Jackson, AZ (January 21, 2016) -- Jackson proudly announces new signature models with Def Leppard’s Phil Collen, Gus G. of Firewind/Ozzy Osbourne, Marty Friedman, and Periphery’s Misha Mansoor.
As the lead guitarist for one of the world’s biggest-selling rock bands, Def Leppard’s Phil Collen has deftly wrung numerous classic riffs from Jackson guitars. It’s impossible to imagine the ‘80s and ‘90s rock charts—or Jackson history—without him, as he’s been a Jackson endorser since 1986.
Collen’s PC1 Dinky was one of the original Jackson signature instruments, and continues to stand out in modern times with its staple exotic woods and a Jackson Sustainer/Driver. New for 2017, Collen’s revered USA signature models have been refreshed to match his latest tastes and specifications with the new USA Signature Phil Collen PC1 Matte and USA Signature Phil Collen PC1 Satin Stain models.
Both models have a caramelized mahogany body, bolt-on two-piece quartersawn caramelized flame-maple neck with handrubbed urethane gel on the back and graphite reinforcement, 12”-16" compound radius caramelized flame-maple fretboard with 24 jumbo frets, convenient thumbwheel truss-rod butt adjust, and licensed Fender Stratocaster headstock.
These guitars also keep Collen’s favored HSS configuration, with DiMarzio DP-152-F (bridge) and HS-2 DP116 (middle) pickups, and a PC1 Sustainer Driver neck pickup. Other features include the “dome” master volume control, master tone and intensity controls, 5-way blade switch, Floyd Rose Original tremolo, and die-cast tuners.
The PC1 Matte comes in satin gray or matte blue frost with black hardware, while the PC1 Satin Stain is available in transparent amber, transparent blue, au natural, transparent black, transparent red or transparent green with satin gold hardware.
Gus G. has spent the past decade affirming his status as one of metal’s reigning guitar virtuosos. He has recorded more than a dozen studio albums, has established himself as an acclaimed solo artist, and has also managed to find time to perform worldwide with acts as diverse as Arch Enemy, Dream Evil, and his own band, Firewind. He’s also been Ozzy Osbourne’s guitarist since being personally handpicked by the heavy metal legend in August 2009, thus continuing a long-cherished tradition of Jackson-wielding Ozzy Osbourne guitarists dating all the way back to Randy Rhoads and the company’s 1980 founding.
Jackson pays homage to the Greek Metal God with three new signature models that offer a new take on one of Jackson’s original avant-garde body shapes.
USA Signature Gus G. Star
A stylish and heavy-sounding axe, the USA Signature Gus G. Star offers premium features such as an alder Star body, one-piece through-body quartersawn maple neck with satin urethane back finish, graphite reinforcement rods and scarf joint, 12” radius fully bound rosewood fretboard with 24 custom jumbo frets, Jackson’s pointed 6-in-line headstock and the option of a Gus G. logo in mother of pearl at the 12th fret.
A pair of active humbucking Seymour Duncan Gus G. Signature Blackouts power this pointed machine with thick, meaty, and towering tone that can be controlled by a master volume dial and 3-way toggle pickup selector switch. Its TonePros adjustable Tune-o-matic style bridge with Gotoh stop tailpiece, bone nut, and Sperzel locking tuners work in tandem to provide outstanding tuning stability and durability.
Available in satin white with black pinstripes or satin black with white pinstripes, the USA Gus G. Star bears brooding black hardware and comes in a hardshell case.
X Series Signature Gus G. Star
The X Series Signature Gus G. Star features a mahogany body with a one-piece through-body maple neck stabilized by a pair of graphite reinforcement rods and scarf joint, and a 12” radius rosewood-bound fretboard with 24 jumbo frets and pearloid sharkin inlays.
A pair of Seymour Duncan Gus G. Signature Blackouts power this pointed machine, with a single master volume control and 3-way toggle switch to shape and refine tone. Also equipped with a Jackson compensated and adjustable bridge with anchored tailpiece, black hardware, and Jackson pointed 6-in-line headstock.
Available in satin black with white pinstripes and satin white with black pinstripes.
JS Series Signature Gus G. Star JS32
The most affordable option for Gus G.’s new signature series, the Gus G. Star JS32 features a poplar body, one-piece bolt-on maple neck with graphite reinforcement and scarf joint, and a 12”-16” compound radius bound rosewood fretboard with 24 jumbo frets and pearloid sharkfin inlays.
It’s fueled by Jackson high-output humbucking pickups, with a single volume control and 3-way toggle switch to shape tone. Also features a Jackson radius compensated TOM-style bridge with anchored tailpiece, black hardware, and a Jackson pointed 6-in-line headstock.
Available in satin black with white pinstripes and satin white with black pinstripes.
One of the most influential and respected players in the world, Marty Friedman’s impactful and game-changing contributions to heavy metal and guitar in general continue to inspire generations of musicians and music fans to this day. He defined modern guitar playing with Jason Becker in Cacophony, was a key element in the wildly successful rise of thrash pioneers Megadeth, and with his “Marty-esque” improvisations and exotic fusion of Eastern and Western music, has achieved global success with his 12 solo albums.
Jackson is incredibly proud and honored to continue a longstanding relationship with Friedman by collaborating with the virtuoso on the all-new USA Signature Marty Friedman MF-1 and X Series Marty Friedman MF-1 signature models.
USA Signature Marty Friedman MF-1
This 24.75”-scale signature guitar is loaded with premium features to match the demanding needs of an elite and intricate player like Friedman, including a mahogany body with 3/4” plain maple top, one-piece mahogany set-neck with graphite reinforcement and scarf joint, and a bound 12” radius rosewood fretboard with 22 wide medium jumbo frets and mother of pearl block inlays.
Dual Marty Friedman EMG MF signature humbucking pickups power this single-cutaway guitar, delivering a sound that sings as well as screams. The guitar is equipped with white speed-knob controls as well as a 3-way toggle switch to wrangle all of the subtle nuances out of the guitar's tone, while a TonePros adjustable Tune-o-matic style bridge with Gotoh stop tailpiece and Schaller locking tuners provide state-of-the-art tuning stability and sustain.
Available in gloss black with white bevels, black hardware, and Jackson’s reverse 3x3 (3 over, 3 under) AT-1 headstock. Hardshell case included.
X Series Signature Marty Friedman MF-1
This 24.75”-scale X Series signature model is also loaded with great features, but at a more affordable price.
Features include a mahogany body with 3/4” plain maple top, one-piece mahogany set-thru neck with graphite reinforcement and scarf joint, bound 12” radius rosewood fretboard with 22 jumbo frets and pearloid block inlays.
Marty Friedman dual EMG MF signature humbucking pickups deliver a sound that sings and screams. Equipped with two volume and two tone dome-style controls as well as a 3-way toggle switch to wrangle all of the subtle nuances out of the guitar's tone. The model also features a Jackson compensated and adjustable bridge and die-cast locking tuners for increased sustain and tuning stability.
Available in gloss black with white bevels, black hardware, and a reverse Jackson 3x3 (3 over, 3 under) AT-1 headstock.
Djent forefather and speed demon Misha Mansoor has gained widespread acclaim as the mastermind behind the axe-centric progressive metal band Periphery. He’s known to impress the most discerning of metal fans with his steadfast, fleet-fingered technique, and his personally designed collection of Jackson signature Juggernaut instruments is sure to set any shredder’s tone ablaze.
For 2017, Jackson adds new Pro Series versions of his Juggernaut models, offering many similar features as his USA model with a price tag that is easier on the wallet.
Pro Series Signature Misha Mansoor Juggernaut HT6
The Pro Juggernaut HT6 features a basswood body, one-piece bolt-on maple speed neck with graphite reinforcement and wrap-around heel for comfort, 16” flat radius ebony fretboard with 24 jumbo frets, offset inlay dots, Luminlay side dots, and convenient thumb wheel truss-rod butt adjust.
Not willing to sacrifice tone, Mansoor spent considerable time working with Jackson to develop new, killer-sounding Jackson MM1 pickups, which can be shaped with a master volume and master tone control with push/pull select and 5-way blade switch. The guitar also features a Jackson HT6 string-through-body hardtail bridge, Jackson die-cast locking tuners, black hardware, and reverse Jackson 3x3 (3 over, 3 under) AT-1 headstock.
Available in satin gun metal gray and satin white.
The Pro Series Misha Mansoor Juggernaut HT7FM shares the same specs as his Juggernaut HT6 but with a few modifications. A 7-string guitar, the HT7FM features a 26.5”-scale length, a striking flame-maple top, a Jackson HT7 string-through-body hardtail bridge, and reverse Jackson 4x3 (4 over, 3 under) AT-1 headstock.
Available in oceanburst and charcoal burst.
For more information:
Jackson Guitars
Gibson originally launched the EB-6 model with the intention of serving consumers looking for a “tic-tac” bass sound.
The Gibson EB-6 was announced in 1959 and came into the world in 1960, not with a dual-horn body but with that of an elegant ES-335. They looked stately, with a thin, semi-hollow body, f-holes, and a sunburst finish. Our pick for this Vintage Vault column is one such first-year model, in about as original condition as you’re able to find today. “Why?” you may be asking. Well, read on....
When the EB-6 was introduced, the Bass VI was still a glimmer in Leo Fender’s eye. The real competition were the Danelectro 6-string basses that seemed to have popped up out of nowhere and were suddenly being used on lots of hit records by the likes of Elvis, Patsy Cline, and other household names. Danos like the UB-2 (introduced in ’56), the Longhorn 4623 (’58), and the Shorthorn 3612 (’58) were the earliest attempts any company made at a 6-string bass in this style: not quite a standard electric bass, not quite a guitar, nor, for that matter, quite like a baritone guitar.
The only change this vintage EB-6 features is a replacement set of Kluson tuners.
Photo by Ken Lapworth
Gibson, Fender, and others during this era would in fact call these basses “baritone guitars,” to add to our confusion today. But these vintage “baritones” were all tuned one octave below a standard guitar, with scale lengths around 30", while most modern baritones are tuned B-to-B or A-to-A and have scale lengths between 26" and 30".)
At the time, those Danelectros were instrumental to what was called the “tic-tac” bass sound of Nashville records produced by Chet Atkins, or the “click-bass” tones made out west by producer Lee Hazlewood. Gibson wanted something for this market, and the EB-6 was born.
“When the EB-6 was introduced, the Bass VI was still a glimmer in Leo Fender’s eye.”
The 30.5" scale 1960 EB-6 has a single humbucking pickup, a volume knob, a tone knob, and a small, push-button “Tone Selector Switch” that engages a treble circuit for an instant tic-tac sound. (Without engaging that switch, you get a bass-heavy tone so deep that cowboy chords will sound like a muddy mess.)
The EB-6, for better or for worse, did not unseat the Danelectros, and a November 1959 price list from Gibson hints at why: The EB-6 retailed for $340, compared to Dano price tags that ranged from $85 to $150. Only a few dozen EB-6 basses were shipped in 1960, and only 67 total are known to have been built before Gibson changed the shape to the SG style in 1962.
Most players who come across an EB-6 today think it was a response to the Fender Bass VI, but the former actually beat the latter to the market by a full year.
Photo by Ken Lapworth
It’s sad that so few were built. Sure, it was a high-end model made to achieve the novelty tic-tac sound of cheaper instruments, but in its full-voiced glory, the EB-6 has a huge potential of tones. It would sound great in our contemporary guitar era where more players are exploring baritone ranges, and where so many people got back into the Bass VI after seeing the Beatles play one in the 2021 documentary, Get Back.
It’s sadder, still, how many original-era EB-6s have been parted out in the decades since. Remember earlier when I wrote that our Vintage Vaultpick was about as original as you could find? That’s because the model’s single humbucker is a PAF, its Kluson tuners are double-line, and its knobs are identical to those on Les Paul ’Bursts. So as people repaired broken ’Bursts, converted other LPs to ’Bursts, or otherwise sought to give other Gibsons a “Golden Era” sound and look ... they often stripped these forgotten EB-6 basses for parts.
This original EB-6 is up for sale now from Reverb seller Emerald City Guitars for a $16,950 asking price at the time of writing. The only thing that isn’t original about it is a replacement set of Kluson tuners, not because its originals were stolen but just to help preserve them. (They will be included in the case.)
With so few surviving 335-style EB-6 basses, Reverb doesn’t have a ton of sales data to compare prices to. Ten years ago, a lucky buyer found a nearly original 1960 EB-6 for about $7,000. But Emerald City’s $16,950 asking price is closer to more recent examples and asking prices.
Sources: Prices on Gibson Instruments, November 1, 1959, Tony Bacon’s “Danelectro’s UB-2 and the Early Days of 6-String Basses” Reverb News article, Gruhn’s Guide to Vintage Guitars, Tom Wheeler’s American Guitars: An Illustrated History, Reverb listings and Price Guide sales data.
Originally released in the 1980s, the Victory has long been a cult favorite among guitarists for its distinctive double cutaway design and excellent upper-fret access. These new models feature flexible electronics, enhanced body contours, improved weight and balance, and an Explorer headstock shape.
A Cult Classic Made Modern
The new Victory features refined body contours, improved weight and balance, and an updated headstock shape based on the popular Gibson Explorer.
Effortless Playing
With a fast-playing SlimTaper neck profile and ebony fretboard with a compound radius, the Victory delivers low action without fret buzz everywhere on the fretboard.
Flexible Electronics
The two 80s Tribute humbucker pickups are wired to push/pull master volume and tone controls for coil splitting and inner/outer coil selection when the coils are split.
For more information, please visit gibson.com.
Gibson Victory Figured Top Electric Guitar - Iguana Burst
Released in 1983, the Roland SDE-3000 rackmount delay was a staple for pro players of the era and remains revered for its rich analog/digital hybrid sound and distinctive modulation. BOSS reimagined this retro classic in 2023 with the acclaimed SDE-3000D and SDE-3000EVH, two wide-format pedals with stereo sound, advanced features, and expanded connectivity. The SDE-3 brings the authentic SDE-3000 vibe to a streamlined BOSS compact, enhanced with innovative creative tools for every musical style. The SDE-3 delivers evocative delay sounds that drip with warmth and musicality. The efficient panel provides the primary controls of its vintage benchmark—including delay time, feedback, and independent rate and depth knobs for the modulation—plus additional knobs for expanded sonic potential.
A wide range of tones are available, from basic mono delays and ’80s-style mod/delay combos to moody textures for ambient, chill, and lo-fi music. Along with reproducing the SDE-3000's original mono sound, the SDE-3 includes a powerful Offset knob to create interesting tones with two simultaneous delays. With one simple control, the user can instantly add a second delay to the primary delay. This provides a wealth of mono and stereo colors not available with other delay pedals, including unique doubled sounds and timed dual delays with tap tempo control. The versatile SDE-3 provides output configurations to suit any stage or studio scenario.
Two stereo modes include discrete left/right delays and a panning option for ultra-wide sounds that move across the stereo field. Dry and effect-only signals can be sent to two amps for wet/dry setups, and the direct sound can be muted for studio mixing and parallel effect rigs. The SDE-3 offers numerous control options to enhance live and studio performances. Tap tempo mode is available with a press and hold of the pedal switch, while the TRS MIDI input can be used to sync the delay time with clock signals from DAWs, pedals, and drum machines. Optional external footswitches provide on-demand access to tap tempo and a hold function for on-the-fly looping. Alternately, an expression pedal can be used to control the Level, Feedback, and Time knobs for delay mix adjustment, wild pitch effects, and dramatic self-oscillation.
The new BOSS SDE-3 Dual Delay Pedal will be available for purchase at authorized U.S. BOSS retailers in October for $219.99. To learn more, visit www.boss.info.