“An ultra-fast guitar that you’re going to want to burn many fretboard miles on”: Jackson American Series Virtuoso review

Where do I begin? Jackson launched yet another guitar that looks a horrible lot like the various others in their ranks of fast-playing and sleekly created instruments. I do not wish to be negative here since you– like me– are passing away to understand what’s so mind-blowingly various about the brand-new Jackson American Series Virtuoso, so hold on.

A year back, Jackson released the American Series Soloist SL3 to rave evaluations. Now, with the release of the American Series Virtuoso, Jackson raised the excitement with an ultra-slick advertising video that included significant djent and metal artists like Periphery’s Misha Mansoor and Revocation’s Dave Davidson, together with virtuosic metal titan Marty Friedman as the focal point, followed by metal’s new age of up-and-comers such as Heriot’s Debbie Gough and Clint Tustin of Erra– all playing the guitar while showcasing their varied series of shred-tastic designs behind a downing background of initial music.

If you have not seen it, it’s worth an aim to see the American Series Virtuoso in the capable hands of metal’s brightest stars to date.

Collecting up a lot of prominent shredders is still not adequate to convince what’s so distinct here, so permit me to dig in and disclose what’s significant. On the surface area, what’s brand-new is that the American Series Virtuoso shows up as a dual-humbucker guitar with a bolt-on speed neck rather than the Soloist SL3’s HSS pickup setup and neck-through-body building and construction.

It’s obvious that Jackson is building on their comprehensive lineup of super-octane-performance guitars, however what’s secret is that when you obtain the Virtuoso in your hands, it’s apparent what makes it a cut above the rest.

Previously, I’ve held and auditioned a lot of import guitars (like the Jackson X-Series Dinky I examined) that I’ve almost forgotten what it’s like to play one built in the USA.

That being stated, it’s like a slap to the face– where you rapidly recognize there’s a concrete upscale improvement to the Virtuoso that makes it a considerably severe instrument since it’s so well made. What’s more, after a general test drive with it, you’ll discover that it easily enhances your balanced and fleet-fingered balancings so immediately, that it’s sufficient to state, “This one’s a keeper.”

According to Jackson Guitars, the Virtuoso includes “150-plus handmade information …” And while I can’t even start to note how that’s attained, I can provide that every inch of the guitar seems like a level-up in accuracy with its develop. The kindly shaped and satin-finished alder body easily presses versus your body to make you feel linked to it.

Its bolt-on “speed neck” is graphite-reinforced with an efficiently contoured “handshake heel,” and boasts a rotating five-piece caramelized maple-to-maple neck building together with a spotted ebony fingerboard with rolled edges, a 12- to 16-inch substance radius and 24 jumbo worries.

As an old-school shredder, I’ve constantly chosen a bolt-on neck to the majority of neck-through-body styles, and here, Jackson’s “speed neck” is properly depicted, with a slim and shallow profile that makes any impulse for large period stretches and burning up the fretboard an open invite.

Jackson’s sonic engine predispositions frequently consist of the effective combination of the Seymour Duncan JB TB-4 bridge and ’59 SH-1N neck humbuckers, both of which are straight installed to the body for more responsiveness and purer tone.

For its control design, there are dome-style knobs for volume and tone, and a five-way blade switch enabling a variety of full-humbucking and split-coil tonal tastes. Jackson likewise prefers a Floyd Rose 1500 Series double-locking tremolo as its unfaltering bridge system for whammy wanderlust, and completing its premium elements, Gotoh MG-T locking tuners and Dunlop dual-locking strap buttons keep tuning and guitar stability in check respectively.

Remarkably, the most polarizing element of the Virtuoso amongst influencers and user remarks has actually been the guitar’s satin shell pink surface (c’mon, individuals) and, naturally, the high expense. Given that I got that specific surface, I’ll stick my go out and state I like it (hey, I originated from the ’80s), however I’m conscious my metal brethren gravitate towards colors that look like the void– so rejoice, there’s a satin black surface for thou, in addition to more neutral surfaces like mystic blue and particular ocean.

Remarkably, the most polarizing element of the Virtuoso amongst influencers and user remarks has actually been the guitar’s satin shell pink surface (c’mon, individuals) and, naturally, the high expense. Given that I got that specific surface, I’ll stick my go out and state I enjoy it (hey, I originated from the ‘8), however I’m mindful my metal brethren gravitate towards colors that look like the void– so rejoice, there’s a satin black surface for thou, in addition to more neutral surfaces like mystic blue and particular ocean.

This, naturally, is the outcome of skilled workmanship at play here, which currently informs me the Virtuoso is gon na kill when plugged in. Does it down? It boldly downs. The duo of Duncans provides the requisite heft and aggressive output to accommodate most metal designs in addition to more nuanced tones when embeded in the 2 and 4 split-coil positions on the selector switch.

Entirely, it’s a tested dish of heavy and timeless tones for passive pickups regardless that many shredders typically choose active pickups. Here I discover no problem, and am of the state of mind that these sound nicely raw and dynamic.

All in all, the Virtuoso is a premium instrument with American-made provenance, which shows in its greater price, however if cash is no things, it skyrockets as an ultra-fast guitar that you’re going to wish to burn lots of fretboard miles on.

Specifications

• RATE: $/ ₤ 1,999
• BODY: Alder
• NECK: Five-piece caramelized maple/maple, bolt-on with graphite support, hand-rubbed satin urethane
• SCALE LENGTH: 25.5″ (64.77 cm)
• FINGERBOARD: Steaked ebony
• FINGERBOARD RADIUS: 12″-16″ substance radius (304.8 mm to 406.4 mm)
• STRESSES: 24 jumbo
• INLAYS: Mom of pearl balance out dot with Luminlay side dots
• TRUSS ROD: Heel-mount truss rod change wheel
• PICKUPS: Seymour Duncan JB TB-4 Direct Mount and Seymour Duncan ’59 SH-1N Direct-Mount
• CONTROLS: Volume, Tone
• CHANGING: 5-position blade: Position 1. Bridge, Position 2. Bridge Outer Coil and Neck Inner Coil, Position 3. Bridge and Neck, Position 4. Bridge Inner Coil and Neck Outer Coil, Position 5. Neck
• HARDWARE: Floyd Rose 1500 Series Double-Locking Tremolo, locking Gotoh MG-T tuners, black
• END UP OPTIONS: Satin Shell Pink [as reviewed]Mystic Blue, Satin Black, and Specific Ocean
• CONTACT: Jackson Guitars

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Paul Riario has actually been the tech/gear editor and online video existence for Guitar World for over 25 years. Paul is among the couple of equipment editors who has in fact played and owned almost all the initial equipment that many guitar players wax poetically about, and has actually endured this long by understanding every ineffective musical bit of timeless rock, new age, hair metal, grunge, and alternative categories. When Paul is not riding his roadway bike at any given minute, he stays a working artist, playing in 2 bands called SuperTrans Am and Radio Nashville.