1989 Jackson - what is it? What's it worth

[waterboy2110]

I bought this guitar new in 1989. I can see in the 1988 catalog a similar paint job. I've never seen one exactly like this with the Jackson at the 12th fret and the single volume knob / hum bucker / single coil. I'm considering selling it and was looking someone knowledgable on what it might be and what it's worth.

I play the crap out of this thing in the 90's. It's still has the most sustain of any axe I own.[IMG][/IMG][IMG][/IMG][IMG][/IMG][IMG][/IMG]

[toejam]

Welcome to the forum. All Jacksons made prior to 1990 were Custom Shop, so you've got a Custom Dinky. And a lot of USA models didn't get the Made In USA on the headstock in 1989, so 1989 is the right year for it.

[eakinj]

Post it on ebay, you'll find out how much it's worth.

[eakinj]

Or, spend the 15 dollars for a platinum membership on here and post it on the want adds here, pick a number and I'm sure someone will tell you if it's too high.

[Jackson8090s]

being people here have no problem dropping 3-5,000 for modern Mexican made custom shop guitars around here, I wouldn't let it go for any less than that.

Then there is the whole rare doesn't mean valuable and worth is what someone will pay for it as seen on here many times someone such as yourself comes to the forum with such a piece.. but make no mistake, if they had it rare IS valuable and its worth just tripled once they get it... don't let em steal it cause once one of em gets it, it's going in a private collection.

[waterboy2110]

Thanks folks. I paid $2200 for it in 1988 (I was divorced a year later so I'm sure about the date . That was a lot of money back then. I don't necessarily expect a piece to go up in value but at some point if taken care of eventually they become rare enough. I'm sure about it's origin since I bought it from the music store I worked in at the time. It was the most expensive guitar we had and I couldn't stop playing it so I finally took it home.

[Newc]

Technically I think that would be known as a Dinky Student, given the rosewood and dots, as the "Custom" model designation would have been applied if it had ebony with MOP fins. Though the 12th fret inlay might make it lean more towards a "Student Custom", though such a designation never existed as far as I know.

Value depends on condition of the body, frets, bridge, finish, and how stable the neck bolts are, as well as who actually painted it. I believe that's a Dan Lawrence graphic, but they did hire others to replicate his work. They didn't hire slop artists, but an original is an original.

Also, are those tuners 6 inline or 3x3 with half reversed? Half the strings go over and half go under. If all the heads turn the same way to tighten, then they're 3x3 with half reversed. If they're 6 inline, someone drank the Kool-Aid :P


You might also want to pull that neck pickup and see if the winder's initials are on it. I'm not sure when she worked there, or how many pickups she wound, but Abigail Ybarra wound pickups for Jackson at some point. Eric Clapton will not play a pickup wound by anyone other than her, so if she wound either pickup (especially the humbucker, as I've not heard of her doing one), you could probably get the Moon and everything on it for that one pickup.

[DonP]

Thanks folks. I paid $2200 for it in 1988 (I was divorced a year later so I'm sure about the date . That was a lot of money back then. I don't necessarily expect a piece to go up in value but at some point if taken care of eventually they become rare enough. I'm sure about it's origin since I bought it from the music store I worked in at the time. It was the most expensive guitar we had and I couldn't stop playing it so I finally took it home.

Wow. I'd say keep it. You might get 1/2 of that $2200. It's got some cool features - H-S, rev head stock, locking nut, and the paint job.

[waterboy2110]

Technically I think that would be known as a Dinky Student, given the rosewood and dots, as the "Custom" model designation would have been applied if it had ebony with MOP fins. Though the 12th fret inlay might make it lean more towards a "Student Custom", though such a designation never existed as far as I know.

Value depends on condition of the body, frets, bridge, finish, and how stable the neck bolts are, as well as who actually painted it. I believe that's a Dan Lawrence graphic, but they did hire others to replicate his work. They didn't hire slop artists, but an original is an original.

Also, are those tuners 6 inline or 3x3 with half reversed? Half the strings go over and half go under. If all the heads turn the same way to tighten, then they're 3x3 with half reversed. If they're 6 inline, someone drank the Kool-Aid :P


You might also want to pull that neck pickup and see if the winder's initials are on it. I'm not sure when she worked there, or how many pickups she wound, but Abigail Ybarra wound pickups for Jackson at some point. Eric Clapton will not play a pickup wound by anyone other than her, so if she wound either pickup (especially the humbucker, as I've not heard of her doing one), you could probably get the Moon and everything on it for that one pickup.

So glad I posted to this site. I knew you guys would have the info I needed. I've never had any of it apart. I'm sure the neck is sound as it's an amazing guitar just to hold. I'll pull the pickups to see what I see and send pics if anything interesting comes up. I did drink the koolaid. I string it up that way because is seems to put less of an angle on the neck nut. It was never a big deal unless you had one too many drinks.

This guitar was my only real workhorse in the 90's and we were playing 5 nights a week so there is wear on the frets and finish of some of the metal parts. There are no big nicks or scratches in the body and the worst of the paint is in the head stock as seen in the pics.

I'm going to spend the weekend with it. My decision to sell it was to cover the cost of a custom shop stratocaster. I may rethink that.

[Newc]

One of the more interesting things I see about it is it's 24 frets, especially at a time when that wasn't so common. Most of the 80s CS Dinkys/Strats you see from then had 22 frets. Some may note the lack of the scallop on the lower horn, but typically graphic models didn't get that. Some did, but most of the ones I've seen did not.

[Catharpin]

Very nice features. You won't get what you paid so I would keep it.

[Mudlark]

That graphic was simply called Saturn.
With the great deals on USA's in todays used market, good luck getting much over a grand in players condition.
That said, there's always the chance you could catch a big fish with deep pockets.

[lepard]

It's a USA Dinky Reverse. "Student" and "Custom" were only for neck-thrus. Love that graphic.

[jspeed]

I'm going to spend the weekend with it. My decision to sell it was to cover the cost of a custom shop stratocaster. I may rethink that.

I would personally keep it.
As far as new Strats go, the USA factory production line stuff is really pretty nice these days, just sayin....

[TimH785]