How to use this guide: The purpose of this database is to help you easily identify any Charvel or Jackson model based on its specifications and image if attached. I can only document what I know or find, and this is an ONGOING project. Expect frequent changes on this and any of the sub-pages. **NEW** NOTE: The thumbnails open into bigger images. At least most of the time. The hyperlink leads to the same photo. Both will usually open in new tab.
The generalish format is like so:
Model name:
Body construction (plus top if any):
Neck construction (omitted in some circumstances, see below):
Fretboard (woods, binding if any, # frets, scale length):
Country(s) of manufacture:
Year(s):
Electronics (pickups, and additional):
Bridge (type):
Controls (knobs, switches, toggles):
Hardware color:
Finishes (and if headstock matches):
*sometimes* neck specs:
Other: (notes, etc)
Exceptions: I try to make this easy to look at without redundancy. If all Soloists for example are neck-thru, I will not mention such on every entry. Or if Dinkies by default are 24 frets, I may not note so unless a particular Dinky has 22 frets. If model is exactly like another but a small spec change (like a hardtail and tremolo version of the same model) I will note the difference but might not repeat the rest. We avoid very hard to track information, like MSRP or what cases the guitars came with unless I get explicit info from somewhere. Some dates are inexact, especially regarding spec changes, limited editions, or store exclusives.
The famous guitar ‘Jackson’ was made for essentially, a collaboration between Randy Rhoads and Grover Jackson. This database is meant to document production models rather than custom shop guitars and prototypes but let’s touch on it a bit. The Rhoads is an asymmetrical Flying V shaped guitar which Randy nicknamed ‘Concorde’ after the aircraft. There are a few prototypes but they all look close to production models aside from the vintage style tremolo. I will cover the normal models here also some special ones like the Roswell Rhoads. (The Roswell 'Star' is Custom Shop also). Unless noted, these are neck-thru with 22 frets and a 1 vol/1 tone/three-way toggle.
Jackson’s other signature model (see Rhoads entry), these are neck-thru superstrats. The first was completed August 28, 1984. Early distinctions were between the Soloist Custom: neck-thru, 24 frets, ebony, bound fretboard, and ‘sharkfins’ or pearl dots and Soloists Student: the same but rosewood, no binding, and pearl dots only. Both of course were of equal quality. Floyd Rose, Kahler, and string through body were some options and Seymour Duncan’s were stock until 1985 when Jackson started to use in-house wound pickups. The finishes were pretty much whatever. Ontario era brings some changes such as the JT-6 bridge and an archtop option. In 1990 Soloists became a regular production model. An asterisk means that the model or specs of such are dubious and clarification or further research is needed.
Jackson Soloist SLATX7Q MS: Multiscale 7 string Soloist. 'X series'. Made in Indonesia. Poplar body, maple neck, laurel fretboard with offset dot pearloid inlays. 24 frets. 25.5-27" scale length. Jackson high-output pickups, HH. Staggered saddle bridge. AT-1 headstock 4x3. Black hardware. Finishes: trans blue burst
Jackson Soloist SLA6 DX Baritone: An X-series longer scale Soloist for 2022. Arch top nyatoh body with white binding. Made in China. Maple neck with graphite reinforcement. Bound laurel fretboard with pearloid piranha inlays. 26.5 scale length. EMG 81/85 HH pickups (direct mount). HT6 string-thru body bridge. Vol, tone, three-way blade switch. Finishes: satin black
Called ‘Dinky’ for the body size, they feature “a lighter body with high-speed playability” according to Jackson. These are bolt on guitars, otherwise identical to the Soloists in many flavors. Assume they have a compound radius 12” to 16” fretboard, maple bolt-on 24 fret neck, and standard volume, tone, and three or five way toggle unless otherwise noted. Asterisks mean more information and research is needed. As of 2023 the 'Virtuoso' series will be here too.
This is an aggressively styled guitar named after ‘King’ Robbin Crosby of Ratt. The V-shaped design spawned from a custom Jackson he’d play, a ‘Double Rhoads’ (a V guitar comprised of the ‘long’ wings of a Rhoads. This was never a regular production model). Later Dave Mustaine would be the face of this guitar among others. The King V was designed as a smaller version of the Double Rhoads to accompany more average sized players. These guitars are traditionally two humbucker designs with a tremolo, but not always. Other design specs vary as well, such as 24 or 22 frets, knob/control configurations, the fretboard, etc.
An aggressive vaguely Explorer shaped guitar named after Bradford Kelly of Heaven in the early 80s (more specifically a ‘Special Explorer’ which had a larger ‘King Kelly’ body size than modern Kelly guitars). Since then many other players like Marty Friedman have made it a Jackson family mainstay. Kelly guitars usually have a typical Jackson neck, two humbucker pickups, a locking tremolo, 24 frets, and a neck-thru or bolt-on neck. That is not always however, there 22 fret versions with accordingly altered body dimensions and of course the three different body sizes overall. (See additional references at bottom)
An X shaped guitar with each point resembling a Jackson headstock. Introduced late 1989 and designed by Mikey Wright, a Jackson R&D, the shape was discontinued (and apparently unpopular) a year later after the USA and Professional models. In 2001 however, it was reissued and continued to be a brutal design earning its namesake. Usual specs include 24 frets, fast Jackson neck, a tremolo, and two humbucking pickups. Unique to the initial models, the USA and Pro are the 24.75 scale and have three slanted in reverse rail pickups. See Links section for more history.
A four string bass Jackson offered at least as early as 1984. The classic Concert Bass is a four string 34 inch scale neck-thru or bolt-on bass with 21 frets using a p-bass (J-20) neck pickup and a jazz single coil (J-150) or humbucking (varied) bridge pickup along with the J-2000 Bass preamp later. It has the ‘custom’ and ‘student’ options as did many classic custom shop Jacksons. During the 90s the Concert bass had three ‘Professional’ series variants and a ‘Performer’. In 1998 the line was drastically redesigned into several four and five string variants, passive and active. In 2002 it received another redesign as the CMG Concert bass and finally in 2012 using a similar look to the previous the current JS and X Series Concert basses.
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