NGD: Jackson Juggernaut HT7 Satin Silver

[Musiscience]

I would return it, buy that Aristides, have a prefect guitar and save 1000$ In the process. This is totally unacceptable as everyone else said for a brand new 3.7k guitar. As said before, PRS would never let this slide for example. I heard of PRS fixing climate related problems for free on a second hand guitar.

Summary: Jackson, please.

 

[jephjacques]

QA suffers because Jackson USA is so overwhelmed with orders. Fender just doesnt give enough sh1t to give Jackson more tools and people.

I could definitely see this. It's taken forever for these maple-boarded MMs to come out, and it's become increasingly rare to see any USA made Jackson stuff at dealers that isn't a special run or full custom shop instrument.

 

[Jonathan20022]

Return it, I had to deal with FMIC and their standards on what are acceptable flaws on a brand new instrument. You expect that kind of excuse from some no name scammer luthier, not one of the biggest brands backed by a titan in the guitar world. Get your money back or another guitar, they do make fantastic stuff but these are fucking 3.6k new others build perfect guitars for far less money.

 

[JBM100]

Jackson's response was these issues are normal since they are mostly hand built, but I have a hard time accepting them on a guitar in this price range. I'd like to hear sevenstring's opinion about these QC issues and whether or not I should keep it for a discount (thanks Sweetwater) or wait a very long time for a replacement.
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What Jackson is saying here is that basically their luthiers are incompetent. Because a guitar is hand-built by a luthier it is expected to be flawless (!). At this price range, and we are talking here about $3500 (!), you expect the luthier to have spent time with the instrument and make sure it is top notch. The other unacceptable thing here is Sweetwater selling you this instrument for the full price. Aren't they supposed to have a "55-point Inspection process" ? What a joke. So they sell you this instrument which has several quality issues at full price, hoping that you will not notice? And when you do, they offer you a some cash back?.

If I were you, I would send it back to Sweetwater and ask for a full cash back. In the process, please make sure to write to the owner of Sweetwater, Mr. Surack (you received an automatic email with his contact info) and simply explain to him your experience.

What you described in your story is a shame for Jackson, Sweetwater and Misha. Imagine you have to sell this guitar: you will not get half the price for it, even if it is brand new.

Sorry for your trouble!

 

[Passtheapathy]

What Jackson is saying here is that basically their luthiers are incompetent. Because a guitar is hand-built by a luthier it is expected to be flawless (!). At this price range, and we are talking here about $3500 (!), you expect the luthier to have spent time with the instrument and make sure it is top notch. The other unacceptable thing here is Sweetwater selling you this instrument for the full price. Aren't they supposed to have a "55-point Inspection process" ? What a joke. So they sell you this instrument which has several quality issues at full price, hoping that you will not notice? And when you do, they offer you a some cash back?.

If I were you, I would send it back to Sweetwater and ask for a full cash back. In the process, please make sure to write to the owner of Sweetwater, Mr. Surack (you received an automatic email with his contact info) and simply explain to him your experience.

What you described in your story is a shame for Jackson, Sweetwater and Misha. Imagine you have to sell this guitar: you will not get half the price for it, even if it is brand new.

Sorry for your trouble!

All great points. Also, by all accounts, the 55 point inspection is a lie. It’s impossible that they do it on every instrument, and they absolutely do not.

 

[Avedas]

I've never used Sweetwater before. Do they even say what their 55 point inspection includes? Sounds like something a local car repair shop would put on their flyer

 

[JBM100]

I bought several guitars from Sweetwater before and never had any issue. To hear that they let this passing through their QC on a $3500 guitar is appalling and shocking. Hence my recommendation to contact the owner: this is doing us a favour to make it clear customers expect better. We are talking here about the price of a custom made guitar, by real luthiers.

https://www.sweetwater.com/about/guitars/

Cosmetic and Construction Inspection

• Inspect & polish body
• Fingerboard surface
• Neck & neck joint
• Strings
• Plastic parts
• Hardware
• Inlays
• Binding
• Nut
• Headstock

 

[Flappydoodle]

I am really happy to see some validation in this thread. I’ve thought Jackson has poor guitars/QC for a while now. I tried several in a store earlier this year, including a Mike Shannon ‘master built’ USA custom - and even in a store I found small problems like wonky inlays, the nut not sitting quite right. And here people are piling in and reporting similar things - lack of attention to detail. And Jackson USA guitars are pushing £3K in the UK, which is insane.

 

[Mathemagician]

So I just realized this is a $3.5k instrument not a $2-2.5k i like I initially assumed. Yeah return it IMO. No discount would make me happy at that price range. And I just bought a used MIJ rhoads with tons of dings and paint chips for like $700 all in. I was quite happy with that find. But north of $3k it has to be immaculate.

$0.02

 

[GXPO]

Are these all flamed maple? Awesome.

HNgd!

 

[Velokki]

I never understood why Jacksons were so damn expensive here in Europe. I would buy an ESP Horizon over an USA Dinky or Soloist anyday.

I think that a steep point of diminishing returns happens when you go over 1K. Anything over 2K has to be perfect QC-wise, if bought new. That Jackson there is definitely not acceptable by any standards in that price point.

 

[Peter.F]

I've decided to return it and try to find another HT7. Hopefully, the next one will not have any issues!

 

[MSS]

I've decided to return it and try to find another HT7. Hopefully, the next one will not have any issues!

Good choice. I do have to say that I’ve bought a few guitars from Sweetwater and the experience has always been stellar. You should have a sales rep assigned. Maybe if they order another for you you can have the rep check it out with you via FaceTime prior to purchasing.

 

[Peter.F]

Good choice. I do have to say that I’ve bought a few guitars from Sweetwater and the experience has always been stellar. You should have a sales rep assigned. Maybe if they order another for you you can have the rep check it out with you via FaceTime prior to purchasing.

My Sweetwater sales rep has been extremely helpful throughout and I have nothing but respect for that company and their amazing customer service.

 

[jephjacques]

Yeah Sweetwater is great, I have nothing but good things to say about them. And there are plenty of amazing guitars coming out of the Jackson factory, there's just consistency issues largely due, I suspect, to demand.

 

[Soya]

My Sweetwater sales rep has been extremely helpful throughout and I have nothing but respect for that company and their amazing customer service.

Well except for the falsely advertised inspection

 

[jephjacques]

If you actually read what their inspection covers, you'd see that the issues with this guitar aren't covered by it. Should they have sold this one at full price? Probably not, but don't lay the blame for that on their sales reps or customer service. It's not "false advertising."

 

[Soya]

Well they claim its to ensure it meets "factory standards", the problem there being that Jackson said those defects are acceptable. I agree about the discount price listing though.

 

[Jonathan20022]

The 55 point inspection is valid and they definitely do them, I don't think you even know the scale of what Sweetwater's campus is like. It's not a small warehouse manned by a handful of guys, it's practically a living breathing community all filled with employees working for Sweetwater.

Unfortunate as it may be, we're all human. So slip ups happen, if you want to pursue a case for them not doing a 55 point evaluation on every guitar they get, then good luck proving "false advertising".

I have nothing but positive things to say about Sweetwater from my interactions with them.

 

[KnightBrolaire]

The 55 point inspection is valid and they definitely do them, I don't think you even know the scale of what Sweetwater's campus is like. It's not a small warehouse manned by a handful of guys, it's practically a living breathing community all filled with employees working for Sweetwater.

Unfortunate as it may be, we're all human. So slip ups happen, if you want to pursue a case for them not doing a 55 point evaluation on every guitar they get, then good luck proving "false advertising".

I have nothing but positive things to say about Sweetwater from my interactions with them.

seriously, their building in Indiana is humongous.
Also +1 for sweetwater, they're awesome to buy from, I've yet to be disappointed with anything I've bought from them since they usually photograph any flaws.