 |
| Jackson King V | |
|---|---|
 JS30KV, an entry level model in production since the 2000s | |
| Manufacturer | Jackson Guitars |
| Period | 1980s–present |
| Construction | |
| Body type | Solid |
| Neck joint | Neck-thru/bolt on |
| Woods | |
| Body | Basswood |
| Neck | Maple |
| Fretboard | Rosewood / Ebony, 22 or 24 frets |
| Hardware | |
| Bridge | Fixed / double Locking tremolo |
| Pickup(s) | H-H |
| Colors available | |
| White, Black, Green, Silver, Orange sunburst and red | |
The King V is an electric guitar model made by Jackson Guitars.
The Jackson King V was originally named after Robbin Crosby of Ratt, his nickname being "King". Crosby popularized the guitar throughout the 1980s, however the guitar he played most often was his Double Rhoads guitar, a modified design of the Jackson Rhoads guitar. King V model surfaced as a downsized version of the Double Rhoads, which was designed and targeted for a shorter, more ordinary person. (Crosby was 6.5 feet/198 cm tall, hence the nickname "King").
Megadeth frontman Dave Mustaine eventually became the guitarist most identified with using this model. After creating a custom King V for Mustaine (completed October 10, 1986), the company later began mass-producing a Dave Mustaine Signature Series King V, which featured 24 frets (as opposed to the typical 22 frets) and would become one of their best selling guitars. This line continued into the early 2000s, when it underwent massive changes and became the Y2KV, a guitar based much more heavily on the Gibson Flying V. Mustaine then sold his entire personal collection of Jacksons, and subsequently signed endorsement deals with ESP Guitars in 2003, Dean Guitars in 2007, and Gibson Family Brands in 2021. (Gibson, Epiphone, Kramer)
Listed below is the range of King V models in chronological order.
Indian bolt-on Jackson has a NHJ serial (I(N)DIA, (H)ARMONY, (J)ACKSON, as Indonesia already took the I coded serial), while the MIJ continued to use their sequential serial starting with 96, 97 or 98. The KVX10 use a jack mount plate on the bottom wing next to the cavity.
The Fender Jazzmaster is an electric guitar designed as a more expensive sibling of the Fender Stratocaster. First introduced at the 1958 NAMM Show, it was initially marketed to jazz guitarists, but found favor among surf rock guitarists in the early 1960s. Its appearance is similar to the Jaguar, though it is tonally and physically different in many technical ways, including pickup design, scale length and controls.
The Fender Showmaster is a discontinued model of electric guitar made by Fender, and is characteristic of a superstrat. Also see the badge change of Stagemaster due to legal reasons.
The Gibson ES-335 is a semi-hollow body semi-acoustic guitar introduced by the Gibson Guitar Corporation as part of its ES series in 1958. It features a solid maple wood block running through the center of its body with upper bouts that are hollow and two violin-style f-holes cut into the top over the hollow chambers. Since its release, Gibson has released numerous variations of and other models based on the design of the ES-335.
The Fender Precision Bass is a model of electric bass guitar manufactured by Fender Musical Instruments Corporation. In its standard, post-1957 configuration, the Precision Bass is a solid body, four-stringed instrument usually equipped with a single split-coil humbucking pickup and a one-piece, 20-fret maple neck with rosewood or maple fingerboard.
The Fender Jazz Bass is the second model of electric bass created by Leo Fender. It is distinct from the Precision Bass in that its tone is brighter and richer in the midrange and treble with less emphasis on the fundamental frequency. The body shape is also different from the Precision Bass, in that the Precision Bass has a symmetrical lower bout on the body, designed after the Telecaster and Stratocaster lines of guitars, while the Jazz Bass has an offset lower bout, mimicking the design aesthetic of the Jaguar and Jazzmaster guitars.
Superstrat is a name for an electric guitar design that resembles a Fender Stratocaster but with differences that clearly distinguish it from a standard Stratocaster, usually to cater to a different playing style. Differences typically include more pointed, aggressive-looking body and neck shapes with increased cutaways to facilitate access to the higher frets, an increased number of frets on the fingerboard, a contoured heel at the neck joint facilitating easier higher fret access, the usage of humbucking pickups, and locking vibrato systems, most commonly the Floyd Rose.
The Gibson Explorer is a type of electric guitar model by Gibson guitars, released in 1958. The Explorer offered a radical, "futuristic" body design, much like its siblings: the Flying V, which was released the same year, and the Moderne, which was designed in 1957 but not released until 1982. The Explorer was the final development of a prototype design that, years later, Gibson marketed under the name Futura.
The Jackson Soloist is an electric guitar model introduced by Jackson Guitars in 1984, although prototypes were available before then. The design is a typical "superstrat"; it varies from a typical Stratocaster because of its neck-thru design; tremolo: Floyd Rose or similar, Kahler; or a fixed Tune-O-Matic; premium woods; a deeper cutaway at the lower horn for better access to the higher frets, and a sharper body with squared-off edges.
The Jackson Dinky is a Superstrat-style double-cutaway electric guitar built by Jackson Guitars. The "Dinky" is named for its slightly smaller than normal (7/8) body size. Usually fitted with a two humbucker pickup configuration, some models also include single-coil pickups and/or just one bridge humbucker. The fretboard can be made out of ebony, rosewood and more recently maple, or rock maple, with 24 jumbo frets and is always built with a bolt-on neck. Most of the guitars have a Floyd Rose original or licensed tremolo, and a locking nut to help maintain stable tuning. Some Dinkys have hardtail, or String-Thru bridges. The Jackson Dinky is usually preferred by players of hard rock and heavy metal.
The Ibanez RG is a series of electric guitars produced by Hoshino Gakki The first model in the series, the RG550, was originally released in 1987 and advertised as part of the Roadstar series. That series was renamed "RG" in 1992 and all models since are simply known as RGs.
The Fender Katana is an electric guitar built by Fender. It was designed by marketing director Dan Smith in 1985. The Katana was designed to compete with the unconventionally-shaped guitars of the era, such as the Jackson Randy Rhoads, and to satisfy Fender dealers who were suffering from the competition those instruments offered. The Katana did not sell as well as Fender hoped, and it was discontinued in 1986 before being reissued as a Masterbuilt Custom Shop model as part of the Prestige collection three decades later.
The Jackson Rhoads is a model of electric guitar, originally commissioned by guitarist Randy Rhoads and produced by Jackson Guitars.
The ESP SV is a series of electric guitars produced by ESP.
The Jackson DK2M is a superstrat variant of the Dinky line of electric guitars made by Jackson Guitars, specifically the Pro Series. Introduced in January 2006, at one point it became Jackson's top import seller until it was dropped from the 2010 line. Its full name is the Jackson Pro Series DK2M Dinky and was manufactured in Japan using bolt-on neck construction in a scale length of 25.5”. The DK2M had a 2007 MSRP of $857–999, depending on finish, while street price ranged from $600–700. The Jackson DK2M was reintroduced to the market in 2012, and is now manufactured in Mexico. A molded case is optional.
The Fender Elite Stratocaster is an electric solid body guitar that was manufactured by Fender in 1983 and 1984. The name was revived from 2016 to 2019 with the Fender American Elite Stratocaster Series.
The Washburn N4 is an electric guitar model, developed in collaboration between Nuno Bettencourt, Washburn and the Seattle-based luthier Stephen Davies. Since its introduction in mid-late 1990, it became Bettencourt's primary guitar and it is marketed by Washburn as his signature model. The N4 is the flagship of the Washburn N-prefix guitar models.
The Demmelition V is the signature guitar of Phil Demmel, the lead guitarist of the American heavy metal band Machine Head. The Demmelition V model was released on 5 May 2008 by Jackson Guitars. It was designed in part by Phil Demmel and Jackson says that, "it is a superb addition to the King V dynasty."
The Yamaha Corporation is a multinational corporation and conglomerate based in Japan with a wide range of products and services, predominantly musical instruments, motorcycles, power sports equipment and electronics.
The Jackson Kelly or KE is a heavily modified version of the Gibson Explorer produced by Jackson Guitars. The guitar has been in production since the early 1980s, and is available in several different formats. It was heavily popularized in the early to mid 1990s due to its use by the guitarist Marty Friedman of Megadeth.
The Peavey Predator is a series of electric guitars made by Peavey Electronics. It has been made continuously since 1985. It is a double-cutaway guitar, with an extended top "horn" shape for balance. There are five models of the Peavey Predator, with different styles and makes of each.