Jackson Guitars was crafted in 1980 when legendary luthier Grover Jackson collaborated with Randy Rhoads to construct a wildly rare guitar, a sharp, futuristic take on the Flying V that would later be well known as the Jackson Rhoads. That one bold shape kicked off a revolution.

From there, Jackson quickly became the go to brand for shredders and heavy metal players in the 1980s. With their sleek bodies, pointed headstocks, and shark fin inlays, Jackson guitars weren’t just instruments, they were weapons assembled for speed and aggression.

Today, Jackson works under Fender, manufacturing guitars from high end USA Customs to more affordable Indonesian and Mexican made models, modelling the metal machine accessible to everyone.

Whether you’re looking at iconic shapes like the Dinky, Soloist, King V, Kelly, Rhoads, or Warrior, each Jackson model was built with one purpose, high performance for heavy players who live thunderously.

My personal experience: Jackson is a beast that I always want in my hands to set the fire. I always love the shape of a jackson but for me the more comfortable shape is a strat style used in MJ Series Dinky DKR Basswood and some of their other models crafted this shape too, and they just feel perfect in my hands.

The way Jackson designs their necks, chooses their woods, and equips their guitars with powerful electronics and pickups, I love everything about Jackson. No matter where I’m playing live gigs or in studio recordings, if I’m holding a Jackson, I know I’ll get the best sound.

Jackson Guitar Series Breakdown

Jackson offers different guitar series, as well as the entry level JS Series, the intermediate X Series, the high-performance Pro Series, the American made USA Select Series, and the Japan-made MJ Series, together with Signature Series that can exist within other series.

Electric Guitar Series:

American Series
X Series
JS Series
Pro Origins
Pro Series
Pro Plus Series
MJ Series
Artist Signature Series

Electric Guitar Shapes:

Rhoads
King V
Dinky
Kelly
Soloist
Warrior
Juggernaut
Virtuoso
Surfcaster
Shadowcaster

Bass Guitar Series:

X Series
Pro Series
JS Series
Artist Signature Series

Bass Guitar Shapes:

Concert Bass
Spectra Bass
Kelly Bird

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American Series:

The American Series represents Jackson’s return to building high end, These models sit between the Pro Series (mid high range) and the USA Select / Custom Shop (premium), giving players an American built option with professional features and modern performance.

Body Wood: Alder (most common)

Some limited and special American models may also include:

Ash (brighter, more open tone)
Basswood (smooth mids, lightweight)

Tone: Balanced across mids, lows, bright, and highs without being harsh with high gain distortion. This tone profile works great for metal, hard rock, shredding, fusion, and progressive music.

Feel: Fast, performance stable and solid focused smooth fretwork with comfortable rolled edges. Light to medium weight making it great for long gigs.

✅ Pros: American made quality with professional features for fast playing neck and balanced tone, delivering reliable performance and versatile tone for professionals.

⚠️ Cons: Higher price than Pro Series models, with less tonal variety and customization options compared to USA Select or Custom Shop guitars.

Jackson Guitar Tonewoods

Jackson guitars are built with performance in mind and a big part of their tone and feel comes from the guitar woods. Jackson doesn’t just rely on aggressive shapes. Their choice of wood plays a major role in defining that signature sound.

Most Jackson electric guitars were built using alder, basswood, and swamp ash for the body. Jackson are the most common body materials, maple necks paired with rosewood, ebony, or amaranth fretboards create slightly different playing experiences depending on the series.

Let’s break it down by sound, weight, and budget so you know exactly what to expect from each wood combination.

1. Lightweight & Modern Sound

JS Series (e.g., Dinky JS22)

Best For: Beginners, shredders, and players who want speed and comfort without breaking the sound.

Body Woods: basswood and poplar.

These woods help make the guitar comfortable for long playing sessions, for beginners or players who practice or perform for extended periods.

Tone: Basswood produces a bright, clear, smooth and responsive tone perfectly for modern rock and Poplar has a bit more bright tone than basswood for metal high gain riffs and solos.
Feel: Basswood and Poplar both are extremely Lightweighted, making it much easier to handle for long practice sessions or live jam sets.

✅ Pros: Easy to handle, fast techniques attack, and clear punchy tone.

⚠️ Cons: Basswood and poplar are softer woods with lightweight, which may show wear over time if you’re rough on your gear.

(Guitar Center reviews).

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Guitar Center Reviews

2. Balanced & Traditional Tone

Pro Series (e.g., Dinky DK2)

Best For: Intermediate to advanced players who want versatility across smooth clean tone, crunch, and high gain with multiple effects.

Body Wood: Alder
Tone: Tight lows, warm mids, and smooth highs, great for rock, fusion, and metal.
Feel: Slightly heavier than basswood and Poplar, but solid and resonant.

✅ Pros: Perfect sustain and excellent note separation great for players who switch between genres.

⚠️ Cons: Slightly heavier — not a big issue unless you prefer ultra-light guitars.

(Music Force Official reviews)

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Music Force Official

3. Versatile & Premium Tone

USA Select / Custom Shop

Best For: Serious players, recording guitarists, and musicians performing regular live gigs.

Body Wood: Swamp Ash (and sometimes high grade alder/basswood)
Tone: Bright, snappy, and highly resonant with a natural scooped mid range profile. Perfect for clarity under high gain distortion.
Feel: Light but solid, with a distinct natural resonance which makes long gigs and rehearsals more comfortable.

✅ Pros: Highly expressive and responsive to picking dynamics, many professionals favor swamp ash for its alive feel.

⚠️ Cons: Mostly found in higher end models, so it comes at a premium price.

Jackson Guitar Pickups Breakdown

Jackson is built for performance, so they use many categories of pickups.

Passive Humbuckers (most common in jackson)

Brands Used:

Seymour Duncan
DiMarzio
Jackson High-Output Humbuckers

Tone & Style: Thick, warm, punchy handles extremely well distortion, Great for rock, hard rock, metal, shred, prog, and fusion.

2. Active Pickups (Common for Metal Players)

Brands Used:

EMG 81/85
EMG 81/60
EMG 57/66
Fishman Fluence Modern

Tone & Style: Super tight low end and clarity under high gain with zero noise & hum, Perfect for metalcore, djent, death metal, and progressive metal.

Want to dive deeper into EMG pickups? I’ve covered everything in depth. Head over to my complete article: “Why EMG Pickups Are More Versatile Than You Think”

My Personal Experience: I’ve been using EMG pickups for over five years,and honestly, they’ve become a huge part of my sound. Whether I’m shredding fast leads or playing heavy riffs, EMGs always give me exactly what I want: a big powerful tone with zero hum or unwanted noise. I’ve used both EMG passive and active pickups and each one has delivered incredible clarity and punch in live gigs and studio recordings.

In the end, the choice is always yours. Pick the pickups that feel right for your playing style and what you want to hear from your guitar.

3. Single Coils (less Common but still used)

Brands Used:

Seymour Duncan SSL series
Jackson Single Coils

Tone & Style: Bright, glassy, smooth with sharp attack, Great for clean tones, funk, blues rock, and classic heavy metal riffs.

4. P90 Style Pickups (Limited Use)

P90 pickups are uncommon in Jackson’s lineup, you’ll find them mainly in custom builds or special projects.

Tone & Style: Raw, gritty, vintage growl with punchy mids, great for vintage rock, blues, punk, and alternative music.

5. Piezo Pickups (Select Models Only)

Used in to blend acoustic like tones with electric sound to add acoustic voicing alongside electric pickups. Found in limited or custom shops.

Tone & Style: Clear bright, acoustic shimmer, great for live acoustic intros, and dynamic live performances.

Jackson Guitar Strings: What You Should Know

Jackson guitars are designed for speed,aggressive playing style, precision, and high gain modern performance, and their string choices reflect that. Most Jackson models come from the factory equipped with Nickel Plated Steel (NPS) strings in light or light top/heavy bottom gauges, perfect for fast playing, heavy riffs, and expressive bends.

What Jackson Mostly uses: Nickel plated steel strings for balanced brightness and warmth tone.

Brand: Jackson branded strings (manufactured for them under OEM)

Standard Gauges:

009 – 042 (Super Light)
009 – 046 (Light Top Heavy Bottom)
010 – 046 (Regular Light)

These gauges are perfect for shredders because they keep the tension comfortable while still holding tuning during bends, vibrato, and aggressive picking.

Tone & Feel

Tone: Clear, sharp, bright, ideal for fast lead work and distortion.

Feel: Smooth and easy on the fingers, especially for technical styles like shredding, alternate picking, sweep picking, heavy rhythm chugging.

Perfect Replacement String Brands For Jackson Guitars

Jackson players who prioritize speed and heavy tone for aggressive playing, these brands are most popular among Jackson owners.

Ernie Ball
D’Addario
Elixir
DR Strings

My Personal Experience: I’ve been using Ernie Ball strings for over 5 years, and they’ve never let me down. The smooth, clear sound they deliver perfectly complements my playing style and has genuinely helped me refine my techniques. Whether I’m working on fast runs or heavy riffs, these strings respond perfectly for me. Based on my own journey, I personally swear by Ernie Ball and recommend them to fellow players. But of course,every player has their own preferences. All the brands mentioned here are quality options, so it’s about finding what suits your touch and tone.

Final Tip: Your string choice changes your entire playing experience, whether you’re chasing smooth bends, aggressive chugs, or clean, bright tone. Jackson guitars respond incredibly well to lighter gauges for technical speed work and heavier gauges for metal drop tunings, so choose what matches your style for the best results.

Jackson Guitar Electronics

Jackson guitars are built for players who demand both power and precision. No matter whether your guitar is loaded with passive or active pickups, the wiring setup to volume and tone controls plays a crucial role in your sound.

Volume Knob (Your main control for power & punch)
Tone Knob (Shape the brightness of your sound)
Pickup Selector (Your sound changer)

Jackson wiring clean signal flow designed for high gain clarity, intuitive knob placement for fast stage adjustments with smooth taper pots for precise control and strong shielding to reduce hum and interference whether you’re recording or playing live, jackson wiring helps your pickups to perform at their best.

Where Speed Meets Comfort:

Inside The Jackson Fretboard

The instant your fingers hit a jackson fretboard, you know you’re holding a performance machine built from premium tonewoods like ebony, rosewood, and maple. The fretboard of Jackson is engineered for speed, pinpoint accuracy, and total control. Each fret is meticulously polished and each edge perfectly rounded, delivering a glide so smooth it feels almost effortless. shredding solos, deep bends, sweeping arpeggios, complex chord voicings, everything becomes easier, cleaner, and more comfortable. This is the fretboard crafted for players who demand maximum speed, more accuracy, and dynamic expression. With Jackson’s signature fast feel under your fingertips, each note rings out with clarity and every riff hits with confidence. It’s not just a fretboard, it’s your gateway to the high-performance Jackson experience.

What Kind Of Fret Wire Jackson Uses

Jackson equips their guitar with high quality fret wire designed for long lasting reliability and a polished feel right out of the box. Most models use nickel silver frets, a durable alloy that offers a warm tone. On higher end USA or custom shop Jacksons, you’ll often find stainless steel frets, incredibly long lasting and perfect for players who bend, shred, and riff hard. Whether nickel silver or stainless steel, jackson frets are crafted for years of reliable playability.

Final Advice: Unleash Your Inner Shredder With Jackson

You’ve read about the history and the impressive specs, but what does that mean for you?

If your playing demands speed, aggression, and uncompromising tone, Jackson should be at the top of your list. Jackson guitars offer so many options, different woods, pickups, shapes and series that the best choice always comes down to one thing. Your hands and your style.

When it comes to power Jackson consistently equips its instruments with high electronics and hardware that translate aggressive playing into a scorching, crystal clear output, whether you’re dominating a large stage or tracking tight studio licks.

Try different models, experiment with the pickups, and listen to how each guitar reacts to your technique. When a jackson feels right, you’ll know it instantly, there’s a spark that makes you want to keep playing. Let that feeling guide you. The right jackson isn’t just the one with the best features, it’s the one that inspires you every time you plug in.