JS100 Upgrades... is it worth it?

UmpaHimself · #1 02-12-2008, 01:19 AM

hey guys,

so i got this JS100 trans red and i really love the look and sound. im not that interested in upgrading the PUs. however i get a really nasty twangy sound when i strum the 1st 2nd & 3rd strings open and i think it has something to do with the locking nut by the headstock. i know i could replace that but i was just thinking about upgrading to a JS1000 neck if i could find one. would it be worth the playability/sound/quality or is it not much different, & will it fit? it also has the Lo TRS II and i have trouble with it. i saw on http://www.jemsite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=71461 thread that the Gotoh or OFR will fit and i was wondering if anybody could tell me the model to get and if its worth it. and also if their is other options such as a non floating trem cause i really dont use the whammy like its meant for. any help would be amazing.

thx
-umpa

**jono** · #2 02-12-2008, 03:52 AM

My thoughts are simply that if you're looking to upgrade but don't want to change pickups and don't want a trem, sel the JS100 and look for a new JS1600 in a few months time.

Upgrades that involve things like new necks and bodies tend to be expensive and would probably highlight the other less than perfect aspects of the guitar. I'd say you're better off trading it in against a higher spec JS to suit your needs rather than creating a parts guitar.

ymmv

ryanb · #3 02-12-2008, 08:46 PM

It sounds like you aren't having any problems that couldn't be fixed by a good setup. Just fix the JS100 (don't upgrade it), and enjoy it until you are ready to step up to a 1x00 model. If you don't need the trem, just block it with a block of wood for a few bucks. I would NOT put a JS1000 neck on it or spend the money on the other upgrades either. That money would be much better spent picking up a used 1000 for similar money.

UmpaHimself · #4 02-13-2008, 05:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ryanb

It sounds like you aren't having any problems that couldn't be fixed by a good setup. Just fix the JS100 (don't upgrade it), and enjoy it until you are ready to step up to a 1x00 model. If you don't need the trem, just block it with a block of wood for a few bucks. I would NOT put a JS1000 neck on it or spend the money on the other upgrades either. That money would be much better spent picking up a used 1000 for similar money.

yeah i guess thats tru, but i really dont care to get a JS1000. I mean i like Joes's music but its really not my style, i just picked up the 100 when i was younger(like 14) and liked the pain job. and i dont want to sell it cause i wont get much for it so i was just wondering what my options were. i think im gunna throw some gibson burstbuckers in it and just get that vintage sound for some indie rock stuff. does any body know if they'll fit in the js100 pickup cavities.

btw i hope i didnt offend n e one by saying that i wanna put gibson PUs in my Ibanez

UmpaHimself · #5 02-13-2008, 06:24 PM

oh man, i just realized that the left side of my tremolo was more forward then the right side. i took off the strings to get a better look and found that the left stud and stud insert were really loose inside the wood. I guess the cheap ass wood was soft and over time just loosened.

what the hell do i do now!

Fender868 · #6 02-13-2008, 08:46 PM

When things like that happen, some crazy people are known to use Glue, but i am not going to recommend anything because it looks like you really don't know what's going on. It's a common thing. You know, you don't have to be A Satriani fan or a fan of his genre to enjoy the Japanese Made JS. It's people like you that make it impossible for a lot of good guitars to find their way into deserving hands. But people finick to much about whether or not their guitar is being used by someone in the common field. I play with a Ska band right now and i take my Jem's to practice. I didn't buy a 555 for more than just because it sucks. I happen to like vai, but even if i didn't, i would never make an excuse to buy or keep a cheap guitar. I don't make compromises and you shouldn't either. If you like your guitar, than try the more polished and well crafted Japanese version. I guarantee you that you will appreciate the extra attention put in crafting it. Serious musicians use serious instruments.

ryanb · #7 02-13-2008, 09:15 PM

My, my. THAT was a bit harsh.

If you don't like the JS1000, that's fine. Substitute whatever high-end guitar suits you. The point is just that putting the money into upgrades of a JS100 is not a very cost-effective thing to do, since you can still buy a better guitar for less money than you would have after the upgrades.

It sounds like you haven't really decided WHAT you want to do with this guitar ... so go figure that out first. As for the studs, do a forum search since there are already a bunch of threads about it. Then do whatever you want with the JS100. It's your guitar. Your opinion is the only one that matters.

Dino · #8 02-13-2008, 09:36 PM

Time for a new guitar.

UmpaHimself · #9 02-14-2008, 12:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fender868

When things like that happen, some crazy people are known to use Glue, but i am not going to recommend anything because it looks like you really don't know what's going on. It's a common thing. You know, you don't have to be A Satriani fan or a fan of his genre to enjoy the Japanese Made JS. It's people like you that make it impossible for a lot of good guitars to find their way into deserving hands. But people finick to much about whether or not their guitar is being used by someone in the common field. I play with a Ska band right now and i take my Jem's to practice. I didn't buy a 555 for more than just because it sucks. I happen to like vai, but even if i didn't, i would never make an excuse to buy or keep a cheap guitar. I don't make compromises and you shouldn't either. If you like your guitar, than try the more polished and well crafted Japanese version. I guarantee you that you will appreciate the extra attention put in crafting it. Serious musicians use serious instruments.

woa dude. can i just say my bad and that i already stated that im not trying to offend n e one. can i also say that i definitely am a satriani fan, and what i was referring to was the sound of the guitar. i love ska, punk, metal, pretty much any kind of rock however i was simply trying to give the people who im asking for help, an idea of what im into. i personally think that the JS1000 has an amazing sound, but i think its to polished, as i am looking for a more rugged vintage sound. i was never trying to make excuses, and it did me right for many years and i love the damn thing. simply put, i just wanted to see if fixing this guitar up was worth it. i am a serious musician, and im seriously looking to buy an american tele, and this was seriously gunna be a side project in the mean time. so... im sorry for ticking u off but i hope u understand me better.

...just curious. how does me not buying a better guitar that i really dont want "make it impossible for a lot of good guitars to find their way into deserving hands". Wouldnt me not buying it just make one more available to a "deserving hand"

UmpaHimself · #10 02-14-2008, 12:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ryanb

My, my. THAT was a bit harsh.

If you don't like the JS1000, that's fine. Substitute whatever high-end guitar suits you. The point is just that putting the money into upgrades of a JS100 is not a very cost-effective thing to do, since you can still buy a better guitar for less money than you would have after the upgrades.

It sounds like you haven't really decided WHAT you want to do with this guitar ... so go figure that out first. As for the studs, do a forum search since there are already a bunch of threads about it. Then do whatever you want with the JS100. It's your guitar. Your opinion is the only one that matters.

thanks, that sounds about right. i think ill throw the sat in the closet and just save up for something good. as for now i have my RG570 to play!

jb4674 · #11 02-14-2008, 11:19 AM

Sounds like someone needs to go to home depot and get wood filler

Umpa, if you want a tele, you can get one for almost nothing. Take the JS100 to your local GC and trade it in for a tele.

Personally, I don't understand how you can make a statement like "i personally think that the JS1000 has an amazing sound, but i think its to polished, as i am looking for a more rugged vintage sound." Do you have a clue as to what you're trying to convey? The sound you can get out of a JS1000 can be vintage, polished or whatever you want it to be. That's the reason why the higher end JS's are more expensive; they can give you the sound you want.

Jimmy

Dino · #12 02-14-2008, 12:58 PM

I believe he is thinking more about the look of the guitar than the sound it makes...

UmpaHimself · #13 02-14-2008, 01:00 PM

word up jimmy, i didnt really know that. thanks for that info. i think ill try to fix this guitar and try to juke someone into buying it like my dumb roomate. and i guess ill have to go check out that 1000 cause all you guys say its awesome. thanx again to everybody for their help.

HDS · #14 02-14-2008, 02:36 PM

For the cost of modding anything on a JS100 you can buy a used JS1000 for cheap. I see them all the time for $700 and less. Seeing where you live go hit up Musician's Exchange, use to be a great place for used gear back when I lived there. They were off Sunrise and 18th ave. but moved I think as that area became crack town.

albee1952 · #15 02-15-2008, 11:34 AM

Back to the original problems, the "twang" on the open strings is likely caused by the nut being too low on the treble side. A shim could fix that and often the shims are cut in half so only one side of the nut gets shimmed. As to the stud hole problem, is the wood cracked or just ovaled? If the hole is taking on an oval shape, you can fill the hole and re-drill. Remove the insert and drill the hole oversized with a Forstner bit(these bits drill a flat-bottom hole) and glue in a piece of hardwood dowel. The re-drill and tap the insert back in(or drill out to 11mm and install a set of Edge inserts and studs). If you have the skills, the JS100 is a solid ax that can benefit from some upgrades for a lot less money than a JS1000(which is a nice ax but sells in the $800 price range). I have the skills and would upgrade to a used Edge bridge if it were mine but if you don't have those skills, I understand that paying to have it done would make it too much money.