Jackson

collapse expand iconDescription

The Jackson Dinky Arch Top JS22-7 DKA HT, a 7-string electric guitar built for high-gain metal and hard rock. This beastly ax from Jackson features a 26.5" scale length for better low-end articulation and a lightweight, resonant poplar body with an arched top. The bolt-on maple neck has graphite reinforcement and a scarf joint for rock-solid stability, topped with a 12"—16" compound radius rosewood fretboard ideal for fat riffs, easy chording, and lightning-quick solos.

High-Output Pickups Provide Aggressive Tone

The Dinky Arch Top JS22-7 is powered by direct-mount Jackson high-output 7-string humbucking pickups for an aggressive tone perfect for hard rock and metal. A 3-way blade switch lets you select the bridge pickup, neck pickup, or both pickups together. Volume and tone controls allow you to fine-tune your sound.

HT7 Bridge Provides Solid Sustain

The compensated Jackson HT7 string-through-body hardtail bridge provides solid sustain and makes changing strings a breeze. With all-black hardware and a satin black finish, the Dinky Arch Top JS22-7 has a sleek, menacing look to match its tone.

Fast Neck and Jumbo Frets

The Dinky Arch Top JS22-7's fast maple neck and 24 jumbo frets let you shred with ease. Sealed die-cast tuners keep this guitar in tune through heavy use. Overall, the Jackson Dinky Arch Top JS22-7 DKA HT is an affordable, high-performance 7-string perfect for guitarists seeking an aggressive tone and fast playability.

Jackson Dinky Arch Top JS22-7 DKA HT Electric Guitar Black
Jackson Dinky Arch Top JS22-7 DKA HT Electric Guitar Black
Jackson Dinky Arch Top JS22-7 DKA HT Electric Guitar Black

collapse expand iconFeatures

  • Gloss-finish solid poplar body
  • 26.5"-scale maple neck with 24-fret, compound radius fingerboard
  • Jackson high-output 7-string humbuckers, 3-way pickup selector
  • Thru-body-strung 7-saddle fixed bridge, sealed die-cast tuners
warning

WARNING: This product can expose you to chemicals including Di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP), which is known to the State of California to cause cancer, and to cause birth defects or other reproductive harm. For more information go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov.

collapse expand iconSpecs

Body
  • Body shape: Double cutaway
  • Body type: Solid body
  • Body material: Solid wood
  • Top wood:
  • Body wood: Poplar
  • Body finish: Gloss 
  • Orientation: Right handed
Neck
  • Neck shape: Not specified
  • Neck wood: Maple
  • Joint: Bolt-on
  • Scale length: 26.5 in.
  • Truss rod: Graphite reinforced
  • Neck finish: Satin
Fingerboard
  • Material: Rosewood
  • Radius: Compound 12–16"
  • Fret size: Jumbo
  • Number of frets: 24
  • Inlays: Piranha tooth
  • Nut width/material 1.875 in. (47.62 mm) Not specified
Pickups
  • Configuration: HH
  • Neck: High output humbucker
  • Middle: Not Applicable 
  • Bridge: High output humbucker
  • Brand: Jackson
  • Active or passive pickups: Passive
  • Series or parallel: Parallel
  • Piezo: No
  • Active EQ: No
  • Special electronics:
Controls
  • Control layout: Master volume, tone
  • Pickup switch: 3-way
  • Coil tap or split: No
  • Kill switch: No
Hardware
  • Bridge type: Fixed
  • Bridge design: 7-saddle string through body
  • Tailpiece: Not applicable
  • Tuning machines: Die-cast sealed
  • Color: Black
Other
  • Number of strings: 7-string
  • Special features:
  • Case: Sold separately
  • Accessories:
  • Country of origin: China

collapse expand iconWarranty

Limited lifetime warranty against defects for guitars purchased after 1/1/2000.
One year parts and labor warranty for guitars purchased before 1/1/2000.

collapse expand iconReviews

4.23

56 Reviews

86%

of respondents would recommend this to a friend

Most Liked Positive Review

4

Great value 7 string

I've now purchased two of these guitars, once in 2014 and another in 2025. The 2015 models came standard with a rosewood fingerboard but the newer ones look to be some kind of amaranth (purpleheart) instead even though its advertised as rosewood. The original 2014 model had some issues down the line with frets popping up and likely would have needed a fret job to be able to play with low action, but was mostly playable after 10+ years of improper storage and cleaning. I have to say that I'm impressed with the craftsmanship on the 2025 model that i received last week, typically guitars at this price point (even the JS32 models) will typically have some high frets and rough fret edges but the one I received was very clean and well built. What some others have said about this guitar holds true, it is known not to have the best hardware and pickups, however I've found that if you are wanting to get started on a 7 string and are open to modding the guitar it makes for a terrific platform to start. In my case I had replaced the tuners with locking tuners, the nut with a TUSQ XL, and replaced the stock pickups with EMGs. Out of the box the guitar was very playable, but needed a setup to be optimal. The action was fairly high, and intonation was decent with the stock strings however if you plan to drop tune and use thicker gauge strings for tunings such as drop Ab or drop F# you will likely need to pull a few of the saddle screws all the way back to get it properly intonated. The stock pickups are not nearly as bad as I had expected, many will claim that they are "muddy" which could be the case for some amps/rigs, however in my signal chain I found them to sound crisp enough and probably would have kept them if I hadn't already had the EMG pickups from my 2014 build already. The "muddy" complaint could likely be corrected with EQ if needed. The only item I noted with the pickups is that they seem to have a tad less gain than I'd expect from standard Jackson branded pickups, however adjusting the pickup height to bring it closer to the strings seemed to make it negligible. Tuning stability can be a real challenge on this guitar out of the box, which isn't unexpected at this price. I found that when performing bends the string would bind in the nut and cause it to get stuck a tad sharp, and then when freeing it I would need to retune the guitar as the tuners didn't seem to be all that stable either. Both of these can be corrected by replacing the nut with something like a TUSQ XL or other self lubricating nut, and replacing the tuners with locking tuners. (Tuner replacements may require drilling small holes in the back of the headstock as the screw locations did not line up with the stock tuners) The 26.5 scale length on this guitar definitely helps a lot with intonation when down tuning, and I personally can't tell much difference in playability compared to a standard 25.5 scale. I've personally downtuned mine to F# standard (Same as 8 string without the high E) but had to pull the saddles all the way back on the two lowest strings, so I would not recommend this guitar if you were planning on downtuning much lower than that. (Would need longer scale) The stock strings on the guitar were surprisingly decent, however I found that the low B was not thick enough for my taste (even in B standard) and could sometimes sound out of tune when strummed due to the wobble. If you plan on using this for B Standard you'd likely want to use a .060 or .064 size B string which will require some work on the stock nut to keep it from sitting too high or binding. Overall I think that you can't ask for much more for a sub $200 (at time of writing) 7 string guitar, but if you are an experienced player or have a higher budget and don't feel comfortable with modifying your guitar than the lower end Schecter models are a better pick.

VS

Most Liked Negative Review

2

Mediocre at best

I'm not claiming to be an expert or anything and it is very cheap so take that into account, for a beginner it's useable. The thing with this Jackson is, that in my opinion it's way too light (I know that's just preference.), the pickups are some of the worst sounding I've heard in a long time, the neck feels very cheap and breakable, that being said it is very balanced, no side is too much heavier then the other and it's easy to play. So if you're a beginner or have an extremely tight budget then this could be a good option, but I'd recommend saving for longer for a better 7 string like a Schecter Demon 7 or something.

Filters
Best Uses
  1. Practicing44
  2. Jamming41
  3. Recording27
  4. Small Venues13
  5. Rock Concerts10
Cons
  1. Poor Pick Up10
  2. Fret Buzz9
  3. Craftsmanship6
  4. Flat Sound6
  5. Poor tuning stability1
Describe Yourself
  1. Experienced37
  2. Novice11
  3. Professional Musician5
Pros
  1. Fun To Play46
  2. Good Feel41
  3. Good Tone27
  4. Good Pick Up26
  5. Solid Electronics22
  • Great 7 string !

    5

    Verified BuyerVerified Buyer

    submitteda month ago

    byDianna

    fromNashville tennessee

    Submitted as part of a sweepstakes

    This is my first 7 string guitar. I love the size of it and the weight. It sounds really good and looks like a very expensive guitar without the expensive price tag

  • Great value 7 string

    4

    submitteda month ago

    byA.J.

    fromRochester NY

    I've now purchased two of these guitars, once in 2014 and another in 2025. The 2015 models came standard with a rosewood fingerboard but the newer ones look to be some kind of amaranth (purpleheart) instead even though its advertised as rosewood. The original 2014 model had some issues down the line with frets popping up and likely would have needed a fret job to be able to play with low action, but was mostly playable after 10+ years of improper storage and cleaning. I have to say that I'm impressed with the craftsmanship on the 2025 model that i received last week, typically guitars at this price point (even the JS32 models) will typically have some high frets and rough fret edges but the one I received was very clean and well built. What some others have said about this guitar holds true, it is known not to have the best hardware and pickups, however I've found that if you are wanting to get started on a 7 string and are open to modding the guitar it makes for a terrific platform to start. In my case I had replaced the tuners with locking tuners, the nut with a TUSQ XL, and replaced the stock pickups with EMGs. Out of the box the guitar was very playable, but needed a setup to be optimal. The action was fairly high, and intonation was decent with the stock strings however if you plan to drop tune and use thicker gauge strings for tunings such as drop Ab or drop F# you will likely need to pull a few of the saddle screws all the way back to get it properly intonated. The stock pickups are not nearly as bad as I had expected, many will claim that they are "muddy" which could be the case for some amps/rigs, however in my signal chain I found them to sound crisp enough and probably would have kept them if I hadn't already had the EMG pickups from my 2014 build already. The "muddy" complaint could likely be corrected with EQ if needed. The only item I noted with the pickups is that they seem to have a tad less gain than I'd expect from standard Jackson branded pickups, however adjusting the pickup height to bring it closer to the strings seemed to make it negligible. Tuning stability can be a real challenge on this guitar out of the box, which isn't unexpected at this price. I found that when performing bends the string would bind in the nut and cause it to get stuck a tad sharp, and then when freeing it I would need to retune the guitar as the tuners didn't seem to be all that stable either. Both of these can be corrected by replacing the nut with something like a TUSQ XL or other self lubricating nut, and replacing the tuners with locking tuners. (Tuner replacements may require drilling small holes in the back of the headstock as the screw locations did not line up with the stock tuners) The 26.5 scale length on this guitar definitely helps a lot with intonation when down tuning, and I personally can't tell much difference in playability compared to a standard 25.5 scale. I've personally downtuned mine to F# standard (Same as 8 string without the high E) but had to pull the saddles all the way back on the two lowest strings, so I would not recommend this guitar if you were planning on downtuning much lower than that. (Would need longer scale) The stock strings on the guitar were surprisingly decent, however I found that the low B was not thick enough for my taste (even in B standard) and could sometimes sound out of tune when strummed due to the wobble. If you plan on using this for B Standard you'd likely want to use a .060 or .064 size B string which will require some work on the stock nut to keep it from sitting too high or binding. Overall I think that you can't ask for much more for a sub $200 (at time of writing) 7 string guitar, but if you are an experienced player or have a higher budget and don't feel comfortable with modifying your guitar than the lower end Schecter models are a better pick.

  • Would not recommend. couldnt get any sound out of it

    1

    submitted2 months ago

    byconnor

    fromCharlotte North Carolina

    I played this guitar in my local guitar center and (at least on this specific one) I could not get any sound out of it. I had all the volume and tone knobs cranked and when I had the amp volume all the way up, I heard a buzz and very slight tone when a good guitar would have screamed. On another one in another store I got some tone out of it but it sounded very muddy and did not get a good tone out of it. Overall I would not recommend but if you are set to get it, play it for a while to see if you can get any tone out of it

  • not to bad

    3

    submitted3 months ago

    byGiuseppe

    fromBurlington, NJ

    The guitar showed up with very low action, thankfully it came with a key to adjust it. The pickups are also very weak and muddy. Other than that, its not too bad.

  • Don't let the price tag fool you

    5

    submitted6 months ago

    byJay

    fromNew Braunfels, Texas

    As an avid collector of Jacksons and ESP's and all things metal, this guitar absolutely shreds. I got it to learn some of the heavier songs that require a 7 string and this does not disappoint. For the money, you cannot go wrong.

  • My son loves this

    5

    Verified BuyerVerified Buyer

    submitted6 months ago

    byAnthony

    fromDavenport iowa

    Submitted as part of a sweepstakes

    I bought it for my son and he loves it he shreds all night lol .

collapse expand iconQ&A

Have a question about this product? Our expert Gear Advisers have the answers.

  • asked byAdam

    fromCincinnati OH

    What gauge strings come on this guitar?

    What gauge strings come on this guitar?

    Open Reply - Gear-Support
    Nickel Plated Steel (.009-.052 Gauges, 7-String)
  • asked byEllis Pack

    fromGainesville, GA

    Does the guitar come with active or passive pickups?

    Does the guitar come with active or passive pickups?

    Open Reply - Gear-Support
    The pickups are Passive
  • asked byDarian

    fromCalifornia

    When I get around to replacing the pickups - what sized pickups will fit here? Will a DiMarzio Steve's Special / Air Norton fit into the guitar without routing?

    When I get around to replacing the pickups - what sized pickups will fit here? Will a DiMarzio Steve's Special / Air Norton fit into the guitar without routing?

    Open Reply - Beau
    This guitar would be compatible with any humbucker style pickups.
  • asked byRobert

    fromCO

    The picture here has covered pickups, but I've seen others that don't. And I'm not talking about the version with the maple neck. 
So, which is it? Covered or open?

    The picture here has covered pickups, but I've seen others that don't. And I'm not talking about the version with the maple neck. So, which is it? Covered or open?

    Open Reply - Ronald
    This model comes with covered pickups.