Help to identify a mistery 1986 Jackson San Dimas

[francesco73]

Hello,
I'm from Italy and this is my first post in this forum.

I bought an old Jackson guitar for little money that appears to have undergone some modifications. I am trying to understand what has been changed because I would like to restore it to its original. First I assume that it is a 1986 San Dimas as on the neck plate there is the serial number SKS1028 and it is written PO BOX 245 San Dimas CA 91773 U.S.A. It is a model with a strat type body, 22 fret neck with rosewood fretboard and HSS pickup configuration. The things that I want to understand are these:
1) What does that "SKS" mean? Have you ever seen another model with SKS before the serial number?
2) Tuner key pegs are all black with no-logo. Can they be original?
3) On the bridge is written TRS-101. Can it be original?
4) The pickups seem active to me but there is no battery. Are there 1986 Jackson's with active pickups?
5) There are three potentiometers, a 5-position selector and another selector like the one that the gibson les paul have. Have you ever seen this kind of configuration?

I apologize for the many questions and I thank in advance whoever can answer me at least some of them.

[metalhobo]

that neck plate does not sound legit...https://www.amazon.com/Chrome-Guitar.../dp/B087423VL4

would need to see pics of the rest in order to potentially idenitfy

[pianoguyy]

assuming this is a 1986 Jackson San Dimas
the original specs wouldn't be easy to track down. They didn't have production models at the time, which means everything was one-of-a-kind / made-to-order.

Original specs could be anything imaginable - including a TRS-101 (other than the fact that the TRS-101 didn't exist in 1986). It is the benefit of being made to order... if you want it, you can have it.




**San Dimas, referring to body style, not San Dimas factory/plate.

[pianoguyy]

I bought an old Jackson guitar for little money
it happens but is often a red flag

that appears to have undergone some modifications.
not a big deal. mods happen all the time.

I am trying to understand what has been changed because I would like to restore it to its original.
Don't bother. Mod it to something you like.

First I assume that it is a 1986 San Dimas
San Dimas. Strat. Vintage Style. They went by many names.

It is a model with a strat type body, 22 fret neck with rosewood fretboard
Yeah, that is what they typically looked like.

2) Tuner key pegs are all black with no-logo. Can they be original?
Could be

3) On the bridge is written TRS-101. Can it be original?
Yes, but not in 1986

4) The pickups seem active to me but there is no battery.
seem active? What does this mean.
no battery means they are passive. unless they are solar powered.

Are there 1986 Jackson's with active pickups?
Yes. But most older models are going to have... pay attention, this gets tricky... passive pickups with active electronics. Which is an odd concept to some, but is exactly how it sounds - the pickups are passive, but there is (as example) a pre-amp that needs powered.
You could put in active pickups and need a 2nd battery because they are separate from the pre-amp. Or you could change passive pickups with other passive pickups with no mods needed. And depending on wiring, you could play guitar with a dead battery - because the pickups are passive, you would just lose the pre-amp with no battery.

5) There are three potentiometers, a 5-position selector and another selector like the one that the gibson les paul have. Have you ever seen this kind of configuration?
Yes. Odd, but anything is possible on custom guitars. The 3 way and 5 way are usually not used in combination, but they are just switches and could be attached to anything in anyway. More common would be a 5 way and a 2 way.



I happen to have a guitar with one passive pickup, 3 knobs, and requires two 9 volt batteries.
If you can dream it, they can build it.

[john.w.lawson]

The plate doesn't mean anything. people sold real plate's off of real guitars for three hundred and up and probably still do. Really need a pic of the headstock and body. 86 'S were around the time Jackson move the USA and there are TM and R'S.

by the way even if it was that plate that clearly was found . all import and USA had San Dimas po box addy, even though they are not from that address this is how it was before they moved it and before they went to r instead of tm

DSC00091.jpg

[francesco73]

Thanks everyone for the answers.
Evidently the neck plate is not original and the guitar should therefore be from the late 80s. So the bridge should also be original.
I doubt that any of the knobs have been added, as well as the three-position switch.
Then I have the doubt that the pickups are original because in the rear they are made differently than other jackson pickups that I own or that I have seen on internet.
egarding the neck and body, they both seem original to me, also because they have a considerable weight like other guitars I have from that period. Now I try to post some photos so that you tell me what you think is original and what is not.

[francesco73]

Some pictures...

https://www.chitarrafaidate.it/forum/images/jackson.jpg

https://www.chitarrafaidate.it/forum/images/body.jpg

https://www.chitarrafaidate.it/forum/images/headstock.jpg

https://www.chitarrafaidate.it/forum/images/tuners.jpg

https://www.chitarrafaidate.it/forum/images/electronic.jpg

https://www.chitarrafaidate.it/forum/images/neckplate.jpg

https://www.chitarrafaidate.it/forum/images/humbucker.jpg

https://www.chitarrafaidate.it/forum/images/single_coil.jpg

[john.w.lawson]

Some pictures...

https://www.chitarrafaidate.it/forum/images/jackson.jpg

https://www.chitarrafaidate.it/forum/images/body.jpg

https://www.chitarrafaidate.it/forum.../headstock.jpg

https://www.chitarrafaidate.it/forum/images/tuners.jpg

https://www.chitarrafaidate.it/forum...electronic.jpg
https://www.chitarrafaidate.it/forum.../neckplate.jpg
https://www.chitarrafaidate.it/forum.../humbucker.jpg
https://www.chitarrafaidate.it/forum...ingle_coil.jpg

That's a dinky which wouldn't be an 86 probably closer to late 80'S to 90"s that looks like a coil tap switch or one of the strange phase or whatever they were? I see big red wire which is usually, but not always an active.
someone can probably tell you more, I just give my opinions.

you could just pull the neck for dates and model.

[pianoguyy]

bad
that is not a jackson body - unless it has been highly modified to accommodate the other modifications.
the 'made in the usa' looks really odd but could be the photograph

neutral
the nut looks like it possibly came installed with a nut before the lock, which would be 'period correct'
tuners have those oversized knobs, which were available during the period
most of the parts look like they came from Ibanez, so at least they are quality stuff

conclusion
At best, a Jackson (maybe US, maybe import) neck.
even it it were real/authentic, there have been so many holes carved into it, that you wouldn't be able to restore it

[metalhobo]

do you have a better picture of the inlays? that could indicate whether the neck is legit or not

[john.w.lawson]

bad
that is not a jackson body - unless it has been highly modified to accommodate the other modifications.
the 'made in the usa' looks really odd but could be the photograph

neutral
the nut looks like it possibly came installed with a nut before the lock, which would be 'period correct'
tuners have those oversized knobs, which were available during the period
most of the parts look like they came from Ibanez, so at least they are quality stuff

conclusion
At best, a Jackson (maybe US, maybe import) neck.
even it it were real/authentic, there have been so many holes carved into it, that you wouldn't be able to restore it

I was thinking that neck looks a lot like an India made one with the non branded tunners and sharkies. The body shape looks Jackson but the knobs are all out of place. But like you said, if you can think it they could make it.

i take that back! the body is probably a modded india body the neck sharkies 12 fret and after don't even touch the edge of the board. unless you take off the neck I'd say it's not a usa and the neck ios probably not a Jackson.

[francesco73]

I just took the handle apart to take more detailed photos.
f you can tell me precisely what is original and what is not, you do me a great pleasure.
I recently started having fun assembling guitars and I would have left this guitar as it is only if it had been original.
If it's not original, I'll use the best parts to make a new guitar.
What about the pickups? Especially the humbucker seems odd to me as I've never seen one done that way in the back.

https://www.chitarrafaidate.it/forum/images/neck2.jpg

https://www.chitarrafaidate.it/forum/images/neck3.jpg

https://www.chitarrafaidate.it/forum/images/neck4.jpg

https://www.chitarrafaidate.it/forum/images/body2.jpg

[john.w.lawson]

looks

I just took the handle apart to take more detailed photos.
f you can tell me precisely what is original and what is not, you do me a great pleasure.
I recently started having fun assembling guitars and I would have left this guitar as it is only if it had been original.
If it's not original, I'll use the best parts to make a new guitar.
What about the pickups? Especially the humbucker seems odd to me as I've never seen one done that way in the back.

https://www.chitarrafaidate.it/forum/images/neck2.jpg

https://www.chitarrafaidate.it/forum/images/neck3.jpg

https://www.chitarrafaidate.it/forum/images/neck4.jpg

https://www.chitarrafaidate.it/forum/images/body2.jpg

i'm not seeing anything that should be there if it was a usa and even most if not all imports have the model in the pocket. i'm still thinking its a part guitar and not great part's. iI have been wrong though and I don't spend my days looking stuff up. looks like the headstock has been spray painted or sanded either way, the usa would be damaged or most likely gone.

[francesco73]

This is a pic of the tremolo cavity. It is shorter than normal and this makes it difficult to properly adjust the bridge. Is the cavity usually made that way or is it wider in jackson guitars? Can this detail be useful in identifying the body?

https://www.chitarrafaidate.it/forum/images/tremolo_cavity.jpg

[pianoguyy]

Can this detail be useful in identifying the body?

Yes, it can. You have ----- garbage.

Look up the price of a TRS-101. If you paid more than that, you got taken.
Also, at this point, I would measure the scale length to make sure you even have a workable unit.