Help need ed to identify if my King V is a custom shop model

[Chrisp]

Hi all,

After many years of owning my King V USA, I am really interested in finding out if it is just an 87 Ontario or a custom shop

I bought it second hand over twenty years ago and I wasn't entirely sure when I bought it which model it was, but as it was a USA, I bought it as it played well, even if heavily gigged. It has the Kahler trem on it, the high e string retainer is broken on the trem but it still works and plays well!

Not sure what trem it should have had originally or if it was meant to lock at the neck, but it is a solid body so wonder if any of you Jackson experts can help?

Apologies for the condition of the guitar...it has seen some action before it came to the retirement home!!

serial number is J3257

Some advice on adding photos would be good as a start.....await to hear with interest...

Kind regards

Chris

[Chrisp]

Can I download photo to the site without a URL or do I need Photobox or similar?

[rjohnstone]

Technically anything made before 1990 is considered a custom shop piece.
1990 is when Jackson started making regular production models.

As for pics, use Photobucket or a similar service.

[neilli]

J serial = custom shop.

As Rick says, everything prior to 1990 is a custom shop because there was no 'production standard range' until that point.

[pianoguyy]

But to be fair to the 'new' guy, even though it was made in the "Custom Shop" (because there only was one place they were made at the time), that doesn't make it a custom order. It could just as easily be a standard run of the mill black King V that is no different than 300 other run of the mill black King V guitars.

[Mudlark]

True, but a customer ordered those standard specs from a list of available options, no?

[shreddermon]

Not necessarily. Even back to the early days, J/C would build small runs of guitars for dealers to stock. The point is rather moot, though. A custom shop guitar is a custom shop guitar. Doesn't matter much if it was spec'd and ordered by a customer, a dealer, or the custom shop itself. Is the former more "special"? Sure, i guess, but that's rather subjective. And the latter are still custom shop guitars, anyway.

[Mudlark]

Ahhh, the dealer run thing did cross my mind.

[rjohnstone]

This is why I use the term "technically".
They have CS serial numbers, but then again they all did prior to 1990.

[shreddermon]

Then, technically, you were right. LOL

[rjohnstone]

Then, technically, you were right. LOL

I should be a lawyer.

[Chrisp]

Whoh!! let's not fall out over an axe!!

Many thanks to all who contributed to the discussion....I'm going to try to put a link on, getting interesting though!! I'll await your further comments when the picckies final load..fingers crossed.

[Chrisp]

But to be fair to the 'new' guy, even though it was made in the "Custom Shop" (because there only was one place they were made at the time), that doesn't make it a custom order. It could just as easily be a standard run of the mill black King V that is no different than 300 other run of the mill black King V guitars.

It's burgundy... does that make it special?

[Chrisp]

[toejam]

Welcome to the forum. Nice V!
DSC_3077.jpg
DSC_3074.jpg
DSC_3068.jpg
DSC_3064.jpg