@@diabeticmonkey what are you talking about, JS series? The regular production imports (not Japan) have really been stepped way up, according to a few well known players that i trust and not backed by Jackson. MJ Series (Japan) I imagine is as good or better than American Series, I am talking about playability, and build quality with quality components. Stuff like luminlays, ss frets, locking tuners(lol) dont mean shit to me and original floyd vs 1000 1500 or 2000 is ridiculous, original aint better just overpriced and probably being replaced by 1000 etc, MJ Jacksons use the Gotoh double locking trem which is as good or better than any floyd rose. The old Jackson licensed trems on their japanese made guitars were killer, just dumbasses hated on them and replaced them with floyd rose probably before actually trying them for any period of time. I have had to replace and work on my original floyd roses and my jackson tekeuchi licensed trems from over twenty years ago some of them, no issues
I just bought the HSS SL3 Soloist. I traded 2 baritone guitars, managed to knock 20% off the price tag, and paid $1000 to get it out the door. You are right about USA guitars. They are amazing! I played a 1991 Charvel MIJ for most my life and the neck totally reminds me of that guitar. Now I'm saving up for the King V KV2 USA made guitar. Keep shredding. Take care, Sam.
I agree. I don't like down playing their other line of guitars, because they are really great for the money but the USA models just have that little extra that makes them 🤌
Nice! I just commented that I picked up an SL3 on SUnday. I got the slime green one and Guitar Center had it on sale for some reason at $1,700 which is a no-brainer. I will say that full price of $2,300 for this guitar is too much. IT really should have the SS frets (not a big deal), an original FR, and better pickups. I like these SD JBs, but on a #2,300 guitar you should get better pickups. At that price point I'd go with an ESP.
@@machiwoomiapoo Nice! Which color did you go with? I love this guitar, but I was a wanker and had GC set it up with the wrong strings. I put 10s on it, but I put the heavier 10s by accident (strings 4, 5, and 6 being 30-42-52 versus the "other) 10s with 26-36-46) My fingers are getting a WORKOUT. haha
Thank you for this review. It was everything I hoped to hear about this model. My jaw dropped when they announced it. Every single feature is perfection. Everything I told myself I would have to settle on is no longer a concession.
It's funny that you and I parallel each other with these guitars. I just bought an army green fixed bridge version of this one and also already own an X-Series Soloist. It is a fixed bridge version as well. It goes without saying the USA model is a far better guitar....But the X-Series models get you into the Jackson speed neck, compound radius, and neck through aspects of the Soloist at a fair price. I have wanted an American made Jackson Soloist since the late 80's. Since I no longer played Floyd equipped guitars, I thought it would never happen. I thought my X-Series was as close as I would ever get. Not even the Pro Series tempted me. But when I saw the army green USA HT, I knew I had to get one. And I love it, of course. It's everything I could ever want in a modern Soloist. Even the EMG's, which are not modern but still hold a very special place in my heart. Damn....I love this guitar.
I played one at the store the other week, and honestly it played much better than the SL3, which I can't explain since they are made in the same place.
Am i the only guy that prefers a 1500 series over the original? I like it for the fact that it has stainless steel parts while the original doesn't. Also think the price of the guitar is great, especially when compared to the select series that doesn't come with stainless steel frets and the quality being on par. The select series are sold for over 4k. 2600 is a solid deal, not sure why people think it's expensive. My DK1 select series was 2k when i bought it and its worth every penny and I'm sure this one is too
It’s disappointing that they’d go with the FR1500 as opposed to the Original. They went with steel over nickel, putting that kind of thought into the detail and then follow it up with the 1500…ugh.
@tacticaledc I disagree. Like I said in my comment, the 1500 series is a excellent trem especially with its stainless steel components which last longer, especially when compared to the original which doesn't have stainless steel frets. It can hold a tuning just as well. Don't get me wrong the original is great but it's disappointing that it doesn't come with stainless steel components
@@TYLERtheMAGGOT1 Stainless steel is important if you’re talking about silverware, but the quality of the original bs the $1500 is reflected in the mass production, where it’s made, and the price. Unless I’m going to dunk my trem and guitar in water, I’m not concerned with stainless vs. quality.
Pick up rings are something you typically see on lower priced guitars. IDK for sure, but my guess is builders use pick up rings to cover routing, which is not as "finished" looking as on a more expensive guitar. TLDR - it's cheaper to produce a guitar with pick up rings is my guess.
Mine turned up today and oh my gosh it’s nice. Best guitar I’ve ever played and I’ve played / owned high end mayones, suhr and fender custom. Neck is nice
Hey Taylor, great video man! What noise gate pedal is that you are using in the video? I heard almost no frequency loss from it. I'm now looking to purchase one of these guitars asap, thanks!
Yeah it’s the fret wire for me that seals the deal. Love SS frets. I also like the upside down shark fin inlays. Considering selling all my guitars for this 😅
The orange model would look great beside an organge amp. I have a Crush 20 RT. Small and simple, but it packs so much punch for very little power usage.
Just a bass player here, but I grabbed a CBXNT DX IV about five months ago and it has become my favorite since then. It is not for everything, but, what it is good at it does it well and it feels great doing it. Jackson has been knocking it out of the park lately.
2600 is actually priced fairly good. The USA Select series woukd be sold for over 4k. This guitar has better specs minus the Floyd original. I bought a USA select DK1 for 2000 used and it's worth every penny in my opinion, especially when I compare it to my E-iis and prestiges which are also priced around this point.
Frets don't look big/huge as they should be on Jackson. It seems they are smaller then on 90-2000 Jackson USA/Japan guitars. It is right or only my impression based on video?
Great review. The guitar is indeed beautiful! I see you have a Solar too. How do you feel about those two guitars? (I know the comparison depends on many factors and maybe the models you have are not quite similar, but I’m asking because I’m wondering about get one of those Jacksons or a Solar). Thanks in advance.
a little miiffed that they deciided to finally do stainless steel frets after I bought the first american series soloist and the virtuoso. sick guitars, litereally the only thing miissing on them is stainless steel frets.
I absolutely love the look and specs of this guitar. I've been on a long waitlist for the ESP E-II M-II, but I might opt for this Jackson. Biggest differences in the E-II are the OFR and gloss finish, and the fact that it comes with the hardshell case (as it should for $2600). I really love the look of this Jackson, though! How do you think the satin finish will hold up over time on this? I've heard some people complain about quick wear on satin finishes that create shiny spots where your arm/hand rests on the body.
As someone who owns a Jackson USA, a Custom Shop Soloist, and has another Custom Shop Warrior being built right now, the only Jacksons worth buying are the USA Select Series and Custom Orders. Save your money and buy the better stuff. Not a fan of the direct mount pickups and satin finishes either. Good to see that they finally got the stainless frets on.
Hi Taylor, I have the Jeff Loomis Pro Series Kelly and it plays and sounds awesome. Which one would you prefer between this and the Kelly?? Thanks, great reviews 🙌🏼
Why you gotta ask me such difficult questions? lol I have a soft spot for the Kelly shape, so I'm pretty biased. But I mean it, these stainless steel frets are something else. I'd highly recommend playing one if you have the opportunity.
Great guitar! I still prefer the MIJ Soloist, though. Has a neck binding, sharkfin inlays in the right direction and a high gloss black finish. But my biggest hope is that Jackson will publish a new American Kelly series! Pleeeeeeeeaaaaaaaase!
I’m really interested in one of these! Love the fact that they put EMG’s in, not Fishmans. Not too much of a satin finish fan, but the green one does look quite nice (since army green would look sh*t in gloss). Love to see your enthousiasm, great review!
I got a Harley Benton Amarok that comes with 90% of what that has (Hipshot bridge instead of Floyd) for under $500. Neck-through construction, stainless steel frets, heal truss adjustment, luminlay dots, EMG Retro Active Hot 70 pickups, Grover locking tuners, ebony fretboard, and a bunch of stuff I'm forgetting at the moment. So, why is the Jackson $2,600? Granted, mine didn't come with a case, but that's a $2,100 difference made up for by getting a $50 Thomann guitar case with it.
US labor is more expensive than Chinese labor. That’s part of it. US manufacturing has a reputation associated with it and to add the “Made in USA” mark is an American trademark that you can’t BS on, so building something here and putting that seal on it means more to the world than the faceless people behind HB. The other part: not all stainless steel is created equal. Stainless frets on an American guitar are guaranteed to meet that standard.
You already know the answer. The Jackson is built in the US. Tons of people were bemoaning that no guitars are made in the US. Now Jackson has at least three US production models and the complaint is they’re too expensive. Everyone seems to forget that labor to build things costs money in North America in a way that it doesn’t overseas. That’s where a lot of the price is. If you don’t value that, that’s fine don’t buy it. But to question why an import guitar with similar specs costs less than a US made guitar is being willfully ignorant.
@@K707OR30 and those prices are giving the employees in America wages to live on. It comes full circle: you want American guitar, you pay for it, employees get a cut. Inflation up because demand is higher than supply = costs go up and if they go up enough, standard of living goes up, employees need more to survive, guitar prices go up.
That's really interesting... I never thought of the stainless steel variables. These SS frets are no joke the most shiny/smooth I have seen on a guitar. Not by a crazy amount, but it's noticeable.
Harley Benton is the Chinese mass market gear, lol))) Even with all the cool specs you’ve described. The quality of HB is 50/50 lottery as well. So the comparison with American Jackson isn’t fair at all.
I thought not installing SS frets on their guitars (especially the bigger companies) is a way to make more profit, while PRS claims it changes tone and EVH said it didn't affect anything. But a 1k Schecter has SS frets, and a 3K Ibanez J-custom use nickel, but some prestige that cost less do have SS frets. It's confusing haha
The real advantage is that they (supposedly) last forever, so you don't have to worry about getting a fret level at some point. But idk how accurate that is. Seems legitimate 🤷♂️
Definitely looking at one of the hardtail ones to pair with my virtuoso. Will be interesting to see the excuses for why people won’t buy this one either now that it has stainless steel frets and a hardtail option.
Oh man, how you like the virtuoso? That was my intro to Jacksons USA models, and it's one of my favorites to play now. If people are making excuses or poo poo'ing this guitar, it's just not for them. And that's OK. Plenty of great options in other budget ranges.
@@TaylorDanleylove my virtuoso, it’s probably the fastest guitar I’ve ever played period. The neck is amazing. Not to mention the smell of the roasted maple even though it’s faint now. How do you like the new soloist neck compared to the virtuoso?
I think the 1500 is great. I have an original and a pro. I prefer the profile of the pro, but honestly the 1500 feels just as, if not more solid than the others.
@@TaylorDanley hahahaha!!!! I know that feeling. I worked for a band for many years and the guitarist only played rare and really cool stuff. Like he has one of the first korena flying V’s in MINT condition. He got a real old mint condition fender tele and he’s also got a silver burst lp from I think it was the mid/late 70’s. And he has a 40th anniversary prs. My job was to clean string and tune all of these guitars. The first couple times I did it I was super nervous. Before too long tho, I was grabbing one up to practice or record with. They were really fun guitars. He’s also got a 70’s fender p bass that was super sick and he’s got a couple cool acoustics. The dude knows his guitars and has expensive taste.
it is noteworthy that Ive now heard and experienced that no matter what model Jackson they seem to come setup and in tune. I bought a Loomis Kelly and it was ready to go out of the box, other than the locking nut SNAP, easily fixed tho but its biggest flaw.
Definitely a beast of a guitar. In terms of stainless steel frets, you could save quite a bit of coin and get something from the Pro Plus series. Interestingly though, I can't see a HH Soloist. I got the MJ Series Dinky DKR in Satin Black. Other than not having stainless steel frets, it's a mighty fine axe that feels amazing to play 🤘🤘 Considering a Jackson for my first 7 string 🤘
Every Jackson I've played has been quality so far. Even way down in their budget line (foreshadowing). I appreciate their consistency with the neck profile and overall feel of the guitars as well.
Just get the virtuoso. It’s a super sick guitar. Stainless frets are nice sure but I don’t understand why everyone gets so hung up on them personally. I have a couple guitars with them but there’s nothing at all wrong with nickel.
Totally agreed with this comment until I played this guitar. I own other guitars with SS frets, and these are by far the smoothest frets I've ever played. BUT with that said, there's nothing wrong with nickel frets. We are talking about maybe a 10% difference in feel. The only other potential pro is SS frets are supposed to last forever, but I personally have never had to replace nickel frets so 🤷♂️
@@TaylorDanley definitely your mileage may vary. I’ve got a guitar with a nasty ding on the 12th fret, took a while of playing but it’s smoothing out. Nice you can sorta play out dings, also nice to avoid dings. I wouldn’t avoid a guitar I want due to nickel frets but I really enjoy the guitar that does have them.
@@TaylorDanley very much personal preference. Just in my style i dont find myself using the trem enough to make the extra work worth, but they still are very cool and very fun.
I’m looking at buying my first electric guitar. I’ve never played one before. I come from the frame of mind that buying something for beginners is a waste of money because quite quickly you will outgrow something for beginners. I’m looking at something mid-range to high quality but don’t want to break the bank. My thinking is, if I buy a high quality guitar that means I will HAVE to practice every day because I hate wasting money. BTW, I’m 50 and grew up on Metal. That’s what I want to learn how to play. Any suggestions?
Jackson js series is amazing it’s very good quality also being cheap, pick your favorite shape and color that will make you want to pick it up everyday and id 100% say pick up a JS series
Like others have said, the JS series are excellent. I have a video coming on one very soon, but to spoil it I was super impressed with the cheapest full range they offer (js11 I believe). Yes you might outgrow it, but if you want something solid that will last until YOU are ready to invest in something a little more 🤌, it is an excellent candidate.
Is the neck similar to the Jeff Loomis profile? Out of all usas and Japanese pros that Loomis neck kinda destroys the older ones. Pretty unbelievable for a decent price
So my first Jackson was that X series soloist I showed in the video, which is relatively new in terms of the companies lifespan. All the Jacksons I've had are newer (like 2010 on), and I don't notice a difference on the neck profile between any of them. Doesn't mean there isn't a difference, just that I personally don't notice it 🤷♂️ Hope that helps.
I wish companies would just switch to richlite, fretboards don't have any actual tonal quality despite what facebook groups say, and the streaks in modern ebony boards don't look great. Should let the supply recooperate for a few decades. The rest of the guitar looks and sounds awesome.
As much as I want to agree, on my last Grimoire I was asked about richlite and hesitated because I had no experience with it. I think it's probably a matter of time because it does sound like a cool product.
Yes! Plus you can get Richlite in any color, so you can get that jet back fretboard to contrast the pearl/abalone inlay like the good old days. I also want to see carbon fiber necks. No more truss rod nonsense.
Tough call. Depends on what I'm doing I guess. I really like my uberkab and Engl for certain things, but my Mesa usually always beats out everything else, so I stick with that most of the time.
what i dislike on the new americam series is the inlays being the wrong way around. i'd rather buy a japanese made one (which is sold at the same price in my country) and have a guitar that's more accurate to the original 80s and 90s specs.
Can you get an MJ Series and see if USA is as good or better, Sounds like the newer USA Jacksons are still great like the older ones. When I saw they are made in Corona now I was afraid they were gonna be made by Fender in their regular Fender USA production plant. So maybe they are still made by Jackson legends or Fender custom shop, the regular Fender production plant/line would be a serious downgrade in playability and quality. Even Fender custom shop would kinda worry me, they might fenderize the necks. I still dont care about SS frets on jacksons because whatever fretwire Jackson has been using forever is killer. Jackson bolt ons are killer, and Fenders are mostly bolt on so thats cool. I would way rather have bolt on than set in necks, gotta be bolt on or neck thru, glued in just seems stupid.
It's possible. I don't think Fender will ever fender ize Jackson, they realize how different the brands are and it would be weird for them to cannibalize their own brand. The biggest crossover I've seen is the reverse Fender headstock on Jackson guitars, which I think is kind of a cool novelty.
For some people, no. But for others, yes. The analogy I would use is like this. If you are a car enthusiast, you would probably be really excited to have a porsche, and be willing to pay the premium price. But if you only use a car to commute and prioritize things like economy and gas mileage, then it wouldn't make sense for you to make such a large investment in an automobile. Thanks for coming to my TED talk.
OK so i do not dislike Jackson guitars. I'd love to have one. I just think they're incredibly over priced. By a lot. I have a ESP Arrow 1000 that is virtually identical specs wise. The only differences are grover non locking tuners. Body wood is mahogany as opposed to alder. And just a single volume knob no tone. And it didn't come with a case. But the construction the neck the frets the fretboard the compound radius the scale length the pickups and the tremolo are exactly the same. And even with the additional cost of purchasing a case it was still over a thousand bucks cheaper. Don't get me wrong Jackson makes amazing guitars and I'd love to have one. They're just incredibly overpriced. I mean for 2600 bucks you can ALMOST spec out and have your own fully custom guitar built.
It's hard to sell US made guitars when really the only benefit is showing off that you could afford it. It's just a status symbol bc nobody is gonna know or care where your guitar was made on stage or in your studio tracks
I don't think they are going to have a hard time selling these guitars. It's OK for people to not want to buy a guitar in this price range, but there are a lot of players that only buy guitars in this price range. Different strokes for different folks.
Honestly, it not having an OFR or neck binding at this price point is... Disappointing. 1000 Series Floyds are all right, but they're still no match for OFR or Schaller.
I just learned that the OFR nut only comes in a 10” radius, whereas the R3 1000 series nut has a 12” radius. So playability wise the 1000 series is going to feel and play waaaaay better out of the box (and actually match the Jackson radius at the nut)
Having both OFR and 1500, I would disagree.. I think the 1500 is just as nice, and I really like the addition of stainless steel screws. I think people have bias towards them because they assume the quality is less, but IME it's not the case.
@@TaylorDanley I've had a 1000 and a Schaller. Schaller was in perfect condition, while being twice as old (the blades were never changed since the day one) and abused just as hard. Some rust and discoloration, but no physical wear. 1000 got dull over the years and some screws need replacement.
@@Admiral_Bongo true! But I don’t know many non-custom guitars that come stock with a Lockmeister. No idea what the distribution details look like with Schaller direct, but most builders clearly order from AP International, which means you get a Floyd Rose branded trem on a production guitar. So what we need is for AP International to sell 12” Schaller nuts with OFRs, because putting a 10” nut on a 12” Jackson neck is not great.
It's nice to see Jackson stepping up, BUT.... I feel like you're paying quite a premium here for it being made in America. I have no doubt it's an awesome guitar, but between that and (say) an ESP M-1000 for $1400 that has literally all the same features (save for the heel truss rod adjustment)?
I don't have a M1000 to compare to, but from my memory the m1000 in terms of build quality and craftsmanship would be closer to the X series I showed than to the USA made. I think a more comparable offering from ESP would be the E2, which are in the same price range.
