I bought this in the early 1990s – I was briefly playing with a chap called Dave Sharman, who was a Jackson endorsee, and he got it for me at factory price.
I didn't really play it much and when I dug it out a few years ago it wasn't in the most playable shape – the neck was bowed from decades of being under tension with no TLC, and the trust rod was maxed out. So I slackened the strings and put it back in its case, hoping that somehow, that might help.
Recently, I've been looking for a new bass – my main instrument is a Variax 705 which sounds and plays great, but is too heavy, and has become problematic (the low E is much louder than the other strings and it won't go into calibration mode). Then I remembered the Jackson. I dug it out and... it's fine! There's still a slight bow to the neck but it plays better than it ever has, and it's fairly light too.
These are curious instruments. To the best of my knowledge, Jackson only made these for two years – there are plenty examples of Charvel Eliminators online, but not too many of the Japanese Jackson versions. I've heard a few negative comments about the Reflex Silver Series pickups, but they're pretty good. It's an active circuit and I can best describe it as sounding like a Jazz on steroids. You can dial in anything from Rickenbacker clang to wooden Jazz thump.
I put it through its paces the other night with a cover band that I play in – a mixed bag ranging from '90s Indie to '70s classic rock to '80s pop. The Variax was great in this situation of course, but it turns out that the Jackson delivers all the tones that I need, and them some.
I make no apologies for the strap ('80s Tin Pan Alley vintage from my hair metal days) and only a small apology for the two holes near the bridge; I had a GK-3B mounted on there for ages.
Has anyone else had experience of these basses? I still get a buzz from owning a Jackson from the days when they were the prestige instruments... for a certain style of music.
I didn't really play it much and when I dug it out a few years ago it wasn't in the most playable shape – the neck was bowed from decades of being under tension with no TLC, and the trust rod was maxed out. So I slackened the strings and put it back in its case, hoping that somehow, that might help.
Recently, I've been looking for a new bass – my main instrument is a Variax 705 which sounds and plays great, but is too heavy, and has become problematic (the low E is much louder than the other strings and it won't go into calibration mode). Then I remembered the Jackson. I dug it out and... it's fine! There's still a slight bow to the neck but it plays better than it ever has, and it's fairly light too.
These are curious instruments. To the best of my knowledge, Jackson only made these for two years – there are plenty examples of Charvel Eliminators online, but not too many of the Japanese Jackson versions. I've heard a few negative comments about the Reflex Silver Series pickups, but they're pretty good. It's an active circuit and I can best describe it as sounding like a Jazz on steroids. You can dial in anything from Rickenbacker clang to wooden Jazz thump.
I put it through its paces the other night with a cover band that I play in – a mixed bag ranging from '90s Indie to '70s classic rock to '80s pop. The Variax was great in this situation of course, but it turns out that the Jackson delivers all the tones that I need, and them some.
I make no apologies for the strap ('80s Tin Pan Alley vintage from my hair metal days) and only a small apology for the two holes near the bridge; I had a GK-3B mounted on there for ages.
Has anyone else had experience of these basses? I still get a buzz from owning a Jackson from the days when they were the prestige instruments... for a certain style of music.
