Most people start learning to play the guitar with a cheap instrument. For example, your grandmother’s cellar may have housed the first guitar you learned to play for many years. In other instances, you could find a used guitar at a garage sale for a few dollars.
For those just starting, these guitars are perfect. What transpires once you’ve mastered a few methods and feel at ease playing the instrument? You’ll want to update your guitar if you’re like most folks. And when that happens, the abundance of options will overwhelm you.
Jackson has been solidifying a reliable reputation as the top option for guitarists who play any heavy music genre from the early 1980s to the present. If you enjoy metal, you are included!
Jackson guitars are excellent starter guitars for new players. A Jackson would be ideal, especially if you enjoy complex music. Their beginner-targeted versions are reasonably priced, well-built guitars that will last those just starting on the instrument for years.
Jackson guitars are still in use by some of the top metal performers today. Some are rising stars in new bands contributing to extending the legacy of the already illustrious Jackson name. Some of them are even young guitarists without a band, yet they know that Jackson guitars are the best approach to achieve the tone they need to be successful.
- Jackson Guitars
- History of Jackson Guitars
- Jackson JS Series Dinky Arch Top JS22 DKA – Satin Black
- Jackson 6 String JS Series Dinky Arch Top JS22 Electric Guitar
- Jackson JS Series Dinky Arch Top JS32 DKA – Satin Black
- Jackson JS Series Dinky Arch Top JS32Q DKA Transparent Green Burst
- Jackson JS Series King V JS32 – Gloss Black
- JS Series Dinky Arch Top JS22-7 HT AH Satin Black
- Jackson JS Series Dinky Arch Top JS32Q DKA Transparent Purple Burst
- How Good Are the Jackson Guitar Finishes?
- Final Thoughts
Jackson Guitars
Grover Jackson founded Jackson, a company that produces electric guitars and electric bass guitars. The Fender Musical Instruments Corporation purchased the business in 2002, producing guitars under the Jackson name in its facilities in Corona, California, and Ensenada, Mexico. In addition, subcontractors make low-cost budget models in China and Indonesia.
The emergence of the Jackson brand name in the 1980s is well-remembered. It was a decade-long perfect storm of heavy music that included the birth of death metal, the rise of the NWOBHM, an explosion of bands from the Sunset Strip, and the actual “golden era” of metal. Jackson was enveloped in it all, and it was a wonderful time.
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History of Jackson Guitars
In the 1970s, Grover Jackson acquired a portion of Glendora, California’s Charvel’s Guitar Repair. After declaring bankruptcy, Wayne Charvel sold his ownership to Grover Jackson on November 10, 1978, giving Jackson rights to the Charvel name.
When guitarist Randy Rhoads approached the business in 1980 with a concept for a custom guitar, Jackson Guitars was born. The Concorde, a cutting-edge redesign of the conventional Flying V, was the product of a collaborative design effort between Rhoads, Grover Jackson, Tim Wilson, and Jackson’s master builder, Mike Shannon. As a result of how these designs differed from Charvel’s Stratocaster-based versions, Jackson decided to give them a specific brand name. So he invented the first Jackson guitar and picked his last name.
The Jackson brand was known for high-quality, American-made, custom guitars during the 1980s heavy metal heyday and was favored by many well-known guitarists. Along with the original, or Rhoads versions, the 1980s gave birth to uniquely designed Jackson models, including The Soloist, King V, Kelly, and the Dinky, all of which continue to be brand icons.
Musical trends saw shifts in the 1990s. Brands like Jackson started developing low-cost, Asian-made replicas of their classic designs while remaining to produce the high-end American-made products to make their products more accessible to lower-end customers.
The United States activities were transferred to the Fender facility in Corona after Fender Musical Instruments Corporation bought Jackson from IMC. This business acquired Jackson from Grover Jackson in the fall of 2002. At Corona and Fender’s Ensenada factory, modern Jackson and Charvel guitars are made.
Grover Jackson is currently a co-owner of a new guitar brand, GJ2 Guitars, in Orange County, California, after managing a prosperous business for several years that included much design consulting and subcontracting work for numerous well-known guitar guitars businesses. Former Fender Senior Vice President Jon Gold is his business partner.
The following are some of the best Jackson Guitars that you should consider buying.
Jackson JS Series Dinky Arch Top JS22 DKA – Satin Black
The Jackson JS Series Dinky Arch Top JS22 has Jackson’s signature headstock, black hardware, and shark fin inlays that give this instrument an aggressive appearance.
Benefits
The solid-body Jackson JS22 Dinky guitar was designed to produce a cacophony of sounds. The JS22 Dinky’s arched basswood body, tremolo tailpiece, and two high-output ceramic humbuckers have a significant tone and incredible sustain. Thanks to the maple speed neck’s large frets and compound-radius amaranth fingerboard, you’ll enjoy how easy it is to switch between rhythm and lead playing. The Jackson JS22 Dinky will wow you, whether it’s your first electric guitar or you’re just searching for a fantastic deal.
The Jackson JS22 Dinky delivers the rock-solid metal tone. Jackson uses two of their specially made ceramic-magnet humbuckers on the JS22 Dinky. Whether you plug these high-output humbuckers into a tube amp or use amp modeling, you’ll get lots of punch and bite. In addition, the 12″–16″ compound-radius fretboard on the JS22 Dinky allows maximum playability. You’ll be up at the 24th fret with a neck that plays this smoothly before you realize it.
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Jackson 6 String JS Series Dinky Arch Top JS22 Electric Guitar
The Jackson 6 String JS Series Dinky Arch Top JS22 Electric Guitar is the ideal starter guitar for someone just getting started.
Benefits
As an entry-level guitar, the JS22 electric guitar is significantly less expensive than many other Jackson guitars. At the same time, the low cost necessitates using less costly materials in some areas—hardware, wood, etc. This is true of all guitar brands and their entry-level models. Cheap guitars used to be rather terrible, but many of them can compete with more expensive models these days, and the Jackson JS series is no exception. The JS22 is a well-built guitar that is both beautiful to look at and enjoyable to play.
The narrow neck makes it easy to play chords and quicker licks. For those just starting, comfort is crucial, and the JS22’s body and neck shapes will facilitate fluid and straightforward playing. The large frets also assist individuals in learning the basics of playing. The initial stages of chord formation are made slightly more accessible by the more extensive area for placing your fingers. The pickups provide sensitive tones and good dynamics for various musical genres. The Jackson JS22 is an excellent first guitar if you’re a lover of rock and metal and want to start playing the guitar.
Jackson JS Series Dinky Arch Top JS32 DKA – Satin Black
The Jackson JS Series Dinky Arch Top JS32 DKA offers exceptional performance and tone in an iconic Dinky shape while being both distinctive and reasonably priced.
Benefits
Jackson JS Series guitars made an incredible leap ahead, making it simpler than ever to get iconic Jackson tone, aesthetics, and playability without breaking the bank. A poplar body with an arched top and a bolt-on maple speed neck with graphite reinforcement is all features of the JS Series Dinky Arch Top JS32 DKA.
The JS32 Dinky is built with Jackson’s legendary craftsmanship, which incorporates a Floyd Rose-licensed double-locking tremolo bridge that is so stable your intonation will never be an issue. Wail all you want; your Jackson JS32 Dinky can handle it. The bridge pickup is ideal for crunching, chugging, and crushing rhythm passages since it provides more than enough noticeable bite and snarl. In addition, a three-way blade switch, a single volume control, or single tone control can alter the sound produced by a pair of Jackson high-output humbucking pickups with ceramic magnets.
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Jackson JS Series Dinky Arch Top JS32Q DKA Transparent Green Burst
The Jackson JS Series Dinky Arch Top JS32Q provides excellent pricing without compromising on any features.
Benefits
The JS Series Dinky Arch Top JS32Q DKA has a bolt-on maple neck with scarf joint, graphite reinforcement, and a poplar body with a gorgeous quilt maple arched top for unbeatable stability. Its rounded profile at the nut allows for comfortable and natural-sounding chording and riffing close to the nut. In contrast, the gradual flattening of the fingerboard toward the heel allows for the best shred articulation and bending.
The JS32Q DKA features a traditional Jackson design and is covered in Transparent Green Burst or Transparent Purple Burst finishes. It also has all-black hardware, including the standard strap buttons, sealed die-cast tuners, and Jackson’s distinctive pointed black headstock. This bound amaranth fingerboard is rounder at the nut for simple rhythm playing and features traditional Jackson shark fin inlays. In addition, the JS32Q Dinky’s fretboard radius flattens out as your playing progresses, making runs and large string bends simpler.
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Jackson JS Series King V JS32 – Gloss Black
The Jackson JS Series King V JS32 features high-output Jackson pickups in addition to a similar tonewood profile as the other JS series guitars (basswood body, maple neck, and rosewood fingerboard).
Benefits
Before switching to endorsing another brand, Dave Mustaine utilized the King V for a considerable time, beginning in the late 1980s, and was closely linked with the instrument. Even though there are many fantastic V-shaped guitars available, this one is a monster. It is simple to understand why Jackson believes himself to be the king of the Vs. There are Floyd Rose bridge versions and versions with string-through bodies available.
Which is superior, Floyd or string-through? Here’s the gist of it: The string-through design is less complicated, offers better sustain, is simpler to maintain and change the strings on, and, with proper setup, offers a stable tune. On the other hand, Floyd’s pitch-shifting capabilities give you more creative freedom when playing. If the guitar is set up correctly, tuning should be just as reliable; however, because the bridge is more complicated, you will need to learn how to maintain it properly. In general, choose the string-through design unless you are sure that you require the Floyd.
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JS Series Dinky Arch Top JS22-7 HT AH Satin Black
The JS Series Dinky Arch Top JS22-7 HT AH is the perfect guitar for seven-string enthusiasts looking for something stylish and lethal while remaining reasonably priced.
Benefits
The JS22-7 DKA HT features our 3×4 (3 over, 4 under) AT-1 headstock, sealed die-cast tuners, compensated string-through-body fixed Jackson HT7 bridge, and direct mount dual Jackson high-output humbucking pickups. It also has a three-way blade switch, single volume and tone controls, and single volume and tone controls. In addition, an extremely metal-appropriate color, satin black, is offered for the JS22-7. Finally, the headstock comes with the slightly crooked 34 layout Jackson headstock in coordinating satin black and all-black hardware.
For a budget guitar, the JS22-7 is rather impressive acoustically. The sound has a pleasant, balanced tone that doesn’t become too muddy and resonates quite well. Although it seems like a stretch at first, the somewhat larger scale length isn’t too awkward for the seven-string novice. The 26.5′′ scale length ensures the bottom strings don’t flub out too much. Jackson’s pickups in the JS22-7 are pretty balanced, unlike most standard pickups in lower-end guitars, which vary from awful to average. The neck of the JS22-7 has a lovely, slender “D” design and a fretboard radius of 16″. Overall, the Jackson JS22-7 Dinky guitar is a reliable instrument with excellent value for the money. It performs much better than most people might anticipate for a cheap instrument and offers a strong starting point for those learning the seven-string guitar.
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Jackson JS Series Dinky Arch Top JS32Q DKA Transparent Purple Burst
The Jackson JS Series Dinky Arch Top JS32Q DKA has practical features, an agile Dinky Double cut construction, and is made for shreds and juicy licks.
Benefits
The Jackson Dinky is a sought-after, legendary shred machine with alternatives for players of all skill levels, thanks to over four decades of steady production. The Jackson JS Series Dinky Arch Top JS32Q DKA Electric Guitar combines a low price with a powerful, sustain-filled tone. The completely bound compound-radius amaranth fretboard is excellent for chording down low and bending up high without fretting out, and you’ll love how smoothly the maple speed neck plays. The Jackson JS Series Dinky Arch Top JS32Q DKA is an excellent choice whether you’re looking for a reliable backup or an outstanding beginner guitar.
The Jackson Dinky is ideal for riffs and solos since it has a robust, thick base tone and quick attack. Additionally, the neck’s sharp “Speed Neck” contour and compound radius allow unrestricted playability, making it simple to play intricate chords, riffs, and short solos. Furthermore, the headstock has precise Jackson die-cast tuners for accurate tuning and easy string changes.
How Good Are the Jackson Guitar Finishes?
The level of finish on each Jackson guitar will vary depending on the model. It should be no surprise that a guitar will be better the more money you spend on it, and the finish is no exception.
The Body
You can be sure that a Jackson produced in the USA or Japan will have been extensively inspected for any issues.
However, there could be minor differences in quality across the lower-end models. You can’t always expect perfection in a series of guitars from a production line. That does not mean you will receive a guitar with noticeable dings or cracks; however, some spots can have flaws or minor scratches.
The Fretboard
The fretboard is where you’ll locate any problems if there are any. Problems will be even more apparent with inferior guitars manufactured with cheap materials. Uneven or high frets are not unusual. Another problem with many guitars off the assembly line is their sharp fret edges. Similar problems will be present in Jackson’s entry-level models, but you shouldn’t let that stop you.
The costlier ranges shouldn’t have these issues because the quality control is often considerably higher. Mass-produced guitars’ small elements that are overlooked are given far more attention.
Final Thoughts
Jackson guitars aren’t as well known as their contemporaries like Fender, Gibson, or Ibanez, but that doesn’t make them any less valuable. Across the board, they are on pace with the major brands, from their entry-level models to the Custom Shop.
Jackson is the best option if you’re searching for a high-quality, well-made guitar that is particularly effective for hard rock and metal. Jackson has a model and series for you, regardless of your playing level. In addition, Jackson is one of the top metal guitar brands with history, unlike any other guitar maker. So no matter what style of metal you want, Jackson will deliver.
