GuitarBizarre

You rang?


In a nutshell, Dave is right, although I must add the opinion that the slight extra hassle of a floyd becomes negligible once you inform yourself about how everything works, and is TOTALLY worth the effort if you make sure your guitar is equipped with a good unit. Jacksons have one advantage over everything else on the market though. They're the only major manufacturer offering compound radius fretboards. Don't know what that is? Check this out:

Warmoth Direct - Replacement Guitar Necks, Custom Guitar Necks, Guitar Conversion Necks


Now, before you get all hyped up on warmoths blurb about these things, be aware, a lot of people really don't like compound radius. I'm in the middle. On some guitars its been great for me, on others I've hated it. Make sure you know what you're getting yourself into.

Don't know if you like it? Play a guitar with, then a guitar without. (Note: Anything non-jackson and non-custom is almost guaranteed to be 'without') Make sure to compare action between low and high frets, and try just sliding a bar chord from fret to fret to check how they feel on flat and curved areas of the neck. For something that feels really freaky and will help test this out, try these chords:

e -2----2----2
b -2----2----2
g -4----4----2
d -2----2----6
a -5----5----4
e -x----3----2

Those are all barred so you can move them anywhere on the neck, although with that last one you might find yourself accidentally choking the higher strings. I know I certainly do if i'm not concentrating.

Jacksons website will list on the specsheet for each guitar the radius of the fretboard. Standard seems to be 12" to 14", but others are available.

As for 'pro series' can you elaborate on which exact model you're looking at? Because according to the jackson website you could be talking about either of the following guitars:

Jackson® Guitars : The Bloodline
Jackson® Guitars : The Bloodline

They also have a lot of interest in the old 'pro series' models that pop up on ebay every now and again. a Silver KV Pro on the'bay is a 90's guitar that fetches at least a few hundred no matter who sells it or where it is. I've seen them go for $1000 sometimes, and a little more than that for the silver.


Its hard to say exactly whats gonna be a good choice and what isn't without a proper model to go on. The RR3 I linked there for example is definitely NOT one to go for because the Floyd is licensed, and its not a schaller or Gotoh licensed either, so the likelihood is it will be much less reliable and far inferior to either and OFR, Schaller, or Gotoh Floyd rose.

I did a big ol' post on the different floating bridge types out there. If you check my post history, you can see them all compared and detailed. The ibanez ones are only available on ibanez guitars, obviously.

If its not on the list, then its 99% likely a cheap licensed copy tremolo and not worth looking at. THe exception is the Graphtech LB63, which isn't on the list because it came out after I wrote it. Those are fine tremolos from all appearances, but you won't be finding them on production model guitars for at least a while, if ever, they're strictly custom shop and modification only right now.

Heres the thread where I posted the list: http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...o-lessons.html

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