Hallo,
Ich werde mal im Inglisch antworten, das ist etwas einfacher für mich.
The brand name JJ is no brand but actually just one of the marketing names for Chinese manufactured guitars that are being sold world wide under different marketing names. When you order a minimum of 600 guitars (that is one sea container) from this manufacturer you can request your own brand name or marketing name to be put on the guitars. Or you can pick one of the brand names they have been using for different customers on a non-exclusive basis. You then can choose from the different models they manufacture and choose from a set number of different hardware to be factory mounted on these guitars. So, if you have enough money to invest and can think of a way to sell guitars(E-bay or a music shop), you can start your Super Hosl brand guitar line.
This is what the JJ guitars are all about.
I would say overall quality of the manufactured guitars is reasonable, with hardware somewhat above average quality, but all of these guitars need extensive adjustments of the neck. Sometimes it it not possible to find a good neck/bridge setting for low action and some frets have to be filed down and to be reshaped (rounded) with a fret file. This is especially the situation with the fixed neck type guitars, others sometimes need (also) some shimming at the bolt-on area. Also always new decent strings have to be mounted, factory strings are always lousy.
On average I needed 3-4 hours per guitar for a somewhat decent low action set-up of the neck.
A professional guitar shop will charge about 70-100 for such a proper set-up.
I should mention here, that even Gibson and US Fender guitars almost always need a professional set up when these guitars are bought from the factory. For some reason they do not want to deal with this set-up in the manufacturing plant, probably because otherwise the factory price would be too high to be competitive. For this reason most music shops have a contract with a professional guitar builder or repairman to set up the guitars they receive from the wholesaler.
That is one of the reasons (apart from the shop overhead costs) that the guitars in the music shops seem to be quite expensive, compared to some internet prices.
So, if its not your hobby, you should only buy this type of guitar (JJ or other) when, - adding about 70 set-up costs to the shipping costs and bank transfer costs and the Ebay price tag- you still think you have a good deal for the type of guitar you are looking for.
The only variables in the total costs are: setting-up the guitar yourself (buying a good book on this subject may help) and the auction price you are paying on E-bay.
The reason I have been buying a number of JJ guitars was on request of some students from a guitar school that could not afford the price tag in the music shops for a decent guitar. When I looked at guitars in the price and quality range they could pay, I found that some guitars from Musicseller24 would fit. Adjusting these guitars I have been doing for free (like a hobby of mine), and these students just pay me the actual costs I have made for the Ebay purchase, a set of new strings and, costs shipping and money transfer.
For you to know, I do not actually play a JJ guitar myself. My only guitar-love is a customised (by myself) Framus from the sixties that I already own for almost 40 years now.
During the year I have had a few hundred guitars in my hands and played on them, including several Fenders and a Gibson L 5 and Super 400 but I am still happy with my customized Framus.
If you are looking for a guitar running mate for the rest of your life, I suggest you visit for example the annual guitar vintage market and show in Oldenburg (October or November) and find during these two days your own personal taste and preference for a specific type of guitar (it most probably will not be a JJ
.).
Hope I did not give you too much information, but summarizing:
I think JJ guitars are above average quality guitars. But: do not pay too much for them because they need (like most new guitars) a time-consuming neck-adjustment. So if you can not do the neck adjustments yourself and you could buy a similar guitar in a ***************** for a higher price of about 100, you could consider buying form the shop because of service and possible warrantee.
However for this higher price you should insist that a proper neck set-up (if it has not been done already) should not be charged for additionally. Also you should always insist on quality new strings, because the factory strings for some reason always sound lousy .
Regards,
Johan
P.s. on the website
http://www.harmony-central.com/Guitar/Data4/ you will find some comments from people who own and play a JJ guitar. These type of comments are often biased as people are either disappointed as they can not play guitar properly and blame the guitar they bought or that people are in the process of selling their guitar and give super comments as if they have the best guitar in the world for sale.
Truth is: When you try and play different 100 Gibson Les pauls Custom, you will probably find only one or two that you will feel really happy with (if a les paul is your type of guitar that is). Most guitarists spent a lifetime getting their guitar adjusted to the most optimum balance, because of the wooden materials; all guitars are alive and kicking all the time.
Just J
