- 6 weeks ago
Misha Mansoor's ecosystem of Jackson signature guitars expanded this year with a few new Juggernauts, so we caught up with the Periphery pioneer himself at Guitar Summit 2025 to take a closer look at the fresh models...
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00:00I genuinely love these guitars.
00:02And these are the ones you play.
00:03Yeah.
00:05I have absolutely played these.
00:07Yeah.
00:07Like the ones I get are the ones that you guys get.
00:10I don't get special ones.
00:11Like these are designed to be.
00:13And that was part of what took so long to design them.
00:16I was like, these have to be road ready.
00:18Okay.
00:18They have to be like, if I were to grab one, I could play a show with them.
00:22Okay.
00:22And I absolutely have.
00:23Yeah.
00:24Hi guys, Matthew Bisawod here.
00:25We are at Guitar Summit 2025 with Mushi Mansour at the Jackson booth.
00:29Misha, great to see you.
00:31We've got some cool new juggernauts to talk about here.
00:33Yes, we do.
00:34These are all new.
00:35Can you kind of tell us about kind of what you had in mind for these ones?
00:38Yeah.
00:38I mean, like, you know, I always do like sixes and sevens.
00:41This is the new, this is the sort of third iteration.
00:44So we are back to ebony boards on this.
00:47We're still doing the rose of maple necks on these.
00:51These now have stainless steel frets, which is a big deal.
00:5520 inch radius as always.
00:57Lumen lace side dots.
00:58We have the truss rod adjustment there.
00:59So we haven't changed the things that make the guitars good.
01:02We still have the locking tuners and all that.
01:04They haven't lost anything.
01:05It's just we're always sort of iterating to try to improve them.
01:09And we've got new colors.
01:10This is one of my favorite blues.
01:12We have the Evertune on this.
01:13I love having an option.
01:14I love having both.
01:15There's certain songs that, especially live, we need the Evertune to pull off.
01:20Just because this low string is so low, it just gives us the tuning stability that we need.
01:26This is a color I'm really happy that we were able to bring back, Silververse Sparkle.
01:29My original USA, in the first generation of the USA model, had this color.
01:35And we had to stop because they asked me.
01:37They were like, hey, the flake is actually like contaminating some of the next guitars that you shoot.
01:41It's kind of a common problem with this.
01:43And then I was like, well, maybe we could get the Pro Series or Pro Plus Series to do that.
01:48Nice.
01:48And for the longest time, they couldn't do Sparkle, but now they can.
01:51They've finally gotten to the point where they're doing a really good job with it.
01:54Yeah.
01:54So we actually have two Sparkle finishes.
01:56There's a six string Sparkle, which isn't on this stand right now, but that's also gorgeous.
02:01But I'm really, really happy with how this came out.
02:04And then we've got this beautiful trans blue green finish on like a poplar top here.
02:09Because you always got to get the classy finish.
02:11Of course.
02:12And then this is a Porsche Signal Yellow, which looks kind of orange, which is, it's actually
02:17very true to the color.
02:19It's cool.
02:19You've got a blend of like quite poppy colors.
02:21Yeah.
02:21As in like, we have some stuff that's like more crowd pleasers and stuff that like, I like.
02:26That's really cool.
02:26A little bit of everything.
02:28So this is the third iteration of the Juggernaut.
02:30Is that what you're doing?
02:30This is the third iteration of the sort of Pro Series, the import series.
02:36The USA is on its second iteration.
02:38So do you find you're constantly coming out of new ways to kind of tweak the spec sheet?
02:44Or are you trying to like sort of elevate it?
02:46Or have you kind of got to a point where you're going to do it?
02:47We've got so much time on the initial design that if it ain't broke, don't fix it.
02:51Right?
02:51So there's nothing really massive happening.
02:55I'd say the main differences are like just the quality that's coming out of the factory.
02:59Like Jackson does work very heavily with the factory.
03:02So they're always going back.
03:04Like, for example, the colors, being able to get certain colors, being able to refine the process, get just better quality, more consistently, get the fret work.
03:11Like this is some of the best fret work that I've ever seen come out of that factory.
03:13The fact that we could get stainless steel frets finally, which I would have loved to get, but just they couldn't do or they couldn't do at the level that we wanted.
03:21You know, it's like all this stuff's improving with time.
03:23Um, there's never been, and there's probably never going to be anything that's like really changing because I'm very happy with the design, but it is an opportunity to use different woods, like going back to Ebony boards, doing different colors and just little tweaks, you know?
03:37And if we do, if we do another, I'm sure we'll do another iteration some point again, it will just be a little tweaks on the model.
03:43It's not going to be a fundamentally different thing because I love, I genuinely love these guitars.
03:48Are these the ones you play?
03:49Yeah.
03:50I have absolutely played these straight out.
03:54Like the ones I get are the ones that you guys get.
03:56I don't get special ones.
03:57Like these are, these are.
03:58So if you needed to pop to guitar sets or a gig, you could just go in, grab.
04:02Yeah.
04:02I mean, and like, like genuinely, genuinely so, because these are designed to be, and that was part of what took so long to design them is like, I was like, these have to be road ready.
04:12Okay.
04:13They have to be like, like if I were to grab one, I could play a show with them.
04:16Okay.
04:16And I absolutely have.
04:17Yeah.
04:17So in terms of some of your like non-negotiables, when it comes to like designing a guitar that you want and want to play, kind of what are you looking for?
04:25What does a guitar need to have?
04:26Well, you know, non-negotiable is interesting because we're in a world of wants, right?
04:30Yeah, yeah, yeah.
04:31But I love having a very flat fretboard.
04:33So 20 inch radius, which is pretty unique to my model.
04:35But like, that's something that like, I've become very accustomed to.
04:38I just love the feel of that.
04:39Sure.
04:40I think for more modern playing styles, it's actually very conducive.
04:44Okay.
04:45Just having a generally flatter fretboard.
04:47Uh, I love stainless steel frets because they're very smooth and they never wear down.
04:52Um, so that's, that's something I love.
04:54I love having the truss rod adjustment right there.
04:56I think every guitar should have that.
04:59Um, I pretty much cannot live without a lumen lace side dots because, you know, our light show is, is really just trying to make us look cool.
05:08It's not necessarily trying to provide me with light to see anything.
05:12So I think the glow in the dark dots really, really does help on stage.
05:16Locking tuners are an absolute must.
05:18Um, I'm a massive fan of roasted maple necks.
05:21Yeah, it's true.
05:21Because I love maple necks.
05:22They're very smooth to touch, right?
05:24Yeah, yeah.
05:24But there's an added bonus when, when you roast it, you're actually getting rid of moisture.
05:29So they're even more stable.
05:30Maple necks are already very, very stable.
05:33And you'll see, we've foregone.
05:34And even on the USA, like, there's no, like, complicated, like, crazy neck pad or anything like that.
05:40It's, it's just a basic, like, sort of quarter sawn piece of maple because it's so stable.
05:45Yeah.
05:45And when we're traveling from, like, let's say the US to Australia to Japan, you want stability over everything.
05:53Yeah.
05:53So this is just a very stable setup.
05:55I want a deep cutaway.
05:57You'll see, like, the one that I wanted was, I wanted the traditional sort of super strat shape, right?
06:03A little point here.
06:03But I wanted to have access.
06:05So we actually just did the back carve.
06:07The back is what's carved out to make, but it doesn't compromise the design on the front there.
06:11Yeah, it's from the front.
06:12And then, you know, another thing that's, that's big for me, this is just because of the band, like, with periphery, we use all the tones, right?
06:22So everything from extremely heavy to extremely clean and in between.
06:25So for the clean settings, or even sometimes for rhythm settings, I love the second position, split inner coils.
06:32Nice.
06:33And then position for split outer coils.
06:35And that gives you those sort of, like, spanky, straty tones.
06:38Yeah.
06:38So you have all that on the guitars.
06:40And you also have the traditional humbucking tones and the middle position, which I never use.
06:45Nice.
06:45But, like, you know, it's, these are things that, like, are pretty important.
06:50Also, people get this one wrong a lot because we have a lift off thing here.
06:54Now, people think it's a coil tap.
06:56It is not a coil tap.
06:57I don't really need a coil tap because I have all the positions I like.
07:00So this is actually activating the tone knob because I used to never have tone knobs.
07:04Interesting.
07:05And if you don't have a tone knob, you get a slightly brighter signal because it's not going, even at full openness, it's imparting a little bit of an effect.
07:14So this is it all the way up, but this is out of the circuit.
07:18It's just volume.
07:19And it's because most of the time I don't need.
07:21And then you can't, like, accidentally roll the tone knob off or whatever.
07:24It just does nothing.
07:25Yeah.
07:26Until you pull it.
07:28So, yeah, I've not seen that one before.
07:30Was that your idea or was that, like, a...
07:31Yeah, that was my idea.
07:32Because I didn't really want a tone.
07:34I wasn't using a tone, but I was like, well, it probably has utility.
07:37And it's something that, funny enough, after I introduced, I started to use a bit for certain sections.
07:42I'm glad I have it.
07:43But, like, it was sort of my way of having it, but also having the sound.
07:46I had so many guitars that didn't have a tone knob.
07:48I didn't want to lose that brightness.
07:50Yeah.
07:50And then I've got these dual-design strap locks, which are great.
07:56Okay.
07:56Because we are sort of moving around, thrashing about on stage.
07:59So, strap locks are essential.
08:00But what's great is if, let's say, I have a normal strap, you can just put a normal strap on these
08:07because they have a regular sort of pin.
08:10So, hence dual design.
08:11So, it's just a lot of, like, very sort of small ingredients kind of coming together.
08:17Yeah, just to make the perfect guitar, you know.
08:19And, like, a lot of stuff with just a placement of this stuff being out of the way, but close, you know.
08:25The upper car being very accessible.
08:27I love the bolt-on.
08:29Like, I mean, bolt-ons always sound correct.
08:31They always have the attack.
08:32But, obviously, with an X3, you always get the upper fret access.
08:36But this is completely unhindered, you know.
08:38A good way of getting around.
08:38So, yeah, you know, that's a sort of basic overview of the guitar and what makes it special.
08:45So, this isn't the only kind of guitar you're playing with.
08:48You've also got your offset, which a lot of people are talking about.
08:50Yeah, the baritone.
08:51The baritone offsets.
08:52What's the kind of latest with that?
08:54Because you've been using those for a few years now.
08:56You've just got a new...
08:56No, well, I mean, it's not like we use them live.
09:00We haven't written anything with it.
09:01But it's fun.
09:03It's just, you know, when I have access to the FMIC Custom Shop...
09:08You're going to make that.
09:08And I can be like, hey, make me something crazy.
09:10I've been playing around with, like, a base 6.
09:13Oh, cool.
09:13And I was like, well, what would a base 6 look like if I made it?
09:18Yeah.
09:18You know, I'd have dual humbuckers.
09:19It's kind of like my take on a base 6.
09:22So, it is a 30-inch scale.
09:23I'm tuning it to something absolutely unreasonable.
09:26It's, like, way too low.
09:28You know, because the base 6 already starts low.
09:31But this is just beyond.
09:34But just having fun with it.
09:35Just seeing, like, what I could come up with.
09:37It's fun to have a different instrument.
09:39Because it will spark very different ideas.
09:41Different tunings and all that.
09:42Yeah, I was going to say.
09:43Do you find that your approach to playing changes to depend on what you're playing?
09:47If you're an offset or something?
09:47I mean, that thing is barely a guitar.
09:50But it's a 30-inch scale, right?
09:52So, it's got its own sound.
09:53Its own character.
09:54Its own quirks.
09:56And, yeah, absolutely.
09:57It brings out a completely different...
10:00You know, and, like, the other guys play in the band.
10:02And it brings out a different side of their playing.
10:04So, we've been having a lot of fun with that, you know?
10:07In terms of playing and techniques, then.
10:09Are there any, like, new techniques you're working on?
10:11Everything.
10:12I suck in guitar and I hate it.
10:14So, I'm working on everything.
10:15I'm going to be taking guitar lessons.
10:17Okay, cool.
10:18I'm not saying.
10:18Yeah, yeah, yeah.
10:19Like, I'm frustrated with everything about my career.
10:23Yeah.
10:23I'll win.
10:24Yeah.
10:25It's always a dozen characters, isn't it?
10:26It's always a dozen.
10:28In terms of, kind of, whether we'll be able to see that baritone as a signature guitar in the future.
10:33I'd love to.
10:34If people ignore or annoy them, if you guys annoy them, you know?
10:39Just got to get enough people knocking on that door.
10:41Well, I'm sure there will be enough people.
10:43And if not, I get to have these very, very unique instruments to myself, you know?
10:46Yeah, yeah.
10:47So, in terms of new music, is there anything you're working on that you can talk about?
10:51Is it kind of...
10:52No, right now we're just kind of focusing on wrapping up the current album cycle and then we'll see what's what.
10:59But it's kind of nice to enjoy some downtime, you know?
11:03And in terms of, if you could work, like, in terms of new music, if you could collaborate with anyone you've not had the chance to work with before
11:11in, like, a kind of solo capacity, who would you want to work with?
11:15Oh, that's a good question.
11:16I don't know.
11:17Okay.
11:18Why don't you tell me?
11:18Who should I work with?
11:20Oh, I don't know.
11:21So many.
11:21How long have you got?
11:23Start.
11:24Just give me one.
11:25Give me one.
11:26I'd love to see you work with Maseo Mancuso.
11:28I feel like that's such a cool...
11:29Oh, that's a great shout.
11:31That's a great...
11:32Honestly, we wouldn't get work done.
11:34It would just be guitar lessons.
11:36It'd be like, teach me...
11:37In the room.
11:38Like, teach me how to...
11:39It's crazy.
11:39That guy is nuts, man.
11:41Yeah, he's crazy.
11:42I spoke to him earlier this year, and his approach to technique is just...
11:45Yeah, it's insane.
11:45Like, he makes it look so easy.
11:47I'm like, maybe I should have switched to playing, like...
11:49I'm going to try and do it for five minutes.
11:50No, I can't.
11:51I literally cannot do it.
11:53I think he's the only person who probably can do it.
11:55Like, how he does it.
11:56He's got it.
11:57And there's some of these licks that come very naturally that sound so alien because he's playing like that.
12:02Yeah, that's great.
12:02I would love to collaborate with it.
12:04So what about in terms of new players who are coming through?
12:06Is there any, like, emerging guitar players who kind of caught your eye?
12:09Oh, you know who Spiridusius is?
12:11Oh, yeah.
12:12Yeah, like, he's doing some alien stuff, man.
12:16Like, it's very rare to, like, see a guitarist who's like...
12:20I'm just like, how are you doing what you're doing, you know?
12:23Yeah.
12:23But, like, he's definitely up there.
12:24He's doing some pretty creative...
12:26I feel like he's definitely trying to push what a guitar could be.
12:30Yeah, sure.
12:31And I'm sort of interested to see where that goes, you know?
12:34It would be cool to see you two working together, doing, like, a bit of a...
12:36Yeah, yeah, absolutely.
12:37Absolutely.
12:38If I could keep up.
12:39I don't think I could keep up with him.
12:40Yeah.
12:41I think many people would be there.
12:42People have been that.
12:43Anyway, congratulations on the guitar, man.
12:45It's really cool.
12:45Yeah, man.
12:45And, yeah, thanks for your time.
12:47Enjoy the rest of your week.
12:48Yeah, thanks for having me, guys.
12:49Thanks, man.
12:49Bye.
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