Jackson has continued to grow its American Series of US-made workhorse electric guitars by debuting a hardtail version of its flagship Virtuoso model.
The firm first launched its revamped American Series in late 2022 with the Soloist SL3. The drop saw the arrival of Jackson’s first range of guitars to be made entirely in the California factory belonging to parent company, Fender.
Since the debut of the HSS Soloist SL3, the range has been bolstered to include tremolo and hardtail variants of the HH-configured Soloist SL2MG, and the Floyd Rose-loaded Virtuoso.
That latter model has arguably the most notable release of the lot. The American Series arrived to much fanfare, and was pitched as a versatile do-it-all workhorse for a metal scene that is becoming increasingly diverse – something ably evidenced by the artist-led Mega Shred demo video, which featured Misha Mansoor, Marty Friedman, David Davidson, Debbie Gough and Clint Tustin.
Now, Jackson has returned to the Virtuoso template, reconfiguring it into a hardtail format that has been launched with another praise-worthy hero video, featuring Alyssa Day and Joey Concepcion.
Though removing the functionality of a tremolo, the presence of a Hipshot hardtail bridge could increase the Virtuoso’s appeal even further, especially since the Floyd Rose may be seen as surplus to requirements for those who don’t want to use the guitar for straight-up shred.
Otherwise, it follows the Virtuoso precedent, meaning there’s an alder body and a bolt-on five-piece neck composed from caramelized and maple with graphite reinforcement rods.
There’s also a 12”-16” compound radius streaked ebony fingerboard with rolled edges, 24 jumbo frets, and offset mother of pearl dot inlays, as well as Luminlay side dots and a heel-mount truss rod adjustment wheel.
In terms of tone, Seymour Duncan’s JB TB-4 bridge and ’59 SH-1N neck humbuckers once again make the cut, and are wired to a five-way blade switch and master volume and tone pots.
And, just like the original Virtuoso, this HT model arrives in a quartet of tasty colorways: Mystic Blue, Red Crystal, Satin Black and Snow White. Unfortunately, that means no Shell Pink – the hero (and standout) finish from the Floyd Rose Virtuoso.
“The American Series Virtuoso HT embodies the spirit of musical exploration and commemorates the limitless creativity within the metal genre,” Jackson says.
“With heavy metal no longer existing only on the fringes of culture, this newfound array of sounds and opportunities thrives at the crossroads of the Virtuoso, showcasing how it paves the way for a diverse range of musicians to embrace metal and its transformative potential.”
It is yet more evidence of a trend that Jackson has been onto for some time: the metal guitar is going mainstream.
The Virtuoso HT is available now from $1,899
Head over to Jackson to find out more.
