Lost Symphony’s Benny Goodman has played with so many Jackson signature artists, it runs like a murderers’ row: Marty Friedman, David Ellefson, Jeff Loomis … it’s a charmed list for any guitarist.
But this metalhead hadn’t yet been a Jackson guy himself, as he mentioned in a new video review (under his Neurotic Guitarist handle) of a trio of Jackson axes he recently came across. Teaming up with a buddy who runs a music store on this choice haul, Goodman brought home three late-‘80s Jackson Custom Shop guitars at a great price.
Two Dinky models and a Soloist made it into Goodman’s collection, and from the sound of it, he couldn’t be more stoked.
The Dinky models are different in that one has a comic-inspired paint job and a maple fretboard and the other has a checkerboard harlequin motif with a rosewood fretboard.
“I now have the best of both worlds,” Goodman said.
Although he planned initially only to purchase the Dinkys, he couldn’t resist also walking out with a Soloist that might be the best of the bunch.
With a through-body neck, sharkfin inlays (both upright and reversed) and a trippy graphic surrounding the body and headstock, this Custom Shop Soloist was definitely a winner.
“This is a guitar that I can promise you if you sent it to Marty Friedman, he would tell you that he’s never seen anything like it,” said Goodman. “I know that because I sent it to Marty Friedman, and he told me he’s never seen anything like it.”
The Soloist’s best feature, in Goodman’s opinion, was a scalloped neck that Yngwie Malmsteen would be proud of
“This is literally the ugliest, most beautiful, strangest, horrifying proof-of-concept of terror that I’ve ever seen,” said Goodman. “Jackson, I think I love you.”
Watch the full video breakdown below, and you can check out Lost Symphony here and learn more about the Jackson Custom Shop here.