Jackson JS22-7 Dinky AH SB

Absolutely fell in love with this guitar after taking the time to set it up when it arrived.

Firstly, the guitar pickups that come stock are okay. They are high gain, which is great for Metal, however, they are slightly muddy when you are using a lower tuning, otherwise they respond well with distortion, especially having a tube screamer before the amp.

I currently have a set of 10-59 d'addario nickel wound set on it right now tuned to Drop G#. The stock strings are not good unless you like a set of 9-52s, but it is just too floppy for even the standard 7-string tuning in my opinion. The default should really be 10-62, just like a baritone.

The finish on the body feels great, though it is a bit difficult to clean, and can catch finger marks easily. The neck feels very comfortable with the satin finish and low profile, even though I am not a shredder. Felt one spot of roughness on the neck but it wasn't hindering my playing.

I will be adding aftermarket hardware on this. Stock hardware is fine but I know this guitar can do better.

For the money you get a perfectly usable 7-string instrument. Honestly, a very well made guitar from Jackson, considering the price. Perfect for someone who is looking to get into the extended range guitar world.

Pros:
*It almost works out of the box. Didn't need to do much besides replacing the factory strings, which is to be expected anyway. 052 is way too thin for a 7 string, something in the range of 060-064 is perfect for B standard.
*Very decent tuners and bridge. Stays in tune like a champ!
*Looks killer. Seriously!

Cons:
*The pickups are muddy. I would advise to replace at least the bridge pickup with something of a higher quality. This upgrade will probably cost as much as the guitar itself, but it's worth it.
*Scratchy frets and unfinished fret ends. This is not mandatory of course, more of a personal preference. #0000 steel wool and a quick filing job on the fret ends made the guitar much more enjoyable.