Jackson's new Pro Series Signature Misha Mansoor Juggernaut guitars, including the HT6 and ET6 models, are designed for classic and progressive metal players. Featuring premium construction, innovative pickups, and advanced bridge options, these guitars deliver the modern sound and performance needed to ignite your tone. Visit jacksonguitars.com for more information.
Jackson is once again partnering with Misha Mansoor to release three new signature guitars, The Pro Series Signature Misha Mansoor Juggernaut HT6 in Red Crystaland Blue Sparkle and The Pro Plus Series Signature Misha Mansoor Juggernaut ET6 in Riviera Blue. Developed in close partnership with Misha, these Juggernaut metal guitars are built to withstand the demands of Misha’s steadfast and fleet-fingered technique. Perfect for both classic and progressive metal players, these guitars deliver the modern sound that every shredder needs to ignite their tone.
“This refresh came about because every few years we want to see what we can do…these guitars travel around the world and they need to be road ready,” said Misha Mansoor on his new signature guitars.“It’s a no-nonsense guitar that looks good, sounds good, and plays good.”
Djent forefather, Misha Mansoor, has gained widespread acclaim as the mastermind behind the axe-centric progressive metal band Periphery. Based in Washington D.C., Periphery is renowned for pushing the limits of progressive metal, using detuned, extended-range instruments to craft a sound that is both technically complex and unapologetically heavy. Misha Mansoor, guitarist and producer, co-founded the band in 2005. With the same precision and innovation that defines Misha's playing, the Juggernautsignature gives players the power to transform their sound.
The premium Juggernaut models feature a 25.5” scale length, poplar body, and bolt-on caramelized maple neck with graphite reinforcement, wrap-around heel, and oiled back finish for greater playing comfort. With a 20” flat radius ebony fingerboard that features rolled edges, fans can enjoy blazing fast leads. These models feature 24 jumbo stainless steel frets and offset dot inlays. Lastly, the Luminlay side-dots will guide the guitarist's path even on the darkest of stages, while the heel-mount truss rod adjustment wheel allows for convenient neck relief tweaks.
Misha worked closely, as he did with past models, to develop the exceptional uncovered direct-mount Jackson MM1 pickups. Unwilling to sacrifice tone, these pickups can be shaped with a five-way blade switch, single volume control, and a single tone control with push/pull feature that allows for players to engage or disengage tone options. Designed for articulate heavy picking, the humbuckers deliver a well-balanced sonic range with rich dynamics, intentionally left uncovered to enhance brightness and clarity.
The Pro Plus Series Signature Misha Mansoor Juggernaut ET6 comes equipped with an EverTune F6Model bridge, engineered to maintain perfect tuning and intonation across the entire neck, even with low tunings. Its counterpart, the Pro Series Signature Misha Mansoor Juggernaut HT6, features a string-through-body hardtail bridge that delivers enhanced sustain, rock-solid tuning stability, and simplified string changes. Both bridges are built to withstand intense playing conditions, providing the unwavering stability essential for Misha's signature heavy metal style.
“We’re beyond thrilled to be partnering with Misha Mansoor on his latest signature guitar collection. His innovation and vision perfectly align with our passion for pushing the boundaries of tone and design, ”said Jon Romanowski, VP of Product of Jackson Guitars. “This collaboration reinforces Jackson’scommitment of providing for players who demand nothing but the best.”
For more information, please visit jacksonguitars.com.
Introducing The Pro Plus Series Misha Mansoor 6-String Juggernauts | Jackson Guitars - YouTube
This is perhaps the most rare Iwase guitar: one volume, one tone, and a quality adjustable bridge, plus a raised pickguard and some beautiful shading on the burst.
A 6-string found in the workshop of the late luthier Yukichi Iwase may be the only one of these small, nearly full-scale guitars. Our columnist tells the story.
I’ve been thinking a lot about snowflakes lately. We are getting some snowy weather up my way, but there’s a few other items rattling around in my mind. Like, I just got a car for my daughter (thanks to those who bought guitars from me recently), and it’s so freakin’ cool. I bought her a Mini Cooper, and this thing is so rad! I was doing research on these models, and each one is sorta different as far as colors, racing stripes, wheels, etc. Her friends say she has a “main character” car, but you’ll probably have to ask a teenager whatthat means.
And then my mind wandered to my college days, when I was an English major. I got to read and write every day, and I thought I was getting good at it until a professor raked me over the proverbial coals for using the word “unique” incorrectly when describing a local band’s sound. He really tore me up, because if I describe something as unique, it should be like none other—like a snowflake.
So, what about guitars? Is a custom-shop model unique if it has the same pickups and same scale as many others? Even if the body is shaped differently? Seriously, that professor would hand you your butt because, in his mind, you didn’t just choose words unless you understood their real meaning. Consider the super-rare Teisco T-60 … the model that Glen Campbell loved and played for much of his early career. I know of only four in existence. There are some Japanese collectors who own hundreds of guitars but don’t have a T-60. Does that make the T-60 unique, or simply rare? I mean, they were all hand-made and featured that original hole-in-the-body “monkey grip” … but unique? Talk amongst yourselves for a hot minute.
“In my waning days of collecting, I just want to have Voice stuff, because I met Iwase and connected with him immediately.”
I recently wrote about the passing of the great Japanese luthier Yukichi Iwase, whose small company (basically just him) produced some of the finest guitars and amps and carried the “Voice” label. A friend in Japan, along with his daughters, were in the process of clearing out his old workshop, and I’ve been trying to acquire everything from it that I can. I used to collect just Teisco stuff, and then I had a passion for the old Intermark/Pleasant guitars. Then I wanted to get all the old Yamaha stuff I could find. But now, in my waning days of collecting, I just want to have Voice stuff, because I met Iwase and connected with him immediately. He was a peach, and, yes, he was unique. Aside from being one of the earliest employees of Tesico, he was a brilliant fellow who could make just about anything from scratch, including guitars and amps. Left in his workshop were a few unfinished T-60s, some pedal steels, some amps, a really cool bass, an unfinished double-neck guitar, and a tiny guitar that is also truly worthy of the term “unique.”
“I know these pickups well enough to understand they are loud, crisp, and offer a full range of sounds,” our columnist says.
The latter is a small powerhouse of a guitar. It has one of his amazing pickups that looks like a big block engine stuffed into an AMC Gremlin. He somehow squeezed out a 23" scale, but the rest of the guitar is like a child’s 6-string or a travel guitar. I believe he only made one of these. The body design has an ocean-wave type of flow, and the guitar is very balanced and not hard on the eyes, even with the exaggerated features. One volume, one tone, and a quality adjustable bridge plus a raised pickguard—the only time I’ve seen this design on his guitars. His finish work was really nice, too, and he was able to get some beautiful shading on the burst. The headstock has a figured overlay and the neck profile is so sweet—curved perfectly with some fine wood.
To me, it seems to have been built around 1966, based on the tuners he used. I don’t have the heart yet to plug this into an amp, but I know these pickups well enough to understand they are loud, crisp, and offer a full range of sounds. So, what do you think? Rare? Truly unique?
This late-’90s Masterbilt was made to mimic the feeling and look of vintage luxury.
This collaborative effort between Japanese and American guitar builders aimed for old-school quality without breaking the bank.
I recently called a rideshare to pick me up from the airport and was surprised when the driver pulled up in a Jaguar. I’d never been in one and was stunned at how quiet it was, and how the backseat was as comfortable as a living room couch, but retained a refined look. This 1998 Masterbilt prototype reminds me of that airport ride.
Some guitars just feel expensive. Not in an “I shouldn't be touching this, lest I scratch it” way so much as simply exuding luxury. Maybe it’s the flawless ebony fretboard, making gliding up and down the neck feel like ice skating. Or perhaps it’s the slim, ’60s-style neck shape which felt instantly comfortable in my small hands. It may have something to do with the sumptuously low 2/32" action at the 12th fret, requiring hardly any effort to play.
Makes sense, considering this guitar’s origin story. Mac Yasuda was born in Nishinomiya, Japan. At 15, he discovered the music of Hank Snow and fell in love with country music and the guitar itself. He stole a classical guitar from his cousin (“He never played it,” said Yasuda) and started a band with his friends. Yasuda traveled to the States in the ’70s and after picking up his first vintage guitar from a pawn shop, he was hooked. He began scoping out gear for his friends, which eventually grew into a shop called Mac’s Guitar Gallery in Kobe, Japan. By the ’90s, he estimated he had owned between 4,000 and 5,000 instruments, and his collection was valued at $3 million. He has authored several books about vintage guitars and is widely considered one of the world's preeminent authorities on the subject.
Yasuda is also an accomplished musician. While in Nashville in the ’80s—perhaps for one of the half-dozen times he’s performed on theGrand Ole Opry—he met Greg Rich, an instrument designer who was then head of Gibson’s banjo division. Yasuda enlisted Greg Rich and another guitar maker named Mark Taylor to produce a line of high-quality, vintage-style instruments under the name Masterbilt. “Vintage guitars are fine, but they're limited,” said Yasuda at the time. His Masterbilt guitars would give us mere mortals the chance to get a taste of the luxurious feel of a fine vintage instrument. Masterbilt debuted at NAMM in 1997, and it’s still unknown how many guitars were actually produced. The trademark of the Masterbilt name was cancelled in 2005 and has since been used by other brands, like Epiphone.
“Some folks think anything from the ’80s or before is vintage, but perhaps the fact that time has continued to march on should be factored in.”
Fanny's House of Music believes this guitar to be an early prototype, one of six ever made. Three were sunburst and three were natural. Playing it feels like playing any fine vintage 335; funny when you consider that at 27 years old, some would consider this Masterbilt vintage itself. The notion of what is considered truly “vintage” is hotly debated on Reddit every few months. Some folks think anything from the ’80s or before is vintage, but perhaps the fact that time has continued to march on should be factored in. Some guitars from the ’80s are now 45 years old! We consider guitars from the ’90s to be vintage at this point, so this 1998 Masterbilt prototype fits right in.
This Masterbilt is now 27 years old. In your books, does that make it a “vintage” guitar?
Photo by Madison Thorn
It’s a good example of how history and passion can intersect to create something special. This guitar tells a story of dedication to quality and an appreciation for the feel of a well-made instrument. Whether or not a 27-year-old guitar qualifies as “vintage” may be up for debate, but the magic in this guitar definitely isn’t. If you’re ever in Nashville, stop by Fanny’s and take it for a spin. You might find yourself feeling a bit like I felt after my unexpected ride in a Jaguar: getting a glimpse into the world of understated elegance, where refinement isn't about flash but about experiencing something crafted to near perfection.
SOURCES: namm.com, Los Angeles Times, Blue Book of Guitar Values, Vintage Guitar, Guitar-List.