Announced in September but now formally launched is the Pro Series Signature Josh Smith Soloist™ SL7 ET in collaboration with the prolific metalcore guitarist, Josh Smith. As a founding member and songwriter of Australian band Northlane, Jackson is proud to add Smith to the Signature family. His lush walls of sound and thoughtful harmonic structures provide striking contrast to Northlane’s signature thunderous tone. At the core of Smith’s ability and unmistakable penchant for sonic exploration is his Jackson 7-string. Now, players everywhere can tap into their own sense of tonal discovery with a design that is tastefully pared down allowing players to take ownership of the instrument.
Formed in 2009, Australian progressive metalcore act Northlane emerged as trendsetters in the space, constantly evolving and ambitiously chasing uncharted territory with each album release. Founding member, co-songwriter and rhythm guitarist Josh Smith is central to the band’s expansive and pummeling sound, and Jackson is proud to present the all-new Pro Series Signature Josh Smith Soloist™ SL7 ET in his honor.
“Jackson makes incredibly consistent and stable instruments. They intonate well, they hold tune on the road and the guitars never seem to break,” said Josh Smith. “Having a signature soloist is a dream come true. I purposely kept the design very subtle. It’s a great companion for anyone tuning low who wants a little versatility. It’s both an ideal studio guitar and great for the stage!”
This Pro Series Signature Josh Smith Soloist™ SL7 ET model delivers on all these promises of reliability, but it is far more than just a road ready guitar.
Pro Series Signature Josh Smith SoloistTM SL7 ET, Ebony Fingerboard ($2,699.99 USD, £1,599.00 GBP, €1,849.00 EUR, $4,999.00 AUD) The 7-string collaboration begins with a 27” scale length. The SoloistTM alder body, sleekly sculpted for ergonomic comfort, is paired with a graphite-reinforced through-body caramelized maple neck for enhanced stability. Designed to deliver effortless playability, the 12”-16” compound radius ebony fingerboard with 24 jumbo frets has a more pronounced curvature across its width near the nut for comfortable chording. A gradual flattening lends to a very slight curvature toward the upper frets for blazing fast solos and comfortable bends. Under the hood is a HS pickup configuration featuring Smith’s signature Bare Knuckle Impulse pickup set. The Impulse humbucker in the bridge is a full, tight pickup that embraces down-tuned guitars but can also handle medium-gain applications for full, muscular, rock mids as well as overdriven tones without getting lost in the mix. Available in Aquamarine.
“It was a great experience to work with Josh to recreate one of Jackson’s most iconic shapes in his image,” adds Jon Romanowski, VP Category Management – Jackson. “Although Josh makes it look effortless, taking an arsenal of drop-tuned, long scale instruments on the road is no easy feat. The true beauty behind this instrument is the way in which it takes a problem that heavy metal guitarists have been running into for years—the unreliable nature of 7-string guitars—and provides an elegant, one stop solution. Fans are going to love replicating Smith’s iconic sound into a style all their own.”
The Pro Series Signature Josh Smith Soloist™ SL7 ET is a bastion of quality and tonal excellence that will not only allow players to stop worrying about their instrument making it through each gig, but give them the freedom to redefine what a down-tuned instrument is capable of.
Learn more about Smith’s collaboration with Jackson as he discusses and demonstrates his all-new Pro Series Signature Josh Smith SoloistTM SL7 ET guitar here.
For technical specs, additional information on new Jackson products and to find a retail partner near you, visit www.jacksonguitars.com. Join the conversation on social media by following @JacksonGuitars on Twitter and @OfficalJacksonGuitars on Instagram.