Jackson USA Signature Chris Broderick Soloist HT6 Review & Prices

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Jackson USA Signature Chris Broderick Soloist HT6 Review
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  • From Jackson's 2016 Artist Signature series
  • Chris Broderick Signature
  • Made in United States
  • 6 strings
  • 25.5"'' scale
  • 12" Fretboard Radius
  • Arched Maple top
  • Mahogany body
  • Quartersawn Maple neck
  • Ebony fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: Direct Mount DiMarzio Chris Broderick CB6 (Humbucker/Passive)
  • Neck pickup: Direct Mount DiMarzio Chris Broderick CB6 (Humbucker/Passive)
  • 1 volume and 2 tone Dome knobs
  • 3-way Switch
  • Jackson Single-String Guitar Bridge bridge
  • Jackson Standard Neck-Through neck
  • 24 Jumbo frets
  • Planet Waves Auto-Trim tuners
  • Compare Specs >

Our Scores and Tone Evaluation

Playability 78
Sound 80
Build quality 82
Value for money 65
Overall Score 80
Tone Evaluation
  • Heavy Metal
  • Hard Rock
  • Jazz
  • Blues
  • Funk
  • Country
Strengths & Weaknesses
Jackson USA Signature Chris Broderick Soloist HT6
  • Locking Tuners
  • Made in United States
  • Expensive Wood
  • Black Tusq XL Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Neck-Through Build
  • Coil Split, Killswitch Pickups
  • Strap Lock
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Weight Relief
  • No Luminescent Inlay
  • No Tremolo
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio

Price Overview

Its average competitor's price is $3900, which means that the Jackson USA Signature Chris Broderick Soloist HT6 is around 5% cheaper than the competition. This takes into account all instruments of the same category in our database with 6 strings and Fixed bridge that are made in United States.

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Your feedback

Not all instruments are created equally, and there are many important things they won't tell you about the one you're buying. That's why it's important to have different opinions. Here's what our users who have played this guitar say. If you've played it before, help others by voting below!

Weight

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Is it Easy to Play?

The Jackson USA Signature Chris Broderick Soloist HT6 meets 5 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness, which means that it's a good guitar to start with as a complete beginner. This takes into account the type of frets, scale length, nut width, bridge type, fretboard radius, and neck profile to determine the easiest combination for new players to get used to.

New Player Friendliness

Jackson USA Signature Chris Broderick Soloist HT6
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Locking tuners
  • Tall frets
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Narrow nut
  • Short scale

Hand Size Comfortability

After taking into account the neck profile, scale size, fretboard radius, and nut width, we can conclude that the Jackson USA Signature Chris Broderick Soloist HT6's construction favors people with relatively small hands.

Nevertheless, this comes down in the end to personal preference. Make sure you test this guitar—or another one with similar characteristics—before buying.

Big Hands
Small Hands

Scale Length

Scale length is the distance the strings will span between the bridge and the nut. It can tell you a lot about the overall playability and tone of the instrument. A longer scale length means longer distance between frets, brighter tone and more string tension—which means lower action, but more difficult bending of the strings.

Here's the Jackson USA Signature Chris Broderick Soloist HT6's 25.5" scale length compared to other common sizes:

Jackson USA Signature Chris Broderick Soloist HT6 Scale Length Comparison
Jackson USA Signature Chris Broderick Soloist HT6's scale length (at the top) compared to other popular sizes

This is the same scale length used in Stratocaster guitars, and it's one of the main reasons they have such a bright sound. It's considered a long scale when compared to most non-baritone guitars.

Since the distance between bridge and nut is relatively long, you'll need to give the strings more tension to get them in tune. This higher tension will allow for a couple of things. First, you can get a lower action (get the strings closer to the fretboard) because the strings won't 'wiggle' too much when pluck and won't cause fret buzz. This can allow you to use lower tunings without increasing your string gauge, and it will make it easier to press down the strings fast.

However, the frets will also have a wider separation between each other, which can make it harder to play, especially if you got small hands. The higher tension will also make the strings feel stiffer, so bending will require more strength.

More with the same scale length:

Neck Profile

Jackson USA Signature Chris Broderick Soloist HT6 Neck Profile
Jackson USA Signature Chris Broderick Soloist HT6's neck profile

The neck profile tells you the thickness (neck depth) and shape in cross section. Every difference will completely change the feeling and comfortability of the neck. This is a highly subjective thing, but most players indeed prefer certain types of necks (like Cs and Ds) because they feel nice in most hands.

The Jackson USA Signature Chris Broderick Soloist HT6's neck thickness is approximately 0.79'' (20.1mm) at the first fret, and 0.85'' (21.6mm) at the twelfth.

These measurements were taken either from the official Jackson website, or, in case this information wasn't provided, by researching multiple online marketplaces and forums where owners of this model have posted their measurements.

It has a D type neck. It's similar to a C shape, and it's one of the most common shapes right now. It's a bit flatter and thinner, even though sometimes it has a bit more shoulders. It's a fast type of neck that is comfortable, and shredders love it.

More for different hand sizes

Fretboard Radius

When it comes to fingerboard radius, personal preference will dictate which one is better for you. However, most people seem to agree that a more curved (lower) radius will make it easier to play chords while a less curved (higher) radius is better for soloing and bending.

The Jackson USA Signature Chris Broderick Soloist HT6 has a 12" fingerboard radius.

Here's an image comparing this fretboard radius to other popular choices:

Jackson USA Signature Chris Broderick Soloist HT6 Fretboard Radius Comparison with Fender Stratocaster and Gibson Les Paul
Jackson USA Signature Chris Broderick Soloist HT6's fretboard radius compared to others

This is the same radius that Gibson uses in most of their guitars. When compare to the other popular radius of Fender Stratocasters, you can see that it's a lot flatter. Guitars with this radius are usually made to bring a good balance between single-note and chord playing.

Compound radius fingerboards give the best of both worlds. Unfortunately, the Jackson USA Signature Chris Broderick Soloist HT6 has the same radius across the board.

More with the same fretboard radius:

Playability compared to main competitors

25.5'' Scale Length
D Neck Profile
1.688'' Nut Width
12'' Fretboard Radius
25.5'' Scale Length
C Neck Profile
1.688'' Nut Width
Compound Fretboard Radius
25.5'' Scale Length
C Neck Profile
1.688'' Nut Width
Compound Fretboard Radius
25.5'' Scale Length
C Neck Profile
1.688'' Nut Width
Compound Fretboard Radius
25.5'' Scale Length
D Neck Profile
1.688'' Nut Width
Compound Fretboard Radius

Nut Width

Jackson USA Signature Chris Broderick Soloist HT6 Nut Width
Jackson USA Signature Chris Broderick Soloist HT6 Nut Width

The Jackson USA Signature Chris Broderick Soloist HT6 has a nut width of 42.9mm (1.688''). This is within the most common range of nut widths for a 6-string guitar. It offers a good balance of string separation at the nut. It's the size that most guitarists prefer as it gives them just enough space to play open chords without muting the strings, but without spreading the strings too wide and making bar chords difficult to perform.

Frets

The Jackson USA Signature Chris Broderick Soloist HT6 has 24 frets. A lot of people mistakenly believe that having more frets will always be better because it gives you a higher octave. This is certainly an advantage, but there's also a disadvantage to this.

Since the fretboard will be longer, the neck pickup will need to be placed closer to the bridge. And as you may know, the further away the neck pickup is from the bridge, the warmer it sounds. This means you'll have a brighter-sounding neck pickup when using a 24-fret guitar, even if you use the same pickup on a 22-fret guitar.

It comes with nickel silver frets, so they won't last as long as stainless steel frets. If you use your instrument a lot, you might need to replace the frets after a few years. But this is unlikely as most people change instruments before this happens.

More with the same amount of frets:

Fret Size

Jackson USA Signature Chris Broderick Soloist HT6 Fret Size Comparison
Jackson USA Signature Chris Broderick Soloist HT6's fret size (in orange) compared to other popular sizes

Finally, let's talk about fret size. Some people prefer tall frets because it's easier to press the strings and perform bends since there's less friction against the fretboard. On the other hand, some people like shorter frets because they like to touch the fretboard when playing, or because they got heavy hands and tend to press too much on the string and alter the of the note pitch accidently.

The Jackson USA Signature Chris Broderick Soloist HT6's frets are Jumbo size. This is a tall fret size that is becoming increasingly popular because it makes it easier to press down the strings cleanly. With this fret size, you won't feel the fretboard when playing, so if you press down too hard, you will get the notes out of pitch. However, this is something you can overcome by getting used to the taller size.

More with the same type of frets:

Playability Score

Bending & Vibrato Ease 85
Chord Playability 50
Solo Playability 100
Playability 78

Tone Analysis

Wood will have little influence in the final tone of an electric guitar or bass. Instead, the hardware, especially the pickups, will be the most important thing to look at. Bur first, let's see the quality of the wood.

Wood

Mahogany wood pattern used for guitar building
Mahogany Body
Maple wood pattern used for guitar building
Maple Neck
Ebony wood pattern used for guitar building
Ebony Fretboard

Mahogany Body: This is the type of wood found in many top-of-the-line guitars, so that's a positive point for the build quality. This red-looking wood Mahogany is found in Africa and Central America and has great sustain and a warm tone due to its high density. The downside about this type of wood is that it's relatively heavy.

Maple Neck: This is one of the most popular types of wood used in all kinds of guitars. It's heavy, strong and compact, which makes it great for necks. However, it's also used for fretboards, bodies and tops due to its light color, resistance and beautiful patterns. When it comes to tone, it highlights the mid and high frequencies.

Ebony Fretboard: This is one of the most expensive woods there is, which is why it's mostly used for fretboards. It is dense, heavy, highly resistant and comes in a really dark color that gives any guitar a classy touch. Tone wise, it helps the high side of the spectrum and provides good sustain.

More made with the same wood:

Pickups

This guitar comes with pickups from one of the top brands: DiMarzio. So you can expect well built pickups with great sound that shouldn't need an upgrade anytime soon.

These are passive pickups, so you can expect a rounder sound and a moderade level of output.

The Jackson USA Signature Chris Broderick Soloist HT6's configuration is HH. With this pickup combination, you'll get warmer tones and more output than using single coils. Humbucker pickups cancel the noise that single-coil suffer from, which also results in a warmer tone. This pickup combination isn't only for high-gain music like Hard Rock or Heavy Metal. Their warmness is also popular for Jazz, Indie, R&B, Blues and more.

Versatility

It comes with the popular 3-way switch that is present in most guitars. For more versatility, players tend to prefer a 5-way switch, although it all depends on what you want to use your guitar for.

It has Multiple switch option. The first one is Coil Split. It allows you to 'split' or turn off pickup coils to get even more tones in combination with the pickup selector. When used with humbucker pickups, it'll reduce the output and increase their clarity, turning them essentially into single-coil pickups.

It also has a Killswitch option. When engaged, it will disengage the pickups and turn them off instantly. This is useful when playing live, and it allows you to perform some cool sound effects with your pickups.

Diagram

Jackson USA Signature Chris Broderick Soloist HT6 pickups switch and push knobs diagram
Jackson USA Signature Chris Broderick Soloist HT6's switch options

What music genre is it good for?

As a 6 strings, Solid Body guitar with HH configuration and Passive pickups, we'd recommend it for genres like Hard Rock or similar. However, you can use almost any guitar for any genre. This is just the typical type of music for this particular one.

Sound Score

Pickups 85
Sustain 85
Versatility 71
Tuning Stability 80
Sound 80

Build Quality Analysis

Country of Origin

Knowing where the instrument is produced is a good way to know how well it's built. Some manufacturing countries are known for having higher quality standards. For example, most expensive instruments are made in the US or Japan, but there are some exceptionally great countries—like South Korea—that are building a good reputation.

The Jackson USA Signature Chris Broderick Soloist HT6 is made in United States. Guitars made in the USA have the reputation of being the best instruments you can get. This statement isn't as accurate as a few years ago, but you should still expect top-quality from a guitar made in this country.

Bridge

Jackson Single-String Guitar Bridge: The advantage of fixed bridges is that they don't require any kind of set-up. This makes it extremely easy when changing strings because you don't need to adjust anything besides tuning the guitar. Also, the fact that the bridge is directly attached to the body will help to increase sustain. The disadvantage is the lack of versatility since you can't create the same vibrato effects as with tremolo bridges.

More with the same type of bridge:

Tuners

The Jackson USA Signature Chris Broderick Soloist HT6 comes with locking tuners, which helps with tuning stability and makes changing strings a lot faster and easier. As long as they're high quality, these are the best tuning machines you can have. The only disadvantage is that they are a bit heavier than normal tuners.

The tuners have a ratio of 18:1. This means you need 18 turns of the tuner knob to make the tuner post go around 1 complete revolution. The more turns it takes, the finer and more precise your tuning is going to be. An 18:1 ratio is what most instruments have nowadays. Some high-end ones come with a ratio of 21:1.

Nut Material

Another important thing to analyze is the nut material, as it's one of the most important aspects that can affect the sound and playability of your guitar. A well-cut nut will make sure it stays in tune and will make it more comfortable to play.

In this case, the Jackson USA Signature Chris Broderick Soloist HT6 has a Black Tusq XL nut. It's not made of plastic or low-quality materials. They're made to resemble the sound you get from bone and ivory nuts, but with slippery materials so the intonation and tuning are stable. Also, each nut is carefully cut to ensure you won't have tune stabilization problems.

More with the same nut material:

Neck Joint

The neck joint is the part where the neck of the guitar meets the body. There are three main techniques to attach both parts together: Set-In, Bolt-On and Neck-Through. The latter two provide different advantages, although neck-throughs are the most expensive.

This guitar has a Neck-Through neck joint. Many people believe a neck-through build delivers the best sustain because some of the vibrations from the neck aren't lost like with other neck joints. However, no one has been able to prove this. What we know is that a neck-through build is usually the most comfortable when playing the upper frets because there's nothing on your way at the neck-body joint.

More with the same build:

Build Quality Score

Quality of materials 65
Features 80
Quality Control 100
Build Quality 82

All Specs

Jackson USA Signature Chris Broderick Soloist HT6
General
Brand: Jackson
Year: 2016
Configuration: HH
Strings: 6
Made in: United States
Series: Artist Signature
Colors: White, Black, Blue, Red
Left-Handed Version: No
Body
Top: Arched Maple
Type: Solid Body
Body Material: Mahogany
Bridge: Jackson Single-String Guitar Bridge
Neck
Neck Joint: Neck-Through
Tuners: Planet Waves Auto-Trim
Fretboard: Ebony
Neck Material: Quartersawn Maple
Decoration:
Scale Size: 25.5"
Shape: Jackson Standard
Thickness: 1st Fret: 0.79'' (20.1mm) - 12th Fret: 0.85'' (21.6mm)
Frets: 24 Jumbo
Fretboard Radius: 12"
Nut: Black Tusq XL
Nut Width: 42.9mm (1.688'')
Electronics
Switch: 3 Way
Knobs: Dome
Pickup Mods: Coil Split, Killswitch
Volume Controls: 1
Tone Controls: 2
Bridge Pickup: Direct Mount DiMarzio Chris Broderick CB6 (Humbucker / Passive)
Neck Pickup: Direct Mount DiMarzio Chris Broderick CB6 (Humbucker / Passive)

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