Jackson Soloist vs Dinky [Main differences]

You’re looking for a Jackson superstrat but you can’t make your mind.

We all have been there. Sometimes even in the information era, it’s hard to find just what you need to make the right choice for you.

Before getting further into it, congratulations, both of these models are amazing guitars you wouldn’t be wrong even if you picked one of them blindly

If you want the short answer to what are the differences between a Jackson Solist and a Dinky, here it is:

The main differences between the Jackson Soloist and the Dinky are that the Soloist is neck-through, while the dinky has a bolt-on neck. Both the Dinky and the Soloist have a smaller body than a Stratocaster, with a compared size of 7/8. Also, the Dinky has a thinner and narrower neck than the Soloist.

In this article, we will talk about the main features of these 2 models, then will put them side by side and check out their main differences. Finally, we will give you some insights into what to expect from both of these models.

Are you ready? Let’s go!

Jackson Soloist main characteristics

Jackson Soloist

The Soloist is one of Jackson’s most traditional models. Since the mid-80s it has been an iconic model for the brand.

Designed with shredding in mind, it usually incorporates humbucker pickups and a tremolo floating bridge. That’s all you really need.

And we say “usually” because there are and there have been lots of different versions of this model.

You can find Soloists in HH pickup configurations as well as HSS (my personal favorites), as well as 7-string, hardtail bridges, different woods, etc.

The Soloist is just a concept that evolved and mutated with time.

But let’s talk about what makes a Soloist a Soloist.

It’s simple. The Soloist staple is having a neck-through construction and a not-so-thin neck profile, together with a body that’s 7/8 the size of a Stratocaster.

If we were to generalize even further or let the most expensive “USA Select” models define it, we’d say that a Jackson Soloist is a neck-trough guitar with a Floyd Rose bridge and either HH or HSS Seymour Duncan pickups.

Jackson Dinky main characteristics

Jackson Dinky

The Dinky is extremely similar to the Soloist, and it surely caters to the same audience. This is what usually leaves room for confusion since it’s very easy to mistake the two.

If the Soloist was conceived with hard rock and early stages of metal in mind, there’s an argument to be made in favor of the Dinky being a more modern metal-oriented guitar, at least nowadays.

Of course, nothing is set in stone and you can surely play any genre with any of these two guitars, but we are trying to get water from stones by comparing these two in a certain way.

To justify our claim about a more modern metal-oriented model, we will first define what makes a Dinky a Dinky: Its ⅞ body size, its bolt-on neck construction, and its thin, narrower neck profile.

If again, we guide ourselves for the “USA Select” version that Jackson offers, and we take it as the ultimate Dinky we can say that the Dinky is a ⅞ sized superstrat, a bolt-on thin neck,  a Floyd Rose bridge, and EMG active pickups.

Main differences between the Jackson Solist and the Dinky

As we said before, there are many versions of these 2 guitars, and if you search long enough surely you will find a way to dismiss the differences we are pointing out.

Nevertheless, what we intend to determine is, in a broader view, what are the specs that make these guitars different, and we think we can nail it down to the few things said earlier.

To sum up, here are the most defining features of the Jackson Dinky and the Soloist side by side to easily expose their differences:

SpecJackson Soloist SL1Jackson Dinky DK1
Body size7/8 of a Strat7/8 of a Strat
Neck constructionNeck troughBolt-on
Neck profileThicker and widerThinner and narrower
Pickup configurationHH, HSSHH
PickupsPassive, Seymour DuncanActive, EMG

Which one should you choose?

Here in GearAficionado, we don’t like pointing you blindly towards a certain piece of gear. Every choice is very personal and you might not like or hear the same things as we do.

We always encourage you to go and try the instruments for yourself, and if it’s possible, in the same environment and side by side.

A YouTube video or a blog post will surely not cut it.

However, and after all, this being said, here are our insights into which of these 2 guitars you should check out:

  • If you prefer neck-through guitars, try out a Soloist.
  • If you’re more into thinner necks, look for a Dinky
  • If you prefer a wider, thicker neck, grab a Soloist

We don’t think the pickup configurations or the pickup brands are a justified differentiation between the 2 because there are many versions available that satisfy every need for every model.