Jackson Soloist
Before the 1984 release
of the Jackson Soloist,
the production superstrat
game was mostly limited
to instruments that were
copies (more or less) of
Eddie Van Halen’s original
design. The Soloist changed
everything. It was the
superstrat redefined,
embodying a fully realized
vision of the “strat on
steroids” concept. Ironically,
to get to this state it
actually became more
Gibson-like, making use of
premium body and neck
woods like mahogany,
sometimes paired with an
arched flame maple top. It
also pioneered the use of
neck-through construction,
reminiscent of the Les Paul’s
set neck, adding sustain and
resonance while improving
upper register access. It was
also around this time that
24-fret fretboards (usually
ebony) became standard,
allowing guitarists to reach
the full second octave with
ease. Floyd Rose vibratos
were standard too, with
further options for Kahler
bridges
or a string-
through-body
design. In fact, everything
from pickups to tuners
to the finish was totally
customizable with the
Soloist, marking it as the
true top-shelf superstrat
of its day. The Jackson
Soloist remains popular,
and vintage USA models
with premium features can
sell for many thousands of
dollars.
ToneReport.com
41