First produced by Jackson Guitars in 1984, the Jackson Soloist was a radical model at the time that changed the nature of electric guitars. It was a bridge between the old and new guitar designs.
The Jackson Soloist started as a small project while Jackson's founder (Grover Jackson) was working at the Charvel Guitar Company. During this time, prototypes were available to select customers and were simply custom guitars with no specific design which shared similarities to each other.
The original Soloist was made in 1984 and had the serial number J0158. While the prototypes were purely custom made, these new Soloists had a core design and customers could ask for enhancements or changes as they saw fit.
There were two types of Soloists. The first design was called "Student" and came with rosewood fretboards and dot inlays. The second model was a custom design and came with ebony boards, binding on the headstock and neck, and Jackson's famous sharkfin inlays.
Early models included features such as set necks, Stratocaster-shaped bodies, Explorer style headstocks, and often Charvel appointments like vintage tremolos. Oftentimes, a Floyd Rose double-locking tremolo bridge, as well as premium woods made the Soloist a recognized high-end guitar. The Soloist was extensively commended in both rock and metal music, particularly by lead guitarists.
Jackson enabled any customer to make any change to the basic design of the Soloist. This means that there are many guitars out there that differ from the examples that were given above. For example, a Soloist may have different fretboard material or the Student model could have binding.
So successful was the Soloist, other guitar companies such as Gibson, Martin and Fender have produced copies of it. The Soloist's innovative designs prepped the electric guitar market for new models that ultimately became more well-known than the Soloist. For example, the ESP M and Ibanez RG series.
The Soloist was a synergy between old and new designs, incorporating the Fender shape with Gibson electronics, frets and neck. It was so different to the other electric guitars of the day and is an Jackson Guitar classic. It is fair to say that is the least appreciated guitar from the '80s but it achieved so much as far as guitar designs is concerned.
The Jackson Soloist started as a small project while Jackson's founder (Grover Jackson) was working at the Charvel Guitar Company. During this time, prototypes were available to select customers and were simply custom guitars with no specific design which shared similarities to each other.
The original Soloist was made in 1984 and had the serial number J0158. While the prototypes were purely custom made, these new Soloists had a core design and customers could ask for enhancements or changes as they saw fit.
There were two types of Soloists. The first design was called "Student" and came with rosewood fretboards and dot inlays. The second model was a custom design and came with ebony boards, binding on the headstock and neck, and Jackson's famous sharkfin inlays.
Early models included features such as set necks, Stratocaster-shaped bodies, Explorer style headstocks, and often Charvel appointments like vintage tremolos. Oftentimes, a Floyd Rose double-locking tremolo bridge, as well as premium woods made the Soloist a recognized high-end guitar. The Soloist was extensively commended in both rock and metal music, particularly by lead guitarists.
Jackson enabled any customer to make any change to the basic design of the Soloist. This means that there are many guitars out there that differ from the examples that were given above. For example, a Soloist may have different fretboard material or the Student model could have binding.
So successful was the Soloist, other guitar companies such as Gibson, Martin and Fender have produced copies of it. The Soloist's innovative designs prepped the electric guitar market for new models that ultimately became more well-known than the Soloist. For example, the ESP M and Ibanez RG series.
The Soloist was a synergy between old and new designs, incorporating the Fender shape with Gibson electronics, frets and neck. It was so different to the other electric guitars of the day and is an Jackson Guitar classic. It is fair to say that is the least appreciated guitar from the '80s but it achieved so much as far as guitar designs is concerned.
About the Author:
Authentic, hard to find, as well as new and vintage Jackson Guitars are listed for sale in Vincent Roarden's internet shop. You will find a wide selection of electric guitars, including Dinky Jackson Guitars, King V, Rhoads and Dinky.
