Jackson Pro Series Signature Phil Collen PC1-E Electric Guitar - Worn Black

Few artists are as closely tied to Jackson history as Phil Collen. The Def Leppard guitarist has played Jackson guitars since 1986, and his PC1 Dinky became one of the company’s original signature instruments—a design that has evolved alongside Phil while retaining its high-performance identity. The Jackson Pro Series Signature Phil Collen PC1-E electric guitar brings that lineage into a distinctive instrument built around a mahogany Dinky body, graphite-reinforced caramelized maple neck and ebony fingerboard. Its HSS electronics pair a DiMarzio X2N bridge humbucker and Sugar Chakra middle pickup with Phil's PC1 Sustainer Driver and an 18V Jackson Sustainer system. Add a recessed Floyd Rose 1000 Series double-locking tremolo, locking tuners, extensive sustain controls and distressed Worn Black finish, and the PC1-E is equipped for everything from articulate rhythm work to the soaring leads and melodic riffs associated with Phil’s playing.

Mahogany Dinky Construction With a Fast Compound Radius

The PC1-E starts with the compact contours of Jackson’s Dinky body, rendered here in mahogany and finished in distressed nitrocellulose lacquer. A bolt-on caramelized maple neck uses graphite reinforcement for added structural stability, while its oiled finish keeps the playing surface direct and natural under the hand. The ebony fingerboard moves from a 12" radius in the lower register to 16" higher up the neck, combining comfortable fretting with a flatter surface for bends and lead work. Twenty-four jumbo frets extend the instrument’s range, while a 25.5" scale and 1.6875" Floyd Rose locking nut complete a performance-focused platform built for precise fretting and expressive technique.

DiMarzio Pickups Cover Rhythm, Lead and Melodic Textures

An HSS configuration gives the PC1-E a broad tonal vocabulary without losing the aggressive voice expected from a Jackson signature guitar. The DiMarzio X2N DP102 bridge humbucker provides the dedicated bridge position for high-gain rhythm and lead work, while the DiMarzio Sugar Chakra DP427BK occupies the middle position. At the neck is the PC1 Sustainer Driver, part of an active 18V Jackson Sustainer system that lets players extend notes and develop controlled sustained textures. A five-position blade accesses the three pickups in familiar combinations, while push-pull coil splitting on the volume control expands the bridge pickup’s available sounds.

Jackson Sustainer Controls Shape Feedback and Harmonics

The Sustainer system, a longtime element of the PC1 design, is central to the concept rather than an incidental extra. In addition to its dedicated on/off switch, the PC1-E provides an intensity control and a Fundamental/Harmonic/Blend switch, giving players direct control over how sustained notes develop. The fundamental setting emphasizes the original note, while harmonic and blended settings provide alternate ways to shape its response. That functionality opens the door to long lead lines, feedback-like textures and evolving harmonics without relying solely on amplifier volume. It is a particularly fitting feature for a Phil Collen signature model, reflecting a PC1 design element that has remained closely associated with his Jackson instruments for decades.

Floyd Rose Hardware for Maximum Expression

A recessed Floyd Rose 1000 Series double-locking tremolo gives the PC1-E the pitch control needed for expressive lead playing while its locking design helps maintain tuning stability through aggressive tremolo use. Jackson sealed die-cast locking tuning machines provide another practical touch for restringing and tuning, complementing the locking nut and bridge system. Gold hardware creates a sharp contrast against the distressed Worn Black finish, joined by black pickup covers and dome-style control knobs. Jackson also includes a foam core case, giving the instrument dedicated protection for transport and storage.

Phil Collen and Jackson: Decades of Guitar Hysteria

Phil Collen joined Def Leppard in 1982 during the making of Pyromania and became a central part of the band’s guitar sound, songwriting and vocal arrangements through the blockbuster Hysteria era and beyond. His relationship with Jackson began in the mid-1980s, eventually producing the PC1 Dinky, one of Jackson’s earliest artist signature guitars. That decades-long collaboration is reflected throughout the PC1-E: the Sustainer Driver, HSS layout, Floyd Rose tremolo and performance-oriented Dinky format are part of a design lineage Phil has used and refined for decades. For players drawn to his melodic hard-rock guitar work or to the PC1 itself, the Jackson Phil Collen PC1-E electric guitar carries that longstanding artist collaboration forward in a distinctive Pro Series Signature instrument.