In its February Hair Metal issue, Guitar World‘s Paul Riario takes a nostalgic deep dive into all things ’80s — from John Hughes movies to big hair, New Wave and right in our wheelhouse — electric guitar innovation. All this is just the awesome lead up to the meat and potatoes of his article — a full-on review of the Jackson X Series Soloist SL4X, upon which was bestowed the Guitar World Gold Award for Performance.
“Now, looking at this fantastic Jackson X Series Soloist SL4X -gloss-finished in an unapologetic bubblegum pink — makes me want to grab a can of Aqua Net and let everyone know it’s glaringly apparent that any report of the Eighties’ demise has been greatly exaggerated,” writes Riario.
“Yes, it’s pink (and it does come in other equally loud colors). But let’s be honest, if you’re going to drive a Ferrari or a Lamborghini, you want it in a color you can see from a mile away. Strapped and plugged in, the SL4X is about the most fun you can have with a guitar that’s clearly designed for enduring high-speed performance. The flatter compound fingerboard radius, low action and slim neck profile make playing the guitar effortless across the whole neck span with nary a fret out or buzzing. The Floyd Rose tremolo keeps the guitar locked in tune and enhances harmonics when you dig into notes. But most of all, I love the wealth of tones I can achieve with the dual blade Hot Rails, which have a warm open sound on clean settings but become far more aggressive with scooped mids when introduced with high gain.”
Pick up the latest issue on newsstands to read the full article or order a digital copy from Guitar World.