Weird New Jackson JS22-7...

[RLG167]

Hi Everyone,
Today (black friday 2014) I was at Guitar Center, and couldn't help but buy a new Jackson JS22-7 7-string Dinky. They had one in the box, unopened, they said they just got them in a couple days ago. I did some research after I brought it home (it was an impulse buy ) and noticed that there wasn't another that looked like it! It's clearly a Jackson, but I didn't even see it on their website. The pickups look like the ones out of the Jackson SLATTXMG3-7 Soloist, and the 3-way pickup switch is on a slider next to the knobs, instead of between them. Does anyone know what is going on here? It wasn't modded (I'll include a pic I took while it was in the box), so is it possible that it's such a new model that it's not even online yet? and if it may help, the serial # starts with "CWJ". It does play AMAZINGLY, though!
Thanks, RLG
P.S., my first post!

 

[M3CHK1LLA]

congrats...

looks good, like the fret markers

 

[stevexc]

They might have changed the switch recently, looking at somewhat older NGDs for them shows up a lot of guitars with blade switches. I think the 3-way is new.

Those pickups are weird, though, as is the color - yours looks glossy.

Either way, solid buy, those things are tight for the price.

 

[downburst82]

Nice! They have definitely tweaked a few things. Your right definitely different pickups, are they active or just the active covers? And yes the control layout looks slightly different. Also gloss? (original is matte). Any pictures of the back? I'm curious to see if they did anything to the neck heel.

Happy NGD!

 

[dr_game0ver]

Jackson JS22-7 Dinky BK - Thomann France

 

[RLG167]

Nice! They have definitely tweaked a few things. Your right definitely different pickups, are they active or just the active covers? And yes the control layout looks slightly different. Also gloss? (original is matte). Any pictures of the back? I'm curious to see if they did anything to the neck heel.

Happy NGD!

I'll post a pic of the back in a little while, I'm not at my computer right now (this is from my phone). They are passive pickups with covers to make them look like they're active. It is gloss, I also thought that was weird. I had some more time to play it today, really solid. One of my brothers plays bass and he was holding my Les Paul strumming it like a bass with 2 fingers. I handed him this Dinky and he said he feels much more at home playing it. He's never played a 7-string before. I believe its also a 26.5" scale, but I'll measure it.

 

[RLG167]

Here are some pics of the back

 

[Force]

I have the previous model (matte black) & the control layout is the same. Wish mine was gloss like yours, congrats.

 

[PFlynn]

Nice purchase. Our bassist just bought the same one yesterday. I'm thinking it may be some special edition for Guitar Center, which is where he bought his from too. It looks like they used some of the excess bodies from some of the higher up models and relabeled them as JS22-7's. It's funny because I was looking for info on them too, and this was the only site I could find it mentioned on. It's a nice guitar and basically the same as mine, aside from the gloss finish and the soap bar style pickups. I took some crappy photos of them together for comparison.

Sorry about the photo quality.

 

[PFlynn]

Oh yeah, we also swapped out his stock black knurled knobs for some black LP style knobs I had lying around. That was another difference we noticed. The volume and tone knobs on the gloss model were just the slide on black knurled type. The knobs on mine, or the satin version, are also the black knurled type, but have the allen-head set screws to secure them. Not a big deal, but I figured I'd put that out there.

 

[Senior]

Happy NGD!

I love my js22 to pieces. I still cant believe such a nice guitar was only 2 bills brand new.

The new pup routes are cool, they kinda make it look a little more high end than it is,

and lastly - Jackson has the best headstocks, for any model. But for their 7s its just no contest.

 

[RLG167]

Happy NGD!

I love my js22 to pieces. I still cant believe such a nice guitar was only 2 bills brand new.

The new pup routes are cool, they kinda make it look a little more high end than it is,

and lastly - Jackson has the best headstocks, for any model. But for their 7s its just no contest.

You know, I was trying to decide between this (dinky) and the Schecter SGR C-7, but I thought the headstock on this one was a little more "ergonomic" [I guess is the right word]. All of the strings go straight down, but on the C-7, it's 3 on one side and 4 on the other, so all of the strings had to bend to go from the tuning peg to the nut. It seemed like too much unnecessary stress on the strings. I also liked these Jackson pickups better than the Schecter pickups, they sounded better. I'm thinking of getting an Ibanez RG-7. Thoughts?

 

[RLG167]

Nice purchase. Our bassist just bought the same one yesterday. I'm thinking it may be some special edition for Guitar Center, which is where he bought his from too. It looks like they used some of the excess bodies from some of the higher up models and relabeled them as JS22-7's. It's funny because I was looking for info on them too, and this was the only site I could find it mentioned on. It's a nice guitar and basically the same as mine, aside from the gloss finish and the soap bar style pickups. I took some crappy photos of them together for comparison.

Sorry about the photo quality.

Sweet pics
It looks like the older one (satin) has a little bigger body. I know they called it the "Dinky" because of the smaller body, but that looks like a normal size body next to the new (gloss) one. Tomorrow I'm going to call Jackson and ask them about the undocumented changes. I'll let you guys know what they say. I bet it is a GC special like you said.

 

[RLG167]

So I just got off the phone with Fender, and the guy I was talking to said that the serial # on mine matches one that was produced in early November 2014 and was one of the first of the new Dinky's off the line. He also said that it was so new that he didn't even have a spec sheet about it. He tried the website, but like me, only saw the older model and said they haven't updated it yet. Case closed.

 

[PFlynn]

Oh yeah, about the body size. We put them closer together, and they're both the same size. Sorry again about the bad photos. Mine (satin) was sitting a little further up than his. Also, that's a bit nuts that Jackson isn't even sure what's going on there. Hilarious.

 

[ModestM]

God, I just saw this new version on one of our local music stores' website, aaand instant GAS. It's even cheaper than the original version

The active route pups seem more classy and comfy, so I don't see a reason why I shouldn't go for it. The only question is: what pickups could I use as an instant replacement for the stock ones? Like EMG 81-7s and the like?

Anyways, Happy (Late) NGD!

 

[Splenetic]

For emg's you'll have to change the pots and all that shit. Check out Seymour Duncan's active mount passives. They have a few choices.

 

[Discoqueen]

Wierd new Jackson JS22-7 that insurance Companies don't want you to know about


Anyways, HNGD!!

 

[RLG167]

I have to say, I absolutely LOVE the stock pickups. They sound amazing for stuff like metalcore, but with the gain adjusted it also works for metal, classic rock, and I was able to get it to sound acoustic It also sounds good when playing songs that only use a 6-string. I play a lot of Slipknot and Avenged Sevenfold and it sounds just as good as any of my other 6-string guitars with active pickups. This is probably the first guitar I've had where the stock pickups sound just as good as anything I'd upgrade to.

 

[PFlynn]

God, I just saw this new version on one of our local music stores' website, aaand instant GAS. It's even cheaper than the original version

The active route pups seem more classy and comfy, so I don't see a reason why I shouldn't go for it. The only question is: what pickups could I use as an instant replacement for the stock ones? Like EMG 81-7s and the like?

Anyways, Happy (Late) NGD!

I know Bare Knuckle makes a few in the passive soap bar mounting, but you could get the Duncan Nazgul and Sentient set or the Invader set for the price of one Bare Knuckle. Both are still passive and you obviously wouldn't have to change the pots or add the battery if you went with the EMG's.

I don't know if it's still the same pick up under the covers. I changed mine to the Drop Zone and Liquifire shortly after I bought it. After playing a few shows with it, the stock one's were way too noisey. The covers may help reduce that some, or it may be a different pick up.