Improvements/Upgrades for a Jackson DK2M Dinky MIJ?

ghosty999

ghosty999

Well-known member
I got this guitar in LA Guitar Centre when visiting from Scotland in 2004, so it holds some sentimental value. I want to keep it forever but I feel it's time for improvements/mods...

1. I'd quite like coil tap for jangly cleans, what would you recomend for this set up?
2. Pickups?
3. Trem upgrade?
4. Wiring upgrades?
5. Pots?
6. Nut/Tuners?

What would you guys do?
 
Pickups always make a difference.
Pots can and do as well.
Coil taps are nice if you don't have a single coil.
One pickup that I absolutely love that I don't hear many talk about is the dimarzio Steve Lukather transitions.
The first thing I do with every guitar I own is change the pickups or atleast the bridge pickup.
Well all but one my Jackson soloist.
I might put a transition in the bridge , that guitar also has an active boost.
I do know that Lukather has an active boost in his guitar as well.
I guess I would start with a pickup and go from there.
Best of luck !
Please do update if you do make changes.
 
Kidkramer71 said:
Pickups always make a difference.
Pots can and do as well.
Coil taps are nice if you don't have a single coil.
One pickup that I absolutely love that I don't hear many talk about is the dimarzio Steve Lukather transitions.
The first thing I do with every guitar I own is change the pickups or atleast the bridge pickup.
Well all but one my Jackson soloist.
I might put a transition in the bridge , that guitar also has an active boost.
I do know that Lukather has an active boost in his guitar as well.
I guess I would start with a pickup and go from there.
Best of luck !
Please do update if you do make changes.
Click to expand...

I'm looking up the Lukathers now, do you feel it's an improvement over the stock Seymour Duncan JB etc? I find them a little flat in this guitar.
Thanks for advice!
 
ghosty999 said:
I'm looking up the Lukathers now, do you feel it's an improvement over the stock Seymour Duncan JB etc? I find them a little flat in this guitar.
Thanks for advice!
Click to expand...
I'm not a fan of JB's in Soloists or Dinkys, personally. They tend to get farty/woofy. I'd look for something a touch more focused and clarity.

Of course, better wiring/pots/caps can clean that up too.

I just sold an MIM Dinky that was super nice, and a great player. I liked the JB for a bit, but that woofiness always creeps up, and out it goes. A TB-5 is a GREAT upgrade.
 
I put a ToneNerd Sunset Strip in mine and it absolutely rips, I'll never remove it. I use this guitar for bridge rock/metal sounds only, it's a 97 MIJ Dinky
8E38F748-0CA6-4BC9-B011-5CBFB66EDAF6.jpeg
 
The transitions in my opinion are a great all around pickup.
I would not call it a metal pickup.
It does rock to hard rock , blues and clean very well.
I find it to be very articulate.
It can and does still do metal but there are others that do that much better.
But for 80's style music with some intricate guitar parts I love them !
Right now the jack is broke on my guitar with the transitions in it.
 
How is the tone now? Thinner than your other guitars? Or too middy? Scooped? Tell us what you feel the guitar lacks in or could be improved upon. Putting an OFR with a brass block will thicken the tone and improve clarity; putting a Duncan Custom in will reduce the grating high end of the JB(if that’s what you hear).
+++on the Tone Nerd pups from Scottosan…they are every bit as good as an MCP and better to my ears than the Bare Knuckle stuff.
 
Racerxrated said:
How is the tone now? Thinner than your other guitars? Or too middy? Scooped? Tell us what you feel the guitar lacks in or could be improved upon. Putting an OFR with a brass block will thicken the tone and improve clarity; putting a Duncan Custom in will reduce the grating high end of the JB(if that’s what you hear).
+++on the Tone Nerd pups from Scottosan…they are every bit as good as an MCP and better to my ears than the Bare Knuckle stuff.
Click to expand...
The tone is good, it's just not cutting or super clear. My Charvel you can really hear the squelch of the pick as it picks notes. The Jackson still has great sustain but is lacking top end clarity maybe? I don't hear a grating high end, the opposite infact.
Ill take a look at Tone Nerd!
 
ghosty999 said:
The tone is good, it's just not cutting or super clear. My Charvel you can really hear the squelch of the pick as it picks notes. The Jackson still has great sustain but is lacking top end clarity maybe? I don't hear a grating high end, the opposite infact.
Ill take a look at Tone Nerd!
Click to expand...
It’s easier to hit me up on here regarding pickups. I don’t advertise to keep prices way down.
 
ghosty999 said:
I got this guitar in LA Guitar Centre when visiting from Scotland in 2004, so it holds some sentimental value. I want to keep it forever but I feel it's time for improvements/mods...

1. I'd quite like coil tap for jangly cleans, what would you recomend for this set up?
2. Pickups?
3. Trem upgrade?
4. Wiring upgrades?
5. Pots?
6. Nut/Tuners?

What would you guys do?
Click to expand...
I had one. Alder body, maple neck, rosewood board. HSS configuration. Put a custom 5 in the bridge and it was an instant monster. amazing the change that happened with that swap.
 
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