Jp100d

[Slartibartfarst]

Hi,

I'm a first time poster here but I'm looking at buying a new guitar and one option is the Sterling JP100D but hardly anywhere stocks them so I reasoned somebody here could answer a few questions because of all the guitars I'm looking at, this is the most expensive so I can't afford to get it wrong.

1) What is the bridge like on this guitar? All of the other guitars I'm looking at use an OFR bridge, which is good quality but I know nothing about the one used on the JP100D. I assume it's a rather cheaper option than that used on the MM version so just how robust is it and how well does it compare to an OFR?

2) I'm rather a child of 80s Metal so I like my distortion to be smooth, thick and fluid. Think Jake E. Lee. Will the DiMarzio pickups do that tone or are they aimed at something different?

3) How does the neck compare to something like a Jackson Pro Dinky or Schecter Banshee?

Thanks

 

[jbailes]

I own a 6 and 7 string of each, so I'll try to answer your questions in the same order you asked them. Just remember, this is just one guy's opinion:

1) Bearing in mind that there are locking tuners on the headstock which aids in tuning stability, the SBMM bridge is more like the 2-point tremolo system you find on a modern Mexican strat. It does have a big trem block however. I don't know how often you change strings, but generally, fresher strings hold their tune longer. I don't change mine that frequently, and don't really have tuning issues, but then again I rarely use the trem bar. As a side note, the 7 string version has a very tiny trem block on it, but an upgrade is available. But to answer your question, the SBMM bridge is not up to the standard to the US JP bridge.
2) The dimarzios are good complex sounding pickups. Very nice. I think you'll love the liquifire in the neck. Great lead tones that are definitely smooth and fluid, that's for sure, but I wouldn't really classify them as thick sounding. It needs a certain degree of "hollowness" to the sound for note clarity and a tight bottom. The crunch lab is a great modern tight pickup. Both these pickups were designed to be tight and articulate yet complex. 80s metal can be a bit of a different beast, but I don't think you'll be disappointed in these pickups.
3) the neck is definitely a shredder neck, feeling more like an Ibanez to me. The neck does not remind me of a schecter at all, but I dare say it's easier to play than a Jackson dinky.
Hope this helps some.

 

[Slartibartfarst]

Thanks

It sounds like the pickups will be fine and if the neck is slim like an Ibanez or Jackson, that will be fine too. The question mark lies over the bridge. Whether it's as good as the US trem is a side issue as I'm not looking at buying a US MM nut I am looking at guitars that come with OFR bridges and from what you say, the bridge on the JP100D is nothing like as good as that. With an OFR I get a great quality trem with no tuning issues at all and complete reliability whereas the JP100D will give me issues even with locking tuners. This is clearly a factor I have to consider. The JP100D comes in at £700 whereas a Jackson DK2QM Pro is only £565. That's a very big difference to pay for a guitar with broadly similar specification but a worse bridge. I really like the JP100D and I don't particularly need a locking trem but I do need a good one and at the moment I'm struggling to see an extra £135 in the Sterling but of course the complication is that nobody is stocking it so I can't try before I buy whereas I have played the Jackson. If anyone can shed more light on the trem unit and tell me why this guitar is worth so much more I'd be very grateful because there's just nowhere for me to try one.

 

[jbailes]

I hear ya buddy. Once the strings are stretched and clamped on an OFR, there's not really anything to worry about anymore. On the SBMM, you can use big bends nut sauce or something like that for the nut, or eventually replace the saddles with graphtech. But retuning between songs is a must if you're gonna use the bar a lot.
One thing I didn't really touch on was the absolute comfortability of the overall guitar. The guitar really "gets out of your way" when playing it, i.e. effortless access to the 24th fret, the switches an knobs being completely out of the way. Simple but elegant look. I guess other than stopping by and trying mine out, That's about all I really know to tell you. Brian, who is the SBMM product specialist (super guy) is on here all the time, so hopefully, he can chime in soon.

 

[Slartibartfarst]

Now Brian sounds like the very person to speak to. For some reason the JP100D has always appealed, probably because it has most of the features I like on the Jackson but without the silly headstock. I'm not really a massive JP fan if I'm honest. I'm 50 years old and the Sterling just looks a bit more grown-up than a Jackson if you know what I mean and while I like a bit of whammy histrionics as much as the next guy, I'm not someone who would be giving it abuse on every song. My son bought a Sterling bass and loves it so all these things together mean my heart is telling me to get the Sterling, however, my head is currently telling me something different as £135 extra seems a hell of a lot of cash. The trouble is, although it feels like I'm just too old for a Jackson, those Pro series guitars are really fine instruments for relatively little money. Objectively (and without being able to play a Sterling) I can't immediately see any obvious area where I can argue the Sterling is better whereas I could argue the bridge on the Jackson is better.

Sterling guitars in Britain and possibly Europe as a whole, seem to suffer in two significant ways:

1) Pretty much nobody stocks them and I suspect the reason for this is down to my second point....

2) Over here at least, they're VERY expensive compared to their natural opposition. Last year I picked up a brand new 2013 Gibson Les Paul Studio for just slightly more than the JP100D would cost me and the guitar is superb as well as being made in the USA and it's a brand name I would normally expect to pay quite a premium for. Perhaps I fell lucky by getting a really good one but the point is that I would have expected the Sterling to be far closer to the price of the Jackson than the Gibson.

I hope Brian turns up here or what is his ID so I can send him a PM as he sounds like the guy to talk to.

 

[BrickGlass]

Some Big Bends Nut Sauce in the nut, on the posts where they contact the bridge, and where the strings contact the saddles can make a significant difference with tuning stability.

 

[Guitarshreda]

I've got a JP50 and have had it for 2-3 years now. I've never had tuning issues with the guitar at all. Recently I joined a band who plays out at least once a weekend (usually 2x a weekend), and I tune my guitar before we start, and just check up on it before each set. I even go to Drop-D for a hand full of songs. My only tuning issue is when I drop the 6th string down, I have to tune the whole guitar. However, once I've tuned it, it doesn't go out. I would say that I'm a Trem-Abuser, and it holds it's tuning just fine.

Back in December I had GraphTech saddles put on because I was getting major string breakage. I broke 2 A's and an E one night during a gig. Since the change in December, I still have the same set of strings on the guitar and haven't broken a string.

 

[jbailes]

And Slart, you and I are both 50, so I can relate about having a guitar a "grown man" can play

 

[SBMM]

OK, back in from a nice (albeit short!) vacation.

What can I help you with Slart?

 

[Slartibartfarst]

Thanks Brian

I know I'm buying a new guitar and while I want something that has some quality to it, cost is clearly a factor. I really like the look of the JP100D because it has the quilt finish I prefer, it has decent pickups and a slim neck. All things being equal, I would have this guitar in a heartbeat but unfortunately, it's a bit more complex than that, not least of which because hardly anyone in Britain seems to stock SBMM guitars. A few more stock the bass guitars but virtually nobody has the 6 string guitars so it's pretty much impossible for me to try one before buying. The other guitar I'm looking at is a Jackson Pro DK2QM with a proper Floyd Rose bridge and if we look at the specification, they look to be very similar:

Body

Alder on the Jackson and Basswood on the JP100D. I'm happy with either of those/

Neck

Maple neck on both but a maple fretboard on the Jackson and rosewood on the JP100D. I don't mind either, though the maple would be nice as I don't have one of those at the moment. Both have 24 frets with very good access.

Headstock

I don't mind the headstock on the JP100D at all but the one on the Jackson looks like it's for a 12 year old!

Guitar top

On the Jackson this is a 4A maple cap whereas, as far as I can tell, it's just a veneer on the JP100D.

Pickups

JB/59 set on the Jackson, which works VERY well in this guitar. I haven't tried the DiMarzios in the JP100D but I assume they're also good and I'll like them if they're anywhere in the sonic ballpark of a JB.

Bridge

Floyd Rose 1000 in the Jackson, which is VERY good and VERY reliable. The bridge on the JP100D isn't locking, which isn't the end of the world but there are an awful lot of reports of the JP100D bridge breaking strings unless you upgrade the saddles so I can only conclude that the Floyd Rose on the Jackson is superior. I may be wrong in that but there's limited information out there on the JP100D and of course, I can't try one for myself but what information is out there suggests that string breakage is a real issue with this bridge and when you're up against a Floyd Rose 1000, that's not good enough.

So, the specification is broadly similar and arguably the Jackson has the edge. If I could try a JP100D I may conclude that it is better built but sadly I can't. However, I have tried the Jackson, which is made in Fender's Mexican plant and I can confirm that it seems to be very well built. For all that, I might still be tempted with the Sterling because it looks slightly less like a toy. The dealer informed me that both would drop like a stone in terms of value so no difference there.

That only leaves the issue of price. I can get the Jackson from Thomann in Germany (I'm in England) for just £566.95 while they are selling the JP100D for £756.17!!! My local dealer (Rich Tone Music in Sheffield) says they could get it down to £675 which is very good of them but that still makes the JP100D £110 more expensive than the Jackson, which apparently enjoys a higher specification. I really want to like the JP100D but based on all the information I have currently at my disposal, the Sterling just looks hugely overpriced. This leads me to ask a few key questions:

1) Why is the bridge on the JP100D so prone to breaking strings?

2) Would this be a warranty issue or is it just what it is unless I pay to upgrade the saddles?

3) Why is the Sterling so expensive compared to other guitars like the Jackson?

4) Why is it so incredibly difficult to find anyone who will sell SBMM guitars in Britain? Andertons used to sell them but they don't seem to any more and I'm beginning to wonder if that's the case because they simply couldn't sell them because of the price differential. There's a few dealers who sell a very limited number of the range but it's hardly an ideal situation.

I promise you I really want to like the JP100D and I'd love to buy one but based on what information I have been able to gather so far, I just don't immediately see how I can justify another £110 for a guitar that seems to have a slightly inferior specification and a rather suspect bridge in terms of string breakage. Am I missing something? I just feel really frustrated by this because I really want to like the guitar but I hope you can appreciate the situation I'm in and why I'm struggling to justify such a choice. £700 is a LOT of money for me and I can't afford to get it wrong.

 

[SBMM]

1) Why is the bridge on the JP100D so prone to breaking strings?

The string breakage on the JP bridges is actually very rare, considering the thousands of them that we've sold. The breakage also isn't happening at the saddles, it's actually at the baseplate. From what I have seen, it occurs from a slight 'calcification' (for lack of a better term). It may be a reaction of the strings to the plating. I really am not sure, but it is a very quick fix. Again, I am aware of approximately 16 occurrences of this, and this is spanning nearly 4 years since I've been involved with the model.

2) Would this be a warranty issue or is it just what it is unless I pay to upgrade the saddles?

Yes, it would be a warranty issue, but it is also a very quick fix.

3) Why is the Sterling so expensive compared to other guitars like the Jackson?

Jackson, which is part of the Fender family at this time, uses the same distribution channels as the rest of the FMIC brands. FMIC has it's own direct to dealer distribution while we do not. Our UK distribution is handled by Strings and Things, a very fine company with a great, knowledgeable staff.

4) Why is it so incredibly difficult to find anyone who will sell SBMM guitars in Britain? Andertons used to sell them but they don't seem to any more and I'm beginning to wonder if that's the case because they simply couldn't sell them because of the price differential. There's a few dealers who sell a very limited number of the range but it's hardly an ideal situation.

We are at this time packing up Strings and Things order from Winter NAMM, and it includes quite a variety of JP models. I actually have 2 racks of instruments next to my personal bench out in the warehouse that I am doing final inspection on (I do final inspection personally for all of our International Distributors among other various hats I wear here at SBMM!) They would be the one to contact regarding who is getting what in the UK.

I hope this sheds some light on your questions!

 

[Slartibartfarst]

That's fantastic, thank you very much.

I find myself rather reassured about the bridge issue and it does make me want to get this guitar more so now it's down to the knotty issue of price. I had wondered if your argument on price would focus on superior quality of production etc. and I find it refreshingly honest on your part that you didn't take that approach but instead simply came clean that it's all down to distribution costs, or at least it's mostly down to that. As a much smaller company, I sympathise with the position you are in and my instinct is to support such a venture. This must impact on your costs significantly in different countries. Thomann are much cheaper than Rich Tone Music in Sheffield for the Jackson, partly because the exchange rate is in their favour, yet even with that advantage, they still can't match Rich Tone on the price of the JP100D so your distribution costs in Germany must be very high indeed. It's a difficult situation for sure and a viscous circle. You need to sell more to expand but you'll struggle to sell more while you have to be more expensive than other similar guitars. I'll contact Strings and Things and see what they have to say about getting a guitar to try but of course the bottom line is that I'm still going to end up in a position of having to spend over £100 more to get a guitar of broadly similar specification and quality to the Jackson. It's a tough call between the head and the heart.

 

[SBMM]

Thanks Slart!
I prefer to not bag or brag, it's just not professional, nor does it ever answer questions.

There's so many things that come into play with prices, it does make it difficult. VAT, Exchange Rates, Stong or Weak Dollar/Pound/Euro/Yen...it's like buying gasoline in California sometimes!

If you have any other questions feel free to ask, that's why I'm active on this Forum

 

[Slartibartfarst]

I've just sent an email to Strings and Things, explaining the situation I'm in and I'm delaying ordering the Jackson until I hear back from them. The situation feels similar to when I bought a Carl Martin Quattro pedal as nobody was stocking the pedal and it seemed quite expensive. After I contacted the distributor they sent one of the pedals by courier on sale or return to the dealer and cut them a bit of a deal on the price, allowing them to be more competitive. I bought it and ever since then a lot more people know about how good Carl Martin is and my Quattro always attracts a lot of attention from other guitarists so they've gained sales off the back of it. We'll see if they decide to do anything but it seems to me that the current situation is pointless for both you and them if dealers aren't stocking your guitars because of the issue of supply and price. You can't sell things unless people can see how good the product is and feel it's at a fair price. I LOVE the family feel of Sterling guitars and I LOVE the fact that I can talk to someone like you who is so honest and helpful so I do want this to happen but I can't buy a JP100D without at least trying it first and while I don't expect it to match the Jackson on price, I equally can't justify an extra £110 for nothing.

Here's hoping.

 

[Slartibartfarst]

Well, I got a reply from Strings and Things and it was VERY direct and contained some VERY choice language!!!

'Absolutely not! The cost is down to ****ing Praxis... cheeky b*****ds claiming it's down to us and distribution!'

In actual fact, all I said in my email was that I appreciated that distribution was a factor and if anything could be done to make the deal happen I would be very grateful but primarily I wondered if they could get a guitar for me to try. What is quoted above is all I got so I assume they have no intention of trying to get a guitar for me to try and don't really care whether I buy it or not. I can't say I'm impressed with their attitude and I'm certainly not impressed with their conduct in sending out an email like that to a prospective customer. Carl Martin handled a similar situation very well and made a sale but based on this response from your distributor, my interest in the JP100D is over. Even if I did decide to spend the extra on the Sterling, I have no faith I'd get much service from Strings and Things if something went wrong later. Perhaps I'm just old fashioned but that is truly appalling service from your UK distributor and it's hardly surprising you're struggling to get your guitars into stores. I'm sorry Brian, you've been a star and I really did want to look at the JP100D because it was my first choice but I'm not dealing with people like that!

 

[SBMM]

That's just a little more than slightly upsetting. Sorry to see that Slart...

Please forward the entire unredacted email to me at [email protected] so I can address this directly and personally.

 

[Slartibartfarst]

Email sent Brian. If there's anything else you either need or want, please just email me back.