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Jackson Guitars
Origins and history
Jackson Guitars emerged from Grover Jackson's 1978 takeover of the well-known company Charvel's Guitar Repair. The collaboration with then Ozzy Osbourne guitarist Randy Rhoads in 1980 resulted in the Rhoads body shape, still available today, and also marked the start of Jackson Guitars. The timing was perfect: heavy metal enjoyed a heyday in the 1980s and the trend (sparked by Eddie Van Halen) was the so-called super- or powerstrat. These are guitars that are visually more or less based on the classic ST shape, but fitted with more modern and stylistically appropriate components like humbuckers or Floyd Rose tremolos. Soon Jackson had earned a reputation as a forge of first-class, US-built high-end custom instruments, seen in the hands of many well-known guitarists of the time. With the musical changes of the 1990s, Jackson Guitars began opening factories in the Far East to offer their instruments in more affordable ranges. Since 2002 both Jackson and Charvel have been part of the Fender Musical Instruments Corporation.
Jackson models
One absolute Jackson classic is the Dinky: an ST-style body optimised for playability with a slim body and a bolt‑on neck. With a neck‑through design the model is called the Soloist. Besides the more comfortable access to the upper frets, this construction results in improved resonance, giving the guitar a bit more low end.
As already mentioned, Jackson is known for heavy guitars, which is reflected in the look of their instruments. The company‑founding Rhoads shape remains a true Jackson mainstay to this day. It is based on a Flying V but with a pointier, more aggressive design and a noticeably shortened lower horn. The symmetrical variant with equally sized horns is called the King V. Under the name Kelly you'll find Jackson's take on the famous Explorer shape. Fans of unconventional instruments should check out the Warrior, whose body resembles a distorted X.
Jackson Guitars are known for their close collaboration with artists, so there are frequently artist or signature models—for example from Misha Mansoor (Periphery), Mick Thompson (Slipknot) or Chris Broderick (Megadeth, Nevermore)—whose design and specifications sometimes differ more, sometimes less from the standard models.
Almost all models are available in a wide variety of configurations and colours, and many are also offered as 7-string variants.
Jackson series
The line-up at Jackson is kept very clear. The JS series represents the entry point into the Jackson world. Here newcomers will find affordable but well-made and great-sounding instruments with the typical Jackson DNA. If you place a bit more value on higher-grade components such as branded pickups or hardware, take a look at the X series.
The Pro or Professional series stands for high-quality components, excellent workmanship and absolutely reliable workhorses—the perfect tools for the metal guitarist.
Under the USA Custom Shop label Jackson produces the instruments that brought them worldwide fame 40 years ago: hand-built high-end instruments in the USA or the realisation of entirely individual customer requests. Jackson USA Custom guitars undoubtedly rank among the absolute crème de la crème in the field of heavy guitars.
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