Where to Find the Serial Number on a Jackson Guitars Guitar
Silkscreened or stamped onto the back of the headstock alongside the model family and country of manufacture.
Stamped into the steel 4-bolt neck joint plate on Dinky, San Dimas, and bolt-on Pro Series models.
On early San Dimas and vintage Ontario neck-through models (Soloist, Rhoads), the serial number is stamped into the fretboard wood past the final 22nd or 24th fret.
Jackson Guitars Serial Number Formats & Historical Dating Cheat-Sheet
| Production Era | Serial Format | Decoding Rule / Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Modern International Production (2010–Present) | Prefix (ICJ, CWJ, NHJ, MX) + YY + Sequence | Two to four letter factory prefix (e.g. ICJ=Cort Indonesia, CWJ=China, MX=Ensenada Mexico) followed by 2-digit manufacturing year. | ICJ2104523 -> Built at Cort Indonesia in 2021 |
| Japanese Professional / Pro Series (1990–2011) | 6 to 8-digit numeric code (e.g. 9604123, 0304521) | Manufactured by Chushin Gakki in Nagano, Japan. The first one or two digits represent the production year. | 9604123 -> Built at Chushin Gakki, Japan in 1996 |
| USA Select / Custom Shop Neck-Through (1986–Present) | U or J prefix + 4 to 6 digits (e.g. U02450) | High-end American handcrafted neck-through instruments built at Ontario (1986-2002) and Corona (2002-present). | U02450 -> USA Select Neck-Through built in Ontario, CA |
| Historic San Dimas Custom Era (1980–1986) | 3 or 4-digit numeric stamp (1001–5500) | Original boutique custom shop instruments crafted by Grover Jackson and his early luthiers in San Dimas, California. | 1540 -> Original 1980s San Dimas Custom |
Frequently Asked Questions: Dating & Authenticating Jackson Guitars
Where is the serial number located on a Jackson guitar?
For bolt-on guitars (like the Dinky), check the 4-bolt neckplate. For neck-through guitars (like the Soloist or RR1), look past the last fret on the fingerboard or on the back of the headstock.
Are Japanese Jackson guitars good quality?
Yes! Jackson Pro Series guitars built at the Chushin Gakki factory in Japan between 1990 and 2011 are celebrated for exceptional fretwork, tonewoods, and hardware, often rivaling USA production at a fraction of the cost.
What does the "U" prefix mean in a Jackson serial number?
The "U" prefix designates a USA Select or USA Custom Shop neck-through instrument (such as the SL1 Soloist, RR1 Randy Rhoads, or KV2 King V).
Explore Jackson Guitars Market Prices & Buying Advice
Knowing your guitar's build year is the first step in determining its resale value. Read our comprehensive 2026 buying guide and valuation tables to see current market trends for Jackson Guitars.