Jackson expends much of its creative energies in finding new ways to make its fleet of metal guitars go faster and play louder. See the newly launched limited edition Pro Plus Pure Metal range for evidence.
But it has got a rich history, rooted in the LA hot-rodding, scene, and today it pays tribute to that febrile era with the Pro Origins 1985 San Dimas series.
For players of a certain age, these might give you that warm fuzzy feeling like when you find a VHS copy of Fright Night among your buddy’s Blu-ray collection.
That’s not to say that these solid alder-bodied bolt-on S-style electric guitars are not radical in their own right, but Jackson is indulging in a little bit of nostalgia with these, and we are very much here for it.
As Jon Romanowski, vice-president of product at Jackson, admits, even the electric guitar pickups are a throwback to a bygone era (though they’re plenty hot enough for metal).
“The Pro Origins 1985 San Dimas series leans heavily on nostalgia and authenticity, featuring pickups designed from the old school J90 and J50 recipes that defined the high velocity music of the ‘80s,” says Romanowski. “We’re offering players that coveted vintage tone and feel, built with modern craftsmanship and reliability features that today’s professionals demand.
“When you plug into a Pro Origins San Dimas, you’re connecting directly to that golden era of guitar innovation while having the confidence of modern construction and playability standards.”
MusicRadar has had the privilege of playing these and so believe us when we say these necks are ridiculously thin and quick.
You would expect nothing less, of course, but seriously, it would be interesting to run these up against the ür-Jackson, the Soloist, to see which profile is most suited to high-speed technicality.
It’s probably a coin toss. These new electrics might be inspired by the cutting-edge designs coming out of Grover Jackson’s workshop back in the day, by an era in which LA rock clubs would reek of the heady scent of Acqua Net hairspray, but they are of a piece with contemporary Jackson design, in that we have a 12” to 16” compound radius fingerboard as standard.
Interestingly, we don’t have any contouring of the heel; the evolutionary act of sculpting for enhanced upper-fret access was yet to come (still, you should have little trouble accessing all 22 jumbo frets).
Said fingerboards could be maple or rosewood, depending on which model you choose. Dot inlays come as standard, and while the sharkfin inlays will always be our first choice on a Jackson guitar there is something transitional about these dots – a little of that original Charvel hot-rodded vibe that only goes to draw a line of difference between the brands.
C’mon, that tilt-back six-in-line headstock was a game-changer in terms of brand identity.
As for the vitals, you can get these with a single bridge humbucker or a dual-humbucker, and Jackson has revisited the hot designs of the mid ‘80s, with the ceramic J90-C at the bridge positions and the alnico V J90-N at the neck.
All models shop with a top-mounted Floyd Rose 1000 Series double-locking vibrato. The colours are classic. There’s Vanilla Milkshake, an Antique White variant which the single-humbucker SD1A MPL wears well. It also looks the business in Black, with this SD1A H RW variant sporting the rosewood fingerboard. You’ve got to love a single-pickup shred machine.
But many don’t. Many players need what Ozzy Osbourne would affectionately call “the cow tone” – especially those looking to execute a sweep-picked arpeggio. Here, the Pro Origins 1985 San Dimas series gives us options in Black, Candy Apple Red and Snow White, all three with maple ‘boards, and in the limited edition Two Face model, which is finished in black and white, with the mismatching pickup bobbins to match the finish. It’s a peach.
The single-pickup models retail for £999/$1,159, while the dual-humbucker models are £1,049/$1,259, with the limited edition Two Face model priced £1,049/$1,469. Prices include a gig bag. For more details, head over to Jackson.