Jackson Guitars has been linked to heavy metal shredders since 1980 when iconic guitarist Randy Rhoads approached Grover Jackson with an idea for a personalized guitar. Throughout the heavy metal heyday of the '80s, the Jackson brand was associated with high-quality, American-made custom instruments, and they were used by the hottest metal guitarists of the time. That pedigree continues today.
Djent forefather and speed demon shred-guitarist Misha Mansoor has gained widespread acclaim with the axe-centric progressive metal band Periphery. He's known to impress the most discerning of metal fans with his steadfast, fleet-fingered technique, and his personally designed collection of Jackson signature Juggernaut instruments is loaded with both powerful shredder's tone and sparkly, clean, funky sounds.
His signature model Pro Juggernaut HT6 offers a 25.5" scale length, poplar body, bolt-on two octave caramelized maple neck with graphite reinforcement, wrap-around heel, and oiled back finish for playing comfort. Featuring a 20" flat radius ebony fingerboard with rolled edges, 24 jumbo stainless-steel frets and offset dot inlays, this guitar plays like a dream. While most guitars have nickel-silver frets, the stainless-steel frets are a significantly harder and smoother material, giving them extreme durability and a smoother playing feel. Caramelizing is a thermal treatment process that dries and stabilizes maple necks, and the unusual dark finish on a maple neck is beautiful and feels great. Jackson states that the caramelizing process enhances tone, providing a warmer, more balanced sound with a smoother, faster playing feel.
Mansoor worked with Jackson to develop the uncovered direct mount Jackson MM1 pickups.
They are clean and clear when needed but also can provide massive overdriven crunch tones for lead shred and deep rhythms. MC thinks of this guitar as a super Strat, offering pristine out of phase sounds that have a throaty sparkle while also delivering the heaviest of sounds when needed. Sounds can be shaped with a five-way blade switch, single volume control, and single tone control with push/pull select feature.
This guitar is not to be underestimated. It is precise yet very fun to play and has so much power that it really stands out when playing with a band, whether you are playing clean or overdriven.
Available in Red Crystal or Blue Sparkle with a matching reverse Jackson 3x3 AT-1 headstock, this signature Pro Juggernaut also features a Jackson HT6 string-through-body hardtail bridge, Jackson sealed die-cast locking tuners, Dunlop dual-locking strap locks—a very welcome feature—and an oversized gig bag. Made in Indonesia. $899
