NAMM 2016: Jackson unveils new Monarkh body shape and signature models

Introduction

NAMM 2016: Jackson didn't disappoint at this year's show, announcing a brand new single-cut body shape, the Monarkh, as well as new Soloists and signature models from Gojira's Christian Andreu, Chris Broderick, Dave Ellefson and Misha Mansoor.

The biggest news here, of course, is the arrival of the Monarkh. The firm's new single-cut design is being launched across the Pro, X and JS Series, proving it's not just a toe-in-the-water for the Fender-owned metal guitar brand.

Elsewhere the Soloist design is getting a boost with two new models: the Pro Series SL2M and the X Series SL3X, while Misha Mansoor has unveiled the gigantic limited edition eight-string Juggernaut.

Browse the gallery for the lowdown on all of the new models...

Pro Monarkh SC

PRESS RELEASE: SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (January 21, 2016) – Since the development of the Concorde in 1980 Jackson has dominated the metal scene with its iconic and enduring Rhoads, Soloist, King V, Kelly and Dinky shaped high-performance guitars.

Now the original gods of metal bring yet another new shape with the release of the Jackson Monarkh, sporting classic single cutaway style and comfort.

Available in Pro Series, X Series and JS Series variants and multiple finishes, the Monarkh models are riffing machines packed with tonal variety and terrific features.

Brimming with technology and style, the features mahogany bodies with arched maple tops, set-neck construction, 24.75” scale, one-piece maple necks with scarf joint and graphite reinforcement, 12”-16” compound radius ebony fingerboards with 22 jumbo frets, Seymour Duncan Blackouts active humbucking pickups, die-cast locking tuners and Dunlop dual-locking strap buttons. Available in Gloss Black, Silver Burst, Trans Red Burst, Trans Purple Burst and Tobacco Burst.

X Series Monarkh SCX

PRESS RELEASE: Offering Jackson’s famous style, sleek comfort and lightning-fast playability, the X Series Monarkh SCX is available in both a 6-string and 7-string model.

Features include mahogany bodies, set-neck construction, 24.75” scale, one-piece maple necks with scarf joint, graphite reinforcement and speed neck profile, 12"-16" compound radius rosewood fingerboards, high output Jackson humbucking pickups, Jackson compensated and adjustable TOM-style bridge and anchored tail piece, one-ply white body binding, 3x3 AT-1 headstock and black Jackson tuning machines. The 6-string SCX model is available in Quicksilver and Satin Black, while the SCX 7 is offered in Gloss Black.

JS22 Monarkh

PRESS RELEASE: The J Series offers a more affordable version of our single cutaway Monarkh, yet still with cutting-edge features including a poplar body, bolt-on body construction, 24.75” scale, one-piece maple necks with scarf joint, graphite reinforcement and 22 jumbo frets, 12"-16" compound radius rosewood fingerboards, high output Jackson humbucking pickups, Jackson compound radius compensated bridges and 3x3 AT-1 headstock. The JS22 Monarkh is offered in Satin Black, Snow White, Trans Black and Trans Red.

Christian Andreu U.S.A. Signature Rhoads

PRESS RELEASE: French metal band Gojira blends thrash and progressive elements to create a groove metal sound like no other.

Jackson collaborated with their acclaimed guitarist, Christian Andreu, to create his signature version of the classic Rhoads design. Tricked out for even more high performance and thunderous sound, this sleek instrument is packed with Jackson DNA and is available in both USA and affordable X Series versions.

Andreu’s demanding playing requires tone and sustain that can shake the foundations of the earth to its very core, and his USA Rhoads uses a Custom Charvel MFB humbucking pickup for razor-sharp tones with a hint of warmth.

Twenty-two jumbo frets (with a Gojira “G” inlay at the single 12th fret) top the ultra-fast 12”-16” compound radius fingerboard. Jackson sealed die-cast machines and adjustable compensated strings-thru-body bridge create colossal tuning stability and accurate intonation along the entire length of the genuine mahogany neck.

This sleek instrument features a Satin Black with Gray Bevel finish, a unique Gojira Dragon design on the body with all-black hardware and a Jackson pointed 6-In-Line headstock for classically sophisticated metal aesthetics. Engineered for sterling playability, crossed with Jackson’s renowned style, the Christian Andreu Signature USA Rhoads cranks out mile-wide riffs and leads as fiery as its namesake.

Christian Andreu X Series RRXT Rhoads

PRESS RELEASE: Andreu’s RRXT Rhoads uses a neck-through-body design with mahogany wings for increased vibration transfer, resulting in sustain for the ages.

A single Seymour Duncan® HB-102B humbucking bridge pickup powered by an alnico 5 magnet allows for razor-sharp high-output tones with a hint of warmth for flavor.

Twenty-two jumbo frets top the ultra-fast 12”-16” compound radius fingerboard, and similar to the USA version, the RRXT features a variation of the Gojira Dragon logo on the body of the guitar, all-black hardware, a Jackson reverse 6-In-Line headstock, sealed die-cast machines and an adjustable compensated strings-thru-body bridge, in addition to graphite reinforcement rods.

Chris Broderick U.S.A. Signature Soloist HT6 and HT7

PRESS RELEASE: As modern metal master Chris Broderick expands his portfolio with new band Act of Defiance, he has also added to his collection of Jackson signature guitars with new U.S.A. six- and seven- string hardtail Soloist models.

Playing off the special take on the venerable Soloist that he designed with Jackson Custom Shop Master Builder Mike Shannon, the new hard tail models feature mahogany sides and back, quartersawn maple neck, direct mount Chris Broderick- designed custom DiMarzio pickups, 12"-radius ebony fingerboard with 24 jumbo stainless steel frets, 25.5" scale, Planet Waves Auto-trim tuning machines, Ernie Ball strap locks, killswitch, quartersawn maple neck and natural body and neck and headstock binding.

Both the HT6 and HT7 are available in Black, Trans Black, Trans Blue, Trans Red and Trans White.

David Ellefson U.S.A. Signature Concert™ Bass

PRESS RELEASE: Bassist David Ellefson has reigned as a thrash bass godfather, garnering worldwide acclaim as a co-founding member of “Big Four” thrash innovator Megadeth and widely known for his fleet-fingered, hard-hitting style and versatility.

Simply put, nobody shreds a bass like Ellefson, and Jackson is proud to have his name on several new formidable bass models.

The all-new U.S.A. Signature Concert Bass is available in both 4-and-5 string models featuring an alder body with black binding, hand-rubbed urethane finish, quartersawn neck-through neck with white binding and scarf joint, compound radius fingerboard (12"-16"), outlined sharkfin inlays, 21 jumbo frets, EMG humbucking neck (35CS) and bridge (35DC) pickups, five black domed control knobs (volume control, three-band EQ, blend), Jackson high mass bridge and Hipshot® open-gear locking tuners.

David Ellefson Concert Bass CBX IV And V

PRESS RELEASE: Redesigned ergonomic contours on the new CBX IV and CBX V provide the perfect platform for launching a musical assault— the upper contour provides a comfortably stable anchor for pick or fingerstyle playing alike while the lower contour provides perfect balance when propped on a knee for monitor stands.

The CBX IV offers a basswood body, 12”-16” compound radius rosewood fingerboard and a Jackson HiMass™ 4-string bridge to sharpen notes’ attack for extra punch and clarity, granting enhanced sustain without significantly altering the instrument’s fundamental tone.

An earth-shaking pair of EMG® HZ35 active humbucking pickups in the neck and bridge positions provide plenty of girth and cut as an active 3-band EQ bolsters their native power, shaping and refining it for maximum impact and versatility.

The blend knob allows for mixing the pickups to taste—add more of 
the neck pickup for a touch of warmth, or bring
 up the bridge pickup for more cut.

The CBX V also features a basswood body, a Jackson HiMass 5-string bridge and a pair of EMG® HZ40 active humbucking pickups in the neck and bridge positions that provide plenty
of girth and cut as an active 3-band EQ bolsters their native power, shaping and refining it for maximum impact and versatility. Similar to the CBX IV, the 5-string model also features a 12”-16” compound radius rosewood fingerboard and a blend knob.

Both models feature all-black hardware – from the bridge to the Jackson die-cast sealed tuning machines, durable gloss finish in either Quicksilver or Black, pearloid sharkfin neck inlays, single-ply white neck binding with an engraved “Radiation” logo and Ellefson’s signature embossed on the truss rod cover.

Limited Edition U.S.A. Misha Mansoor Juggernaut HT8

PRESS RELEASE: Jackson is adding to the hugely popular signature model collection with Periphery’s Misha Mansoor with the release of the Limited Edition U.S.A. Misha Mansoor Juggernaut HT8, a take-no-prisoners 8-string guitar.

This monstrous instrument growls and soars while providing the ideal platform for Mansoor’s acclaimed speedily intricate and hypnotically powerful metal riffage.

The instrument is powered by two of Mansoor’s signature Bareknuckle Juggernaut 8-string humbucking pickups for earth-rattling tone.

Twenty-four jumbo stainless steel frets top the ultra-fast 20” radius fingerboard, creating the ideal playing surface for fat riffs and easy chording near the Graph Tech® NuBone™ nut and lightning-fast solos and wide bends in the upper registers.

Hipshot® open-gear locking tuning machines and an 8-string Hipshot fixed bridge create colossal tuning stability with accurate intonation along the entire length of the one-piece quartersawn maple neck. Graphite reinforcement rods buttress the neck against the havoc of the road.

Limited to only 30 pieces, the 8-string guitar has all-black hardware and Jackson’s mother of pearl piranha inlays as well as a Jackson 4x4 AT headstock for dark, elegantly sophisticated metal aesthetics.

Pro Soloist SL2M

PRESS RELEASE: SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (January 21, 2016) – Jackson is pleased to announce an expansion of its Soloist models including a brand new Pro Series SL2M and the X Series SL3X.

The ergonomic Soloist body shape is designed for player comfort and increased balance, eliminating the dreaded “neck dive” that has brought many a headstock to a sad, untimely end.

Standing head and shoulders above the rest in
 a crowded field of “me too” instruments, the Pro Soloist SL2M is a highly engineered shredding machine. Striking aesthetics, versatile tone and the pinnacle of advanced guitar craftsmanship unite in the SL2M, available in Snow White.

Chosen specifically for their complementary sound, a pair of Seymour Duncan® humbucking pickups drives this guitar’s versatile sound—a TB-6 Distortion bridge pickup and SH-6N neck pickup combine for flexible tone, with plenty of output for crisp cleans and snarling distortion. Master volume and tone controls shape the pickups’ output, which can be further refined
with the three-position blade pickup switch for a precise voice. Other features include a 12”-16” compound radius maple fingerboard, a recessed Floyd Rose® FRT-O5000 double-locking tremolo bridge and Floyd Rose R3 locking nut.

Jackson has a history of adding striking style to its high performance instruments, and this axe is no exception. The brooding black nickel hardware wears well, refusing to show the rigors of the road it may encounter while the durable gloss finish, maple fingerboard with piranha tooth (small sharkfin) neck inlays, single-ply neck binding and Jackson’s signature pointed 6-In-Line headstock establish this instrument’s unmistakable pedigree. The Pro Soloist SL2M is the ideal instrument for soaring leads, squealing pinch harmonics and chunky palm-muted riffage.

X Series Soloist SL3X

PRESS RELEASE: The X Series Soloist SL3X is a brave new entry into the world of high-tech guitars, melding classic style with modern materials and construction for this precision music machine.

Available in killer finishes— Neon Pink, Metallic Pearl White, Slime Green, Taxi Cab Yellow and Satin Black, features include select power trio of Duncan Designed™ pickups; two high-output HR-101 Hot Rails single-coil pickups in 
the middle and neck positions are matched to 
a powerful HB-103B humbucking bridge pickup for complementary harmonic response and
 highly dynamic responsiveness.

Master volume and tone controls, along with a five-way blade switch control the formidable pickups’ output. A stylishly contoured body and pure Jackson neck-through- body construction ensures ergonomic comfort during long sets along with monstrous sustain and smooth playing all the way up to the 24th jumbo fret.

Other features include an ultra-fast 12”-16” compound radius rosewood fingerboard, a one piece neck with graphite reinforcement rods, and a recessed Floyd Rose® Special double-locking with a Floyd Rose R3 locking nut.

The Soloist SL3X bears Jackson’s traditional appointments—black hardware, knurled dome control knobs, durable finish that easily shakes off sweat and other grime, pearloid sharkfin fingerboard inlays and the famous Jackson Pointed 6-In-Line headstock.