“An ultra-rapidly guitar that you just’re going to are attempting to burn many fretboard miles on”: Jackson American Sequence Virtuoso review

So, where enact I begin? Jackson launched every other guitar that looks to be an awful lot like the a broad assortment of others of their ranks of rapidly-playing and sleekly designed instruments. I don’t are attempting to be cynical right here because you – like me – are demise to know what’s so mind-blowingly diversified in regards to the unique Jackson American Sequence Virtuoso, so hang on. 

A year in the past, Jackson launched the American Sequence Soloist SL3 to rave reports. Now, with the discharge of the American Sequence Virtuoso, Jackson elevated the fanfare with an ultra-slick promotional video that featured significant djent and metal artists like Periphery’s Misha Mansoor and Revocation’s Dave Davidson, alongside with virtuosic metal titan Marty Friedman as the heart piece, adopted by metal’s unique wave of up-and-comers such as Heriot’s Debbie Gough and Clint Tustin of Erra – all playing the guitar whereas showcasing their diverse fluctuate of shred-tastic kinds in the aid of a chugging backdrop of long-established music. 

While you haven’t seen it, it’s rate a see to look the American Sequence Virtuoso in the capable fingers of metal’s brightest stars up to now. 

But gathering up a bunch of influential shredders is mute not adequate to persuade what’s so outlandish right here, so enable me to dig in and yelp what’s basic. On the ground, what’s unique is that the American Sequence Virtuoso arrives as a dual-humbucker guitar with a hotfoot-on tempo neck versus the Soloist SL3’s HSS pickup configuration and neck-by-physique constructing. 

It’s obvious that Jackson is constructing upon their intensive lineup of immense-octane-performance guitars, but what’s key’s that if you web a withhold of the Virtuoso to your fingers, it’s unmistakable what makes it a cut above the remainder.

Till now, I’ve held and auditioned so many import guitars (like the Jackson X-Sequence Little I reviewed) that I’ve with regards to forgotten what it’s want to play one constructed in the USA. 

That being mentioned, it’s like a slap to the face – where you desire a flash realize there’s a tangible upscale refinement to the Virtuoso that makes it a substantially serious instrument because it’s so successfully made. What’s extra, after a cursory take a look at drive with it, you’ll web that it with out be troubled improves your rhythmic and rapid-fingered acrobatics so instantaneously, that it’s adequate to instruct, “This one’s a keeper.”  

In keeping with Jackson Guitars, the Virtuoso functions “150-plus handmade information…” And whereas I’m able to’t even begin to checklist how that’s achieved, I’m able to provide that every scramble of the guitar feels like a stage-up in precision with its bear. The generously sculpted and satin-performed alder physique with ease presses against your physique to build you feel linked to it. 

Its hotfoot-on “tempo neck” is graphite-bolstered with a with out be troubled contoured “handshake heel,” and boasts an alternating 5-portion caramelized maple-to-maple neck constructing alongside with a streaked ebony fingerboard with rolled edges, a 12- to 16-scramble compound radius and 24 jumbo frets. 

As an light-college shredder, I’ve constantly preferred a hotfoot-on neck to most neck-by-physique designs, and right here, Jackson’s “tempo neck” is accurately portrayed, with a slim and shallow profile that makes any impulse for wide interval stretches and burning up the fretboard an starting up invitation.  

Jackson’s sonic engine proclivities continuously embrace the extraordinary combo of the Seymour Duncan JB TB-4 bridge and ’59 SH-1N neck humbuckers, each and each of which are straight mounted to the physique for extra responsiveness and purer tone.

For its management structure, there are dome-vogue knobs for quantity and tone, and a 5-plot blade switch taking into account a unfold of stout-humbucking and spoil up-coil tonal flavors. Jackson also favors a Floyd Rose 1500 Sequence double-locking tremolo as its steadfast bridge arrangement for whammy wanderlust, and rounding out its top rate parts, Gotoh MG-T locking tuners and Dunlop dual-locking strap buttons accept as true with tuning and guitar stability in take a look at respectively. 

Surprisingly, basically the most polarizing facet of the Virtuoso amongst influencers and particular person comments has been the guitar’s satin shell red enact (c’mon, of us) and, for certain, the steep ticket. Since I received that particular person enact, I’ll stick my head out and notify I adore it (hi there, I came from the ’80s), but I’m aware my metal brethren gravitate in direction of colors that resemble the abyss – so accept as true with a great time, there’s a satin dusky enact for thou, as successfully as extra neutral finishes like mystic blue and explicit ocean. 

Surprisingly, basically the most polarizing facet of the Virtuoso amongst influencers and particular person comments has been the guitar’s satin shell red enact (c’mon, of us) and, for certain, the steep ticket. Since I received that particular person enact, I’ll stick my head out and notify I adore it (hi there, I came from the ’8), but I’m aware my metal brethren gravitate in direction of colors that resemble the abyss – so accept as true with a great time, there’s a satin dusky enact for thou, as successfully as extra neutral finishes like mystic blue and explicit ocean. 

This, naturally, is the of skillful craftsmanship at play right here, which already tells me the Virtuoso is gonna waste when plugged in. But does it chug? Certainly, it boldly chugs. The duo of Duncans delivers the requisite heft and aggressive output to accommodate most metal kinds alongside with extra nuanced tones when put in the 2 and 4 spoil up-coil positions on the selector switch.

Altogether, it’s a proven recipe of heavy and traditional tones for passive pickups despite the truth that most shredders in general decide active pickups. But right here I web no concern, and am of the mindset that these sound pleasingly raw and active.

All in all, the Virtuoso is a top rate instrument with American-made provenance, and that shows in its higher ticket ticket, but when money will not be any object, it soars as an ultra-rapidly guitar that you just’re going to are attempting to burn many fretboard miles on.

Specs

• PRICE: $/£1,999
• BODY: Alder
• NECK: 5-portion caramelized maple/maple, hotfoot-on with graphite reinforcement, hand-rubbed satin urethane 
• SCALE LENGTH: 25.5” (64.77 cm)
• FINGERBOARD: Steaked ebony
• FINGERBOARD RADIUS: 12”-16” compound radius (304.8 mm to 406.4 mm)
• FRETS: 24 jumbo
• INLAYS: Mom of pearl offset dot with Luminlay facet dots
• TRUSS ROD: Heel-mount truss rod adjustment wheel
• PICKUPS: Seymour Duncan JB TB-4 Order Mount and Seymour Duncan ’59 SH-1N Order-Mount
• CONTROLS: Volume, Tone
• SWITCHING: 5-dwelling blade: Position 1. Bridge, Position 2. Bridge Outer Coil and Neck Internal Coil, Position 3. Bridge and Neck, Position 4. Bridge Internal Coil and Neck Outer Coil, Position 5. Neck
• HARDWARE: Floyd Rose 1500 Sequence Double-Locking Tremolo, locking Gotoh MG-T tuners, dusky
• FINISH OPTIONS: Satin Shell Red [as reviewed], Mystic Blue, Satin Sad, and Particular Ocean 
• CONTACT: Jackson Guitars