Review: Jackson JS1 Dinky

Here's another beginner guitar for you to ave a look at! The next review will be on a higher end one. And oh, Bersercules, this one has a whammy bar. ;) 

Features: Not sure of the year, just know it's newer. Believe it was made in Indonesia. Super Strat style, 24 jumbo frets, 25.5" scale. 2 piece maple neck with a scarf joint and a rosewood fretboard. The neck is overall pretty thin. The bodies used to be made of Indian Cedro(Indian Ceder), but they're now made of basswood. Mine is white, and the colour is beautiful. 3 way Switch and 2 stock Jackson humbuckers. 1 volume, 1 tone. Basic Jackson tuners. Also has a trem! I use it for metal and hard rock. // 7

Sound: The guitars stock pickups are pretty muddy. I can see them being used for rock, though it seems to be more of a metal guitar. I didn't leave mine stock very long as I bought it to build it up, but the stock pots and Switch are alright. The cheap Chinese stuff you'd find in most cheap to moderate guitars. It's not very noisey at all which helps with high gain amps. The trem is actually a lot better than people give it credit for, though the stock nut doesn't do it justice. It says on the site that it's graphite, but it's obviously plastic. The site specs are off as they don't update it enough, hence the wood difference.// 6

Action, Fit & Finish: The action is great for a cheaper guitar. It was already set up well, but any guitar should be set up to the players likings. That's all preference. The colour is great, but the finish is very thin. For this price, there's no use in complaining. The hardware is what you'd expect from this price range. Like I said, the trem is better than people say. // 7

Reliability & Durability: This guitar is fine for live play. Unlike the older versions, these JS1's are pretty strong. The hardware hasn't rusted or anything, so it's got a thumb up for me. It will scratch easily but it wont show on the white. I assume the black ones will show easier.// 7

Impression: A starter metal and hard rock guitar. I've been playing for over 10 years and am actually surprised at this guitar. I found it much easier to play than Squiers and other guitars in this price range. It's a great feel for metal, but the stock electronics are cheap like I said. I've changed the pots to DiMarzio 250k, though it comes stock with 500k's. I also changed out the nut for a nicer one, and the Bridge pickup for a DiMarzio Super 3. I also blocked off the trem. After these upgrades, it sounds GREAT! If anything ever happened to the neck I'd easily replace it, though it's much sturdier than the earlier versions of this model. I'd easily pick another one of these up if I wanted another guitar. I'm glad the tuners really do their job, unlike a lot of stock ones. It could use a thicker finish, but at this price, oh well. It's a little more than you think you'll be getting from the price. For beginners or anyone looking to build up you own guitar, I highly recommend it. Because I am rating it stock, I can't give it a huge rating, but with some small upgrades this thing can be great. // 7