Jackson

Est. 1980 Website ↗

About

Jackson is the guitar brand that defined the visual and sonic language of shred and heavy metal, born from the pointed 'Concorde' body Randy Rhoads sketched for Ozzy Osbourne's band in 1980. Its aggressive body shapes and high-output, fast-playing necks remain a staple of metal guitarists today.

History

Jackson traces its roots to Charvel, the California guitar shop and parts manufacturer where Grover Jackson began building custom instruments in the late 1970s. In 1980, Ozzy Osbourne's new guitarist Randy Rhoads approached Jackson with a rough sketch for a guitar unlike anything on the market: a sharply pointed, offset body he called the "Concorde." Jackson built it, and the design — soon named the Rhoads — became one of the most recognizable shapes in rock and helped launch Jackson as its own brand distinct from Charvel. Through the 1980s and 90s, Jackson's aggressive body shapes (the Rhoads, King V, Kelly, and Soloist superstrat) and its early embrace of high-output pickups, fast compound-radius necks, and Floyd Rose vibratos made it the guitar of choice for a generation of shred and metal guitarists. The company changed hands several times, including ownership by International Music Corporation, before Fender Musical Instruments Corporation acquired Jackson alongside Charvel in 2002. Under Fender, Jackson has continued to serve the metal and hard rock community across tiers from budget JS Series models to USA-built Select instruments, while signature artists like Misha Mansoor of Periphery have pushed the brand into modern extended-range and multi-scale territory.