Gear

The Weigh-Up: Jackson Pro Series Signature Lee Malia LM-87 (Gear Review)

Walladmin

Heavy Metal Wordsmith

/10

Jun 3, 2025

7 min read

The Jackson Pro Series Signature Lee Malia LM-87 is a modern guitar wrapped in vintage attitude. Designed in collaboration with Bring Me The Horizon’s Lee Malia, the LM-87 takes the soul of Jackson/Charvel’s classic offset Surfcaster shape and injects it with serious firepower — making it one of the most unique and versatile offerings in the current Pro Series lineup.

Available for $1,799 AUD, the LM-87 stands out with its open-pore Okoume construction finished in black and stripped-back visual aesthetic, showing off the grain designed to age beautifully over time. It’s built for players who appreciate character and a guitar that wears in, not out.

Despite its bold visuals, what really makes the LM-87 shine is what’s under the hood. Featuring a custom Jackson humbucker in the bridge and a P90 in the neck, this model delivers clarity, grind, and warmth in equal measure - with a level of responsiveness that’s rare in this price bracket.

A Modern Classic in Disguise

The open-pore Okoume body keeps the LM-87 light and extremely resonant, while a 3-piece set-neck (also Okoume) reinforced with graphite gives it touring-level stability. The 12 - 16" compound radius Amaranth fretboard feels smooth and fast, ideal for both intricate lead playing and hard hitting rhythm work. Combined with chrome hardware, die-cast locking tuners, and the unique hardtail TOM-style bridge, this is a guitar that balances vintage vibes with modern practicality which I quickly fell in love with.

New Shark Eye inlays across 22 jumbo frets add a visual punch that complements the understated look of the rest of the instrument, very sick I might add. And while the 3-ply pickguard and single volume/tone controls keep things simple, the push-pull coil split quietly expands tonal options without overcomplicating the layout. I personally am a huge fan of clean control layouts and especially on guitars that look this good! Such a shame when it’s a cluttered mess.

Performance That Inspires

Unplugged, the LM-87 is shockingly alive.

It resonates in your hands in a way that makes you want to keep playing, literally singing out of your hands. Plugged in, it covers a huge range of tonal ground — the humbucker in the bridge being hot but not to crazy and not too heavily compressed delivers punchy, articulate high-gain tones that hold together even under heavy saturation, while the P90 neck pickup brings warmth and clarity perfect for clean passages, mid-gain crunch, and even huge high gain riffs you hear a lot in today's modern metal - crazy for a neck pickup!

These aren’t big 3rd party named pickups — they’re Jackson’s very own custom-wound design that they’ve worked very closely with Lee over an extensive time to develop. These pickups are expressive, dynamic, and very well-voiced in my opinion. They don’t feel sterile or overly compressed — they respond to how you play, not just how hard you hit. A rare quality, especially at this price point.

Final Word

The Jackson Pro Series Signature Lee Malia LM-87 might be aimed at fans of modern metal and rock, but it's true strength lies in its versatility and feel. It doesn’t just look the part — it performs like a far more expensive instrument. With a unique pickup configuration, tour-ready construction, and incredible resonance, this is a guitar that punches well above its class.

I can’t stress enough how inspiring this guitar is straight out of the box!

In a market filled with signature guitars that often feel like cash grabs or overly specific tools, the LM-87 is a refreshing exception. Whether you’re chasing crushing riffs, soaring leads, or rich cleans, this is an axe that can genuinely handle it all - and make you want to pick it up again and again.

Sure, there are a few minor drawbacks, like the lack of strap locks or luminlays - features more commonly found on today’s modern guitars - and the push-pull pot can be a bit tricky to handle on sweaty stages. But these issues are easily remedied.

What matters is that this guitar feels like it was built for real players. Built for the NeXGEn ;)

Review by Jesse Crofts @jessecrxfts