About Jackson
Jackson traces back to Charvel's Glendora, California shop, which luthier Grover Jackson took control of in 1978. In 1980, guitarist Randy Rhoads approached Grover with a sketch for a radically modified Flying V, drawn on a napkin. The resulting design, built by Grover Jackson, Tim Wilson, and Mike Shannon, became the Concorde -- and because the shape was such a departure from Charvel's Superstrat lineup, Grover put a different name on the headstock: his own. That guitar launched Jackson as its own brand and set the template for the brand's pointed, aggressive body shapes -- the Rhoads V, Soloist, King V, and Kelly among them -- that came to define 1980s heavy metal guitar.
Jackson is now part of Fender Musical Instruments Corporation, which acquired the brand in 2002. Today's lineup spans USA-built Custom Shop and Select Series instruments made in Fender's Corona, California facility, down through Pro Series and X Series models built overseas, to the entry-level JS Series -- the line built for players stepping up from a first guitar without stepping up to a first-guitar price. The brand's association with fast, high-gain playing has carried from Randy Rhoads through generations of rock and metal guitarists who grew up on Jackson's sharp-edged shapes and humbucker-driven output.
Brand website: jacksonguitars.com
What Jackson makes
Jackson's catalog runs wider than the gear we review. The lines we know best from our own testing are marked with a star:
JS Series
Jackson's entry-level import line, including the Dinky, built to bring the brand's fast necks and humbucker output to a step-up price point — featured on House of Octave
X Series
Mid-tier import models that carry more of Jackson's signature body shapes and appointments than the JS line
Pro Series
Higher-spec overseas-built instruments positioned below Jackson's USA-made guitars
USA Select Series
American-made instruments built at Fender's Corona, California facility
USA Custom Shop
Fully custom, made-to-order Jackson instruments built in the Corona Custom Shop
Signature Models
Artist signature guitars tracing back to the original Randy Rhoads Concorde design
Why we recognized Jackson
The House of Octave Top Brand recognition isn't paid for and can't be applied for. We award it to the brands whose gear consistently stands out in our player-tested category guides. Jackson earned it on the strength of the products below, judged the same way every product on this site is: assessed on build, tone, and playability, weighed against what players actually report over years of use, and ranked on merit.
Jackson gear we rated highly
Jackson JS Series Dinky JS11
One of our top picks for a player stepping up from a beginner kit. The thin Dinky neck profile and flat fingerboard are built for speed, so the jump in playability from a starter-kit guitar is immediately obvious. Two humbuckers deliver real high-output crunch rather than the thin, single-coil-thin voice typical of budget guitars, and it takes gain and palm muting without falling apart. It arrives with usable frets and a straight neck, so it's playable and giggable rather than something to fight with, and it carries genuine brand credibility from a name with real metal-guitar pedigree. Owner ratings in the hundreds back up that it holds together in daily use.
Read the 9 Best Electric Guitars of 2026 (Every Budget & Skill Level) guide →What earned Jackson the recognition
- Founded in 1980 when Randy Rhoads brought Grover Jackson a napkin sketch for a modified Flying V that became the Concorde, launching Jackson as its own brand distinct from Charvel
- Jackson's pointed, aggressive body shapes -- the Rhoads V, Soloist, King V, and Kelly -- came to define the look and sound of 1980s heavy metal guitar
- Now part of Fender Musical Instruments Corporation, with USA-built Select Series and Custom Shop instruments produced at Fender's Corona, California facility
- The JS Series Dinky JS11 earned a place among our top electric guitar picks for a genuinely fast neck and real humbucker-driven crunch at a step-up price
- Hundreds of owner ratings on the Dinky JS11 back up that it holds together in regular use, not just as a first-guitar novelty