The 2017 NAMM show began on Wednesday night with a viewing of the latest from the Jackson Custom Shop. Below is a look at eight of our favorites from the stunning collection.
Black Monarkh
Inspired by Marty Friedman’s addition to the Jackson lineup, Master Builder Mike Shannon created this single-cut beauty, stacked with three Seymour Duncan humbucking pickups. This powerful guitar features a mahogany body with an arched maple top, set maple neck, TonePros Tune-O-Matic bridge, rosewood fingerboard with 22 jumbo frets and Gotoh® tuners.
Master Builder Joe Williams also pitched in to complete the guitar, adding his finest relic finishing to simulate natural wear and tear. With only one of its kind in the world, this guitar is a treasure to behold.
Soloist™ Multi-Scale 7-String Walnut Top
This seven-string Soloist™ is the cream of the crop. With a premium ash body, claro walnut top and rosewood striping that runs the length of the back of the body and neck, this masterpiece highlights Williams’s craftsmanship.
The multi-scale fingerboard is constructed with birdseye maple and bound with walnut to match the striking claro top. Other features include 24 frets, a Jackson hardtail bridge, Hipshot open gear tuners and Bare Knuckle Holy Driver pickups.
Roswell Alien Wreckage
The elusive Roswell Rhoads makes a rare appearance this year thanks to Shannon’s craftsmanship and Brian Bock’s artistry. Bock custom painted the steampunk alien ship motif that graces the poplar body. The extraterrestrial elements are enhanced by the crop circle position inlays on the fingerboard and the cryptic, high-tech lettering that spells out Jackson Custom Shop on the back of the neck.
Other premium features include an ebony fingerboard with 24 jumbo frets, a TonePros Tune-O-matic bridge, Gotoh® tuning machines and a Bare Knuckle Aftermath bridge pickup.
X-Stroyer Vanilla Shake
Custom-built by Shannon, this unique offset, space-aged wonder is gorgeous in a Vanilla Shake finish accented with gold hardware. It features a beautifully resonant mahogany body with a flame maple top, maple thru-body neck, ebony fingerboard with piranha inlays and 22 jumbo frets.
Soloist™ Relic PG Surf Green
Jeff Beck inspired Williams to create this relic’d work of art, adorned with a vintage 1983 pickguard that’s synonymous with the guitars often played by the legendary guitarist.
It features an alder body finished in Surf Green, an ebony fingerboard with 24 jumbo frets, a top-mounted Floyd Rose® bridge, Seymour Duncan single-coil pickups (SSL-5 bridge, STK-51 neck and middle) and master volume and tone controls.
Dinky Zombie Zoo
What nightmares are made of! This cryptic Dinky features a custom-painted Zombie by Bock. Other features include an ash body, bolt-on quartersawn maple neck, ebony fingerboard with 24 jumbo frets, Floyd Rose® locking bridge, custom Charvel pickups, and a three-way toggle switch.
Soloist White Bengal
Bock again applied his custom-paint prowess to this exquisite beast, adding black Bengal-stripes over white. This uniquely shaped Soloist was constructed with scalloped horns and a carved heel for a dramatic look and comfortable feel. Featuring an alder body and ebony fingerboard with 24 jumbo frets, this axe growls with a pair of Seymour Duncan humbucking pickups. Also features a Floyd Rose® locking bridge and Gotoh® tuning machines.
Dinky Beveled Black / Absinthe Frost
A bold, striking and modern design from Williams, this custom Dinky features a Black alder body with Absinthe Frost bevels. Other premium features include an ebony fingerboard with 24 jumbo frets, a Floyd Rose® bridge, Gotoh® tuning machines and EMG 81/85 pickups. The model is completed with a reverse Jackson 3 x 3 headstock.