The Weigh-Up: Jackson American Series Soloist SL2 DX (Gear Review)

Like the ever-changing seasons, the new year brings us a fresh batch of guitars to keep the six (and more) stringers salivating and bank accounts empty. Heading up the new line of models for the legendary Jackson Guitars in 2025 is the American Series Soloist SL2 DX. Crafted in the good ol’ USA - Corona, California to be exact - these new guitars are the continuation of the recent line of Jackson’s high-end American Series. WoS was lucky enough to cover its cousin - the American Series Virtuoso - last year, so we dove at the opportunity to put this new model through it’s paces.

Right from the box and out of the padded gig case, the Jackson Soloist is ready to play - despite being an extra humid day here in Brisbane, the tuning and action were spot-on; literally nothing needed to be tweaked before we got riffing. A big chunk of that is thanks to the premium quality control coming out of the USA Jackson branch, while the other side is due to the rock-solid foundation of the Floyd Rose 1500 Series bridge and the Gotoh locking tuners. The 1500 Series double-locking tremolo bridge system features upgraded stainless steel screws and a highly responsive bar, and combined with the aforementioned tuners, this guitar would need to go through whammy-bar hell before it even thinks about going out of tune. Now’s a good time to mention that the new Soloist SL2 DX comes in two iterations; the DX and the DX HT; those familiar with guitar model names probably have guessed now that the DX HT is the hardtail brethren of the Floyd Rose model, with a top-quality Hipshot bridge instead of the locking tremolo.

Ripping across this beast is extra-easy thanks to the ebony fretboard and compound radius, and while the glossy neck - which was a touch beefier than expected - may not be to everyone’s preference, the playability is otherworldly. Seriously, this reviewer was firing off licks and runs faster than ever before on the Soloist SL2 DX. The true neck-through-body - as opposed to the more standard ‘bolt-on’ guitars - is a Jackson hallmark, adding sustain and an all-around warmer tone in conjunction with the alder body. The weight and playability of the guitar is just right; it’s well-balanced both standing and seated, whilst graphite-reinforced neck means this baby can travel the world and hold up with ease. Plus it’s impossible to not love the classic inverted Mother of Pearl shark fin inlays - another classic feature of Jackson guitars.

In the pickup department, the Seymour Duncan ‘59 in the neck position sounds beefy and great for cleans and chords, yet with enough harmonic richness for soaring lead runs to stand out and scream, while the classic JB in the bridge can take all the chunky riffage and saturated distortion you can throw at it. The 2nd and 4th pickup position brings additional tonal character; rolling both the volume and tone down a touch easily gets you into Mark Knopfler/Dire Straits territory. Maybe a coil-tap/split option may have been the absolute cherry on top - but we're being greedy here. With five different models of the Jackson Soloist SL2 DX coming out, the brand’s art department gets to play around with some fun designs; the two hardtail instruments receive satin finishes in the form of black and Porsche grey, while the Floyd Rose fiends get the bolder Lemon Ice and ultra-clean Snow White - the model WoS got their mitts on - as well as a matching satin black guitar.

On lesser guitars, the five-way pickup selector has the feeling of being a little ‘cheap’ and breakable - but on the Soloist it feels ultra-solid, and along with the smooth single tone and volume knobs - that’s all you need! - there’s no chance of accidentally messing up your sound mid-gig or session. The Soloist’s truss-rod adjustment near the neck pickup is a sign that this feature is becoming the industry standard - its only (extremely minor) downside is the slightly odd space where a truss-rod cover would usually sit on the headstock. Rounding off this instrument is a selection of nice extras within the plush case; two different straps for the locking strap set, as well as extra springs and parts for the Floyd Rose.

While it’s becoming commonplace to see the Soloist on stage with hardcore, crossover, and thrash metal acts, the Jackson American Series Soloist SL2 DX is more than capable of handling virtually any style thanks both to the diverse sonic quality and classic aesthetic. With the RRP sitting at a notch over $4k, this is an instrument is clearly aimed at the advanced and experienced player - but know this; the Jackson Soloist SL2 DX is the kind of instrument that you’ll pass down the generations. Beyond a rock-solid investment, the Soloist SL2 DX is a true 2025 flagship model from Jackson Guitars.

Learn more about the Jackson American Series Soloist SL2 DX here

Specs:

• Alder body
• Through-body three-piece maple neck with graphite reinforcement
• 12"-16" compound radius rolled ebony fingerboard with 24 jumbo frets and inverse mother of pearl sharkfin inlays
• Seymour Duncan® JB/59 pickups
• Five-way blade pickup switch, single volume control and single tone control
• Floyd Rose® 1500 Series double-locking tremolo bridge system
• Luminlay® side dots
• Heel-mount truss rod adjustment wheel
• Dunlop® dual-locking strap buttons
• Gotoh® MG-T locking tuners
• Jackson Foam-Core case included