[jacksonplayer]

Just got this from the friendly UPS delivery guy. 1988 Soloist with a fairly unusual (for a Soloist) reverse headstock. Crappy iPhone pics:

Note the Jackson JT-6 trem. It's the last time you will ever see it on this guitar. A Schaller Floyd is sitting in the next room waiting to be installed. Even with the strings partially detuned for shipping, the amazing tonesucking quality of the JT-6 is evident, especially on the wound strings (I've noticed this on other guitars with JT-6s). I've also got an old OFR on its way to me, so that might come into play.

Electronics are almost certainly going to be yanked, too, though I don't know which Jackson pickups these are. It's got a five-way switch, which is pretty cool. I had to get back to the office, so I barely had a chance to do more than take these pics. Better ones will be forthcoming.

 

[darren]

Very nice! White Soloists are such a classic look.

 

[playstopause]

Wow. Beautiful and RHLC© approved. :yesway:

 

[jaxadam]

Awesome, man!

A new trem and some new pickups and you will have a beast right there!

 

[Josh]

"Amazing tonesucking quality" :lol:

Looks great though! How many Soloists do you have now?

 

[Soopahmahn]

Nice! :yesway:

 

[Kagami]

Reverse headstock ftw!! that looks killer man, I still want a DK-1 with a reverse headstock.

 

[Randy]

:yum:

 

[jacksonplayer]

How many Soloists do you have now?

Far too many. :lol:

Can't bear to sell 'em, though. I have been selling off a few other non-Soloists, however.

 

[343]

OOOOOO very nice

:wub: white guitars

 

[1]

Darren will take those pickups from you!

 

[Matt]

Another awesome soloist Chris, congrats! Can't wait to see it with a proper trem too!

 

[GentleHands McCoy]

So many awesome things on that guitar!

-Non Recessed Floyd
-Painted logo (looks painted in the picture)
-Blade selector switch

Any routing for pullups? Can't really tell from the picture.

 

[Mike]

From that time period, there's probably no rout. The logo's probably the plastic cap, too.

 

[darren]

Darren will take those pickups from you!

:fawk:

I've learned my lesson.

ALDRICH!

 

[Josh]

:fawk:

I've learned my lesson.

ALDRICH!

Damn right :agreed:

:squint:

 

[dolingerjacob]

oooooooo pretty. Nice score dude.

 

[noodles]

Fuck the headstock, it's a two hum Soloist! :wag:

 

[jacksonplayer]

From that time period, there's probably no rout. The logo's probably the plastic cap, too.

Correct on both counts.

I believe the painted headstock face went away during 1985, though there was a transition period. My January '85 guitar is painted, and my June '85 guitar has the cap. This '88 does have the decal logo rather than the MOP logo that Jackson started using in 1990.

BTW, I'm learning patience the hard way. The Jackson-logoed Schaller Floyd I got off of eBay has a short block that doesn't fit in this guitar (I forgot to make sure it had a long block), and the block from the JT-6 is not compatible with the Schaller baseplate.

I've got a vintage OFR on its way with a long block, and I could cannibalize one of my other guitars in the meantime, but it's late, and I'm tired...

I took off the plastic pickup covers, which were just clumsily glued onto the top of the bobbins. Nice job, Jackson. :lol:

Supposedly, removing the covers actually does improve the sound, I'm guessing by making the positioning of the them a little more precise. The bridge pickup in this guitar is the Alnico J-50B, not the nasty ceramic J-50BC. I like the J-50B in my blue '85 w/OFR, so I'll be curious to see if the change in trem works similar magic on the '88. The J-50B was all kinds of mush with the cover and the JT-6, but that's probably mostly the trem.

 

[noodles]

Now is the perfect time to order a Floyd Upgrade big block. :yesway: