"Yes, the price is more reflective of the fact this is a signature model with the added 'celebrity tax', but it delivers on all fronts.": Jackson Pro Series Signature Diamond Rowe Monarkh DR12MG review

What is it?

The latest signature model to come from Jackson honours the lead guitarist and co-founder of progressive metalcore/nu-metallers Tetrarch, Diamond Rowe. A band that, despite only having released two studio albums so far, formed in Atlanta, Georgia back in 2007.

Fast forward to 2024 and to the release of very her own signature Pro Series Monarkh, which has not only made Diamond the first female guitarist but also the first female African American guitarist at Jackson with a signature model and only the second ever in the history of guitar-making. To top all that, this is not just any old Monarkh but a brand new body and headstock design for the company’s singlecut silhouette.

This string of firsts culminates in one stunning-looking guitar from the outset. The Diamond Rowe Monarkh is made from nyatoh with a maple cap, poplar burl veneer and Ebony fingerboard, thinly bound with a white-black-white binding, that, let’s be honest, disappears when your eye trains on that Dark Rose colour.

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Specs

Launch price: $1,699/£1,499/€1,749
Made: Korea
Type: Six-string electric guitar
Body: Arched-top Nyatoh body, maple cap and poplar burl veneer
Neck: 3-piece Nyatoh neck with graphite reinforcement
Fingerboard: 12" radius Ebony fingerboard with 24 jumbo frets
Scale length: 25.5"/648mm scale length
Nut/width: Black plastic/42 mm
Frets: 24, jumbo
Hardware: Evertune bridge, Jackson branded locking tuners
String spacing at bridge: 52mm
Electrics: EMG 81 (bridge) & EMG 85 (neck), 2x volume controls, three-way toggle
Weight: 8.6lb/3.9kg
Options: N/A
Left-handed options: No
Finishes: Dark Rose
Cases: Gig bag included
Contact: Jackson

Build quality

Build quality rating: ★★★★½

This is the second burl-faced Jackson Monarkh that I have had the pleasure of reviewing, the previous model being the Pro Series SCP Monarkh in a satin Transparent Purple Burst finish. To say it was gorgeous was an understatement.

In fact, Jackson has form in the burl-topped department and the Diamond Rowe signature model might just be the best one yet. Not as obviously showy as other models, this burl is in a deep red that really draws the eye. You can’t help but get lost in the depth of the finish. In certain lighting conditions, it almost has a purple tinge to it - ace!

As with every other Pro Series Jackson we’ve ever met, the build quality is up there with the best. No imperfections, no misaligned paintwork or hardware and the set-up is bang on.

You’d think this sort of finery (especially at this price) should be well-packaged and protected and this model does come with a gig bag but it’s 100% not gig-able, which is a huge shame as everything else about this guitar hits the mark.

This oversized and ill-fitting sack of a gig bag is a bit of letdown for such a fine instrument and you’ll want to save the extra pennies for a proper hard case, which Jackson will sell you for a cool $229/£369, or check out some of our favourite guitar cases here.

Playability

Playability rating: ★★★★½

Call me spoilt, but the number of oiled and satin-finished necks I’ve had the good fortune to test lately has left me thinking that nothing else will do. This signature Monarkh reminds me that all that is fast isn’t necessarily finished in nearly-naked wood.

The profile is LP SlimTaper-like, flat and super comfortable. Our only misgiving is that we were testing this guitar back to back with the Strandberg Boden Essential and its EndurNeck profile, which meant it took a little while to get used to a standard neck profile, but not the other way around, interestingly.

It gets pretty chunky around the 17th fret, but the generous lower cutaway and contoured neck joint allow for soloing and other such upper-fretted antics. Plenty of room to flex those fingers. I for one, am more comfortable at the other end where all the chugging happens and for my money is where this particular Monarkh is in its element.

This thing is heavy, not just in tone, but the weight isn’t kind to anyone with years of back strain shunting oversized backline around (me). One saving grace is that it’s very well-balanced, both on the knee and with a strap.

You’re also gifted some Jackson strap locks for peace of mind. This is handy because it does make me want to stomp around the place in a semi-Scott Ian fashion, chugging out big riff after big riff (ageing lower-back willing).

Much of the weight is in that EverTune system, which, I must admit, is my first proper foray into the dark art of mechanical tuning stability. A brief brush with some robotic tuners a few years back had put me off the idea for a while. I needn’t have worried though as this Evertune F6 bridge, as mystical and magical as it seems, does the job with minimal fuss.

The only real issue is setting up strings for bending purposes, with the upshot being that you can do so individually. A few turns of the machine head and you’re away. Ok, so it’s a bit more involved than that, but you get the gist.

Sounds

Sounds rating: ★★★★★

My current favourite amp and axe pairing is this guitar through the UAFX Anti ’92. The little red 5150 emulation delivers amazing clarity and caters for all gainly needs, but it’s nothing without some serious poke being fed into it. The Diamond Rowe signature Monarkh has that in spades.

The electronics are a classic metal pickup pairing of the EMG 81 in the neck and EMG 85 in the bridge delivering the familiar bridge bite and neck roundness that we’ve come to expect from these two and kudos has to go for hiding them behind some black chrome covers, similar to that found on the JH “Het” set.

The EMGs always deliver precision that cuts through no matter how much gain you’re feeding them into. Paired with a tonally resonant body at the lower end of the spectrum and you have the tools for a full-on guttural rock/metal assault. Also helped by the .10-.54 string gauge choice which made dropping the tuning down a few steps very easy.

The electrics are simple, just the way I like them. A three-way toggle switch chops between bridge, bridge/neck combined and neck positions, with knobs offering volume for each pickup. That's it, no tone, no coil-splitting, or alternate wiring options, just turn it on, turn it up and rock out.

Verdict

It’s heavy, but perhaps my fragile old body creaking and moaning at every opportunity is more the issue here. Maybe this guitar is telling me to get to the gym?

One area that doesn’t require an extensive workout, however, is in the playing and tonal departments. A fair few hours were spent testing this model and the amount of fatigue was low. This guitar comes finely set up with the Evertune’s set-and-forget stability and paired with EMG’s active pickups delivers a beast of a guitar.

Yes, the price is more reflective of the fact this is a signature model with the added 'celebrity tax', but it delivers on all fronts. A signature model’s job is to imbue some of the character of the name attached to it. Now, I’ve not had the pleasure of meeting Diamond, but if we let her music do the talking, then this particular Monarkh has the jewels to hit hard and hit heavy.

The only real issue here is the gig bag. It's a rare miss for Jackson, and given that we're seeing import guitars at a similar or lower price than this come with decent transportation, we can't let it go. It's a very fine guitar, you’ll want to shell out a bit more on a proper case.

Also try

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Jackson - Diamond Rowe Tetrarch Live Not Fantasize playthrough

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