Whether he’s playing with his own band, Nevermore, as part of Swedish powerhouse Arch Enemy or making guest appearances on countless projects from the metal elite, Jeff Loomis is known as one of the most respected technical shredders in the game.
Nowadays, Loomis’ main tool in creating such sought-after solos and wailing riffs has been a Jackson Kelly, including his latest signature model, the Pro Series Signature Jeff Loomis Kelly Ash.
The good people at Total Guitar recently took notice of this weapon of mass destruction in their March 2021 issue, giving it five stars and prestigious ‘Best Buy’ honor.
At first blush, reviewer Amit Sharma noted that the sandblasted ash top looked “more like an Ikea shelf from hell than the often-mundane flat blacks synonymous with metal axes.”
High praise, but does it stand up to the sonic expectations of a player like Loomis … or perhaps better put, a player who wants to play like Loomis? The five-out-of-five stars based on categories like sound quality and playability affirm that notion.
“While the signature pickups sound mighty thunderous on high-gain settings, they’re also noticeably more dynamic and versatile than standard Blackouts, using Alnico 5 magnets instead of hotter ceramics,” Sharma said of Loomis’ signature Blackout set, which offer a strong attack for attention to detail with enough sustain and dynamics to keep pace with his advanced legato and picking techniques.
The final verdict of the Pro Series Signature Jeff Loomis Kelly Ash is that it’s “one of the best metal signatures we’ve seen in recent years.”
If you want to test it for yourself, check out the Pro Series Signature Jeff Loomis Kelly Ash here.