Due to the recent surge in threads being started regarding the Jackson Stars line, I thought I would try to provide some information for the JCF community regarding this brand.
As you all know, import Charvels and import Jacksons have been built in Japan since spring of 1986. From 1986 through 1994, Jackson had a contract with Kyowa-Shokai (a trading company), who had Chushin Gakki (a factory in Nagano prefecture) build the Charvels and Jacksons for sale domestically and abroad.
When the contract expired in 1994, Kyowa-Shokai opted not to renew their contract with Jackson, partly due to the fact that Grover Jackson had sold Jackson USA to IMC. However, Chushin Gakki, the factory that had been making the MIJ Charvels and Jacksons up to this point, apparently felt that there was a market for Jackson guitars in Japan. However, due to the expiration of the tradmark licence for the brand name "Jackson", they were precluded from using the brand name "Jackson" on guitars for sale in the Japanese Market. Therefore, they continued to produce "pointy headstock" (for which they hold Japanese Trademark Registration No. 2150759) guitars under various brand names, such as "Grover Jackson", "Team GJ", and "Jackson Stars".
The brands "Grover Jackson" and "Team GJ" were phased out after 2001, and Chushin Gakki currently sells guitars under the name "Jackson Stars". The same factory still continues to make the MIJ Jacksons for the U.S. market.
Here is the link to the Jackson Stars site:
www.jacksonstars.com
BTW, people living outside of Japan can also purchase Jackson Stars guitars. I will refrain from posting the links to Japanese dealers who ship overseas, as this may be a violation of the rules stipulating advertising for non-sponsoring dealers (although I am not an employee of any musical instrument dealer).
If anyone needs/wants further information, I will try to find out and post!
Hope this helps!
QR
As you all know, import Charvels and import Jacksons have been built in Japan since spring of 1986. From 1986 through 1994, Jackson had a contract with Kyowa-Shokai (a trading company), who had Chushin Gakki (a factory in Nagano prefecture) build the Charvels and Jacksons for sale domestically and abroad.
When the contract expired in 1994, Kyowa-Shokai opted not to renew their contract with Jackson, partly due to the fact that Grover Jackson had sold Jackson USA to IMC. However, Chushin Gakki, the factory that had been making the MIJ Charvels and Jacksons up to this point, apparently felt that there was a market for Jackson guitars in Japan. However, due to the expiration of the tradmark licence for the brand name "Jackson", they were precluded from using the brand name "Jackson" on guitars for sale in the Japanese Market. Therefore, they continued to produce "pointy headstock" (for which they hold Japanese Trademark Registration No. 2150759) guitars under various brand names, such as "Grover Jackson", "Team GJ", and "Jackson Stars".
The brands "Grover Jackson" and "Team GJ" were phased out after 2001, and Chushin Gakki currently sells guitars under the name "Jackson Stars". The same factory still continues to make the MIJ Jacksons for the U.S. market.
Here is the link to the Jackson Stars site:
www.jacksonstars.com
BTW, people living outside of Japan can also purchase Jackson Stars guitars. I will refrain from posting the links to Japanese dealers who ship overseas, as this may be a violation of the rules stipulating advertising for non-sponsoring dealers (although I am not an employee of any musical instrument dealer).
If anyone needs/wants further information, I will try to find out and post!
Hope this helps!
QR
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