Randy Jackson Limited 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

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

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

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

I had played one of these in a store and liked the feel. After having one for a few weeks, I like it even more. I'm slightly taller than the average guy. Hence my fingers are a bit longer than the average guy. Maybe it is just because the neck seems to get thinner as you get up to the higher notes, but it seems like the neck is a little wider than the rest of my guitars up around the 15th to 24th frets. ("rest of my guitars" include Les Paul, Strat, Ibanez RG550, EVH Wolfgang, and others for reference). Aside from how great the paint job LOOKS, it does not have a gloss coat on it. This is a good thing since the paint job extends up the back of the neck allowing your hand to slide quite freely on the back of the neck. The bridge humbucker is fantastic. It screams the notes clearly with ZERO noise or hum when not playing. I'm not that impressed with the neck humbucker, but that's comparing it to the neck hum on my Les Paul, Carvin, and PRS Custom. AND, for about 90% of the 80s hair band songs you are never using that pickup anyway. The Floyd Rose is great! I got tired of waiting for it to need minor tuning adjustments naturally, so I'm to the point of TRYING to make it go out of tune even slightly and it STILL stays locked in tune. Overall, this guitar is now my GO TO for anything 80s (the biggest chunk of my playing preference).Steve

I was keen to find a 6 string that had a fixed bridge that I could use for covers and so I can retune to alternate tunings easily without having to get the screwdrivers and spending a lot of time retuning like a Locking Tremolo guitar. Thankfully the guitar already had Seymour Duncan pick ups in which are essential to having a aggressive tone but as well allow good expression so this meant it would be a case of getting the guitar out the box and playing rather than buying separate pick ups having to fit them in and so on. As I wanted a guitar that wasn't black or brightly colored the desert sand finish on the guitar really stood out and attracted me. Most of the SLP2's have a great selection of finish's. As for the neck and wood finish it is very smoothly and allows you to get quick access from from end of the neck to the other. Behind each the tuners on the headstock, there is this interesting circular turning device to help lock in the strings. This may help keep it in tune more but I also just attribute it staying in tune due to the general quality of the guitar. I bend the strings a lot for my lead playing and I play very aggressively with thick picks and rhythmically so once I put some heavier strings on (my preference) and configured the bridge saddles with a very small L shaped Allen/hex key the guitar stayed in tune.Tom H.

I first bought a Jackson JS34Q Dinky DKA-M online without having seen or played it. I went to guitar Center to pick it up the next day and was blown away by how it looked. Way beyond my expectations. However, after getting home and playing it, it didn't take long for me to regret the purchase. I'm not going to go into it here, I will review that guitar separately but now you know where I'm coming from. I just dropped $400 on a guitar and was disappointed. I took it back and went right for this one. It had what the JS34 didn';t the abilityt to stay in tune and quality hardware. It looks and feels great but most importantly it sounds great. The knobs actually affect the sound wqith vewry little turning, like my Fender Strat. Mosat shred guitars I've ever owned sound good only when cranked up but these offer different levels of quality sound. The switch feels solid and knobs don't turn too easily. The neck is incredibly fast although my 6th string had a bit of a buzz when played open of all things. I'm going to have a local guy fix that tomorrow. Other than that this is my favorite guitar and I own 12 others. Prior to getting this, my fave was the Dean Dave Mustaine Angel of Death V and I still love that guitar but this one is lighter, easier to play and it inspires new riffs from me better than any of my others. I will upgrade the pick ups tho. Not sure which yet but I'll have fun trying to figure that out.Bruce M

I play locally for hire as a solo acoustic guitar / vocalist. My primary guitar is a Martin GPCP Aura. I purchased the Martin SC 13E in hopes of finding a guitar with better action and playability. My first reaction to the 13E was really nice and it did play with less effort / strength than my GPCP. The first issue I noticed was string buzz on the 1st and 2nd strings. It wasn't awful but noticeable. I played the guitar that weekend at two shows. I was still noticing the buzz. So, I started the set-up investigation. The neck relief, the slight bow forward that a guitar neck needs, looked really good, maybe could use a bit more to help with the string buzz. This is an easy truss rod adjustment; however, I didn't change the truss rod setting. The next thing I looked at was the distance of the string height, above the 12th fret. My thought was I would try to lower this slightly if I decided to keep the guitar. The next weekend I got the guitar out at home before getting ready for my show that evening, to run through a new song I was planning to do at hat nights show. I took the SC13E out of the bag and the 1st and 2nd strings were touching the guitar at the 20th fret. I thought the saddle had somehow pushed down lower into the bridge…. I exchanged that guitar for another SC1E. GC person was easy to work with and got the exchange handled quickly. About 3-4 days I had my second SC13E in my hands. It also had the same string buzz, even though the neck relief and action looked good. I played a couple of shows with this guitar and then I started noticing the buzz getting worse. If you are still reading, the reward is at hand. lol I have decided that the problem with this guitar, and probably the other guitar, is the neck angle is off. I will explain why I think it is off and explain how you can check your guitar. I have watched hundreds of youtube videos trying to learn how to set-up and care for my instruments. I have watched neck adjustment videos put out by fender, for their strat guitars, because I wanted to know how to adjust my Acoustasonic Strat. But what I am getting ready to sell you, I have discovered on my own and may not be accurate, but here it goes. If I put a capo, or hold the strings down with my hand. on the 12th fret, there is a space between the strings and the frets above the 12th fret. A pretty wide gap at the 20th fret. On the SC13E the strings are almost touching and the 1st string is touching. Wa La I believe that neck angle is off. I think it was off on both guitars. So check yours before missing your return date. If you check your guitar and it has this problem, don't totally freak out. The SC13E has an adjustable neck angle, so it can be made perfect. If you find what I described above, I suggest contacting Martin Guitar and GC. Another thing to be aware of, the three Martin guitars I have owned had the nut groves cut too narrow. I took my GPCP to an excellent luthier. He filed the width and depth to correct specifications and filed down my frets (I had two that where high) Both of the SC13E guitars needed to have the nuts filed. If you are trying to tune your guitar by making a very slight turn to get it just right and the string doesn't increase pitch and then jumps to a sharp pitch, the string is probably pinching in the nut grove. Both SC13E's were boogers to tune for that reason. One of them broke the B string while tuning up from dropping the pitch. I am returning my second SC13E tomorrow and I think I am going to give it a rest for awhile. Maybe look for something different. FYI: I love my Martin GPCP Aura, unfortunately they discontinued that model. The sound I get from the Fishman Aura electronics is the best I have heard. PS: part of the reason the SC13E plays easier is they use a lighter gauge string. I put a set of the MA535T Martin Lifespan strings on mt GPCP and even with the truss rod loose, the strings don't pull on the neck hard enough to give me the neck relief that is needed. The SC13E is a beautiful guitar to look at and the electronics onboard sound very nice. I learned, I'm not a big fan of having the controls inside the sound hole. A little awkward to get to while strumming and the phase reverse switch is way back from the opening. If you like using the hole covers to fight feedback, I'm pretty sure you would be out of luck. I think this price range of acoustic guitar should come with a hard case. I gave this guitar a 2 rating because it has potential BUT i do think both of these guitars suffered from poor quality control. My luthier could have made both of these guitars sing beautifully but I refuse to buy a new guitar and send it for repairs, even if the repairs are set-up issues. A new guitar on the north side of a thousand dollars should show up playing without string buzzing and the strings close enough to the neck that you hand doesn't feel like you just hung from the monkey bars during an entire recess.Dale

This is a beautiful instrument with a stunning full acoustic sound despite the deep cut away and relatively small body size. The amazing design allows for unlimited access to the upper frets and the whole instrument feels very comfortable to play. I wanted an acoustic guitar with the accessibility of an electric and this new design from C.F.Martin delivers that in droves without ever loosing it's acoustic personality and sound. I own a super jumbo acoustic made by another company but the SC13e makes it sound dull and lifeless even before it is plugged in. The SC13e has that familiar Martin sound which is full and beautiful. The fishman pickup will then allow that sound to be delivered to anywhere from a gig in a noisy pub to full stadium if required. What a stunning instrument!Reviewed by Kenny's Music custom

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

I had played one of these in a store and liked the feel. After having one for a few weeks, I like it even more. I'm slightly taller than the average guy. Hence my fingers are a bit longer than the average guy. Maybe it is just because the neck seems to get thinner as you get up to the higher notes, but it seems like the neck is a little wider than the rest of my guitars up around the 15th to 24th frets. ("rest of my guitars" include Les Paul, Strat, Ibanez RG550, EVH Wolfgang, and others for reference). Aside from how great the paint job LOOKS, it does not have a gloss coat on it. This is a good thing since the paint job extends up the back of the neck allowing your hand to slide quite freely on the back of the neck. The bridge humbucker is fantastic. It screams the notes clearly with ZERO noise or hum when not playing. I'm not that impressed with the neck humbucker, but that's comparing it to the neck hum on my Les Paul, Carvin, and PRS Custom. AND, for about 90% of the 80s hair band songs you are never using that pickup anyway. The Floyd Rose is great! I got tired of waiting for it to need minor tuning adjustments naturally, so I'm to the point of TRYING to make it go out of tune even slightly and it STILL stays locked in tune. Overall, this guitar is now my GO TO for anything 80s (the biggest chunk of my playing preference).Steve

I was keen to find a 6 string that had a fixed bridge that I could use for covers and so I can retune to alternate tunings easily without having to get the screwdrivers and spending a lot of time retuning like a Locking Tremolo guitar. Thankfully the guitar already had Seymour Duncan pick ups in which are essential to having a aggressive tone but as well allow good expression so this meant it would be a case of getting the guitar out the box and playing rather than buying separate pick ups having to fit them in and so on. As I wanted a guitar that wasn't black or brightly colored the desert sand finish on the guitar really stood out and attracted me. Most of the SLP2's have a great selection of finish's. As for the neck and wood finish it is very smoothly and allows you to get quick access from from end of the neck to the other. Behind each the tuners on the headstock, there is this interesting circular turning device to help lock in the strings. This may help keep it in tune more but I also just attribute it staying in tune due to the general quality of the guitar. I bend the strings a lot for my lead playing and I play very aggressively with thick picks and rhythmically so once I put some heavier strings on (my preference) and configured the bridge saddles with a very small L shaped Allen/hex key the guitar stayed in tune.Tom H.

I've been playing around with guitars for several decades. In the early days I was forced into buying used gear but that changed. And when I bought myself an Epiphone J-160E. It's a versatile guitar that can be played as acoustic if you put acoustic strings on it. And electric if you use electric guitar strings. Pyramid Medium gauge is the best. I also bought a Gibson EJ-160. These guitars resemble each other. But it stops there. Both guitars sound amazing and the different voices blend well while recording.PC54

Recently ordered a new EJ-160E from MF as an "open box" item. Placed the order on the 20th of the month and it was waiting on my doorstep on the 25th. I've only this guitar in my hands for 24-hours, but I am a very happy camper! I should mention that I've owned a John Lennon Signature Ltd. Edition EJ-160E ever since 2007. That John Lennon is a beautiful guitar and has a few decorative niceties which have been dropped on this current model. To Epiphone's credit, however, they have corrected the single biggest flaw of my 2007 John Lennon model, and that was the longer 25.5" scale. This new model has the same 24.75" scale as the "high end" Gibson J-160E. This correction alone makes this current model a better Beatles tribute guitar than the signature John Lennon. And for me, this difference in comfort and playability means that my 2007 model will soon be hanging on the consignment wall at my local guitar shop. Aside from the cosmetic differences, this current guitar also has X-bracing rather than cross-bracing, but the two guitars sound pretty much identical to me. I don't currently own an amp, so I can't judge how they compare when plugged in.Dave G.

Received this guitar today and after having spent a few hours with it I do like the guitar quite a bit. However, it did have a couple of issues I had to address: 1) The factory strings suck – replace them right away. Made a world of difference 2) The G tuning machine on the guitar I received was not screwed in all the way. Easy fix but should have never gone out like that 3) Truss rod was too tight and was causing some fret buzz, a quick adjustment corrected this completely. I have had no tuning issues (holding tune very well) and no intonation issues at all. The pickup does have a low output, however this is due to the fact that it is an electric guitar pickup and not designed to be used with the type of acoustic strings we have today. I did run it through the compressor pedal on my rig and it brought the volume up considerably, but a preamp may be the way to go if you want to use it plugged in and sharing an amp/rig with other guitars. The tone is decent, not amazing but very enjoyable (Again, putting decent quality strings on it made a huge difference). It plays quite easily and the scale length is very comfortable. The 3-tone vintage sunburst is much more subdued than pictured, but I think it looks a lot better than the stock photos show. The "E" emblem on the pickguard came off with the plastic wrap which was fine with me because I was going to remove it anyways. All in all, if you like The Beatles or just need something unique, it's a very good guitar for the money.PSDoherty85

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

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

I was pleasantly surprised. Love the body shape and feel, the neck reminds me of a LP a little bit. I had to do a small setup and of course new strings. The locking tuners work great, stays in tune great. Like I said at the first, I like the shape of the first Concorde, I got the white one. Love it.TwoBit

I played a Gibson J-45 previously. I was looking for a smaller body size to make it easier to play and write at the same time. l laso wanted a cut away body for higher fret action. The G-Force tuner was an interesting plus. the tuner works nice for studio and stage tuning in standard tuning. Using the G-Force to tune other than standard tuning is really to complex in terms of the multiple buttons you have to press in specific sequence to make the use impractical. The G-Force tuner also requires some very specific steps to restring the guitar. I really, really like the sound. You might think with shallow body depth and body cut away that the sound may be less than a full dreadnought sound. This sound is better than the J-45 I have played for years. The appearance and workmanship is impeccable. There is a special insert included to store the guitar in a standard dreadnought case. This is a nice feature by Gibson, as the guitar shallow body would make it bounce around in a standard dreadnought case. I grew up in Kalamazoo Michigan, the home of Gibson guitars. A number of my family members worked at the Gibson plant. I played Epiphone and Gibson guitars from the Kalamzoo Parson Street factory since I was a kid. This is the best Gibson I have ever played.Lorenzo

I have been playing for 30 years. I own several J45s, none of them rosewood.. Interesting that the Songwriter comes in a J45 case. I have truly enjoyed the tonal quality of this guitar. It has a nice clarity and truly excels when played in the finger picking style The Fishman electronics give this guitar some additional range to dial in the tone you want. It sounds great plugged as well. I wish I had bought one of these 10 years ago.Philip S

This CBG ismade in China, it say this nowhere on this site or anywhere else. Many fret ends were unpolished and hurt the palm of my hand. The pickup system is weak and noisy. The neck contour and finger board is playable. The sound is fair for a resonator. The biggest problem is they put a thin veneer cover plate on the back to access the electronics, a disaster waiting to happen and the pictures did not show this. The cover plate is very thin and could crack easily or be pried over time by snagging on a shirt. The best part was the dealer shipped fast and readily accepted the return due to the condition of this CBG.Mark

I have played guitar for fifty plus years. 42 years with my Martin D-35. I have no experience with cigar box guitars but decided to take an affordable risk. It has good construction. It came setup to my liking. Keeps its tune – GDGB. I like the sound. I like the looks of the guitar. Its fun to play. I liked the price. Its not my Martin. I dont want it to be. It stands on its own merits.rrdilworth74

This thing shreds.. came set up to play right out of the box. The Seymour Parallel Axis trembucker gives you all the gain and tone you could ask for out of a guitar like this.. ebony fretboard and thin neck make playing this thing a breeze.Craig

Overall: Coming from a Schecter Hellraiser and being in the market for a single cut for a while I came across this guitar. While not single cut the body is full and provides great tone. The neck is phenomenal and stiff. The dimarzio dominion pickups shocked me coming from fishman and emg experiance and I now want a set for my hellraiser. The shape might not be for everyone but I love it. I feel bad because the ole hellraiser has been stuck in a case for 4 weeks now lol. Do yourself a favor and try one of these out.Joe

I got the walnut model. Killer top. Couple dust spots in finish and Jackson tape line on neck but inlays and top both look great. Low action out of box. Pickups sound great. Those Dominions just have that midrange roar to them. Playing thru a Herbert with Marshall 4×12 with v30 and gt75 it just sounds great and plays very easily. Already one of my favorites.Todd

I almost returned this because it definitely has some quality control issues that should’ve exist on a guitar at this price points. Things like discoloration in the neck binding and sloppiness near the heel of the neck. With that being said god this thing is a beast. The pickups and tonal options are amazing. So much versatility out of the neck pickup. Flip the switch, roll back on the volume knob and it’s a really nice clean that breaks up a little bit with attacking more aggressively. The timers are locking Jackson and seem to be fine but I’m sure I’ll swap those out later.Matthew

I'd been in the market for a new acoustic for a while but never really knew which one to go for. Luckily, PMT in Birmingham has a fantastic range of acoustics and their super helpful staff were extremely patient with me as I tried about a dozen different models, including various Taylors and Martins. For some reason, I had always thought that Taylor and Martin guitars would be the cream of the crop when it came to acoustics and, as such, had never considered Gibsons even though I own several Gibson electrics. However, the second I started playing the Gibson SJ200, it was obvious that this was the one. A really comfortable neck, a gloriously balanced sound that you can 'feel' wash through you when you play, great responsiveness to the attack of your pick… I could go on. Whilst it might be a strange thing to say, whilst it does have a great pickup in it, it feels more like a traditional acoustic guitar than any of the others that I played. Whatever your style – fingerpicking through to power chord rock – this one does it all. Granted, it ain't cheap. However, if you're only ever going to buy one acoustic to keep forever, I would heartily recommend trying a Gibson Montana SJ200. If it's good enough for the likes of Bob Dylan, George Harrison and Pete Townsend, then it's good enough for me!David C.

I use this guitar in regular performances in my group, the Ramblin' Rangers. It complements the rest of my Gibson guitars with its full sound and ease of playing.Ranger Brad