Guitar Dreamer: Jackson Kelly repair and mods!

This is a nice Jackson Kelly JS32T model a friend bought recently. It's got some interesting features:

Body: Basswood
Body Shape: Kelly
Body Finish: 2910123568 Satin
2910123576 Gloss Polyurethane
Neck Shape Speed Neck
Number of Frets: 24
Fret Size: Jumbo
Position Inlays: Pearloid Sharkfin
Fretboard Radius: 12" to 16" Compound Radius (304.8 mm to 406.4 mm)
Headstock Binding: White
Fretboard: Rosewood
Neck Material: 1-Piece Bolt-On Maple Speed Neck with Graphite Reinforcement and Scarf Joint
Neck Finish: Satin
Nut Width: 1.6875" (42.8 mm)
Scale Length: 25.5" (648 mm)
Headstock: Jackson® Pointed 6-In-Line
Neck Plate: Jackson®
Neck Binding: White
Pickup Configuration : HH
Bridge Pickup: Jackson® High Output Humbucking
Neck Pickup: Jackson® High Output Humbucking
Pickup Switching: 3-Position Toggle: Position 1. Bridge Pickup, Position 2. Bridge and Neck Pickups, Position 3. Neck Pickup
Controls: Master Volume, Master Tone
Hardware: Black
Bridge: Jackson® Compensated and Adjustable Strings-Through-Body
Tuning Machines: Jackson® Sealed Die-Cast
String Nut: Plastic
Control Knobs: Dome Style

Source: http://www.jacksonguitars.com.au/guitars/kelly/js32t_kelly/

The problems:

This particular model came in with a faulty pickup selector switch and a high action issue. I noticed that the stock pickup selector is the same model as the cheap and faulty Epiphone toggle switches I 've dealt with in the past. I replaced the old selector with a Korean made closed type one which is really heavy duty and lasts much longer than the stock ones.

The action was already set at its lowest point via the bridge posts. Still, the strings were pretty high above the fretboard. The only usable solution was to place a small shim under the neck. I removed the neck from the body and placed a 1mm thin neck shim inside the neck pocket. Then, I bolted the neck on and placed a new set of strings. Voila! The action issue was solved!

Mods:

My friend wanted to split the humbuckers to get smoother clean sounds. Luckily, the stock Jackson ceramic humbuckers came with 4 wires and so I wired a push pull 500K Tone pot in to split both pickups!

The result:

Once the guitar was fully set up and its electronics were all rewired, it was time to test it out. Well, this guitar is made for really thick and heavy riffs! The stock ceramic pickups are really hot with plenty of bass. The chunky Jackson neck is pretty comfortable for playing chords and riffs.

Here are a few pictures of the actual guitar: