In November 1978, Grover Jackson took his first step toward producing his own line of guitars when he purchased Charvel’s Guitar Repair shop from its owner (and his employer), Wayne Charvel. Charvel had produced guitars previously, many of which closely resembled the Fender Stratocaster design.

Jackson, however, took things in a different direction. In 1980, Jackson met with a young guitarist named Randy Rhoads, who had just left a band called Quiet Riot to play with Ozzy Osbourne. Jackson and Rhoads designed two instruments together—the Concord and, later, the Rhoads, which became the main line of the company.

From these beginnings, Jackson guitars became popular among heavy-metal guitarists in the 1980s for their fast-playing necks and unusual, aggressive designs. Rick Savage of Def L...eppard, Dave Mustaine of Megadeath, and Vinnie Vincent of Kiss, for example, all played Jacksons.