Jackson DKMG

2007 Japanese DKMG, 24-fret rosewood board, fat bolt-on maple neck, arch-top gloss ebony alder body, EMG 81/85 pups w/3-way switch, Floyd whammy bridge, Grover tuners.

I play anything from blues, classic rock, hard rock/80's metal, speed metal. Made for 80's/speed metal, but can basically do an OK job on any of these styles with the right amp. Currently playing thru Blackstar and Marshall tube amps with minimal effects (clean boost, delay). Only use for the fast stuff, because it's got the fastest neck, by far, out of all my gear. If you want heavy, fast, fluid, tight metal/hard rock rhythm or lead, then this one would be a great pick. For blues or classic rock, grab a LP.

Setup was great, if you like 09-42 gauge strings. Only flaw was a nearly invisible dent on the rear body that didn't mar the paint, but got me about $300 off the price (that's another story).

Pretty solid, could gig it without problem, if I played with a metal band. I put straplocks on all my guitars. Would never play out without backup, regardless of guitar.

Not applicable.

Over 20 years playing. Other gear is couple of Gibson LPs, Roadhouse Strat, cheap Ibanez for travel, Yamaha 12string. If stolen, probably get something similar. Love the fluid neck, if there was anything I hated about it, wouldn't have bought it. That's why I can't understand how this clown with the most recent review on the DKMG decided to buy one when he hated it everything about it. If the licensed FR is a "pain", why did you buy it? If the neck is "fat and kind of uncomfortable", why did you buy it? If the sound is "bland", "boring", "UNINTERESTING", why the hell did you buy it? Just so you can post a review here, trashing it? This is surely not the best metal guitar made, but for $410, it is a helluva value and an excellent quality instrument in its price range. I actually prefer the tone of the original Kramer Baretta over the Jackson, but the dinky is faster and used Barettas are going too high these days. I never buy a guitar without playing it for at least 2-3 hours first, apparently this other guy didn't do that (I guess). BTW, I got the great price due to the salesman thinking this guitar was a cheaper DXMG (with passive pups). Apparently, he didn't notice the piranha inlays and arch-top body (the DXMG has sharkfin inlays and flat body). Even when the serial# didn't match, he changed it and sold it for $410.

What year was it made? Its probably an 07 or 08 model. Made in Japan likely.

How many frets? Well it had 24, thats nice.

Has a H/H configuration, active EMG 81/85s, nice combo.

Alder body with a maple neck and rosewood fingerboard.

Glossy, black finish, rather striking looking.

A superstrat style body, can't beat a real Strat for style though.

Jackson licensed Floyd Rose bridge, pain.

Some sort of standard-issue Jackson tuning heads, also had a locking nut.

The neck is fat. Not slim, like you'd want it to be, its fat and kind of uncomfortable.


Personally, I'm not a fan of the Floyd Rose bridge, it sucks and the guitar stayed in tune maybe 5 or 6 hours, then it started going either sharp or flat. Weather I blocked the bridge off or not.

UGGGG!!! BLAND!!! I hear everywhere that the EMG 81/85 set is a beautiful combo, but its so...so...UNINTERESTING! There's no style to it, its bland and boring and sounds like everybody else's guitar. Lame. I lowered the 81 real low and it got a slight twang to it, kind of like a Fender, but it couldn't replace the real thing any day.

Now for overdrive, sounded half-decent. Playing it through Digitech Grunge pedal while on a clean setting gave it a bit of a Dimebag sound...but thats the pedal talking, not your guitar so much. With a simple built-in driven channel, its just another guitar with overdrive.

It was used, and it was messed with, so I don't reckon I can directly rate this. But the neck was fat and chunky, not like a slim-tapered-low-action thing you'd REALLY be interested in, like a Strat. The FR bridge, even when blocked off, could not hold the guitar in tune. The locking nut and super-sturdy tuning heads couldn't keep it in tune for more than a few hours.

CRAP, this thing wouldn't hold its own on stage! It'd go out of tune before you got to your scorching solo! Other than that, the guitar itself is very durable. Its all quite solid.

Didn't bother, bought it from a dealer.

UGH! I thought at first, it sounded pretty decent. Had a bit of a kick to it. After 2 weeks I got well sick of it. I have played two a number of Jackson guitars, they ALL sound bland and dull. The only reason you'd buy one is because you see maybe your favorite artists being endorsed by them and you hear - "oh those are nice guitars."

CRAP- they're overpriced and they all sound the same! I'm through with Jackson guitars! After 2 weeks I traded this back in to the same dealer for my old Fender Mexican Strat. And this is a nice Strat too, I compare it often to my 1961 Gibson Melody Maker, which has no modifications to it.

In conclusion- DON'T BUY JACKSON!!!! You WILL lose money. And you'll get a better, even well-driven sound from a TELECASTER. You are buying this kind of guitar for the fact that artists have endorsements. Hell, if you have an endorsement, you're making money, thats the only reason you'd support the endorsement at all!

Solid Alder Body with a Arched Top/Rosewood Fretboard. Active EMG's (81/85 Humbuckers) with a Licensed Floyd Rose Tremelo. Standard two knob configuration with 1 volume and 1 tone.

The sound of the 81/85's absolutely crushes! This thing can go from lean and mean to clean with everything in-between. I can get some nice bluesy tones, jazz to metal... the only thing I can think of that this guitar can't cover is country.

Solid Blue finish with a low action on the fretboard. The factory setup was "okay"... but after I took it to a music store and let them set it up it came alive.

There is some slight wearing of the black finish on the floyd rose were I have let my hand sit, but not much and this is to be expected. This can handle anything you can throw at it and is very dependable. I would still play with a backup just because of the floyd rose... no, I have never broke a string on it. However, I have played these types of guitars before... and if you do break a string, your done.

No reason to deal with customer service

Absolutely love this guitar and it has replaced my PRS as my main guitar!

Made in Japan 2007, Alder Body, bolt on maple neck with rosewood fretboard, 24 jumbo frets, 1x EMG81 und 1x EMG85 humbucker Pickups (this was the 'update' version), 1 volume/1 tone potentiometer, 3-way pickup selection switch, FR type tremolo, black hardware, color: black forest (a metallic color, looks black and in light it shows some dark green). Included was a truss rod adjustment tool and a couple of hex wrenches for the locking nuts. Body style was, of course, a superstrat.

Sounds good for any kinds of metal, but it isn't very versatile for other music styles because of the nature of the EMG pickups. I use my guitars linked to a Zoom G7.1ut effects processor/preamp (it has a tube, ooh) which in turn is linked to a behringer 2x10 combo from the effects return channel. It has no noise at all, compared for example to my other guitar, a Jackson kelly with a SH-13 Dimebucker. The guitar has a fat and pretty bass/midrangey sound. What kind of sound the guitar can make? Well, in my opinion that is much more related to what kind of gear it is linked to. The guitar sounds just fine for 80's thrash metal, for example. Overall, I like the sound of the guitar, it's just what i've been looking for. A fat tone for metal.

There is one or two frets that are too high and cause buzzing in the E and A strings. Pickups were finely soldered, but their height was a bit too lowly set up from the factory. Bridge was somewhat properly routed. No other flaws.

The guitar seems pretty robust, can't say really since I haven't had it for long enough. Strap buttons are quite fine looking, much bigger than those ones used in cheaper guitars. And no, I would not gig without a backup, only idiots/cheapskates do that.

Been playing since 1999. I also own a Jackson JS30 Kelly (which is heavily modified), a Fender Stratocaster (built in the U.S.), and I've had a Gibson Flying V '67 Reissue. If it was stolen, I'd drive over the burglar with my Volvo 240 (well, not perhaps). I love the body style, it isn't cumbersome to use like the kelly. I also love the EMG's and the licensed FR. I compared it to a Ibanez RG350EX, Jackson DK-6 and a Hagstr??m SS. I chose this one because it was most versatile out of the four. I wish it had a maple fingerboard. In my opinion, rosewood is too regular.

Trans-black finish, flamed maple top. Floyd Rose (lic.) black hardware. Jackson reverse stock machines, bolt-on thin super-fast compound radius maple neck with rosewood board, 24 jumbo frets and reverse headstock. Circa 2001? stock with EMG-HZ(H3) passive hbs (neck and bridge) with 1 tone, 1 volume and 1 EMG Afterburner variable gain pull-knob up to 20db (requires 9 v. battery) with 3-position Fender style pu switch.

Stock sound: definately suited for metal - higher mid response with basic low-end, sustain avg. with licenced block and Jackson tuners. Crystal sounding clean in neck HZ without spikey highs. Noisy with AB turned up in Dist. channel, higher volume response from AB in clean channel.

I upgraded the machine heads to Grover mid-size locking rotomatics (for added sustain from the wieght)and switched out the HZs to the Zakk Wylde 81/85 set, with wiring to the Afterburner. An original Floyd Rose Pro bridge and nut with the wider block and smaller string spacing added even more sustain and warmth, not to mention ease of tuning maintenance/ dependability. I would like to re-route the bridge area at some time, hard to find someone to do it.

Modified sound: This thing is a metal MONSTER!! A true shredding machine - the difference in beef is rediculous - the alder body and 81/85s are a marriage made in heaven. Screaming pinch harmonics with the "Dime squeal" are unbelieveable on this thing. The Afterburner behaves much better with the 81/85 set, still get noise at full 20 db, but backing it off anywhere from 1-10 or 11 gives you added crunch and bass response without mudding up your rhythms. Leads with full AB sound reminicent of Skolnik's violin-sounding early testament leads. Great arpegiation on the jumbo frets - can skip-pick lightning fast on residual sustain due to heavier Grovers and Floyd block. I play it through a Marshall valvestate 100 watt head, Crate 4x12 with upgraded Hellotones and a Digitech RP 2000 effects processor and occasionally (ok hardly ever) Dunlop Crybaby Wah. Be warned, the tone is NOT the beef you would get from a Les Paul, but its sound is definately thrash with its own distinct voice.

The lightwieght body and wide neck take some adjusting to with the smaller string spacing,(coming from an SG and Les Paul) but overall there are very few drawbacks to "BlackJack" as I've come to call him. Took some $ and patience to get him where he is, but I loved the finish and feel with the reverse headstock and that damn-hard to beat compound radius neck.

I bought it second hand, yet in mint condition (the guy never played it or learned to play at all) and got a rediculous deal. The set-up was poor (all saddles were lined up flush-yikes!) and the action was high, but with a slight tweak on the truss, intonation set and action was able to be lower than I expected. Even lowe action possible with 10s as opposed to 9s on the XL strings. I raised the neck pickup a tad, the routing is satisfactory for the Jackson bridge, but with the Oringinal Floyd Pro I could get rediculous with a re-routing. The controls needed to be tightened a bit, but overall no noisy in the selector switch or volume/ tone controls. Was in tight shape overall for stock accessories

Great for gigging - can take alot of movmnt/ motion. Could use all-hardened knobs, etc, but I have played it without a backup before. Finish is one of its greatest features...polishes up quickly without fading/ clouding after a year. I replace all strap buttons with locks just in case, so can't comment on buttons - they came off with original strings. Stock bridge has hard time staying in tune, then again, I get sick with the tremolo.

No warranty info when I bought it, however, EMG was awesome in sending me a diagram on how to connect the Zack Wylde set with the Afterburner on the same 9-volt battery. One phone call, and the email attachment was in my box in 30 min. EMG support guys name was Rick. He Rocks.
No comment on Jackson (Fender). Never contacted them.

I love this guitar. The overall feel of the cutaway and weight is excellent, although I wish it were neck-thru in design. For a bolt-on, it is without a doubt, the greatest bang for your buck. I couldn't afford a 2K Jackson USA, but over time I made a wise choice in body and neck to spend the time and $ I did upgrading it. I wouldn't trade or sell it for anything. I also have an SG and a Les Paul, '87 and '91 respectivley. For bluesy stuff, they fit the bill - for metal and speed, BlackJack is King.

Cobalt Blue Swirl graphic finish - looks like dark blue sky with grey silver swirl clouds. Jackson superstrat body style with cutaways on the cutways and an archtop. Floyd Rose type floating trem - double locking. 25 1/2 scale jumbo frets on a rosewood fretbord that is married to a rock maple neck, bolted on an alder body. 24 frets jumbo. Solidbody with 3-way switching between 2 humbuckers. Master tone, master volume, and EMG Turbocharger 25dB push/pull variable boost. Had stock EMG HZ passive 'buckers.

This is my review of this axe 2 years later with a better impression.

It suits my Hard Metal style easily in looks, hardware, and tone. I'm still using a Crate MX65R amplifier, no effects. The guitar is noisy with aftermarket pickups because since it was stock with EMG's, they cut all grounds, so when you put in non-EMG's there is noise, not to mention more with the active boost control.

The guitar's sound overall is midrange-y with great cut because of the rock maple neck and alder body. I use Ernie Ball strings to keep the natural guitar's sound balanced - midrange-y without any extra spice (extra brightness, power, what have you). The DKMG is not as beefy as some guitars and therefore needs a bridge pickup (at least) that is thick in the mids, and/or lows. This guitar is essentially a cutting rhythm guitar and shred machine.

I LOVE the graphic finish, the midrange-y rock sound, and the fact it has a whammy on it. I really only dislike the non-hardend hardware.

This stuff was as good as would be expected from a guitar in this price range. B+!

It could withstand a few hard months on a tour, but it's no Jackon USA which could do 2 years! I replaced the straplocks with Schallers just so the strap won't fly off when rockin' out. I'd gig it without a backup depending on the circumstance because I just don't break strings on a tremolo.

Been playing going on 14 years and it's still my #1. My favorite feature is the Cobalt Blue Swirl finish, followed by the body style, followed by the tremolo.

If you like a Les Paul, buy a Les Paul. If you can stand less beef and blazing lead guitar is a big part of your style, buy a Jackson DKMG.

Mines the Forest Black and all that other stuff

I play metal, suits me fine, I beat the piss out of the Floyd Rose, lots of dumps and wwwreeessss, I get a shiitload of speed out of the neck

My action is set real low, I don't get any buzz, it's a sharp guitar.

It hasn't broke yet

Definately a metal guitar

* Jackson DKMG Black Forest
* Alder Body
* Maple neck
* Rosewood fingerboard
* 24 frets
* Bolt-on neck
* Reverse headstock
* One Emg 81 in the bridge and one emg hz in the neck
* Emg turbocharger
* Licenced Floyd Rose tremolo

I was a bit critical against this guitar when I first got it used. Judging from the features, I knew I had to change a lot of things on this guitar. However, when I sat down and started playing the guitar, I was really impressed! The sound on this guitar was amazing! In the update version of this guitar there is a set of emg 81 and 85 which is better than mine. I?m probably going to switch the emg hz in the neck to emg 85. But I like the sound on this guitar very much, it suits my music style perfectly. I mostly play metal, but I?m also interested in other music styles as jazz and blues. This guitar handles the metal perfectly, can?t say how good it is for other styles. This is a great guitar for playing solos, but also as a rythm guitar.

Got it used, but there was not a single flaw on this one. It seemed new, because there was not even a single scratch on the guitar. Everything was perfect.

This is absolutely a guitar you can count on. I would definetly play live with this, in fact I?m sure I will do that in the fall. I have had bad experience of live playing, but this guitar seems so solid, that I?m sure I?ll use it on a gig. I changed the strap buttons to schaller strap locks, so that I can run around with the guitar without worrying. I depend on this guitar 100 %, but I?m not sure if I?d gig without backup. In case that a string would broke or something, I would rahter just pick my other guitar than stop playing. But I think I could gig with this without backup, since it?s such a badass guitar.

Haven?t dealt with them.

I own a ESP LTD Ex 351 BD which is my favorite guitar, a roland microcube for home practising and soon a Crate Fullstack. If this guitar were stolen, I would have to slay and kill the one that stole it. No mercy. I love this guitar, it?s great for the price you pay.
It?s not better than my ex 351 bd, but I still use it very often.

Carved top alder body, maple neck, compound-radius bound rosewood fingerboard with piranha inlays. Two Humbucking EMG-HZ pickups on a 3-way switch with the EMG TurboCharger, a 20dB variable boost. Floyd Rose licensed double-locking tremolo. 24 frets. Reverse headstock. Forest Green finish, Black hardware.

I was very impressed with the EMG's. The bridge pickup sounds like a fine tuned chainsaw with a lot of sustain. Edgey and compressed perfect for oldschool metal (Ratt,Dokken,EVH,AC/DC).I was trying to get a Strat sound on the neck pickup with a clean setting, but got closer to a Tele. I guess thats why Leo invented Strats! The string balance is exeptional on the EMG-HZ's. This is the only guitar I own were it sounds like each string is at the same volume, even at heavly distored chorded tones (very nice!). I would say the sound is bright, less full. Surprising the middle position on the 3-way switch is the darkest. Rolling off the volume to clean up tones works perfect! It softens distortion without losing clarity. As you may have heard, the Turbocharger potentiometer IS noisy when rotated and a lot of static at idle. In a "live" setting it could have its advantages (is your drummer to loud?). Its on a push pull knob so you can "set it" and then LAUNCH it into super distortion! But I'am more of a studio musician so I'm thinking of replacing it with a EMG-RPC potentiometer. I have to do more research to see if this is even possible with this pickup combination. My only dislikes is the pickups can be a little too compressed sounding. Which makes them lack a full round clean sound, but makes up for that with fast tracking, well balanced hot pickups.

I haven't played a Jackson since my younger days. as soon as I shoulder this baby my hands were happy. This guitar is EASY to play!Bought used so I had to set it up. And yes, the action can be set LOW without any buzzing. The compound radius neck is comfortable and awsome! I like the fact that the strings are stacked straigher at the pick hand, as oppossed to the radius on Fenders. It makes it easier to "target" your picking and is a dream for playing rhythm. No problems with sharp fret ends. That damn Turbocharger knob just feel off once while jamming! The set screw wasn't tight(little screwdriver, minor setback). This baby has SUSTAIN for a bolt on neck! What the heck does a neck-thru Jackson sound like? The used DKMG finish was already chipped (good now I don't have to baby it!) Archtop body is my favorite since I tend to have a heavy pick hand and gives me more room for accurate picking.

Only had this used guitar 2 months. Survived the Ebay shippment in a nicely packed box without a hardshell case. Sounds pretty durable to me. That damn Turbocharger knob just feel off once while jamming! The set screw wasn't tight(little screwdriver, minor setback). For a change, a used guitar came with tight strap buttons. The Floyd Rose licensed double-locking tremolo actuality seems to be staying in tune under whammy bar stunts! (Thanks Eddie!)

I've been playing for 18 yrs. grew up with 80's metal and then turning to the blues. Been plaving mostly Stratocasters and some PRS. I think every guitar has its own voice. I didn't buy this guitar to play the blues. I wanted it to scream! And it does that well. Maybe to brittle sounding for Death Metal, but dont we all need a lead guitar hero who knows how to cut threw the mix. Although you can get pretty various tones out of this guitar if you spend some time teaking your amp. But lets face it a JACKSON is made to plug in to a amp and distort it into bliss. The only thing I wish it had was coil-tapping(for that elusive STRAT tone). Thats why I'd get another one so I can experiment with different pickups and wire in a coil tap. I dont want to change this guitars tone ,I love it. This is a very comfortable guitar with a rock solid tremolo. If you what to shred and pull out harmonics til next tuesday, buy this guitar! If I could ever find a Jackson with a second strat tone I would happily be a one guitar man. This thing is that fun to play!

made in Japan , 24 frets ! thats so nice 2emg hz humbucker active

body: Alder
neck: rock maple
fingerboard:rosewood

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the floyd suck a bit... its a licensed

im using a behringer amp (head 120w bottom 200w)
im playing melodics death metal and death metal

the guitar sound is very nice a lot of harmonics but sometimes i think it can have more distorsion... i mean it's ok but i have to but my drive very high on my amp.

it's not very noisy

if you want to buy a guitar for a cost under 1000$ this is your guitar

the touch !!! wowww !!! i just love that touch it's very comfortable
just the high frets on the 5th or 6th strings can be hard to play if you have little fingers like me :P

neck and fingerboard---excellent!

2003 24 frets solid carved top volume tone turbocharger 3 way pick up selector 2 humbuckers EMG hz3 basswood body flamed maple top transparent floyd rose licensed neck width 1 11/16" scale 25.5?

my review is simple, i have seen so many guys complaining about the pick ups, EMG hz, and it is very simple to say i prefer an EMG 81 85 set for that guitar. by the way i have seen so other dudes saying that the turbocharger is a noisy thing that cannot be controlled and useless pot. ive been playing for about 10 or 12 years and when i buying this,at beginning i thougth to use it only for metal, for a shred guitar, but suddenly i change my mind.
i check the pick ups at emg web page and i found that emg hz pick ups are 4 wiring, that means: can be isolated as single coil pick ups, so yo can try to customize your guitar with a push pull or miniswitch to have a plenty options.
the turbocharger dont seems to me a very useful weapon till i drive a bulbe amp,when you drive it with turbochrger, really screams and get a lot of harmonics coming out but it has to be at half way to get that kind of sound. i actually buy a push pull button from dimarzio in order to have splittin coil plus a 20db gain for my crunchy and clean riffs so at the end i have a very well rounded guitar for every kind of sound i have ever wanted. i think it dont deppends much what guitar you have, it deppends on how much options and sounds you can get from it. i hear for many years sets of pick ups emg seymourduncan dimarzio, and i have to say that this pick ups (EMG HZ) will do the job, for metal to blesy things, solid state to bulbe amps, humbuckers and single coils to mix and customize connections. if you own one try it to split your coils, you will be amazed of what you can get!!!! at least the only thing you can lose it is 15 minutes and $13 bucks

i am a second owner so no applies for me

its for a very long time many years. i use this thing without a back up for about one year. i want to buy another one so i can use for back up. you know strings can break when you never expect

never deal with them

i played for 10 to 12 years, almost metal. blues rockand amy kind of music that you can play for living.
if were stolen or lost i will buy one again and customize the same way.
i know there are a few guitar classics and an awesome collections of sounds and of course a better much better guitars than this one, but i have to say, this one it is not a very good one, it is a versatile one if you want it that way of course.

2004 Jackson Black DKMGFF, Floyd Rose, 24 Jumbo Frets, Flame Inlays, Bound Fingerboard and Headstock, Reverse Headstock, EMG-HZ Pickups Neck and Bridge with Active EMG TurboCharger (0-20dB Gain Control), Awesome Neck feel, Great features for the price. EMG-HZ's are ok but EMG-81's would make this a 10 for me so I put one in and it screams to high hell!

I'm a Shredder and this has helped me Shred even better then before. The neck is worth it alone in my opinion, very smooth. Like I said before the only thing lacking is in the pickup department. The EMG-HZ's are descent, the output is quite smooth but if you like that active high for squeels and crisp palm muting them throw some EMG-81's in there and your set. The turbocharger is descent when turned on about 25% or so, any more and the noise and feedback it creates is just getting in the way.

I have a Marshall JMC 2000. The Jackson absuletly rules with the setup I use. I couldn't be happier. The sound is very clean and crisp. I don't use any distortion pedals, just overdrive the marshall(boost the clean signal going into the amp) to get that extra gain and the active pickups in the guitar give it the best distortion I have ever heard. That's my opinion but I haven't had someone yet hear my setup and didn't proclaim it's greatness. I've tried different guitars with my setup and nothing has sounded as good. If you are into Blues or Jazz or Country then odviously this is not the setup for you but then you wouldn't be buying a jackson anyway.

The setup was pretty much perfect for me. Nice low action. It was setup for standard E tunning. One of the pods was a bit loose but that was easily fixed with quick adjustment. Overall it was great.

So far so good. Very solid guitar, great hardware. Nice oversize strap buttons so the strap stays put, why all other guitars don't have them is beyond me. I'm not a hard strummer so I don't have any string breaking problems or any of the other problems you get from flamboyant strumming. If I droppped it I'm confident it would be fine.

I haven't had any problems.

I've been playing for 9 years. I also own a BC Rich NJ Series Jr.V with EMG-81, Marchall JCM 2000, Ibanez 6 string bass, Ibanez Ex series, and an old classical guitar. I probably replace this guitar is lost or stolen. It is a great guitar for the price. The feel and playability of the neck is worth it alone. If it came with EMG-81's already installed that would make it perfect for me and save me time installing them myself! Overall it's the best impulse buy I have ever gotten.

Japanese. Alder body. Passive electronics.Turbocharger. DINKY (contemporary offset strat body.)Arch top. Black hardware. Binding.Pirhana tooth inlays (24 frets.)Cobalt Blue Swirl (graphic).
All in all, a beast a** guitar!!!

Only give a 8 3/4ths 'cause somebody out there could use a different neck pickup. Personally, I don't care.

I play a lot of dirty power chords on typically fast music. I'm a Jackson guitar user so there is no problem with the DKMG. I use a Crate solidstate amp with effects like an MXR Super Dyna Comp, Pro Co Vintage (reissue) rat, and a Maxon GE-06 Graphic equalizer. I only find this guitar noisy when I 'pull up' the Turbocharger. Maybe it's due to a weak battery. But, I have a Jackson DX10D Firestorm tricked out unit that doesn't create quite the same annoyance.

I like the tone of the guitar: it has a sweet high end the gives nice harmonics. I like the fact Jackson uses this wood on their guitars, it's good for leads and enduring sustain. The EMG HZ (see reviews)pickups provide clarity, but at sterile expense. To take care of this, I just run my Compressor at the end of the chain which mitigates the 'sharp' end, warming, as it were the overall unaudible tone, until the amp recieves it and 'shows' the tone.

The guitar doesn't have too many tones to offer besides hella crunch and more high gain harmonic crunch. I like the pickups abilty to pop off bright harmonics like nobody's business, but hate that mock active pickup tone some players like. I also like the archtop, that I didn't think I'd be into, but it adds some mass to the tone I think. Black hardware isn't my thing but, I could'nt pull this thing out of the box fast enough; let's just say my feet were involved in the extraction process! I originally bought this axe simply for it's paint job, but I really dig this guitar despite it 'hip' factor. I mean, don't get me wrong, I love a hip axe as much as the next guy or girl (that's why I choose Jackson guitars), but I'd personally scale back on cosmetics. Just an opinion.

The factory setting was as expected. I was looking to tweak it myself anyways. Everything is par, even the pots haven't gone scratchy yet. What's that...oh,yeah...WOW! Maybe there are scratches on the body, but I never really look for them when I buy an axe because it doesn't affect the playability. I'll give this box a '9' for factory setup.

You can gig this axe and I can't wait to stage it. The few girls staring at it(or me), the guys starin' at it (won't go there), and I'll just lap it up 'cause I love my axe. Everything seems good from the 'giddyup', but hard gigging and hard playing will test it's worth.
I don't know if I'd gig it sans backup, but if I was really confident and I feel I set the strings in properly, I may. Pretty tough axe.

No warranty. Let's just hope the guitar lives.

I've been playing for 12 years and based on the color and sentimentality (I get attatched very quickly), I may buy this axe again. Mostly I love it's dynamite playability, tone, and graphic (cobalt blue swirl). But I hate the 'active' pickup play and high tone when I kick in the Turbocharger (won't be using it much). I dislike the tiny inlays (I miss the sharkfins) and black hardware. I sorta compared it to my Jackson DX10D guitars, but I knew it was a bit different: a little 'bigger' sounding and more cosmetics (on a Jackson guitar...no get outta here!). I personally just wish mostly it had chrome hardware, sharkfin inlays and the Seymour Duncan Designed Distortion copies (or the real thing). If you like the looks of this axe and you're not to picky about the pickups and limited tonal selections, by all manageable means, buy this. It's a treat to play.

go to jackson's website...all the specs are there. the features are what they are...if i wanted other features, i would have used a different guitar.

This is by far my cheapest guitar, so I will keep that in perspective. Keeping that in mind, I'd give it a 10 when compared to other similarly priced guitars and given the sound i expected out of it. It does not sound warm or complex...i bought it for an 80's metal tribute band that is a side project and did not want to sink a lot of money into a guitar for a band that only play 2 or 3 times per month. check out the band: leatherpistol.com you can even hear mp3's where i used this guitar for everything. For what i need it for, it works well.

Had to replace the volume pot 2 days after i bought it. I work for a Jackson dealer and we are also a dealer for their parent company, Fender. Had to pay for the pot out of my own pocket because i knew from experience (I've worked there for 15 yrs.) that trying to get a part from any Fender company has become nearly impossible. I've probably owned 20 or so Fender guitars and several amps in my day, so I find this to be sad and pathetic. Their parts department is the most incompetent I've seen in all of my years.

Pathetic. So far every allen bolt on the locking nut has rounded off and been replaced. Fortunately the store i work at still had Floyd Rose parts left over from the 80's; back when they made things more durable. Jackson/Fender did not have the part in stock anyways. The string lock block screws are a different story... these are a Jackson exclusive part. They have rounded off too. As to be expected, when I called Fender/Jackson's parts department from the store I work at, they did not have the parts in stock. Knowing them, they probably won't have them in stock for a long time or will lose the order (happens 50% of the time and pisses off a lot of customers). The least they could do is make the parts available to a distributor like Stewart McDonald. Has anyone at the company ever played a gig in their entire life? Don't they know that if a part breaks, it could render an instrument useless? Why is it so hard to keep parts in stock and deliver them in a capable, competent manner? It's a freaking screw! Granted this is a somewhat cheap guitar and things may break, but man...keep some damn parts in stock. The parts guy I talked to at Fender/Jackson told me to call Floyd Rose knowing fully that Floyd does not have this part. Floyd Rose was very helpful and told me to go to a local machine shop. I did and it cost $47 to get 6 screws made. Get your act together; it's been like this for nearly 2 years now.

I hate to give a low rating in this category, because I know and have met many fine and competent people who work for the Fender Corp. (Jackson's parent company) over the years. Someone at the company has let things go over the last few years, especially in the parts department. We have stupid measly parts that we order for $150 guitars that take 9 months to get in because they lose orders, ship wrong parts, or do not have them in stock. It seems they have lost any appreciation for the customers who buy their guitars. Maybe if they had to deal directly with the dissappointed customers themselves they would change things. Believe me, I've mentioned this to them, and nothing seems to be changing.

I am not some pissed off jackass...I make my living playing guitar and you would hard pressed to find someone that loves guitar playing more and works harder at it than me. Jackson probably didn't have any problems before Fender picked them up; but be warned, now that Fender owns them you cannot necessarily expect good service from them. Back to the guitar: plays well, very fast neck, stays in tune very well, decent pickups for being cheap. Built like crap, not versatile but fine for metal stuff, and you will get no support after buying this guitar...your dealer, no matter how hard they try, can't do anything for you if they can't get service from the manufacturer. For a cheap guitar, it isn't too bad, so I'll give it a seven. Parts will break, especially on a cheap guitar, and if I thought Fender/Jackson gave a crap about replacing these parts or their customers, I probably would have given the guitar a 9 or 10.

Not shure of the year, 24 jumbo frets 1 volume knob 1 tone knob and a 20db gain boost knob, Floyd Rose, locking tuners, thin wide neck. Not anything real out of the ordinary or not really any super special features on besides the turbocharger just your basic heavy metal setup.

Sounds Excellent. The guitar was obviosly designed for metal. The EMGhz pickups work very well with this guitar and I would not trade them out with anything. It does very well way up on the fretboard and keeps the sustained very well. I dont use the 20db gain boost as much as I thought I would when I decided to buy this guitar, it create alot of noise through your amp but its gain thats what it does, I use it some but only for a solo then I turn it back down, otherwise your sound is slightly muddier on the lower frets. The bridge pickup is probably the only one your going to want to use on this guitar although I do toggle up for some picking and backround sounds, it's a very rounded sound on the neck pickup.

Out of the box the action on mine was not as good as I had expected, !BUT! as soon I tweeked it I was blown away. very fast action and a great play(some of the fastest action I have ever had the pleasure to play). I did not encounter any flaws on this guitar whatsoever. My finish is the transblack finish and looks sweet.

I have had the guitar for about a year now and has held up extremely well, unfortunatly like all guitars you have to be very careful with the finish, I have a few good scratches on it here and there only noticable as you get close to it, but thats what happens when your going crazy at a gig. I have a backup jackson RR3 and fender strat with hotrails in it for gigs but I never use them unless I break a string on the DKMG. I would definatly gig with this guitar alone it has never failed to put on a good show.

I did call the customer support once, and I did wait on the line a while but once I got through they were great, it seemed that my floyd rose was acting up but I was told to double check the string gauge and for some dumb reason I had slapped on a set of .010 instead of the good ol' .009 they were very helpful and glad to be of service to my dumb ass.

I have been playing for a little over three years and have been in the same band for a year and a half. We play speed metal and pretty much any other type of metal, ( Iced Earth, Slayer, Metallica, Warrent ect... I run the DKMG through a Mesa Boogie Triple Rectifier and it sounds amazing, I also run it through my Marshall JCM 800 on occasion but I prefer my mesa for a much hevier hell rasing sound. I do wish that the gain boost on this guitar was a little better and I wish it had better sounds on the middle and neck pickup, but you cant beat this guitar for straight up metal and it is pretty easy to find this $900 guitar for less than $500 and thats a deal beyond beleif. If you buy this guitar it may not be your prized jewel but its mine, and I dont see how anyone could flat out dislike this guitar

trans black carved top superstrat - Laminate flame maple top on alder body - 24 fret - Really thin bound neck and reverse headstock (quality!) - comes with 2 EMG hz humbucking pickups which are awesome and an EMG - AB. An 'afterburner' circuit which gives you the option of an extra 0-20db gain! Mine has a floyd, which is OK, not amazing but does the job. This is built for METAL - it does it well.

its suits METAL PERFECTLY. Its such a huge, full sound, its light enough to chuck around too! :-)

I put it through a dual recifier, and also straight into logic (amplitube), it sounds great through both. A little nisy if you have it cranked but what isn't. (especially with the extra gain added! optional)

I am currently installing an EMG 81 (bridge) and an 89 (neck). Until these are i don't really want to comment on the versatility of sound. Stock - Its not so great. I love my jazz but it just doesn't have the subtelty to get away with a pointy headstock. We'll see with the 89.
Sound for METAL - AWESOME - best i've heard 10/10
for others - not so good - hence the 7

Very nice set up, was comfortable and easy to play. have had to adjust for BIG thick strings.

Finish was nice, all looked good. HOWEVER, the volume pot cut out occasionally, this is poor. It ended up that if you touched it, it would cut out. Very embarrasing at big shows! Other then that, excellent.

Its quite rugged, My belt seems to have completely FUCKED the back though, and a crack has appeared. (not sure how deep, doesn't look good) Little bits of paint have come off around the edges. This is concerning as offstage, i take care of it. Even onstage i chuck it around but it NEVER gets bumped, its just chucked around ME, not the floor etc.

Over size strap button - GENIUS. No more embarrasing guitar falling off incidents!

Personally, i would gig without a back-up, mainly cuz i tend to go through a lot of strings.

Not bad - seeign as Jackson are now Fender owned the staff have always helped me out when i needed it. 12 month warranty - jobs a good un

beenplayig 9 years, fairly well experienced - playedmany other guitars. For metal, this is my NUMBER 1 guitar. Its is just plain mean. Beats you in the face every time.

Favourite feature, oddly, uis teh oversize strap buttons, simple, but so effective. Gives you much more freedom live, when you don't have to worry about it coming off!

It'd be nice to have a slightly better bridge, lo-pro or something. Have played the string-thru. Very nice but i need to dive bomb!! :-)

This guitar rocks my socks off. I got this guitar about a year ago not sure when it was made. It was made in Japan. It has 24 frets 25.5 scale lenghth. EMG-hz pickups with turborcharger. I nice feature i rarely use it, but it can be used to go super distorted if you don;t have good distorion, or if you need to a little bit louder for a solo. I never use it because i have a BOSS gt-6 and i have all the tone switicng power i need. ROsewood fretboard very very fast i can't execute alot of my bands songs on my other guitars. It has a floyd rose bridge that i swear by. Jumbo frets only way to fly and Musicians friend included a case. But i would like to say that it didn't fit into the case at all until after about a month of shoving it in the case exspanded. anyway moving on...

I play hardcore punkish metal, ska, jazz, rock, u name it. But i mostly play really fast hardcore and this guitar makes my band. i have to use a noise gate to get rid of the feedback but thats justbecae of the GT-6 goes nuts otherwise.

This guitar came with really light strings and barely stayed in tune. I have to put on some 11's and get the guitar professional setup before i could really rock. My biggest complait is the volume nob it was to close to the strings. I have to take the nob cover off but still the nob it self gets in the way when trying to do fast palmuting on the high strings. BE WARNED OF THIS.

The volume knob was dead within the week i got the guitar and the other two knobs make scartchy noises when i moved them but i never do so its okay. Now that this stuff is fixed the guitar is strong.

I tried to custom order my guitar is 7 string form and u can't get the phone number to talk to jackson anywhere on the webpage. !!
i tried to fill out their custom order form and they watned 4,000 dollars for one more string rediculoous..q

I have been playing for almost 5 years now. I own crazy amounts of gear own my own home studio. But i play this through a BOSS Gt6 into 80 watt solid state marshall combo unit going into a marshall 4X12 1960 cab. SOUNDS KILLER@!!! I also own another jackson "professional" i think its custom i got it used at a local rip off music store named STARRS music. And IT just doesn't play like butter and its stock jackson humbuckes don't cut it for tone. Buts its close jackson is a good brand. I also play a shitty washburn and a horible epiphone. But they are just for guests. Except my Ephiphone gibson model has single coils so it rocks for SKA stuff.
IF you'd like to hear this guitar i can email mp3
s. just get in touch. daypass137@aol.com subject guitar stuff

Hmmm, OK. Jackson DKMG, Japanese made, presumably 2003. I got it April 2004. It has a flame maple top over ash, I believe. Mine is in the not so common amber sunburst, which is drop dead gorgeous. I've seen the other finishes too, and they look great, the see thru black being especially nice also. Basic dual humbucker with a 3-way switch. It has three knobs: volume, tone, and EMG turbocharger. The turbocharger is pretty cool. It uses a 9V battery to provide an adjustable gain boost when you pull the knob out. Granted, gain = noise, but hey, nothing's free in this world. The neck is a nicely grained piece of maple, with rosewood fretboard, piranha inlays, 24 jumbo frets and standard Jackson tuners. Neck is bound, fretboard, headstock and all. It has the Jackson licensed Floyd and locking nut, all hardware in black. For the price (which has increased from $530 to $600 recently), this is a great sounding, playing and looking guitar.

I play mostly speed metal and shred, and this guitar does that very well. I would say the pickups aren't the all time greatest, but they are pretty good. I was surprised by the resonance and volume of this guitar unplugged. The archtop body definately contributes to tone, with a nice, round upper midrange resonance- kind of "plucky" sounding. The guitar has decent sustain, a great crunch tone, and will pull out those Zakk Wylde kind of harmonics easily. The EMGhz in the bridge sounds great, while the same pickup in the neck position is less inspiring. Between the two, you can get anywhere from razor sharp sizzlecrunch to fuzzy mud. The turbocharger does a good deal to enhance the "frying" sound with the bridge pickup and makes the guitar squeal and wheeze much better. The same gain boost applied to the neck pickup just creates fuzz at the expense of clarity. I might swap this setup for dual EMG 81's at some point.

Well, the fit and finish was great, but the setup was awful. I'll start with the good: The neck is super fantastic. I love the shape. It's flat, thin, and fast. Neck construction is top notch, from the binding to the choice of woods, just beatiful and a pleasure to play. The body was well done with a nicely faded sunburst, buffed out to a brilliant shine. The neck pocket is super tight, and attention to hardware installation was good. Nothing crooked, loose, or marred. As of now, the guitar is setup well and plays great with low action and properly adjusted neck. Hardware is good, quality stuff with nice, durable black finish.

Now the bad: Plastic covers on back of guitar are too thin and undersized, looks funny, as they aren't flush with back or tight with the edges of the control/tremolo cavities. Finish has a couple runs in the clear coat that were mostly buffed out, but could be found on very close inspection. Factory setup was like they never even tried.

I'm going to give a high score here for two reasons. One, this guitar is WAY better than most in its price range for overall build quality, and two, any guitar you buy should immediately be restrung and setup to your preference anyway, factory setup aside.

Overall wood construction is very solid, and finish seems durable enough so far. Can't forsee mechanical trouble, or any hardware issues. One thing that bugs me is that they put an active boost circuit in, so you'll be changing a battery now and then, but the covers attach with ordinary wood screws. Threaded inserts or a pop-open battery compartment would have been a nice touch. I know it won't be long before I strip out the cover screw holes, as ash is pretty soft. Electronics are cleanly done, but not with the best components. You could expect a pot to fail in a couple years, maybe. Certainly, I'd expect the push/pull pot for the turbocharger to take a dump before too long. I would have no problem trusting this guitar for a gig, although I replaced the factory strap buttons with Dunlocks and I would NEVER go without backup.

Never dealt with them

Primarily, I'm a bassist with over twenty years experience, but I've played guitar for about 6 years total, so I'm decent and know what I'm talking about. I also own an Ibanez S470DXQM, which is an equivalent guitar to the Jackson in price and features. Frankly, the Jackson is prettier, the neck is better, and the binding and fretwork much cleaner than my Ibanez, which is no slouch by any means. The Ibanez does have a more stable tremolo, though. If my Jackson were stolen, I'd get another, no question.

2003 Japanese built w/ 24 frets, solid body, volume, tone, boost, with 5-wat switch. EMG pups, floyd rose bridge... yada, yada, yada!
Lots of goodies but the biggest disappointment beside the Boost(noisinducer)were the electronics. I'm not saying the EMG pup's were dissappointing. In fact, they are much the oppsite. The switch, jack, pot's and solder points were dismale. I had the jack break about 3 months after I bought it. I then popped it open to replace the jack and was shocked at the shotty work done on the inside. Not a hard or expensive task to complete. That was what was funny. The are the most inexpensive companents on a guitar, and you would think that Jackson(Jap)could afford the extra $20-$30 in quality guts. The wires were junk along w/ the soldering job. I scrapped it all and started ffrom scratch.

The sound is great for about any style of music but it has a very dark side made for the hard stuff. Pumped through my Marshall 1/2 stack and Line 6 POD XT there isn't anything that this guitar can not do. All like on the sound... no dislikes!!

Action from the store was terrible! I had to set it up correctly and then it was AWESOME. One of the lowest action guitars that I own. Everything else was an A+.

The guitar is very well built and can withstand live playing and the hardware is top notch. It will take years of playing to cause it to go into the shop. Unles you are talking about the electronics wich were poor. The strap buttons are solid but would recommed that anyone throw on a set of Schaller strap locks. Better safe then sorry!!
It is a very dependable guitar but only the foolish would gig w/o a backup.

Never had to use customer support

I have been playing for about 4 years and this was the second guitar that I bought. I also own a Jackson RR-1T, 2 Kramer NighSwan's, 2 Kramer Baretta's, and 2 Kramer Strikers. I also own several amps, tone boxes, and wireless gear.

The guitar is a very well rounded guitar that plays extremely nice. It is very heavy like the LP's but unless you are onstage for several hours, no big deal!! The worst thing about this guitar was the electronics as mentioned above.

If it were stolen, I would probably upgrade to a Jackson Soloist but that would be a lot more $$$(Duckies).

You know the deal, EMG-HZ, Turbocharder electronics...

It sounds like it should without the "Turbocharger", i.e. you can get some metal out of it, nice and chunky and good high end for harmonics. The reason I gave it a 6 is because EMG obviously didn't pay too much attention to their "Turbocharger", which they should re-dub the "Noisecharger". Even with 20dB gain you shouldn't hear that much noise, given a decent operational amplifier. I'm not sure what they are using for an internal amp, but I'm very sure that it's not high-end. Even a TL082, which is a cheap 8 pin dual op-amp would perfom better than what they have in there. I know because I've built several 20dB filter circuits myself. Not very impressive here, but that's just a decision made by Jackson, not a product that they themselves produced. Excellent guitar, but EMG needs a kick in the ass or maybe their engineers need a wake up slap.

Setup was good, the only thing I don't like about it is that the strings are too close to the edge of the fretboard and slide off the edge too easily. Other than that, this is one of the best/easiest guitars I have ever played.

This thing is rock solid. What else can you say? And for everyone bitching about the Floyd-Rose, what do you expect? Try playing a Fender Strat and tell me which is better.

Never dealt with them, but I'll go out on a limb and say they can't be all that bad, look at the fine piece of equipment they put out here. (Aside from EMG's "Noisecharger")

I have been playing for 17 years, mostly blues/metal/alternative.
If it were stolen, I would probably get another Jackson, but I would check out their other models more closely.
I love that it's so easy to play, the action is very low - good for speed and it has jumbo frets.

** Nice guitar ** I would recommend this guitar, but not the components from EMG.

Arched Top H H pickups, 3 position selector, turbo charger, 24 fret, very thin neck, floating trem, gold fleck paint

I can get a pretty broad range of sounds. It doesnt quite get all the gain I want for some of the metel we play, but it has enough to do well. The turbo is pretty useless except for gathering feedback. We play a very broad range from classic rock, Cheryl Crow, 80s metal, Nickleback, Megadeth. It pulls it all of. Just wish for a touch more gain. A replacement bridge pickup would fix this for little money.

I play very light strings (8s) so I always change the factory set up first thing. This thing plays like butter. There were some minor stress cracks in the paint on the body around the neck. The tremelo is not a real rose, but has been very reliable. I virtualy can not take the guitar out of tune. I am true to my 80s heritage and am very aggressive with dive bombs etc. No problems. The neck is very flat and a bit wide. It plays very well and makes my les paul feel like a 2 by 4.

I can be a bit hard on my guitars. Ive had this guitar for about 14 months now. It shows no signs of wear or tear. I never gig without a back up, been around too long I guess. That is the case no matter what guitar we are talking about. It has been absolutly dependable so far.

Never had to contact the company. The fact that Fender is now the owner makes my skin crawl. Ill give it a six just cause.

Ive been playing 22 years now. I own 9 guitars including a les paul, BC Rich ST, Charvel m V, Kramer etc.. If this guitar were stolen I would replace it with another in the forest green. I got this one on discount because of the gold color. Hard deal to beat. Its a solid mid- level guitar for giging. I dont worry about beating it up a bit because its not worth a ton, yet it has all the features I need.

This is a 2002 Dkmg that was made in Japan, 24 fret, HZ's, turbo booster, blah blah you know the rest.

This guitar has a great sound to it. Its full of life even with the Hz's, I've been wanting to step the pickups up to 81's but im not sure if I want to invest anymore money in this. I play real heavy hardcore metal, I like a lot of tempo changes and playing challenging riffs that experiment between rhythm and lead, the action on this guitar is perfect so it alows me to move all over the place smoothly. It seems to be a little noisy and has too much bass on the middle pickup selector switch so I generally just keep it on the back one to get a more listenable sound. The turbo boost is pointless in my opinion, it doesnt do anything but make your amp feedback. The tremolo is awesome, I can dive bomb the hell out of it and it stays in tune literally for months.

The guitar set up is good, it needs an inotation done. The body is perfect except for one little knick in the side that is barely noticable. The finish is awesome, I've had this guitar for a year and a half and it still looks brand new.

This guitar has never let me down at a live show, however at the last couple of practices I've been having a problem with the volume knob. Whenever I bump it with my right hand the volume cuts out for a few seconds, im assuming its a connection gone bad, it should be a simple fix but it screwed me over on recording a song last night. I've also noticed that annoying hum coming from the springs, I use 5 and I tune to Drop B so when ever I play an octave on the A string on the 5th fret it hums really bad. Im going to try the wood trick and see if that works. Other wise this guitar is solid and Im very satisfied with its performance. I always have a backup however (a fender strat) because changing strings with a floyd rose is a pain in the ass, I would much rather grab another guitar than try messing with changing a string during a show.

Never dealt with them

This guitar gets an 8, I docked it 2 points because of the 2 problems im having with it. I've been playing guitar for 10 years and I also own a couple Fenders and an ESP, I play through a Mesa dual Rectifier.
If it were stolen I'd replace it with an ESP M-1000 and a Les Paul studio. I wish it had seperate volume knobs for the pick ups. Over all I like it alot but there are better guitars than this one. If I had a museum of guitars this one would definitely be part of it.

First off, I must say that I don't own one. It's just that a new Guitar Center store opened in Manhattan in New York City, USA, and this is the only electric I played.

See the other reviews for the specs, or visit http://www.jacksonguitars.com. Look for the DKMG there.

I played this for about 20-30 minutes, and then my dad played it for about ten or so. More below.

I play mostly metal and hard rock, occasionally dabbling with classical, jazz and other ethnic music. This can excel in a lot of music. I had a hard time believing that... I mean, with the amp I was using (some Crate 120 watt 2x12 combo), I dialed up different distortion tones, and most could be cleaned up from the guitar with the active circuit off. With the circuit on, I didn't use too much boost. Probably about 1/3rd on. All the positions were relatively hum free, unless you're using the turbocharger more than halfway, with the volume and tone knobs up full.

Whne I got my dad to try it, he was impressed. He plays no metal whatsoever, and he found himself digging the tones! That gave me an idea of the versatility of this guitar. His fingerpicked lines came through very clearly, without any muddiness. The tone knob is smooth throughout, and can be rolled off to get that smoky jazz tone. Imagine that on a Jackson! Great job here, guys.

The action was perfect. No buzzing, yet low enough for tapped runs. I noticed no flaws, and the neck is great. Not too thick, yet substantial. I could actually use .011 gauge strings (in standard tuning) with this if I wanted for thicker tones.

No problems with the humbuckers.

This would definitely withstand my abuse. The neck joint was solid on the guitar I tried. I did note the other problems mentioned before, and would probably order some spare parts had I bought it. I'd probably have a Tremsetter installed to increase the bridge's stability.

For me, the strap buttons would have to go. In with the Dunlop Strap locks, and Levy's leather strap. The guitar, with its rich forest green finish, certainly deserves that fine piece of leather. :)

Had I bought this, my 1992 Ibanez RG560 would be quite the proud backup. :)

Been playing since 1991.

If it were stolen, then I'd hunt down the poor sap, and make him/her buy me another one with a maple veneer top, if a good reason was given. Otherwise, they'd get sued, and I'd be able to buy another one, plus a 7 string from Carvin, or the Ovation Celebrity Adamas acoustic guitar I noodled with on the same day as the Jackson.

If I'm not mistaken, this model is the main guitar of Ben Moody from Evanescence.

BODY Alder with Carved Top and Flame Maple Veneer
NECK Bolt-On Rock Maple
FINGERBOARD Rosewood
FRETS: 24 Jumbo Frets
PICKUPS: EMG HZ
CONTROLS: Master Volume,
Master Tone,
Active EMG TurboCharger
BRIDGE: Double Locking Tremolo

made in 2002, Transblack.

Amazing, You set up your guitar and your amp right, and start going, hit the solo, and pull up that tone nob and WOW absolutely phenominal. I play full on metal, and vitruoso kinds of stuff with this thing, and it's amazing. Pack it with a marshall or a randall, or a mesa, and the thing is just... :-O

Action was okay out of the box, I let my friend borrow it and he fucked it up, but thats not Jacksons problem.

The Floyd Rose does stay in tune better than anything else I;ve played. You can push that bar all the way to the body, either side, and stays perfectly in tune (maybe its just my guitar but it works like that on mine). the Finish is alright, I wish it wasn't veneer though.

I'd play this guitar live, without a back up, It's perfect, as long as you don't change your tuning. Which I don't. The hardware is good, but you may have to replace the nuts on the top, they strip really fast (I've learned this the hard way)

jackson - if you read this, give your dealers replacements, or include a couple with the guitars, PLEASE!

Never dealt with them, but now that Fender is the owner, I'm quite sad. Warranty is lifetime I believe

I love it, just need to watch out for the nuts. But other than that, if you want a really heavy metal guitar, or a guitar you can really shred, or solo with, this is the one.

If I lost it or what not, I'd buy another Jackson, not sure for the model, no 2 guitars are the same.

Made in Japan (not sure about the year, 2002?), black, 3-way tone selector, one tone knob, one volume knob (knob, haha), and all the stuff the dxmg has.

It suits my music style really good, since I play metal (mostly), no noise at all (except some from my crappy cable which has nothing to do with this). It sounds good, probably even better on a better amp. It sounds good when I play rock/punk stuff too. I like it. (Though I'll probably replace the pickups at some point).

It's great, no flaws at all. I did adjust one pickup a bit (personal prefrence).

YES. It hasnt got a scratch yet, and I don't exactly pamper my guitars. The strap buttons are good, and the finish seems good. I can depend on it, and it could probably gig without a backup.

It has a great price/quality ratio (or whatever, I dunno the word). I love the way it looks, sounds, and plays.

This guitar was bought in Denmark for about 800 dollars. This is cheap in denmark. New price at the time in november 2002 was 1150 dollars. I got it cheaper because it had been in the shop too long.

Well luck for me. Anyways, it's such a lovely guitar. Just look at the details. Super fast neck with piranha inlays, EMG HZ pickups, Afterburner (boost) and a lovely green basswood body. What more could you want ??

Mine is made in Japan as well, but the quality is superior

This guitar blew my mind the first time i heard it. I was choosing between the ESP LTD-202 BB with afterburner or this JAckson DKMG. The Jackson sounded a bit better and the dicision was easy.
I love METALLICA and other bands such as SUM 41, BLINK 182, CREED, OZZY. So mostly heavy rock and punk rock. This guitar takes it all. It suits every style i've tried.

The EMG HZ pickups are awesome even though the afterburner can make the guitar scream. I find the sound very rich and mean. Like James Hetfields growls !!!! Enter sandman up r a$$ !!
Max respect !!!!!

This guitar has a very low action from the start and makes soloing sooo much easier than on other guitars.
I went from a samick to this Jackson and the comparison is not fair ... For a while i also played on an American fender Strat and this one blows that away in the metal zone.

Everything is well adjusted and only one small concern

You HAVE to tune the guitar TWICE but after than it stays in tune. Even when it's freezing outside because once i brought it outside for like 30 minutes and it was still in tune. Good quality wood !!!

My friend ( Lasse Kolstrup) dropped on the floor and i just had to re-tune it. Luckily it didn't break. (lucky for him ... )

I played live with it once and it didn't let me down at all, as soon as i came to the solo part I activated the Boost knob and blew away all the spectators !!!! Crazy stuff

I went from a Samick to this Jackson DKMG and it was so much worth the money even though i had to pay 800 dollars here in Denmark !!

wicked stuff. Jackson Rulez forever and Metal up your ass !!!!

2001 Model made in Japan. 24 frets, double locking floyd rose. Solid top.

2 Active EMG HZ humbuckers with 3 way selector. One volume, one tone, and one push/pull switch/volume knob for the "turbocharger" which is a built in preamp for the output.

Fat frets with pirhana inlays, looks great.

Black forest finish, very beautiful

The EMG-HZ pickups are OK pickups, but they aren't wonderful. They have good harmonic response for pinched harmonics and open harmonics. They also have decent mid and low range, but they shine at high end response if the turbocharger is turned on. Good response comes from these things if the turbocharger is about 1/3 or 1/2 of the way up, but too far up will produce a very noisy sound that is almost muddy, but the worst part of this is that all the way up, the turbocharger makes the gutiar too sensitive to where sliding the guitar along your pants will produce a very noticable sound out of an amp. Basically, it clutters up your sound. The guitar sounds very good clean and can basically play any style you want it to.

The locking mechanism on this guitar is slightly off center and cannot be fixed because its only off slightly and it screws in where the nut is (the locker is the nut). Its slighly shifted toward the high e direction and this cause significant problems when doing pulloffs or fast fingering on the lower frets on the high e because the string will slide off those jumbo frets too easily making a dull thud. After playing on this thing for a long time, I've somewhat gotten used to it, but then playing on another guitar will make me realize how much I want this problem to go away. I have played other DKMGs without this problem, and they are a pleasure and are very nice.

The finish is beautiful (black forest). It is soo good looking with that black hardware and pirhana inlays,

One problem is that the metal hardware corrodes easily and it is a magnet for grime and corrosive hand oils and other grime. This causes frequent string breakage, and unsightly rust. Most importantly though, this causes the electronics near the knobs to get dirty and volume knob adjustment to be noisy and eventually fail, like it did on mine. I have already had to replace that volume potentiometer.

The finish is very durable and long lasting, can't even tell its been scratched and still shines. Excellent!

This guitar does not stay in tune for very long and all and slowly deteriorates with age. As of now, nearly any movement of the floyd rose tremolo even with the lock fully tightened will knock it out of tune. This is more the responsibility of the tremolo itself, but I have only had this guitar for 8 months and its already almost unplayable onstage because of the tuning problem. After this problem started, I adjusted spring tension according to floyd rose guides on maintainance, but even at its best adjustment after 2 hours of tuning and bending the tremolo to make it solid, it still has problems. I have even replaced springs to try and remedy the problem, but nothing has been completely successful. Ahh the woes of tremolos...

However, the actual body work of this guitar is quite excellent, it has been dropped onto its headstock a couple of times and has remained in tune afterward, and for a bolt on neck, that is quite good.

Jackson (AKAI) was quite fast at responding to by questions about strings and tremolos and were also quite knowledgable about it. Very good service, although a toll free number would have been nice.

I play fast metal and blues, and the fingerboard is very fast and nice.

I bought this guitar because I wanted to replace my strat with a humbuckered, 24 fretted, floyd rosed, metal machine that was well balanced and comfortable, and this guitar, when it was new, was perfect, and sounded better than any guitar I had played previously. However, its tune and intonation deteriorated quickly, and the tremolo became a huge risk to use anymore because of its tune problem. It breaks strings like nothing else I have ever seen ( at its worst it was breaking one every 2 days ) and now that its not breaking them as much its better. I don't break strings as much on any other guitar as I do on this one. I have also had to adjust the action on it a lot because a buzz will come out of it the lower strings. However, I think all of this is is due to the tremolo. Otherwise, the guitar is great.

If I lost this thing or it were stolen, I wouldn't replace it. It has sufficiently scared me away from tremolos, and if I were to get another floyd rose Guitar, I would not spend any less than a thousand on it to make sure it was rock solid.

By this point, you are probably well aware of the features on this guitar, EMG-HZ's w/ the "Turbocharger", Floyd Rose tremelo, locking nut, etc.

The HZ pickups are fair, providing a relatively well balanced response. The value of the "Turbocharger" circuit is questionable. When used at it's maximum output, appox. 20db of gain, it generates considerable noise - but hey, it's gain, love it or hate it. I dabble in a wide variety of musical categories, emphasis on the harder faster end of things (usually) and by and large this guitar has proven itself both capable and fairly flexible. My current rig is a Line 6 Spider212 100 watt combo that is also driving a MesaBoogie slant 4 X 12 cab. No outboard effects necessary-straight in-total death out.

The neck, action and finish on this thing are flawless, really incredible. The Floyd Rose trem on the other hand will require some setup finesse and a good deal of luck to operate perfectly-don't hold yer breath though. Intonation, fretwork, and right-out-of-the-box playability are really superior

This guitar is still fairly new to me but rest assured over the next several years it's gonna take a beating. Thankfully, I have every reason to think it will stand up to whatever I can dish out - not like it has a choice in the matter anyway. Only a musician with the IQ of a houseplant gigs without a backup-it's a no brainer.

No experience in this area, nor do I forsee any need. What breaks-I fix.

I've been playing for upward of 20 years now - so it's safe to say I've played, owned, borrowed and/or drooled over every piece of gear out there at one time or another. My guitar collection is as large as my wallet will allow- aside from the DKMG, I've got an Applause AE48 acoustic and a Washburn Dimebag signature model that I've hot rodded to the gills. There is no question in my mind that with the purchase of this Jackson, I got alot of guitar for the dollar.

I bought this guitar online in 2002..its comes equipt with a floyd rose tremola, EMG HZ pickups, EMG Turbo Booster, 24 frets on a reletivly thin neck, great action for hitting those higher notes.

I am into metal. Thats pretty much all I listen to and play. I was once in a pop punk band where I played bass and my guitarist used my guitar for a couple shows (because his Ibanez was crap compared to this beauty) and it worked great even for that style. I play it through a Randall RH200 head and a Randall cab with a Boss Metal Zone pedal and Moorely Little Aligator volume and this guitar sounds great through it. The EMG Turbo Booster is crap in my opinion. It gives you a nice boost of volume when playing clean, but distorted it does nothing but increase the feedback. Ive had problems with it when playing and stopping abruptly. I had a ring from the springs in the back that just made the guitar sound like crap. I've heard putting a little sliver of wood under the springs would stop it, but I didnt have wood so I used paper. The problem is now gone. Easy fix. I hate the tremola on this thing because it is soo annoying when it comes time to change strings. But I guess thats just personal preference, not a real problem

As soon as I took this guitar out of the box, it playing very well. I had to adjust some things like teh truss rod because I had a little bit of buzzing from the B and high E strings, and i adjusted the springs a little bit to get that real low action that I love so damn much. When I lowered the strings I had to lower the neck humbucker because when I palm muted, the strings would buzz against it. The finish and allignment of the guitar was in perfect shape. No problems besides adjusting it to my personal preference.

This guitar is a beast when it comes to live playing, or really any playing. I flail about when I play and it stays in tune the whole time and has never broken on me in any way. I've dropped it on accident a couple times, ran into things with it on accident a couple times and have even gotten drinks spilled on it on accident a couple times. It stood up to the abuse and still plays like a dream. I think it is a highly rependable guitar. Very low maintainance. I would just have a backup guitar(if you had the money for a backup) because once a string broke on it while playing and there is no point in continuing. Once a string breaks on a floyd rose, its a bitch to get it back into tune.

I've never had any problems with it so I wouldnt know how their customer support opperates.

Overall, this is a great guitar for beginner or advanced. It has all the features that a more advanced guitarist would want plus the action suitable for a beginner. I would recomend this guitar to anyone that isnt rich and could buy better. In its price range I havent come across a better guitar.

made 2001 in japan. 24frets of beauty. solid cobalt metallic blue finish. 1 volume 1 tone and another that I'm still learning how to use. 3way switch for H/H. EMG HZ passive humbuckers. poplar body with a floyd rose. thin neck but perfect feel for big hands (like mine)

My music style is metal rock and jazz and plays like a dream for all three. The pickups give a nice fat sound in clean and crunchy overdrive (think aerosmith with more crunch). I really love the sound, it's 20x better than my ibanez

action was beautiful but made it as low as i can (2mm action still works perfect with no buzz) pickup height was great. the only flaw I can find for this guitar is the person playing it isn't a virtuoso;)

Haven't played it live but it holds up really well and the strap holders are solid so is the guitar. Hardware seems solid also and so does the finish (bumped the finish a couple times with no damage). I would depend on it but it has a floyd so take a backup when gigging because of the time factor in changing a string.

Never had to deal but I've heard good things.

I've been playing about 8months now and I own my skill to my guitar teacher that's very knowledgable and helpful so I'm playing at a 2yr level. I would definetly get this guitar again (or possibly another backup in the future) because I love how it plays and the top is so comfortable especially playing standing up. I'm comparing this to my Ibanez Rg120 and it just blows it away. I recommend this guitar to anyone (bigger hands preferable because the neck is a little thicker than the wizard but feels a lot better).

Bought the guitar early this year from an online dealer. Nice looking guitar that is loaded for the price. It has two EMG HZ (passive) humbuckers, Floyd Rose trem., bound fretboard (rosewood), poplar body, maple neck (bolt-on) and pirhana inlays (nice).

The pickup selector is a standard 3-way switch but the guitar has an "EMG Turbo Charger". Basically an active pre-amp running off a 9v battery, one of the volume controls (or tone - I forget) is push/pull. Pull and you get a 20dB boost. Useful for a rock to metal switchover (or rhythm to lead I suppose) but I don't generally use it - too much hassle when compared to stomping a pedal (my hands are busy enough when I'm playing!).

A bit of a rockers guitar really (keeping with the Jackson reputation!). That said I've had no trouble getting a decent sound for other musical styles. The pickups are a bit weedy but not bad by any means.

Personally, once I have pickups that are in the realms of 'decent' and provide a generally nice tone (i.e. not too much bass and vice versa) I tend to find that the amp/effects become the concern - not the pickups. In my opinion the pickups in this guitar are good enough - I doubt there'd be much value in upgrading them unless I were also upgrading my amp/effects to top of the line (I guess my analogy would be "why get a great stereo if you only have sh*te speakers?"). At the moment I'm using a Marshall MG100DFX and a Digitech RP-300 - I'm happy with the sound and can get most any sound I want.

Action, pickups etc. etc. everything was setup fine. I had to tweak the trem when I increased string gauge but that's to be expected.

Thrashed the guitar almost daily for a year - no problems. :)

Never used em'.

Great guitar. I've been playing around 6 years but over the last couple of years I've spent a great deal of time buying/selling/trading guitars. This has put many a guitar in front of me - ranging from entry level Squier to top-of the line Ibanez Prestige models and all that lies inbetween. Believe it or not, the Jackson is the only guitar (so far) that I've decided is a keeper. Guitars have been coming and going yet the Jackson stays with me - I think that says something about it!

I bought this guitar new in 2002. It's made in Japan, see other reviews for features...I do dig the Piranha inlays...

Sounds good. I play mostly 80's metal, thrash, etc. It sounds good clean, great distorted. I use a stereo power amp, stereo eq, Digitech RP-21D, Sonic Maximizer, Fender 4x12. The EMG pickups are good, the preamp is a waste of time. All it does is muddy the sound, I find no good use for it...I'd give it a 9 rating without the preamp, a 6 with...

The setup was pretty good, only needed minor tweaking. However, the locknut was stripped when I bought it, No allen wrenches were included, and the whammy bar was chrome (the damned thing has black hardware...)

This guitar WILL NOT STAY IN TUNE!!! I have tried everything, but no matter what, one chord and it's out... I'm currently trying to get Jackson to rectify this...

Jackson has always had the best customer service on the planet. I have no doubt that they'll take care of me. I own many Jacksons and Charvels, and they've always been good to me.

I've been playing over 20 years, have had MANY guitars, if this thing would stay in tune it would probably be my main guitar. It plays great, sounds great, looks great, but if it won't stay in tune, it's useless. hope that gets straightened out...

Made in Japan. 24 frets, Floyd Rose tremolo, Black Forest top, Alder body, volume, tone, three way selector, Turbocharger (which can pump your volume at the expense of a little tone), strat style, pirahna inlays, Locking Tuners XJ frets that is a dream to play with the fastest neck you've ever played. You can race up and down faster than Mustaine with this. EMG-HZ pickups which are a little sketchy. They are active when you pull the Turbocharger. 9volt battery needed which kind of sucks. Oh, and if you don't know how to replace strings in a tremolo, don't do it or your strings will buzz. It's fucking loaded for the price. It's not a shame to look at it either with it's carved top.

It's a metal guitar. Clean pretty much sounds like crap. But run through a Boss Metal Zone makes it a very reliable metal thrasher. It can get out of control sometimes but a little tweaking will make the sound focused. Metal only. Don't try anything else. It will die.

Action was good from the factory but I kinda fucked it up. Floyd Rose can be a pain in the ass. Learn how to maintain a Floyd Rose first. Jackson kicks ass even if it was made in Japan. Nothing too loose too tight or scratched.

It is very sturdy as I've knocked it up the first month I've had it. Don't let your sweat get on it. The guitar isn't going to break unless you drop it a few times. It's no frills so nothing will go wrong but it has enough bells and whistles to make you happy.

N/A

I've played for a year after playing violin. I have a Epiphone Les Paul Standard too. They're different guitars. Don't compare them. If it were stolen I'd see how much money I had before I bought another one. But first I'd castrate the guy who stole it. Get a good loud amp to hear it at its best. And the Boss MT-2. It helps.

OK check it out.....this thing is loaded with emg-hz humbuckers, 24 fret neck, little badass triangle things on the frets instead of dots,made in japan, cheaper version of a floyd rose (still works), and any other ting u can think of on a made for metal guitar. Now listen thing guitar is made to thrash.........

This particular guitar matches my style perfectly.......Metal,Neo-Classical,lead guitar a la Dimebag......things loaded.......the things are in no comparision to the emg 81's or whatever....but for the sound and price.....i cant complain...im using a Spider 100watter with it.....CAN U GET ANYBETTER SOUND OUT OF THIS PAIR!........the thing growls and howls.......its a monster....the things got a decibel booster....which kicks it in pretty cool for the leads....it can hum a bit...but its ok.....the thing is adjustable...it can go away....things awesome

PERFECT, I own two Jackson guitars, and have always gotten the same quality.....great, dependable......thanks Jackson.....its got two colors.....green (dark))......green(darker)........the thing was in perfect condition when i got it....and it has lasted.....o i say......a good two days......but my other jackson has lasted my a hard two years.......it can take the abuse(cough,headbang,cough)....its a great guitar ......beautiful.....the thing i am gonna live for.

yes......yes........ and......yea i would gig without a backup......

never delt with the people before.....but by the way they make their guitars........they got to be alright

All i got to say is this......i know a little thing about music......and i know a litle thing about guitars.........(he he)....viva Jackson....Go line 6......dont listen to those tube fellows.....viva la RESISTANCE.........no kidding i know what i am talking bout

This guitar was made in Japan in 2001. It has an arch top body which is made of poplar, a bolt-on maple neck, and a bound rosewood fretboard. The neck is 25.5" scale, with nice fat jumbo frets. It has 3 knobs; volume, tone, and gain boost. It has a 3 way selector for the dual EMG-HZ humbuckers. It has a Strat style body, with a reverse headstock. The bridge is a double-locking Floyd Rose (JT580LP). The only thing that came in the box with the guitar was a warranty card, a catalog, and a single tool for the bridge and truss rod.

This instrument suits my style perfectly. I play thrash mostly, and this thing screams through my Marshall MG 30-watt amp. With the built in EMG turbocharger, I no longer have a need for my BOSS MT-2 pedal. There is a little bit of a hiss when you crank the gain on the turbocharger all the way up, but not so much so that it's a problem. It has a warm, fat sound, but at the same time is able to produce a nice "crunch." I can't say that there is much I dislike about the way this guitar sounds.

Jackson really goes out of their way to set up their instruments right before they ship them out. The action, pickups, and bridge were all set up perfectly when I took it out of the box. There were no flaws anywhere on this guitar, everything was properly adjusted and assembled. A beautiful guitar in every way.

This guitar will definitely withstand live playing and the hardware and finish seem as though they will last for several years to come. I would never play a gig without a backup, but if I had to, this would be the guitar I'd take.

Haven't had to deal with them.

I've been playing off and on for a few years now, I have an Ibanez GSA60, and a Gibson SG Goth. If it was stolen or lost, I would definitely replace it with the same model. My favorite feature is the variable gain. I wish it had a cutoff switch, but they loaded it with enough features for the price.

This is a 2001 Guitar Center 37th Anniversary edition DKMG. It was made in Japan. It's an Arch top. The are three controls a volume, tone, and a preamp push pull knob. It comes with two passive EMG-HZ humbuckers. The body is poplar and has a bolt on maple neck. The body style is strat. It has a JT580LP double locking tremolo. It has It has a 25.5" scale with 24 jumbo frets It has Jackson tuners. only thing included was the allen wrench for the tremolo and locking nut.

This guitar suits my music style just fine. I am mostly a metal player, But I also play alternative. Right now this is running through a Crate GT-80DSP, and a digitech RP-10. This is mostly a hard rock guitar. The EMG-HZ pickups are good stock pickups compared to the duncan designed, etc. But these are Not EMG 81's which everyone compares them to. The stock pickups do have a great bite but they have a little bit too much treble to them. But for stock pickups they are very good. The preamp totally pumps this guitar up. This guitar screams when you have the preamp totally cranked. The only problem is there is alot of hiss that comes with trying to throw all that gain through your amp. It's not unbearable though so i can deal with it.

Everything was set up top notch. I bought an extra set of strings to restring it when i bought it, but i still haven't changed them yet. finish action, everything was perfect

I just bought it so i can't tell how well it will hold up. Everything is solid the hardware, finish, strap buttons, everything! I would gig with it. But know matter what guitar I have I would never gig without a backup.

haven't dealt with them

I've been playing off and on for seven years. I also own an early 90's Kramer 120. If it was stolen I would get a new one for sure. I only wish it was a neck-thru. My favorite feature is the preamp. I think it is better than all the new ESP LTDs that have the same pickups.I compared it to the ESP LTD KH-502.