well set-up right out of the box unlike others in the same price range , the JS22 is right up there with some of my more expensive guitars , great tone and sustain. I play for a hobby and have several guitars and this is up there with my Schecter and Ibanez , this is a great guitar for a beginner or experienced player and also a nice addition to your collection. I've bought other guitars in this price range that were a mess and needed a complete set-up , for the price you can't go wrong with Jackson!Mike G.

Overall: This guitar is a real sleeper. The neck is just so nice to play really amazing and it balances really well. I have two of them when I get them I just rip out the electronics and put all new stuff. They play great out of the box though and you could use to pick up some electronics that are in them until you decide to get better stuff. The fundamentals of the guitar are almost perfect something about the angled headstock make it so the strings have just the right amount of tension on them and it plays great. The downside of this is that it doesn't come back into tune as well as a strat style headstock but since I don't use the tremolo much or even at all sometimes this doesn't bother me. I love the caramelized Maple neck it has a great feel to it the other one I have is rosewood and it's also awesome.John

This guitar is a blast to play. The finish is nice and the fretwork was perfect. The only issue I had was with the tremolo not holding tune when I did extreme pulls and dives. (Not uncommon with this particular model Floyd Rose.) After installing a stop, extra spring, and restringing, it now stays in tune now matter how far I dive bomb. I also have a US made Jackson RR1, and this guitar compliments it nicely. It's a blast to play – you just have to be careful with that point sticking out in the back! 😉Tom

Let's face it. You're looking at this guitar because you want a flashy guitar and you want to rip it on the neck. Well, if that IS the case, you came to the right place. This is honestly one of the best guitars I've ever touched let alone owned. The neck is unbelievably fast and the action is perfect. The frets are almost silky smooth and is incredibly comfortable to move around on. The Seymour Duncans scream and will hold notes forever if you are able to. The bottom of the neck is also surprisingly easy to access for a V shaped guitar. It almost feels like theres no difference from reaching the bottoms frets than it is the higher frets. To cut to the chase, if you want to shred and have a comfortable guitar, this is for you.Salem Galaxy

I've had my RRX24 for about a month. I own other high end guitars and I have owned a few USA Jacksons in the past. I selected the gloss black finish with black inlays. The color combination is great for me. Jackson even includes a dark gray logo to complement the theme. The only visual drawback for me is the rather light colored rosewood fretboard. I dyed mine darker so problem solved. The neck on the RRX24 features graphite reinforcement which, at least in my case, makes the neck feel very rigid and it responds quickly to truss rod adjustments. The fret work is quite good; there were no sharp ends and I only did a very light fret level job to it. I level the frets on most every guitar I get because most all of them need it-even the USA built ones. There is binding on the neck but it's black so you really can't see it in photos but it's a nice touch. The balance of the guitar is perfect-it will not neck dive. The Duncan blackouts are hot and full of low end thunder. Love 'em. Great choice for a RR guitar as they can sound thin sometimes. The Floyd Rose Special bridge is not bad. Do be aware that the saddles may not last on the Special as they are cast zinc as opposed to the hardened steel found on the 1000 series or original Floyd's. I will probably change those out in the future. The tuners are standard Jackson branded and they work fine. You'll be locking the nut anyway. Overall, I love the guitar. It's very comfortable especially when standing up. It sounds great and looks killer. It feels like a quality instrument. I'd have no issues playing live or recording with it.T. Clyatt

This is an incredible axe! Fender wasn't lying when they said it's their most versatile guitar yet. You'll pull sounds out of this thing that you only used to dream about. It's light on the shoulder but not at the expense of tone and voice, actually I should say voices. It replaces at least 10 of my guitars. It's a giggers dream come true. Worth every penny. I just hope that it can take a licking and keep on picking. Thanks Fender and thanks Sam Ash! Jake at the San Diego store went the extra mile that I've come to expect from Sam Ash. They never disappoint me.Night Train

From the 1st time I saw this guitar it peaked my interest. I play an electric guitar and found it difficult to play an acoustic guitar. This guitar IS A CHAMP! Although it is an acostic-electric guitar, I love that it is made like the traditional electric Telecaster guitar. The neck is slimmer just like my electric Telecaster and the body of the guitar is also slim and light weight. This guitar is awesome with all the voicing and new cool functions that makes it comparable to an electric guitar. I can finally play on this Acoustasonic Telecaster the songs that I struggled to play on my standard acoustic guitar. It's an awesome transitional instrument. The next time I have band rehearsals, I will bring both my Telecasters. 😊😁 If I could, I definitely buying the Acoustasonic Stratocaster and the Acoustasonic Jazzmaster!Kami

I got this guitar because I wanted an acoustic guitar and I'm used to the feel of electric guitars. I find that the ability to dial-in different tone to be a vey nice feature and I like to be able to amplify my sound. The different tones is are a bonus. What I really, really like after the sounds, is the weight and balance overall and the feel of the neck. It is much nicer than a bulky acoustic which usually requires a sitting position. The one drawback that I've run into is that the amplification hardware is battery driven (rechargeable) via a USB cable and it appears that it discharges even when not being played. Its rated at 20 hours but even if I don't play it, it needs a recharge in a day or two. I hesitate to leave it on the charger every time I put it down.JKS

Let's face it. You're looking at this guitar because you want a flashy guitar and you want to rip it on the neck. Well, if that IS the case, you came to the right place. This is honestly one of the best guitars I've ever touched let alone owned. The neck is unbelievably fast and the action is perfect. The frets are almost silky smooth and is incredibly comfortable to move around on. The Seymour Duncans scream and will hold notes forever if you are able to. The bottom of the neck is also surprisingly easy to access for a V shaped guitar. It almost feels like theres no difference from reaching the bottoms frets than it is the higher frets. To cut to the chase, if you want to shred and have a comfortable guitar, this is for you.Salem Galaxy

Ill Start with my background, ive been playing guitar since 2004, played live for several years in a metal band, and also did some church performances from time to time. ive owned a small handful of guitars in my several years playing, including 2 Squire Strats, 1 Epiphone Les Paul, 1 Jackson DKMG, etc… This guitar has a good feel to it and a thin comfortable neck you would expect from a jackson, the locking tremolo seems to work wonderfully, most of the hardware feels very solid but plain. now for the bad, after going from a les paul with EMGS to this guitar i noticed the pickups in this guitar sound very muddy when using overdrive/distortion (only tested it on solid state amp, may be different on a tube amp), soloing or sweep picking from the bridge pickup has a decent sound out of it, but as soon as 2 or more strings ring out the tone gets super muddy. the neck pickup has almost no treble and is even muddier than the bridge, however on a clean channel in the middle of the 3 way pickup selector it sounds decent, almost emulating a acoustic guitar. i will be switching to EMG81 in the Bridge, and EMG85 in the neck before recording or playing live with this guitar. i would recommend this guitar only to new players looking for a low/middle end guitar, or experienced player willing to shell out the extra cash for some new pickups. i give it 3 stars because of the pickups.AJ

I've had my RRX24 for about a month. I own other high end guitars and I have owned a few USA Jacksons in the past. I selected the gloss black finish with black inlays. The color combination is great for me. Jackson even includes a dark gray logo to complement the theme. The only visual drawback for me is the rather light colored rosewood fretboard. I dyed mine darker so problem solved. The neck on the RRX24 features graphite reinforcement which, at least in my case, makes the neck feel very rigid and it responds quickly to truss rod adjustments. The fret work is quite good; there were no sharp ends and I only did a very light fret level job to it. I level the frets on most every guitar I get because most all of them need it-even the USA built ones. There is binding on the neck but it's black so you really can't see it in photos but it's a nice touch. The balance of the guitar is perfect-it will not neck dive. The Duncan blackouts are hot and full of low end thunder. Love 'em. Great choice for a RR guitar as they can sound thin sometimes. The Floyd Rose Special bridge is not bad. Do be aware that the saddles may not last on the Special as they are cast zinc as opposed to the hardened steel found on the 1000 series or original Floyd's. I will probably change those out in the future. The tuners are standard Jackson branded and they work fine. You'll be locking the nut anyway. Overall, I love the guitar. It's very comfortable especially when standing up. It sounds great and looks killer. It feels like a quality instrument. I'd have no issues playing live or recording with it.T. Clyatt

Overall: First the guitar is very nice for the price. The neck is fantastic feels unfinished (sealed) but is actually a satin sealer on neck and unsealed board, which should age nicely. The frets are finished nicely and it's just smooth to play. The size of the neck is somewhere between an Ibanez (wizard II & III) and a Fender Strat. I think it feels better than an LTD EC 1001, probably due to no paint and compound radius.The guitar is heavier than expected but still a light guitar, it's not a thin body as some strat style guitars are. The guard is simple black but fitted nicely. The pickups aren't bad at all, personally the single coils sound mid and bass heavy, while the humbucker is more mid to bright. All in all compared to a Fender, the guitar is darker sounding, it's not bad but something I noticed.The single coils are definitely weaker (quieter) than the humbucker and not as crisp as ones in a strat. The humbucker is hot but not extremely so, I actually like it better than the ones in a comparable strat (MIM or older AM special).There are flaws though or at least in mine. First minor sanding flaw with 17th marker, smeared on board some. There's a chip in the paint on the top side of the pocket, looks like a small line about a 1/4" long. I also have some feathered pieces on the guard, where it was cut from the sheet of plastic it was made from. These are all minor things and you really have to go over the guitar to notice. It is something I expect at this price on an import guitar, just small QC stuff.Now to the major problems. The action was way high at the bridge when I received it, just under a 1/2" from top of body to bottom of the tremelo. Looking to figure out how low I could go, I noticed the neck was sitting at an angle and there was a gap in the neck pock.I removed the neck to find a shim had been placed in it. Now if this guitar wasn't heel adjust I would have just sent it back and never known but since you have to remove the neck for adjustment, figured why not. After removing shim I was able to get the bridge down to 1/8" off the body, you'll never be able to fully deck it. I also had to adjust string tension at the head to keep the lockers from turning strings sharp, not a huge deal, that's what it's there for.The newer models also don't match the picture. there is no longer a bullet plug on the head stock (where rod usually is on a strat). There is also no longer a skunk stripe on the back of the neck either. I am assuming these are cost cutting measures.The QC is an issue on these guitars I imagine, that's the biggest flaw. They are on par with most any $500 guitar, except the neck. The neck is leaps and bounds above others in my opinion. I put the guitar on the same level as a MIM strat.In the end I think it's a keeper and a decent guitar. I'd just suggest really looking over it when buying and be ready to do a little work or pay a good tech to set it up, which is common in this price range. Don't let it having a shim scare you off, it's probably rare anyways. I figure it was done as a fast way to set it up with a low board action to give people the ability to have a push pull trem, I prefer dive only or just enough for flutter. Just remember at $500, they aren't spending hours to set up a guitar, they'd never get enough out the door. I listed manufacturer support at 2 1/2 stars as I haven't used it but even if they are great I shouldn't have to need them (if they did what they should in the first place) so half way seems fair.Waylon

I have been playing guitar for over 50 years and have enjoyed the work of Adrian Smith in Iron Maiden and especially the work he did on the Bruce Dickenson solo albums. I was in the market for a high quality bolt on guitar with a Floyd Rose and ebony fingerboard and this guitar comes with a DiMarzio Super Distortion pickup which I used to have on one of my old Jacksons, I feel this is an great high gain pickup. This guitar has an excellent build quality that you would expect from a USA made Jackson. The guitar has a nice feel but the tone is so satisfying especially for high gain solos, the notes seem to have a fuller sound compared to some of my other high end guitars (Ibanez J. Custom, ESP E-II and Kiesel JB24), it's a very satisfying guitar to play. Please note that there are two similar models here, evidently this is the new model and the only difference in the description is that this is the snow white model and it's a few hundred dollars more than the other Adrian Smith San Dimas USA model. I had bought the other model first because I couldn't see any difference in the description but when I got it I needed to adjust the truss rod and that's when I found out that in order to adjust the truss rod on the cheaper model you have to remove the neck, I mean seriously? After I called Guitar Center and their tech confirmed that information I called Guitar Center and they gladly processed the return and got me the proper model in couple days no problem. Just be sure that you are getting the model that is snow white and look closely at the picture to see it has the spoke wheel adjustment for the truss rod but yeah the Adrian Smith San Dimas USA Snow White guitar sounds awesome!Mark G

This guitar is a very good value for it's cost. I really like the neck, as it's finish is really good for a guitar in this price range. Frets are smooth and the ends were done nicely, no snags on the fingers. The Floyd Rose Special holds tune nicely. I made some minor adjustments in string action and trem height to get really low action. The pick ups sound great coming through my Marshall DSL 20 Head and Cab.I really like the Fender style headstock with the black hardware. Overall it's an amazing guitar for the price. I am a musician of 35+ years and have owned many, many guitars over the years. I purchased this for my 15 year old son as it was an upgrade from his first guitar, a Squire HSS Strat. He loves the instrument. There are reviews where there's mention of the 1st E coming off the fretboard during play, I or my Son have had no issues with this. Maybe it's a technique thing.. Best of wishes to all you shredders!!Old Guy In The Midwest.

Super quick delivery and in perfect conditions. I love Jackson brand and super happy with tone of this guitar. Good value. Sam Ash needs to work with better inventory of online orders (even though this may have been related to COVID-19). Was hard to find a guitar that was available and unavailable ones were estimated to ship in 6+ weeks.Vinicius

I have one of these in trans black and love it. I own several guitars from expensive Les Paul's and SG's from Gibson, Nice Strat's and Tele from Fender and even two more Jackson Soloists. This little Dinky sounds as good or better than any of them and is a dream to play. I struggle with barre chords on some of my guitars but not with this sweetie. I play a lot of country and blues and she will call right in there with the best of them and turn heads doing it. One great guitar at a song of a price. So much so I am going to buy another so she won't be lonely.De_Stiller1948

This guitar has crispy sound right out of the box, I enjoy using it, it's a really fun guitar to use. At gigs this guitar will not fail you, it has great sound acoustically and connected I have no issue with this guitar at all no imperfections whatsoever. This guitar is pretty light not heavy at all, the inlays and really just the all around design and paint of the guitar is beautiful, this guitar is really elegant. This is Honestly worth the price no regrets whatsoever!Ozzie

before I brag on the EF341D , I want to brag on the staff at the las Vegas Sam Ash store. I purchased a Martin DC-13E Road series and decided the sound and quality was not to my liking. It had a strange resonation during strumming chords and plugged in to amp seemed worse. Maybe the type of wood it is made of or just me, and personnel likes. Anyway called the Sam Ash store and told them my dilemma, and honestly thought I would get the same Runa round I've gotten from other retail stores. I was wrong, I was treated with the utmost respect and understanding and exchanged the Martin for the EF341D without any Hassel whatsoever. The Senior Manager, Tony Giuffre was GREAT, he let me play every guitar hanging on the wall until I found the one I liked. Which turned out to be the Takamine EF341D. It sounds great through my old Fender Acoustasonic amp. I don't consider myself a professional guitarist , more like a hacker at best, but I perform at small venues and occasional wedding or Church service and Takamine makes me sound better than I am, and is a great quality instrument for my budget. So highest praise for Sam Ash, Tony Giuffre and Takamine. And please don't think I'm knocking Martin Guitars, I played on them many times and loved them, just didn't bond with the DC-13E this time .Anyway I would be hard pressed to go to any other music store ever again. So peace out and God bless everyone, even a wretched one like me.JESSE

I will start by saying I returned the guitar to the store where I bought it after about 10 days. It took some time for me to discover some small scratches on the back and a torn "wrap" around the neck pick-up. I decided I had a "used demo" and not a brand new guitar. However, I liked the guitar very much over-all. The finish is beatiful and the tone also very nice. I was a little unsure about the amaranth fretboard playability even though the set up was perfect. When bending strings it seemed to be just a little sticky. Not a whole lot, but enough to make me think that rosewood or ebony is a better choice. I also found that I really didn't like the sharp pointed headstock. Barely room to attach a tuner. So I deduct one star because of these "issues" . All in all, still a very good guitar and probably perfect for just the "right" player.JIm

Love this guitar. Neck and quilted purple body finish is amazing, pickups sound better than I thought they would. They sound real nice for stock pickups. Now the Jackson Floyd Rose…works flawlessly. GC guitar tech put some cobalt ernie ball 10s and a small set up and "wow" what a difference that made. This guitar came out of the box mostly in tune and set up with 9s. Sounded great but now plays and sounds so much better. Floyd stays in perfect tune even after a lot of abuse. Very impressed with the guitar for sure. So glad I bought this!Don M

Play through my effects to Sheffield Bandit miked to my Marshall. Heavy thick sound, versatile for metal to 70's rock and some rock-pop. No malfunctioning or cracking/breakage- used heavily for 18 months now. With the medium frets no problem re-doing the frets as they wear further. After setting it up, with new strings and a bit of noodling then moving the tremolo arm a bit, the licensed tremolo stays in tune. I'm very particular with pitch and use the micro-tuners as needed anyway. But no problem getting through a tune in tune. But also I don't slam the tremolo hard, a tiny touch is all that is needed for 90% of metal anyway. Good fit for venues, etcetera. More than adequate. Rather not risk my Strat, SG, Jr. etcetera so there is that as well. Already bought a Jackson JS34, almost identical backup still in the box in case of loss of this one. Mod? I may later replace bridge pick up with a higher level one and neck pickup with a antenuator/sustainer is the only modification I'd do probably. Recommend? For the reasons above-mentioned (general use, price/risk, functionality, genre of music) I would.Kryt Havoc

I bought this guitar about 7 years ago and haven't played anything that I like better. It tunes easy, plays good with very low strings, and holds tune for weeks. I play the crap out of it and rarely have to tune it with Elixir strings. I play two or three gigs a month and have only had trouble with the DSP electronics. They are great when it comes to features, but they shot themselves in the foot when they converted the 9 volt system to two AAs. They last about 6 hours and crap out (Energizer, Duracell, rechargeable, doesn't matter). Also, when using a Boss pedal tuner in line, the pedal tuner has trouble picking up the output and refuses to ever pick up the drop D tuning on the low E string. May be the guitar, may be the tuner. I also have the matching JJ signature 12 string that is an exact copy of the 6 string. I love this guitar as well. If you order it, don't order the DSP. You'll love the guitar, but hate the electronics.4x4Dually

I'm an average guitarist with a pleasing quiver of guitars that always seem to interest guitarists much better than myself. This Takamine is no exception. I love the thing. It just rings. I got it like 15 years ago through a friend who had a Takamine connection. Ridiculous discount. To this day, my guitarist friends drool over it. Anyway, this is a beautiful instrument.GemTones

This thing is great i own a RR3 bolt on neck with a mirror pickguard and detonator pickups and absolutly love it. Then this came i the mail and i feel like im cheating on it. The xseries is f#### awesome. The reverse headstock is sweet but not a big deal the fretboard though is slightly curved like the fenders so ot makes soloing sweeps hammers and pull etc etc much easier you dont have to do much work to find the notes…as if you just think it and your hand does it with little effort. Thats a big plus on my end, did i mention the active pickups scream bloody murder…yes, bloody murder, and best of all its carved outta one piece of wood. Need i say more, arrived flawlessly and the action was already set for speed picking i mean no biggy just lower the action right but with this fret board curved like i mention active pickups i mean its a dream come true. The only bad is that it didnt come with a pickguard like my RR3 but this is a guutar of guitars if you ask me. With the right amp to run it thru im sure all wpuld be happy with it as well. Hope this helps, shred onMichael

This guitar exceeded my expectations considering price point and some of the erratic reviews that I’ve seen. I don’t regret buying this instrument at all. I’ve been playing guitar since the early 1980s and have always avoided instruments like this one. I got a cheaper version of this a couple of years ago and decided To upgrade so that I could have a back up in case of a broken string on stage. The old one is definitely the back up now. For the money, this guitar is really awesome. I have a lot of instruments and this one is definitely going to be getting a ton of mileage.Joe Shlabotnik

2 disclaimers: I got this 5 days ago. I've had an Jackson RR tattoo for years. She's a looker… never thought I'd get a purple guitar but the purple quilt w/ gold hardware and white binding is gorgeous and I love how the reverse headstock has the color and quilting too. It plays fast as F. You'll wanna shred on it. It makes me wanna play Crazy Train, Holy Wars and the like but it may make you wanna play stuff that's way above my skill level and you can! Never had a Floyd Rose before but tuning it up wasn't too bad out the box (and it's super fun!); we'll see what happens when a string snaps. The frets and unlacquered back are smooth so it's easy to do fun slides and bendy things! The sustain is pretty good thanks to the mahogany body and the thru neck and it just feels solid. I've read this is heavy compared to other V's but it's the lightest of my 3 electrics and it feels quality and well balanced – there's no neck dive. I love that it comes installed with Dunlop button strap locks which I've had to purchase & install previously on my other 2 electrics. The pickups sound great with distortion and I haven't/am never going to play this w/o distortion so who cares about clean but I will say comparatively it doesn't sound as good as the EMG's on my EC-1000. There are some QC issues: There's fret buzz on the low E, some purple paint smudges on a small part of the white binding and the blending of the paint in some areas (which you generally never look at) could be better. I didn't have any of these issues on my (similarly priced) LTD EC-1000 and (my much cheaper) Ibanez AR-325 so these are pretty disappointing. Bottom line: I haven't put it down yet. It's fun to play and my other guitars currently feel unloved. If you like metal or you've always wanted a V this shape you should get it. I'm going 4/5 stars for the QC issues which are super disappointing but well reported on Indonesian Jacksons. Let's be honest – this purchase is mostly about speed and style. It sounds great and it delivers both of those in spades.Rishav

Paint job is just ok, but not great. It has a cheap quality to it, but looks good from a little distance. Matte is a hard paint job to be fair, and this is entry level, but still, this is a review. Pickup colors don't match at all. I bought black plastic pickup covers, which made it look a lot better fairly affordably. The plastics of the backplate, the humbucker rings, and the pick guard are super cheap and kinda bent, maybe from heat? Once again, entry level, but still, I've bought guitars at this price point without these kinds of issues. The Jackson version of Floyd Rose seems pretty ok considering. I've never had a Floyd rose that stayed in tune for very long, so this seems to be about right. The pickups sound very aggressive and bright, which was surprising. There is a loose wire that I had to tape down because of it hits the right spot, it cuts off the pickups (maybe a ground wire? Everything works still) The high string is a little too close to the edge of the edge of the neck for my liking, but I think that's just a personal preference. The body and neck seem solid, the neck is left unfinished, which I usually prefer, though this neck is like completely unfinished, so I'll probably need to get some sort of wood treatment for it. The fret inlays are great at this price point (not dots) and the frets don't have any burrs, which is a good thing for your fingers. The outline of the neck in white is also a classy touch, and the headstock is beautiful. Overall, it's an ok guitar. I would maybe get a different finish, and wouldn't expect it to be the greatest guitar ever, but it has a personality to it and is still a Randy Rhodes. Plays fairly well, definitely shredable. Accessing the 24th fret is a little bit of a reach, but that's ok. If I were Jackson (fender), I'd raise the price $20 and put decent plastics on it because it really does cheapen the guitar overall. I'll probably replace those parts myself over time, but I really shouldn't have to.Zachary

Words cant come close to describing this guitar. You have to play one to truly appreciate it. The action, tone, finish and overall quality of this guitar far exceeds anything Ive ever owned or played. Including my Gibson Les Paul Custom. I use my RR1 for all types of music, from metal to blues, and though the guitar does excel at the heavier tones, it creates sweet blues tones effortlessly. If you're on the fence about purchasing one of these incredible guitars, find one locally and spend some time playing it. I assure you, all your doubts will be forgotten as soon as you plug in.Don Brozz

I was never the type of player who gravitated towards "metal" guitars, with all of their funny, pointy shapes, and super hot pickups. Les Pauls were good enough for me. I was wrong. After doing a lot of research online, and playing a cheaper model at a local store, I decided to spring for the real deal, the RR1 (in snow white) and I think it's just about the best guitar I've ever played, and I've owned and played A LOT. I'm not a speed player. I want to be, don't get me wrong, but speed isn't my thing. I can do some Gilmour and some Jimmy Page and even Johnny Marr, but Randy Rhoads: I'm not…but this guitar certainly helps. I've never played a guitar that has singlehandedly improved my playing without me having to change my technique at all. This guitar was designed by people who know guitars and what players want. The notes just glide right off the finger tips without much effort. I have .09s on mine, with my action set as low as can be, and I can bust out "Blackened" and "Ride The Lightning" with no problem. Sure the body shape is a little bit awkward and unintuitive, but it's honestly a comfortable guitar (I have the V over top of my right leg and it's very comfortable…more so than a Gibson V). I believe these are jumbo frets and the neck is a compound radius. It feels a little bit different than the el cheapo Jacksons, and in a good way. The sound on this guitar is really just as impressive as the amazing fit and feel. The TB4 is as hot and as punchy as you'd expect. Whatever gain I want to throw its way, it's glad to handle. I was worried that I would have to use EMGs to get my sound, but these Duncans do the trick. The SH2 is another pleasant surprise, as well. Despite being a "jazz" pickup, it's another gain-loving monster. Cleaned up, the SH2 is the star of the show. The beautiful, balanced mellow tones are killer. With gain, you can even get a Guns N Roses tone pretty well out of the neck pickup. The clarity on both of these pickups is outstanding. When playing a song like Megadeth's "Holy Wars…" with fast picking, the individual notes come out much, much better than in my Gibson with the hot ceramic pickups. I think I'm going to keep this totally stock and use my money to put the EMGs in my Gibson instead. The only knock on this guitar isn't really about the guitar itself, but the Floyd Rose system. I gravitate towards "difficult" guitars. I love Jazzmasters and Gretsches, but I've never owned a legit Floyd Rose. Getting this set up was a chore, but after a new set of strings and a lot of little tweaks and adjustments, I think it would hold tune after the apocalypse. I'm digging the Floyd Rose, I just wish that it weren't so finicky and touchy. So, maybe it's not a knock, per se, but if this is your first guitar with a Floyd Rose, don't be discouraged if it takes a while to get the hang of the set up. I'm a believer in Jackson Guitars and I might even spring for a Soloist when it's time to look at guitars again. The USA models are top notch and are great for metal, but can definitely handle alternative and classic rock just as well.IronMorrissey

Amazing instrument, sound and feel. The imperiums bring out that piano like voicing with multiple note chords. Very dynamic pickups and the way it sits on your lap is perfect. I love it.Reviewed by Andertons Music Co.

It has a cool design and plays pretty smooth (after setting it up myself.) The main issue I have with this guitar its particularly at the 1st fret high E. When playing I keep slamming my finger into the sharp corner of the bone nut. That is really the kicker of it all. The pick ups are pretty good and have a pretty balanced sound that let you play clean cleans and dirty articulated lows. Holds tune pretty well. The feel of the neck is pretty smooth and doesn't feel like a 2×4 with strings on it..3-alch3mist-3

I've played a six string for 22 years and this is my first foray into the world of seven string guitars. I was a little intimidated thinking it would feel completely alien to me. I was also worried about the multiscale neck, for not having ever played one before. Taking all of that into consideration, this guitar feels fantastic. The tone is excellent and it feels great in my hands. I was able to learn a lot of new songs in no time. I would recommend this guitar to anyone thinking about switching over to a seven string.JOHN

Overall: This guitar is ideal for tunning under drop A, I play it in drop G and it is just made for great range. You can chug all day and solo like a shredder on the top. The tension on all the strings is great. You will need to get it set up so if you can do set ups yourself that is great, will not take long at all. The rail pickups are new to me but they cut the muddy freqs quite well! they are hot and clear. The pictures also do not do this guitar justice! In person the fretboard looks amazing and the finish is a nice dark red. Its a metal machine and the rounding of the neck joint is very nice to have!Vaughn

Overall: I love this guitar. I've purchased multiple guitars from zZounds and have owned many others over the years. This one is a monster. I'm a Floyd rose guy..not because I use the tremolo much but the tuning stability is something I just learned to "need". So I've generally avoided hard tails for that reason.(I own a Ken Susi LTD with the everyone and that's a different thing altogether) First Jackson guitar ever…love it. Smooth play..great tone…visually stunning!! Prettiest guitar ever made. (My opinion) it's flawless. Does it stay in tune like a Floyd? Of course not, but it does stay in tune. Long story short, there are guitars all over my house and I pick this one up 9 out of 10 times I play. It's truly a thing of beauty. (4.5 stars for value = at this price should at least be a gig bag if not a hard case.)Rich

Let me start out by stating this guitar is HEAVY!!! A good thing, if like me, you dig the whole weighty single cut thang! The purple shattered mirror finish is breathtaking. The great Jackson neck/fretboard is classically playable. The passive EMG p/u's offer great full tones and diversity, as well as plenty of chuggy crunch. I love this guitar 🎸 😍!!!Christopher