Jackson and Charvel have unveiled a historic Sleep Token launch, honoring one of the biggest progressive metal bands of the modern era with two signature guitars.
Few bands have experienced the meteoric rise that Sleep Token has over the past few years. Their arena-filling, melting-pot sound – along with their mysterious anonymity – has given them legend status in as little as three albums.
They are one of the most talked about bands of our generation, widely credited for redefining contemporary heavy music with a sound that traverses cinematic pop, sultry hip-hop, crushing djent, smooth R&B, and everything in between.
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Such success has also given rise to theories over everything from their obscured identities to the guitar gear they use.
For guitarist IV and bassist III, Jackson and Charvel guitars have been the beating heart of their arsenal. Now, the brands have taken that partnership to the next level, unveiling signature models for both.
IV has been partial to Jackson baritones – namely, a custom shop, EverTune-equipped 30” single-cut that has been used on stage and in studio.
That has been the source material for IV’s first-ever Jackson signature guitar, the Pro Plus Series Monarkh SC. Built for the guitarist’s whole-octave-down tuning, it’s one of the most mesmerizing extended range instruments you will come across.
The bound mahogany body has a quilt maple veneer, with a matching three-a-side headstock. The three-piece caramelized maple set neck flashes a compound radius pale moon ebony fingerboard, with 22 stainless steel frets, Luminlay side dots and pearloid teardrop inlays to boot.
And then there’s the monstrous 30” scale length and six-string setup, which puts the Monarkh on the upper end of the baritone spectrum and sits it alongside the Fender Bass VI guitar/bass hybrid.
Tone-wise, there’s a pair of direct-mount Fishman Fluence Open Core Classic humbuckers, designed to deliver every nuance of IV’s Sleep Token tone. The EverTune 6 bridge has custom saddles, and promises “unprecedented clarity and tuning stability in the lower registers”.
In other words, it’s everything you could hope for from a Sleep Token signature, and rather unlike anything Jackson has on its books.
III, meanwhile, has a new Charvel Pro-Mod San Dimas Bass V, inspired by his go-to Charvel. It features a poplar body, caramelized maple neck and fingerboard, and a 12”-16” compound radius fingerboard. There’s also a 34.4” to 35.5” multi-scale design, and custom red Fishman Fluence soap bar pickups.
Those pickups have three voices accessible via a toggle switch, and can be fine-tuned through the two-band EQ.
(Image credit: Jackson)
“Sleep Token’s sonic and visual identity is so distinctive, and the Jackson and Charvel signature models are a huge part of shaping that sound,” said Justin Norvell, Chief Product Officer, Fender Guitars.
“We’re always looking for artists who redefine what a signature instrument can be, and Sleep Token does exactly that.”
The Monarkh is available for $2,199, while the Bass V is up for $1,599.
