Jackson KVX10 King V

Jackson Kvx10

24 Jumbo frets. 25.5" Scale.
Duncan Designed pickups. (H/H)
Basswood body
Hard maple neck. Compound radius.
Licenced Floyd Rose.

I play everything from Jazz to Metal (Just like everyone else seems to in these reviews)

Marshall AVT 50 Halfstack
Boss
Ns-2
Cs-3
Mt-2
MD-2
OS-3
GE-7
Dunlop Crybabay
Marshall delay.

I don't scoop my mids. If you do this then this guitar will sound muddy and generally terrible. Any professional will tell you never scoop your mids. it's a quintessentially noobish thing to do in my opinion. These pickups aren't as clear as a JB or EMG 81, Dimarzio X2N etc but they are good if you EQ well.

This guitar is actually a hell of alot better than I thought it would be! I had really bad expectations of the pickups but actually they're the best stock pickups I've ever come across. They sustain well and are quite a bit more open than I thought, It doesn't sound harmonics (Pinch/natural) as well as i'd like, not as well as my LTD Mh400 (EMGs)

It's more clear than alot of stock pickups but under alot of gain it does get a little muddy.(I don't use that much. MT-2 gain never goes part 7 and I never scoop) It's tuned currently to Drop B and actually manages not to go muddy! It's better for rhythum playing than for lead, it's not as full as i'd like for leads and the neck pickup doesn't clean up as well as i'd like for fat leads and doesn't have the harmonic response that I like, other than that It's a good pickup.

If you don't like the pickups I wouldn't suggest an EMG set..The reasons are
It's VERY expensive
These pickups run on 500k potentiometers. EMGs run on 250k ones.. that costs money and a rewiring job which is difficult/expensive.

It's a basswood bodied guitar. EMGs don't suit basswood as well as passives do.

I do really like EMGs (I have a guitar with them that sounds amazing)but there are better and cheaper pickups on the market in my opinion.

I'm giving it the 8 because of the basswood body's resonance (Alder would be better) and the pickups aren't amazing but still very good. :) Cleans could be better but... who buys a metal V guitar to play cleans?

I bought this second hand (??130) .. :D

The guy who I got it off had it set up by a total goon who doesn' know the first thing.

He'd tuned it from E to drop C so the floyd was messed up. this guitar hadn't been played in a few years either. Neck problems.. pickups were too high.. floyd was messed up.. action was fine..

After spending one and a half hours setting up the floyd and tuning it, adjusting the action and intonation.. straightening the neck aswell. Basicly everything it plays very well now, nice low action, straight neck, solid tremolo system.

however the paintjob isn't gerat, kinda thick, weak paint. smudges really badly and the neck doesn't seem solid.. small crack in the back of the headstock that isn't from it being dropped or anything.. I don't think it's gonna grow though.. however this is still a serious problem.

The strap button I moved to the top-right screw of the neckplate beacuse it was neckdiving. The input is in a seriously bad position, if you sit down with a srtaight jack you will damage the input by pressure.

The hardware won't last as well as good hardware will.. one of the washers from the A string tuning peg broke when i tuned it up.. I replced the washer though. easy fix.

The paint isn't gonna last.

Scratches show easily.

I Can't depend on it fully to be honest.
I would never use a guitar without a backup at a gig.

the rest I discussed in "Action, fit and finish"

I've been playing for 4 years. I own an LTD Mh400, an Epiphone LP studio and an Epiphone LP standard (Was my brothers)

This guitar is better than the epiphones but not as good as the LTD.
If you're a novice looking for a decent midranged guitar I wouldn't reccomend this because A: It's a V. B: It's got a floyd. C. The neck is very thin and you don't wanna get used to a thin neck early on.

Otherwise every aspect of this guitar I reccomend for a midrange guitar and it's very good value for money.

-2005(?) Model
-Made in Japan
-1 volume and 1 tone control w/ 3-way bat style switch
-2 Jackson branded "Duncan Designed" passive humbuckers with open coils
-Maple-topped Alder body with bolt-on maple neck
-Transparent Red finish
-Floyd Rose style Jackson bridge
-25.5" scale length
-24 jumbo frets
-mother of pearl sharkfins inlaid on a rosewood fingerboard
-sealed Jackson branded non-locking tuners with locking nut
-includes only a wrench for truss rod adjustments and one allen key that doesn't seem to fit anything on the guitar.

The stock pickups I believe were designed to sound like the Jazz/JB combination as fitted to higher end King V models, but after changing them out for the real ones there was no comparison whatsoever.

The body wood gives the guitar a very dark sound, so bright, cutting pickups such as the JB are well suited to it. I would imagine that EMGs would absolutely rock, but its doubtful that a battery and all the electronics would fit inside the control cavity.

It's probably my amp, but even after the pickup change I found the sound to be too stifled. After bypassing the tone control, it seemed to clear up somewhat.

It scores a 6/10 in stock form, 9/10 after modifications.

The action was good as it came from the store, but the pickups were too far from the strings to get good definition.

The finish was spotless, with no flaws that I could tell.

The stud on the bridge that the trem handle threads onto tends to work itself loose as you use the trem. I'll probably drill the bolt and lockwire it to the bridge to keep that from happening in the future.

The forward strap button is awkwardly placed, especially if you use Schaller-style strap locks. The button tends to dig into your stomach as you play, so that would be the next priority for modifications.

I don't gig myself, but I would imagine that short of a Hendrix-esque finale the guitar would hold up. I haven't really had much trouble, even with things like string breakage.

The finish is thick and tough. The corners of the guitar will wear out but this would happen to even the most high end V-shaped guitars.

The previously mentioned trem issue could lead to the handle coming off during heavy use, so I can't give this guitar a perfect score for reliability.

Never dealt with the company itself, but that speaks for their quality of workmanship i'd say.

In comparison with other guitars in its price range such as Epiphones or Mexican-made Fenders, this is a great value. Although Epiphone's quality control has really improved since the 90's, the X series of Jacksons represent a better balance of cost versus quality.

I've found that Epiphone tends to cheap out more on hardware, and in general has more fit and finish defects, which I won't get into here.

i dunno when it was made but this thing rocks! it was made in japan. this guitar has 24 sleek frets for fast soloing of course! it has a maple bolt on neck with rosewood fingerboard and an alder body. it has two simple easy to use volume and nob control with a 3 way selector switch.the stock duncan pickups are pretty good but not that crunchy. for metal the bridge pup is pretty mediocre. i got mine for 520 canadian dollars and its in amber sunburst finish and its beautiful. it also has a licencsed floyd rose tremelo and tune o matic bridge. the tremelo is fun and perfenct to use. i got mine with a jackson gig bag a lifetime warranty and a pack of picks so not bad at all considering the price!

i mostly play thrash and heavy metal so this is a rock god. it suits my style perfectly. i use it through a line 6 spider 2 with a line 6 floor pod and i couldnt ask for more effects! it has everything. it owns my strat and my epi explorer. it has a the thickest crunchiest sound ever . but you gotta change the pups first to emgs or dimarzios to get the best out of it. i dont dislike anything but the fact that the strap locks are wierdly positioned so you cant sit. but whod wanna sit playing a v?

it was perfectly set up from the factory. it has amazing sustain near the bridge with the right pups and chording is dang easy. i had to raise the pickupos to my pleasure but thatr depends on you.the tone control was bit lose but i tightenend it up right away so no prob. otherwise the finish is flawless.

this baby will defintely stand live playin. i did 4 gigs with and didnt need a backup. plus it looks awesome too!the strap buttons wont cme off even if you tried banging a hammer on them. otherwise a verry dependible guitar

never dealt with them but considering the lifetime warranty i give them a ten!

i have been playing over 17 years scince i was 12 and have 23 guitars of every famous brand. this stansds out first in my heavy metal section.i own les pauls explorrers strats teles bc riches prs's ibanez's and some more brands. if this were lost or stolen i would find the stealin' faggot and stab him with the fins of the guitar. i compared it to all my other guitars(in metal) and no bc rich dean esp could match it!
email me for more details and tips on guitar buying and care

brand new 2007 model. made in japan
24 jumbo frets. solid black finish. 2 duncan designed passive humbuckers, 1 tone, 1 volume, 3-way selector. basswood body. licensed floyd rose bridge. jackson tuners.

i play metal, so it is perfect.
i use it through a BOSS metal zone pedal to a Peavey Bandit 112 solid state amp.
the guitar is not noisy at all, but the duncan designed pups are really weak and muddy when you use distortion. the neck pup is ok though...
this guitar definitely needs a pickup change. I just changed my bridge pickup for a DiMarzio X2N. and man i tell you... this demon is all ready for some serious metal playing now.

the action is perfect, intonation perfect.
the pickups were adjusted to the bottom, so i re-adjusted them making them higher, closer to the strings.
the controls came kindda loose, but it was very easy to just tighten them up.

this guitar will surely stand any kind of gigs... but you need to watch for the point ends... the chrome hardware looks ok,.. but i think it wont last long,, the quality is not of top quality.
oh... gotta mention one thing.. this guitar DOES feel neck heavy. the strap bottons were placed kindda in a bad position, making it leaning toward the headstock. but you just need to get used to it, and re adjust your strap thats all.

japanes import... i guess theres no warranty at all.
but who needs it anyway, the guitar is perfect.

I've been playing since 1998. I have a Jackson Kelly Std. and a Epiphone les paul. i wished it'd came with the hardshell case... or at least a decent gig bag... but it came with nothing. just in the paper made jackson box. I had to get the jackson multi molded case, cost me $120, but it gets 100% protected. I don't have to worry about it now. If it'd get lost, i'd definitely get another one.

Good range of finishes, Great Modern V shape, Floyd rose works really well, Jumbo freats, rosewood 24 fret fretboard, 2 Duncan Designed Humbuckers.

Great for Metal/Rock, the neck pickup also gives a really nice full clean sound. virtually no hum

Action very low, easy to shred on, pickups adjusted into good position, the volume and tone controls do become loose..but..u just tighten them again.

This guitar is great on stage, gives great stage presence and feels solid, my freind who doesnt even play guitar, held it.. and said.. "wow this thing is solid as rock"

N/A

I've been playing 5 years and have a few other guitars, and i will be sticking with jackson. If it were lost or stolen, i would get the same series but a superstrat shape, as this would be easier to sit down and practice with. i compared it to several ibanezs and fender strats, i prefer this alot

Great guitar for the money!

It has a bolton maple neck, rosewood fretboard, 24 frets, and an alder body (like a $1200 fender). I bought it in July of 2006,but mines an old one with a string thru body bridge. I'm glad I found it 'cuz I didn't want a tremolo. The new ones have tremolos. It's a V body shape, duh. The tuners are Jackson. It has a volume control, tone control, and 3-way pickup selector, no bull. The tone control works great, I can definitely hear a difference when turning the knob. The volume control is a different story. It goes from loud to nothing, instantly. The pickup selector works, but there's not much difference in the sounds, that's the fault of the pickups, though. Two Duncan designed humbuckers. The bridge is modeled after the distortion and the neck is modeled after the Jazz. They're both passive.

It sounds pretty good. The Duncan designed pickups don't come close to real Duncans, but if you need a cheap guitar to mess around with, this will do. It's a lot of fun. I'm in the process of buying real Duncans to replace the pickups. I'm sure this guitar is going to scream when I get them in. I wouldn't doubt it if it wil be the best guitar I've ever played.

It was set up nice when I got it, but be careful when you change the strings. The bridge can easily become messed up. The pickups were kind of low though. Most foreign made guitars aren't set up too well. Your local guitar shop could make your guitar play gloriously for about $40.

It's pretty tough, but like I said I'm changing the pickups. I'll probably buy some better tuning heads, too. This guitar will be awesome after that.

I've never had a problem with it. I've owned it for a year now.

I'm 34 and I've been playing since I was 13. I used to play sick so I could stay home and play my brother's guitar. I just got serious a few years ago, but my brother's always been serious. He's had a lot of nice guitars and I've played them all. I like the action on this one better than any of them. I've always wanted a V. I have no problem spending money to buy better accessories. When I'm done this guitar is gonna be so bad!

A black V, with chrome hardware and the typical Jackson sharktooth inlays. As far as I know this guitar is made in Japan, in 2006. It has a basswood body with a bolt-on maple neck. 24 frets. The body is of basswood (yep, the new X-series got basswood bodies). Jackson Licensed Floyd Rose and two Duncan Designed humbuckers. 1 volume, 1 tone and a 3-way switch. No useless extra, wich is good for me.

I give it a 7 because of the basswood, but would definately give it a 10 if it had an alder body.

This is a great guitar for metal, wich is what I play most. I play it through a Zoom606 FX pedal and a 35 Watts Hartke bass amp at home, and a Digitech Grunge and Marshall JCM900 at band practices. Especially the second setup sounds great.
I really like the sound of the pickups. The bridge pickup (Made after the Duncan SH-6 Distortion) is great for metal riffs. It souns agressive, but clear. The neck pickup (made after the Duncan '59) sounds very warm, and sounds perfect for slow solo's with a lot of feeling, but for faster soloing it lacks output.. The neck pickup sounds good clean too.
The only downside I think, is the guitar doesn't have very much sustain. I think this is caused by the combination of a small body (it's a V), bolt-on neck and Floyd Rose type bridge.
Although I really like the stock pick-ups, I'm going to put active EMG's in it, and try how that'll sound.

I give an 8 for the sound. I have never heard better stock pick-ups, but it would be nicer if it had a bit more sustain.

Haven't found any flaws yet, and the setup was olmost perfect. Just had to adjust the springs of the floyd bridge a tiny bit. The rest was just perfect.
The Floyd Rose Licesed bridge stays in tune VERY well. I have used it quite a lot in the beginning and never had problems, except that the whammy bar comes a bit loose sometimes. Now I rarely use it, but if I will be good enough at solo's and would start to use it more often, I think I'll replace it by a Schaller or something.

I give it a 9

I play this guitar live without a backup, because it's my only guitar since I sold my old B.C. Rich. If i could, I would definately take a backup with me, but not because of the guitar itself. Only because it would take too much time if I break a string. Haven't had that problem yet (knock on wood ;) )

A 10!

Never dealt with them.

I really love this guitar! I wish it was a neckthrough, but I can't expect that for such a price. I would recommend this guitar to anyone who plays metal and likes V's.

The only thing I really don't like about this guitar is the basswood body. But I think it ain't that bad, because even the high quality Ibanez guitars got basswood bodies.

I give this guitar an 8

christ this guitar is a beaty for sound. clean and distorted, it kicks the balls outa most other guitars.

jackson again not letting anyone down!

beautiful shiny black body. mahogany fretboard and chrome hardware. its a fantastic guitar. light and durable. easy to play.

this guitar will last till im dead and gone which might be a while lol.

its fantastic, very durable and it wont let you down.

if you drop it it will bounce back up abd slap you in the face.

ten outa ten.

it makes me proud to be an axeman

2002 Japan
24 frets
Solid top, Black finish
1 volume 1 tone, 3 way selector
H H two seymour duncan designed

The pickups are not too strong, theey are not bad at all, but with a change the guitar could win a lot in harmonics and output.
I also changed the knobs, because the one's it have are bad.

Some minor defects, but overall its good.
Made in Japan not Korea or Indonesia. But it isn't a USA made

The strap buttons are in the wrong plac. I changed one of them in order to equilibrate the guitar.

Good metal axe, i have had other LTDs , Gibson les paul, Ibanez..and for metal this is the best one, best tone and best image!!!

It has silly little Duncan Design Pickups (yuck), which they seem to have some obsession with, when really they suck. 24 Frets (good for a V guitar from Jackson, quite rare), chrome hardware, 25.5" scale length, no trem (yey) and bolt on neck with string thru body.

Its an ok sound out of the box, but because of the low low price you should have money left over for some nice pickups, which makes life a lot easier. Out of the box, pretty crap.

This is the good bit, because of the tunamatic bridge the action can be brought right down, and because Jackson are so good at necks, this guitars plays beautifully.

Jackson are rock solid and you cant break them if you try (don't try).

no idea

Been playing ages, also have a soloist and KE3, and i prefer this to the KE3, lovey guitar, purely because of the lack of trem. Get it in black or don't get it. Treat it right and it'll treat you right.