Jackson's USA Select 7- and 8-String Guitars: A Look Back at the 2013 Expansion
March 2013 brought an interesting development for guitar enthusiasts as Jackson announced eight new USA Select models, expanding its high-end lineup with both seven- and eight-string instruments. The announcement arrived at a time when extended-range guitars were becoming increasingly prominent in modern metal and other heavy styles of music.
The new range included the USA Select B7, B7 Deluxe, B8, B8 Deluxe, B7MG, B7MG Deluxe, B8MG, and B8MG Deluxe. Rather than simply adding more strings to conventional designs, Jackson equipped these instruments with specifications aimed at players looking for extended range, modern construction and high-output pickup options.
Eight New Models
Jackson divided the new USA Select guitars into two principal families.
The first group consisted of the B7 and B8 models, available in standard and Deluxe versions. The B7 was a seven-string guitar, while the B8 extended the design to eight strings.
The second group consisted of the B7MG and B8MG, again with Deluxe versions. The “MG” models differed primarily in their pickup configurations, using EMG pickups rather than the DiMarzio setup found on the standard B-series guitars.
This gave players a choice not only between seven and eight strings, but also between two distinctly different pickup approaches.
The Standard B7 and B8
The USA Select B7 and B8 shared a substantial amount of their construction.
Both featured a beveled alder body, a quartersawn maple neck reinforced with graphite, an oil-finished neck and a compound-radius ebony fingerboard with 24 jumbo frets.
The guitars also used a 27-inch scale length, longer than many traditional electric guitars. That additional scale length is particularly useful on extended-range instruments because it provides greater string tension and helps accommodate lower tunings.
The B7 used a pair of direct-mounted DiMarzio D Activator 7 pickups, while the eight-string B8 used the corresponding D Activator 8 pickups.
Both guitars incorporated Jackson’s direct-mounted hard-tail bridge, with the B7 using the HT-7 and the B8 using the HT-8.
The Deluxe Difference
The Deluxe versions added several visual and construction upgrades.
Most notably, the Deluxe models used neck-through construction, compared with the bolt-on neck construction of the standard models. They also featured black binding around the fingerboard and headstock.
For players interested in extended-range instruments, this gave the Deluxe models a more premium specification while maintaining the basic character of the B7 and B8 designs.
The combination of an extended scale, ebony fingerboard, high-output pickups and Jackson’s distinctive construction made the guitars clearly targeted at serious players rather than casual beginners.
The B7MG and B8MG
Jackson also introduced the B7MG and B8MG models for players looking for an alternative pickup configuration.
The seven-string B7MG featured direct-mounted EMG 707 pickups in the neck position and an EMG 81-7 at the bridge. The eight-string B8MG used EMG 808 pickups.
Like the standard B-series guitars, the MG models featured beveled alder bodies, 27-inch scale lengths, compound-radius ebony fingerboards, 24 jumbo frets and Jackson hard-tail bridges.
The Deluxe versions again moved to neck-through construction and added black fingerboard and headstock binding.
Why Seven and Eight Strings?
The expansion was significant because extended-range guitars were becoming an increasingly visible part of modern guitar design.
A conventional six-string guitar has a familiar range, but adding a seventh or eighth string allows players to access lower notes while retaining the higher strings used for conventional guitar playing.
This made extended-range guitars particularly attractive to musicians exploring heavier styles, complex arrangements and lower tunings.
MusicRadar later described Jackson’s 2013 expansion as a sign of the growing demand for seven- and eight-string guitars, including at the company’s highest price points.
Jackson’s decision to introduce eight USA Select extended-range models at once therefore suggested that the company saw this category as more than a niche experiment.
Construction and Hardware
The specifications of the guitars reveal how seriously Jackson approached the range.
The instruments featured:
- Beveled alder bodies
- Quartersawn maple necks
- Graphite reinforcement
- Ebony fingerboards
- 24 jumbo frets
- Compound-radius fingerboards
- 27-inch scale lengths
- Direct-mounted pickups
- Jackson hard-tail bridges
- Gotoh tuners
- Dunlop locking strap pins
The standard and MG versions were offered in Satin Grey, Walnut Stain, Au Natural and Satin Black.
These specifications were characteristic of the modern extended-range guitar: stability, durability and a design optimized for players who needed to work with lower tunings.
DiMarzio Versus EMG
One of the more interesting aspects of the range was the choice of pickup systems.
The standard B7 and B8 models used DiMarzio D Activator pickups, while the MG models used EMG pickups.
That distinction allowed Jackson to appeal to players with different tonal preferences without creating an entirely different guitar platform.
The standard models could appeal to players looking for the characteristics associated with the D Activator range, while the MG versions offered the active EMG approach that had become strongly associated with high-output heavy guitar tones.
A 27-Inch Scale
The 27-inch scale length deserves particular attention.
Scale length is the distance between the nut and bridge, and it affects the feel and tension of the strings.
On an extended-range guitar designed to accommodate lower notes, a longer scale can be particularly useful. It helps maintain string tension when using lower tunings, giving the player a firmer playing feel.
Jackson used the same 27-inch scale length throughout these seven- and eight-string USA Select models, reinforcing the idea that the instruments were designed specifically around extended-range playing rather than simply being conventional guitars with additional strings.
A Snapshot of Guitar Design in 2013
Looking back at the announcement more than a decade later, these guitars provide an interesting snapshot of where electric-guitar design was heading in 2013.
The traditional six-string electric guitar remained dominant, but manufacturers were increasingly exploring instruments designed for players who wanted greater range.
Jackson’s decision to put seven- and eight-string models into its USA Select series was particularly notable because it placed extended-range designs within a premium American-made product line.
The company wasn’t treating the concept as an experimental side project.
It was integrating extended-range instruments into its flagship lineup.
The Eight-String Era Takes Shape
The eight-string models are perhaps the most striking part of the announcement.
Seven-string guitars had already established a significant presence among modern players, but eight-string instruments pushed the concept even further.
The B8 and B8MG provided players with an additional low string while retaining a conventional upper register. Their 27-inch scales, ebony fingerboards and specialized pickup configurations demonstrated how manufacturers were adapting traditional electric-guitar concepts to accommodate the expanded range.
The announcement therefore wasn’t simply about adding another model to a catalog.
It was part of the broader evolution of the electric guitar.
Looking Back Today
The March 2013 Jackson announcement is a good example of how a seemingly technical product release can tell a larger story about music.
The eight USA Select models reflected several trends happening simultaneously:
Extended range was becoming increasingly important.
Longer-scale guitars were being developed to support lower tunings.
High-output pickup systems remained central to modern heavy guitar design.
And manufacturers were increasingly willing to offer these features in premium instruments.
For Jackson, the B7, B8 and MG variants represented an attempt to provide serious extended-range players with instruments built to the company’s USA Select standards.
Final Thoughts
The introduction of the eight USA Select models in 2013 was an important moment in Jackson’s extended-range guitar history.
The lineup gave players a choice between seven- and eight-string designs, standard and Deluxe construction, and DiMarzio or EMG pickup configurations. Across the range, the guitars shared a focus on extended-range performance, with 27-inch scales, ebony fingerboards, reinforced maple necks and specialized hardware.
More than a decade later, the announcement is also a reminder of how quickly guitar design was evolving.
The seven- and eight-string guitar was moving from a specialist instrument toward a more established part of the modern electric-guitar landscape.
Jackson’s 2013 USA Select expansion captured that transition particularly well.
What looked at the time like a major expansion of a guitar catalog was also a reflection of changing musical tastes—and of guitarists continually looking for new ways to expand the range and possibilities of the instrument.
Original source: Guitar World, “Jackson Introduces New Seven- and Eight-String USA Select Model Guitars,” March 2013.