Jackson Import Serial Number Help

[bloobear]

I have a jackson Dinky DXMG with serial number 9696069, does anyone have an idea how jackson serial numbers work, my best guess it was made in 1996 is that accurate?

[Force]

Their serials are all over the place, 7 digits starting with 9 means it's Japanese. A rough guess would put yours around 2005, give or take a year.

[bloobear]

Is that implying the 06 refers to the year? i've tried looking and i cant find one that shows how to read the year

[Mudlark]

Those numbers started in the '90's as 9600000 and went up sequentially...ex:9600001, 9600002 etc. 9696069 should be 2003ish since I have 9697xxx on my list as being date stamped Sept, 2003.

As mentioned, those numbers are tricky, so removing the neck and checking the date stamps is the most accurate method.

[John Hart]

Hi guys,

I have 3 Jackson guitars with serial numbers as listed below
RR3 Serial number 9829684
Dinky serial number 9709268
Performer serial number 1040563

Any assistance in identifying the origin and value of these guitars would be great.

Thanks

[VitaminG]

welcome, John. As has previously been mentioned, import serials are sequential from when they introduced numbers starting in 96. From that point on, there's no magic to decipher the year from the serial, so the best you'll get is an estimate as to when it's made. Or you can remove the necks and look for date stamps. With a bit of luck, that should at least you give you a month & a year.

The first two are Japanese, the Performer is possibly Korean. If you can provide some specs on each guitar, we can determine what models they are which might help you work out their value

[Mudlark]

The big questions are: Do any guitars have a 'Professional' logo on the headstock? Are you sure the numbers are original to the guitars?

There were 2 different number formats.

#1) 96,97 and 98 =1996, 1997 and 1998 respectively. These numbers were date-coded.

#2) 96 = 1996-2003,
97 = 2003-2007
98 = 2007-2011. These numbers ran in sequence...9600000, 9600001, 9600002...etc. They stopped in 2011 around 986xxxx when Japanese production stopped.

I expect the second format applies to your numbers.

10xxxxx is mid '90s Korea. There's no way to be any more specific than that to my knowledge.

The RR3 should be 2008ish if it has black hardware. Chrome hardware would make it a 1998...'Professional' logo possible on a 1998.

The Dinky should be 2003-4.

As mentioned, removing the neck should provide date/model stamps on the Japanese models (96 and 97).
The Korean will almost certainly only have scribble or random numbers/letters in the neck pocket.

I'll pass on the value question.

[John Hart]

Hi guys

Thanks very much for the information, the RR3 has black furniture, Floyd Rose bridge, maple neck, shark fin inlays and there's no "professional" logo on the headstock.
The Dinky has chrome furniture, Floyd Rose bridge, maple neck, standard inlays and a reverse concorde headstock, also, no other logo except Jackson. It has dual humbuckers of Jackson origin, would it be worthwhile changing these out for some Seymour Duncan pickups as installed into the RR3?
The pickups in the Performer are finished, what would you recommend I use here. The guitar is tuned for drop d mostly.
In answer to the original serial number question, yes, the serial numbers are all original.
Thanks once again.
Cheers

[Mudlark]

If you enjoy the guitars, change the pickups. If they aren't enjoyable, leave the pickups alone. That's all I can offer.

The Dinky has 'standard inlays'? As in, dot inlays?

How many frets?

[John Hart]

Yep, that's the dot inlays and 22 frets.
Thanks for the advice