First popularized by Randy Rhoads and cemented by countless metal players through the '80s and '90s, the King V remains one of the most recognizable guitar outlines in hard rock. This 2016 example comes in gloss black, the definitive finish for the shape, and at 6 lbs 12.5 oz it's lighter than you might expect from a solidbody, which translates to real comfort over a long set. The poplar body is a cost-effective choice Jackson uses throughout the JS line — it's not mahogany or alder, but it's not a liability either. Poplar is tonally neutral with a slight brightness, and in a high-gain context it does its job without coloring the signal in unwanted ways.
The maple neck runs a Thin D profile with a 25.5" scale and a compound radius fretboard — 12" at the nut opening up to 16" toward the upper register — which is one of the more player-friendly decisions on this instrument. The amaranth fretboard (a dense, naturally oily South American hardwood sometimes marketed under other names) wears well and has a feel similar to rosewood. Pearloid sharktooth inlays are right for the aesthetic. Neck thickness comes in at .783" at the first fret and .836" at the 12th — genuinely fast numbers that suit the shred-oriented design intent. All 24 original frets are in good shape. The original locking nut at 1-11/16" pairs with the Floyd Rose licensed Jackson double-locking tremolo, and the guitar holds tune as you'd expect from a properly set double-locking system. Action is set at 2/32" on both the first and sixth strings at the 12th fret — low and even. String gauge on there now is 10-46. The bridge pickup has been swapped for a Seymour Duncan Invader (reading 16.12k), which is a meaningful upgrade over the stock unit — the Invader is a high-output humbucker with a distinct aggressive character that suits this platform well. The neck position retains the original Jackson High-Output Humbucking pickup (reading 8.52k), and the two are selected via a 3-way switch. Hardware throughout is black. Comes with the original hard shell case.
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