1. Jackson Soloist Serial Number Lookup
2. Jackson Dinky Serial Number Lookup
3. Jackson Serial Number Lookup Cwj1533147

Once the four digit serial number series was launched in late 1981, we began to see more standardization in components and features. The cream of this crop are Charvels that have original hardware, finish, neck, body, factory bridge, pickup(s), strap buttons, cavity plates, and serialized neckplate. An all original guitar should have no added controls, switches, or modifications.
Ideally the specifications of the guitar should match the factory logbook. The factory kept a detailed logbook of every guitar that left the factory. This log is still maintained today. However, in the early days things were apparently not that organized. The serial numbers were not necessarily released in perfect order as guitars were built. The book has many serial numbers with black entries and has been known to be inconsistent. In collector circles, allegiance to this book varies widely. It is best to use information on this website, collectors and players, and original Charvel employees (when you can get a hold of them) to verify guitars.

How to identify these guitars:
- The first three things to look for: a) neckplate b) neck with correct logo and c) body

• 21 rows  Jackson JS, X and Pro Series guitars that were made from 2013 until present day feature a 10-digit alphanumeric serial number located on the back of the headstock or neckplate. The first two number digits in the serial number identify the year the guitar was created.
• A Jackson guitar is dated by cross-referencing the serial number with the product dating reference chart. The serial number is generally found on the neck plate on bolt-on neck models and on the fingerboard of the last fret on neck-through-body model guitars, and the manufacturing product date and manufacturer location are based upon the serial number.
• Call the number on the warranty and select option 1 then give the serial number to the representative. They can only verify Jacksons made after 2002 or 2003 because Jackson was bought by Fender. The number is 480-596-9690.
• The Serial Number Charts Refer to USA-made Jackson & Charvel instruments only. The below information was taken directly from Jackson Guitars website. On Neck-Thru Body Models: The serial number is stamped into the fingerboard at the last fret. On Bolt-On Neck Models: The serial number is stamped into the neck plate.

Anybody know anything about Jackson's Serial numbers. The only information I can find is about their american made guitars. Anyway, I have a KE3, whic. The serial number is NHJ1048863, has sticker on head that says 'Jackson crafted with quality Made in India. Any help would be appreciated. I can't seem to did any info on it.

- Neckplate

- The four screw neckplate will be Gold plated over black and have a 4 digit serial number with the San Dimas factory address.
It will have in raised characters:
Charvel (the logo)
P.O. Box 245
San Dimas, CA
91773

- The serial number will either be or fall between 1001 and 5491.
- As has been noted over the years, any serial number 5492 and above would not be an authentic Charvel as an unknown number of plates escaped the factory after manufacturing of USA Charvels ceased. The majority of these plates were unstamped with no number and could easily be forged.
- If you find a 5 digit San Dimas serial plate, it could part of the series mentioned above.
- Many of the early plates were made of very weak alloy. It is common to find severely warped neckplates with the neck screws causing damage. This was the case into the early 2000 serial range. Comparison picture.

NOTE: In this case I recommend installing a generic plate and safeguarding the original! Charvels use standard Fender neck bolt spacing and almost any kind of plate will work.

-Later production neckplates were seated on a plastic bezel.

- Neck

- The neck should have a correct logo : Strat headstock natural necks have 'medium sized' 2' black logos with MADE IN USA printed on the bottom. Jackson headstock necks have larger 2.5' logos, gold mostly.
- Charvel guitars came with 21 fret necks originally and than 22 in later years. A 24 fret 'Charvel' has yet to surface but anything is possible.
- The first original Charvel guitars came with either strat or tele headstock designs. I have seen a flying V with a Gibson-style headstock as well as Explorer type headstocks but these are extremely rare!
- What I call 'Jackson headstock' necks began production sometime in late 1982-early 1983 (after the RR guitar was designed, the Jackson headstock was incorporated into the Charvel line). Many vintage enthusiasts call these 'pointy headstock' or 'hockey stick' or whatever else....I like to call them Jackson headstock necks.
- The 21 fret neck production tapered off sometime around late 1982. One could, of course, always order one as a special.
- Strat headstock guitars ended regular production in mid-1983 though later ones exist due to legal action taken by Fender (Production remained on a limited basis for replacement for original necks broken, employee guitars, endorsement deals, and guitars destined for overseas sale).
- Strat headstock Charvel guitars are the most copied modern guitar on the market!!!
- Logo color: the most common is the gold logo on a black Jackson style headstock. For strat headstocks, black over natural is most common.
- All regular production logos feature 'MADE IN USA' printed under the 'arvel' in the logo.
- Black logos were installed on natural strat headstocks as well as lighter color 'paint to match' headstocks. Gold logos were applied to black and dark colors.
- 21 fret necks have rounded fretboard heels. 22 fret necks have squared edge heels.
- The heels of strat headstock necks and Jackson headstock necks are different widths. This is the very first thing to look for on strat headstock guitars. The strat necks have a more narrow heel measuring 2 1/8'. Jackson headstock necks have a 2 1/4' heel. It is enough to leave a gap in the neck pocket. Look for this and you'll be able to tell if the neck was meant for the body.
- Early Jackson headstocks have painted faces (black or matching). Later necks have a cap made of plastic cut to fit on the face. See the painted headstock and capped headstocks.
- Strat and tele necks have the skunk stripe on the back extending from the heel to the point in the middle of the second fret (on the back, of course).
- The “ball-end” of the strat headstocks have a distinctive circular shape to them. Compare the tip of the Charvel strat headstock to a Fender or other copy and you’ll see it.
- The early strat necks were all hand shaped and vary widely. Some are fat like Les Paul necks and some are very shallow and wide across the fingerboard.
- The Jackson headstock necks are pretty consistent as far as radius and width.
- Early maple strat necks are all one piece. Later Jackson headstock necks ones had the maple “slab” fingerboards.
- The maple cap necks were typically the same radius and width as their Jackson cousins!
- String trees were commonly applied to strat headstock necks. Small brass circular trees were used for the high E and B strings. A few I have seen have some guitars with two trees. Guitars fitted with Floyd or Kahler locking tremolo systems will not have a factory string tree as it would have been unnecessary. Necks most commonly had one tree for the high E and B strings. The second tree was for the G and D strings.
- Once the Floyd Rose system was invented, Charvel began to manufacture necks with a 9/16” extension at the top of the fingerboard to provide proper seating for the locking nut. Kahler equipped models use the standard cut neck.
- Strat necks came with a black phenolic nut seated like a Fender. Brass nuts were factory options, as well. Jackson headstock necks came with black nuts seated at the end of the fretboard.
- Necks are typically unfinished and oiled, rare examples exist with lacquered necks
- Jackson headstock necks have thin clearcoats which commonly chip away.
- Strat necks are most commonly oiled. Some are 100% lacquered or painted to match the body and some have only lacquered/painted headstock faces.
- Here is another pic of a bottom lug tuner with a crown style peg.
- Here is a pic where the lug is parallel with the tuner body with standard pegs.
- Later models (and most) have black Gotohs with no logos on the back. Plain black on 99% of the -Jackson headstock headstock necks.
- Here is an example of a Jackson hs neck with gold tuners.
- Remember that there are four different sized logos:
- larger pre-serialization ONLY 1 3/4' long with no 'MADE IN USA'
- medium logos Strat/Tele headstock guitars only, 2' long with 'MADE IN USA'
- large logos were about 2 1/4' long primarily on Jackson headstock necks and a later production strat headstock necks (especially on the Allen Holdsworth models and endorsee guitars).

- Bodies

- Standard shapes (guitar) were: Strat, Tele, Star, Flying V & Explorer

Jackson Soloist Serial Number Lookup

-The standard stratocaster shape was, by far, the most common body shape. Most collectors identify the body by looking at the bevels, cavity plates, and sometimes markings in the neck pocket.
- Strap buttons are one of the distinctive parts which were originally designed by Wayne Charvel and are still in use today. Same with tuners, early models all had brass buttons and later black.
- Rare other shapes include dinky strats, pointy wing stars, pointy wing Explorers & doublenecks.
- Very early bodies had thick plastic cavity plates, later ones had brushed aluminum.
- The control cavity will have a three screw, triangular shaped, small cover.
- Trem cavities have typical 6 screw covers and are not recessed. Guitars equipped with vintage trems have slotted covers.
- Toggle switch cavities (Explorers and Stars) have small, oval two- screw jobs when they are placed out on the horn
- Look for brass ground plates in all control cavities.
- Most bodies have contours on the top, back edges.
- All humbucker rings on San Dimas Charvels are standard Gibson sized, never the later Jackson style oversized rings.
- Single coils (backed in) are routed with space for the pickup tongue. Later Jacksons have perfect ovals.
- Knobs will be brass or black (rarely chrome) and have allen wrench set screws.
- Switches vary with no way to tell originality for sure.
- Toggle switches usually have black or brass bezel. The knob is conical with an edge near the tip.
- Jackplates are football style with two anchor screws. Early jackplates were made from brushed aluminum, not steel. Later guitars had the smooth, thicker steel versions. Here is an old style jackplate. The change to the newer style jackplate occurred somewhere around serial number 3500.
- Finishes vary from standard colors to wild graphics. Look for THICK layers of clearcoat and examine any chips for the primer underneath.
- The earliest Charvels came with brass tremolos. There are two types of saddles which came with Charvels, one with perfect oval saddle slots and the other had “keyhole” style slots.
- Vintage tremolo arms were straight or with a slight bend.
- Only brass was installed originally. Black and chrome bridges have been known to exist but are far less common. Here is a typical brass vintage trem.
- Kahlers were more common than Floyds though either could be ordered.
- Always be wary of chrome hardware on Charvels. It is highly unlikely chrome Charvel style strap buttons ever existed but knobs, tuners, and trems seemed to have been used on occasion.

- Pickups/Controls/Misc

- Charvels originally came with DiMarzios, Duncans, or Mighty Mite pickups. Other brands could be ordered such as EMG's, Bartolini, Bill Lawrence, etc.
- You could (and still can) order Charvels and Jacksons with any type of pickups in any configuration you like. Starting sometime in 1985, Charvels were commonly fitted with homegrown Jackson pickups. This is quite common in the mid 85 to 86 guitars.
- Many came with Duncans and DiMarzios stock so most collectors don’t really worry what is in them now. You can look at the solder points as cues to originality.
- You can typically look at wear and oxidation on the pickups and that will show age.
- In most instances, the factory Work Order will have pickup types documented, but not always so bear this in mind. Just keep a good pickup (like a JB or Super Distortion) in there and you’ll have a true to the times guitar.

- Markings on the neck & body

- Here is where we will cover the markings that are usually found in the body neck pocket and on the neck. Usually (with variation) found are the following:

a) work order number(s) b) initials (sometimes multiple) of employees c) date(s) - The markings are done in pencil, pen, and magic marker of various colors.

On to: Modified Original

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