Jackson San Dimas Soloist Archtop

The archtop model is one of the classier models of the Soloist, in my opinion. They seem to be more tonally complex, look better and resonate a bit nicer than a normal model. I attribute that a lot to the flame maple top that's on this. The guitar has an alder body with a flame maple top, a neck-thru maple neck with an ebony fretboard, 24 extra jumbo frets, sharkfin inlays, an original floyd rose, two humbuckers, one volume, one tone and a three way switch.

UTILIZATION

The first thing you'll notice on this guitar is that the flame is super eye catching. It's very tight, and it's bookmatched quite nicely. It has this almost 3D look to it, even with the aged finish that's occurring. The guitar is a bit heavier than a normal Soloist thanks to the maple top, but it's not too bad. The construction itself is done great, and there are no real issues to be found in that aspect. The frets are a bit worn, but it's nothing a quick level and crown couldn't fix.

SOUNDS

The guitar has an EMG 85 in the bridge and an EMG 60 in the neck. This is an interesting combination as most people tend to run the 81 in the bridge. While I agree that the 81 is a great bridge pickup, the 85 in the bridge is a great choice for a guitar that might be a bit on the brighter side, such as this. Maple tends to be very bright, and the extra bass of the 85 is a welcome addition. The 60 in the neck has an almost single coil vibe going on, and the cleans are ridiculously good with it. While some people find them to be a bit sterile, I think they're very precise. The gain tones are decent with the 60, but I tend to prefer the 85 under gain vs the 60.

OVERALL OPINION

This is a great guitar for the money, and if you happen to find one at a good price, I recommend you look into buying it. They're top notch in both sound and playability. I actually prefer the older ones to the newer ones as they tend to sound better and be a bit more consistent than today's guitars for whatever reason.