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Norrin Radd

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Jul 20, 2004
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Saint Paul
I use to have a JP 6. I loved that guitar! It was so sexy and amazing to play. I really miss that one the most out of all the ones I've let go. For some reason I just never got another one. And then 3 kids later.....well, $$ is the issue. In any event, this thread not about me!

It's about the JP 15. I went in to Guitar Center today to just mess around (no, I won't talk about my personal experience on the guitar floor - this isn't the place for that!). I ended up playing 2 guitars that looked intriguing and one of them was a JP 15 in the green color. I wasn't expecting too much because I've always much preferred the body carve of the standard JP6. It just feels - right! SO, I've always had this non-fact based bias against the other JPs beginning with BFR line. I just wasn't interested.

Well, today I decided, regardless of how I feel about the body carve, I'd give the JP 15 a go. Well, I'll get to the point. I was more than thoroughly impressed! The number one thing that stood out to me was the tones I was getting. That combination of woods and pickups is outstanding! And what blew me away was the clarity I was pulling from the neck pickup, even with gobs of gain. Holy smokes! :eek:

There were other things that I noticed as well about the tone. ALL the pickup positions sounded great and punched through. String separation was phenomenal - I couldn't make the guitar muddy without drastically turning down the tone knob. Bravo! The piezo system was equally as impressive. I mostly played it with no magnetic mixed in - and it was spectacular - even through the Friedman (it DID have a very nice clean channel).

What also struck me was the build quality of the instrument itself. The neck was sublime. The other guitar I played had bad fret sprout - sales guys blamed it on their store not having enough humidity - but somehow the JP didn't seem to be affected. The other guitars neck was bowing! Same excuse given. The JP, however - again unaffected. Oh and don't get me started on those frets! Smooth as silk and polished like mirrors - I could have stared at them all day (but I AM a little vain). The whole feel of the neck was just comfortable. It is thinner than I usually like and the radius a litter larger than I prefer - but I was still "comfortable" - know what I mean?

And that tone - oh - it will haunt me for some time to come, that is a certainty! ;)

So question, JP owners: What might be the closest a guy could come to mimicking the JP 15, BUT in a JP 6 body? Are there any JP 6's out there with tone blocks, roasted maple necks and the same pickups? Can I even get close? Yeah - I just LOVE the JP 6. The body carve, the neck shape and radius. Let me know! Thanks. :)
 

johnnyboogie

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Jan 27, 2017
Messages
1,347
Location
ATHENS, HELLAS
You can install the Illuminator set on a JP6.

JP6 body is strictly basswood. I know a PDN store in Germany that has some JP6s with solid rosewood necks if you are interested.
 

Norrin Radd

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 20, 2004
Messages
2,902
Location
Saint Paul
You can install the Illuminator set on a JP6.

JP6 body is strictly basswood. I know a PDN store in Germany that has some JP6s with solid rosewood necks if you are interested.

Thinking of trying to get a Starry Night and put the Illuminators in there. What do you think?
 

dave1812

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Joined
Apr 25, 2011
Messages
579
Location
Germany
I guess a JP6 Neptune Blue would be the closest thing you could get.
They had Roasted Maple Necks with Roasted Maple Fretboards and Mahagony Body, the only thing they don't have is the Maple Top and you'd have to swap the Pickups.
 

johnnyboogie

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Jan 27, 2017
Messages
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Location
ATHENS, HELLAS
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