Jackson has reprised a cult electric guitar associated with Jeff Beck for a super-limited Custom Shop run

Retailer Music Zoo has teamed-up with the Jackson Custom Shop on a limited edition model dubbed the SL Soloist 3S-V.

The most noticeable feature of the electric guitar’s spec is the distinctive scratchplate and Strat-like triple single-coil routing, which take their cues from Jackson’s early ’80s builds – the so-called ‘San Dimas era’ Soloists. 

Those instruments – in particular, a pink Soloist named ‘Tina’ and an orange model with a white scratchplate – found favor with Jeff Beck in the same period. More recently, that association was celebrated in a pink 2016 NAMM-exclusive Custom Shop model from Jackson, dubbed the Soloist 3S and the later SL4X builds. 

The other side of the mix is a previous Music Zoo-exclusive build, the SL2H-V, which was developed with Jackson’s legendary luthier Mike Shannon back in 2012.

That instrument essentially put a vintage spin on the HH configuration. It moved the two-knob control setup closer to the bridge end to create a more open picking space and added a Rhoads Concorde style headstock, alongside a non-recessed Floyd Rose vibrato. 

The resulting Soloist 3S-V is a complex brew, then. Taking the control layout, vibrato and Rhoads headstock of the SL2H-V and pairing it with what appears to be a triple single coil configuration. 

However, look a little more closely and you’ll spot an intriguing combination of Seymour Duncan pickups: namely a ST59-1b at the bridge, SSL-1 RW/RP in the middle position and SHR-1n in the neck. 

This means the neck and bridge units are actually humbucker designs, albeit in single coil formats, making for an H-S-H setup in disguise.

Tonewoods include an alder body and quartersawn maple neck with an ebony fingerboard, all coated in a variety of nitro finishes

Elsewhere, you’ll find a five-way pickup selector, EVH low-friction pots and brass control knobs. It’s a highly unusual, yet highly desirable combination and Music Zoo appears to be making good on its promise that they won’t hang around long. 

The only Soloist 3S-V left unsold at the time of writing is in Daphne Blue – that’s yours for $5,499. 

For more information, head to Music Zoo.