Jackson JS32T Dinky review
By Rob Sandall
| Posted in Guitar
The Jackson JS32T Dinky, which was launched last month at the 2010 NAMM show, looks set to become a much-loved part of the Jackson catalogue if anticipation on the internet is any guide. Nor should the excitement among Jackson fans come as much of a surprise.
After all, it’s aimed at the beginner and intermediate player who is on a reasonably tight budget but is still concerned about both build quality and snarly metal tone, and on first impressions it appears to deliver both in ample portions.
Out of the box we’re looking at a super-strat body shape, a hard-tail, through-body stringing, a slim 24-fret neck and two humbuckers. That’s a classic combination that metal and hard rock players have come to know and love.
The review model that I picked up also bore the distinction of having been set up very well indeed – no bad thing considering that the JS32T has been designed for speed and more than the odd bit of widdlyness. I for one am always dubious of so called ‘player’ or virtuoso guitars that don’t at least have a decent, low-enough action from the outset – it’s the extra mile that makes a difference. The frets have been dressed properly, too, so there’s nothing but plain sailing.
The body, it turns out, is made of Indian cedro – heavy enough to feel substantial around the neck while light enough to avoid any back injuries down the line. You can throw this baby about a bit while you’re shredding, then, which is always good to know. It’s probably therefore a good thing that the snow white polyester finish seems tough-enough to withstand the odd ding or two.
The 24 jumbo frets on the JS32T Dinky are set into the rosewood fingerboard and paired up with a maple, 12-16″ compound-radius neck. Smooth under the hands and fantastically fast as your licks heat up, this is a good neck for those aspiring to fast, accurate riffs. In fact, there’s a lot to admire about the Dinky as a learning tool – it will take a long time to outgrow this guitar.
Having said that, the CVR2 humbucking pickups are of a high quality, and while there are some sonorous heavy tones to be found in the neck, it’s the bridge in particular that will raise an eyebrow or two. Plenty of cut to the treble with a confident lower end should make for some beefy lead guitar work. Using both together has an excellent rhythm roar, and should cover your bases if you’re the only guitarist in the band.
The tuners do an effective job of keeping everything steady, and the adjustable through-strung bridge has been well machined – those looking for a tremelo bridge will need to venture elsewhere, of course.
I always think that it’s a testament to quality when you can in theory simply trade up the pickups on a guitar later in your career and continue to gig with it rather than buying something completely new, and this instrument definitely falls into that category. The neck will withstand the attentions of experienced players, and will allow for ever-faster inclinations.
It looks the part, which is important, but it plays the part too, which for a beginner is more, not less, vital. You can look great and get as heavy as you like here and still happily rely on the Jackson JS32T Dinky.
Tags: Jackson Dinky guitar, Jackson guitars, JS32T review