The one that got away – Oh Jackson Archtop Soloist, where are you now?
When I was a kid there was a music store in my town called Don Jefferson’s Music – don’t look for it, it ain’t there no more – and a couple of times a year I was lucky enough to get to go to “Jeffo’s” to pick out a birthday present (usually a pedal) or to buy some new strings. They seemed to have an awful lot of (or a lot of awful) Strat and Les Paul copies, but every once in a while, something cool would come in. A green Fender Eric Clapton Stratocaster. A snakeskin BC Rich Gunslinger. They’d never let me play ‘em, but I sure used to like looking.
And then, I saw it.
A purple Jackson Archtop Soloist, with two humbuckers and a tigerstripe maple top. That pic up there? That’s not exactly the right model and it’s obviously not the right colour, but you get the idea.
I thought this was the sexiest guitar in the world. Any time I went past the shop, I would just stare and stare through the window at it. If I held my breath on a still day I could swear I could hear it gently calling my name. Its legend spread, and other guitar-playing kids at school became aware of it too. It was my “if I ever get a million dollars, I’m going to buy that” guitar.
Then one day, someone told me they were in Jeffo’s when some snotty kid came in with their dad, all sulky and teenage, and were told to pick out a guitar to start lessons on. The story goes that the kid grunted and pointed at my beloved purple archtop Jackson Soloist, and that was the end of that. I’d like to think that the story was bullshit – that the guitar went to a loving home, and that maybe bitterness and jealousy had tainted the story before it made it to my ears. At the very least, I hope the kid looked after the guitar and appreciated it. To this day I’ve never owned a Jackson, and that burns me up inside! I was this close to buying a Rhoads once but it wasn’t to be. Maybe some day I’ll get that soloist. And that RR. And that King V. Some day.
Now, that was my first ‘The one that got away’ story. Some day, let me tell you about the Ibanez Jem7PBK I missed out on by a couple of bucks. Or the 80s Schecter Pete Townsend tele that some asshole was in the process of walking out with right when I’d walked into the store with a fistfull of bucks to purchase it myself.
What was your one that got away?
6 Responses to The one that got away – Oh Jackson Archtop Soloist, where are you now?
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Hi! I'm Peter Hodgson. I write for Gibson.com, Australian Guitar, Australian Musician, Mixdown Magazine (including my instructional column, 'Unleash Your Inner Rock God,' which has been running since 2007), guitarworld.com, Tone Deaf, Beat (including their weekly hard rock/metal column Crunch) and The Brag. And I'm Assistant Social Coordinator with Seymour Duncan.
I've been playing guitar since I was 8 years old, and I've been writing for magazines since I was 18. I've also worked as a guitar teacher (up to 50 students a week), a setup tech, a newspaper editor, and I've also dabbled in radio a little bit. I live in Melbourne, Australia, and my hobbies include drinking way too much coffee, and eating way too much Mexican food.
You can check out my guitar playing at Reverbnation or on YouTube, and feel free to email me at iheartguitarblog@gmail.com
great story!!!
reminds me of a local music store of my youth and a great guitar player called “magic Mike” that worked there…
I got my girl a Jackson DK2 in ‘eerie dess’ that is her “precious”… great guitars for sure!
Ibanez 540PII, HH, 24fr, Purple Metallic. I actually owned it for years, then in a fit of madness part-exed it for a way inferior guitar.
I’d dearly love to play one again, maybe even own one, but they were such a short run they’re way too rare now, and collectors buy them up to go in their collections rather than be played by working gigging musicians. :-(
–c.
If I’d seen that guitar in your picture I would probably have had the same reaction to you, I would love a green-bodied guitar with some sort of effect on it.
Incidentally, I do have a Rhoads but I don’t really play it anymore, the pickups are awful for some reason.
My “one that got away” story actually has a happy ending. I’ve always wanted a Baretta, since I was 13 years old (1983). My last name is Kramer and my hero of coarse was EVH. My local music store had an 83 model which was WAY out of my 13 year old price range. So I’ve always settled for less.
Last week I purchased a 1986 Kramer Baretta USA!! I just love it!! Next up that Charvel San Dimas I always adored!
Haha, Peter!
Great, compelling story!! I’m saddened by the fact that you haven’t owned a Jackson… YET! But you will; of this I’m sure :-)
I’m happy I helped inspire this story. In regard to my guitar that got away… hmmm… the epiphone les paul i currently own almost got away, but I fought for that baby and did almost the impossible for it! It’s a long story I’ll tell you over drinks one day… in NAMM 2012 PERHAPS :) :D
Hey man great story, i actually just bought that same guitar…it was between a fender strat with two emg pickups or the purple jackson with two emgs and floyd rose bridge, however i can’t find a model number on it so i really don’t know what kind it is. It looks exactly like the one in your story. Email me if u want a picture…the guitar kicks ass and i’m curious of the model i bought, and wanted to know the worth of it …maybe talk about a possible trade? let me know