Looks nice, what's the difference with an SL-1?
The differences are a bit weird on this one.
| SL-1 | SL-3 | American Series SL-3 |
Fingerboard | Ebony | Rosewood | Ebony |
Bridge | Original Floyd Rose | FR 1000 | FR 1500 |
Middle Pickup | Stacked | Rails | Stacked |
Made in | US | Japan | US |
To me it looks like they took a lot of the specs of the SL-1 and put them in the American Series SL-3.
The biggest difference, and the one most people are complaining about is the user of the FR-1500 instead of OFR. The 1000 is same material and specs as the OFR, but made in Korea instead of Germany. I have a few of each, and honestly, they both work great. The 1000 is not like the special made of cheaper materials. The only difference between them that I have felt and experience is that the German one feels a bit smoother out of the box with the fine tuners.
The 1500 is a 1000 but with a few parts upgraded to stainless steel that the OFR does not have either. And it also has a push in tremolo arm vs the screw on cuff that the 1000 and OFR come with. On the one hand, I like that cuff thing because it's easy to put in a turbo trem arm for convenience, but this push in trem arm because it feels *really* good. This one feels better than the push in arm I have on my Ibanez Edge and Fender American Pro.
The real verdict on tremolos is though, does it stay in tune? Yes, yes it does. Very well.
This guitar so far has the "it" factor that is working for me so far. I am not sure how to say exactly what it is, but it is something like this. Earlier this year I picked up a PRS Silver Sky SE since I wanted a Strat style guitar with all single coils. It plays well, it plays in tune, it sounds good, but it just does not inspire me to pick it up and play it at all. It could be me. But, when I found that Fender American Strat and decided to buy that, I play that one all the time.
I don't think this is the right word, but the PRS SE feels 'cheap' compared to the Fender. I am not saying PRS is 'cheap' but I also admit, I have yet to play a PRS that I have fallen in love with. But between these two, there is this difference. Playing a big open E chord unplugged, I can *feel* it with the Fender, and even feel the vibration in the body of the guitar that the PRS is missing.
The same thing is going on with this Jackson. Which is impressive considering it has a floating Floyd on it. That body just rings and vibrates with my playing like my Les Pauls in a way that my Schecter which is very similarly specced does not. And when I pick up the Jackson vs the Schecter, the Jackson just feels way more solid.
It is a bit early to tell though. I guess I will have to see in 6 months where this guitar ends up. Will it be one of my 'players' that I want to pick up and play on a regular basis? Will it be one of the 'specials' that I pick up because it does a specific thing? Will it be a wall candy, one of the ones I just like to have because I want to have it? Or will it end up in the "I should really sell this" guitars.