Charvel/Jackson guitar & accessory database project

[Crumbling]

Eerie Dess is an actual paint color from House of Kolor I believe, so that's just the paint without swirling it.

[Mechayoshi]

diablomozart and Crumbling I’ve just learned some awesome stuff just now. Thanks.

[diablomozart]

if i was of any small measure of help, i am grateful for the opportunity...d.m.

[Mechayoshi]

Added a bunch of Charvel pics. Slowly but surely, we'll get through this!

https://mechas64castles.net/Charvel2.html

[Mechayoshi]

Update: Added more pics and fixed a few errors. For instance I was confused on the difference between a KS2 and a KSXT because I had based my information on Guitarinside.com which was actually inaccurate on some facts. They are not identical for instance. I also added some explanations to some more Jackson acronyms I'd missed, such as the little known JX Series stuff or that SD sometimes means Seymour Duncan pickups. (I think.) I don't know what FSR (Rhoads JS32) is however. I don't know what the 'F' in SLATFXMG is either. Could be a brain fart but I dunno. Anyone?

Maybe someone can check my work. SLATFXMG 3-8:

SLAT= Soloist archtop.
F= ??
X= X Series
MG= EMG
3-8= Import eight string

Another tricky one (for me) SLATHXSDQ 3-7:
SLAT= Soloist archtop
H= Hardtail
X= X Series
SD= Seymour Duncan?
Q= Quilt top
3-7= Import seven string.

[Crumbling]

FSR = Fender Special Run.

No fucking clue about those Soloist though, their names are getting to Ibanez level of ridiculous. At least Ibanez has a system.

Also, a lot of the X and Pro series spec changes throughout the years quite drastically, while keeping the same model name (i.e. the Pro KV was Direct Mount Distortion in 2016/2017, but switched back to pickup ring and JB/59 in 2018). They might need to be separated. Have you considered switching to a wiki format?

[JJ119]

" F "

Fanned fretboard?

[Mechayoshi]

FSR = Fender Special Run.

No fucking clue about those Soloist though, their names are getting to Ibanez level of ridiculous. At least Ibanez has a system.

Also, a lot of the X and Pro series spec changes throughout the years quite drastically, while keeping the same model name (i.e. the Pro KV was Direct Mount Distortion in 2016/2017, but switched back to pickup ring and JB/59 in 2018). They might need to be separated. Have you considered switching to a wiki format?

The Ibanez system has rules with the numbers except when it doesn't to me at least. I honestly don't feel like the Jackson names contradict as much once you memorize what the letters usually mean.

The FSR is odd for a single entry level rhoads but I suspected as much. I usually put spec changes under the same entry unless it is so different I feel its a different guitar. Like the Pro Series SL2 and whatever body wood they make it. Seems like Fender they took the old Jackson tendency for needless variations on occasion and amplified it while creating horrible model names. I wish I could do a cleaner wiki format but my website building skills are about... zero at the moment.

" F "

Fanned fretboard?

Jackson uses MS for 'multiscale for that'.

[Crumbling]

Fender Special Run just refer to a limited run for a dealer, technically all the MF/GC/Sam Ash exclusives are FSR, but the JS32T Natural Oil Rhoads is the first one that was advertised with the name. There's quite a few entry level Squier Bullet/Affinity FSR as well.

The terrible ass names seems to only apply to the SLAT line, the Rhoads has reasonable naming (if not somewhat redundant. Pro RR and RR5 are practically the same), and the King V just has everything under the "Pro KV" name even if it differs between years.

I'll probably take a crack at the wiki thing myself once I have more free time on my hand.

[Mechayoshi]

I've added the Jackson and Charvel 2021 lineup. Hopefully I didn't miss anything. Let us welcome the 'MJ' Series as they call it now. Fender Japan is usually pretty solid so...if only I could afford them.

[Mechayoshi]

Just to pop in again: Nothing big but small fixes and added more accessories in the Jackson extra page. I got lazy with add images, I'll try to work on that more.

[Mechayoshi]

Belated updates: Added a lot more info on the Jackson extra page. I have details on country of origins, serial numbers, and a few other misc. facts. Some of it is subject to more research so if you see something wrong let me know. I also link to this forum concerting those infamous 97xxxxxx serials everyone gets wrong. https://mechas64castles.net/Jacksonextra.html

Oh and the secondary google sites webpage isn’t dead or anything I’ve just had no time to work on it a full time job and other projects. I’ve linked in earlier in this thread but there’s been no changes since so I won’t bother again. Until then it’s still gonna be old school plain text. Sorry!

Anything else? I think I’ve acquired two new Jacksons since the last post, a Dinky Reverse in stone and a RR3. You can find pics of them in the ‘personal collections’ link on the main database page. I have tons of other new gear but that’s off topic so..

Note: Globally I’m redesigning the site for better readability so things might look funky.

[Number Of The Priest]

That Jacksonextra.html page was a good read. I think you did a great job capturing the maddening model naming schemes that Jackson and Charvel have used over the years. It takes a degree of historical knowledge and Orwellian doublethink to recognize the coexisting contradictions and exceptions in some of the abbreviations and say them without flinching. "Yes, T means strings thru the body, but it ALSO means tremolo in certain circumstances." Think how insane that sounds to someone trying to learn the model designations.

Reminds me of trying to learn a new language. We all want tidy little rules for grammar and spelling, but there are always exceptions that challenge the rules.

It also reminds me of the understandable inability to plan for the future, like when you build a small farmhouse for your immediate needs but then much later on you need to add new rooms as your family and situation expand. The rooms might be slapped on hastily in an ad hoc fashion, and the whole building doesn't look cohesive because nobody originally anticipated or planned for the expansions. I can picture Jackson in the 1990s not expecting their line to eventually encompass many models across many product series built in many different nations and so they really only took things one step at a time regarding the naming of imminent-release models without a thought to how it could affect naming models ten years into the future.

[clgnyc]

Hey, just wanted to send a thanks for working on this project. I recently it in my hunt for a high-end Grover Jackson Kelly and it was invaluable when it came to identifying the different models floating around. I’m happy to say I wound up with two: a 1993 Grover Jackson Kelly Custom and a 1999 KE.S-350. I never would have been able to make heads or tails of any of this if you hadn’t collected all this information!

[Mechayoshi]

Hey, just wanted to send a thanks for working on this project. I recently it in my hunt for a high-end Grover Jackson Kelly and it was invaluable when it came to identifying the different models floating around. I’m happy to say I wound up with two: a 1993 Grover Jackson Kelly Custom and a 1999 KE.S-350. I never would have been able to make heads or tails of any of this if you hadn’t collected all this information!

Dude no problem! That's why I do it and the funny thing is, I know there's more info out there I haven't even found yet.