Gear

The Weigh-Up: Jackson Pro Plus XT Soloist SLAT HT6 Baritone (Gear Review)

Andrew Kapper

Aug 30, 2024

7 min read

The baritone guitar has never been more in vogue, and with down tuning becoming more or less the norm in the modern heavy music scene, it should be no surprise that the demand for these instruments has exploded in the last few years.

While your seven (and more) string varieties generally come in the longer scale length, Jackson seems hellbent lately on rectifying the relatively underappreciated six-string variety of 27” scale guitars. Joining the recently released Jackson Pro Series Signature Roman Ibramkhalilov MDK HT6 Baritone, the Soloist SLAT HT6 is one of the FOUR new models in the brand new baritone Jackson Pro Plus XT series that begs to be down-tuned.

WoS was lucky enough to get our mitts on this baritone beast, and though the Soloist SLAT HT6 may be the most traditional Jackson shape in the fresh batch of guitars, the blacked-out finish and matching hardware, and metal-AF reverse headstock screams extreme and aggressive metal. The sleek matt black finish looks fantastic - though can lead to smudges if you’re more heavy-handed - while black shark fin inlays are a classic Jackson idea modernised; as is the greyed-out logo on the aforementioned pointy headstock.

Packing a beefier neck than the more shred-inclined axes, the Made In Indonesia machine may lean towards the rhythm/riff playing end of guitar work; but feels very comfortable in hand and lead playing is still a breeze thanks to deep cutaways. The ebony fretboard is, as always, amazing and elegant - and aesthetically fits perfectly - whilst the stainless steel frets are simply a must-have on any higher-end guitar.

Though WoS only stuck to B standard/Drop A tuning for our audio examples, the Soloist SLAT HT6 - like all of its brethren in the Pro Plus XT line - can handle much lower tunings, with the graphite-reinforced neck means that you can put this thing into Drop G and/or F without any issues. For less experienced players, it shouldn’t take to adjust to the longer neck length if you’re used to the more ‘traditional’ 25.5” or 24.75” scale six-strings - however, those with particularly small hands may want to consider checking out Jackson’s line of multi-scale instruments.

Armed with the Seymour Duncan Sentient and Nazgûl pickups, the passive pair can cover a large sonic area. The Nazgûl has plenty of bite for chugs and riffage - essential for cutting through the mix with a low-tuned instrument - while the Sentient in the neck cleans up wonderfully, and is fantastic for emotive lead playing. Plus, the additional clarity that a baritone scale guitar brings to the distortion side of playing also carries over to clean tones; even acoustically there’s a rich, clear sound to the Soloist.

Also worth noting is the nyatoh body, which on top of featuring a comfortable arched top, boasts plenty of sustain for a relatively thin, lightweight instrument.

The in-house Jackson branded bridge and locking tuners are solid, and both keep the price point down and are not something the average player would feel compelled to replace/upgrade. The recessed controls are a nice touch - especially the single volume knob as it is in the line of fire of the picking hand - but for this reviewer, the killswitch knob is a bit of a gimmick that had little use. One newer element on the Soloist SLAT HT6 that is a winner is the easy truss rod access; conveniently located at the body end of the neck, on-the-go adjustments to string height and the neck angle take seconds.

Modern guitars designed for the modern player, the new Jackson Pro Plus XT series will tick many boxes for anyone looking for a new axe that can get low and brutal. The Soloist SLAT HT6 may look like the veteran of the new baritone brigade, but make no bones about it; this instrument is built to crush and conquer all.

Reviewed by Andrew Kapper