How I discovered Charvel and Jackson

[P I K A]

My wife ( girlfriend at the time ) was watching some band called Ratt. I said yea they are ok till I saw 2:30 of this vid and said cool guitars I gotta check them out. Been a fan ever since thank you Ratt and my wife to turning me on to Jackson. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8vJWC9vBFI

Also looks like Warrens cross sword had chrome Floyd ,Chrome Volume knob, pure white bottom, and a zebra pup. A lot different from the "signature guitar" offered.

[RR2772]

Kirk's Rhoads in Cliff'em'all did it for me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3Oh6oEeVpg

[Snoogans]

For me, it was Tommy Asakawa's blue Rhoads

[Nightbat]

Marty Friedman - in a way

I was familiar with his Cacophony and solo work, but not being much of a Megadeth fan, I only knew he used (some) Jackson at that point

So when I was buying my first guitar, the guy there tried to sell me a Yamaha Pacifica, but I wasn't impressed
So I asked him what else he had in my pricerange, he named a few, including a 2nd hand Jackson

"...Jackson?!?"

He walks back and hands me over a black Jackson strat (Fusion SS) which I went to try out and bought

as such was my entry in the world

[leftykingv2]

First time I saw Robbin Crosby playing a King V I knew right then and there I had to have one!

[Rsmacker]

Either Scott Ian's RR from around the first SOD LP, or maybe Mille Petrozza's RR .

[DonP]

For me, it was Tommy Asakawa's blue Rhoads

I still have that RECORD and play it every so often. I could never find it on CD!!!

For me, I'm not too sure about the love affair with Jacksons. I didn't really key in on what my favorite players were playing, but I just knew axes with bound ebony and MOP sharkfins were the top of the line and I wanted one more than anything. They were something special more-so than any other axe including Gibson's.

It's funny but now that I have so many, they've lost some of that special mystique, but I still love them.

I'd take a stab at Stryper being one of the first bands where I started noticing Jacksons. I saw Ratt videos and liked them, but never paid attention to the guitars they were using. For some reason I never put 1 + 1 together back then, and made some pretty stupid decisions on my first guitar and amp (a 3 TITE Aria Pro II and a Gorilla, sounded like utter crap).

[Hellbat]

Other than the Randy connection I saw their ads in Guitar Player etc. But it was probably this one that really made me go "wow". I hadn't really seen a neck through guitar before this one and the thought of being able to play all the weedly weedly notes real high up without obstruction really amazed me.

Pic courtesy of fatstrat...



Well, that and the Crossroads guitar combined probably.

[leftykingv2]

I still have that RECORD and play it every so often. I could never find it on CD!!!

For me, I'm not too sure about the love affair with Jacksons. I didn't really key in on what my favorite players were playing, but I just knew axes with bound ebony and MOP sharkfins were the top of the line and I wanted one more than anything. They were something special more-so than any other axe including Gibson's.

It's funny but now that I have so many, they've lost some of that special mystique, but I still love them.

I'd take a stab at Stryper being one of the first bands where I started noticing Jacksons. I saw Ratt videos and liked them, but never paid attention to the guitars they were using. For some reason I never put 1 + 1 together back then, and made some pretty stupid decisions on my first guitar and amp (a 3 TITE Aria Pro II and a Gorilla, sounded like utter crap).

I got that shit beat well half way....Gorilla G-10 and let me tell you the "Tubestack" distortion still rivals my best Marshalls! A harmony Strat copy the first and only gear my parents ever bought me. I was eight years old.

[vklobucar]

Phil Collen of Def Leppard fame with his Archtop that he played throughout the Hysteria tour. Always loved that guitar and that started my Charvel Jackson journey.

Countless years and guitars later, my 98' PC1 is still my all time fav "grab it and go" guitar.

Oh ya, and then I met him countless times and he just happened to be the most humble and down to earth rock star you'd ever have the pleasure of knowing.

[DonP]

I got that shit beat well half way....Gorilla G-10 and let me tell you the "Tubestack" distortion still rivals my best Marshalls! A harmony Strat copy the first and only gear my parents ever bought me. I was eight years old.

I had to buy it all myself in 1985. Used my college money LOL! I think mine was the GC-25 with 8" speaker, tube stack, and bass, mid and treble controls. Electronics I gutted and wired up a Marshall 2203 circuit to a 2 1/2 watt output 50C5 / 35W4 power section. I still have it kicking around the house. I've been interested in getting another Gorilla same as the one I have just to remind me what life was like back then.

Kids today have it much better.

[roodyrocker]

This is an easy one to answer in one word: Rhoads

[Shawn Lutz]

Randy Rhoads as the pinstripe concord was the first Jackson ever Randy still referred it to as a Charvel though. So it was Randy for Jackson and Gary Moore and Vivian Campbell for Charvel's.

[atomic charvel guy]

c'mon people, 1978, the first Van Halen album was the initial launch. it said it on the back cover, or on the inner sleave- "Edward Van Halen plays Charvel guitars". the rest was history.

[Razor]

Rhoads' Concorde and Warren's Skull and Blood Drip for me!!!