Jackson Serial Numbers

DATING JACKSON GUITARS BY REFERENCE OF SERIAL NUMBERS

In 1980, Grover Jackson, Mike Shannon, and Tim Wilson founded the Jackson Guitar Company, which currently has production locations in 5 countries. Each production location has a unique format for their serial numbers, resulting in diverse serial number formats across the company.

Where to find the serial number

Depending on the model you find the serial number stamped into the neck plate or stamped on the fingerboard at the last fret or on the headstock.

To determine the production year of your Jackson guitar, you can either use Jackson serial numbers decoder or refer to the explanation of the dating system PROVIDED BELOW.

decoder coming soon… see tables

Jackson history in short

Prior to the early 1980s, Grover Jackson was employed by guitar builder and manufacturer Wayne Charvel, who was known for producing Fender Stratocaster copies and was the first to create a 24-fret guitar, the “Superstrat.” Jackson founded his own company in 1980, focusing on crafting customized guitars for individual customers. One of his earliest clients was Randy Rhoads, the guitarist for Ozzy Osbourne, who inspired the creation of the “RR” model based on the Flying V or Gibson design.

The exceptional quality of Jackson guitars drew the attention of heavy metal musicians and led to the development of iconic models such as the King V, Soloist, Concert, and Dinky. These guitars were originally produced in San Dimas, California, and later in Ontario, California.

In 1985, Jackson was acquired by IMC, which aimed to expand its guitar market. While Jackson continued to produce high-end guitars, they also began manufacturing more affordable versions of their standard designs in Asia to cater to customers with a smaller budget.

In late 2002, Fender Musical Instruments Corporation purchased Jackson from IMC, and American production was subsequently relocated to the Fender factory in Corona, California. Despite the expansion of their product line and manufacturing locations, Jackson has maintained a reputation for producing top-quality guitars.