Periphery has relied on eight-string guitars since the Juggernaut albums in 2015, and tuning stability at sub-bass register tunings has been the persistent engineering problem. Jackson’s answer shipped this month: the Pro Plus Series Limited Edition Misha Mansoor Juggernaut ET8, the first eight-string guitar in Jackson’s catalog to carry an EverTune bridge. It costs $1,899 and already sold out on Jackson’s own storefront.
Eight Strings, One EverTune F8
The ET8 is built on a 27-inch baritone scale with a solid poplar body and a bolt-on caramelized maple neck reinforced with graphite rods. A scarf joint strengthens the headstock junction, and the neck back gets an oiled finish for speed. The wrap-around heel includes a heel-mounted truss rod adjustment wheel, so players can dial relief without pulling the neck.
Up top, a 55mm plastic nut feeds into a 4×4 arrowhead headstock carrying Jackson sealed die-cast locking tuners. The ebony fingerboard has a 20-inch radius, 24 jumbo stainless steel frets, rolled edges, and Luminlay side dots for dark-stage visibility.
Electronics stay simple. A pair of Mansoor’s signature MM1 uncovered humbuckers run through a five-position blade switch, a master volume, and a tone pot with a push/pull for alternate voicings. Leaving the covers off adds brightness and pick attack, which matters when you’re working in the extreme low register that an eight-string in drop Bb occupies. Dunlop dual-locking strap buttons come installed from the factory.
Why EverTune Matters More on an 8-String
The EverTune bridge uses a spring-and-lever mechanism inside each saddle module to maintain constant string tension. Each of the eight modules can hold between 10 and 28 pounds of force, and the system corrects intonation across every fret position mechanically, with no batteries and no electronics.
On a standard six-string, that’s a convenience feature. On an eight-string tuned to Bb (as Periphery does live), it becomes closer to a necessity. Strings at that gauge and tension fight physics at every temperature change, and conventional bridges require constant retuning between songs when three guitarists are sharing a stage.
Mansoor has been using an EverTune-equipped Custom Shop eight-string in Periphery for years, but the ET8 is the first time Jackson has offered this combination at a production price point. “That was the only thing I didn’t have, an EverTune eight-string,” he told MusicRadar. “It’s just a very useful tool to have.”
He’s also candid about the tradeoff. “There is a slight feel and tone tax that you pay,” he said in the same interview, explaining that Periphery strategically chooses between EverTune and hardtail guitars depending on whether tuning stability or raw tone matters more for a given section of a song.
How It Compares to the Juggernaut HT6
Jackson’s Juggernaut HT6, released at $1,599, established the Pro Plus Series formula: Mansoor’s core specs at a price well below the USA Select tier. The ET8 pushes that template further with two additional strings, a 27-inch baritone scale (up from the HT6’s 25.5 inches), and the EverTune F8 bridge for $300 more.
Shared DNA includes the MM1 signature pickups, graphite-reinforced caramelized maple neck, oiled back finish, stainless steel frets, and the five-position blade switch with push/pull tone pot. Cost management is visible in the plastic nut and relatively simple electronics, but those choices offset the EverTune’s premium pricing while keeping the guitar under $2,000.
The “Limited Edition” designation suggests Jackson is gauging demand for this specific configuration. Given that Jackson’s own stock sold out quickly, a standard catalog version could follow.
Full Spec Sheet
| Spec | Detail |
|---|---|
| Body | Poplar |
| Neck | Bolt-on caramelized maple with graphite reinforcement and scarf joint |
| Fingerboard | Ebony, 20″ radius, rolled edges |
| Scale Length | 27″ (686 mm) |
| Nut Width | 2.165″ (55 mm) |
| Frets | 24 jumbo stainless steel |
| Pickups | Jackson MM1 humbuckers (uncovered, direct mount) |
| Bridge | EverTune F8 |
| Tuners | Jackson sealed die-cast locking |
| Controls | Volume, tone (push/pull), 5-way blade switch |
| Headstock | Jackson AT-1 4×4 |
| Finish | Nardo Gray |
| Included | Jackson gig bag, saddle height wrench, truss rod wrench |
| Price | $1,899 |
For progressive metal players who have been waiting for a production EverTune eight-string at a realistic price, the Juggernaut ET8 fills a gap that has existed since Jackson launched the Mansoor signature line. Availability is through Jackson’s dealer network and select retailers, though this limited run will likely move fast.