Jackson AT1

made in usa, 22 frets

pickups: i've got an emg81 at bridge and an emg85 at neck

body is mahagony with an extrem k00l maple-top

rest is mahagony too

finish: transparent black - EXTREM cool - u can see the beautiful mapletop

and: the neck got NO dots... looks really nice (but at the side of the neck there r of course dots)

i used it 4 rock/metal and this kinda music.

...one of the best guitars i've ever played. this thing, with emg's...dude.... BOOOOO0000OOOM!!

have made a lot of gig's with this lil baby... it never left me alone ;)

no contanct 2 the factory

...if this baby would be stolen...omfg...i need a clone ;)

This is an update to my previous review (which was mistakenly submitted as Anonymous).

I swapped out the Kent Armstrong pickups with Semour Duncan Vintage '59 humbuckers in the neck and bridge. Huge difference! The Kent Armstrong bridge pickup was far too bright and "sharp" sounding. I like controlling the distortion by the guitar's volume knob. It originally did not clean up when the volume on the guitar was turned down, it just died. With the Duncans the tone is fuller, smoother, more compressed and cleans up nicely without losing volume or tone when I turn down the volume knob.

AT1 (alternately called AT1T) only made between 1996-1998. Mine is transparent black (almost dark brown) flame maple top that rivals any top I have seen on a PRS.
Arched top, volume and tone knobs are recessed into the arched top (which is very cool), two Kent Armstrong humbuckers and tuneomatic bridge (no trem). 3 tuners-on-a-side headstock with flame maple matchine face. Ebony neck without any dots or markers.

I use this plugged into my 80's Jackson Reference 50 tube amp with 12AX7 preamp tubes and EL34 power amp tubes. Amp sounds like Marshall, but slightly darker and much more distortion. Cabinet is Boogie 1-12" half back.
Through the Jackson the bridge pickup is far too bright. I have to back off the tone. The neck pickup sounds good though. I have also used this plugged into my friend's Rectoverb Boogie and it roars.
The Kent Armstrong pickup is still too bright for my liking and I am swapping it out for a Duncan '59 Vintage humbucker.

Great setup. I like the ebony fretboard. I was worried that I wouldn't be able to handle playing with no fretboard markers but I surprisingly don't have any trouble (it does have markers on the side of the neck). Finish is awesome. Unfortunately there is already some corrosion along the side of the silver pickup ring where it meets the body. I love the neck. It has very little finish on the back so my thumb doesn't drag when sliding on bar chords (unlike many Gibson's I've played).

I expect to use this guitar for a very long time. It holds up well and I am glad to be without a Floyd. I miss it for one song, but now I have quick setup and no going out of tune.

Haven't dealt with company.

I have been playing for 23 years. I play styles from rock to blues to acoustic-type stuff. If the guitar was stolen I would be pissed.

1997 model , Maple neck w/ Ebony fingerboard (no dots),Jumbo frets, Mahogany body w/ carved Flamed Maple top (a "10") (Deep blue/purple), one volume knob ,one tone knob, three-way switch for p-ups, Wilkinson tremolo, 3+3 Satin chrome Sperzel locking tuners.two (2) chrome covered humbucker p-ups, came with Jackson case!I give it a 9 because there is no coil splitter BUT big deal, right?

Not as versatile as a strat ,BUT this guitar was not built to compete with a strat,BUT it does sound great ,,,, someone else said it all ready,,,, try not to sound like C.S.with the right settings on overdrive/distortion, etc. you can be very convincing.

Used,,, but set up to my specs,,,,,, low with no buzzes
p-ups height is dead on
top as I said is a "10" every bit as good as 99.99% of PRS's I've seen
a very few "micro" scratches and that's all

no problems here,,,,,,, But you always need a backup in case of a broken string, right?

N/A , for me , I bought it used,,,,,, I have contacted them about something and hav not heard back from them yet,,,,,, BUT it's only been a few hours. I'm sure they will take care of me.

a good strong 9.9 for me,,,,,,,, I feel I can cover just about all the "sonic" territory I'll ever need to between this AT1 and my LR Baggs X-bridge equipped strat,,,,,,,,,,USA made solid as a rock, what the hay,,,,,, """"10""""

This is a follow-up to my review of three years ago. I have replaced the Armstrong pickups with a PRS Vintage Bass at the neck and a PRS HFS pickup at the bridge. Why? Because over the years, I found the Armstrong pickups to be slightly hollow sounding, slightly heavy in the bass, and lacking in individual string resolution. Everything else about the AT1 is still the same: maple neck with ebony fretboard, jumbo frets, mahogany body with carved flamed maple top, single volume control with single tone control, three position switch, Wilkenson 100 termelo, Sperzal locking tuners.

With the PRS pickups installed, the mud is gone! The string resolution is excellent. The sound is detailed, with better highs and less heaviness in the sound. The AT1 is much more versatile range of tones. An what tones they are! With this change, the AT1 is transformed into the equivalent of a PRS CE22. (Yes, I know, the PRS CE22 uses Dragon II pickups and the CE24 uses the Vintage Bass/HFS combo). I have A/B'd my Jackson AT1/PRS against real PRS CE models, and even my friends could not tell the difference between the AT1 and the PRS's. All this, plus the fact that a used AT1 can be had for around $500 to $700 plus the price of the PRS pickups, you can have an ax that has the looks, the feel, and the sound of a more expensive PRS!!!

As in my previous review, absolutely flawless. And the finish has held up well over the past years.

You don't need a backup with this combination. All the mechanicals are heavy duty.

We have three Jacksons in own family (see my review of the JRS-2). Jackson has been very friendly, and has answered any questions we had on the care and feeding of our guitars.

I said it before, and I'll say it again: This is the most underrated guitar available! It is built to the highest standards, and with the PRS Vintage Bass/HFS pickup combination you great looks and great sounds.

1998 model USA AT1. Unfortunately discontinued though I have no idea why -- this is a killer axe. Carved maple top, solid mahogony body, bolt on neck, straight pull headstock. "Nice" thin but not wimpy rock maple two piece neck, ebony fretboard with 22 jumbo frets. Two passive humbuckers, not sure of the brand. Three position switch (neck, both, bridge), 1 volume knob, 1 tone control. Locking Sperzel tuners (sweet!). Wilkinson trem bridge. Beautiful finish. Big sturdy strap buttons. Has everything it needs.

This is where the AT1 shines. This guitar is not the most versatile sounding instrument available, but what it does it does extremely well. The combination of the ebony fretboard and the stout mahogony and maple body, the near perfect neck fitment and whatever other mojo Grover Jackson imparts makes this guitar sing. It has tone for days. It is deep and rich. Plug into a Mesa Boogie and try NOT to sound like Carlos Santana. Sustain and sweet soulful crooning for days. I have several amps but I enjoy it the most through the Boogie. The guitar has excellent sustain, just a notch under a good Les Paul Classic. The tone is rich and dark and layered thick. I prefer it to a Les Paul although admittedly the Gibson does have a sligthly fatter sound for chording, but not by much.
Where the AT1 blows the LP away is soloing. I have an itch to scratch when it comes to the LP. I will break down and get one someday but so far I have a hard time justifying it since I purchased the AT1. I took my AT1 in to Guitar Center and played a LP Deluxe, a Standard and three different Studios. I found a Studio that I really liked and played it back to back with my AT1. Chording with the Gibson was a bit crunchier and a little fatter. Soloing was no comparison. The AT1 simply has a deeper richer almost vocal tone. You can make organ-like or woodwind sort of sounds with it. Reminds of of someone playing a saxophone sometimes, not the sound per se, but the general "feel".
The neck pickup is alive with rich lows and mids. In case it isn't clear, soloing with this axe is addictive. The guitar imparts every nuance and subtle inflection you inject. Amazing.
The bottom end tones of the guitar are very big fat, not unlike an LP, but maybe not as crunchy. This happens to me a lot: I set up my amp for playing my Dean SS 1, or Tele or someone else's guitar. When I switch over to the Jackson I invariably have to roll the bass back on the amp because the AT1 booms with fat rich low end and mid range punch.
Stratish tones can be almost had using the bridge pickup and cranking the tone control full treble. But frankly, use a Strat-esque guitar for that -- there are so many to choose from that don't say Fender on the headstock and that are equally as competent at coping that type of sound.

Supposedlty the setup I received was how the guitar left the factory. It was perfect for my style and IMo perfect for what I enjoy most about the guitar. Low action for fast smooth soloing.
I went over the guitar with a fine tooth comb. It was faultless. Perfect fret dressing and fitment. Perfect neck fitment. Action as low as is playable without buzzing.

The AT1 is built to last. Highest quality hardware, excellent neck fitment. Flawless and durable finish. If there were one guitar upon which I can rely to play the same every time I pick it up it is the AT1.

No direct experience so far. Likely won't need it.

This is the only Jackson I own. Based on the AT1 I am curious to try other USA Jacksons. I wouldn't trade my AT1 for any guitar I have played so far. It's a keeper. I want to rate it a 10 but I have found I still need my trusty Dean SS 1 for versatility (Stra-ish sounds which it does and then some), so for that I'll rate it a 9. Whenever I play the AT1 I have a very difficult time putting it away. I use it as a reward for practice time ;)
In any case, this is the best quality guitar I am likely to own for some time to come. Not because I won't be buying other guitars, but because it would take a lot of guitar to surpass the quality of this Jackson. Tonally it compares favorably with a "real" Gibson LP -- not an Epiphone, they are totally different guitars. Quality is faultless. You have to pick and choose to find that in most guitars. I also looked at Ibanez RG570 before I bought the AT1. No comparison. The RG570, as much as I liked it (may even buy one someday), is nowhere near the guitar the AT1 is in terms of quality.
As I read back some of what I wrote, I realize it sounds like some sort of Jackson advert. The fact of the matter is simply this -- the AT1 is an excellent quality guitar and even at full retail ($1600 or so) would STILL be a great guitar. I just happened to get lucky with the price.
I totally agree with a previous reviewer stated or implied. This guitar feels more like a high end custom job than a commodity axe. I am not sure why they weren't more popular nor why Jackson discontinued this model. Leaves me wondering if maybe the Soloist does what the AT1 can do in a more versatile package since they seem somewhat similar.

USA made Jackson archtop that is discontinued due to unpopularity I guess. This is a simple two humbucker config with a three way toggle and tone and volume control knobs. The body is made of mahogany with a flamed transparent blue maple top. The neck is bolt on maple with an ebony fretboard and no inlays. This particular model came with a Tune-O-Matic type of bridge.

I play mostly rock, metal and blues stuff. The guitar is great for big bottom end heavy stuff, but does the others well too. It is not to versitile but does what it was made to do. Best clean sound on a bridge pickup setting I've ever heard. Though I usually use the neck pickup for clean stuff, the bridge pickup is very impressive. The only complaint was the weak sustain beyond the 12th.

I bought the guitar from a dealer who had it around a while. I think it had been tweaked with since its factory settings. It played great anyway without any adjustments. The nut was filed a bit sloppy with a small bead of glue visible. I'm not sure if it came from the factory that way or the dealer I bought it from altered it. Let me tell you though, this is the most gorgeous flamed top I've seen. Very deep and distant looking, perfect! The fret work and neck were also flawless.

This guitar is SOLID! Great big strap buttons, no need for locks. I would play it gigging without a backup and be ok with it.

Contacted them once via email and got a quick and helpful response.

I've been playing for 13 years or so and have owned many guitars. If it were stolen though I would probably not purchase another one. Let me explain to be fair to Jackson. I miss having a tremolo and neck through body design. This guitar is a beautiful looking and sounding guitar. I am more interested in heavy music and the guitar is not really my style visually. To be quite honest I got a screamin' deal on a new guitar that cost more than twice what I paid for it. I will probably keep it to be my fixed bridge studio guitar. It is a very different guitar for Jackson and I think they should have played with more variations and ideas because it is a great all around instrument. Great flamed top finish!

USA made archtop solid body. Dinky shaped mahogony body with flamed arched maple top, rock maple neck, ebony fretboard and 22 jumbo frets. Deep, deep transparent finish (as good as PRS). Two PAF-like humbuckers, with single volume control and single tone control, three position selector switch ( neck, both pickups, and bridge). High quality Sperzels locking tuners with straight through nut. Bolt-on neck. Top of the line Wilkenson tremelo.

No your typical Jackson electric. Very Les Paul or PRS type of sound. Well suited for a greater variety of music than the traditional Jacksons: rock, blues and jazz. I've used it on a Fender Princeton Chorus and a DOD Juice-It.

Fit and Finish of the AT-1 is flawless. The bolt-on neck is fitted perfectly to the body. Beautiful flamed maple top (equal to PRS's 10 top, better than Gibson's AAA tops). Excellent workmanship.

This guitar is built to last. The hardware is top of the line. The AT-1 needs no backup on a gig.

Jackson has a very friendly service department. I called them to request a copy of their brochure after my purchase of the AT-1 as a souvenier, and they sent it to me no charge. I haven't had the need to have the guitar repaired, since it is so well built.

I've been playing for 22 years. I have owned a Les Paul Deluxe, Fender Tex-Mex Strat, Jackson JRS-2, and an Ovation Custom Balladeer. I love this guitar. The neck fits my hands perfectly. The action is great, and the AT-1 has great tone! The only thing I hate about this guitar is nobody esle seems to know about how good the AT-1 really is. When I was shopping for a guitar, I compared this to a Hamer archtop solid body, an Ibanez, a Gibson Les Paul Studio and Classic, and a PRS Custom 22. The Jackson AT-1 easily beat out all but the PRS in playability, fit and finish, and tone. It was very close between the AT-1 and the PRS, with the playability and fit and finish equivalent, and a slight nod in tone to the PRS. But the AT-1 cost half as much as the PRS! I understand that the AT-1 is no longer in production in 1998, and that's a shame. I understand, as of 6/98, that Victor Litz Music in Gaithersburg MD has 15 AT-1's on close out sale for $699. What a bargin!!!