Gear Review: Jackson Pro Series Dinky DK2Q Guitar
Hi MetalSucks metal people! Thanks for reading! It’s me Anso DF, MS senior editor and excited author of MetalSucks.net’s first-ever gear review of the Jackson Dinky DK2Q, first seen at this year’s NAMM show! It begins right beneath these words, but before we all plug in, allow me to ask u a favor: Please comment below on your gear needs, the info you require before shelling out for stuff, and any thoughts you feel will help us help you shop smart for your musical instruments and accessories :) Thanks so much and turn your shit up!
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GEAR: Pro Series Dinky DK2Q guitar by Jackson
Expert guitar at intermediate price (full specs here)
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DISPOSING OF THE BODY
There are four models of the Pro Series Dinky: This DK2Q is one of the two with a breathtaking finish. Like, prop it up at the foot of your bed and you will find your idle moments consumed with gazing at it. (That image above doesn’t capture its intensity!) What you will be staring at is a um ‘1/8″ 4A Quilt Maple Top’ — and don’t bother caring what that actually means. Just know that you want that.
Next you will take notice of the body’s shape and size: The Dinky’s body is slim and compact. To me, this means access; no bulky, thick body will impede my pick-hand attack. And my fret hand benefits from a clear path too, cuz the the inside of each horn — a guitar’s neck bisects them — has its edges flattened out (right) so u can rocket up to the 23rd and 24th frets like whoa. Rejoice, fans of Marty Friedman and Alex Skolnick.
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NO PAIN IN THE NECK
Like its body, the Dinky’s neck is great for fleetness and deftness. Remember how you were staring into its spacey finish and then around the outline of its snug shape? By comparison, the DK2Q’s neck is wide. Its fretboard is rosewood — you wouldn’t be insane to get the DK2M, which swaps fancy finish for maple fingerboard — and feels amazing for high-volume legato runs and Mustaine-/Tufnel-esque tremolo pick-athons. That’s the benefit of all that real estate. However: I am all set with my slim, erectile fingers, but stumpier players might sweat the reach to thumb-mute the lowest strings. Still let’s consider this neck a pro-quality thang. Even when you are kinda laying back, lazily noodling during the NBA telecast, you sound like freaking Paul Waggoner. Nice!
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TONE SWEET TONE
Annoying old-school guitarists will tell you that good tone originates not with the “what” (the guitar/rig) but with the “who” (the player). That’s a good rule of thumb, but it’s also a convenient belief; that is, it’s easier to trust that maxim than to painstakingly consider each piece of your rig, from picks and chords to pick-up height and tube health. Doing the latter is for super-pro cats (cheerz!), while others like to plug in, play, and let it ride. But at minimum, consider pick-ups: The Dinky DK2Q has a Seymour Duncan JB Zebra (at bridge) and a SD ’59 Zebra (neck) that get you hot overdrive and balance, respectively. I found the JB’s highs kinda shrill, but even my 14-year old self would love the ’59’s pristine, singing, non-bubbly tone for epics like Dave Murray’s lead in “The Clairvoyant” and, through a Crybaby, for the song-stealing turn by Jerry Cantrell in “Man In A Box.”
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WHAT’S IT ALL FOR
Okay so those are the big impressions of this slick guitar for high-impact shredders. But let’s go back to its body: Are you a power player like Eric Peterson (Testament) and Tommy Baron (Coroner)? Do you like to dig deep in on those chugga riffs (Morton/Adler, Sergeant D) and blast down on big, yawning chords and let them ring thickly all day (Carpenter, Cantrell)? Are you willing to trade access and speed for the balance that comes with heft? That’s not this guitar. Nah this bad boy is best at seducing and disrobing sexy stuff — think Steve Vai’s Slip Of The Tongue, Nuno Bettancourt’s Pornograffiti — stuff where your pick hand does a lot of lateral movement.
It’s also sweet for stuff like Between The Buried And Me, The Faceless, and Look Right Penny — prog-metalists with high-end compressors will do great — as well as intermediate-level tech-metal like Death and Atheist, but like me you may be nagged by the sense that stress will eventually lead to your busting the neck right off. And that’s an issue cuz that tight body won’t crack your hip bones during Weinman-style spazfits, but its lack of tankness maybe spells danger during that kind of physical play. (I for one can’t not superjam when rocking Unquestionable Presence so I will pre-apologize to Jackson if this demo returns to them in two pieces. Jeez I’ve already jacked their precision action setting [the distance between strings and fretboard] and one of the tuning pegs is buzzing so triple-sorries xoxoxo)
There’s an overlap of prog-metal and heavy guitar rock, right? Proggy hard rock. That might be the Dinky’s sweet spot in the player spectrum. Yes, to a dude who plays in a Queensryche tribute band or is auditioning for Porcupine Tree (or vice versa), I would totally recommend this beautiful Dinky. A little soul, a lot of swift, a price around 50 pizzas or three eight-balls. Thanks everybody! Rip it up!!
