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I love AMS ! My home burnt down I lost everything.. With and help I was able to get my guitar on pd
By: Brian
Submitted: 3/4/2024
Product Rating
Product Review
I love my gear so much. I love that DMS help me after my house fire where I lost everything. Being able to play a guitar has really helped me overcome the trauma from the fire.
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Great for the price
By: Brian R
Submitted: 11/9/2023
Product Review
Great price for what you get. Mine arrived setup almost perfect. The neck is to die for.
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Great feeling and awesome playing guitar
By: Jeremy
Submitted: 3/6/2023
1 person found this review helpful.
Product Review
This is a supper amazing guitar. This is like a charvel. But not as expensive but still sounds good and is worth every cent. If your thinking about it I would recommend buying it you won’t be disappointed.
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Great guitar just make sure there's no quality control issues upon arrival
By: Jake arias
Submitted: 2/24/2023
Product Review
Great guitar. Good balance between a shredder and a classic strat. Some production runs have known quality control issues with the floyd rose nut/fret work that are usually easily fixable, if you have general understanding of setting up guitars.
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Great mid level guitar
By: Kenny
Submitted: 2/8/2023
1 person found this review helpful.
Product Review
For the price this is one of the best mid level guitars I have ever played. The Floyd Rose ALWAYS stays in tune no matter how hard or long you play it . The time is absolutely amazing!. The detail to the work is great.The fretboard has no overhang and no sharp ends, the setup right out of box was spot on!
I can't say no bad things about this guitar. I haved owned tons of guitars over the years and have to say this one is awesome.
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I got it 3 days earlier than estimated
By: Danny Clements
Submitted: 9/2/2022
2 people found this review helpful.
Product Review
Great guitar. So easily playable. Just love it! This is the second of that series that I now own.
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Pleasant surprise
By: Bigredmcgee
Submitted: 4/6/2022
2 people found this review helpful.
Product Review
I just got this so it is not a long term review. After years of eyeballing this and convincing myself out of it, I just bought it. Have been playing it for several hrs now. So far so good. I love Jackson and Charvel guitars and I love Adrian Smith and Jake E Lee…..I don’t love the price on USA Jackson/Charvel.
The box was well packed (fed Ex was actually on time for once) as Jackson’s always are. After a quick set up I plugged her in. Right off the bat I was pleased with the sound of the humbucker through my 5150 and the single coils were a bit more than decent. The necks radious is perfect with a wide ish but not so thin neck. Absolutely no sharp frets, and no E string slippage as reported in the past. The FR special has held tune with many dive bombs so far. If you are considering getting one DO IT!!!
1 small con- the truss rod adjustment, you have to remove the neck but I have some classic vintage guitars that are the same….nbd for me.
BUY one and ROCK ON!
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Feels and sounds like a strat.
By: Joey Castillo
Submitted: 1/6/2022
2 people found this review helpful.
Product Review
If you want a guitar with strat tone and a floyd rose in one deal, grab one of these Jackson's. When mine arrived, it was packed well into 2 boxes and some wrap,ect. Straight from the box it seems to have a pro set up. Feels fast, sounds good. Get it, got it, Good!
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Adrian doesn't play if he put his name on it.
By: Pete white
Submitted: 5/7/2021
4 people found this review helpful.
Product Review
This thing is a strat on steroids. I play it every weekend. Plays amazing. Floyd rose stays in tune .for 500 dollars it's a great guitar.i have 6 guitars 4 are Jackson's. I play this one .
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JACKSON MAKES GREAT GUITARS
By: PETE GOMEZ
Submitted: 5/6/2021
4 people found this review helpful.
Product Review
HAS A GREAT FEEL AND A FAST NECK. THE PICK-UPS LACK SUSTAIN
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Buy this guitar NOW
By: DN
Submitted: 4/23/2021
2 people found this review helpful.
Product Review
This guitar is amazing, from the feel, tone, and price. For the price this is a steal. Even the Floyd Rose whammy bar is awesome, really makes your guitar sing. Thank you to AMS for their payment plans and great customer service. Get this guitar, you will not be disappointed!
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Nice Guitar at a Nice Price.
By: Old Guy In The Midwest.
Submitted: 3/27/2021
3 people found this review helpful.
Product Review
This guitar is a very good value for it's cost. I really like the neck, as it's finish is really good for a guitar in this price range. Frets are smooth and the ends were done nicely, no snags on the fingers. The Floyd Rose Special holds tune nicely. I made some minor adjustments in string action and trem height to get really low action. The pick ups sound great coming through my Marshall DSL 20 Head and Cab.I really like the Fender style headstock with the black hardware. Overall it's an amazing guitar for the price. I am a musician of 35+ years and have owned many, many guitars over the years. I purchased this for my 15 year old son as it was an upgrade from his first guitar, a Squire HSS Strat. He loves the instrument. There are reviews where there's mention of the 1st E coming off the fretboard during play, I or my Son have had no issues with this. Maybe it's a technique thing.. Best of wishes to all you shredders!!
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Up the Irons
By: Jacob Guerrero
Submitted: 2/6/2021
3 people found this review helpful.
Product Review
This guitar is amazing! Looks good and feels good. Would definitely recommend. Honestly this will be hung in a maiden tribute room (lol), but the guitar plays amazing.
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Buy an Ibanez, this isn't worth it.
By: Unhappy customer
Submitted: 12/22/2020
7 people found this review helpful.
Product Review
* Light weight. I didn't even bother plugging this guitar into an amp. There is no beef to it.
* would require significant set-up time. Not a player right out of the box.
* Came with dead strings.
* Cannot access truss rod for adjustments without disassembling guitar.
* Feels cheap.
* Packaging was really beat up.
* Had to pay $23 dollars in return fees. AMS sells me a really crummy guitar and I have to pay them to give it back. I won't be back. Merry Christmas
I'm really surprised that Adrian Smith put his name on this. His playing is quality, this guitar is not.
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Jackson Adrian Smith Signature model delivers!!
By: Rob
Submitted: 12/5/2020
6 people found this review helpful.
Product Review
As Expected this Jackson strat style electric delivers on levels, I like Jackson Guitars ( I own 5 )
I originally bought this being an Iron Maiden fan but the guitar sounds incredible clean or with distortion
(Played through both a small And 100 watt Marshall)
The action on the neck is my favorite feature
Great for playing leads , easy to play chords , IMO this guitar is made for playing live and its awesome for practicing, the Floyd Rose delivers as well as expected! I highly recommend this guitar!!
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AWESOME GUITAR
By: richard dilkey
Submitted: 6/6/2020
11 people found this review helpful.
Product Review
I Think this guitar is awesome.. Stays in tune
even when i mess around using the whammy bar.... I am
really happy i got it...
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Excellent guitar
By: Sw
Submitted: 2/21/2020
1 person found this review helpful.
Product Review
Would have given this guitar 5 stars.
However to adjust the truss rod you have to remove the neck.
Speaking of the neck.
Absolutely flawless fretwork and finish.
On par with the Charvels.
Single coils were better than expected.
But the bridge pickup lacks punch.
Not a bad sound just not for me.
I upgraded with a Seymour Duncan JB trembucker bridge and a hot rail at the neck with a quarter pounder in the middle position.
Guitar just sounds amazing now.
Floyd works great for a special and holds true .
Action is low and it plays like a Ferrari.
Intonation is spot on.
This is an excellent instrument.
I absolutely recommend it.
Only gripe is getting to the truss rod.
But it's a maple neck so that helps .
Worth far more than 499$
If you ask me.
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Great guitar but not for me
By: Anonymous
Submitted: 1/6/2020
1 person found this review helpful.
Product Review
So this guitar arrived with an awesome packaging job and apon opening the fit and finish was amazing the neck was fast and comfortable but the pickups sounded flat to me and didnt have the punch I wanted, if your playing blues or rock this guitar would be perfect for you.
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This guitar is extremely well put together
By: Sonny Griffin
Submitted: 9/26/2019
7 people found this review helpful.
Product Review
First I would like to say that I am not a person that is a fan of signature series guitars. You may buy an Angus Young model guitar but it's not going to make you sound and play like Angus. Having said that I ordered this Adrian Smith model Jackson because I like Jackson guitars and I really liked the look of the guitar. I have several Jacksons and I love then all, and have been playing Jacksons since the early 80s. When I took the Smith model out of the box the first thing I noticed was the guitar was quite heavy for a strat type guitar and it felt very solid. I put my ernie ball super slinkys on it and adjusted the intonation because I always play a half step down. I plugged it into my amp that I record with and it sounded unbelievably good. It felt very natural in my hands and played very smoothly. I have over twentyfive very nice guitars and seldom have I ever had a guitar feel so perfect with almost no adjusting or tweaking. I play metal and this guitar brings it. I can totally see why a great player like Adrian Smith would be proud to have his name on this guitar.
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Will need a setup
By: Waylon
Submitted: 6/9/2019
3 people found this review helpful.
Product Review
This is a really nice guitar, the neck is thin and I mean thin. It’s not quite Ibanez thin but thinner than an LTD 1000.
The pickups are decent and far better than expected in this price range. I actually like the HB in this guitar better than the older AM Strat Specials. The SCs will not compete with Fender’s but they are serviceable.
The FR is what it is, not the best but not the worst. It holds tune does as it’s supposed to, so no real complaint.
Now the bad. When I received mine it had a super high action at the bridge. The action across the board was decent, not high or extremely low.
The bad part is the neck had a shim under it, you could see a gap between neck and pocket. I’m assuming it was done to get a low action while still having a push/pull tremolo. I removed it and got as close to a decked bridge as possible, 1/8” or less off body. There’s no way to fully deck, which I prefer since I dive only.
If this had been a normal truss guitar I’d have returned it but since it’s a heel adjust, to me it’s no big deal. I do wish they would have used a wedge shim instead of sandpaper right at the end. I’m in the camp of it can cause a bump in the board, so it just depends on your view of shims.
Truth is they may not all be shimmed, probably depends on who is setting up the guitar during inspection. Then for the price of the guitar I can see why as it’s fast, no way they spend hours setting up a $500 guitar, I get that.
There were also a few QC things as well. The 17th fret marker looked smeared a little, needed a little more clean up sanding. There was a mark in the paint at the top of the pocket. Had to make some adjustments at the head since the lockers were turning some strings sharp.
All in all it’s worth the price. It compares to a MIM or somewhere between the 400 to 1000 series LTD. The main thing is just a setup, if you don’t know how spend the money and have it done. Be advised though, with the FR and a heel adjust neck, it’s going to probably cost more than standard guitar, depending on where you go.
If you’re looking for a Strat body this fits perfectly in its price range as it’s about a $100 more than a decent Squier but a $150 less than a MIM. Then honestly the neck beats both out of the water. The neck is just fantastic, the compound radius is just amazing, especially if you prefer a lower action. Really you’re buying the neck and getting the rest for free.
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Sounds awesome
By: Andrew Perez
Submitted: 6/5/2019
1 person found this review helpful.
Product Review
Picked up this guitar because I wanted a guitar with a Floyd rose and it works great. If you’re looking to go crazy on the whammy then this guitar is not for you. But the guitar sounds and plays great, few minor adjustments but nothing too major. Love this guitar
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Feels good playing this beast
By: Robert
Submitted: 3/5/2019
5 people found this review helpful.
Product Review
I'm very picky on my guitars... Played different kinds and sent them back disappointed.. no way I'm sending this Jackson Adrian Smith SDX back... Feels good playing it.. very smooth.. very well built
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Screaming machine all the way
By: Donald Roberts
Submitted: 10/19/2018
3 people found this review helpful.
Product Review
This guitar is mean looks great
And serves plenty of justice I never expected what this jackson could do. The price is out standing again american music rocks they make things happen for the musicians killer payment plans you can afford AMS. ROCK'S
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AMS delivers Top Notch as always!!! GREAT AXE!!!
By: Mickster
Submitted: 9/11/2018
3 people found this review helpful.
Product Review
This is a great shredding machine!!! Fantastic Neck! I great tone for pickups! AMS was Awesome to deal with as usual!!! I recommend American Musical Supply purchases to everyone!!! The payment pal is extremely easy and painless! THANK YOU AGAIN AMS!!! And Adrian Smith Rules!! Buy his Axe!!
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Fantastic..great craftsmanship
By: AJR Oklahoma
Submitted: 8/16/2018
41 people found this review helpful.
Product Review
Professional craftsmanship and quality i love it
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Went From Hate to Love
By: Mike R.
Submitted: 3/1/2018
4 people found this review helpful.
Product Review
I bought this guitar about a month ago and was totally disappointed at first. The set up had to be done by a blind and deaf guy.The action was horrendous, the intonation wasn't even close and it needed a neck adjustment. I read similar reviews about the high E string being too close to the edge of the neck and its true. Although it looks like it was lifted off and slid over a millimeter or two to compensate. If you remove the trem cover, it looks like pine. I will say that it looks GORGEOUS and after a pro setup it came to life. Be prepared to spend some out of pocket cash to get it playable. But once you do its a keeper for sure!
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It's all about the neck
By: Wilson
Submitted: 1/18/2017
2 people found this review helpful.
Product Review
I picked the maple fretboard model, and got an Indonesian model, with the proper R3 nut.
My only issue, specifically, was a pickguard screw that completely missed the body, near the pickup selector. The routing was a bit aggressive. I glued in a bit more wood, to give 2 screws a bit more bite, and problem solved.
Since purchase, I added some Schaller locking tuners, German R3 nut, new custom pickguard with 500k pots, Heavy Blues 2 single coils, and F-spaced Super Distortion bridge pickup, and a German original Floyd Rose.
All in all, it was totally worth it. The basswood body sounds awesome, the sustain is great, the neck is wonderful, and I still only spent half what a US San Dimas Adrian Smith goes for!
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Love the Guitar
By: brett Blair
Submitted: 11/30/2015
1 person found this review helpful.
Product Review
But honestly if your a Jackson fan when you take off the back plate it looks like pine.Also i had the same problem.Its like they built the nut area wrong.The high e string is way to close to the edge of the frets.Every time i play a lead or a chord the high e string slides off the bottom of the fret board.no matter how hard i try to lightly use or reposition my finger angle.I actually took the two screws out of the nut and slid the nut over just a hair to center both e strings on the neck.Then she played like a dream...and yes the neck and middle pick ups are not very loud or powerful. sorry should have spent my $ on a real 80s japan jackson...
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I love the look and sound of this guitar, however...
By: Carlos Conde
Submitted: 8/18/2015
5 people found this review helpful.
Product Review
The separation/distribution of the string positions within the guitar neck is really bad, specifically for the high E string. If you like to see what I say, just compare this guitar photos with the Charvel Pro Mod So-Cal Style 1 HH. It might not be an issue for you, but for me it was a deal breaker. :(
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well worth the money
By: Dale Johnson
Submitted: 3/11/2015
4 people found this review helpful.
Product Review
A great guitar really nice action sounds great on my Marshall amp I would strongly recommend buying for new or expeirinced guitar players
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A "Real" Jackson
By: Greg Lygon
Submitted: 6/25/2014
1 person found this review helpful.
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Adrian Smith SDX review
By: Sharkroy from Tucson, Arizona
Submitted: 11/26/2012
3 people found this review helpful.
Better quality than expected at this price point, made in India. Fit was good everywhere and no issues with electronics. Great neck feel (rolled edges, natural oil finish, 1 piece Maple)
Haven't had it very long yet, however, with past experience with the Floyd Rose Special bridge (on a LTD ST203FR) I will look to upgrade this to an Original FR or a Jackson FR from the next higher line (DK2 etc.). The FR specials are a bit lightweight and the fine tuners are of low quality (threads can be difficult to turn).
Your general opinion of this product.
This was a great buy at the Dent & Scratch price ($389) and after long inspection, I could not find a flaw anywhere (except possibly in fret box #1 where the finish of the neck, next to where the FR nut is, is not completed sanded/smooth). The Basswood is a bit lighter than my Alder body strat, but still feels weighty enough for good tone (especially after a pick-up Upgrade). On par with the nicer level Squire strats like the Classic Vibe series.
The neck was my the main attraction to this model, and I am very happy with the neck feel. Very close to the Charvel San Dimas line (little bit thinner in profile). Love the natural finish of the Maple, although it will get dirty/oil stained from fingers soon, but that worn-in character is kind of cool. Frets were not polished, so a bit rough feeling when bending notes, however they soon wear-in and get slippery. Rolled edges/fret ends is excellent & very comfortable. Came shipped in-tune and with low action, no fret buzz anywhere. Bridge was set up well (in the center of it's floating travel)
Pick-ups sufficient and in-line with this price point, and would probably serve the casual player well. However, I feel this is a must-need area of upgrade for gigging, and will be installing a real Dimarzio SD first thing.
Snow White paint is really bright and the paint finish was outstanding, with no flaws what so ever (and this is even a "Dent & Scratch" version) The pick guard showed signs of strumming on the protective plastic wrap, possibly from the factory QC check? However, once it is pealed off, the pick guard was perfect/new underneath as expected.
Great low action right out of the box, no buzzing anywhere, very easy thin-wide neck to play on, and love the natural wood finish (no clear coat, except on headstock, logo side only) of the neck.
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Bargain
By: Martin Tykesson from Bjuv, Skåne, Sweden
Submitted: 8/21/2012
6 people found this review helpful.
It both sounds, plays and look great. A real bargain. Everything seems to be well put together and no compromises.
Only had it one day but tuning holds.
Your general opinion of this product.
Amazing. I though I had to send it to a guitar tech to get it setup they way I like it and maybe change some pickups and FR. But I'm amazed how good these puppies sound. Better than my real strats and the sound fits together.
Really nice neck. No glossy laquer. Its matt and feels real good. This is the first of all my guitars that I like straight out of the package.
I think you can have it all. The tone control really makes a big difference to getting the sound.
No dings or nothing. Perfect.
As I wrote earlier. Perfect according to my desire. Not to high not to low to get good bends.
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Great Guitar for the price
By: Vegas House from Las Vegas, NV
Submitted: 7/20/2012
5 people found this review helpful.
the neck was perfect out of the box...had to lower the strings a bit and one of the neck bolts needed a small tightening
not sure ..just got it
Your general opinion of this product.
Great guitar for the price. 'San Dimas' style wide neck and the humbucker looks and sounds like a Dimarzio Super Distortion
The neck is thin (think Wizard) and wide (think San Dimas). This was my main reason for the purchase and you get the old school non-recessed floyd and jackson strat headstock
Pickups sound great and this guitar has a perfect amount of bite and dark growl for hard rock and metal with the humbucker...and I was getting floyd-esque tones with the middle single coil
Paint job and color sceme are perfect and it looks like I paid 3 times as much for this guitar
a tad high and needed to be lowered