The JS30DK Dinky (above) has a vaguely Strat-shaped alder body, a bolt-on maple neck, and Indian rosewood fretboard with dot position markers. While Jackson is known for its pointy sharkfin inlays, the sharp reverse headstock adds just enough of the jagged metal look for this guitar to be recognised as a Jackson despite the dot markers. There are 22 frets on the sleek, shred-approved neck.

Pickups are a pair of Jackson CVR high output humbuckers. A Floyd Rose licensed Jackson Low Profile JT580 LP double locking 2-point tremolo system is included for dive bomb freakouts.

The JS30KE Kelly (above) is the budget version of the model used by Marty Friedman during his Megadeth days. Its overall shape is reminiscent of a Gibson Explorer, but much sharper and more aggressive. Like the Dinky, this Kelly has an alder body, a bolt-on maple neck, and Indian rosewood fretboard with dot position markers, but it differs in that it has 24 frets instead of 22, and has the same two CVR humbuckers. The strings pass through the body and over a tune-o-matic style bridge. So far, so metal.

Fretwork on both guitars is of a better standard than you’d expect in this price range – good but not great. The Dinky has a slight edge on the Kelly in this regard. The Dinky’s neck also feels slightly rounder than the Kelly’s, making it bit more comfortable to play in general, while the Kelly is more of a shredder.

One would expect the string-through nature and huge body of the Kelly to have better sustain than the Dinky, but the opposite is the case: The Dinky has a gradual attack and note decay, while the Kelly is more immediate. I would use the Dinky for more flowing styles such as legato, or for Brett Garsed-style melodic lines which require more delicate phrasing. The Kelly absolutely kills as a metal axe designed for speed, because the sudden impact of each note makes for better definition for very fast passages. Thrash rhythm work especially benefits from this quality, but if you like to play speed-picked solos up and down the neck, the Kelly is your axe.

The pickups are definitely skewed towards the more aggressive end of the musical spectrum, and while each guitar has the same pickups, they seem to emphasise the differences in the two axes, instead of making them sound the same. Having said that, a guitar like this is ideal for a pickup upgrade. I’d consider an EMG 81+60 pair, a Seymour Duncan JB/59 set, or DiMarzio Breeds.

While sharing many similar accoutrements, the Kelly and Dinky are quite different guitars, and which one you should choose depends on your needs. If you’re into instrumental rock or metal requiring lots of guitar solos with complex note articulation, the Dinky is for you. If you need something to keep up with hyperspeed picking frenzies, be they rhythm or lead, the Kelly has you covered.

SPECS
BODY: Alder (both)
NECK: Maple (Dinky: 22 frets, Kelly: 24 frets)
PICKUPS: Jackson CVR
ELECTRONICS: 1 volume, 1 tone, 3-way pickup selector (both)
BRIDGE: Licensed Floyd Rose (Dinky), Tune-o-matic (Kelly)