If there was even one USA-made neckthrough Charvel (barring Vic Vergat's V that had no logo on it), it's highly unlikely that it would be in the possession of someone who did not know what it was.įor USA Jacksons and Charvels, click here: If a Charvel is neckthrough, it's Japanese-made. Second, if a Charvel bears a neckplate that has the 'Ft Worth, TX' address, it was made in Japan (though a neckplate being held on with bolts can be put on a real USA Jackson or Charvel, which has been known to happen, however we'll cover proper identification of those later). To pinpoint the year, scroll down to the Serial Number section. As well, there are quite a few Professional models that are not marked 'Professional'.Īnyway, the 'Professional' logo was dropped sometime around 1998, so if it says 'Professional' on the head, it was made between 19/98. There were some USA models that were not marked 'Made In USA' (why, I have no idea).

If it doesn't say 'Made In USA' or 'Custom Shop', it's most likely made in Japan.

Same thing with 'Performer', 'Concept', or anything else. There are no USA-made 'Professional' Jacksons. So with that stuff out of the way, let's begin.įirst, any Jackson that says 'Professional' on the head was made in Japan. Many of these were exclusive to one country/region, and some were even specially made for a given dealer in very limited quantities and were never shown or mentioned in a catalog. #2 - Jackson did some wierd experiments in the mid 90s that resulted in quite a few unique models. And just because you see a given serial number on a neckplate on a bolt-on guitar or a given neck on a given body doesn't mean it came from the factory that way. Just because you see a particular pickup on a guitar doesn't mean they are original.

Obviously this means that just because you see a model name written on a trussrod cover, that doesn't mean it belongs to that model. #1 - anything that is held onto a guitar with screws can be removed.

There are a few very important things to consider when reading this: Ok, I'm going to attempt to lay down the basics of IDing your guitar - determining the model, determining the country of manufacture, and how to tell what year it was made (within limits).

Jackson charvel serial numbers