I bought one of those monsters just this last January. I agree with you about the fret ends; mine were the worst I've seen. However, the playing surface was the best I've seen on a new guitar. I started modifying the axe almost the minute I got it. I bought it to install a Wilkinson vibrato in, so I did that. I didn't like the tuners and had some Wilkinson EZ-LOKS to hand, so I swapped them in. I rather liked the pickups, but I plead guilty to being an Alnico snob. I decided to try an experiment and replace the stock pickups with pickups that were as much like the stock ones as possible, but driven by Alnico magnets. I got lucky and found a set with only slightly less DC resistance than the stock set -- but they had Alnico II magnets! (I'd expected Alnico V.) I got them swapped, and found that the feel of the pickups was pretty much the same as it had been, but the tone was more PAF-ish. It isn't "vintage," but it has made some progress in that direction while remaining modern. I noticed that you not only added a middle pickup, but that you also equipped your guitar with a pickup switching system that allows you to get all 7 sounds 3 pickups can get. I once had a Charvel (one of the cheap ones from the pre-Fender Jackson/Charvel). It had individual toggle pickup switches, too. I'm not good with wiring or woodworking, though, so I won't be drilling or filling. I may do something like replacing the pots with 1 megohm units for more brightness, maybe swapping in a push-pull pot to engage the neck pickup when I want it and/or swapping in 2 stacked potentiometers so as to have 2 volumes and 2 tones like a Les Paul. Since I don't play out, I can't justify this messing around as more than a hobby, so I'm always looking to keep costs down. I've turned to pawn shop prizes and very inexpensive guitars and using Internet-gained skills to enhance the viability of these guitars. I just wish I could have done this sort of thing 40 years ago!
@@edwinstovall3334 I'm just happy that we have the chance to affordably build guitars to our hearts delight when I first started modding guitars the choices were slim and pricey
Thanks for spending some time showing the clean tone. I’ve been looking to add one of these to my collection but most people just crank the gain when it comes to a Jackson guitar. Nothing wrong with that at all but it’s nice to hear a cleaner, blues tone out of one for a change too.
Welcome to the club! A bit of advice, if you don't mind. Watch RUclips videos on guitar stringing, setup, adjustments and tools. I recommend Dan Thompson's "Guns and Guitars" channel here on RUclips. One video that might be very helpful is one in which he shows how to make some tools for cheap money. The idea is to learn to be your own guitar tech. You will lose the mystery, but gain power over the instrument. You'll be much closer to making the axe truly yours!
Impressive skills both playing and remodeling. I guess you can’t call it a Jackson guitar anymore. To me, it sounded amazing right out the box. Proves the player makes all the difference. Bravo 👏
Great video. Bought one of these for my son, was very impressed with the value. I sanded the body and clear coated it, threw some SD's in (JB, Jazz, not sure, had them laying around). Probably shoulda changed the pots while I was at it.
Found your video looking for reviews of the Jackson. This is easily the best review I found, your playing is fantastic. Guitar looks great with the mods.
LOL I just found this guitar in a pawn shop and got it for $100. I also got a new 20' cable and a Roland cube. All out the door for $135! Can't wait to play it when I get home!
Hello, my friend! My first words to thank you for best review of Jackson JS22. I take enjoy your skills playing and moding guitar. This is my first guitar and I'm happy if can play 1/10 of your skills. Sorry for my English. With love from 🇷🇺
Nice, I'm basically a strat guy and have a few, but these Jackson Dinkys are great for the price point. I really like the neck action. I have a couple Jackson's, and I think I'm gonna get the one you have. Nice practice/work area....
Hmm I think the stock pickups are more than good enough for the price. Maybe drop in some GFS pickups. I just bought one myself. I'm not gonna do any mods but a coil split and a better nut and pegs.
I’ve been playing for almost 22 years and watching you play has me motivated and wanting to quit at the same time 😂. I played this today, and the neck felt surprisingly great and thicker than what I expected. I decided it would be my next purchase and mod project. Might throw a probucker 2 in the neck (they sound fantastic) and JB in the bridge. Thanks for sharing 🎸
I picked one up a week or so ago, and out of the box the nut was junk ABS plastic. I know because I have a bag full of the exact same nuts. There was absolutely no attempt by the factory to do anything to the nut. The high E was barely hanging on and would roll off the nut with even the slightest aggressive playing. With about three seconds of back filing I got the nut playable, but changed it for camel bone the next day. Even with the nut issue I still feel I got a hell of a good deal.
I wish I had your modding skills, I wouldn’t care what guitar I bought I would just mod it 😂. Very nice playing as well. I was wondering if this JS 22 could do some nice clean sounds. But in the end you did change out the humbuckers.
Nice video. I had a DK2m in 2005 I think it was. Loved that guitar; unfortunately the neck developed a twist. Thinking one of these might be in my future.
The people that listen to music are not listing to all the tech bull shit if the music is good that's all that matters. The blues players couldn't afford high priced guitars and they sound good. Still the best music today.
Hi Tony, From one pro guitar player to another.... Very nice video and awesome licks! Well done my friend. Love your creativity on the pickup selection. Are you still using this guitar and are you still happy with it? Have you recorded with it? Peace out.....
is the neck andbody that good that moved you to change pickups and electronics to make it a proper guitar? i hear that the tremolo bridge is useless , great job you did by the way!!!
The guitar is great as is but I would recommend a pickup upgrade and I don't do tremolo I always add all the springs and tighten all the way as I like the sound of the sympathetic vibration
@@higgnbe Thanks. The specs say it has a compound radius neck - can't believe how they can do that on this low of a price point. I'll be running it thru my Laney tube amp so it should sound good. I do mostly jazz and blues. Just not as good as you!
I restrung mine with 10s. I have the js32 I think with Floyd rose. My every day guitar is a strat so I’m still getting used to the bridge. After a few months my wife asked why I wasn’t playing the Jackson? I had no answer. It’s not my go to guitar.
I use a pravey studio 112red with an art tube mic pre thats split with one out straight into the board as nd the other into a boss me80 nto the front of the peavey that's miced sm57 clownd hard left and a 58 clone hard right with the board in the middle i have a touch boss reverb in the fx loop and sometimes digitech delay on the board my settings are bass 10 mids. 8 and highs 6
I got the Jackson js32 with the floyd Rose the tuners lose when you tighten or loosen the string can you recomend tuners for it keep up the videos big fan
Hi man, this is a very instructive!. I have a js32 natural, i think that there's a little sustain lacking, do you think the new pick ups gave you more sustain? I'm also thinking to eliminate the floyd rose and go for a fixed bridge..(i still don't know which piece will replace) Regards!!
Man, I gotta give it to ya, love the way you play, awesome, I got the same guitar, but frost white color, anyway, thank you for showing different aspects of this fine instrument, keep on jamming
I'm a beginner looking to buy my first guitar and the Dinky is one I'm seriously considering. I'm curious to know approximately how much money you put into customizing this guitar? Great playing, BTW. Most of the reviews I've seen on this guitar are from more heavy metal style players, but I'm partial to the style that you play (bluesier/funkier). I appreciate seeing that it can do that too.
Guitar fetish has a great selection of pickups for reasonable price and RUclips has videos that can teach all of the skills as to how much the pickups ran about 135 for all 3
I just bought one today, the Snow White version. I'm a complete, I mean complete beginner, but I was just wondering. Why buy a guitar and changeout so much? I could hear the difference after the changes, and they both sounded good to me. BTW, I can tell you are an accomplished player, and enjoyed the video.
stalters it's a matter of preference i like the gfs power and tone in the bridge position also I like the option of having all 3 pickups ond any combination of the 3 ala Brian Mays red special
Hey Tony i would love to ask u some i wanna buy this babe as a start since i never tried electric what do u advice me with if i wanna play Metal with it thanks!
This would be perfect its got a quick neck with ceramic pickups that scream the tremolo is the uaual with a good setup you could do some nice warbles but if you want to dive bomb not so much
@@higgnbe Between this and Schecter solo 2 sgr , what guitar is better? To be honest I really like the Les Paul body of Schecter but then maybe the Jackson is a better guitar
This has got to be one of the best guitars for the money I’ve ever seen. It can do it all.
I totally agree with you it's money well spent ❤
one of the best clean tone I have ever heard.
thanx much
the best guitar is always the one you like the best
I bought one of those monsters just this last January. I agree with you about the fret ends; mine were the worst I've seen. However, the playing surface was the best I've seen on a new guitar.
I started modifying the axe almost the minute I got it. I bought it to install a Wilkinson vibrato in, so I did that. I didn't like the tuners and had some Wilkinson EZ-LOKS to hand, so I swapped them in. I rather liked the pickups, but I plead guilty to being an Alnico snob. I decided to try an experiment and replace the stock pickups with pickups that were as much like the stock ones as possible, but driven by Alnico magnets. I got lucky and found a set with only slightly less DC resistance than the stock set -- but they had Alnico II magnets! (I'd expected Alnico V.) I got them swapped, and found that the feel of the pickups was pretty much the same as it had been, but the tone was more PAF-ish. It isn't "vintage," but it has made some progress in that direction while remaining modern.
I noticed that you not only added a middle pickup, but that you also equipped your guitar with a pickup switching system that allows you to get all 7 sounds 3 pickups can get. I once had a Charvel (one of the cheap ones from the pre-Fender Jackson/Charvel). It had individual toggle pickup switches, too. I'm not good with wiring or woodworking, though, so I won't be drilling or filling. I may do something like replacing the pots with 1 megohm units for more brightness, maybe swapping in a push-pull pot to engage the neck pickup when I want it and/or swapping in 2 stacked potentiometers so as to have 2 volumes and 2 tones like a Les Paul.
Since I don't play out, I can't justify this messing around as more than a hobby, so I'm always looking to keep costs down. I've turned to pawn shop prizes and very inexpensive guitars and using Internet-gained skills to enhance the viability of these guitars. I just wish I could have done this sort of thing 40 years ago!
@@edwinstovall3334 I'm just happy that we have the chance to affordably build guitars to our hearts delight when I first started modding guitars the choices were slim and pricey
Thanks for spending some time showing the clean tone. I’ve been looking to add one of these to my collection but most people just crank the gain when it comes to a Jackson guitar. Nothing wrong with that at all but it’s nice to hear a cleaner, blues tone out of one for a change too.
What a great find this video was. I really enjoyed it. Thank you for sharing your process.
Reaching through time. Great playing. Loved the Samick vid too!!!
@@DogDays2025 thanx
Damnnn dude you got some skills! I've just ordered this as my first guitar, so excited to start learning :D
Welcome to the club! A bit of advice, if you don't mind. Watch RUclips videos on guitar stringing, setup, adjustments and tools. I recommend Dan Thompson's "Guns and Guitars" channel here on RUclips. One video that might be very helpful is one in which he shows how to make some tools for cheap money. The idea is to learn to be your own guitar tech. You will lose the mystery, but gain power over the instrument. You'll be much closer to making the axe truly yours!
Impressive skills both playing and remodeling. I guess you can’t call it a Jackson guitar anymore. To me, it sounded amazing right out the box. Proves the player makes all the difference. Bravo 👏
Thanx
Awesome playing! I'm going to play one of these tonight. Most videos are nothing but Loud! This is more my style. Thanks!
Just sitting around in my bad ass guitar office moding guitars.. you are the man
Great video. Bought one of these for my son, was very impressed with the value. I sanded the body and clear coated it, threw some SD's in (JB, Jazz, not sure, had them laying around).
Probably shoulda changed the pots while I was at it.
Nice to hear some good playing ... clean
thanx much
EXACTLY what I was planning! With phase, coil split and blend controls. Great vid - thanks!
There are some people who just seem like they were born with a guitar in their hand. You are one of those. Tasty playing, man!
Found your video looking for reviews of the Jackson. This is easily the best review I found, your playing is fantastic. Guitar looks great with the mods.
LOL I just found this guitar in a pawn shop and got it for $100. I also got a new 20' cable and a Roland cube. All out the door for $135! Can't wait to play it when I get home!
aaaaand it's awesome!
Nice find man
Killer deal 🔥 just picked one up from guitar center
Hello, my friend! My first words to thank you for best review of Jackson JS22. I take enjoy your skills playing and moding guitar. This is my first guitar and I'm happy if can play 1/10 of your skills. Sorry for my English. With love from 🇷🇺
I love my Jackson. You have great tone!
Thanx so much
Holy smokes you're good
Damn. You're really good. Awesome review. 👍👍👍
I like what u did with it.
I aspire to play like this man. Been playing a little less than a year this gon take a while lol
You’re upgrades made such an incredible difference!
Thanx much Darrel brain did a video on gfs pickups tell him I sent you
ruclips.net/video/oQikuVRFqTE/видео.html
You make it sound really good. Just ordered mine
Thanks much it's a great guitar give it a set-up and you're good to go
I just ordered this in the snow white. Awesome video, i learned a few things from watching you play, so thank you for that.
I've always loved Jackson's
Great review , nice playing i'm looking at one of these they look like you get a lot of guitar for the price .
Great guitar great price if I could only have one this would be the one
I really like your playing!!! ❤️This guitar sounds pretty good for the money!
Nice, I'm basically a strat guy and have a few, but these Jackson Dinkys are great for the price point. I really like the neck action. I have a couple Jackson's, and I think I'm gonna get the one you have. Nice practice/work area....
Go for it I love this thing
Ok...thats A SWEET modification Build. Personalized. To perfection !
Hmm I think the stock pickups are more than good enough for the price. Maybe drop in some GFS pickups. I just bought one myself. I'm not gonna do any mods but a coil split and a better nut and pegs.
Would you play some jazzy tones on that guitar por favor?
I’ve been playing for almost 22 years and watching you play has me motivated and wanting to quit at the same time 😂. I played this today, and the neck felt surprisingly great and thicker than what I expected. I decided it would be my next purchase and mod project. Might throw a probucker 2 in the neck (they sound fantastic) and JB in the bridge. Thanks for sharing 🎸
Great idea good luck
Enjoyed your review Tony.
I like how you took a metal guitar and did this. It sounds good with cleans and blues too. I'm about to order the black JS22
I'm glad you liked it the potential of any guitar is only limited by imagination
I picked one up a week or so ago, and out of the box the nut was junk ABS plastic. I know because I have a bag full of the exact same nuts. There was absolutely no attempt by the factory to do anything to the nut. The high E was barely hanging on and would roll off the nut with even the slightest aggressive playing. With about three seconds of back filing I got the nut playable, but changed it for camel bone the next day. Even with the nut issue I still feel I got a hell of a good deal.
I wish I had your modding skills, I wouldn’t care what guitar I bought I would just mod it 😂. Very nice playing as well. I was wondering if this JS 22 could do some nice clean sounds. But in the end you did change out the humbuckers.
When in doubt alnico paf in the neck always sounds nice
Nice jamming man!I love it!
Nice video.
I had a DK2m in 2005 I think it was.
Loved that guitar; unfortunately the neck developed a twist.
Thinking one of these might be in my future.
It's an amazing guitar. Great quality and inexpensive.
Damn man, you know what youre doing, beautiful playing
Thanks
Great playing maybe post a follow up after you set it up with new strings
He put new strings on it after he modded it
Great work!🔥
The people that listen to music are not listing to all the tech bull shit if the music is good that's all that matters. The blues players couldn't afford high priced guitars and they sound good. Still the best music today.
Beautiful , nice work 👍
Love the electronics lesson. I think I will put 3 pickups on all of my guitars. :) Quite the guitar player too.
Thanx much
Amazing playing
And kids, don't forget to lick your thumbs to make it sweep!:-7
Your a good player. I don't think you need to make changes when you already make it sound this good
that changes make him sound better
That's crazy how you put a single coil there, i would like to see a tutorial 😂
Noted!
Hi Tony,
From one pro guitar player to another....
Very nice video and awesome licks! Well done my friend. Love your creativity on the pickup selection. Are you still using this guitar and are you still happy with it?
Have you recorded with it?
Peace out.....
Yes it's one of my favorites and it records great 1024 hot city
is the neck andbody that good that moved you to change pickups and electronics to make it a proper guitar? i hear that the tremolo bridge is useless , great job you did by the way!!!
The guitar is great as is but I would recommend a pickup upgrade and I don't do tremolo I always add all the springs and tighten all the way as I like the sound of the sympathetic vibration
You make it sound good! Getting one soon (on order)!
Get a good set up and you love it
@@higgnbe Thanks. The specs say it has a compound radius neck - can't believe how they can do that on this low of a price point. I'll be running it thru my Laney tube amp so it should sound good. I do mostly jazz and blues. Just not as good as you!
@@michaelkassel5816 you might have to touch up the fret ends
your a great player! the guitar loves you too
Nice demo clean sound.
I have a feeling this guy can pick up a broom with some rubber bands and make it sound great.
Thanx
Great playing!
Real nice mod, Tony.
Thanx
great style, subscribed
love ur sound here .. niceeeeeeeeeeeee
thanx
I restrung mine with 10s. I have the js32 I think with Floyd rose. My every day guitar is a strat so I’m still getting used to the bridge. After a few months my wife asked why I wasn’t playing the Jackson? I had no answer. It’s not my go to guitar.
I'm not a tremolo lover but I love the feel of this guitar
Impressive. A year later I'm back to this video. Heheh
May I know the guitar effects you used in this video and the setting as well? It sound so heavenly!
I use a pravey studio 112red with an art tube mic pre thats split with one out straight into the board as nd the other into a boss me80 nto the front of the peavey that's miced sm57 clownd hard left and a 58 clone hard right with the board in the middle i have a touch boss reverb in the fx loop and sometimes digitech delay on the board my settings are bass 10 mids. 8 and highs 6
Poplar is more like alder, hard maple, ash, but is cheaper. Only Nato, or cedar are similar to mahogany.
Thank you so much Tony!
You're welcome
I got the Jackson js32 with the floyd Rose the tuners lose when you tighten or loosen the string can you recomend tuners for it keep up the videos big fan
I used the stock tuners but I'm not a tremolo arm guy I always take them out but guitarfetish has some nice ones at a decent price
Man, this video might help you, this guy changes the tunners ruclips.net/video/RXdlTIFqPG8/видео.html
Sold!
Hi man, this is a very instructive!. I have a js32 natural, i think that there's a little sustain lacking, do you think the new pick ups gave you more sustain? I'm also thinking to eliminate the floyd rose and go for a fixed bridge..(i still don't know which piece will replace) Regards!!
The nee pickups definitely add to tone but higher output pickups with stronger magnets can actually hurt sustain
Man, I gotta give it to ya, love the way you play, awesome, I got the same guitar, but frost white color, anyway, thank you for showing different aspects of this fine instrument, keep on jamming
What pickup you used for swapping the original one? Your tone sounds awesome.
Gfs power rails bridge lil killer middle and alnico in the neck with 3 toggles and 2 coil taps and a phase on the bridge
Tony, this is why i always play black guitar - all those defects just dont' pop out! a black, matte surface is the best!
Is it defects or character
maybe both...
Is it possible to stain the neck without having to sand it?
I don't think the stain would penetrate as the neck has a finish
Man is just jammin 🔥🔥🔥 just got one from GC. Boss Katana 50 on the way. I'm hype 🙏🏼
Enjoy it's a great guitar
@@higgnbe 🙏🏼
I need a really light guitar do you know how much it weighs?
I put it in the ballpark of around 7 or 8 but it's not very heavy very light and comfortable
I'm a beginner looking to buy my first guitar and the Dinky is one I'm seriously considering. I'm curious to know approximately how much money you put into customizing this guitar? Great playing, BTW. Most of the reviews I've seen on this guitar are from more heavy metal style players, but I'm partial to the style that you play (bluesier/funkier). I appreciate seeing that it can do that too.
Guitar fetish has a great selection of pickups for reasonable price and RUclips has videos that can teach all of the skills as to how much the pickups ran about 135 for all 3
@@higgnbe wow! I expected you to say $700 to $800+. That's awesome. Thanks for your reviews. Great info for newbies like me!
I just bought one today, the Snow White version. I'm a complete, I mean complete beginner, but I was just wondering. Why buy a guitar and changeout so much? I could hear the difference after the changes, and they both sounded good to me.
BTW, I can tell you are an accomplished player, and enjoyed the video.
stalters it's a matter of preference i like the gfs power and tone in the bridge position also I like the option of having all 3 pickups ond any combination of the 3 ala Brian Mays red special
Hey Tony i would love to ask u some
i wanna buy this babe as a start since i never tried electric what do u advice me with if i wanna play Metal with it
thanks!
This would be perfect its got a quick neck with ceramic pickups that scream the tremolo is the uaual with a good setup you could do some nice warbles but if you want to dive bomb not so much
@@higgnbe then its ok for hard rock?
@@alexalexyoo2175 i don't see why not ceramics are great for diatortion
its ready to rock@@alexalexyoo2175
@@higgnbe Between this and Schecter solo 2 sgr , what guitar is better? To be honest I really like the Les Paul body of Schecter but then maybe the Jackson is a better guitar
😎❤👍✌
How does this compare to the js22 monarkh?
couldnt say never had 1
Isn't it too heavy?
Not at all is around maybe 7lbs
what type amp do you use?
Peavey transtube studio pro
Is it as good as a ibanez S521?
I've never tried one so i couldn't say
Which one is best this guitar or ltd mh10?
For me this my 3rd Jackson I love the neck
Thanks
JS22 is Basswood JS32 w double locking Floyd is Mahogony
Thanx much
it says that the js22 in Natural oil finish is mahogony tho...
*Licks thumb
*Grabs pick
*Angelic_heavenly_choir.wav
Woah ....24 frets?
The JS22 has 22 frets.
That must be the JS32 ...
Great deal as a blemished 2nd
Jackson makes good playing Guitars... :-)
It's a dinky js22 I love gfs pickups the ones I use tend to be ceramic bridge and either ceramic or alnico middle and alnico neck
Poplar body
Good upgrade, good work.