In addition to exotic woods, wild body shapes and eye-popping graphics and finishes, there’s also a 27-fret Randy Rhoads, a multi-scale seven-string and bass, several one-off artist electric guitars and, particularly cool, an Jackson/Charvel double neck.
As the company puts it, “There is no build too big or too nuts for the guys at the Jackson Custom Shop.”
We agree. Just check out some of the insane new builds below.
Jackson Custom Shop J0001 40th Anniversary
(Image credit: Jackson)
The original J0001 was entered into the Jackson Custom Shop’s log book as belonging to ex-Judas Priest guitarist K.K. Downing, although Downing reportedly never received or played the guitar.
Custom Shop Master Builder Mike Shannon says he had Megadeth bassist Dave Ellefson “verify with Downing that he actually never had or played this guitar. How it got in the log books that way, I’m not sure. But the player, as far as I know who has it, is a guy named Jay Reynolds.” No word, however, if this is the same Jay Reynolds that played guitar for Malice and, for a brief time, Megadeth.
Specs on the J0001 include an alder body, quartersawn maple through-body neck, 12” radius rosewood fretboard, Seymour Duncan Custom Trembucker TB-5 humbucker in the bridge and Seymour Duncan ’59 humbucker in the neck and an iridescent Snow White Pearl finish.
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Jackson Custom Shop Randy Rhoads
(Image credit: Jackson)
The Randy Rhoads boasts an alder body, quartersawn maple neck with a 12”-16” compound radius and a flame maple 22-fret fingerboard. Pickups are a Seymour Duncan TB-6 at the bridge and a Seymour Duncan SH1N at the neck, both with chrome covers. Other features include a White Sparkle finish with chrome hardware and pickguard, Floyd Rose Original tremolo system and Jackson-sealed die cast tuners.
Jackson/Charvel 40th Anniversary Double Neck Hot Rod Flame
(Image credit: Jackson)
This insane double-neck combines Jackson Soloist and Charvel San Dimas body styles. The Jackson half features a quartersawn maple neck-through-body design, 12”-16” compound radius ebony fingerboard with 24 jumbo frets and classic Jackson sharkfin inlays, There’s also a Seymour Duncan TB-4 at the bridge and SH-1 at the neck and a Floyd Rose Original tremolo system.
The Charvel half, meanwhile, features a bolt-on maple neck topped with a 12”-16” compound radius fingerboard and 22 jumbo frets, DiMarzio Super Distortion bridge pickup and a DiMarzio DP117 HS-3 neck pickup, Charvel brass tremolo and Gotoh tuners. It’s all topped by a custom Hot Rod Flames finish.
Jackson Custom Shop Limited Edition Signature Phil Collen PC1 Black Walnut
(Image credit: Jackson)
The PC1 sports a caramelized Dinky mahogany body capped with a 1/8” claro walnut top, a caramelized bolt-on maple neck and a 12”-16” compound radius 24-fret ebony fingerboard. Pickups are a DiMarzio Super 3 humbucker in the bridge, DiMarzio HS-2 single-coil in the middle and PC1 Sustainer Driver in the neck. Other features include a Floyd Rose Original double-locking tremolo system and Gotoh sealed die-cast tuners.
Jackson Custom Shop Limited Edition Signature Adrian Smith San Dimas
(Image credit: Jackson)
The limited edition Adrian Smith San Dimas features an alder body, bolt-on quartersawn maple neck and 12”-16” compound radius 22-fret fingerboard. There’s also a single DiMarzio DP100F Super Distortion pickup and a Floyd Rose Original bridge. The graphic, meanwhile, references Iron Maiden’s 1984 song, 2 Minute to Midnight. Said Smith about the model, “I call it my hooligan guitar because it is stripped down – no nonsense, one pickup. Sounds great, actually plays great. “I just love the guitar – apart from the fact that it looks really cool.”
This limited edition Mick Thomson signature model recreates the carbon fiber finish of one of the Slipknot axman’s stage guitars. In addition to the finish, there’s a mahogany Soloist body, through-body maple neck and 12”-16” compound radius 24-fret ebony fingerboard with block side markers. Other features include Thomson’s signature Seymour Duncan EMTY Blackouts in the bridge and neck, a custom Jackson MTB HT6 bridge and a reverse pointed headstock.
Features on the Limited Edition Mansoor So-Cal include an ash body with a heavily relic’d Daphne Blue finish, caramelized flame maple bolt-on neck and 20” radius caramelized flame maple fingerboard with maple inlays outlined in ebony and 22 jumbo stainless steel frets.
There’s also a Bare Knuckle Ragnarock humbucker in the bridge and Misha Mansoor single-coils in the middle and neck, a Gotoh 510 2PT tremolo system, Luminlay side dots and white pickguard.
Jackson Custom Shop Limited Edition Signature Chris Broderick CB2 Diabolic
(Image credit: Jackson)
The Broderick CB2 Diabolic boasts a mahogany body with 1/8” flame maple cap in a Trans Black finish with flame maple binding and pinstripes. There’s also a quartersawn maple neck with a 12”-16” compound radius ebony fingerboard fitted with 24 jumbo stainless steel frets and boasting ziricote reverse sharkfin inlays.
Pickups are Broderick’s signature DiMarzio humbuckers, and there’s also a reverse Jackson AT1 headstock, seven-string Floyd Rose Pro tremolo system and D’Addario Planet Waves locking tuners.
Jackson Custom Shop RR27 HS FR Galaxy
(Image credit: Jackson)
This 27-fret behemoth boasts an alder Rhoads body with buckeye resin top, through-body quartersawn maple neck and 12”-16” compound radius ebony fingerboard. Pickups are a Bare Knuckle Aftermath humbucker in the bridge and Bare Knuckle Trilogy Suite single coil at the neck. There’s also a Floyd Rose Original bridge, Sperzel tuners and a magnetic truss rod cover to avoid the use of screws.
Jackson Custom Shop Warrior HT 7-String Multi-Scale
(Image credit: Jackson)
The seven-string Warrior Multi Scale HT sports an alder body, through-body quatersawn maple neck and 24-fret ebony fingerboard with pearl reverse sharkfin inlays. Oh yeah – it also comes in a retina-searing Neon Pink finish.
Other features include DiMarzio The Tone Zone 7 and DiMarzio Air Norton 7 pickups, Hipshot multi-scale fixed bridge, phenolic nut, Jackson sealed die-cast tuners, master volume and five-way toggle switching and reverse headstock.
Jackson Custom Shop Hellion Bass
(Image credit: Jackson)
The five-string, multi-scale Custom Shop Hellion boasts a reversed and elongated Demon shape and custom-carved ash body, through-body quartersawn maple neck and 16”-20” compound radius maple fingerboard with 24 jumbo stainless steel frets, classic black piranha teeth inlays and blue Luminlay side dots. Other features include a single Seymour Duncan Quarter Pound Jazz Bass bridge pickup, Hipshot triple lock single saddle bridge and J Hipshot bass tuners. The bass comes in a Neon Yellow finish with reverse pointy headstock.
Jackson Custom Shop Soloist SL2 Exotic
(Image credit: Jackson)
The Custom Shop Soloist SL2 sports a cooked ash body with a ziricote top and titanium hardware. There’s also a flame maple set neck, ebony fretboard, Guitarmory Orion Pickups with curly maple bobbins and a Floyd Rose titanium bridge. Additional stylish touches include an inlaid maple Jackson logo on the headstock and ziricote reverse sharkin inlays on the fingerboard.
Rich is the co-author of the best-selling Nöthin' But a Good Time: The Uncensored History of the '80s Hard Rock Explosion. He is also a recording and performing musician, and a former editor of Guitar World magazine and executive editor of Guitar Aficionado magazine. He has authored several additional books, among them Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck, the companion to the documentary of the same name.
