Pro Origins 1985 Limited Edition San Dimas SD1 HS FR
Yellow Bengal, ebony fingerboard
Jackson rebuilding its own 1985, down to the bengal stripes and the Duncan pair
Amazon rating
No ratings yet
Price band
$1,000 - $2,000
As an Amazon Associate we may earn a commission from qualifying purchases made through our links, at no additional cost to you. We do not publish prices, because Amazon prices change constantly and a stale figure helps nobody. Follow the link for the current price and availability.
The short version
The Pro Origins 1985 line is Jackson reissuing its own origin story, built in Ensenada rather than Indonesia, and the San Dimas SD1 is the shape the company was founded on. The specification is deliberately period-correct where it matters and modern where it counts: an alder body under gloss, a bolt-on maple neck with graphite reinforcement and a scarf joint, and the 12-to-16-inch compound radius ebony board that Jackson pioneered — rounder at the nut for chords, flatter at the heel so bends do not choke. The pickup pairing is the giveaway. A Seymour Duncan JB in the bridge and a single-coil-sized Hot Rails in the neck is an HS layout Jackson almost never builds, and it is exactly what the mid-eighties superstrats used.
Score profile
Six axes, scored 1-10. These are editorial judgements about what this instrument delivers for the money — not measurements, and not anyone else’s ratings.
- Build
- 9.0
- Tone
- 9.0
- Versatility
- 6.0
- Comfort
- 9.0
- Hardware
- 9.0
- Value
- 7.0
Scores are Fretline editorial ratings on a 1-10 scale. They are our own assessment and are not supplied or endorsed by Amazon or by any manufacturer.
Full specifications
| Brand | Jackson |
|---|---|
| Model | Pro Origins 1985 Limited Edition San Dimas SD1 HS FRYellow Bengal, ebony fingerboard |
| Body | |
| Body | San Dimas Style 1 solidbody |
| Body wood | Alder |
| Body finish | Gloss |
| Pickguard | None |
| Neck & fingerboard | |
| Neck joint | Bolt-on, graphite reinforced with scarf joint |
| Neck wood | Maple |
| Neck profile | Speed Neck |
| Neck finish | Natural satin |
| Scale length | 25.5" (648 mm) |
| Fingerboard | Ebony |
| Radius | 12" to 16" compound (305 mm to 406 mm) |
| Frets | 22 |
| Fret size | Jumbo |
| Inlays | White dot |
| Nut | Floyd Rose 1000 Series locking |
| Nut width | 1.6875" (42.86 mm) |
| Hardware | |
| Bridge | Floyd Rose 1000 Series double-locking tremolo, top-mounted |
| Tuners | Jackson sealed die-cast |
| Hardware finish | Black |
| Electronics | |
| Neck pickup | Seymour Duncan Hot Rails SHR-1N |
| Bridge pickup | Seymour Duncan JB TB-4 |
| Configuration | HS |
| Electronics | Passive |
| Controls | Volume, tone |
| Switching | Three-position toggle |
| General | |
| Type | Electric guitar |
| Strings | Nickel-plated steel (.009-.042) |
| Finish | Yellow Bengal |
| Orientation | Right-handed |
| Case | Jackson gig bag included |
32 verified fields. Specifications come from the manufacturer first, then the Amazon listing, then authorised dealers — sources are listed at the foot of this page. Fields the manufacturer does not publish are omitted rather than estimated.
The good and the bad
What we like
- Seymour Duncan JB and Hot Rails fitted as standard, not budget approximations
- Floyd Rose 1000 Series holds tuning through serious tremolo use
- Compound-radius ebony board with jumbo frets is genuinely comfortable for both chords and lead
- Graphite-reinforced bolt-on maple neck with a scarf joint, which is a stronger headstock joint than a plain one
What we do not
- The HS layout is voiced for gain; clean and jazz tones are not what it is for
- A double-locking tremolo makes string changes and tuning adjustments slow
- Limited edition, so availability is unpredictable and it may not stay in stock
- No owner reviews yet, so nothing can be said about consistency between units
Who it is for
Skill level
Styles it suits
What owners and reviewers report
This listing has no Amazon ratings yet and we have not found enough published owner feedback to summarise. Rather than invent patterns, we have left this section empty until there is something real to report.
The verdict
This is a specialist instrument and it does not pretend otherwise. A top-mounted Floyd Rose 1000, jumbo frets on a compound-radius ebony board and a JB in the bridge add up to a guitar built for high-gain lead playing, and at that job it is very good indeed. The Hot Rails in the neck is warmer and fatter than a real single-coil but it is still not a clean-tone pickup, so anything jazzy or genuinely spanky is out of reach. The Floyd is the other consideration: rock-solid once set up, and a chore for anyone who has never changed strings on a double-locking tremolo. Bengal stripes are not a neutral choice either — but that is rather the point of a limited edition.
Sources
- Jackson — Pro Origins 1985 Limited Edition San Dimas SD1 HS FR specifications (model 2910059500)
- Amazon listing (B0GNRSFQVW)
Amazon rating captured —. ASIN B0GNRSFQVW.
Strings for this guitar
All stringsIt ships with Nickel-plated steel (.009-.042). Staying at that gauge keeps the setup and the neck relief as the factory left them; going a step lighter makes bending easier, a step heavier gives more volume and tension. Anything more than one step either way usually needs the truss rod and the intonation adjusted.
- 8.3/10
Elixir · Strings
NANOWEB Nickel Plated Steel Electric
Standard .010s that survive a summer of gigs instead of a fortnight
- 7.8/10
D'Addario · Strings
NYXL1046 Nickel Wound Electric
The same gauge as an EXL110, with the tuning problem actually solved
- 7.7/10
D'Addario · Strings
EXL110 XL Nickel Wound Electric
The electric string most guitars leave the factory wearing
What else you need
All accessoriesThe highest-scoring option in each category that suits this instrument. If you have never owned a guitar before, the starter guide explains what each of these is for and what you can safely skip.
- 6.6/10
New Bee · Cables
The cable an electric guitar needs on day one, at the price of a coffee
- 7.8/10
Fender · Tuners
FCT-2 Professional Clip-On Tuner
The tuner to buy first, before strings, before a strap, before anything
- 8.2/10
Dunlop · Picks
The Delrin pick that replaced tortoiseshell, in the gauge most people settle on
- 7.4/10
GLEAM · Stands
The accessory that decides whether the guitar gets played at all
Compared with
Epiphone
Pro Origins 1985 Limited Edition San Dimas SD1 HS FR vs Masterbilt Gem Archer Sheraton
Jackson
Pro Origins 1985 Limited Edition San Dimas SD1 HS FR vs X Series Dinky DK3XR HSS
Jackson
Pro Origins 1985 Limited Edition San Dimas SD1 HS FR vs Pro Plus Series Signature Misha Mansoor Juggernaut ET7
Jackson
Pro Origins 1985 Limited Edition San Dimas SD1 HS FR vs X Series Dinky DK3XR HSS
Yamaha
Pro Origins 1985 Limited Edition San Dimas SD1 HS FR vs Pacifica PAC611HFM
Cort
Pro Origins 1985 Limited Edition San Dimas SD1 HS FR vs KX700 EverTune
Related instruments
Jackson · Electric guitar
X Series Dinky DK3XR HSS
Neon Green
A double-locking Floyd Rose and a compound radius, in the loudest finish Jackson makes
Jackson · 7-string electric guitar
Pro Plus Series Signature Misha Mansoor Juggernaut ET7
Metallic Black
An EverTune bridge, stainless frets and a 20-inch radius — a studio seven-string
Jackson · Electric guitar
JS Series Dinky JS11Q
Transparent Black, Austin Bazaar starter bundle
Everything a first metal player needs, in one box
Jackson · Electric guitar
X Series Dinky DK3XR HSS
Cobalt Blue
The same double-locking Dinky, in the finish you can take to a function gig