Jackson JS11 Dinky, the ultimate project guitar?

When it comes to ready-to-mod guitars, it doesn't get much better than this.

Some guitars you buy just to mod, and the best kind have three things going for them:

1. Must be new. When the guitar is new, that means no unexpected age related problems (such as old warped/cracked plastics).

2. Must be cheap. Money will be spent on other things (pickups, potentiometers, nut, tuners, etc.), so the initial cost must be as low as possible.

3. Must be easy to work on. The guitar has to be as anti-complicated as possible so you can get your mods done quick and easy.

The Jackson JS11 Dinky is cheap (as in well-under-$200 cheap), it can be bought new at the time I write this, and...

...it's easy to work on. On the top of the guitar, the pickups are easy to unmount. On the back, all it takes is loosening 4 screws to get to all the control electronics. The guitar also has a Strat style tremolo system with easy access from the rear. Also note that each tuner is held in by a single screw on the back of the headstock.

When you want new, cheap and easy to work on, Jackson JS11 Dinky is a very simple build that you can mod yourself with hardly any fuss at all.

You'll see listings for this guitar in blue, black, white and red. They all have a dark fingerboard with dot inlays.

Is the Jackson easier to work on than a Strat? Yes. Cheap Strats don't feature single-screw tuners, the pickups are mounted within the pick guard, and getting that guard off usually requires loosening 10 screws just to get to the electronics. You will have a much easier time modding the Jackson.

On a final note, if you want something slightly better within the Jackson brand, see the JS22 Dinky. That one has a 24-fret neck, arched top, shark fin fretboard inlays, and natural is a finish option for those that like the woody look. You'll spend about $50 more for this guitar over the JS11, and it's just as moddable.

Published 2022 Jun 30