Jackson has revealed the second guitar in its American-made series will be the Virtuoso. This alder-body spiritual successor to the Dinky comes nearly a year after the acclaimed Soloist SL3 model and its bolt-on neck construction means it will be offered at a comparatively lower price.
At $1,949 / £1,999 it's still a serious investment, but one that offers a premium guitar experience that's versatility should not be overlooked.
The Virtuoso features a 24-fret five-piece multi-laminated caramelised maple/maple neck with graphite-reinforcement rods that provide rock-solid stability all the way up to the 24th fret. The Speed Neck has a 12-16” compound radius with a streaked ebony fingerboard and rolled edges for comfort.
The pickups are a classic combination of Seymour Duncan JB in the bridge and '59 in the neck, with a five-way switch to enable split tones from a pairing that is capable of going far beyond heavy metal expectations.
Players waiting for a hardtail American Series guitar will have to hold on (though it's inevitable they are coming); this features a Floyd Rose 1500 Series double-locking tremolo bridge system alongside Gotoh MG-T locking tuners and Dunlop dual-locking strap buttons.
The Jackson American Series Virtuoso is offered in Satin Shell Pink, Specific Ocean, Mystic Blue and Satin Black.
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Rob is the Reviews Editor for GuitarWorld.com and MusicRadar guitars, so spends most of his waking hours (and beyond) thinking about and trying the latest gear while making sure our reviews team is giving you thorough and honest tests of it. He's worked for guitar mags and sites as a writer and editor for nearly 20 years but still winces at the thought of restringing anything with a Floyd Rose.