$2600 and it doesn’t have a German Floyd, it doesn’t have any sort of binding on the neck or headstock, or the pearl logo like a real USA soloist, and the inlays are flipped. Nah.
worst part about this is they released a Soloist that looks better and has a German Floyd Rose just earlier this year (Concept series) and it's cheaper at around 2 grand
$2600 for a made in USA guitar is honestly not that ridiculous. $2800 for a les paul standard right now with far less features...have you looked at the prices of Ernie Ball these days? $3000+ if they added the German floyd and binding and all that it would have increased the price significantly therefore defeating the purpose of this guitar entirely.the reason the concept series is cheaper is where it is made, the craftsmanship isn't as good. If you don't like it...don't buy it maybe 🤷♂️
As an old follower I have 2 key points. 1- you're not the best choice to review a Jackson knowing you taste. 2- the photo of you playing the jackson on stage was fucking Badass 🔥
Jackson's USA Select series guitars from 10+ years back had much better specs (including binding around the neck and headstock, genuine Floyd Rose, etc.). There was a wide range of finishes, too. A black Soloist went for about $2100-2200 new, the transparent green flame maple top that I had went for about $2600 new, and on from there. I'm sure this new Soloist line is great, and I'm super glad you're having fun with it. But I think they should be priced around $1600-1800 new. Definitely not $2600.
Amen to this ! Should at least come with stainless steel frets and a 1000 Floyd Rose made in Germany and not the "licensed" made in Korea one. There are cheaper guitars that have the real deal Floyd Rose .
Binding doesn’t make a guitar more valuable at all, Please tell me what it actually adds to the guitar. Jackson make £250 guitars with bindings. The wide range of finishes died out because people didn’t want to buy $2500 USA made guitars when the same company as well as countless competitors were offering premium features. 2012-2017 was the golden era for import guitars. You’re paying for the fender factory price. Pretty sure Jackson are still making USA select guitars. This is simply now a mass produced USA Jackson guitar, something that wasn’t really a thing past the turn of the century until now.
I have a 1986 Soloist. It was made in the USA. Best guitar I’ve ever owned for my style but I’m an old 80’s rocker. It is a very fast guitar. Back then they didn’t have the best pickups so I switched them to EMG’s and sounds great! Great video and glad to see their still making it!
i just bought this guitar a few weeks ago the neck is fucking amazing this guitar is punchy and tight. My only complaint is the 1500 floyd other than that this guitar sounds badass. Best neck ive ever played. It shreds. wish it had stainless steel frets i got mine for 2300$ but overall its a solid beast and does what i want it too. I give it a 9/10 only cause of the korean floyd. nickel frets are still great too.
He said he plays one fucking song with that guitar. I was given to him for a promotional deal you ever seen him play a super strat let alone a Jackson before no. Fluff has fallen into the TH-cam free shit world. And then I'm sure he'll quietly sell it on reverb or something. Personally I don't trust any of these TH-cam guitarists on here except for ola englund he's only one that tells it like it is when it comes to gear. Fluff is just pandering which is kind of sad but true.
I wouldn’t really call the soloist a super metal guitar in the looks department. Honestly I love seeing guitarist play things that don’t “fit” their look. For example. I’m in a crossover thrash band but I play a fender strat ultra Lux with a Floyd rose and I think it gives the look of the band a different vibe. It gives an original look. I think it would be cool to see you playing stuff like this live to be honest.
All depends on what sound your going for imo I have a strat with mighty mite pickups use 10's play thrash and death metal also play Jackson soloist that's my death metal one use9's have multiple pedals my point it's whatever gets you the best sound I'm for it
Metal has different looks. Tony Iommi ain't exactly playing a Warlock every night. On the other hand Loomis plays a 7-string Soloist and he's about as metal as you can get, short of entering the land of cartoons and parody.
$2,600 is a lot of money for basic hardware, i thought that fenders ultra series was overpriced but this is just another level of ridiculous. It's a gorgeous guitar and I bet it feels great to play, but man that's too much.
I really love these new American Jacksons but that price is nothing great. It's priced in a realm where you have A LOT of other options that are probably better. But If I had that kind of cash and was dead-set on a Jackson, I'd definitely be looking at the used market for an American Select or Custom Shop Soloists. Now, when these new Soloists get cheaper in the used market, the story is different....then this is a hell of a guitar.
$2,600 for an American made guitar sounds fair but for about the same I could get an LTD MIJ arrow. Either way still better than BCR's $2,000 for a Korean made guitar that never existed 😂
Lol screw that. Its original FR or nothing. Thank god I stopped playing jacksons a long time ago, they cheaped out on their guitars a long time ago. Companies like Ibanez, Schecter, Solar, Chapman are the future.
Jeff Loomis specifially asked for his custom shop build to put 1500 series in it, because it is well built using titanium parts and much more comfortable since you don't have to bother with whammy bar and screwing it in.
Actual MIJ are way better and cheaper in Europe. GOTOH tremolo > Korean FR For the same price you could have a true Jackson USA here in Europe with the Adrian Smith
The korean floyd is made with the same materials as the german one so its not a big deal to me either way, but I played an MJ DKR with a gotoh floyd and I was really impressed.
@@progpogs yes that's what everybody says. But in reality I have two OFR on a Charvel USA Select and on a Jackson USA Scott Ian and I have a bunch a guitar with Korean made FR and even if those are good tremolo (comparing with the awful FR Special and other licensed FR) the guitars they equipped with don't stay in tune like those with OFR
Good review bro. Man, $2600 for that!?!? I think a lot of people are going to be questioning that figure. Jackson is really betting on the name on the headstock.
The premium you pay for an american made guitar is ridiculous. Even with the incredible quality and workmanship of them it's not quite worth it in my book. The Japanese ones are a little less expensive for practically the same quality.
@@Shootingstar1203 are they really? Thats insane. I'd rather spend significantly less and buy a 90s Japanese one. I have three and they're amazing quality guitars
@@daved2352 yea I am actually debating on which guitar to get… either this American series soloist or the MJ (Japanese) version soloist sl2…. Have you had any experiences with either? Thx
A lot of folks here bemoaning the price of these but $2600 isn't out of the ordinary when you look at the cost of most made in USA guitars these days. A USA Jackson RR is $4400. EVH Wolfgang USA is $4500. PRS Custom 24 is $5000. Les Paul Customs are $5000+ (Standards are $2900). Music Man Cutlass is $2600. ESP USA Eclipse is $3600. etc etc. I'm sure you could find a nice guitar made in Korea or Indonesia for a fraction of the cost if that's your bag but USA guitars are very rarely cheap. Not to mention the unavoidable global inflation that is affecting the cost of everything money can buy. 🤷
Im a huge Jackson fan, the shapes, the whole ethos of the brand etc. But could we see some potential innovation? I mean good lord guys this is straight up a soloist from the 80's. Yeah it's rad, yeah its made in the USA but no stainless frets? Just a Floyd 1500 series? This guitar doesn't need to cost more than 1500 bucks.
Fluff, I think the 'super strat' looks just fine with you. It's such an iconic shape that there is no weirdness. But, I get that you identify more with other shapes. Anyway, thanks for the review. I'm very happy to hear that Jackson is still putting out excellent guitars.
I HAVE A 1990 SOLOIST PRO WITH A GAIN TOGGLE BESIDE THE 5 WAY SWITCH WITH ACTIVE PICK , NECK IS SUPER FAST AND SLICK I LOVE IT A FEW NICKS BUT IT PLAY AS THE DAY I BOUGHT EXCEP I PUT ON EMG81 ON THE BRIDGE THE OTHER TWO PCK UPS ARE SINGLE IT PLAY SO SWEET AND THE NECK IS AWESOME!
Ok tbh, I really really like the look of this. I like the stainless parts on the Floyd and the nut and the biggest pro is the truss rod adjustment wheel on the bottom. BUT the price is just waaaaaay too much and not having stainless frets at that price is also a huge bummer. Besides that for many people it might be quiet boring to look at. I personally like it but not for that price.
Great guitar and review. Just one thing: It's got a Floyd so it has to have a locking nut, so why locking tuners? In case someone wants to block off their term and take off the nut's clamp? They're superfluous and just add to the cost.
A lot of people say locking tuners make for faster string changes. I didn't have a guitar with locking tuners long enough to say it was any faster. You don't have to wind the strings through the posts, so in theory that saves you *some* time.
@@tjborekvideo They do make for faster changes on a non-locking nut guitar. But with a locking nut you can get away with little more than 1 wrap. What you said does make sense, though.
I was skeptical of the locking tuners myself. They're a game changer. No windings around the post so it looks clean af . Much faster to change strings, and they're much more stable.
For 2600 you can get an amazing second hand ibanez J custom with gotoh made hardware that is true and tested with more exotic woods and features. Thats probably the best superstrat you can buy from any maker
I love Hss guitars, i myself have a 2021 Jackson USA Adrian Smith Dinky with ebony fretboard and its a fast playing guitar. Bought it when they were around 2400k, now they sell the same guitar for over 3k which is insane. A Mexican Charvel is just as good, i know since i also own a So Cal.
I bought 2 of the slime green ones the day they came out... And it happens to be a phenomenal guitar. I know there's a lot of naysayers out there or whining and bitching about every little thing about this guitar, but honestly, it's probably one of the best out of the 30+ guitars that I have on the wall. It does everything that I could possibly expect out of a guitar and it does it really well, not to mention how great the action and feel is on this thing. So for all the armchair coaches out there, go learn how to play guitar or get a life.
Jackson SL1 USA guitars are all over the place on reverb and have been for a long time, these look like a lower end to the real USA Jacksons with mother of pearl inlays and neck binding and such.
I bought an RG (Ibanez) a couple years ago...but wound up returning it - and I'm still umming and ahh'ing about that, tbh.. It was an incredible instrument.. But the reason I returned was that... I like to shred....but I need to be able drop in and out of riffing too. Like my Les Paul. An RG is voiced in such a focused treble zone, that riffing just sounds weak on it. The soloing sounds incredible - though a bit too 80's "Days of Thunder", imo - but certainly high, high quality. I thought about getting this sweet purple sparkle soloist, Piranha teeth inlays...but I wound up getting a Charvel DK24. The shop assistant was just DONE! with me, and didn't want to drag another option out. I'm happy with the DK...but it's no irony that the Jackson is the same body...only better, cos it's thru neck AND mahogany. Anyway.. I still have nightmares off loss..falling from my RG....falling from that Soloist...but...I've still got that shell pink dinky, I guess...🙆♂️ I only thought to bring this up because of Fluff saying he thought the Jackson did riffing well, Aswell as the soloing it's designed for
I was on the "what's Fluff doing with a Jackson....." plus I wanted to hear your take on it. I dig the honest review on a guitar that you aren't really comfortable with. Bout the only negative was how it looked on you, and that it's not what you are used to.
I have two issues with this Jackson. One, it comes with the same hybrid case like the Wild Card Soloist comes with. Its trash. The guitar slides back and forth inside and the foam guarding the upper horn is maybe in inch? It broke immediately. Two, they should have put the MADE IN USA on the front. Beyond that, they are not bad. But honestly the Korean made soloists are just as good for 1k or more less with a OFR and Fishman pickups??
I think this is Jackson being clever in their wording. I bet this is assembled in the USA not “Made in the USA”. The wood and parts I bet are from overseas and being put together in CA. In order to put Made in USA, there are rules. Look it up. Parts are supposed to come from the USA in order to put that on there. That’s why the Custom Shop stuff say Made in USA. New BC Rich Custom shop say Made in USA. There is difference. These are not Made in USA like a lot of people think. Just my gut cause why would not wanna put Made in USA on them. Cause it does not qualify as MAde in USA, and now using TH-camrs to push this as USA products or the illusion of MADE in USA. I could be wrong, but again my gut thinks other wise.
@@i_am_lawsway ya might be onto something. I havent played on of the "Americans" yet. But I have numerous MIA and just picked up the flamed WIld Card Soloist and its right there if not exceeds them with quality for a fraction of the price. I was shocked.
I've asked so many people if they think this is worth it's price tag, none if them reply obviously because they're sponsored. I've bought a USA series Jeff Loomis for over €5000 and its amazing, but this doesn't seem do have the best of the best specs as other Jacksons that have come out
I had a '96 SL1 Soloist Pile O'Skull . Some people may remember, at that time, there were regular USA series Jacksons , which have custom hand made graphics on them. I mean ,they were not even custom shop productions but they had special designed graphics on them made by Jackson's custom shop designers!! Mine was the same guitar appearing in the hands of Death's Shannon Hamm gigging with Chuck Schuldiner on the famous Death - live at the Dynamo 1998 show and it that gorgeous Pile O'Skull graphic painted by their famous custom shop artist Dan Lawrence! Still to this date, I've never come across with that kind of ebony fretboard quality , and that wide, thin, fast and easy to play neck profile! You may say what about Musicman JP signature series? I say no. Because that USA Jacksons neck profile was wider! If that annoying volume pot was placed on somewhere else, I'd leave it to my children as an inheritance, but unfortunetely the volume knob placement was so annoying like a stratocaster that I couldn't take anymore and sold it! 2600$ price tag was also same on those years for a USA made instrument. If it has the same neck profile with 90's USA Jacksons, same ebony fretboard wood quality, binding on the neck , CTS pots, Original USA Floyd Rose with a solid hard case....If not, made in the USA or import, there are some really good alternatives with a lower price tag so Jackson must think about the price tag twice IMO.
I think that guitar looks good on you, Fluff! I've been a fan of Jackson for a long time, even though I've only ever owned one or two. I'm more of an Ibanez dude these days but I'm super interested in looking into the US Soloists.
Does the MJ DKR have the same sound tone as the MJ Soloist even though both are using the same set of pickups but with different body material and neck joints???
Good review Fluff :D . They dropped the ball on the 1500 trem , AND, its a Jackson, which means, BINDING on the neck. I'd buy an old one before I bought this new one.
Jackson is just handing these things out left and right to every TH-camr. Knowing damn well that people want stainless steel frets and a real Floyd Rose on their shit. Nobody's going bonkers for $2,600 guitar that comes with a soft shell case enjoy your free guitar. Shechner has a guitar strat type with stainless steel frets and sustainiac and a real Floyd Rose for way cheaper than what they want for this firewood. I love Jacksons and I've been playing them for decades but they really lost sight on this. SMH
Honestly, the Jackson Concept series made in Korea is way better specced than whatever this is and it's still not great. It's super sad and disappointing. No amounts of marketing and waving the US flag superiority can account for that.
@@_fifeusz totally agree. American made to me just means a worker with a higher wage made the instrument. Which brings up the price but is no guarantee of better craftsmanship.
They blew it. The suits at Fender thought they knew best, and I am sure it will come out the folks further down the chain tried to tell them. I will buy a used USA or another company's guitar. I too have been buying Charvel/Jackson for over 30 years.
For 2600 I better be getting binding everywhere, and a beautiful top, and embossed hard shell case at minimum. They don't even have to use nice wood on those. Sand it smooth and paint it black. Nope.
$2600 for no SS frets or an OG floyd rose?? There seems like no point in this over my $700 jackson that came with the same bridge and the same JB pickups, and is also a one piece neck design.. the finish is cooler too lmaoo
I have no problem with Jackson guitars, the brand is legendary because of guys like Randy R., Jeff H., Dave M., Marty F., or the late Robbin Crosby from Ratt. By the way, the original King V was made for Robbin, it was his model, as was the Firebird with a Floyd, reverse headstock and one bridge pickup. The above is a nice guitar, but it doesn't fit what Jackson writes about in the promo. If the goal was what they say about it, then the middle single coil pickup is completely unnecessary. It just confuses the shred masters. :P I see more sense in the neck single coil. It should have been published with a single bridge humbucker, that would have been a cool step and it would also suit the promo.
Ola just reviewed the green one, which I love the look of. He was a bit more critical, especially considering what you get for the price. On the other hand, his guitars are made in Indonesia lol. Country of manufacture doesn't really matter that much, except it does when you consider things like their economy. Anyways, seems nice, but the price? Nah b'y! Plus they really need to offer more guitars with hard tails.
The specs are sad tbh for the price. The josh smith signature Jackson 7 blows the American soloist series out of the water with all its specs and it’s the same price 🔥 photo of you playing the Jackson though
Ngl, as someone who has gone a bit Jackson nuts over the last few years, this is a hard sell over the Pro series on price, and the MIJ stuff on design. I have a MIJ DKRA that is currently around this price and has binding, a gorgeous ash top, the amazing Gotoh Floyd, and a Pro Series Loomis with its own killer ash top, premium actives, and outstanding build quality. Even my two Pro series Soloists are within spitting distance of these specs - one with a mirror top (!), one with poplar burl - and are fantastic. It’s not that these don’t seem like great guitars, I’m sure they are. It’s just that Jackson does so many amazing instruments that slot below this in price that I don’t know who this is for?
Play one, and you'll know. I have two Indonesian pro series soloists that I love dearly. The SL3 is the finest instrument I've ever played, period. I see lots of people complaining about the lack of binding. Very few of those complaining know why a neck is bound. Jackson brought modern manufacturing techniques to bear that not only solve that issue, but I much prefer the rolled fretboard edges to a bound neck. Jackson has a promo video with Mike Shannon where he talks about the design philosophy of this series. I'd encourage Jackson players to watch it. This is Mike Shannon's swan song. It's a special guitar, and you'll know it when you play it.
I'm seriously thinking to get a "budget" shredder to accompany my 1 big-name made in USA guitar.. If I had money to just blow I would get a new Prestige, BUT if I can get a truly amazing sounding and playing guitar for cheaper then I still love my primary guitar..
I like Jackson well enough, but I could never justify paying $2500+ for this. Instead of pushing the envelope a bit more like they’ve been good at over the past decade, they’ve pulled a Gibson and sold us some nostalgia instead.
Thats a bit steep for that guitar. Im sure it feels and sounds great but there are TONS of guitars that feel and sound great. If they could have hit that sub 2k price point it may have been a contender but think about what you can get at that price. Unless your heart is set on a Jackson, I would look elsewhere at that price.
$2600 and it doesn’t have a German Floyd, it doesn’t have any sort of binding on the neck or headstock, or the pearl logo like a real USA soloist, and the inlays are flipped. Nah.
worst part about this is they released a Soloist that looks better and has a German Floyd Rose just earlier this year (Concept series) and it's cheaper at around 2 grand
Ya only heard one person ( who obviuosly wasnt sponsored) say this
Exactly, I'd rather spend 1200 on the matt heafy epiphone les paul for what all it comes with. Even a hard shell case for crying out loud
It's total trash for the asking price
$2600 for a made in USA guitar is honestly not that ridiculous. $2800 for a les paul standard right now with far less features...have you looked at the prices of Ernie Ball these days? $3000+ if they added the German floyd and binding and all that it would have increased the price significantly therefore defeating the purpose of this guitar entirely.the reason the concept series is cheaper is where it is made, the craftsmanship isn't as good. If you don't like it...don't buy it maybe 🤷♂️
As an old follower I have 2 key points.
1- you're not the best choice to review a Jackson knowing you taste.
2- the photo of you playing the jackson on stage was fucking Badass 🔥
Jackson's USA Select series guitars from 10+ years back had much better specs (including binding around the neck and headstock, genuine Floyd Rose, etc.). There was a wide range of finishes, too. A black Soloist went for about $2100-2200 new, the transparent green flame maple top that I had went for about $2600 new, and on from there.
I'm sure this new Soloist line is great, and I'm super glad you're having fun with it. But I think they should be priced around $1600-1800 new. Definitely not $2600.
Yeah USA Jackson's used to be much more affordable before 2014.
Tbh I always hated the binding.
Amen to this ! Should at least come with stainless steel frets and a 1000 Floyd Rose made in Germany and not the "licensed" made in Korea one. There are cheaper guitars that have the real deal Floyd Rose .
Binding doesn’t make a guitar more valuable at all, Please tell me what it actually adds to the guitar. Jackson make £250 guitars with bindings.
The wide range of finishes died out because people didn’t want to buy $2500 USA made guitars when the same company as well as countless competitors were offering premium features. 2012-2017 was the golden era for import guitars.
You’re paying for the fender factory price. Pretty sure Jackson are still making USA select guitars. This is simply now a mass produced USA Jackson guitar, something that wasn’t really a thing past the turn of the century until now.
Keep in mind inflation over the last 2 Years. Guitars are about 30 percent more expensive.
I have a 1986 Soloist. It was made in the USA. Best guitar I’ve ever owned for my style but I’m an old 80’s rocker. It is a very fast guitar. Back then they didn’t have the best pickups so I switched them to EMG’s and sounds great! Great video and glad to see their still making it!
Y'all are straight mad wow lol
i just bought this guitar a few weeks ago the neck is fucking amazing this guitar is punchy and tight. My only complaint is the 1500 floyd other than that this guitar sounds badass. Best neck ive ever played. It shreds. wish it had stainless steel frets i got mine for 2300$ but overall its a solid beast and does what i want it too. I give it a 9/10 only cause of the korean floyd. nickel frets are still great too.
Honestly that’s a cool idea to have manufacturers let these guys TOUR with them as a video review
He said he plays one fucking song with that guitar. I was given to him for a promotional deal you ever seen him play a super strat let alone a Jackson before no. Fluff has fallen into the TH-cam free shit world. And then I'm sure he'll quietly sell it on reverb or something. Personally I don't trust any of these TH-cam guitarists on here except for ola englund he's only one that tells it like it is when it comes to gear. Fluff is just pandering which is kind of sad but true.
I wouldn’t really call the soloist a super metal guitar in the looks department. Honestly I love seeing guitarist play things that don’t “fit” their look. For example. I’m in a crossover thrash band but I play a fender strat ultra Lux with a Floyd rose and I think it gives the look of the band a different vibe. It gives an original look. I think it would be cool to see you playing stuff like this live to be honest.
I have a cream white mexican Fender Strat. The Bridge Humbucker always reminds me of Reign in Blood / Seasons.
All depends on what sound your going for imo I have a strat with mighty mite pickups use 10's play thrash and death metal also play Jackson soloist that's my death metal one use9's have multiple pedals my point it's whatever gets you the best sound I'm for it
Metal has different looks. Tony Iommi ain't exactly playing a Warlock every night. On the other hand Loomis plays a 7-string Soloist and he's about as metal as you can get, short of entering the land of cartoons and parody.
$2,600 is a lot of money for basic hardware, i thought that fenders ultra series was overpriced but this is just another level of ridiculous. It's a gorgeous guitar and I bet it feels great to play, but man that's too much.
I really love these new American Jacksons but that price is nothing great. It's priced in a realm where you have A LOT of other options that are probably better. But If I had that kind of cash and was dead-set on a Jackson, I'd definitely be looking at the used market for an American Select or Custom Shop Soloists. Now, when these new Soloists get cheaper in the used market, the story is different....then this is a hell of a guitar.
$2,600 for an American made guitar sounds fair but for about the same I could get an LTD MIJ arrow. Either way still better than BCR's $2,000 for a Korean made guitar that never existed 😂
100%. I have a $300 Dinky with a set of $200 Seymour Duncans that I bet plays and sounds just as good as that USA Soloist for 2 grand less.
$2600 and you get a 1500 series Floyd Rose, that's really all anyone needs to know about these...
Lol screw that. Its original FR or nothing. Thank god I stopped playing jacksons a long time ago, they cheaped out on their guitars a long time ago. Companies like Ibanez, Schecter, Solar, Chapman are the future.
I always see people argue over which floyds are good. Thats why hardtails are the best. All hardtails are equally awesome
Jeff Loomis specifially asked for his custom shop build to put 1500 series in it, because it is well built using titanium parts and much more comfortable since you don't have to bother with whammy bar and screwing it in.
@@Ottophil when it comes to Floyd's, only the original and titanium ones are good. The rest of the have tuning stability issues from my experiences.
@@Ottophil personally I used a hipshot hardtaill which is great, but then I switched to evertunes and I'm never going back to hardtaill bridges again.
Actual MIJ are way better and cheaper in Europe. GOTOH tremolo > Korean FR
For the same price you could have a true Jackson USA here in Europe with the Adrian Smith
The korean floyd is made with the same materials as the german one so its not a big deal to me either way, but I played an MJ DKR with a gotoh floyd and I was really impressed.
@@progpogs yes that's what everybody says. But in reality I have two OFR on a Charvel USA Select and on a Jackson USA Scott Ian and I have a bunch a guitar with Korean made FR and even if those are good tremolo (comparing with the awful FR Special and other licensed FR) the guitars they equipped with don't stay in tune like those with OFR
@@gral9440 you’re doing something wrong then..
Good review bro. Man, $2600 for that!?!? I think a lot of people are going to be questioning that figure. Jackson is really betting on the name on the headstock.
The premium you pay for an american made guitar is ridiculous. Even with the incredible quality and workmanship of them it's not quite worth it in my book. The Japanese ones are a little less expensive for practically the same quality.
@@daved2352 I think the japanese one (MJ series soloist SL2) is $100 more expensive...
@@Shootingstar1203 are they really? Thats insane. I'd rather spend significantly less and buy a 90s Japanese one. I have three and they're amazing quality guitars
@@daved2352 yea I am actually debating on which guitar to get… either this American series soloist or the MJ (Japanese) version soloist sl2…. Have you had any experiences with either? Thx
@@Shootingstar1203 I don't have any experience with these new ones no. But I can attest to the high quality of 90s Japanese Jacksons
I had a jackson USA soloist back when I was in a band. 15 years ago it got stolen from a gig. I have never filled the hole in my heart.
Also, hotel room video?! WORK ETHIC! Love it.
We wants one.
A lot of folks here bemoaning the price of these but $2600 isn't out of the ordinary when you look at the cost of most made in USA guitars these days. A USA Jackson RR is $4400. EVH Wolfgang USA is $4500. PRS Custom 24 is $5000. Les Paul Customs are $5000+ (Standards are $2900). Music Man Cutlass is $2600. ESP USA Eclipse is $3600. etc etc. I'm sure you could find a nice guitar made in Korea or Indonesia for a fraction of the cost if that's your bag but USA guitars are very rarely cheap. Not to mention the unavoidable global inflation that is affecting the cost of everything money can buy. 🤷
Honestly,best mix with this guitar I've heard so far.
Im a huge Jackson fan, the shapes, the whole ethos of the brand etc. But could we see some potential innovation? I mean good lord guys this is straight up a soloist from the 80's. Yeah it's rad, yeah its made in the USA but no stainless frets? Just a Floyd 1500 series? This guitar doesn't need to cost more than 1500 bucks.
great video, thanks! curious about any effects, pedals etc. for the first set of playing @ 3:14 in the video...
Hopefully Jackson is seeing all these comments.
I'm not sure why but I think of Scott Ian almost every time I see a Jackson. Definitely not a bad thing though.
Fluff, I think the 'super strat' looks just fine with you. It's such an iconic shape that there is no weirdness. But, I get that you identify more with other shapes. Anyway, thanks for the review. I'm very happy to hear that Jackson is still putting out excellent guitars.
I just bought an slx soloist 2 days ago. I love it
i love the shark fin fret markers. very cool. and then all black. perfect.
I HAVE A 1990 SOLOIST PRO WITH A GAIN TOGGLE BESIDE THE 5 WAY SWITCH WITH ACTIVE PICK , NECK IS SUPER FAST AND SLICK I LOVE IT A FEW NICKS BUT IT PLAY AS THE DAY I BOUGHT EXCEP I PUT ON EMG81 ON THE BRIDGE THE OTHER TWO PCK UPS ARE SINGLE IT PLAY SO SWEET AND THE NECK IS AWESOME!
Just above entry level specs with a premium price tag to boot. It's like they never stopped making them!
Well mick Thomson soloist does have an American version which had came out a few years ago
Ok tbh, I really really like the look of this. I like the stainless parts on the Floyd and the nut and the biggest pro is the truss rod adjustment wheel on the bottom.
BUT the price is just waaaaaay too much and not having stainless frets at that price is also a huge bummer. Besides that for many people it might be quiet boring to look at. I personally like it but not for that price.
Well, well, well! It's about freakin' time you pick one up in front of us! I've only been waiting forever! Yay Fluff!
The most metal guitar of all time looks great on you.
When I see that guitar in black, I picture the NY Yankees logo, and the Not! Man.
Hi, I saw u also reviewed a gibson slash les paul. How does it compared to this jackson if u had to choose?
Great guitar and review.
Just one thing: It's got a Floyd so it has to have a locking nut, so why locking tuners? In case someone wants to block off their term and take off the nut's clamp? They're superfluous and just add to the cost.
A lot of people say locking tuners make for faster string changes. I didn't have a guitar with locking tuners long enough to say it was any faster. You don't have to wind the strings through the posts, so in theory that saves you *some* time.
@@tjborekvideo They do make for faster changes on a non-locking nut guitar. But with a locking nut you can get away with little more than 1 wrap. What you said does make sense, though.
I was skeptical of the locking tuners myself. They're a game changer. No windings around the post so it looks clean af . Much faster to change strings, and they're much more stable.
For 2600 you can get an amazing second hand ibanez J custom with gotoh made hardware that is true and tested with more exotic woods and features. Thats probably the best superstrat you can buy from any maker
rockin' a pretty sweet Cubs hat
I watch all of your videos!
I ❤️Jackson Guitars!
Hi
between this and the Mj sl2 with jb-59 which do you think is better in terms of finishes (luthiery), woods, sound etc?
thank you🤘💪
I love Hss guitars, i myself have a 2021 Jackson USA Adrian Smith Dinky with ebony fretboard and its a fast playing guitar. Bought it when they were around 2400k, now they sell the same guitar for over 3k which is insane. A Mexican Charvel is just as good, i know since i also own a So Cal.
That is the coolest looking Jackson guitar ever. Gloss black soloist 🖤
I went and bought one. Because they were cool with Fluff. Nuff Said 😎
I think it looks good on you and looks very unique.
For less, you can get a Prestige Ibanez. More options and equal if not better quality & features.
I bought 2 of the slime green ones the day they came out... And it happens to be a phenomenal guitar. I know there's a lot of naysayers out there or whining and bitching about every little thing about this guitar, but honestly, it's probably one of the best out of the 30+ guitars that I have on the wall.
It does everything that I could possibly expect out of a guitar and it does it really well, not to mention how great the action and feel is on this thing. So for all the armchair coaches out there, go learn how to play guitar or get a life.
Seeing fluff with a Jackson keeps making me think of 90's Hardcore all the way
Someone should compare this guitar with E-II M-II since they have similar price, spec, and body shape.
I wonder how the new Jacksons compare to the Jackson SLX series or even the 1986 Charvel Model 5
dude... Jackson looks so dope on you
Jackson SL1 USA guitars are all over the place on reverb and have been for a long time, these look like a lower end to the real USA Jacksons with mother of pearl inlays and neck binding and such.
Are you going to keep it? Would you use it live again?
Looks good on ya boy!
I bought an RG (Ibanez) a couple years ago...but wound up returning it - and I'm still umming and ahh'ing about that, tbh..
It was an incredible instrument..
But the reason I returned was that...
I like to shred....but I need to be able drop in and out of riffing too. Like my Les Paul.
An RG is voiced in such a focused treble zone, that riffing just sounds weak on it. The soloing sounds incredible - though a bit too 80's "Days of Thunder", imo - but certainly high, high quality.
I thought about getting this sweet purple sparkle soloist, Piranha teeth inlays...but I wound up getting a Charvel DK24. The shop assistant was just DONE! with me, and didn't want to drag another option out.
I'm happy with the DK...but it's no irony that the Jackson is the same body...only better, cos it's thru neck AND mahogany.
Anyway..
I still have nightmares off loss..falling from my RG....falling from that Soloist...but...I've still got that shell pink dinky, I guess...🙆♂️
I only thought to bring this up because of Fluff saying he thought the Jackson did riffing well, Aswell as the soloing it's designed for
Are the pickups responsive???
You cant go wrong with a Jackson American or otherwise, best necks in the game
I was on the "what's Fluff doing with a Jackson....." plus I wanted to hear your take on it. I dig the honest review on a guitar that you aren't really comfortable with. Bout the only negative was how it looked on you, and that it's not what you are used to.
You should make it 1 of your reg Ax's!! Now I want 1 even MORE!!!!!!!
I have two issues with this Jackson. One, it comes with the same hybrid case like the Wild Card Soloist comes with. Its trash. The guitar slides back and forth inside and the foam guarding the upper horn is maybe in inch? It broke immediately. Two, they should have put the MADE IN USA on the front. Beyond that, they are not bad. But honestly the Korean made soloists are just as good for 1k or more less with a OFR and Fishman pickups??
Fender can't put "made in USA" on guitars built in the California plant anymore. Its a California state law.
I think this is Jackson being clever in their wording. I bet this is assembled in the USA not “Made in the USA”. The wood and parts I bet are from overseas and being put together in CA. In order to put Made in USA, there are rules. Look it up. Parts are supposed to come from the USA in order to put that on there. That’s why the Custom Shop stuff say Made in USA. New BC Rich Custom shop say Made in USA. There is difference. These are not Made in USA like a lot of people think. Just my gut cause why would not wanna put Made in USA on them. Cause it does not qualify as MAde in USA, and now using TH-camrs to push this as USA products or the illusion of MADE in USA. I could be wrong, but again my gut thinks other wise.
@@jeffreymorreale7223 Uh, the USA Select still has them. Along with the Adrian Smith I just picked up which is a 2022. So I would say unlikely.
@@i_am_lawsway ya might be onto something. I havent played on of the "Americans" yet. But I have numerous MIA and just picked up the flamed WIld Card Soloist and its right there if not exceeds them with quality for a fraction of the price. I was shocked.
@@Trbochv69 well youd be wrong.
I've asked so many people if they think this is worth it's price tag, none if them reply obviously because they're sponsored. I've bought a USA series Jeff Loomis for over €5000 and its amazing, but this doesn't seem do have the best of the best specs as other Jacksons that have come out
Going for speed ... I though you were going to start singing Cake 😆
5:00 Sounds like my ex-girlfriend: “built for aggression, speed, destruction”, expensive, American made, and neck through construction. 😂
I'll just keep on with my Model 6
I had a '96 SL1 Soloist Pile O'Skull . Some people may remember, at that time, there were regular USA series Jacksons , which have custom hand made graphics on them. I mean ,they were not even custom shop productions but they had special designed graphics on them made by Jackson's custom shop designers!! Mine was the same guitar appearing in the hands of Death's Shannon Hamm gigging with Chuck Schuldiner on the famous Death - live at the Dynamo 1998 show and it that gorgeous Pile O'Skull graphic painted by their famous custom shop artist Dan Lawrence! Still to this date, I've never come across with that kind of ebony fretboard quality , and that wide, thin, fast and easy to play neck profile! You may say what about Musicman JP signature series? I say no. Because that USA Jacksons neck profile was wider!
If that annoying volume pot was placed on somewhere else, I'd leave it to my children as an inheritance, but unfortunetely the volume knob placement was so annoying like a stratocaster that I couldn't take anymore and sold it!
2600$ price tag was also same on those years for a USA made instrument. If it has the same neck profile with 90's USA Jacksons, same ebony fretboard wood quality, binding on the neck , CTS pots, Original USA Floyd Rose with a solid hard case....If not, made in the USA or import, there are some really good alternatives with a lower price tag so Jackson must think about the price tag twice IMO.
Original USA Floyd rose??? 😅
I think that guitar looks good on you, Fluff! I've been a fan of Jackson for a long time, even though I've only ever owned one or two. I'm more of an Ibanez dude these days but I'm super interested in looking into the US Soloists.
I’ll stick with my MJ Dinkys. They rule!
Love Mine... bolt on, fast... great player.
@@DigitalChemistryBand yep! bought one, fell in love and bought a second one!
Does the MJ DKR have the same sound tone as the MJ Soloist even though both are using the same set of pickups but with different body material and neck joints???
oh, new ridiculous reverb list episode,nice
Why you don't test Floyd?
Digging this video style.
Good review Fluff :D . They dropped the ball on the 1500 trem , AND, its a Jackson, which means, BINDING on the neck. I'd buy an old one before I bought this new one.
Curious if you’ll be playing this guitar at the OKC show tomorrow? Either way, stoked to see you guys play live soon! 🤙
The price is high but I bet this is a great guitar. I’d have to try one before I pass judgement.
The thumbnail is what it would look like if you joined Terror or Hatebreed
I watch all of your videos, Fluff.
Doesn't matter the topic.
Jackson is just handing these things out left and right to every TH-camr. Knowing damn well that people want stainless steel frets and a real Floyd Rose on their shit. Nobody's going bonkers for $2,600 guitar that comes with a soft shell case enjoy your free guitar. Shechner has a guitar strat type with stainless steel frets and sustainiac and a real Floyd Rose for way cheaper than what they want for this firewood. I love Jacksons and I've been playing them for decades but they really lost sight on this. SMH
Honestly, the Jackson Concept series made in Korea is way better specced than whatever this is and it's still not great. It's super sad and disappointing. No amounts of marketing and waving the US flag superiority can account for that.
@@_fifeusz totally agree. American made to me just means a worker with a higher wage made the instrument. Which brings up the price but is no guarantee of better craftsmanship.
They blew it. The suits at Fender thought they knew best, and I am sure it will come out the folks further down the chain tried to tell them. I will buy a used USA or another company's guitar. I too have been buying Charvel/Jackson for over 30 years.
This doesn't need to exist when they have the MJ series
@Max Ammo nailed it!
If theyd sell an SL1 or 2 at that pricepoint Id absolutley get one. SL3 to me still is a budget model - and this us version is not budget friendly :p
4:17 1500 Series on a USA made model? Is this a joke? Who was the genius who decided to put 1500 instead of original original?
For 2600 I better be getting binding everywhere, and a beautiful top, and embossed hard shell case at minimum. They don't even have to use nice wood on those. Sand it smooth and paint it black. Nope.
$2600 for no SS frets or an OG floyd rose?? There seems like no point in this over my $700 jackson that came with the same bridge and the same JB pickups, and is also a one piece neck design.. the finish is cooler too lmaoo
Dont forget no hard case. A $2600 guitar that doesn’t have a hard case?
@@jeffreymorreale7223 What!? Holy.... didnt know dat
I have no problem with Jackson guitars, the brand is legendary because of guys like Randy R., Jeff H., Dave M., Marty F., or the late Robbin Crosby from Ratt. By the way, the original King V was made for Robbin, it was his model, as was the Firebird with a Floyd, reverse headstock and one bridge pickup.
The above is a nice guitar, but it doesn't fit what Jackson writes about in the promo. If the goal was what they say about it, then the middle single coil pickup is completely unnecessary. It just confuses the shred masters. :P I see more sense in the neck single coil. It should have been published with a single bridge humbucker, that would have been a cool step and it would also suit the promo.
Those single coils sound REALLY GOOD. I need one for the studio.
Ola just reviewed the green one, which I love the look of. He was a bit more critical, especially considering what you get for the price. On the other hand, his guitars are made in Indonesia lol. Country of manufacture doesn't really matter that much, except it does when you consider things like their economy. Anyways, seems nice, but the price? Nah b'y! Plus they really need to offer more guitars with hard tails.
If this guitar came in hum single or HH i would buy one tbh, despite the lacking hardware.
If Jackson offers these with a fixed bridge and locking tuners I’d buy one in a heartbeat
Would like to see the new Jim Root Charvel reviewed
third: Fluff released new content got to watch.
Fluff is a Cubs fan!? Nice!
Shouldve been an original floyd or 1984. Putting a 1000/1500 series on a 2600 usa guitar is weird.
No made in USA on the logo bothers me
I’m about to pick up the black one for $2100, that seems like a really good deal to me compared to 2600
The specs are sad tbh for the price. The josh smith signature Jackson 7 blows the American soloist series out of the water with all its specs and it’s the same price
🔥 photo of you playing the Jackson though
It’s a scam.
I suck so bad at electric guitar but I would love to have the blue one hanging in my living room
but they cheaped out on the floyd. 2800 and you get a Korean rather than the original German made.
Ngl, as someone who has gone a bit Jackson nuts over the last few years, this is a hard sell over the Pro series on price, and the MIJ stuff on design.
I have a MIJ DKRA that is currently around this price and has binding, a gorgeous ash top, the amazing Gotoh Floyd, and a Pro Series Loomis with its own killer ash top, premium actives, and outstanding build quality.
Even my two Pro series Soloists are within spitting distance of these specs - one with a mirror top (!), one with poplar burl - and are fantastic.
It’s not that these don’t seem like great guitars, I’m sure they are. It’s just that Jackson does so many amazing instruments that slot below this in price that I don’t know who this is for?
Play one, and you'll know. I have two Indonesian pro series soloists that I love dearly. The SL3 is the finest instrument I've ever played, period. I see lots of people complaining about the lack of binding. Very few of those complaining know why a neck is bound. Jackson brought modern manufacturing techniques to bear that not only solve that issue, but I much prefer the rolled fretboard edges to a bound neck. Jackson has a promo video with Mike Shannon where he talks about the design philosophy of this series. I'd encourage Jackson players to watch it. This is Mike Shannon's swan song. It's a special guitar, and you'll know it when you play it.
I'm seriously thinking to get a "budget" shredder to accompany my 1 big-name made in USA guitar..
If I had money to just blow I would get a new Prestige, BUT if I can get a truly amazing sounding and playing guitar for cheaper then I still love my primary guitar..
Damn these are the same price wah wah wayh
For the classic metal guitar thing they're going for it's odd that it's not an HSH, no?
I want more American made Jackson basses.
Nice
People are hung up on this 1500 series Floyd. Same Floyd on the Loomis. No problems!!!!!!!! Great job Fluff!!!!! Well done!!!!!!
I like Jackson well enough, but I could never justify paying $2500+ for this. Instead of pushing the envelope a bit more like they’ve been good at over the past decade, they’ve pulled a Gibson and sold us some nostalgia instead.
Real floyd rose?
Thats a bit steep for that guitar. Im sure it feels and sounds great but there are TONS of guitars that feel and sound great. If they could have hit that sub 2k price point it may have been a contender but think about what you can get at that price. Unless your heart is set on a Jackson, I would look elsewhere at that price.
instead of blowing all that money on marketing and sending it to everybody… they should have spent the money on proper specs smh