Jackson has debuted its first signature guitar for Roman Ibramkhalilov, best known for his role as guitarist in Ukrainian metal band JinJer.
JinJer have developed a reputation for a riff-laden, forward-thinking brand of progressive metal that takes its cues from the likes of Gojira, Lamb of God and Opeth.
Ibramkhalilov is the sole guitarist of the band and a rhythmic juggernaut who favors a baritone guitar.
As such, his signature model – the Pro Series signature Roman Ibramkhalilov MDK HT6 Baritone, to give it the full title – has been built to withstand an onstage hammering.
The spec appears simple but is a more demanding production than you might first realise – with a new body shape, baritone scale length and a custom set of humbuckers.
The model has apparently been some four years in the making, reveals Ibramkhalilov in Jackson’s video.
“You will never find this shape ever [anywhere else] – it’s unique,” says the guitarist. “Through the years we’re now at the point where it’s the perfect axe to play shows, for the studio, whatever…”
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The body is made of Ibramkhalilov’s preferred ash tonewood and, while it started life as a Dinky outline, it has been sculpted and honed in a way that calls to mind the heavy bevelling of John Petrucci’s Ernie Ball Majesty, albeit in a Jackson format.
“The main thing for me is the body,” says Ibramkhalilov. “I’m an ash guy, 100%. It’s a perfect sound, it matches my playing perfectly. Also the bolt-on neck helps you sound articulated, with more attack. For me, for metal playing – not only for metal and progressive – it's important to have a bolt-on neck and ash body.”
The neck is a three-piece maple/wenge construction, which is graphite-reinforced and has an appealing wenge center stripe visible on the rear. The ebony fingerboard offers a 12-16” compound radius, plus 24 jumbo stainless-steel frets and the (now obligatory) Luminlay side dots.
Hardware appointments are equally rock-solid and tour-worthy, with a Gotoh 510FX-6 bridge, Jackson die-cast locking tuners, a Graph Tech TUSQ XL nut and a truss rod wheel for easy adjustments.
Finally, that baritone, er, tone is serviced by a pair of Jackson RI1 pickups, which – judging from the initials and the fact we can’t find them anywhere else in the lineup – appear to have been developed specifically for Ibramkhalilov’s build.
“My main reason for [picking] the specs has been to make this guitar comfortable for people… in the future,” summarises Ibramkhalilov. “[My] wish is that this guitar will work for them through the years. [Because] if it works for the touring musician through the years, it will also work at home or studio, or wherever.”
On paper, it certainly looks like it will do just that, and the only real bone of contention we have for a touring spec model is that it, inevitably, comes with a gig bag rather than a hardcase.
It is also a Korean build, so that $1,499 tag might make some buyers baulk, but this is clearly one for the ‘premium offshore’ pricing strategy.
Either way, we reckon that blend of classy design and hard-wearing components will mean it proves a tempting option for any metal player after a baritone build.
For more information, head to Jackson.
