A Jackson Custom Shop Limited Edition 30th Anniversary Soloist. Such a long, long name for a guitar. Perhaps we can just call it the pink guitar. Although not just any pink guitar. This is a master-built, limited-run guitar hand made by Mike Shannon.

The 30th Anniversary Soloist is made with a poplar body and a three-piece quartersawn through-body maple neck. It also features a compound-radius ebony fingerboard, EMG SA1 active single coils in the neck and middle positions and an EMG 81 active humbucker in the bridge. It looks like a great guitar although I’m not sure I would go with pink.

And why am I looking at Jackson guitars?

Well, it was this guy’s fault:

John Mayer was sitting in with Ed Sheeran at the Grammy Awards last night. And there he was, looking a bit like Buddy Holly, playing a pink Jackson guitar. I was so surprised that he was on a Jackson. Mayer tends to play Fender Stratocasters. Although Fender did purchase Jackson Guitars back in 2002. I think the Jackson Custom Select guitars are built in the same plant as the Fender Custom Shop guitars. Perhaps this was a way for Fender to get a bit of a promotion out to guys like me. You know, the ones who watch the Grammys to see what guitars are being used. Like Ed Sheeran’s guitar in the photo above. Was that a Crashocaster?