The neck-thru design of the Soloist is a potent pairing; combining hefty tones and precise articulation into one perfectly balanced guitar.
Pest Control are making a name for themselves, their pointy, aggressive style of crossover thrash being as pointy as the Jackson guitars they’re now sporting on stage. Partnering with Fender and Jackson to help launch the new Series Soloist SL2 DX, we caught up with the band about their passion for Jackson.
What makes the Jackson American Series and SL2 specifically a great pairing for Pest Control?
We play hard and fast, so having a guitar that feels like it can take that is important. The stainless steel frets on the SL2 DX are super smooth and feel like they’ll withstand years and years of play. I spend a lot of time higher up the fretboard so the 12-16” compound radius is ideal for me. The 1500 Floyd Rose is a big part of it too I think: between us, Joe (Williams, other guitarist) and I do plenty of divebombs and silly noises, so having a high-quality, well set-up bridge system we can put through its paces is really important. We tour a lot so having a premium quality guitar that feels solid and reliable helps us feel like we can step onto a stage and play with confidence. The SL2 DX feels like a pretty appropriate pairing for what we’re trying to do musically too: respect for the past but forging ahead with something new!
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Favourite Jackson body shape of all time?
I know I can’t say “anything with that iconic headstock” as that doesn’t really narrow it down. Don’t make me choose! You can’t argue with the no-frills, built-for-speed look of the Dinky but I really love classics like the King V and all the spiky outlandish shapes like the Kelly. But really for me it would have to come down to either the Warrior or the Rhoads. Or maybe the Kelly Star. Or the Fury. Okay, next question!
How do you find the JB + ’59 pickups respond to your high gain and precise playing?
They’re fantastic. The JB is super responsive and punchy and has plenty of output, it’s probably my favourite passive pickup for metal. I love how the ‘59 can cut through and still be fat and warm sounding as well. I’ve been stepping out more into the coil split sounds that the SL2 DX offers too, and it’s great to have the option of single coil sounds when I’m shredding too. I will say that I’m agnostic when it comes to the active versus passive “debate” – they’re both awesome, and neither are as important as the player.
Can you recall the first time you saw something playing a Jackson? Tell us about it!
The first time I saw someone playing Jackson guitars, it was a triple whammy. I was up late as a teenager watching Kerrang or similar and they played the music video for Megadeth’s ‘Holy Wars… the Punishment Due’. Dave Mustaine with his King V, Dave Ellefson with his Concert Bass, Marty Friedman with his Kelly. The coolest thing I’d ever seen. I then went on to see Trivium a bunch of times and Corey Beaulieu always had a King V, and the same with Phil Demmell whenever I saw Machine Head. Clearly had a big impact on me because I bought my first Jackson (a PS4 Performer) on eBay during lockdown, now here I am!
Pest Control have been touring pretty extensively, how have your Jacksons fared on the road?
They’ve been great! My favourite features when it comes to touring are the glow-in-the-dark Luminlay® side dots (great for dark stages!) and the Gotoh® MG-T locking tuners, which are perfect for quicker string changes between soundcheck and show time. I’m our guitar tech, so I take good care of our Jacksons on the road and ensure they’re in good condition. Once the setup is dialed in before a tour, every 3 shows I just clean, restring, stretch out, retune, lock them down and they’re good to go.
