After having the ESP EC10 for a while I decided that it was time to try something new. The first guitar I ever bought was strat style guitar and I wanted to try this style
again.
Since I really liked the
ESP brand I thought about getting the ESP M10. But, I decided that it
was best to look at all my options. I looked at a variety of electric
guitars including some with Floyd Rose tremolos. I came close to
choosing the ESP M50 with a Floyd Rose tremolo. But I heard negative
things about this type of tremolo system. So, I continued to look at
a variety of guitars.
After completing my
research I decided to get the Jackson Dinky JS22. At the time that I
made the purchase, there were four colors available. The JS22 was
available in satin black, metallic blue, metallic red, and snow
white. I chose the satin black model.
Inside The Box
The Jackson Dinky JS22
includes an owner's manual, three allen wrenches, and a tremolo arm.
My Experience
I ordered the Jackson
JS22 from Amazon but it came from Sam Ash. It was packaged well and
it didn't have any flaws. It was in perfect condition.
Once it was out of the
box I begin to test out my new guitar. First, I played it clean and
then distorted using only the amp. I later added my multi-effects
pedal and tried out a variety of effects.
After fully testing it out I discovered one thing. I discovered that
I was disappointed in the JS22. The volume was weak, the strings
didn't sound good, and I was disappointed with the overall sound. At
this point the only thing I liked was the feel of the guitar.
But, because of the one
characteristic that I liked, I was determined to make the guitar sound
better. So, I went with the simplest solution first. I changed the
factory strings. I chose Dean Markley nickel steel strings. It's my
favorite brand and it's what I have been using with the ESP EC10.
After changing the
strings I noticed an improvement. But, I still felt that things could
be better. So, I decided to try the second simplest solution. I
raised the height of the pickups. This is something that I learned
about by reading the manual that I got with my ESP EC10.
Once I raised the height
of the pickups I found that the volume was much better. But, I still
wasn't 100% satisfied with the sound of the guitar. But, since I
didn't know anything else to try I decided to look for more
solutions.
After researching for a
while I found an extra solution. I found that the screws (pole
pieces) on the pickups could be adjusted. So, I raised the screws on
the pickups. I decided to raise them to a height identical to the
height of the screws on my ESP EC10. I decided to make them identical
because I really like the sound of the pickups on the ESP EC10.
After adjusting the
screws on the pickups I found that I was satisfied with the overall
sound of the JS22. Before making these adjustments I thought that
purchasing the Jackson JS22 was a big mistake. I no longer feel this
way. It sounds clear when played on the clean setting and I like the
way it sounds distorted. While researching for solutions I thought
about changing the pickups. But, I no longer have a strong desire to
do so.
Currently, I feel that
the Jackson JS22 sounds even better than it did after completing the
adjustments. But, this may be done to the pickups breaking in.
I raised the screws(pole pieces) as high as possible |
Action On The Jackson
The ESP EC10 was my second guitar. Compared to my first guitar the action on the ESP
EC10 was a whole lot better. I was able to get the action low without
any problems. I was satisfied with the action on the ESP EC10.
With the Jackson JS22
things were different but better. With the JS22 I was surprised that
the action was lower than the action on my ESP EC10. I was also
surprised that I was able to get it even lower than it was when I
first took it out of the box. I like low action and I was glad that I
was able to achieve this with the Jackson JS22.
The Strings
Before making my final
decision to purchase the JS22 I was hesitant to buy this guitar. The
JS22 comes with 9 gauge strings and this was something that I wanted
to stay away from. My first guitar had 9 gauge strings and I had to
deal with frequent string breaks. After experiencing this I made sure that my next
guitar had 10 gauge strings. This was something that I was able to
accomplish with the ESP EC10. With the ESP EC10, I was able to go for
months without any type of string problem. With my first guitar, I
was dealing with string breaks at an annoying pace.
But, with the JS22 I was able to get the same results that I achieved with the ESP EC10. I
removed the factory strings (as I mentioned earlier) and installed
new strings on September 1, 2016. Since then I haven't had any
string breaks. I have also never felt like any of my strings were
going to break. It seems that the 9 gauge Dean Markley nickel steel strings or just as strong as their 10 gauge strings. I now feel
satisfied and at ease with using 9 gauge strings.
Overall, I could have
easily purchased another guitar or just switched to my preferred
string gauge once I got this guitar. But, the Jackson JS22 caught my
attention and it was easier to just give the 9 gauge strings a try.
There are adjustments that have to be made when you switch from one
string gauge to another.
The Tremolo
As I mentioned earlier I
came close to purchasing a guitar with a Floyd Rose tremolo. But, I
didn't like the negative things I read. Negatives things such as
complex string changes that will sometimes require adjustments to be
made to the whole tremolo system, not being able to change tunings
easily, less sustain, all strings going out of tune when one breaks,
and more complicated setups. But, despite these negatives, most agree
that it's still worth having. Once you get past the setup process
these types of tremolos will stay in tune very well. Plus the tremolo
bar is capable of being pulled up in addition to being pushed down.
I chose the JS22 to avoid
the negatives associated with the Floyd Rose tremolo systems. With
the Jackson JS22, I can choose to use the tremolo or remove the arm and have a hardtail bridge. I can also install a more advanced two-point
tremolo systems. The Hipshot tremolo and the Stetsbar are just two
examples.
At the moment I have
decided to use the tremolo system instead of removing the tremolo
arm. So far I have loosened the claw to make it easier to press down.
But, I rarely use the tremolo on the JS22. I only use it to test out
the capabilities of this vintage tremolo system.
When it is used it does
go out of tune. It's not always immediately but it does go out of
tune. But, there are products that I am considering to help with this
problem. One example is a product by Music Nomad called TUNE-IT. This
and similar products are said to help keep a guitar in tune when the
tremolo bar is being used.
The tremolo system on the
Jackson JS22 has three springs. The tremolo arm just pops into place.
It can be left loose or tightened. The adjustment screw for the
tremolo arm is located slightly below it. The guitar has to be
flipped over and the tremolo arm has to be completely pressed down to
access it. The smallest allen wrench that is included with the guitar
will be needed.
Location of tremolo arm adjustment screw |
The Comfort Level Of The
Jackson Dinky JS22
I really like the ESP
EC10 but this guitar is more comfortable to play while sitting down.
I feel that the neck sits at just the right height. It also has a
slightly better overall feel and stays in place a little better. But,
both are equally as comfortable during the rare times that I play
standing up.
Does the Jackson Dinky
JS22 stay in tune well?
Without using the tremolo
the JS22 is about average when it comes to staying in tune. Sometimes
I have to tune every day and sometimes I can go for about two days
without tuning.
The Black Satin Finish
In the past, I would have
never considered a guitar with a satin or black satin finish. I
always looked for guitars with a gloss finish. But, after looking at
the Jackson JS22 and other guitars with a black satin finish I
changed my mind. I really like the look of this guitar and the others
that I saw.
With the ESP EC10, I
cleaned my guitar with Dunlop Formula 65 guitar cleaner. It's just
one example of the many guitar cleaners for guitars with a gloss
finish. With the Jackson JS22, I have to use something different. For
the JS22 I have to use the all-purpose guitar detailer from Music
Nomad. It's safe for matte and satin finish guitars. Plus, it has the
added advantage of being able to be used on gloss finish guitars. I
have used it a few times and I am satisfied with it. Overall, I don't
have any regrets about purchasing the black satin version of the
Jackson JS22.
Sound Samples
Below are sound samples of the Jackson Dinky JS22. I played a few riffs using my amp and
multi-effects pedal.
Sound Samples:
Jackson Dinky JS22(Dean Markley Nickle Steel 9 gauge strings, pointless pick .58mm, recorded with Tascam DR-05, Fender Frontman 25R amp, Zoom G1 multi-effects pedal) 1. Clean with spring reverb (Fender Frontman 25R amp only) bridge, bridge and neck, neck. 2. Distortion (Fender Frontman 25R amp only) bridge, bridge, and neck, neck. 3. Extreme Distortion (Fender Frontman 25R amp and Zoom G1 multi-effects pedal) bridge, bridge, and neck, neck.
Jackson Dinky JS22(Dean Markley Nickle Steel 9 gauge strings, pointless pick .58mm, recorded with Tascam DR-05, Fender Frontman 25R amp, Zoom G1 multi-effects pedal) 1. Clean with spring reverb (Fender Frontman 25R amp only) bridge, bridge and neck, neck. 2. Distortion (Fender Frontman 25R amp only) bridge, bridge, and neck, neck. 3. Extreme Distortion (Fender Frontman 25R amp and Zoom G1 multi-effects pedal) bridge, bridge, and neck, neck.
Features
- Rosewood fingerboard
- Basswood body (arch top)
- 1 piece bolt-on maple neck with graphite reinforcement scarf joint
- White neck binding
- 25.5 scale length
- 12” to 16” compound radius fingerboard
- 24 Jumbo frets
- Plastic string nut ( The Graph Tech Black TUSQ XL nut model PT-6643-00 will fit this guitar)
- 4 Bolt neck plate
- Pearloid sharkfin inlays
- Jackson high output humbucking neck and bridge pickups
- Black master volume and master tone controls
- Black 2 point fulcrum vintage tremolo
- Black Jackson sealed die-cast tuning machines
- Black dome style control knobs
- .009-.042 gauge strings
Overall
In the beginning, I liked
the feel of the JS22, but I didn't like the overall sound. Changing
the strings, raising the pickups, and adjusting the screws on the
pickups made the sound much better. Doing those things made me feel
completely satisfied with Jackson Dinky JS22.