2020 marks 40 years of Jackson Custom Shop mayhem. From vibrant paint jobs and exotic woods, to otherworldly body shapes and wild graphics, to meeting the demands of the world’s leading metal talent, there is no build too big or too nuts for the guys at the Jackson Custom Shop. Don’t believe us? Take a look at these 12 models that took the 2020 NAMM Show Custom Shop event by storm.
Jackson Custom Shop J0001 40th Anniversary
“I had the idea to build this J0001 for a few years now,” noted Jackson Custom Shop Master Builder Mike Shannon in an exclusive interview. “And it’s finally came to the point where this is a good opportunity and a good time to build it since it’s Jackson’s 40th anniversary and mine as a Jackson guitar builder.”
As rock ‘n’ roll legend would have it, the original J0001 model was entered into the shop’s log book as belonging to Judas Priest guitarist K.K. Downing. However, Downing never received or played the renowned axe.
“[The original] J0001 was in the log books written in as K.K. Downing’s guitar,” explained Shannon. “And I had (Megadeth bassist) David Ellefson verify with Downing that he actually never had or played this guitar. How it got in the log books that way, I’m not sure. But the player, as far as I know who has it, is a guy named Jay Reynolds.”
Wrapped in an iridescent Snow White Pearl finish, the Jackson Custom Shop J0001 40th Anniversary features a resonant alder body, sturdy quartersawn maple through-body neck topped with a 12” radius rosewood fretboard, Seymour Duncan® Custom Trembucker TB-5 humbucker in the bridge and Seymour Duncan ’59 humbucker in the neck.
Jackson Custom Shop Randy Rhoads
No 40th Anniversary celebration would be complete without a model to honor Randy Rhoads, the artist who led us to one of our most iconic shapes of all-time.
Master Builder Joe Williams had the honor of building this Jackson Custom Shop Randy Rhoads in a stunning White Sparkle finish with chrome hardware and pickguard. An alder body is paired to a quartersawn maple neck with a 12”-16” compound radius flame maple fingerboard featuring 22 frets. This custom axe is loaded with a pummeling Seymour Duncan TB-6 bridge pickup and a Seymour Duncan SH1N neck pickup, each topped with chrome pickup covers. A Floyd Rose Original tremolo system and Jackson-sealed die cast tuners complete the package.
Jackson/Charvel 40th Anniversary Double Neck Hot Rod Flame
This wild conception by Master Builder Joe Williams blends the best of both Jackson and Charvel in one monster custom Hot Rod Flames axe.
This magnificent double-neck melds a Jackson Soloist™ body style with a Charvel San Dimas® body.
The Jackson half features a quartersawn maple neck-through-body design, 12”-16” compound radius ebony fingerboard with 24 jumbo frets and classic Jackson sharkfin inlays, Seymour Duncan TB-4 bridge pickup and Seymour Duncan SH-1 neck pickup and a Floyd Rose Original tremolo system.
The Charvel half features a bolt-on maple neck topped with a 12”-16” compound radius fingerboard and 22 jumbo frets, DiMarzio Super Distortion bridge pickup and a DiMarzio DP117 HS-3 neck pickup, Charvel brass tremolo and Gotoh tuners.
Jackson Custom Shop Limited Edition Signature Phil Collen PC1 Black Walnut
Crafted by Jackson Master Builder Pat McGarry, the Jackson Custom Shop Limited Edition Signature Phil Collen PC1 Black Walnut is a refined custom creation that pays tribute to one of our longest running endorsed signature artists. The caramelized Dinky™ mahogany body is capped with a 1/8” claro walnut top, while the caramelized bolt-on maple neck is topped with a 12”-16” compound radius ebony fingerboard with 24 jumbo frets.
This stylish custom axe gets its voice from a DiMarzio® Super 3™ humbucker in the bridge, DiMarzio HS-2™ single-coil in the middle and unique PC1 Sustainer Driver pickup in the neck.
Other premium features include a Floyd Rose® Original double-locking tremolo system and Gotoh® sealed die-cast tuners.
Jackson Custom Shop Limited Edition Signature Adrian Smith San Dimas
Built by Master Builder Dave “Red” Nichols and painted by Craig Fraser, the alder body of this model is adorned in a “2 Minutes To Midnight” graphic from Iron Maiden’s 1984 release Powerslave.
“When I was standing here at NAMM last year, me and my missus were talking and thought it would be fun to something with an Iron Maiden theme,” shared Smith. “I’ve never done it before. We do a song ‘2 Minutes to Midnight’ and that seemed like a logical thing. I love the guitar. I call it my hooligan guitar because it is stripped down – no nonsense, one pickup. Sounds great, actually plays great. I just wish I could use it for one more song. Of course it’s got the 2 Minutes logo, beautifully painted on there, and I just love the guitar – apart from the fact that it looks really cool.”
This limited edition axe features include a bolt-on quartersawn maple neck topped with a 12”-16” compound radius fingerboard and 22 jumbo frets, single brutal DiMarzio® DP100F Super Distortion® bridge pickup and Floyd Rose Original bridge.
Jackson Custom Shop Limited Edition Signature Mick Thomson Carbon Fiber Soloist
Slipknot guitarist Mick Thomson has been seen on tour with his signature Jackson Soloist in a custom Carbon Fiber finish that looks absolutely badass under the stage lights. Master Builder Mike Shannon has recreated that instrument for a special limited edition run.
This signature axe features a mahogany Soloist body, through-body maple neck, 12”-16” compound radius ebony fingerboard with 24 frets and block side markers, Thomson’s signature Seymour Duncan® EMTY Blackouts® in the bridge and neck, custom Jackson® MTB HT6 bridge and a reverse pointed headstock.
Jackson Custom Shop Limited Edition Signature Misha Mansoor So-Cal HSS 2PT
From the creative mind of Periphery axeman Misha Mansoor and brought to life by Master Builder Dave “Red” Nichols, the So-Cal style ash body of this Jackson Custom Shop So Cal HSS 2PT Relic axe features a heavily reliced Daphne Blue finish with a classic white pickguard. The caramelized flame maple bolt-on neck is topped with a 20” radius caramelized flame maple fingerboard with maple inlays outlined in ebony and 22 jumbo stainless steel frets.
This shred machine features an HSS layout of a Bare Knuckle Ragnarock humbucker in the bridge and Misha Mansoor single-coil pups in the middle and neck for versatile, full throttle tone.
Other premium appointments of this custom creation include a Gotoh® 510 2PT tremolo system and Luminlay® side dots.
Jackson Custom Shop Limited Edition Signature Chris Broderick CB2 Diabolic
A devilish axe for axeman Chris Broderick, the mahogany body of this wild creation is topped with 1/8” flame maple cap dressed in a Trans Black finish with flame maple binding and pinstripes. The quartersawn maple neck with a 12”-16” compound radius ebony fingerboard is outfitted with 24 jumbo stainless steel frets and slick ziricote reverse sharkfin inlays.
Broderick outfitted his custom creation with his signature DiMarzio™ signature humbucking pickups. Other premium features of this intense model include a reverse Jackson AT1 headstock, a 7-string Floyd Rose Pro tremolo system and D’Addario Planet Waves locking tuners.
Jackson Custom Shop RR27 HS FR Galaxy
Another Rhoads makes an appearance in the form of the Jackson Custom Shop RR27 HS FR Galaxy — a monster 27-fret shred machine that looks like it would fit right on board Peter Quill’s spaceship in Guardians of the Galaxy.
Meticulously crafted by Joe Williams, the alder Rhoads body with buckeye resin top is outfitted with a through-body quartersawn maple neck capped with a 12”-16” compound radius ebony fingerboard and 27 jumbo stainless steel frets. Williams even used the same material from the top for the sharkin inlays for a uniquely styled added touch. Showcasing yet another interesting idea, Williams designed a magnetic truss rod cover to avoid the use of screws.
The Bare Knuckle Aftermath humbucker in the bridge knocks you in the teeth with crushing mids and precise highs, while the Bare Knuckle Trilogy Suite single-coil neck pickup shines with snappy vintage character.
A Floyd Rose Original bridge and Sperzel tuners complete the package.
Jackson Custom Shop Warrior HT 7-String Multi-Scale
Another behemoth creation by Joe Williams, this 7-string Jackson Custom Shop Warrior Multi Scale HT in a can’t miss Neon Pink with reverse headstock seethes with plenty of blistering Jackson sound and style.
The alder body is paired with a through-body quatersawn maple neck topped with an ebony fingerboard with pearl reverse sharkfin inlays and 24 frets.
The HH pickup configuration is armed with a DiMarzio® The Tone Zone® 7 pickup in the bridge and a DiMarzio Air Norton 7™ pickup in the bridge. Other premium features include a Hipshot multi-scale fixed bridge, phenolic nut, Jackson sealed die-cast tuners, masteere volume and five-way toggle switching.
Jackson Custom Shop Hellion Bass
Williams also introduced his brand-new bass shape in the form of the 5-string, multi-scale Hellion Bass in a shocking Neon Yellow with reverse pointy headstock.
“I thought having multi-scale on a five string bass would be a good idea because when you get to that low B string, it’s such a thick gauge of string and low tuning that it flops around a lot. The idea of the multi-scale aspect of it is to balance that tension so that you have an instrument that plays, feels and performs better.”
Williams reversed and elongated the Demon shape and custom-carved the ash body for superior, unencumbered upper register access. The through-body quartersawn maple neck is topped with a sturdy 16”-20” compound radius maple fingerboard featuring 24 jumbo stainless steel frets, classic black piranha teeth inlays and blue Luminlay side dots.
Other features include a single Seymour Duncan® Quarter Pound™ Jazz Bass bridge pickup, Hipshot® triple lock single saddle bridge and J Hipshot® bass tuners.
Jackson® Custom Shop Soloist™ SL2 Exotic
Finally, looking for something super lightweight, Williams added an exotic wood model in the form of this Custom Shop Soloist SL2 featuring a cooked ash body with a ziricote top and titanium hardware. For added stylish touches, he added an inlaid maple Jackson logo on the headstock and ziricote reverse sharkin inlays on the ebony fingerboard.
Williams used set-neck construction for the flame maple neck and outfitted this natural beauty with Guitarmory Orion Pickups with curly maple bobbins and a Floyd Rose titanium bridge.