On NAMM Media Preview day I caught up with Def Leppard’s Phil Collen, who gave a demonstration of Agile Partners’ AmpKit (check out the video below to hear the huge tone in action), and he also used the opportunity to unveil his new signature Jackson PC Supreme model.

I know you’ve used the little Rockman in recording in the past. Do you think AmpKit might find its way onto an album?

Yeah! I actually don’t use amps to record guitar any more, and this [AmpKit] is the way to go! It’s very cool!

Now, this is a very sweet guitar. What’s going on here then?

It started with my Jackson PC1. It’s the same woods. [Brandishes guitar] That’s a mahogany body, that’s a maple top – well it would be if you could see it – that [bridge pickup] is a DiMarzio.

Which DiMarzio is that?

That’s a Super 3.

And the guitar’s neck?

The PC1 had a bolt-on neck, and this is obviously a neck-through. There are still some similar attributes, but this has the Sustainer [demonstrates with an extra-long whammy bar dive and some blues licks, then some mega-shred].

Nice! And I notice titanium saddles?

Yeah. I’ve been using them for a while. It really broadens the sound, I think. And I like my necks really chunky. This one is not as big as the other prototype that’s floating around. That one has like a one-inch radius.

LINKS: Jacksonguitars.com, Agile Partners