“Designed to suit the modern player’s need to blur genre lines and push sonic boundaries”: Jackson’s American Series Virtuoso is taking metal guitars to the mainstream
Jackson’s American Series launched last year, aiming to offer players the chance to buy a US-made workhorse without the Custom Shop price tag. Until today, it’s been limited to just one model, the American Series Soloist SL-3. Now the firm has lifted the lid on its latest design: the Virtuoso.
The announcement is bigger than you might think. Not only has it expanded its US production line, but Jackson has clearly tweaked its M.O. – setting its sights on creating a do-it-all guitar that might have a life outside of metal, too.
It’s a nod from the brand to the increasingly diverse range of playing styles within the genre – something it’s ably showcased with a rampaging launch video, featuring Misha Mansoor and Marty Friedman, alongside David Davidson, Heriot’s Debbie Gough and Clint Tustin of Erra.
What’s more, the spec – and that killer Satin Shell Pink hero color – will also appeal to the increasing array of players from outside of the metal world who have taken to wielding metal models.
We’re talking Phoebe Bridgers and her BC Rich Warlock, Willow wielding a King V and, perhaps most poignantly, John Mayer with his pink Jackson Soloist.
The build features a contoured alder body and a five-piece caramelized maple/maple neck (creating the pleasing aesthetic of two lines running down the rear of the neck).
The two are joined with what the firm calls a ‘handshake’ neck heel, which is essentially some ergonomic contouring that will make it easier to reach the upper frets around the bolt-on heel.
This is not just about speed, but also comfort – a sign Jackson is thinking a lot about who will use this model, namely touring players who have to handle full sets night after night.
The fingerboard has a 12-16” compound radius, rolled edges and is made out of streaked ebony. The material is a nod to sustainability, using cuts that might otherwise have been discarded due to aesthetic imperfections. It adds a bit of personality, too.
On the electronics front, you’ll find Jackson keeping it mercifully traditional. The temptation to mess about with Fluence models or other pickup tech on a modern metal guitar must have been significant, but could have worked against the model’s do-it-all brief.
Instead we get a classic pairing of Seymour Duncans humbuckers, in the form of a throaty JB TB-4 at the bridge and the PAF-like crystalline warmth of the SH-1N at the neck.
It’s all capped off with a slew of premium-yet-highly-functional hardware appointments, namely a Floyd Rose 1500 double-locking tremolo, Gotoh MG-T locking tuners, Luminlay side dots and Dunlop dual-locking strap buttons.
Finishes come in a choice of Satin Shell Pink, Mystic Blue, Satin Black, and Specific Ocean.
Overall, Jackson has clearly not reinvented the wheel, but we do think it is bang on the money when it comes to metal design going more mainstream. It’s tricky to spec a guitar to represent that change, given the diversity of styles involved, but there’s a lot to like here.
Perhaps even more importantly, there’s not a lot to hate, which inherently opens the Virtuoso up to a far wider audience. Critics might suggest Jackson is going vanilla, but we think it will be vindicated on this one, especially given it comes in at a price just below $2k ($1,999).
That promo clip certainly doesn’t look vanilla, either, and we can see the Virtuoso finding a happy home in all sorts of different settings – from the touring rock group, to the indie or pop guitarist looking for less of a wrestle, and of course, all manner of metal players. Expect it to sell like hot baked goods.
For more information on the American Series Virtuoso, head to Jackson.
