NAMM 2025: Under the cover of darkness – or at least not making a song and dance about it on social media – Jackson has expanded its Pro Plus Series high-performance electric guitar lineup with the limited edition Pure Metal range.
The collection comprises the Pure Metal Rhoads RR1A, the Soloist SL1A and the Kelly KE1A and pares this trio of classic Jackson guitars down to the essentials; a single humbucker pickup, a Floyd Rose 1000 series double-locking vibrato and a black finish because this, after all, is the Pure Metal Series.
But it’s not that the Californian brand has thrown its lot in with aesthetic minimalism here; the Pure Metal range’s Creme binding and matching Jackson logo on the headstock gives this trio an upscale look.
All three share a lot in common. We have solid poplar bodies as standard with neck-through builds, and a three-piece maple neck that’s whittled down into the über-speedy profile that you would expect from Jackson. There is also a big tone dividend to be had with this build. As the firm notes, “This beast of a guitar is built for speed, equipped for domination…”
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“True neck-through-body construction has been a Jackson hallmark since 1980, allowing for greater playability, warmer tonal spectrum and enhanced sustain,” explains Jackson. “This method of guitar construction involves seamlessly extending three pieces of maple wood used for the neck through the entire length of the body.”
Those necks have been reinforced with graphite rods, so they may be skinny but they are built tough, resisting the slings and arrows of temperature and humidity fluctuations. They are topped with 12” to 16” compound radius ebony fingerboards that seat 24 jumbo stainless steel frets. These will feel slinky.
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Jackson has also equipped the new trio with a single Fishman Fluence Modern humbucker at the bridge position, hooking it up to a no-messing control circuit that comprises a single volume control with a push/pull function for accessing the Fishman’s alternate voicing. Who touches the tone on a metal guitar anyway?
The Kelly looks a good bet for any player looking to nail the Rust in Peace-era Marty Friedman look and sound. The Rhoads would be ideal for those who wish to board the Crazy Train but don’t look good in pinstripes (or polka-dots), while the Soloist remains the ür-shred Strat-style guitar.
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Other details include Luminlay side-dot markers, which glow in the dark and ease fingerboard navigation when, y’know, playing a midnight show under a moonless sky. Pearloid sharkfins remain one of the coolest fingerboard inlays you will find on the market.
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We’ve got chrome hardware, with Jackson-branded sealed die-cast tuners, dome-style control knobs. And they all ship in a gig bag.
There’s no firm word on when these are available. But the Pure Metal Soloist is priced $1,299/£1,349, the Kelly is $/£1,399 while the Rhoads will set you back $1,499/£1,399, and if you want more details and pics, head on over to Jackson.
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