Earlier this week, we reported the release of Jackson’s new American Series Soloist SL3 – the first ever US production version of this famed electric guitar design.
Appearing in a choice of Riviera Blue, Slime Green, Platinum Pearl and Gloss Black, the new alder body American Series Soloist SL3 features a through-body three-piece maple neck (25.5" scale length) with graphite reinforcement and a 12”-16” compound radius rolled ebony fingerboard with 24 jumbo frets, inverse mother of pearl sharkfin inlays and Luminlay side dots.
HSS-configured Seymour Duncan pickups include a JB TB-4 in the bridge position and Custom Flat Strat SSL-6 single coils (RWRP in the middle.)
A broad range of powerful tones can be dialed in, courtesy of a five-way blade pickup switch along with single volume and tone controls.
Hardware comprises a Floyd Rose 1500 Series double-locking tremolo bridge system, Gotoh MG-T locking tuners and Dunlop dual-locking strap buttons.
Earlier this summer, GP's Los Angeles Editor, Jude Gold, visited Jackson's secret press event in Hollywood, California.
Walking into a completely “Jackson-ified" conference room, he got a chance to witness the new American Series Soloist SL3 range in all four colors (while several EVH 5150 tube amps were on hand to crank up and let rip.)
Jude sat down with Jackson/Charvel's Jon Romanowski to find out more…
Also attending the event was Scott Ian who says he prefers the new American Series Soloist SL3 in the headturning Slime Green finish.
But it's about more than just eyecatching looks, he tells us.
“The satin finish on the neck feels great too,” commented the Anthrax axeman. “It makes a fast neck even faster.”
Harking back to his early days as a budding musician, Scott reveals why discovering the humbucker-equipped superstrat design in the early ‘80s was crucial to his development as a guitarist.
“It was the right tool at the right time,” he recalls.
Later that day, Jude walked across the street to a hip Hollywood bar located behind a used record store.
There, on a small stage, he discovered lead guitar ace Brandon Ellis of the Black Dahlia Murder blazing away on a Jackson American Series Soloist SL3…
Jude also had some fun shredding on the Jackson American Series Soloist SL3, and in this in-depth video demo he gives us the whole nine yards.
From the sustain-enhancing graphite-reinforced three-piece maple neck and HSS Seymour Duncan pickups to the mega stable double-locking Floyd Rose and Gotoh locking tuners, it's clear this “fast as f**k” superstrat was built for ultimate speed, unrivalled stability, and kickass tone.
Visit Jackson for more information.
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