The first time you ever a Jackson guitar.

[JacksonCharvelESP]

I have no idea but I was much younger. And I thought "Jackson" guitars was linked the "Micheal Jackson":ROTF: No joke.

[Jayster]

The first time I realized who was playing what ?!? It was Dan Spitz (anthrax),but I was into megadeth as well.The looks and sound of jackson were implanted into my young dreams of guitar hero-ness.

[ADR]

My Story

TommyD,same here. I 1st read/saw pix of RR holding one,I remember the RR on the TR cover and saying "Jackson"?, I knew/played Charvels bck in early 80's. .but never heard of the "Jackson" brand. RR was hot,so typically read Guitar Player,Guitar World,Guitar for Practing Musican,various metal mags of the era.(Karrang etc)

Now,I can tell you the very 1st time I saw a real one live. It was a "KISS" concert,it was my very 1st rock concert ever.My older bro took me and Vinnie Vincent comes out with what I call still "a 3/4 flying V". .funny huh? Well I mean that's what it was,hot pink. . .fancy paint,inlays etc. It was the concert that had the "Tank" as the drum riser and it rotated from L/R and shot cannons. They still had their makeup on,VV was awesome and Eric Carr? maybe was drumming.

Thinking 83/84? Glens Falls Civic Center,NY.

[Diego]

I must confes my case is really strange I got hooked up to Charvel a long time ago when I was going to buy my first guitar the guy who sold it to me (a korean strato by fender) was also selling a charvel (dont remember the model, all I remember is that it was realy expensive and a great guitar) from that moment on I though of charvel as a great -not so popular or well known- guitar brand. Then I knew jackson guitars becouse a bad mate of mine had a japanese PS-4 (never owned one but played it a couple of times and it felt like a good guitar). I know most people here think the PS-4 is not a very good guitar but that one was really nice.

To cut a long tale short, some time ago I bought a guitar to have one at my girlfrinds place . I was after a cheap guitar and I found a Japanease made charvette that was way better than I expected.

So then when I could save some more I bought a Charvel 275Dlx, Charvel 375Dlx and I 'm after a jackson Dinky Reverse STd or a Stealth Ex.

[phill_up]

Does anyone know the 1st year that the pointy headstock was manufactured? wasn't the strathead charvel before the Jackson pointy? did the 1st "pointy" say charvel instead of jackson?

[RacerX]

phill, Randy went to Grover in Late 1980 and the first "Rhoads" (known as the Concorde) was completed by early '81, with Jackson's sig on the hs. The early Charvels (1981-82) were mostly stratheads

http://audiozone.dk/cm/thumbnails.php?album=7

(I recall seeing a couple with a Gibson "hockey stick" hs, ie, Spacey T's).

By 1983, the production pointy hs (with the Concorde style hs) sported both Charvel and Jackson logos.

http://audiozone.dk/cm/thumbnails.php?album=45

[Endrik]

I don't really remember... I do recall I saw plenty of vids and pics of hair bands with Jacksons and I thought those are the only pointy guitars I like

but what got me really into them was a little bit later... the local players used mostly Ibanez stuff, (I had an Ibanez too)... they couldn't play and had bad tone
my friends in Finland were amazing players and had good tone... they played Jacksons.... then I tried out those... I was amazed how versatile the instruments were and after that I wanted Jacksons.... never looked at Ibanez again

[GinSonic]

So when was the first time you became aware of Jackson guitars?

In my case it was with seeing Vinnie Vincent playing his pink Rhoads in Kiss' video for "Lick it up"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=elBUpxXIAGw

OMG! The big reveal. KISS with no makeup! Early to mid 80's was the best era for metal.

Back then, I was still pretty much a stock player, if you will. Whammy bars and such weren't my bag. Then the other guitar player in our band got a Kramer with a Floyd and stuck in a Bill Lawrence pickup. I was mildly intrigued, but stuck with my BC Rich Seagull and other non whammy axes.

I'm a child of the seventies. Schenker, Iommi, Page, Pat Travers, Alvin Lee. were some of the players that influenced me the most. Mostly Schenker! All of which were non whammy players.

I was aware of custom strats with humbuckers since EVH got popular in the late 70's. He pretty much, single handedly started the whole superstrat thing out of the gate, IMO.

I guess it was in the mid 80's that I got more intrigued with the superstrats. The guitar solo in the body of the songs back then was very prominent, as you all know; the whammy bar used in solos was used in expressive ways that added a whole new dynamics to electric guitar playing.

Without this post turning into an essay, {Too late for that, me thinks!} I wasn't aware of Jackson's till I got my Model 4 Charvel in '87. Then I started to take more notice of players using and or, endorsing them. Glad I did.
G.

[Daywalker]

anthrax, megadeth, metallica, and slayer videos.

Who in metallica played a jackson?

[Balrog]

First time seeing one, for me, was RR. First time playing one was when a guy I knew ordered one ('90 ish). Went like this....my best bud (drummer) calls me and says "DUDE!...ya' know that "sound" you've been searching for?...I found it". So he wants me to go to this guys house to hear his new Mesa/Boogie Mark IV and new Jackson DK1 (mine below is identical except he had a glow-in-the-dark snake skin paint job). I was like, DUDE (we said that A LOT back then), I just got married and I'm trying to save up to buy a house, I can't be buying anything now. So anyway......we're on the way back from the guys house and I'm trying to figure out how I'm going to come up the money for a DK1 AND a Mark IV AND not be killed in my sleep by the wife!!! I was totally blown away by how nice the Jackson was, and the sound of the whole rig was...unbelievable. I ended up selling all of the bachelor toys I had left (Marshall, Kramer, JetSki, weight machine, etc) to fund the guitar and amp and somehow survived.

[cookiemonster]

warrior - Tommy Asakawa's blue rr
wasp - Chris Holmes's black rr with white bevels.

[GodOfRhythm]

Who in metallica played a jackson?

Both Kirk and James did.

I still have GAS for that Rhoads kirk has.

[sonicsamurai]

i can't remember exactly but i knew about them from pretty early on in my playing. Certainly the dk2 because my sis was always talking about the hot rod flames one. I knew marty had one in megadeth when i was getting into thrash and that. But tbh once i started getting into to glan more it was always charvel for the most part that you saw and thats what i wanted and got first. I regret selling my model series that i had. They played so nice and have been my most favourite playing guitars apart from my ibanez which i got when i traded my one and only jackson ever for it a few weeks ago. That was a white rr24 which i got because it looked cool like chris holmes and geoff thorpe in vicious rumors. But i.m not sure i.d play one again...i would definately get myself a decent model series again tho

[ADR]

1st year for the pointy= 1981-2
I had to double check, the drawing was submitted late 81 for 82 production,the guy on USACharvels is the guy who help design it for RR guitar.The pinstrip white was the very 1st guitar to have it.

[satyr]

back in the early 90's. a friend (session player) from London England visited my studio. He had just picked out an Ibanez...He tried my Charvel 750XL.
His comment..."I love my new Ibanez...but this is...GOD."