Help ID an old Jackson?

[VacuumTubeJunky]

Hello,
I have what I believe to be an old Soloist Pro. Can anyone help confirm or refute this? I bought it new, but with little documentation. My friend that owned a music store bought out another store's inventory and the Jackson was one dozens of guitars he got for a bulk price. This was back in March 1991. We worked out a deal for $6oo including a HSC. The orig finish is a sparkle white, and it had active electronics, 5 way p/u switch, and three knobs. I prefer the simpler single humbucker and 1 volume that it has now. The paint job was to help promo the band I played with, and yes those are real bullets in the p/u cavities, lol (minus the gunpowder, for the curious). It's a neck-thru design, with mother of pearl headstock script and sharkfin inlays on a 24 fret ebony fretboard. Jackson tuners and bridge. The serial number is C 000003 which doesn't seem to be in any Jackson serial number charts I found online. This has been my fav guitar since the day I got it and still plays and sounds great. I'm not looking to sell it or anything, just wondering if it really is a Pro or not. And would it be imported then? I'm not too sure what was being imported back then. Anyway, here's some pics.

Thanks in advance for your help!
Andy

[RacerX]

Dayum that's mugly!

$400!

See ya in the Classifieds!

Is that rosewood? If so, this looks like a Soloist XL

PROs would have ebony boards, mother of pearl logo, and ser# starting w/ J.

Are you sure that's a C and not a J?

[Fender]

Dayum that's mugly!

$400!

See ya in the Classifieds!

Is that rosewood? If so, this looks like a Soloist XL

PROs would have ebony boards, mother of pearl logo, and ser# starting w/ J.

Are you sure that's a C and not a J?

It looks like a C. Does that mean it might've been a Charvel Model ? Also, Racer, do you know of any professional series guitars don't have professional painted on the stock ?

[Sunbane]

That is a really weird one. The serial follows the Charvel import serial format (C + six digits), but is clearly bogus. While it is similar to a Charvel 650 XL, the neck heel and the recessed trem says otherwise. No, this is a Jackson in every way, and clearly not a fake either. It should have a J###### serial, and it should have the added text "Professional" on the headstock.

My theory: It's a very early 1990 Jackson Soloist Pro, and someone at the factory fucked up when they stamped the serial into the fretboard, picking the "C" instead of the "J".

Has anyone of our older members ever seen an early Pro without the "Professional" on the head? I'm thinking the very low serial might indicate one of the first Soloist Pros to come off the line?

[VacuumTubeJunky]

Wow, thanks guys. The serial is definitely C 000003, and it has the MOP inlays and headstock logo. I called Jackson back in 1991 and they said the serial numbers with a C were used for short custom runs. I didn't mention that in my orig post so I wouldn't influence any possible replies just in case Jackson was bs'ing me. So if it is an early Pro, would it be a Japanese import or were some made here? I never saw any "Made in xxx" stickers on it, so I'm uncertain where it came from.

Thanks again!
Andy

[Model 88]

Has anyone of our older members ever seen an early Pro without the "Professional" on the head? I'm thinking the very low serial might indicate one of the first Soloist Pros to come off the line?

Yes I have a early PRO with a "C" serial and missing "Professional" on the headstock .

[Twitch]

Seems maybe some one off run?? The serial number while non-conforming, is extremely low, number 3.

[john.w.lawson]

That "SUCKS" it would have probably been worth some good cash? (if you had not done that paint job on it.) : (

[VacuumTubeJunky]

Thanks Model 88, and nice lookin 'guitars!

Twitch's reply is in agreement with Jackson's info circa 1991.

Mr. Law,
Well it might suck for whoever inherits my gear when I expire, but I wouldn't ever sell it, so it's value is quite irrelevant to me. That being said, the orig paint is still in good shape and some of the the custom paint wore off where my forearm rests, so I'd guess the rest of the custom paint could be removed with a little patience. Watch the obits and it could be all yours when I'm done with it, lol.

So if it is an early Pro, then it was made in Japan, correct?

Thanks again folks!
Andy

[DonP]

I think this guitar like Mike's were some of the first to come off of the line.

[Sunbane]

So if it is an early Pro, then it was made in Japan, correct?

Correct. Not worth a lot (somewhere in the $700-$1000 range, depending on the buyer), but those were great guitars, reknowned for their top-notch quality. The japanese plant turned out some really awesome axes between 1986 (starting with the Charvel Model series) and 1995.

[RacerX]

so its value

Fixed

[VacuumTubeJunky]

Sunbane, Model 88, Twitch & DonP:
Thanks for your replies, they are appreciated. It's people like you that make forums like this successful, unlike certain other members…

RacerX:
Unsolicited insults, sarcasm and trivial grammar corrections; your posts are irrelevant and childish. Maturity, you should give it a try sometime.

[john.w.lawson]

That mean old RacerX...Breakout the butter, we'll get 'em for ya! While were at it might as well fuck Toejam "right"? (spck) on aisle 5? But on a side note people do come here alot "just to find prices" and we end up buying them! so its kinda a shitty deal for us guys that play here. : )

[RacerX]

Sunbane, Model 88, Twitch & DonP:
Thanks for your replies, they are appreciated. It's people like you that make forums like this successful, unlike certain other members…

RacerX:
Unsolicited insults, sarcasm and trivial grammar corrections; your posts are irrelevant and childish. Maturity, you should give it a try sometime.

It that pisses you off, you better leave the JCF right now, newb!

Welcome!