Who builds Jackson???

[gps100proof]

I recently watched a video where it was dicussed that unly 4 companies actually make guitars!! Cort, Sammick, WMI (I think) and one other. Is there any truth to this? If so, whos banging all the Jacksons out?

[ed]

US Jacksons are made by Jackson? Mexico Jacksons are made by same guys that do the mexico Fenders or attleast the same factory? And dont know about the rest.

[Number Of The Priest]

I'll supplement ed's post above.

Many current neckthru import Jacksons (examples: Pro Series and X Series) are made in Indonesia by Cort. They are identified by ICJ serial numbers (Indonesia, Cort, Jackson), like the one seen below:



The JS Series (most affordable Jacksons) are currently made in China. They are identified by CWJ serial numbers. However, I don't know what specific factory makes them.



For 1986-2011, Chushin Gakki in Japan produced the high-end import Charvels and Jacksons. Since your question was specific to the Jackson brand, Chushin Gakki started making them in 1990-2011. I don't know who made the Korean and Indian Jacksons of the 1990s and 2000s.

[xenophobe]

Cort Sammik and WMI all have factories in various countries. WMI Korea is the best non MIJ import, but Jackson does not contract from this factory, sadly.

[ed]

This isnt on topic but who builds the USA Charvels? There was discussion on the Charvel section a while back about the initials of the guys that made some of the USA charvels but i have been wondering about where are they made?
Is it the Jackson guys making them or do they have their own section?

[busdriver]

First letter of the serial number is the country:
I - Indonesia
C - China
N - India (because the I is already taken)


Second letter of the serial number is the company
W - World Music Instruments
C - Cort
S - Samick
H - Harmony
Some China serial numbers have a "J" as second letter, but I have no idea which company that is


Third letter is the brand
J - Jackson
C - Charvel
E - EVH

[Bryan]

I know there are people here with more knowledge than me on this subject, but I was always under the impression that US Jacksons and Charvels were made by the US Fender production line employees.

In my mind, they change shirts from Fender to Jackson or Charvel shirts (to add tone to the guitar), then start putting them together. lol

CS might be their own brand specific people? But it could also be the same people who do the Fender CS guitars.

[shreddermon]

To my knowledge, USA Jacksons and Charvels are not made by Fender USA production line employees. (Although this was true of the prior Charvel USA Pro Mods.). There are dedicated JCMI (and EVH) folks, along with the J/C master builders. Neck-through production, in particular, is very different than building bolt-ons.

[Number Of The Priest]

First letter of the serial number is the country:
I - Indonesia
C - China
N - India (because the I is already taken)


Second letter of the serial number is the company
W - World Music Instruments
C - Cort
S - Samick
H - Harmony
Some China serial numbers have a "J" as second letter, but I have no idea which company that is


Third letter is the brand
J - Jackson
C - Charvel
E - EVH

This is great info, but I highly doubt the CWJ serial number I posted in my photo above (Jackson JS32T Rhoads) is made by World Musical Instruments Co. Ltd. in China. I don't believe World exists in China. The W in Chinese serial numbers might correspond to a different company/factory.

[gps100proof]

WoW! Great info guys! Totally gives me a different outlook on serial numbers! Thanks!

[rjohnstone]

Never heard of WMI having a factory in China, however there are a lot of OEM factories in China that start with a "W".
I would assume FMIC uses the same contract factory they use to build the Chinese Squires to build the Jacksons as well.

[busdriver]

Yes, it seems that I'm wrong with the "W".
I read several times that "PT Wildwood" make Jacksons in Indonesia too, this must be the company where the "W" comes from. But I have no idea if they also have a plant in China.

[xenophobe]

I know there are people here with more knowledge than me on this subject, but I was always under the impression that US Jacksons and Charvels were made by the US Fender production line employees.

CJ has their own area in the Corona facility. They don't have their own paint booth so they only get scheduled when Fender is not using it... from what I hear Fender production has priority over scheduling.

[wrldeatr7]

W was Wildwood. Even though WMI does now have a plant in Indonesia as well but W Jacksons were always Wildwood. WMI does not have a plant in China. According to some info I read, it's actually Wildwood that may have a plant in China.

Currently only Cort and Samick supply Indonesian Jacksons and the trend is toward more and and more Corts so it wouldn't surprise me if eventually all Indonesian Jacksons will be made by Cort at some point.

[xenophobe]

If Jackson actually contracted with WMI Korea, I'd be buying them. That's the only factory I care about that isn't MIJ or USA.