page_title: Jackson Soloist
section_title: Ontario era (late 1980s)
hierarchical_section_title: Jackson Soloist / History / Ontario era (late 1980s)
caption_attribution_description: English: Soloist Archtop 1987
context_page_description: The Jackson Soloist is an electric guitar model by Jackson Guitars officially produced since 1984. Overall design started as a superstrat with differences from the Stratocaster such as a neck-thru design and often a Floyd Rose double-locking tremolo bridge and premium woods.
  As the 1980s brought up a shredding guitarist phenomenon, the Soloist was acclaimed in rock and metal music, especially by lead guitarists.
context_section_description: 1986 was the year the company moved from Glendora aka San Dimas and over to Ontario. 1987 they began using a Floyd Rose-styled tremolo made in Asia with their name on the top plate. It was still possible to purchase a Floyd Rose or Kahler tremolo bridge, but the JT-6 Jackson unit was the default. A quick way to differentiate the different bridges was to look at the nut at the furthest end of the fretboard. If the nut was the primary nut with screws that go through the neck to the back, it was a Floyd Rose tremolo equipped from the factory. If the clamp was behind the nut and mounted to the surface, it was equipped with a JT6.
  Also, the archtop Soloists were introduced. The initial runs were made with Brazilian rosewood fretboards, flamed maple tops and mahogany necks and backs.
  Graphic finishes were very popular in this era. The list of common styles is long and unique styles even longer. In-house manufactured pickups became standard in the beginning of 1985, and mid-boost controls were introduced in many guitars.
  Pickups were handwound by ex-Fender employee Abigail Ybarra, as discovered by Fender Custom Shop founder John Page who visited Jackson in the early 1990s to purchase their then-unused pickup winding machines and found her working there. She was hired by Jackson in 1985 when the Fender factory closed down and when Fender was sold by CBS to FMIC. The expensive Masterwound pickups were wound by her and possibly the same machine since the mid-late 1980s.
  Up to this point these guitars were each made to order and each was given a serial number that matched a detailed work order.
caption: This is a 1987 Soloist archtop. This was made with Brazilian rosewood fretboard, mahogany body and a flamed maple top. It was finished with nitrocellulose lacquer.
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