Cheap guitar of the week #21 - Jackson JS22 Dinky
This is the Jackson that every metal guitar player kid wanted in the '90s.
If you thought last week's Ibanez was great, the Jackson JS22 Dinky is just as good, but for different reasons.
In the '90s, the decade which was the latter half of my teen years and the beginning half of my 20s, metal players only played two types of guitars. Jackson and Ibanez. That was it. If you played metal, you played one of the two and there was no question about it. You absolutely did not play Fender nor Gibson if you were expected to be taken seriously.
If Jackson had this guitar at the price it's selling for right now back then, it would have been the #1 metal guitar. The question is not "Why buy one?", but rather "How could you not buy one?"
When you take a look at the specs, you understand quickly why it would have been a top metal guitar:
- Arched body top. That's a premium option.
- High-output ceramic magnet pickups. Crazy-good for hard rock and metal playing.
- Compound radius 12-to-16 inch fretboard. Again, premium option.
- 24 jumbo frets. Effortless soloing.
- Bound neck and bound headstock. Once again, premium option.
- Sharkfin inlays. And again, a premium option.
This guitar made back in the day would have easily ran over $1,000. Not anymore.
What's the only thing keeping this Jackson from being a top-of-the-line model, feature-wise? No Floyd-Rose tremolo system. But who cares? Seriously. To get so much premium option stuff in a guitar priced so low is insane, almost like Jackson is giving these things away.
Is Jackson skimping on build quality just to make a buck?
That's the crazy part - no, they're not.
The JS22 is another example of how modern guitar manufacturing processes have progressed to the point where a crazy-good guitar can be built at a rock bottom cheap price.
Higher prices only come into play when the Floyd-Rose is present, such is the case with the Jackson Soloist guitar. You will notice that the Soloist is very similar to the JS22, but when that Floyd-Rose is added on, the price jumps up significantly. Why? Floyd-Rose systems, even of the less expensive variety, aren't cheap to make nor are they cheap to install.
However, if you don't need the FR trem or can just live without it or just outright don't need it, grab a JS22. If you need reasons why, scroll up and look at the specs again.
Secret Squier Bass - Inca Silver Classic Vibe Jazz Bass '60s
Every now and then, Squier releases a guitar (in this case a bass guitar) that makes you say, "Whoa. Nice." This is one of them.
Eventually, at some point, I will get a Jazz Bass. And it will probably be a Squier just because I can get it for less compared to a Fender.
Why the Jazz Bass in particular? Because it has a very skinny nut width. How skinny? 1.5 inches. Yes, that means the nut width is even more skinny than the skinniest Strat. On the Jazz Bass, this makes the instrument insanely comfortable to play. If you don't believe me, pick up a Jazz Bass and feel it for yourself.
Ordinarily, I don't like silver guitars, and I don't like color-matched headstocks/pegboards on Fender designs either. But the Squier Classic Vibe Jazz Bass '60s in Inca Silver hits all the right marks. Wow, does this bass look good.
Cheap? No, it's mid-priced. Still well below a Fender price, but not bargain-basement-level price. Worth the money? I think it is.
The CV '60s Jazz from Squier only comes in two colors. Olympic White, which I don't like the look of at all because it makes the bass look cheap, and the Inca Silver seen above.
When you look at the Olympic White version compared to the Inca Silver, they look like two totally different bass guitars, even though spec-wise they're exactly the same.
The Inca Silver version is just such a classy looking instrument that could easily pass as a $750 bass guitar, but sells for far less than that. It makes the Olympic White version look like a toy in comparison. Like I said, they're both the same bass, but just a color change, a color-matched pegboard and changed color of pick guard make all the difference here.
Why am I so hooked on a look?
Because it matters. The first thing you see with a guitar or bass is how it looks. That's the thing that draws you in. If it, for whatever it is, doesn't look good, you won't buy it, regardless of how the instrument sounds.
Since 2012, Squier has been offering some of the more ritzy colors that used to be custom-shop-only, like Aztec Gold, Shoreline Gold (which is tough to come by), Shell Pink and Sherwood Green. Inca Silver is currently only offered on the CV Jazz Bass and no other model, guitar or bass. You want that silver, you have to get that specific Jazz Bass...
...and that's not a bad thing, because it's nice to have some exclusivity with a particular instrument.
If you've never seen a Squier Inca Silver Jazz Bass before seeing me write about it, that wouldn't surprise me. I do sometimes dig into Squier's offerings just to see what's out there, and the latest one to surprise even me was seeing that silver Jazz Bass.
Every guitar player needs a bass guitar. If you don't have a bass and wanted something really nice that's not-too-bad on the wallet, grab an Inca Silver Jazz Bass while they're still available. And in case you're wondering, yes, Inca Silver does look far better in person than it does in a photo.
If the price of the CV Jazz Bass is too high for you, a cheap one that looks good is the Affinity model in Lake Placid Blue. Less in price, looks good, sounds good and has the skinny nut for supremely comfortable play.
Vintage guitar of the week #4 - 1974 Fender Stratocaster Natural
What Fender did to save a buck in the '70s ended up with a Strat that has a unique look to it.
This week's vintage guitar is a '74 Strat in "natural" finish. The way this particular look of Strat came about was from Fender trying to save money on production costs.
There were a lot of guitars in the '70s aside from Fender (Gibson as well as other guitar companies did this too) who rolled out "natural" finish guitars where you saw wood, wood and more wood. This style, at least at the time, did cost less to make.
Now to note, Fender does make this guitar brand new right now, so if the price tag of the real-deal '74 is too much, you can get pretty much the exact same guitar in a new version. And it is literally exactly the same guitar, 3-bolt pattern neck plate, "F" tuners, bullet truss rod, "U" shape neck and all. How do I know this? I actually played one in person at a Sam Ash guitar store and can say that oh yes, the new one is just like the original. The only thing the new one doesn't have are 41-year-old pickups, which matters to vintage guitar collectors.
Is it normal that the pegboard (headstock) is different in color than the neck?
On a '70s Fender, yes this is normal as they came from the factory that way. Don't ask me why because I don't know exactly why, but it does add in that "I'm from the '70s" Fender character to the instrument.
What does a "U" shape neck feel like?
The easiest way to describe a "U" shape is that it's bigger in the rear, has much more "shoulder" to it and a lot more room for your thumb.
If you've never played a Strat with a "U" neck on it before, you do get used to it quickly. At first, it feels like a big hunk of wood, but after noodling and strumming around on it, you'll find it to be a comfortable player.
New or vintage?
As said above, this particular '74 is really clean for what it is. Nicely priced and has a slight yellowing from age.
The new '70s Strat, as I can confirm right up front, does not have that yellowing; it's built exactly as it would have come brand new from Fender in '74. It is an ash body just like the real vintage, but in the end, it's a new guitar. Same specs from top to bottom, but still new.
Ultimately, there are two things that will convince you to go with new or vintage. The new one is Mexico-made and isn't aged. The vintage is USA-made and is aged.
If you do decide to put down the money and get the vintage, it is nicely priced, given you get one in good condition.
Why is braided guitar cable so awesome?
Once you go braided, everything else seems inferior.
When it comes to braided guitar cable, you'll always pay more for it. But why?
Does it make your guitar sound any better? No.
Does it last longer than regular cable? Yes.
Why does it last longer? Simple answer. It tangles less. And in the event it does tangle as all guitar cable does from time to time, it's really easy to untangle it. Not only that, but it stays untangled. You really have to work at it to tangle a braided cable to begin with.
Cloth braid cable is nothing new and it used to be what everyone used until the cheaper stuff started appearing in guitar stores. Fortunately, the making of braided cable never stopped. It's just a little more difficult to come by, hence why you pretty much have to buy it online.
Yes, you could get your braided cable in a guitar store, but you'll spend even more for it. Better to just order it online so you can save a few bucks.
It also goes without saying that braided cable just looks cool, but it's more than just for looks, as its natural tendency to tangle less is something you will very much appreciate.
Cheap guitar of the week #20 - Ibanez GRX70QA
A guitar this good priced this low was only a dream just a few years ago.
Ibanez, even in a low-cost flavor, certainly gets things right. With GRX70QA in particular, you actually get more than what you pay for.
Quick specs: Poplar body, quilted maple art grain top, maple neck, rosewood fretboard, medium frets, "FAT 6" bridge, "infinity" ceramic magnet pickups for all three positions. The fretboard radius is 400mm (15.74-inch). Really flat. But that means almost no fretting out.
My favorite part of this guitar is the pickup switching.
Yes, it is a 5-way selector and not just 3. On an HSH pickup configuration, this is exactly how it should be because you get the most usable sounds.
Also, yes, it's all passive. There is no stupid battery box to be found in this guitar. That's a good thing.
Selections 2 and 4 are traditional Strat "quack" positions. That's a good thing because for clean tones, those are great to have.
While I personally am not a fan of the HSH configuration, I will admit that if I did want one, this is absolutely the way I would have the electronics set up. One master volume, one master tone, one pickup selector blade with 5 settings that would give me every tone I'd want to get.
Another thing I very, very much appreciate is that this guitar is NOT a 24-fret but rather a 22. This is ideal because it allows the pickups not to be squashed together, giving you more usable sounds from proper pickup spacing. Believe me, if this guitar were a 24-fret, it would sound terrible. Thankfully, it's a proper 22.
Even as little as 5 years ago, getting a guitar with this look for the seriously low price it sells for would have only been a dream. It's not a dream anymore. It's here.
Rich's nitpicks
I have three, however they're very minor complaints.
First is the HSH. I'm not a fan of this pickup configuration. It is required here to get those 3-pickup Strat "quack" tones, but I prefer two pickups instead of three.
Second is the fact this Ibanez has two string guides at the headstock. The look of it doesn't bother me. What does bother me is that this can lead to string kinking noises because of the downward pressure from the string to the nut. I do typically bend the G string quite a bit, and with a guide there on the headstock for the G, that can lead to the kinks. But then again, I could always switch out the guide with a taller one, as could anyone else.
Third is something nobody can avoid, and that's resale value. This guitar has none. Once the guitar is bought, you'll never get your money back for it. But then again, since you get so much for the money, that's an acceptable tradeoff.
Who would appreciate this guitar most?
Young players - especially first-time players - would appreciate this a lot because it has an expensive look to it with the quilt top. And, of course, since a lot of younger players are all about the distorted-extreme rock stuff, this guitar can keep up with it.
Older players will appreciate the flat fingerboard just to have something different that doesn't fret out like rounder Fender necks do. In addition, the fact you can get Strat-style "quack" from the 2 and 4 positions is a big plus, because it means the guitar is not a one-trick-pony, so to speak. And while I don't know the weight of the instrument, the poplar body should mean it's fairly light, probably at between 7 to 7.5 pounds.
Guys and gals who gig often will like this too, because it's put through the same QC inspection that the more expensive Ibanez models are put through. Yes, I am saying this can totally be a "workhorse guitar." Buy it, set it up, play your gigs and the guitar will keep up without a problem.
As I mentioned above, the best part of this guitar is the pickup switching. Stupidly simple to use while at the same time giving you almost every possible sound this guitar could possibly get. The only one you don't get is Telecaster front+rear because this is wired to be more Strat-like than Tele-like, but that's okay given its price.
Final verdict: If you like the flatter fingerboard (better for soloing,) HSH configuration and Strat-style switching, the Ibanez GRX70QA is cheap and good. Get one.