NAMM 2025: Jackson has announced the return of the Surfcaster, its cult offset design, as part of its most affordable electric guitar ranges, with the aim of “offering modern metalheads a sleek new take on a classic machine”.
The Surfcaster has a curious history: launched by Charvel/Jackson in the early ’90s, the lipstick pickup-adorned model was aimed at surf and country players, and counted Steve Cropper among its early endorsees.
Later, it would be kitted out with humbuckers to cater for Jackson’s more typical audience, but upon the brand’s acquisition by Fender in 2002, the model was dropped – presumably to avoid competing with the Big F’s Jazzmaster.
But interest in the model has surged in recent years as Periphery’s Misha Mansoor and Spiritbox’s Mike Stringer have raved about their own Custom Shop creations – which may well have paved the way for the offset’s return.
We weren’t expecting the first Surfcasters to be quite so affordable, however. The JS Series Surfcaster is $249, while the Indonesian-built X Series Surfcaster is $549, and the seven-string version (yes!) is $599.
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All three guitars are very much metal-focused, teaming the offset, Jazzmaster-esque shape with a pair of humbuckers, a hardtail bridge and black hardware on none-more-black finishes (although the JS does offer a Snow White option alongside Gloss Black).
Playability should be on point courtesy of a 12”-16” compound radius bound fingerboard, available across the range (the X Series’ is laurel, the JS’ is amaranth).
24 jumbo frets are a universal feature, but only the X Series model features the oh-so-’80s sharkfin inlays and contoured heel, while the JS model has the more typical Fender-style four-bolt neckplate and dot inlays.
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We haven’t got a whole lot of info on the pickups as of yet, other than they’re high-output and made in-house. The X Series’ look a lot sleeker, and we imagine there will be that little bit extra definition versus the JS.
There’s a three-way toggle pickup selector on the X, while you get a blade selector switch on the cheaper model. The seven-string does away with the neck pickup, tone knob and pickup selector of its six-string siblings, leaving just a bridge humbucker and volume control.
The wonky three-a-side headstock, complete with enormous Jackson logo, might not win over metal-leaning Fender obsessives, but we reckon it’s just the right side of ’90s kitsch.
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All in all, it’s a commendable return for the Surfcaster, and an enticing first dip of the toe in offset waters for Jackson. We’re looking forward to seeing what else the firm does with the design throughout 2025.
On that note, you’ll forgive us if we’re a bit emotional about this one. We’ve been harassing Fender employees to build high-spec offsets for at least five years now, so to see our efforts finally come to fruition – and at this price point – is very cool indeed. Mansoor and Stringer models next, please…
The X Series and JS Series Surfcasters land in spring 2025. For more information, hit up Jackson Guitars.
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