I have 4 Dinkys.. the 199.99 ones.. bcz of the shark inlays.. swaped the nuts for TUSQ.. put in Musicly Locking tuners.. Seymour Duncans Mayhem and Black Winter sets.. and Wilkins WK550ii bridges.. Bcz I love the playability.. ended up spending around $300 extra on each guitar.. but they play now like a million bucks..
The thing with the string tightening is very true... always tune from low to high. I repaired and serviced dozens of guitars for friends and i maintain my own guitars for about 18 years now. You dont need expensive hardware or even evertune. Take care of your fretboard, keep the guitar at room temperature/humidity and you're fine. Another this is: tune your lowest string about 5 cents below key especially for drop tunings. If you hit the chords, the first string is getting the heaviest hit, therefore tending to go higher frequency than you want. Keeping it lower will keep the chord in tune no matter how hard you hit the strings
@@todoelmundoapesta A cent is a unit of measure for the ratio between two frequencies. An equally tempered semitone (the interval between two adjacent piano keys) spans 100 cents by definition. An octave-two notes that have a frequency ratio of 2:1-spans twelve semitones and therefore 1200 cents.
In a nutshell: Differences in tuning over time resulting from tension vs friction cannot be avoided, but they can be minimized with optimal setup technique(s). The long -winded version of all that starts with, and **must be addressed in this order** for consistently precise results: - neck/trussrod arc being most crucial, followed by - reducing friction at the nut and saddle (i.e. the two constantly coupled points) angles, followed by - the bridge's height and intonation adjustment.
In drop C we get best tuning results tuning the A string first on up to the high E then last the low E....but yes always tune the string up as both of you said! Keeps it under tension.
I'm a drummer and I bought this guitar for when friends come over and want to jam. They all love it, and can't believe I only paid $150! Awesome beginner/ budget guitar
@@Alexander-lt6es hi! I’d like to know your thoughts about the js11 since i’m also planning on buying one. How is it in general? Do you have any gripes or concerns about it? Does anything degrade over time? This will be my second guitar after a 60$ amazon strat so I’m really excited to know as much as i can about this before I finally get it :)
I have one myself the pick ups were good too but I switched them for Seymour Duncan Sh-2n for the neck and Sh-4 (or Sh-5 not sure now) for the bridge but it made huge difference
@@DevanshRastogi I can't really help you, as I am a drummer. With that said, this guitar sounds pretty good right out the box, I think if you are going to tune the nut, replace the pick-up and whatnot. You might as well buy a better guitar. We use it for just jamming around through a distortion box (Hell Melter)and into an Orange Micro Dark Amp and a small Orange micro terror speaker. It sounds great in my living room and we mostly play metal, so it doesn't need to sound perfect, that is why we specifically chose this Jackson guitar. I will say it stays in tune for quite a long time. If I had to do anything to it I think I'd start with the nut and tuners.
@@Alexander-lt6es thanks for the reply mate! I just got the js12 cause they didn’t have the 11 in stock and it was just a $20 price difference. It plays better than the cheap guitars I have been playing with and was used to do definitely worth it for me ^^
8:10 in my experience, the nut is the source of 99.99999% of all action/tuning/intonation/timbre issues. if your guitar cost $500 or less, don't even waste time on any setups until you get a skilled repair specialist/luthier to replace and recut that nut. In many situations, it wont even really cost anything as this is sometimes included with a setup at a decent shop. Just my little tip that everyone should consider.
So what you are saying is before working on the nut things may be off, but post nut there will be clarity? Usually post nut clarity goes the opposite way, just another reason why guitars are better than a relationship.
Not quite.. Neck and truss rod come first, THEN the nut and bridge. No matter how well the nut is cut, you won't be able to intonate a crooked neck. - Easy way to tell if the nut is cut wrong: Once the guitar is tuned to your root standard, fret an F major barre chord at the 1st fret. Check that on some cheap guitars and then do the same with a few expensive guitars, and listen to the difference.
@@shaft9000 while i appreciate the general sentiment of your comment my point was that the **most common** issue, out of the box, is the nut. if you have a twisted neck, it wouldn't even pass qc. mass manufactured instruments are not likely to have a twisted neck on day one and if it somehow did, returning it is a much bigger concern. the nut is almost universally overlooked by qc because they measure fretboard straightness, fret level, give the truss 1/4 relief, and pack it up.
I've started just ordering a precut bone nut from amazon every time I pick up a random guitar and swapping it over before I do anything else. I've had 60s japanese guitars with stamped steel bridges and no trussrods gain remarkable tuning stability just from swapping over with no additional slot filing.
I just recently put down money on this exact same guitar in the exact same color at the pawn shop literally brand new and now I can't wait until I get it.
I just bought the guitar from the official store and honestly it was really good. I got no issues with the tuning at all like some people said. Play super well.
I never got the point of a budget 1980's type shred guitar with a vintage trem, or even higher end guitars with the vintage trems. Some of us want hardtail.
I agree, not to mention the stock vintage trems on these low end models are always unusable so it might as well be a hardtail. I prefer a Floyd rose even if I block it just a ergonomic preference but that's obviously not coming on a guitar in this price range
@@RX120D yes that's true but I feel like these should be hard tails from the factory and they could take a little off the price since there's no routing to be done and extra hardware. Also no extra tinkering on the consumer's end which the intended market is obviously beginners who aren't gonna know how to deal with that off the bat or people who just want a cheap guitar
I really appreciate the budget oriented guitar and gear videos! I love my higher end stuff but theres something satisfying about getting all the cheapest stuff you can and getting it to play and sound awesome
@@eggpod4567 thats also a big reason why I love them haha. Nothing like getting a cheap yardsale guitar and experimenting on it, playing it to death and beating it up, mix matching parts etc. I would like one or two nice 700+ guitars though because right now I have a fleet of shit sticks and a bunch of random oddball amps too it'd be nice to have something dependable to augment the goofy projects
That's kinda the point of why i got my 'budget' guitar. I figure I'm just starting, I'm honestly not going to sound good for a while. I figure, I just need to have my hands ON a guitar at first, to exercise them and build those initial callouses. I just keep practicing on this, learning all I can about guitars in general, and eventually, I will get good enough to become bothered by the absolute cheapness of my guitar, lol. But for now, I'm so novice, it really doesn't matter. It's called PLAYING the guitar, not working the guitar, isn't it? Just have fun, that's what I say. I debated the idea in my head too long, I just had to jump at some point, even if it's not the greatest guitar, just get going on the adventure. 1 month in, I have no regrets buying a $140 Amazon guitar. I'm just happy I finally started doing this after so many years of only dreaming.😃 (I'm left handed, it's tough to find a guitar facing the proper way for me, I had the money, it was on sale, now I can call myself a 'guitarist', lol)
@@peterbelanger4094 dont worry about the "sound" of the guitar, unless you are buying an acoustic there is no audible difference guitar to guitar, search up "glenn fricker pickups debunk" and "glenn fricker tone wood debunk"
I got my white one 3 weeks ago. I did have to cut the nut slots lower but that's about it. I did a slight touch up on the fret ends, polished them, put a set of NYXL's on it and I swear this is an amazing guitar even if it cost 3x. You can't get a "shredder" neck i.e. Dunlop 6100 size frets, 43mm nut, and 12" flat radius. The neck alone is worth the price. The pickups scream. You need to EQ them a bit but I'm not replacing. The TUNERS, omg mine are again the best die-cast sealed tuners I've ever gotten on a sub $200 guitar. Mine keeps tune perfectly. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED 💯
I have multiple JS series Jacksons, although all of mine are 32/42 models. The compound radius "speed neck" profile is one of my favorites ever. It's worth the price of admission on its own.
Your teacher was correct about always tuning upward to notch the string in the tuner. That was some stuff an old luthier told me decades ago. Great video! Keep ‘em coming!
My Dinky is absolutely my favorite guitar. I bought a Pro Series Dinky later on but it mostly stays put away in favor of the JS22. I have 4 Jackson guitars and 2 basses manufactured from 1999-2023. Today my JS22 has Ping tuners, a Dimarzio Steve Morse bridge pickup + full size pot, and 2 additional springs. That said though, it was a great guitar out of the box for the money and decently set up. The QC was better than other Jacksons I’d had prior or after. Mine is “one of a kind” as I dropped it shortly after receiving it which left a noticeable chip missing from the soft wood the body was constructed of. Rock on, Chippy.
That will increase the resistance of the knob, but it looks like the issue he's having is the play/sloppiness of the gearing inside the tuning machine (how much you have to turn the knob before it "catches" and actually starts rotating the peg)
i bought a new js-11 right after the lockdowns started for $69.00 and free shipping. did a setup on it and it's been my #1 ever since. plays great and the pups sound nice.
this was my first guitar and i still use it up to date, i've already moved on to some more expensive guitars, but i still keep the js11 and i still love to play it.. i have set of strings 13-59 and it comes through just fine, only thing that pisses me off are the tuners and the bridge having exposed screws for the string action.. also, i changed the bridge pickup for more expensive one and it plays great for the value.. overall it's a good guitar
Just buy shorter grub screws for the bridge saddles, its like a few dollars and something I often do on even expensive guitars. The factory doesn't know how you are going to adjust them, so they can't just put super short ones in and risk someone not being able to get the action high enough.
I have the JS22, I upgraded to a graphtech nut with angled slots to solve the tuning issues. Also installed some James Hetfield active pickups, it screams now!
I ordered a guitar off reverb recently and the seller went through FedEx. When I got the box there was a GIANT hole in it around headstock and upper part of the neck. I don't know if anything hit it, but thankfully the seller wrapped and boxed up the guitar properly. By some miracle it was unscratched. Funny enough it was also a Jackson lol
@@withinthrall1445 literally same Thing happened to me. Hole in the corner of the box and my tone knob is indented and chipped. Doesn’t turn at all. FedEx blows.
I had one of these from 2014 in red, I was blown away for the price. The neck, the playability, the frets, the color were amazing, and these guitars have quite a chunky, thick body. It has shielding paint and all that, the electronics are pretty bad, but man the base of the guitar is amazing.
I bought a red js11 off a kid used for $100 a few years back and it was set up perfectly, the tuners on mine are fine, no play, maybe because its an older one? Anyhow, I bought it because it was cheap and I was gonna carry it around in the work truck with my mini katana amp as like a traveler beater, but it was more comfortable and easier to play than my plekkd Gibson SG, it out performed my mid range ibanez rg. The Strat trem on it is actually higher quality than most strat trems, has pop in arm and giant tremelo block and stays in tune pretty well, I strung the high strings backwards to get straighter string pull at the headstock that is not supposed to be used with non locking trems because the radical angle of the headstock and the trem works okay but i dont use it. I still have the JS11, its my only non mij Jackson, anyhow I traded my SG for a 2011 mij charvel socal and gave my boss the ibanez, now I have 11 or 12 mij Jacksons and the Charvel and a Fender acoustic that I love...lol
@@TaylorDanley i mean the jackson made pickups on the js11 are pretty much duncan jb + jazz clones. i feel like most of the sound difference you hear is probably from the acoustic sound of the guitar in the room. the virtuoso does have a different body wood and a floyd rose which means more wood is missing from the body. that doesnt translate into the recording though. when recorded i felt like they were pretty much indistinguishable. maybe the jackson felt a tiny bit more bassy.
Great video! I have 2 Jackson guitars, a Dinky made in Japan and RR V. I've noticed that all the Jackson guitars even the less expensive ones have good necks that are really nice.
In regards to the whammy spring noise - it would be cool to fill the hole for the trem block with a piece of wood, fit a hard tail bridge, stick some EMGs in it and use the trem cavity to put the battery in :)
I have 3 budget-level Jacksons (The JS22-7 Dinky [my first guitar], JS22 Monarkh, and a JS32 Warrior), and I honestly love all of them. In terms of playability, they are very close to my more expensive guitars. The 7 string has a Dimarzio Imperium in the bridge, and it sounds brutal. Jacksons can be a bit lacking in the spec department (licensed Floyds, stock pickups even in the X series), but damn if they don't play well
I wanted a cheap guitar to leave in my office at work; I bought a Jackson JS-11. I loved it so much I've bought three more (to repaint and use alternate tunings). The JS-11 is great for repainting because it comes with black hardware that looks good with any color paint. I think this model plays better than guitars that cost many times more. After watching this video, I might buy one more (I really like that blue paint job!).
Jackson’s budget line has been awesome for years. I had the JS-32T Rhodes and for a guitar that was about $250 when I picked it up, it sounded great and felt good. Glad you had a similar experience with this one.
I had a Yamaha RG-420S Drop 6 that I rarely played and was still in mint condition when I sold it on eBay (something I regret to this day as it was beautiful). I was super paranoid about shipping it off. I had to make a bespoke box and then find some stuff to pack around it to make sure it didn't scratch. Wrapped the body in some laminate flooring underlay because it was quite cushioned and soft and ... erm ... something else. He messaged me to thank me for packing it so well and of his shock of receiving a free curtain!!
I have bought Jackson JS11 Dinky one year ago. No particular reason, I did not need another guitar for sure. It was so cheap and looked sleek so I click "buy" to see what you get for that little money. It looks absolutely killer, my little son said it looks bad-ass! It has good frets on it, quite tall and wide, good feeling. It got "the looks". BUT - it felt like a cheap guitar and sounded like one too (sorry!!!). I decided to upgrade pickups and nut (to TUSQ). After the change - still not in love with it. So I went a bit crazy and upgraded tuning machines to locking tuners, re-sprayed back of the neck with black nitrocellulose paint (looks really good and feels good to touch now). I also removed all the paint from guitar body a refinished it with a really thin lacquer (original paint was thick as hell). Somehow the guitar was still stiff. I decided to go even crazier now and scalloped fretboard from 12th fret up (as I don't have any scalloped guitar, wanted to try it out). I also added 2 extra screws to attach the neck (EVH had it on some guitars). Also none of my favourite pickup worked in the bridge position, so I changed the pickup to one with extra weak output (6kOhm humbucker) and it magically worked for this instrument. Put Elixir strings on it and... BOOM! 💣Somehow the combination worked and the guitar does not feel cheap anymore, resonates really well. I like the guitar now but I changed almost everything on it 😀it is not what you buy from the store. Also it has vibrato unit, that ALWAYS puts guitar out of tune, so I agree hardtail would be better for this cheap guitar. Thanks for your review Taylor!
Wow you really went all out on it. I got the JS32 King for $300 and dumped almost twice the money into it as a side project for same reason. I didn’t touch the paint but everything was removed and replaced like locking tuners, Graph-tech nut and bridge. All new electronics which required drilling. New pickups. Reset the guitar neck mount to make it tighter to stay in tune. I felt it moved slightly with the string tension.
Also gotta recommend a Kramer Baretta Special. I replaced the tremolo, the nut, and put in locking tuners. Yeah I nearly doubled the cost of the guitar but it is an AWESOME little super strat now.
It's funny that you also have to dime the treble knob when going into any power amp to get any clarity from the 5150 pedal. I run into that same issue and I'm not a fan of the pedal as a result.
@KillaFXZ I got the slat8ff a few years ago. The first one had an issue with the frets or the neck and it wouldn't stop buzzing no matter what I did. Then I exchanged it for another one and for the first while I thought it was good but then I noticed that it had high frets that caused the high e strong to fret out and a couple of notes just didn't play. I think I got it from Sam Ash if I remember correctly. It sucks because if it was good to go it would've been a great guitar. I still have it and I've been meaning to take it somewhere to have it fixed. I've been wanting to try a jackson again though.
@GNRGNRGNRGNRGNR Yeah, I won't buy anything guitsr related unless it is from sweetwater I had bad luck too and even they're not 100% on point all the time but they make shit right.
I have Ibanez, Jackson, and an LTD. My Ibanez is a 91 USA Custom, by far my best guitar. The LTD KH 602 plays great, and I love my Jackson Dinky. I bought a budget first guitar for my daughter. $179 Jackson, similar to the one you reviewed. I must say, it plays close to the Dinky and KH. It's smooth. The action is pretty good. And sounds decent. I give it to Jackson, I think they make the best guitar under $200.
anytime i see a bright blue Jackson I don't think of metal, but of jangly, chorusy new wave inspired pop. Gustavo Cerati and his blue 1985 Soloist are to blame, honestly
When you loosen the tuners you're potentially putting a bit of slack in the strings at the tuners and nut that when you play will get pulled tight again making the tuning change. When you tune up you are removing any potential slack in the tuners or nut since it is pulling everything tight as you tune. Basically tuning up will, by default, take up any slack in the whole system THEN change the tuning.
I got one of these today, it was my first guitar ever. I got everything I needed to start playing for a little over $200. (Mind you I didn't get a whole amp set-up, I just got a little Blackstar thing that lets you play through headphones.) I have been having an absolute blast with it. I was expecting to have to spend closer to a thousand, but to get such a quality guitar set-up that works and will last for $200? Crazy.
This was my first guitar, and I still use it to this day. Replaced the trem system, replaced the pickups, and swapped out the tuners with locking tuners, and it sounds kickass now and plays beautifully.
I got a jackson js32 dinky, and tbh mine was terribly manufactured, frets were sharp, g string was buzzing, finish was lacking, within 2 weeks wiring for bridge pickup gave out. Guitar had to be heavily adjusted and even though it is for a beginner market it really isnt.
That tuning up to pitch to help out cheap tuners with staying in tune is something I've always done. Doesn't seem to matter as much with higher quality tuners though. Thanks to your teacher for validating my cheap tuner tuning technique!
I got a JS22 as my re-entry into guitar. Now it has the GraphTech nut, D’addario locking tuners and I just threw some Guitar Madness 1984 humbuckers in it. The little patch of microfiber towel in with the springs topped it off. I like it, but at this $$$ I can love it.
Playing 40+ yrs here... I have always "tuned up(ward)" the way you mentioned. It seems to be a more reliable method as tuning downward does seem to allow for some minor slippage while playing.
I have that same Jackson in red. Oddly enough, I found it at a pawn shop out here in Philly for $275 and it came equipped with EMGs. Right away I noticed exactly what you were talking about with the tuners lol but did what you talked about with tuning down then up again and it stays in place. On mine I use Ernie Ball 11-42s and of the Jacksons I have had, this one sounds awesome and I owe it to the fact it came with the EMGs. I have only had it for a couple of months after being without a guitar for almost 6 years so this is a “re-starter” for me. I primarily play Dean and Jackson, so I am satisfied… for now. Have you tried the Seymore Duncan Black Winter pickups yet? I play black metal so I am wondering if they will be worth the investment
Have the same model in black colour. Honestly, I’ve tried so many budget guitars from Squier, Ibanez, Epiphone etc. but this Jackson JS11 takes the lead in terms of playability. The build quality is quite good and they look awesome. Especially for a beginner, I don’t think anything else will offer more value at this price range.
Jackson has been my favorite brand for nearly 30 years. For me, the JS series and older Professional and Performer series routed for a Floyd are good upgrade platforms. A Schaller 1302 Floyd Rose tremolo (smaller and wider than an OFR and made just for recessed trems like those licensed trems commonly found on Jacksons, BC Riches, and ESP LTDs), a Floyd Rose R8 locking nut if yours needs replacement (most imported Jacksons have a narrower nut--R2/R3 are too tall), and upgraded electronics (usually using Seymour Duncan Triple Shots for series/split/parallel, Shadow killpots, and a phase switch) will get you a guitar with far more features than what is available new for about $800-1200. With active pickups your choices are a little easier. A Shadow killpot and 24 Volt Mod on a master volume only guitar is usually sufficient. EMG active tone controls should not exceed 18 volts. Seymour Duncan Blackouts should stay at 9 volts. Passive guitars give me more tones in studio. Active guitars are more set and forget, and are easier to dial in and set in a metal mix. On basses, upgrade paths are usually easier and cheaper because you don't have to worry about the bridge. Just make sure the action, playability, and frets are decent. With passive pickups, you can mess with series/split/parallel/phase wiring with DPDT push/pull pots and mini toggles. I usually gut the active tone controls since I use the tone controls on the amp. I install passive tone controls so I can use the active EQ body holes for the new switches and push/pull pots. If your guitar is a P, J, PJ, or rare PP (usually offered only by BC Rich), your choices are simpler. Most metal basses these days, especially 5+ string, use the soapbar style humbucker (not the larger Musicman style), and any number of coil types could be in those housings. Bartolini is probably the most flexible manufacturer as far as coil geometry. They are the closest tone I have ever heard to an active pickup in a passive format (bright/clear). If you go for active basses with the 24 Volt Mod and EMGs, you should have passive tone controls because their active EQs recommend only 18 volts. The regular pickups in 18/24 volts will sound similar to the X series, so you can skip the X. This opens up the used market to you since you can stick with the original and more numerous original EMG designs. Passive pickups still have their place due to their warmth and more sophisticated wiring options than most active pickups, which require special mods or specific models in EMG's case. As far as pickup form factors, I find PJs to be a little punchier and dual coil pickups like those in many 5s and 6s to be more mid scooped. Occasionally you will find J basses in 5 and 6 formats. They're usually stacked hum canceling pickups and sound a little thinner than soapbars. The thing with these extremely cheap guitars is you have to lower your expectations. A fixed bridge, dual humbucker Strat is pretty basic. That's all some people need. But you're not getting your Alexi Laiho or Randy Rhodes fix on those. I'd also go with something with a tune-o-matic or string thru bridge if I could find it just for a little better tone and easier to adjust playability. *Edit: Jackson's new cheap line is the Minion series. I would skip these because the shorter scale length will make reliable tuning more difficult and make drop tuning nearly impossible.*
I've bought this exact one almost 6 years ago and have loved it. It was my first guitar I've bought and I still rip on it today. I've made many solid mixes with this guitar. I have zero complaints. Perhaps where it lacks is that it would not hold up on a tour and requires frequent tuning as any budget guitar would.
I have that model, It's the only electric one I actually have. Some of it's tuners are a little loose, some others don't, but no matter how much I change it's tune it always stays in tune. Mine has the detail that the headstock is upwards, so the thicker string has the longest distance between the peg and the nut, but I'm not shure if it makes any difference. I do use a wammy bar on it, but to minimize that spring sound I set the springs as tight as possible and It has held like that for over three years now. I also play on a 30W amp, so I'ld a waste to buy anything more expensive.
I always use the whammy for shimmer and some color even in metal. I got my six screw tremolo Temu Esp F body knock off and with a little adjustment on the six screws and a little pencil lead in the nut and it holds fine👍.
Holy crap, I didn't realize you were from Portland!! I grew up in Sandy and my folks still live in Troutdale! Would be rad to go jam or something the next time I'm home
I got the Jackson jS 12 Dinky and they have same issue with tuning heads. So I'm forced to upgrade to a locking tuners. I'm not sure if JS 11 also has issues with not being able to do tappings.
Great video and great jams! I got recently Minion Dinky in White. I was pretty surprised at the stock pickups how well they sound. Def feels like those were modeled after Seymour Duncans higher end models. The low gain distortion tone on mine reminds me a lot of Megadeth Countdown To Extinction/Youthanasia tones. The pups will def be swapped for EMGs 60/S that I really like. The tunes on mine are surprisingly holding the tuning well, and works great in D standard with 12-52 strings. I had an impression that JS11 and J12 both had compound radius 12-16" like their other standard models.
A friend of mine bought one of the JS22’s and it seemed to be a fine guitar and all considering the price, but then it quit holding tune one day. It has a floating trem and Ive always been curious as to what went wrong with the guitar and why it won’t stay in tune
what is your KEX tuned to that you didnt like the pickups in.. anything I have with the Jackson pickups sound better in D or lower, and, again in my opinion, need a much warmer sounding string and and EQ setup as they are relatively bright pickups... I left them in my black KEX (same as yours but used a DR coated string that has "no" top end). and the mirror top shattered kelly, it is in Drop C tho
I bought a JS22 archtop in satin black, I luv it, especially in satin black. You should be able to tighten the tuners on your guitar...and I agree with you, I wish they made these guitars in a hardtail, I never use the trem/whammy bar on the JS22 (I use it a bit on my Jackson DXMG though), so a hardtail would have been perfect
I read about dropping the string flat then tuning up to pitch. It's supposed to hold the tuning better than having a sharp tuning dropping into pitch. I can't remember where I found said info. But it seems to work.
When ya first started playing the guitar, what the hell was that static type noise while you were playing the first round of playing? Didn’t really dig that. What causes that?. Thanks for the videos Taylor. I like to roll w/the Jackson Kelly, Warrior, and some of the LTD, and Schecter brands, since I can't yet afford a Caparison. I’ve been using the EMG 81's/85's, and the Zakk Wylde signature strings, and Dave Gilmour GHS strings, Nickel Rockers, or Dean Markley Blue Steel strings (Depending on what guitar I'm using), I did have an issue w/a cheap Jackson dinky JS, the nut was black plastic, the 10-48's kept popping out of the nut, maybe the tremolo had a bit of blame?, still was an irritation. Never realized how much it makes a difference changing out a cheap nut to a good one. Seeing Zakk play made me realize a tremolo is cool & fun, but like ya said, no need for one on a cheaper guitar. I'm just past a beginner in experience, thanks for helping me gain knowledge. Got any vids on best tremolo systems? Or What effects could replace the tremolo best? Thanks Taylor! 🤘🏻💀
I bought js12. The neck is really nice thin and with that matte finish. The tuners can be tightened with their screws. Biggest problem on my guitar is that they have done leveling on the frets without polishing after that. All frets are so rough,scratched,it's hard to do a simple bending or vibrato.
Have this exact guitar i got for 90 bucks on a black friday sale in store and at the time guitar center use to offer alot of custom work cheap upon purchase so i bought emg 81 and 85s and they put it in for 50 bucks this was years ago. This guitar still sounds good.
Another solid video mate. Imagine waking up say on Xmas day or your 14th birthday and your folks went out and got you that guitar as your 1st electric...? You'd feel like a an absolute God! Entry level guitars have come so far which is fantastic to see and certainly helps the encouragement of younger future shred lords imo
2:34 Thanks for doing this as I was wondering why anyone would buy anything but a JS series Jackson because the more expensive guitars seem to just have the same feature spec wise and I love my JS22($200) and JS42($400) as they are perfect and I've havd no issues with then and not needed to "set them up" wish the title said this was a comparistion though would help to find with the search resaults.
I got one of those super cheap Jackson's like that one except mine was a string thru body instead of a hardtail. I switched out the bridge PU for a Dimebucker and that guitar was easily one of my favorite guitars I ever owned.
I'd buy that and put some locking tuners on it. The last new guitar I bought came with those and I LOVE them. (BMG Special, the Brian May replica, just because I love mentioning that lol)
I'm seriously thinking about getting a JS in September but leaning toward a JS22 instead of an 11 mainly due to the 24 threads and slightly better electronics. But definitely this video convinced me to go with Jackson instead of Ibanez. Thank you so very much!
Bought a $279 Jackson in bright blue in 2016. Basically the same as this but with an authorized FR trem and a bound fretboard with the big Jackson inlays. Overall, the guitar is incredibly well-built for under $300. Fit and finish is solid; no sharp fret edges, and the giant jumbo frets were level (amazing). Some of these big factories have gotten _REALLY_ good at making guitars, and Jackson is one of 'em.
I picked up the JS22 in the same color for about what you paid here. It's the step up from this and it's nice. IT has the same bridge but it's got a neck binding, arch top ( 🤨 ) and 24 frets. it's normally $199 on sweetwater and it's not bad.
I am intrigued by the tip about always ending a tune-up with an uptune and how it's supposed to affect tuning stability. I have a 20 yo Marathone guitar which is horribly unstable and I always suspected is has something to do with its crappy, floyd-like bridge but who knows, maybe it will actually help.
Considering getting one to have as a gig guitar i can run be rough and careless with. I figure swapping out the nut, adding some locking tuners and throwing in some high gain pickups might be the move here.
I have a Kramer Focus VT-211S they run 289 Canadian. it is the cheapest Kramer makes and I LOVE mine great mod project but straight out the gate was a great guitar for things like Warrant, LA Guns, Skidrow Etc. def suggest checking them out and the colors they come in are amazing. I have bought budget Jacksons, Ibanez, Squires and Epiphones and the Kramer is the best one I have bought. anyway love the content my dude.
Would love you to compare this to the lowest cost Ibanez models. I play guitar, but was actually interested in a short scale bass for myself. I looked at the Jackson JS11 bass and the lowest cost bass lbanez makes. The bass models both had similar types of issues you’re showing on this guitar that were surely fixable. However, once I started adding up the cost of upgrades of higher end branded or even unbranded parts (even if I did the work myself), I was looking at the cost of the next the next model or ot even the third to lowest costing model (but as I recall, one or both brands didn’t make a short scale below 30” beyond the cheapest model - so I felt like I was getting cheated into doing the work myself for the same cost of slightly higher end models that would have been playable out of the box minus the scale length issue). Did not know what made sense, so I gave up on the idea altogether. I looked at other low end short scale basses below 30” and was surprised that were are few options an adult with some music experience would appreciate that won’t feel like a toy without upgrades. I want a high quality, amazing sounding instrument that won’t sound or feel like it plays like a toy. Unfortunately, I am disabled from an accident I had in 2003 just after I turned 22 with a neurological syndrome that causes chronic pain and other debilitating symptoms. I tried a full scale 36” Donner bass that I won for free in a social media drawing, but the taut bass strings at the lightest gauge possible caused horrific pain in my joints for days and even weeks after playing (which is never an issue when I play guitar). Lots of guitar players prefer short scale basses, which tend to get sold between 28”-30”, mostly because it is not too far off from the feel of playing a guitar in terms of string resistance. Anyway, my only other short scale options other than totally unknown import brands were Squires that either only had a single pickup and poor QC reviews in the past couple years . . . or a low end Gretsch 30” bass. The pickups are not traditional sounding jazz or precision pickups, but the bass seems rather full featured and doesn’t skimp on specs while still sounding really nice - or don’t seems from the reviews and demos I’ve seen. I am hoping to save up some money to buy that Gretsch because it seems like the best of both worlds for an adult who already plays guitar but needs something that’ll be as easy on the hands as possible while not feeling like a toy. I am concerned that it’s 30” rather than 28” like the Jackson and Ibanez basses that would have been much easier on my hands, but I’m hoping it won’t cause me such horrible pain like the standard 36” bass did - and that it’ll play like a nice quality instrument rather than feeling like a toy or kiddy starter. I don’t know if you ever look at bass guitars, but lots of guitar players want to dabble with the bass either for recording or just playing something a bit different to spice things up when hitting a rut. I learned to play a ukulele at one point, which helped me with my fingerstyle issues on guitar somewhat. Would you consider having a look at short scale low cost bass guitars for adult guitarists who want to try to start playing bass without dropping a huge amount of coin? Would be a great to have a deep dive on each model and an overall comparison with pros/cons to help people decide what’s most suitable for their needs. Thanks for a great video!
This was my first guitar, I got the white version. That’s also my same distortion. The distortion is amazing and the guitar is pretty good to play once you actually break it in and set it up properly.
got one really like it my nut is cut just fine and my tuners work amazingly and stay tuned. i will say my main thing i wanna change is my pickups but for learning guitar i love mine maybe more than my strat i orginally started learning on
Go get yourself something nice, I won't tell your wife. sweetwater.sjv.io/vNMnLd
Get yourself some Stewmac nut files for that bad nut slot, my dude!
😂👍
I have 4 Dinkys.. the 199.99 ones.. bcz of the shark inlays.. swaped the nuts for TUSQ.. put in Musicly Locking tuners.. Seymour Duncans Mayhem and Black Winter sets.. and Wilkins WK550ii bridges.. Bcz I love the playability.. ended up spending around $300 extra on each guitar.. but they play now like a million bucks..
Haha I WISH! Every penny is tightly accounted for. We barely make it yall.
@@smeemusic I feel that dude. Budgeting is way more important!
The thing with the string tightening is very true... always tune from low to high. I repaired and serviced dozens of guitars for friends and i maintain my own guitars for about 18 years now. You dont need expensive hardware or even evertune. Take care of your fretboard, keep the guitar at room temperature/humidity and you're fine. Another this is: tune your lowest string about 5 cents below key especially for drop tunings. If you hit the chords, the first string is getting the heaviest hit, therefore tending to go higher frequency than you want. Keeping it lower will keep the chord in tune no matter how hard you hit the strings
5 cents? 🤔
@@todoelmundoapesta A cent is a unit of measure for the ratio between two frequencies. An equally tempered semitone (the interval between two adjacent piano keys) spans 100 cents by definition. An octave-two notes that have a frequency ratio of 2:1-spans twelve semitones and therefore 1200 cents.
@@monsterram6617 ty good sir
In a nutshell:
Differences in tuning over time resulting from tension vs friction cannot be avoided, but they can be minimized with optimal setup technique(s).
The long -winded version of all that starts with, and **must be addressed in this order** for consistently precise results:
- neck/trussrod arc being most crucial, followed by
- reducing friction at the nut and saddle (i.e. the two constantly coupled points) angles, followed by
- the bridge's height and intonation adjustment.
In drop C we get best tuning results tuning the A string first on up to the high E then last the low E....but yes always tune the string up as both of you said! Keeps it under tension.
I'm a drummer and I bought this guitar for when friends come over and want to jam. They all love it, and can't believe I only paid $150! Awesome beginner/ budget guitar
@@Alexander-lt6es hi! I’d like to know your thoughts about the js11 since i’m also planning on buying one. How is it in general? Do you have any gripes or concerns about it? Does anything degrade over time? This will be my second guitar after a 60$ amazon strat so I’m really excited to know as much as i can about this before I finally get it :)
I have one myself the pick ups were good too but I switched them for Seymour Duncan Sh-2n for the neck and Sh-4
(or Sh-5 not sure now) for the bridge but it made huge difference
@@milangabris9494 glad to know!
@@DevanshRastogi I can't really help you, as I am a drummer. With that said, this guitar sounds pretty good right out the box, I think if you are going to tune the nut, replace the pick-up and whatnot. You might as well buy a better guitar. We use it for just jamming around through a distortion box (Hell Melter)and into an Orange Micro Dark Amp and a small Orange micro terror speaker. It sounds great in my living room and we mostly play metal, so it doesn't need to sound perfect, that is why we specifically chose this Jackson guitar. I will say it stays in tune for quite a long time. If I had to do anything to it I think I'd start with the nut and tuners.
@@Alexander-lt6es thanks for the reply mate! I just got the js12 cause they didn’t have the 11 in stock and it was just a $20 price difference. It plays better than the cheap guitars I have been playing with and was used to do definitely worth it for me ^^
8:10 in my experience, the nut is the source of 99.99999% of all action/tuning/intonation/timbre issues. if your guitar cost $500 or less, don't even waste time on any setups until you get a skilled repair specialist/luthier to replace and recut that nut. In many situations, it wont even really cost anything as this is sometimes included with a setup at a decent shop. Just my little tip that everyone should consider.
So what you are saying is before working on the nut things may be off, but post nut there will be clarity? Usually post nut clarity goes the opposite way, just another reason why guitars are better than a relationship.
Not quite.. Neck and truss rod come first, THEN the nut and bridge. No matter how well the nut is cut, you won't be able to intonate a crooked neck.
- Easy way to tell if the nut is cut wrong: Once the guitar is tuned to your root standard, fret an F major barre chord at the 1st fret.
Check that on some cheap guitars and then do the same with a few expensive guitars, and listen to the difference.
@@shaft9000 while i appreciate the general sentiment of your comment my point was that the **most common** issue, out of the box, is the nut. if you have a twisted neck, it wouldn't even pass qc. mass manufactured instruments are not likely to have a twisted neck on day one and if it somehow did, returning it is a much bigger concern.
the nut is almost universally overlooked by qc because they measure fretboard straightness, fret level, give the truss 1/4 relief, and pack it up.
@@zakkmylde1712 i dont think they got the joke lmao
I've started just ordering a precut bone nut from amazon every time I pick up a random guitar and swapping it over before I do anything else. I've had 60s japanese guitars with stamped steel bridges and no trussrods gain remarkable tuning stability just from swapping over with no additional slot filing.
I have this same exact model in this colour! I absolutley love it. It's my first guitar and I enjoy playing it every time i pick it up.
I've had this guitar in black and it was great. I also daily drive a Yugo. LOL
😂 Do your humbuckers in your guitar sound better than this video ? Mine do big time ! This video makes this guitar sound shitty 😂
I just recently put down money on this exact same guitar in the exact same color at the pawn shop literally brand new and now I can't wait until I get it.
I just bought the guitar from the official store and honestly it was really good. I got no issues with the tuning at all like some people said. Play super well.
@@dindinbre Yugo rules!
I never got the point of a budget 1980's type shred guitar with a vintage trem, or even higher end guitars with the vintage trems. Some of us want hardtail.
Weird move for sure, I think it would be much better with a HT
I agree, not to mention the stock vintage trems on these low end models are always unusable so it might as well be a hardtail. I prefer a Floyd rose even if I block it just a ergonomic preference but that's obviously not coming on a guitar in this price range
I get you, but if you tighten the springs so it doesn't move off the body or add a block in the spring cavity what's the difference?
@@RX120D Parts
@@RX120D yes that's true but I feel like these should be hard tails from the factory and they could take a little off the price since there's no routing to be done and extra hardware. Also no extra tinkering on the consumer's end which the intended market is obviously beginners who aren't gonna know how to deal with that off the bat or people who just want a cheap guitar
I really appreciate the budget oriented guitar and gear videos! I love my higher end stuff but theres something satisfying about getting all the cheapest stuff you can and getting it to play and sound awesome
Awesome, I'm glad you enjoy it. I'm trying to incorporate it as much as I can!
And abusing the fuck at them. Cause whats a few dents on a 200 dollar guitar, compared to a 700+ one.
@@eggpod4567 thats also a big reason why I love them haha. Nothing like getting a cheap yardsale guitar and experimenting on it, playing it to death and beating it up, mix matching parts etc. I would like one or two nice 700+ guitars though because right now I have a fleet of shit sticks and a bunch of random oddball amps too it'd be nice to have something dependable to augment the goofy projects
That's kinda the point of why i got my 'budget' guitar. I figure I'm just starting, I'm honestly not going to sound good for a while. I figure, I just need to have my hands ON a guitar at first, to exercise them and build those initial callouses. I just keep practicing on this, learning all I can about guitars in general, and eventually, I will get good enough to become bothered by the absolute cheapness of my guitar, lol.
But for now, I'm so novice, it really doesn't matter. It's called PLAYING the guitar, not working the guitar, isn't it?
Just have fun, that's what I say.
I debated the idea in my head too long, I just had to jump at some point, even if it's not the greatest guitar, just get going on the adventure. 1 month in, I have no regrets buying a $140 Amazon guitar.
I'm just happy I finally started doing this after so many years of only dreaming.😃
(I'm left handed, it's tough to find a guitar facing the proper way for me, I had the money, it was on sale, now I can call myself a 'guitarist', lol)
@@peterbelanger4094 dont worry about the "sound" of the guitar, unless you are buying an acoustic there is no audible difference guitar to guitar, search up "glenn fricker pickups debunk" and "glenn fricker tone wood debunk"
Jackson has great colors. Even the cheapo models look great
The finish on this is really nice regardless of price!
You can be a rock star ,save money
I got my white one 3 weeks ago. I did have to cut the nut slots lower but that's about it. I did a slight touch up on the fret ends, polished them, put a set of NYXL's on it and I swear this is an amazing guitar even if it cost 3x. You can't get a "shredder" neck i.e. Dunlop 6100 size frets, 43mm nut, and 12" flat radius. The neck alone is worth the price. The pickups scream. You need to EQ them a bit but I'm not replacing. The TUNERS, omg mine are again the best die-cast sealed tuners I've ever gotten on a sub $200 guitar. Mine keeps tune perfectly. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED 💯
I have multiple JS series Jacksons, although all of mine are 32/42 models. The compound radius "speed neck" profile is one of my favorites ever. It's worth the price of admission on its own.
Agreed. Best neck profile by a lot.
Your teacher was correct about always tuning upward to notch the string in the tuner. That was some stuff an old luthier told me decades ago. Great video! Keep ‘em coming!
My Dinky is absolutely my favorite guitar. I bought a Pro Series Dinky later on but it mostly stays put away in favor of the JS22. I have 4 Jackson guitars and 2 basses manufactured from 1999-2023.
Today my JS22 has Ping tuners, a Dimarzio Steve Morse bridge pickup + full size pot, and 2 additional springs. That said though, it was a great guitar out of the box for the money and decently set up. The QC was better than other Jacksons I’d had prior or after. Mine is “one of a kind” as I dropped it shortly after receiving it which left a noticeable chip missing from the soft wood the body was constructed of. Rock on, Chippy.
Hot tip on those tuners... Take a screwdriver to that screw in the end of the button and give it a lil tweak.
I hope he sees this comment and try’s it. It’s not a total fox every time as Jackson tuners definitely suck. BUT it does help.
That will increase the resistance of the knob, but it looks like the issue he's having is the play/sloppiness of the gearing inside the tuning machine (how much you have to turn the knob before it "catches" and actually starts rotating the peg)
i bought a new js-11 right after the lockdowns started for $69.00 and free shipping. did a setup on it and it's been my #1 ever since. plays great and the pups sound nice.
What kind of setup may I ask?
@@NoOneAlive_ i set the neck relief,action and intonation to my taste. 20 minutes tops.
this was my first guitar and i still use it up to date, i've already moved on to some more expensive guitars, but i still keep the js11 and i still love to play it.. i have set of strings 13-59 and it comes through just fine, only thing that pisses me off are the tuners and the bridge having exposed screws for the string action.. also, i changed the bridge pickup for more expensive one and it plays great for the value.. overall it's a good guitar
Great feedback. There are definitely some small improvements that could be made, but for the money I can't complain!
Just buy shorter grub screws for the bridge saddles, its like a few dollars and something I often do on even expensive guitars. The factory doesn't know how you are going to adjust them, so they can't just put super short ones in and risk someone not being able to get the action high enough.
I have the JS22, I upgraded to a graphtech nut with angled slots to solve the tuning issues. Also installed some James Hetfield active pickups, it screams now!
I ordered a guitar off reverb recently and the seller went through FedEx. When I got the box there was a GIANT hole in it around headstock and upper part of the neck. I don't know if anything hit it, but thankfully the seller wrapped and boxed up the guitar properly. By some miracle it was unscratched. Funny enough it was also a Jackson lol
@@withinthrall1445 literally same
Thing happened to me. Hole in the corner of the box and my tone knob is indented and chipped. Doesn’t turn at all. FedEx blows.
Beginner here and Im super happy with my JS22 Dinky. Around the same price range and its super comfy to play. Great video
I had one of these from 2014 in red, I was blown away for the price. The neck, the playability, the frets, the color were amazing, and these guitars have quite a chunky, thick body. It has shielding paint and all that, the electronics are pretty bad, but man the base of the guitar is amazing.
Jackson guitars rule 🤘🤘🤘
I bought a red js11 off a kid used for $100 a few years back and it was set up perfectly, the tuners on mine are fine, no play, maybe because its an older one? Anyhow, I bought it because it was cheap and I was gonna carry it around in the work truck with my mini katana amp as like a traveler beater, but it was more comfortable and easier to play than my plekkd Gibson SG, it out performed my mid range ibanez rg. The Strat trem on it is actually higher quality than most strat trems, has pop in arm and giant tremelo block and stays in tune pretty well, I strung the high strings backwards to get straighter string pull at the headstock that is not supposed to be used with non locking trems because the radical angle of the headstock and the trem works okay but i dont use it. I still have the JS11, its my only non mij Jackson, anyhow I traded my SG for a 2011 mij charvel socal and gave my boss the ibanez, now I have 11 or 12 mij Jacksons and the Charvel and a Fender acoustic that I love...lol
New idea for Glenn Fricker: does washing your car affect guitar tone?
Considering the two guitars played in this video were pretty much indistinguishable, that's a big ol' no.
According to Glenn > whatever answer is going to upset more people 😂
@@TaylorDanley 🤣🤣🤣😂😂😂
@@TaylorDanley i mean the jackson made pickups on the js11 are pretty much duncan jb + jazz clones. i feel like most of the sound difference you hear is probably from the acoustic sound of the guitar in the room. the virtuoso does have a different body wood and a floyd rose which means more wood is missing from the body. that doesnt translate into the recording though. when recorded i felt like they were pretty much indistinguishable. maybe the jackson felt a tiny bit more bassy.
kleen car kleen toan!!!!!
Great video! I have 2 Jackson guitars, a Dinky made in Japan and RR V. I've noticed that all the Jackson guitars even the less expensive ones have good necks that are really nice.
It’s nice when you vote for a specific video idea and then it shows up in your recommended. Thanks mane
Sweet color ! Love that metallic blue ! Great playing by the way 🤘👍I wish more manufacturers would do metallic blue, bright saphire metallic.
Have one of these, great guitars. That into hx stomp, headphones out. Perfect for late night practice.
💪
How about a comparison of JS11, JS12 and JS22. Is there anything worth upgrading from the JS 11 (old tiny hand beginner😅l
Bro your editing is hilarious. Great work!
Glad you enjoyed it!
In regards to the whammy spring noise - it would be cool to fill the hole for the trem block with a piece of wood, fit a hard tail bridge, stick some EMGs in it and use the trem cavity to put the battery in :)
I have 3 budget-level Jacksons (The JS22-7 Dinky [my first guitar], JS22 Monarkh, and a JS32 Warrior), and I honestly love all of them. In terms of playability, they are very close to my more expensive guitars. The 7 string has a Dimarzio Imperium in the bridge, and it sounds brutal. Jacksons can be a bit lacking in the spec department (licensed Floyds, stock pickups even in the X series), but damn if they don't play well
I miss the old x series, they used to almost always come with name brand pickups. It is what it is though, the x series is still cool though.
I wanted a cheap guitar to leave in my office at work; I bought a Jackson JS-11. I loved it so much I've bought three more (to repaint and use alternate tunings). The JS-11 is great for repainting because it comes with black hardware that looks good with any color paint. I think this model plays better than guitars that cost many times more. After watching this video, I might buy one more (I really like that blue paint job!).
I have that 5150 Overdrive and it's awesome. By far my favorite Overdrive that I own
Jackson’s budget line has been awesome for years. I had the JS-32T Rhodes and for a guitar that was about $250 when I picked it up, it sounded great and felt good. Glad you had a similar experience with this one.
Agreed! Fixed bridge would be better for a budget. Might even bring the price down with less labor involved.
I had a Yamaha RG-420S Drop 6 that I rarely played and was still in mint condition when I sold it on eBay (something I regret to this day as it was beautiful). I was super paranoid about shipping it off. I had to make a bespoke box and then find some stuff to pack around it to make sure it didn't scratch. Wrapped the body in some laminate flooring underlay because it was quite cushioned and soft and ... erm ... something else. He messaged me to thank me for packing it so well and of his shock of receiving a free curtain!!
I have bought Jackson JS11 Dinky one year ago. No particular reason, I did not need another guitar for sure. It was so cheap and looked sleek so I click "buy" to see what you get for that little money. It looks absolutely killer, my little son said it looks bad-ass! It has good frets on it, quite tall and wide, good feeling. It got "the looks". BUT - it felt like a cheap guitar and sounded like one too (sorry!!!). I decided to upgrade pickups and nut (to TUSQ). After the change - still not in love with it. So I went a bit crazy and upgraded tuning machines to locking tuners, re-sprayed back of the neck with black nitrocellulose paint (looks really good and feels good to touch now). I also removed all the paint from guitar body a refinished it with a really thin lacquer (original paint was thick as hell). Somehow the guitar was still stiff. I decided to go even crazier now and scalloped fretboard from 12th fret up (as I don't have any scalloped guitar, wanted to try it out). I also added 2 extra screws to attach the neck (EVH had it on some guitars). Also none of my favourite pickup worked in the bridge position, so I changed the pickup to one with extra weak output (6kOhm humbucker) and it magically worked for this instrument. Put Elixir strings on it and... BOOM! 💣Somehow the combination worked and the guitar does not feel cheap anymore, resonates really well. I like the guitar now but I changed almost everything on it 😀it is not what you buy from the store. Also it has vibrato unit, that ALWAYS puts guitar out of tune, so I agree hardtail would be better for this cheap guitar. Thanks for your review Taylor!
Wow you really went all out on it. I got the JS32 King for $300 and dumped almost twice the money into it as a side project for same reason. I didn’t touch the paint but everything was removed and replaced like locking tuners, Graph-tech nut and bridge. All new electronics which required drilling. New pickups. Reset the guitar neck mount to make it tighter to stay in tune. I felt it moved slightly with the string tension.
Also gotta recommend a Kramer Baretta Special. I replaced the tremolo, the nut, and put in locking tuners. Yeah I nearly doubled the cost of the guitar but it is an AWESOME little super strat now.
But now you probably have a guitar that plays and sounds FOUR times its price
tighten the screw on the top of the tuning key. my $200 js22-7 was awesome. my first guitar, i loved it
my man, I just commented the same thing...
It's funny that you also have to dime the treble knob when going into any power amp to get any clarity from the 5150 pedal. I run into that same issue and I'm not a fan of the pedal as a result.
All Jackson's are good! I have a 2011 JS32R dinky reverse, and it's honestly one of my all time favorite guitars.
They make great stuff.
Not the one I got.
@GNRGNRGNRGNRGNR bummer dude what one did you get and where at?
@KillaFXZ I got the slat8ff a few years ago. The first one had an issue with the frets or the neck and it wouldn't stop buzzing no matter what I did. Then I exchanged it for another one and for the first while I thought it was good but then I noticed that it had high frets that caused the high e strong to fret out and a couple of notes just didn't play.
I think I got it from Sam Ash if I remember correctly. It sucks because if it was good to go it would've been a great guitar. I still have it and I've been meaning to take it somewhere to have it fixed.
I've been wanting to try a jackson again though.
@GNRGNRGNRGNRGNR Yeah, I won't buy anything guitsr related unless it is from sweetwater I had bad luck too and even they're not 100% on point all the time but they make shit right.
I have Ibanez, Jackson, and an LTD. My Ibanez is a 91 USA Custom, by far my best guitar. The LTD KH 602 plays great, and I love my Jackson Dinky. I bought a budget first guitar for my daughter. $179 Jackson, similar to the one you reviewed. I must say, it plays close to the Dinky and KH. It's smooth. The action is pretty good. And sounds decent. I give it to Jackson, I think they make the best guitar under $200.
anytime i see a bright blue Jackson I don't think of metal, but of jangly, chorusy new wave inspired pop. Gustavo Cerati and his blue 1985 Soloist are to blame, honestly
Hi Taylor, what about the new JS22-7 RR and V? I had a Dinky Arch top JS22-7 and it was unbelievably good
You can adjust tuners with the screw on the top.
I was taught the same thing, that's why they say "tune up", apparently :)
I never thought of that, makes sense!
When you loosen the tuners you're potentially putting a bit of slack in the strings at the tuners and nut that when you play will get pulled tight again making the tuning change.
When you tune up you are removing any potential slack in the tuners or nut since it is pulling everything tight as you tune.
Basically tuning up will, by default, take up any slack in the whole system THEN change the tuning.
I just got my first Jackson--a 1990 "Stars" mij soloist. I am not a metal guy, and I really like it. Great review and demo!
i just recently got this guitar my first electric!
GOOD. You definitely started off on the right foot, great guitar for the money.
@@BeeBeeCJr thanks man i really appreciate it
I got one of these today, it was my first guitar ever. I got everything I needed to start playing for a little over $200. (Mind you I didn't get a whole amp set-up, I just got a little Blackstar thing that lets you play through headphones.) I have been having an absolute blast with it. I was expecting to have to spend closer to a thousand, but to get such a quality guitar set-up that works and will last for $200? Crazy.
This was my first guitar, and I still use it to this day. Replaced the trem system, replaced the pickups, and swapped out the tuners with locking tuners, and it sounds kickass now and plays beautifully.
Picked up this guitar today and I’m very happy with it. Thank you for the great review.
I got a jackson js32 dinky, and tbh mine was terribly manufactured, frets were sharp, g string was buzzing, finish was lacking, within 2 weeks wiring for bridge pickup gave out. Guitar had to be heavily adjusted and even though it is for a beginner market it really isnt.
I had a JS11in black I regret selling it but needed the money for rent.I plan to get another one soon.I love the neck on these.
That tuning up to pitch to help out cheap tuners with staying in tune is something I've always done. Doesn't seem to matter as much with higher quality tuners though. Thanks to your teacher for validating my cheap tuner tuning technique!
I got a JS22 as my re-entry into guitar. Now it has the GraphTech nut, D’addario locking tuners and I just threw some Guitar Madness 1984 humbuckers in it. The little patch of microfiber towel in with the springs topped it off. I like it, but at this $$$ I can love it.
Playing 40+ yrs here... I have always "tuned up(ward)" the way you mentioned. It seems to be a more reliable method as tuning downward does seem to allow for some minor slippage while playing.
I’ve been playing Jackson for many years. Currently played with the ole Dinky JS32R with stock pickups. Simple but super effective.
I have that same Jackson in red. Oddly enough, I found it at a pawn shop out here in Philly for $275 and it came equipped with EMGs. Right away I noticed exactly what you were talking about with the tuners lol but did what you talked about with tuning down then up again and it stays in place. On mine I use Ernie Ball 11-42s and of the Jacksons I have had, this one sounds awesome and I owe it to the fact it came with the EMGs. I have only had it for a couple of months after being without a guitar for almost 6 years so this is a “re-starter” for me. I primarily play Dean and Jackson, so I am satisfied… for now. Have you tried the Seymore Duncan Black Winter pickups yet? I play black metal so I am wondering if they will be worth the investment
Have the same model in black colour. Honestly, I’ve tried so many budget guitars from Squier, Ibanez, Epiphone etc. but this Jackson JS11 takes the lead in terms of playability. The build quality is quite good and they look awesome. Especially for a beginner, I don’t think anything else will offer more value at this price range.
Jackson has been my favorite brand for nearly 30 years.
For me, the JS series and older Professional and Performer series routed for a Floyd are good upgrade platforms. A Schaller 1302 Floyd Rose tremolo (smaller and wider than an OFR and made just for recessed trems like those licensed trems commonly found on Jacksons, BC Riches, and ESP LTDs), a Floyd Rose R8 locking nut if yours needs replacement (most imported Jacksons have a narrower nut--R2/R3 are too tall), and upgraded electronics (usually using Seymour Duncan Triple Shots for series/split/parallel, Shadow killpots, and a phase switch) will get you a guitar with far more features than what is available new for about $800-1200.
With active pickups your choices are a little easier. A Shadow killpot and 24 Volt Mod on a master volume only guitar is usually sufficient. EMG active tone controls should not exceed 18 volts. Seymour Duncan Blackouts should stay at 9 volts.
Passive guitars give me more tones in studio. Active guitars are more set and forget, and are easier to dial in and set in a metal mix.
On basses, upgrade paths are usually easier and cheaper because you don't have to worry about the bridge. Just make sure the action, playability, and frets are decent.
With passive pickups, you can mess with series/split/parallel/phase wiring with DPDT push/pull pots and mini toggles. I usually gut the active tone controls since I use the tone controls on the amp. I install passive tone controls so I can use the active EQ body holes for the new switches and push/pull pots. If your guitar is a P, J, PJ, or rare PP (usually offered only by BC Rich), your choices are simpler.
Most metal basses these days, especially 5+ string, use the soapbar style humbucker (not the larger Musicman style), and any number of coil types could be in those housings. Bartolini is probably the most flexible manufacturer as far as coil geometry. They are the closest tone I have ever heard to an active pickup in a passive format (bright/clear).
If you go for active basses with the 24 Volt Mod and EMGs, you should have passive tone controls because their active EQs recommend only 18 volts. The regular pickups in 18/24 volts will sound similar to the X series, so you can skip the X. This opens up the used market to you since you can stick with the original and more numerous original EMG designs.
Passive pickups still have their place due to their warmth and more sophisticated wiring options than most active pickups, which require special mods or specific models in EMG's case.
As far as pickup form factors, I find PJs to be a little punchier and dual coil pickups like those in many 5s and 6s to be more mid scooped. Occasionally you will find J basses in 5 and 6 formats. They're usually stacked hum canceling pickups and sound a little thinner than soapbars.
The thing with these extremely cheap guitars is you have to lower your expectations. A fixed bridge, dual humbucker Strat is pretty basic. That's all some people need. But you're not getting your Alexi Laiho or Randy Rhodes fix on those. I'd also go with something with a tune-o-matic or string thru bridge if I could find it just for a little better tone and easier to adjust playability.
*Edit: Jackson's new cheap line is the Minion series. I would skip these because the shorter scale length will make reliable tuning more difficult and make drop tuning nearly impossible.*
I've bought this exact one almost 6 years ago and have loved it. It was my first guitar I've bought and I still rip on it today. I've made many solid mixes with this guitar. I have zero complaints. Perhaps where it lacks is that it would not hold up on a tour and requires frequent tuning as any budget guitar would.
Have you done a video on the jackson js22 ? Ive been thinking about that model for a while...😊
I just threw some black winter Humbuckers on my js20 and getting locking tuners I love it
I have that model, It's the only electric one I actually have. Some of it's tuners are a little loose, some others don't, but no matter how much I change it's tune it always stays in tune.
Mine has the detail that the headstock is upwards, so the thicker string has the longest distance between the peg and the nut, but I'm not shure if it makes any difference.
I do use a wammy bar on it, but to minimize that spring sound I set the springs as tight as possible and It has held like that for over three years now.
I also play on a 30W amp, so I'ld a waste to buy anything more expensive.
I always use the whammy for shimmer and some color even in metal. I got my six screw tremolo Temu Esp F body knock off and with a little adjustment on the six screws and a little pencil lead in the nut and it holds fine👍.
FYI always take the plastic off the truss rod cover in any plastic out from underneath volume knobs etc. detailing it makes it feel loved!!!
Guitar tone for the background jam was on point!
Holy crap, I didn't realize you were from Portland!! I grew up in Sandy and my folks still live in Troutdale! Would be rad to go jam or something the next time I'm home
I got the Jackson jS 12 Dinky and they have same issue with tuning heads. So I'm forced to upgrade to a locking tuners. I'm not sure if JS 11 also has issues with not being able to do tappings.
Great video and great jams!
I got recently Minion Dinky in White. I was pretty surprised at the stock pickups how well they sound. Def feels like those were modeled after Seymour Duncans higher end models. The low gain distortion tone on mine reminds me a lot of Megadeth Countdown To Extinction/Youthanasia tones. The pups will def be swapped for EMGs 60/S that I really like.
The tunes on mine are surprisingly holding the tuning well, and works great in D standard with 12-52 strings. I had an impression that JS11 and J12 both had compound radius 12-16" like their other standard models.
Hi, Amazing videos. Can you please tell me what kind of wall mount are you using?? Thanks!!
A friend of mine bought one of the JS22’s and it seemed to be a fine guitar and all considering the price, but then it quit holding tune one day. It has a floating trem and Ive always been curious as to what went wrong with the guitar and why it won’t stay in tune
what is your KEX tuned to that you didnt like the pickups in.. anything I have with the Jackson pickups sound better in D or lower, and, again in my opinion, need a much warmer sounding string and and EQ setup as they are relatively bright pickups...
I left them in my black KEX (same as yours but used a DR coated string that has "no" top end). and the mirror top shattered kelly, it is in Drop C tho
I bought a JS22 archtop in satin black, I luv it, especially in satin black. You should be able to tighten the tuners on your guitar...and I agree with you, I wish they made these guitars in a hardtail, I never use the trem/whammy bar on the JS22 (I use it a bit on my Jackson DXMG though), so a hardtail would have been perfect
I read about dropping the string flat then tuning up to pitch. It's supposed to hold the tuning better than having a sharp tuning dropping into pitch.
I can't remember where I found said info. But it seems to work.
Thanks alot, looking for my first to start learning on.
When ya first started playing the guitar, what the hell was that static type noise while you were playing the first round of playing? Didn’t really dig that. What causes that?.
Thanks for the videos Taylor. I like to roll w/the Jackson Kelly, Warrior, and some of the LTD, and Schecter brands, since I can't yet afford a Caparison. I’ve been using the EMG 81's/85's, and the Zakk Wylde signature strings, and Dave Gilmour GHS strings, Nickel Rockers, or Dean Markley Blue Steel strings (Depending on what guitar I'm using), I did have an issue w/a cheap Jackson dinky JS, the nut was black plastic, the 10-48's kept popping out of the nut, maybe the tremolo had a bit of blame?, still was an irritation. Never realized how much it makes a difference changing out a cheap nut to a good one. Seeing Zakk play made me realize a tremolo is cool & fun, but like ya said, no need for one on a cheaper guitar. I'm just past a beginner in experience, thanks for helping me gain knowledge.
Got any vids on best tremolo systems?
Or
What effects could replace the tremolo best?
Thanks Taylor!
🤘🏻💀
I bought js12. The neck is really nice thin and with that matte finish. The tuners can be tightened with their screws. Biggest problem on my guitar is that they have done leveling on the frets without polishing after that. All frets are so rough,scratched,it's hard to do a simple bending or vibrato.
Have this exact guitar i got for 90 bucks on a black friday sale in store and at the time guitar center use to offer alot of custom work cheap upon purchase so i bought emg 81 and 85s and they put it in for 50 bucks this was years ago.
This guitar still sounds good.
Another solid video mate. Imagine waking up say on Xmas day or your 14th birthday and your folks went out and got you that guitar as your 1st electric...? You'd feel like a an absolute God!
Entry level guitars have come so far which is fantastic to see and certainly helps the encouragement of younger future shred lords imo
I know that feeling man ! That Jackson is indeed, my first guitar and it felt like it was christmas, even though i'm not 14, and that it was July 🤣
FYI if you tighten the screws on top of the tuners they usually respond
2:34 Thanks for doing this as I was wondering why anyone would buy anything but a JS series Jackson because the more expensive guitars seem to just have the same feature spec wise and I love my JS22($200) and JS42($400) as they are perfect and I've havd no issues with then and not needed to "set them up" wish the title said this was a comparistion though would help to find with the search resaults.
I got one of those super cheap Jackson's like that one except mine was a string thru body instead of a hardtail. I switched out the bridge PU for a Dimebucker and that guitar was easily one of my favorite guitars I ever owned.
I'd buy that and put some locking tuners on it. The last new guitar I bought came with those and I LOVE them.
(BMG Special, the Brian May replica, just because I love mentioning that lol)
Thanks man just got a cheap jackson 7 string V and more excited to recieve it after this review!
I'm seriously thinking about getting a JS in September but leaning toward a JS22 instead of an 11 mainly due to the 24 threads and slightly better electronics. But definitely this video convinced me to go with Jackson instead of Ibanez. Thank you so very much!
Your lunchbox head collection is most impressive \m/
Bought a $279 Jackson in bright blue in 2016. Basically the same as this but with an authorized FR trem and a bound fretboard with the big Jackson inlays. Overall, the guitar is incredibly well-built for under $300. Fit and finish is solid; no sharp fret edges, and the giant jumbo frets were level (amazing). Some of these big factories have gotten _REALLY_ good at making guitars, and Jackson is one of 'em.
I picked up the JS22 in the same color for about what you paid here. It's the step up from this and it's nice. IT has the same bridge but it's got a neck binding, arch top ( 🤨 ) and 24 frets. it's normally $199 on sweetwater and it's not bad.
How do you fix the bridge with glue? What's the process? I'm confused 😭
I use the trem system periodically on my jackson js22, although agreed that having a hard tail or fixed bridge is much better
I am intrigued by the tip about always ending a tune-up with an uptune and how it's supposed to affect tuning stability. I have a 20 yo Marathone guitar which is horribly unstable and I always suspected is has something to do with its crappy, floyd-like bridge but who knows, maybe it will actually help.
Considering getting one to have as a gig guitar i can run be rough and careless with. I figure swapping out the nut, adding some locking tuners and throwing in some high gain pickups might be the move here.
I got a JS22 in blue, 1st job was change the tuners. Recently bought a JS32, hardtail, awesome guitar.
I have a Kramer Focus VT-211S they run 289 Canadian. it is the cheapest Kramer makes and I LOVE mine great mod project but straight out the gate was a great guitar for things like Warrant, LA Guns, Skidrow Etc. def suggest checking them out and the colors they come in are amazing. I have bought budget Jacksons, Ibanez, Squires and Epiphones and the Kramer is the best one I have bought. anyway love the content my dude.
I bought a Dinky 2 ( about $650 ), had the same issue with the nut. It fell off when I changed the strings, a bit of glue and all good.
The Jackson JS series are great! I have 2 JS22 Dinkys that I keep around for quick practice sessions and they're awesome.
Would love you to compare this to the lowest cost Ibanez models. I play guitar, but was actually interested in a short scale bass for myself. I looked at the Jackson JS11 bass and the lowest cost bass lbanez makes. The bass models both had similar types of issues you’re showing on this guitar that were surely fixable.
However, once I started adding up the cost of upgrades of higher end branded or even unbranded parts (even if I did the work myself), I was looking at the cost of the next the next model or ot even the third to lowest costing model (but as I recall, one or both brands didn’t make a short scale below 30” beyond the cheapest model - so I felt like I was getting cheated into doing the work myself for the same cost of slightly higher end models that would have been playable out of the box minus the scale length issue). Did not know what made sense, so I gave up on the idea altogether. I looked at other low end short scale basses below 30” and was surprised that were are few options an adult with some music experience would appreciate that won’t feel like a toy without upgrades. I want a high quality, amazing sounding instrument that won’t sound or feel like it plays like a toy. Unfortunately, I am disabled from an accident I had in 2003 just after I turned 22 with a neurological syndrome that causes chronic pain and other debilitating symptoms. I tried a full scale 36” Donner bass that I won for free in a social media drawing, but the taut bass strings at the lightest gauge possible caused horrific pain in my joints for days and even weeks after playing (which is never an issue when I play guitar). Lots of guitar players prefer short scale basses, which tend to get sold between 28”-30”, mostly because it is not too far off from the feel of playing a guitar in terms of string resistance. Anyway, my only other short scale options other than totally unknown import brands were Squires that either only had a single pickup and poor QC reviews in the past couple years . . . or a low end Gretsch 30” bass. The pickups are not traditional sounding jazz or precision pickups, but the bass seems rather full featured and doesn’t skimp on specs while still sounding really nice - or don’t seems from the reviews and demos I’ve seen. I am hoping to save up some money to buy that Gretsch because it seems like the best of both worlds for an adult who already plays guitar but needs something that’ll be as easy on the hands as possible while not feeling like a toy. I am concerned that it’s 30” rather than 28” like the Jackson and Ibanez basses that would have been much easier on my hands, but I’m hoping it won’t cause me such horrible pain like the standard 36” bass did - and that it’ll play like a nice quality instrument rather than feeling like a toy or kiddy starter.
I don’t know if you ever look at bass guitars, but lots of guitar players want to dabble with the bass either for recording or just playing something a bit different to spice things up when hitting a rut. I learned to play a ukulele at one point, which helped me with my fingerstyle issues on guitar somewhat. Would you consider having a look at short scale low cost bass guitars for adult guitarists who want to try to start playing bass without dropping a huge amount of coin? Would be a great to have a deep dive on each model and an overall comparison with pros/cons to help people decide what’s most suitable for their needs.
Thanks for a great video!
This was my first guitar, I got the white version. That’s also my same distortion. The distortion is amazing and the guitar is pretty good to play once you actually break it in and set it up properly.
got one really like it my nut is cut just fine and my tuners work amazingly and stay tuned. i will say my main thing i wanna change is my pickups but for learning guitar i love mine maybe more than my strat i orginally started learning on
i was always told to tune up to pitch as well. i primarily play acoustic but it seems to be true for keeping in tune