Stupid myths & lies in Jackson/Charvel world? eg: Ft. Worth plates = USA made

[Number Of The Priest]

Semi-fun, semi-serious topic.

What are the worst misconceptions and ignorant pieces of information that get perpetuated in Jackson/Charvel world? Also, provide the correct information to clear the air.

Here are some that I see perpetuated on J/C groups on Facebook constantly. It's an unwinnable war trying to educate people repeatedly.

Uninformed: My late-80s (or early 90s) Charvel guitar has a neckplate that has a 6 digit serial number and the location says Forth Worth, Texas. So it's an American-made guitar.
Correction: The Forth Worth address is an office address. These guitars were made in Japan.

Uninformed: 96xxxxx, 97xxxxx, 98xxxxx serial numbers on Japanese Jacksons = made in 1996, 1997, and 1998.
Correction: This era of Japanese Jacksons had serial numbers that didn't represent the year. The serial numbers ran sequentially. To find the precise date, remove the neck from the body, and look at the date stamps on the neck heel and in the neck pocket.

Uninformed: Here is my 1988 SL1, 1992 RR1, etc.
Correction: The modern SL1 / RR1 production model names didn't exist until 1996. From 1990 to 1995, they were production models bearing names such as Soloist Custom, Rhoads Custom, Dinky Custom, etc. and had different hardware compared to their post-1996 successors. Prior to 1990, they would have been custom guitars and could have had a wide array of specs. If you know for certain your SL1-like guitar was made before 1996, you would look far less ignorant if you simply called your guitar a "1988 Soloist" rather than a "1988 SL1".

[JJ119]

Well, NOT Historically Insightful, but you folks may find this funny - ha ha, or funny - odd.

I had, since the 1st time I saw one, always thought
all Jackson Guitars had " upside down necks with
shark teeth "
Then, as I met more musicians, I thought all Charvel Guitars were made with " 1 double stack pickup "

And, until just a few years ago, I would have sworn
Jackson and Charvel were ALWAYS
Made In America, and ALWAYS would be.

I had, for the longest time, thought there was a shop with a few dozen people, who would take orders and make each one, per order, from start to finish,
and only Celebrity Musicians with loads of cash could order [ JacksonCharvel or Jackson or Charvel ]
them.

[pianoguyy]

To agree:
Fort Worth Texas is USA builds.
96/97/98 serial numbers means 1996, 1997, and 1998.

I'd also toss out there - Ontario, CA are made in Ontario Canada.
*This one also applies to Roland Keyboards. Which was actually furthered confused for certain dealers (I was one for a bit) during certain years because one of their hubs was in Ontario Canada, which meant most of the staff and reps were also Ontarian

Dinky = some sort of starter guitar. maybe a 3/4 size?
Which, isn't helped by the design statement of "a Dinky is a 7/8 Stratocaster size".



My other complaints, I would actually not group as lies or myths which have been repeated often enough to be assumed as truth, but would call them misconceptions by individuals.
Which are simple things like =
Look at my DK2 - even though I could clearly see the "performer" written on the headstock.
Or every guitar with a reverse headstock is a Dinky Reverse.
Just the little stuff that we see on the 2nd hand sales sites.

[Number Of The Priest]

Dinky = some sort of starter guitar. maybe a 3/4 size?
Which, isn't helped by the design statement of "a Dinky is a 7/8 Stratocaster size".

Thanks for the reminder! There's the infamous, "A Dinky is 7/8ths the size of a Soloist." 🤣

[pianoguyy]

Thanks for the reminder! There's the infamous, "A Dinky is 7/8ths the size of a Soloist." 🤣

but that isn't a myth/lie. it is the company line.
it may not be a precise measurement (our tests were just based on an traced outline, not a full cubic measurement), but it is close enough to be accepted. IMO




*EDIT
I misread that. I thought you repeated my statement of "7/8 Strat", not Soloist.

[CaptNasty]

but that isn't a myth/lie. it is the company line.
it may not be a precise measurement (our tests were just based on an traced outline, not a full cubic measurement), but it is close enough to be accepted. IMO

Yeah, the Dinky is definitely a scaled down body. I read somewhere that the Dinky came from work with DeMartini trimming the soft edges off a stock Strat body shape. But that might also be a lie/myth.🤣

[diablomozart]

the misinformation that people spread is mindboggling...i left the fb group after some 20 something year old thought he could "school me" on the guitars i had been playing since 1987...in another group another tried to call my 25th gc anniversary dinky "a piece of s**t and a fake because it doesn't have mop sharkfin inlays" (he owned 2 japanese dk2's)...sorry i don't have time for that kind of stuff...d.m.

[gerryl98]

True or myth: The late 80s's/early 90's Fender HM Strat was designed by Wayne Charvel.

[Mechayoshi]

The 98xxxxx thing is most aggravating to me as it has people thinking their DK2s and DKMGs are somehow “ vintage” guitars and they want to overprice them.
Maybe it was different years ago, but I see people generally catching on that their old Charvel Model series aren’t actually made in the USA. They still like to overprice them tho.

[Mudlark]

"A Dinky is 7/8ths the size of a Soloist." 🤣

Countless hours I wasted arguing with fools online about this WHILE I WAS HOLDING EACH MODEL IN MY FRICKIN HANDS. lol
Though, how could you blame them? Their evidence is Jackson catalogues telling them they're correct.

I wonder if the catalogues still describe the Dinky as a scaled down Soloist? I can't be bothered to check.

The 9xxxxxx serials are by far the most common misconception I've seen.
Ironically, the wording used in an otherwise fantastic post about serials on this very forum was the root of many people's confusion.
"Circa '96 the serials began at 9600000 and went up sequentially 97, 98..." or, something to that effect.
I can see that being misleading.

[Number Of The Priest]

Possible developing myth in progress about some of 2020's Jacksons and Charvels, which indeed are made in Korea, but people are taking it a step further and assuming that World Musical Instruments Co. Ltd. is the Korean factory responsible for production when there is no indisputable proof. I would love to be proven wrong because I like WMI, but I have my doubts. Refer to a previous post I made.

Gentlemen of JCF and those on Facebook groups automatically and blindly making assumptions about WMI, please stop claiming these Korean Jackson and Charvel guitars are made by WMI until there is indisputable proof. Don't get me wrong, WMI is very well regarded and I would love to be told with absolute authority that WMI is the Korean factory responsible for production, but as of this writing it is still not proven for certain and I don't want to get my hopes up.

The reason I have my doubts is that the serial number format and the wording on the back of the headstock of these Korean Jacksons and Charvels do not resemble other serial number formats or wording found on other WMI-made brands like LTD, PRS SE, etc. These other brands have very explicit wording on the backs of their headstocks with proud proclamations that WMI built their guitars.

Refer to the link in my quote below.

I don't think anyone here has yet to indisputably confirm that World Musical Instruments Co. Ltd. is actually making Korean Jacksons and Charvels. At best it's a suspicion we have but it still has not been confirmed. Here's my previous post on the subject and I am open to being proven wrong: https://www.jcfonline.com/forum/equi...-made-in-korea

[Banjowarrior]

True or myth: The late 80s's/early 90's Fender HM Strat was designed by Wayne Charvel.

I'd be surprised, as he was working with Gibson around that time. But I have no actual evidence to report either way.

[Mechayoshi]

Here's another that's been irking me when people list their MIJ made Jacksons on classifieds. They take the story that goes back to the Pro Professionals of the early nineties and then use it to hype up ANY MIJ Jacksons, stating things like "they were so good they were losing USA Custom shop sales! That's why they don't make them anymore!" (I've saw it today on a WRMG ad)

Ummmmmm no. Especially not for a lower end one!

[Number Of The Priest]

LOL."losing USA Custom Shop sales" is a new one for me. Usually I read/hear "losing USA production model sales" which is more believable, since the Professional Pros essentially had the same specs as the USA production models from 1990 to 1995.

On a related note about hyping Chushin Gakki Jacksons online, I have seen one particular recent ad posted and re-posted that said something to the effect of "Made in Japan, where they have been making import Jacksons for the past twenty years". That may have been true for an ad posted in 2010 or 2011 but untrue any time after that, and as of 2020, certainly forgetting that it's been nine years since the end of Chushin Gakki Jacksons and Charvels!

[Mudlark]

I think the AudiozoneDK site stated the PRO imports were cutting into the USA sales.
Seems reasonable, but it'd be difficult to prove without seeing the numbers.

Kinda' off topic....but, I've noticed at least twice recently people listing USA Select models with a graphic/finish that'd be a Custom Select order today
are asking silly high prices because 'This graphic would be a Custom Shop order with a Custom Shop price tag today'....

Guy up here in Canada had an early-mid 2000s Pile O Skulls Select model listed as Custom using that logic. Oh, and he changed the pups, so...Custom.
I think it started around $3500, now it's well under $3000 and the 'Custom' heading is gone.