Jackson Guitar Company was founded in 1980 by Grover Jackson, Mike Shannon and Tim Wilson.
Until the early 1980s, Grover Jackson worked for guitar maker Wayne Charvel. Charvel made Fender Stratocaster copies and became the first manufacturer of a 24-fret “SuperStrat” guitar.
In 1980, Grover founded his own company and focused primarily on custom guitars. One of his first clients was Ozzy Osbourne guitarist Randy Rhoads. This led to the creation of the “RR” model, based on a Flying V.
Thanks to the high quality of Jackson guitars, more and more guitarists, especially from the heavy metal scene, commissioned custom guitars from Grover Jackson. This led to the creation of such legendary models as the King V, Soloist, Concert, and Dinky. The guitars were manufactured in San Dimas, California, and later in Ontario, California.
In 1985, IMC acquired a majority stake in Jackson and began focusing on a broader guitar market. Jackson began producing lower-cost versions of its standard models in Asia to make its guitars more accessible.
In late 2002, Fender Musical Instruments Corporation acquired Jackson from IMC, and American production was moved to the Fender factory in Corona, California.
Where to Find The Serial Number?
You can find Jackson serial number stamped on the neck plate, on the fingerboard at the last fret, or on the headstock.
American-made Jackson Serial Number
Jackson Custom Shop Bolt On
| Serials | Year | Factory |
|---|---|---|
| 1001–1505 | 1986 | San Dimas, California |
| 1506–7303 | 1987–1989 | Ontario, California |
| 7304–7498 | 1990 | Ontario, California |
| 7762–7814 | 1992 | Ontario, California |
| 7815–7898 | 1993 | Ontario, California |
| 7899–7973 | 1994 | Ontario, California |
| 7974–8013 | 1995 | Ontario, California |
| 8014–8055 | 1996 | Ontario, California |
| 8056–8089 | 1997 | Ontario, California |
| 8090–8138 | 1998 | Ontario, California |
| 8139–8158 | 1999 | Ontario, California |
| 8159–8176 | 2000 | Ontario, California |
| 8177– | 2001 | Ontario, California |
Jackson USA Bolt On
| Serials | Year | Factory |
|---|---|---|
| 000001–000900 | 1990 | Ontario, California |
| 000901–001563 | 1991 | Ontario, California |
| 001564–001739 | 1992 | Ontario, California |
| 001740–001931 | 1993 | Ontario, California |
| 001932–002324 | 1994 | Ontario, California |
| 002325–002687 | 1995 | Ontario, California |
| 002688–003370 | 1996 | Ontario, California |
| 003371–004676 | 1997 | Ontario, California |
| 004677–004923 | 1998 | Ontario, California |
| 004924–004974 | 1999 | Ontario, California |
| 004975–005050 | 2000 | Ontario, California |
| 005051– | 2001 | Ontario, California |
Jackson Junior
| Serials | Year | Factory |
|---|---|---|
| 0001JJ–0091JJ | 1994 | Ontario, California |
| 0092JJ–0105JJ | 1995 | Ontario, California |
| 0106JJ–0256JJ | 1996 | Ontario, California |
| 0257JJ–0422JJ | 1997 | Ontario, California |
| 0423JJ–0583JJ | 1998 | Ontario, California |
| 0584JJ–0605JJ | 1999 | Ontario, California |
| 0606JJ–0643JJ | 2000 | Ontario, California |
| 0644JJ– | 2001 | Ontario, California |
Randy Rhoads Neck-Thru Body
| Serials | Year | Factory |
|---|---|---|
| RR0000 | 1982 | San Dimas, California |
| RR0001–RR0294 | 1983 | San Dimas, California |
| RR0295–RR0996 | 1984 | San Dimas, California |
| RR0997–RR1754 | 1985 | San Dimas, California |
| RR1755–RR1929 | 1986 | San Dimas, California |
| RR1930–RR2115 | 1987 | Ontario, California |
| RR2116–RR2274 | 1988 | Ontario, California |
| RR2275–RR2527 | 1989 | Ontario, California |
| RR2528–RR2664 | 1990 | Ontario, California |
| RR2665–RR2683 | 1991 | Ontario, California |
| RR2684–RR2706 | 1992 | Ontario, California |
| RR2707–RR2724 | 1993 | Ontario, California |
| RR2725–RR2744 | 1994 | Ontario, California |
| RR2745–RR2756 | 1995 | Ontario, California |
| RR2757–RR2784 | 1996 | Ontario, California |
| RR2785–RR2801 | 1997 | Ontario, California |
| RR2802–RR2823 | 1998 | Ontario, California |
| RR2824–RR2844 | 1999 | Ontario, California |
| RR2845–RR2860 | 2000 | Ontario, California |
| RR2861– | 2001 | Ontario, California |
Custom Neck-Thru Body
| Serials | Year | Factory |
|---|---|---|
| J0001–J0034 | 1983 | San Dimas, California |
| J0035–J04064 | 1984 | San Dimas, California |
| J0407–J1539 | 1985 | San Dimas, California |
| J1540–J2799 | 1986 | San Dimas, California |
| J2800–J4072 | 1987 | Ontario, California |
| J4073–J5007 | 1988 | Ontario, California |
| J5008–J56574 | 1989 | Ontario, California |
| J5658–J5842 | 1990 | Ontario, California |
| J5843–J5923 | 1991 | Ontario, California |
| J5924–J5974 | 1992 | Ontario, California |
| J5975–J6079 | 1993 | Ontario, California |
| J6080–J6171 | 1994 | Ontario, California |
| J6172–J6238 | 1995 | Ontario, California |
| J6239–J6300 | 1996 | Ontario, California |
| J6301–J6379 | 1997 | Ontario, California |
| J6380–J6444 | 1998 | Ontario, California |
| J6445–J6506 | 1999 | Ontario, California |
| J6506–6568 | 2000 | Ontario, California |
| J6569– | 2001 | Ontario, California |
Jackson Archtop
| Serials | Year | Factory |
|---|---|---|
| JA0001–JA0011 | 1986 | San Dimas, California |
| JA0012–JA0036 | 1987 | Ontario, California |
| JA0037–JA0087 | 1988 | Ontario, California |
| JA0088–JA0149 | 1989 | Ontario, California |
| JA0150–JA0169 | 1990 | Ontario, California |
| JA0170–JA0175 | 1991 | Ontario, California |
| JA0176–JA0177 | 1992 | Ontario, California |
| JA0178–JA0179 | 1993 | Ontario, California |
| JA0180 | 1994 | Ontario, California |
| JA0182–JA0185 | 1999 | Ontario, California |
| JA0186–JA0191 | 2000 | Ontario, California |
| JA0192–JA194 | 2001 | Ontario, California |
Jackson USA Neck-Thru Body
| Serials | Year | Factory |
|---|---|---|
| UO0001–UO0852 | 1990 | Ontario, California |
| UO0853–UO1750 | 1991 | Ontario, California |
| UO1751–UO2070 | 1992 | Ontario, California |
| UO2071–UO2527 | 1993 | Ontario, California |
| UO2528–UO2941 | 1994 | Ontario, California |
| UO2942–UO3211 | 1995 | Ontario, California |
| UO3212–UO4005 | 1996 | Ontario, California |
| UO4006–UO5247 | 1997 | Ontario, California |
| UO5248–UO6904 | 1998 | Ontario, California |
| UO6905–UO7626 | 1999 | Ontario, California |
| UO7627–UO8969 | 2000 | Ontario, California |
| UO8970– | 2001 | Ontario, California |
Jackson JS, X, and Pro Series Since 2013
Jackson JS, X, and Pro series guitars since 2013 have had a 10-digit serial number.
The first letter indicates the country of manufacture. The second indicates the factory. The third “J” stands for Jackson. The first two digits indicate the year of manufacture.
The First Letter – Country
| Letter | Country |
|---|---|
| I | Indonesia |
| C | China |
| N | India |
The Second Letter – Factory
| Letter | Factory |
|---|---|
| H | Harmony Musical Instruments |
| W | World Music Instruments |
| C | Cort |
| S | Samick |