FT: Jackson San Dimas Soloist 1986

Hydra19

I've got a terrible case of Telecaster G.A.S and it's time for this guitar to find a better home. It was my first heavy metal guitar with a Floyd and EMGs and we haven't bonded to the point where it's on a no sale list.

Jackson San Dimas Soloist with factory installed Floyd and EMG's, they're also original to the guitar. It absolutely rips, and sounds best under gain. It has a top loading Floyd and the body wins are poplar. It's all black!

I've posted images of this guitar in a NGD thread but they have disappeared so until I get some new images online tomorrow all I have is this video of the guitar

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOHs08cepug

Not sure on the value of this guitar but I'm hoping to trade it for a nice Telecaster of similar value, although what I really want is a Nocaster. I doubt shredders have Telecasters to trade and vice versa so I might put this on sale down the line, but for now, I'd rather have a Telecaster.

Garthy

I'd be surprised if you couldn't get £1500 for it.

Hydra19

thanks, and would these guitars to worth less than the more recent ones? Because I see those going for astronomical prices, but people say these older San Dimas have mojo or old-school vibe. I've never played any other Jackson, this one has the back angled neck a la Les Paul

RevMatt

Garthy said:

I'd be surprised if you couldn't get £1500 for it.

Agreed - you don't get many older (80s) Jacksons come up for sale and I'd say there's definitely some collectability about them, so if you find the right buyer it should get a good price.

Garthy

Hydra19 said:

thanks, and would these guitars to worth less than the more recent ones? Because I see those going for astronomical prices, but people say these older San Dimas have mojo or old-school vibe. I've never played any other Jackson, this one has the back angled neck a la Les Paul

These were pre-production if I recall correctly and quite rare. Yours is also well specced as they usually had Jackson’s own pickups and JT6 tremolo in 1986 and they moved to Ontario California later in the year. I’d have thought the rarity alone would price them higher than a 1991+ USA but the U.K. is a funny market for superstrats.

Moloch

Depends on whether you're willing to ship. I had an '87 Soloist last year that went for about £950, because I'm reluctant to entrust things to couriers.

sharpjimbo

As others have said, the right buyer would pay £1,500 for a genuine pre Ontario (pre '86) soloist in decent condition.

I sold a platinum pink '86 soloist for £2,100 last year - some (most) would argue that a Floyd is more desireable than a Kahler. 

https://reverb.com/uk/item/14274005-jackson-custom-shop-usa-soloist-1986-san-dimas

Interesting you say that it's got EMGs, that's pretty unique if they're original. Also the posts on the trem will tell you whether it was an original Floyd or whether someone's taken off the JT6 and replaced it with a Floyd.

There are little details like the screw hole location on the machine heads and the logo postion on the front of the headstock that tell you more about when it was made in '86.

Hydra19

Yes, I checked all that, made in the USA underneath the logo, and the EMGs have the old style logo on them. It was sold as a rare, custom ordered soloist with 2 EMG humbuckers and factory installed Floyd, so if that's true, it was ordered like that. It does sound great for heavy metal, but although I love to listen to it, it's not all I play so have been thinking of having a more verstatile guitar around, but I'm worried if I get rid of it, I'll miss it soon enough, and they're quite rare, as mentioned

kipple

Do you mind disclosing the serial number please, It should be stamped in the wood on the first fret, Also I would like to know if there there are binding nibs on the end of the frets.
1986 was the year that Jackson changed production from San Dimas to Ontario so the guitar could possibly be San Dimas era or Ontario era ,both are good and all USA Jackson guitars from this era were custom orders with a long wait time. There will most likely be a work order stamped in the one of the pickup cavities
Thanks

Hydra19

I haven't checked the pickup cavities, it does not have nibs but I understand those went in 1985, but I could be wrong. Can't remember the serial number off the top of my head so I'll post it later

Hydra19

double post

kipple

Hydra19 said:

I haven't checked the pickup cavities, it does not have nibs but I understand those went in 1985, but I could be wrong. Can't remember the serial number off the top of my head so I'll post it later

OK thanks. I'm not exactly sure either regarding nibs and dates. I know there was a cutoff year that they stopped the nibs as a standard feature but even past that cutoff point they could still be added as custom order... The nibs as a custom order WERE expensive even back then.
The Pink Jackson in the background in the vid looks nice as well..

Garthy

Hydra19 said:

Yes, I checked all that, made in the USA underneath the logo, and the EMGs have the old style logo on them. It was sold as a rare, custom ordered soloist with 2 EMG humbuckers and factory installed Floyd, so if that's true, it was ordered like that. It does sound great for heavy metal, but although I love to listen to it, it's not all I play so have been thinking of having a more verstatile guitar around, but I'm worried if I get rid of it, I'll miss it soon enough, and they're quite rare, as mentioned

You could trade the it with cash your way for a more modern SL1 with single coils in the middle and neck position?

Hydra19

This was not my first choice, my 1st choice was an Acapulco Gold SL1 from 2007 but that sale fell through, and then another, and finally I got offered this, I've played it pretty much exclusively for the past 6 months, I would have never thought I'd buy a guitar with a Floyd, or with EMG's but it's nice to push yourself to new places. I will have to re-evaluate my position with this guitar, as it's not my #1 anymore, but it is still an iconic guitar, especially for someone who loves 80's music as I do

sharpjimbo

From what you've said and from what I can see on the video, the headstock logo is early 86'. As others have said, pretty sure nibs stopped in '85. If you look at the back of the tuners, the screw holes should come off at a straight 90 degree angle.

It's a cool Jackson, me 5 years ago would have happily paid you £1,500 for it. It's cool, GLWS.

The Jackson crowd isn't huge over here in the UK, when I was selling off my custom shop and vintage Jackson collection I listed them on here and got a load of LOLs... I listed them on Reverb and got a tonne of interest and they sold quickly for the price I wanted. In the end, all of them ended up being sold to buyers in the US.

EDIT: I just found your original NGD post, those are JT6 posts, so the Floyd was added after. Although a lot of people did it, adding a Floyd to JT6 posts isn't a straight swap, so that may go some way to explaining the tuning issues.

Hydra19

Thanks for the advice, the guitar hasn't had any tuning issues, apart from when my hand presses down on the Floyd, never got that playing right as I tend to lean my hand on the bridge. I'll think it over and list it on Reverb probably, I've just started selling internationally again and it's much better. Had no interest on my Mosrite '66 and some questioned whether it was a reissue but I found a buyer in the States, who even knew the Ventures!
Telecaster wise. I'll probably go for a Tokai Breezysound and can always get a Nocaster down the line if the Tele proves to be for me.
Serial number for the jackson is j2125, does anyone know what month it would have been made?

Maynehead

Assuming the same number of guitars were made each month, sometime in the middle of May.

fretmeister

sharpjimbo said:

As others have said, the right buyer would pay £1,500 for a genuine pre Ontario (pre '86) soloist in decent condition.

I sold a platinum pink '86 soloist for £2,100 last year - some (most) would argue that a Floyd is more desireable than a Kahler. 

https://reverb.com/uk/item/14274005-jackson-custom-shop-usa-soloist-1986-san-dimas

Interesting you say that it's got EMGs, that's pretty unique if they're original. Also the posts on the trem will tell you whether it was an original Floyd or whether someone's taken off the JT6 and replaced it with a Floyd.

There are little details like the screw hole location on the machine heads and the logo postion on the front of the headstock that tell you more about when it was made in '86.

That pink one is awesome.
I really like Kahler trems