ID and info on YOUR import Jackson

[jackson1]

This might be useful for some of you new guys:


Serials, Import Jackson guitars

<font color="green">Professional, neckthrough, Japan</font>
J0xxxxx = 1990
J1xxxxx = 1991
etc.

<font color="green">Professional, bolt-on, Japan</font>
1xxxxx = 1991
2xxxxx = 1992
3xxxxx = 1993
4xxxxx = 1994
5xxxxx = 1995
96xxxx = 1996

<font color="green">Professional, bolt-on, India &amp; Korea</font>
Starts with 0 or 1 regardless of year of production.
Total number of digits i don't know.


Information on specific models

<font color="green">Rhoads Pro (by Joe Corsano, JCF member charvel750)</font>
There have been at least three versions of the Rhoads Pro neck through Jackson. The originals (from 1990 through about 1994) were simply known as the Rhoads Pro. They were maple neck through body guitars with poplar sides, 22 fret necks on ebony fingerboards, mother of pearl logo and sharkfin inlays, active Jackson electronics, JT-590 Schaller trem, and three control knobs on the pickguard. Very, very high quality instruments that rivaled the USA ones of the era.
By 1993-1994 the pickups were uncovered and the truss rod covers began to say "Rhoads Pro" but the model remained the same. Also during this time the "Standard" came out. It was a neck through but had dot inlay, rosewood board, passive pickups/electronics, JT-580 trem, and no pearl inlays. The RR-5 is the modern Pro version which is a string through with gold hardware. All three are nice, but the first are the finest of the series.

---

Feel free to add useful info on other models too.

[Newc]

Re: ID and info on YOUR import Jackson

Cool idea - somebody should sticky this one [img]/images/graemlins/toast.gif[/img]

There are a few variations to those lists, such as the bolt-ons that had stickers on the back of the head with the serial number (JTX model and a couple of others). Some of those started with "J0" but were not made in 1990 and were not neckthrough.
Japanese serial numbers have 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 digits, plus the J at the front of them.

Newc

[GodOfRhythm]

Re: ID and info on YOUR import Jackson

Thanks man!

How about we 'add' to the original post everytime we discover something new about them? That way you get an archive of sorts.

Thanks!

[jackson1]

Re: ID and info on YOUR import Jackson

Short history of early japanese Jackson's &amp; Charvel's

Around 1986, Grover Jackson went to Japan to setup a shop that could produce japanese Jackson/Charvel guitars. Grover (or people from the Jackson company) taught the japanese how to build a quality guitar, apparently to the level of an american J/C. History shows that the japanese were listening and learning fast.

The "golden" japanese Jackson Pro / Charvel period is considered to be from <font color="yellow">1987 - 1993</font>. Guitars build at the japanese shop in this period is normally accepted as being on par with american J/C guitars and were pretty expensive too, not to forget.

Word is that around 1993-1994 Jackson USA decided to change the production quality and lower the prices of their japanese guitars, due to these japanese models cutting into US sales. They were simply too good.

[FLuX]

Re: ID and info on YOUR import Jackson

ahem
NOTP sold me this KE3 and it has serial # J012496 and is therefore according to him a 1996 model.. but aren't KE3 japan made bolt on pro series?

i'm confuzzled.

[Number Of The Priest]

Re: ID and info on YOUR import Jackson

I never quite figured out my KE3... I did ask about the serial number recently, and Newc deduced that it was a 1996 KE3 Kelly Professional. I always thought it was definitely Japanese due to the "Professional" script on the headstock... but the J0 start to the serial number makes it a neckthrough which is weird... I saw this topic earlier today and was wondering about that. [img]/images/graemlins/scratchhead.gif[/img]

I had a question about the topic. Serial numbers starting with 0 would make it a non-Japanese Professional guitar, but I always thought Professionals were made in Japan, and Performers were made in India.

I'm confused too.

[Jacksonfan]

Re: ID and info on YOUR import Jackson

My PS4's serial number is 9644273 and it was made in Japan, at least that is what it had on the sticker on the back of the neck (I have seen a PS4 with a "Made in Korea" sticker though). I bought it in 2000 from Musicians Friend. It must have been in their stock for a while. I assume that Jackson's address had changed because when I attempted to mail the warranty card that came with it, it was returned as undeliverable and that the forwarding time had expired.

[txcharvel]

Re: ID and info on YOUR import Jackson

On the Performer Series guitars, you can tell where they were made by checking out the 12th fret dot markers. The Japanese Performers have the regular J/C spaced dot markers as they should. The Indian Performers have the 12th fret dots far apart.

check this one out...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...sPageName=WDVW

[GodOfRhythm]

Re: ID and info on YOUR import Jackson

Wow, that's quite a difference txcharvel. Had never noticed that before, that goes in the booklet. Thanks.

[zeegler]

Re: ID and info on YOUR import Jackson

None of those works for my KV. It is a Japanese neckthru, and the serial is 002699. It is stamped at the bottom of the fretboard.

[RacerX]

Re: ID and info on YOUR import Jackson

Yours is a KV4, right zeeg? 00 = year 2000?

AFAIK, there were no Indian or Korean neckthroughs.

[zeegler]

Re: ID and info on YOUR import Jackson

[ QUOTE ]
Yours is a KV4, right zeeg? 00 = year 2000?

AFAIK, there were no Indian or Korean neckthroughs.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah, it's a KV4, and it's definitely Japanese made. It had the "MADE IN JAPAN" sticker on the back off the headstock. I wonder why the serial # doesn't start with a J? I also assumed it was a 2000, but I really know nothing about KV4s, so who knows.

[straycat]

Re: ID and info on YOUR import Jackson

My Kelly pro is a 94 J 401790.Ebony board MOP sharks and logo.

[jackson16]

Re: ID and info on YOUR import Jackson

wow thanks a lot for posting that. Im going to go check my two imports and see what year they are.

[Newc]

Re: ID and info on YOUR import Jackson

FLuX and NOTP - as I said, there were a few mid-90's bolt-ons that had stickers on the heads with "J0" serials. Neckthroughs always (always?) had the number stamped on the board.

I seem to recall the Kelly Star was a Professional model at first, and was made in India for a year (2001?), along with all the Professionals EXCEPT the PC-3, but then they were all moved back to Japan the following year, except the KS which became the KSXT.

I think Greg Crowe can clarify the KS info - I may be mistooken on it.

Newc