Jackson Custom Shop Joe Williams Masterbuilt Warrior Warbird Graphics by Brian Bock

Jackson Custom Shop Joe Williams Masterbuilt Warrior Warbird Graphics by Brian Bock

JOE WILLIAMS - JACKSON MASTER BUILDER

Promoted to a Master Builder in 2018, Joe Williams first came to Jackson in 2005 from a vintage guitar shop, where he repaired and set up used guitars.

His passion for tinkering with guitars started much earlier. Williams began playing guitar at age 13, when his parents—assuming it was only a phase—got him an inexpensive Squier beginner instrument. An enterprising teen, Williams quickly taught himself to modify and improve his $100 guitar to sound and feel like his friend’s high-performance Charvel.

Williams was well versed in guitar craft by the time he arrived at Jackson, where he did wiring and setup work. His attention to detail drew the attention of acclaimed Master Builder Mike Shannon, and Williams was subsequently given sole responsibility for custom assembly work. Under Shannon’s expert wing, Williams slowly worked his way backward through the production process—from final assembly to buffing and polishing to mill work.

“The most rewarding aspect of my position is being a player and the builder,” Williams said. “Getting to feel and hear the difference of each build; knowing what went into it having done each step and learning from each variance of the process is a privilege.”

At Jackson, Williams has contributed to many high-profile Custom Shop projects, including management of the relic process, assembly and setup for the Randy Rhoads Tribute Concorde Replica models, and initial conception and design of the B7 and B8 models.

Williams also built the first Jackson “multi-scale” instrument. In what he good-naturedly referred to as “a beast of a build,” he created an eight-string Soloist model with an innovative 27.75”-25” scale length and asymmetrical five-piece neck.