Bring Me the Horizon guitarist Lee Malia has partnered with Jackson to release his first offset signature guitar, the Pro Series Signature LM-87. In a time when offset guitars are growing in popularity among metal and progressive rock artists—like Mike Stringer of Spiritbox and Misha Mansoor of Periphery—Malia’s model stands out with its unique design and accessible price point.
The LM-87 was crafted to reflect Malia’s vision and playing style. He deliberately steered away from conventional Jackson designs, opting instead for something fresh. As he told Guitar World, his inspiration stemmed from a mix of existing designs he admired:
“I wanted something different from the usual Jackson. I looked online to see what customs had already been made, and I saw a Firebird shape with a reverse pointed headstock. It’s one of the nicest guitars I’ve ever seen – but we didn’t want Gibson to sue us! Then I found an old Charvel Surfcaster, and I knew I could make something really cool with it. Jackson brought it to life.”
While the body shape broke new ground, the feel of the guitar retained a sense of familiarity, resembling a Les Paul in tone and structure. The set neck, the inclusion of a P-90, and moderate-output pickups helped capture that vibe. However, Malia worked closely with Jackson to develop custom-voiced pickups to strike a careful tonal balance.
“We based it on the pickups from my Epiphone signatures, but we’ve modernized them. We went backwards and forwards on it a few times because I love pickups to sound really open, and I almost feel like the more gain in them, the more they compress. It was finding the right balance.”
That balance wasn’t achieved overnight. The first prototypes didn’t meet Malia’s standards, as they overwhelmed his playing with too much drive and not enough clarity. It wasn’t until the third iteration that everything clicked.
“The first one they sent was driving stuff too much; I was losing clarity. I knew they got it right the third time because they were so excited when they sent it to me. They’ve got a really good midrange attack. When you strum chords with gain, you hear everything – it doesn’t crap out.”
Despite the aggressive sound and professional features, Malia was firm in making the LM-87 affordable. A former fan of heavier instruments, he’s now shifted his preference toward lighter guitars for the sake of comfort and longevity.
“I used to have this thing about weighing my guitars and using the heaviest one because, for some reason, I thought I played better when it felt heavier – like I could lay into it more or whatever. As I’ve got a bit older and my back’s got worse, the lighter guitars are definitely better.”
To keep the cost under $1,000, Malia and the Jackson team made some intentional choices, omitting features like Luminlays and opting for plastic parts and Jackson hardware instead. Still, the final product retains quality where it matters most—performance and tone.
“We had Luminlays and a few other bits, but we took them out to keep it under $1,000. The pickup selector is plastic and it’s all Jackson hardware. Top-quality stuff, but it keeps the guitar at a good price point. There’s no point making it if no one can buy it.”
Malia’s signature LM-87 is a strong statement in today’s guitar market: a high-performance instrument with unique styling and serious tone, built to be accessible to fans and players alike.
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