Gibson Brian Ray 62 SG Junior vs Jackson X Series Dinky DK2X HT
Reasons to Get
Gibson Brian Ray 62 SG Junior over Jackson X Series Dinky DK2X HT
Reasons to Get
Jackson X Series Dinky DK2X HT over Gibson Brian Ray 62 SG Junior
Other Key Differences
Gibson Brian Ray 62 SG Junior vs Jackson X Series Dinky DK2X HT
Shared Features
Gibson Brian Ray 62 SG Junior vs Jackson X Series Dinky DK2X HT
Common Weaknesses
- Weight Relief
- Locking Tuners
- Stays in Tune (Evertune)
- High-Quality Frets
- Luminescent Sidedots
- Strap Lock
- 21:1 Tuner Ratio
- Active/Passive Preamp
Table of Contents
Price History Comparison
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Which One is Better Overall?
After going through our comparison algorithm, the results show that the Gibson Brian Ray 62 SG Junior is probably the better product overall with its final score of 74 compared to the Jackson X Series Dinky DK2X HT's 66 score, although not by a lot.
The Gibson Brian Ray 62 SG Junior wins when it comes to sound, build quality. On the other hand, the Jackson X Series Dinky DK2X HT has the upper hand when it comes to value for the money.
If you got small hands, you'll probably feel that the Jackson X Series Dinky DK2X HT is easier to play.
Which One is Better for Beginners?
If you're looking for your first guitar to learn how to play, the Jackson X Series Dinky DK2X HT is the better choice.
The Jackson X Series Dinky DK2X HT meets 5 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness, while the Gibson Brian Ray 62 SG Junior meets only 4. This takes into account the type of frets, scale length, nut width, bridge type, fretboard radius, and neck profile to determine the easiest combination for new players.
New Player Friendliness
Gibson Brian Ray 62 SG Junior- Comfortable shape
- Easy-to-use bridge
- Tall frets
- Comfortable neck
- Comfortable fretboard
- Narrow nut
- Short scale
- Locking tuners
New Player Friendliness
Jackson X Series Dinky DK2X HT- Comfortable shape
- Easy-to-use bridge
- Comfortable fretboard
- Tall frets
- Comfortable neck
- Narrow nut
- Short scale
- Locking tuners
Nevertheless, when it comes to choosing an instrument, you should pick the one more compatible with your personal style. Still, below we'll try you to give you our results as objectively as it's possible to help you decide.
Gibson Brian Ray 62 SG Junior Overview
- From Gibson's 2019 Artist Collection series
- Brian Ray Signature
- Made in United States
- 6 strings
- 24.75"'' scale
- 12" Fretboard Radius
- Solid Mahogany body
- Solid Mahogany, Long Tenon, Hide Glue Fit neck
- Indian Rosewood fretboard
- Bridge pickup: Gibson Custom Dog-Ear P90 w/ Switchable Induction Coil Circuit (Humbucker/Passive)
- 1 volume and 1 tone Bell knobs
- ABR-1 with convertible options bridge
- Custom 1962 Slim Taper Set neck
- 22 Jumbo frets
- Vintage tuners
- Compare Specs >
Jackson X Series Dinky DK2X HT Overview
- From Jackson's 2021 X series
- Made in Indonesia
- 6 strings
- 25.5"'' scale
- 12" to 16" Fretboard Radius
- Poplar body
- Maple neck
- Laurel fretboard
- Bridge pickup: Jackson High-Output Humbucking Active (Humbucker/Active)
- Neck pickup: Jackson High-Output Humbucking Active (Humbucker/Active)
- 1 volume and 1 tone Dome knobs
- 3-way Switch
- Jackson HT6 String-Through-Body Hardtail bridge
- Speed Bolt-On neck
- 24 Jumbo frets
- Jackson Sealed Die-Cast tuners
- Compare Specs >
Sound Quality Comparison
The wood used in an electric guitar or bass is not as important to determine the final tone. However, some people prefer specific wood types, so we'll take a look at those first. Then, we'll take a look at the electronics to determine the versatility and sound quality of each instrument.
Woods Used in the Gibson Brian Ray 62 SG Junior
Mahogany is a fairly rare wood nowadays. It's used mostly for bodies due to its relatively lightweight. Gibson popularized it with their Les Paul guitars during their golden years, so this wood has a lot of good reputation behind it. The most expensive type comes from South America and it's still used by Gibson even today. Find out more about Mahogany.
Rosewood is an almost purple-looking wood that is used mainly for fretboards since it's heavy, rare, and expensive. It's sometimes used on acoustic guitar bodies to create stronger warm tones. Find out more about Rosewood.
Woods Used in the Jackson X Series Dinky DK2X HT
Maple is one of the most popular necks for good reasons. It is a strong wood that is relatively cheap to make and looks beautiful. The highest quality maple is the hardest that comes from North America. Find out more about Maple.
There are many types of Laurel, but East Indian is the most common for guitar building. Its color can vary from dark to light brown with black lines. Many people find its tonality similar to Rosewood, which favors the warmer frequencies. Find out more about Laurel.
Poplar is a cheaper and heavier alternative to Alder wood. It terms of tone, it emphasizes the low-end and has cutting mids. It's relatively soft compared to most body woods. Find out more about Poplar.
Winner: Gibson Brian Ray 62 SG Junior.
Pickup Configuration
The Gibson Brian Ray 62 SG Junior has an H configuration while the Jackson X Series Dinky DK2X HT has HH pickups.
A single H pickup gives you the advantage of having a little longer sustain (all other things being equal) because there will be less magnetic fields from other pickups affecting the strings' vibration. However, they also give you the least versatility because you won't have other pickups at different distances from the bridge to create different tones. A single humbucking pickup is used for noiseless high output, which is used mainly for Hard Rock genres.
On the other hand, Double Humbucker (HH) is the choice for people who want a fuller, more round sound with tons of mids and lows. Humbuckers also get rid of the hum noise that plague single-coil pickups. They can work out for almost any genre going from Djent to even Jazz.
Pickups Quality
The Gibson Brian Ray 62 SG Junior has pickups from a more specialized brand than the Jackson X Series Dinky DK2X HT. Its pickups should simply give you a better, fuller sound, although it all depends on what type of music you're going to play. We recommend these pickups for Country and similar genres.
The Gibson Brian Ray 62 SG Junior's pickups are Passive while the Jackson X Series Dinky DK2X HT's are Active.
Passive pickups are what most guitars use. These have a normal output that works well for most genres. However, Active pickups are the preferred choice of heavy metal players because they offer extra output thanks to their 9v battery, which results in a heavier, more distorted sound. Bear in mind that achieving a completely clean tone with them won't be easy. So if you want to also use clean tones, you might want to avoid Active pickups.
Winner: Gibson Brian Ray 62 SG Junior.
Versatility Comparison
Some instruments offer you more ways to explore your creativity than others. Below you'll find how both compare when it comes to versatility.
Switch Options
The Jackson X Series Dinky DK2X HT gives you 3 switch options while the Gibson Brian Ray 62 SG Junior gives you 0. This means that the Jackson X Series Dinky DK2X HT gives you more options to find the right pickup combination for the type of sound you want to achieve
Only the Gibson Brian Ray 62 SG Junior comes with some kind of pickup modification: Multi-Voicing.
Multi-Voicing means the pickups come with multiple ''voices'', which means they can change the tone and gain by a simple switch or knob. Piezo, Fishman and similar are considered multi-voicing pickups.
When evaluating versatility, we also take into consideration bridge and neck joint type, number of frets, switch options, amount of pickups and more.
Winner: Gibson Brian Ray 62 SG Junior.
Final Sound Quality Scores
Build Quality Comparison
When it comes to build quality, we like to take into account everything used to build the instrument. This includes materials, hardware and the quality control expected depending on the country where it was built. Let's see how the Gibson Brian Ray 62 SG Junior compares to the Jackson X Series Dinky DK2X HT.
Country of Origin
The manufacturing country can tell a lot about the build quality of an instrument. The Gibson Brian Ray 62 SG Junior is built in United States while the Jackson X Series Dinky DK2X HT is made in Indonesia.
The United States is considered one of the best electric guitar manufacturers in the world. A guitar made in this country is supposed to have world-class quality control. Nowadays, guitars made in other countries can beat some of the ones made in the US, but most of the time, this country offers the best you can get. Of course, that comes at a price.
Indonesia is becoming the most popular country for guitar building because they can make good instruments for a low price. Some people think that they're 'the new China' when it comes to build quality. But the truth is that Indonesian guitars are more consistent, although Chinese quality has improved a lot in the last few years.
Winner: Gibson Brian Ray 62 SG Junior
Nut Material
If you want your guitar to stay in tune and sound good, you need a well cut nut. Nut quality can be inconsistent even when comparing two copies of the same model. The best way to make sure you're nut will be well done is by getting a nut made by an expert company like TUSQ or Micarta.
The Gibson Brian Ray 62 SG Junior has a Nylon nut. It used to be one of the highest quality materials for nuts (and still is), but it's rare to find nowadays because it's hard to work with. It's a very resistant material with very low friction, so it will keep the guitar in tune and will last for a long time
On the other hand, the Jackson X Series Dinky DK2X HT comes with a Plastic nut. This is a low-quality nut that you might want to consider upgrading soon. Bone and TUSQ nuts are the best for guitars with a fixed or simple tremolo bridge.
Winner: Gibson Brian Ray 62 SG Junior.
Fret Material
Most fret wire is made of nickel silver. This material eventually wears down after a lot of use and most instruments end up needing a complete fret replacement. However, some expensive models come with stainless steel frets. This is what you should aim for if you can afford it.
Unfortunately, none of them come with stainless steel frets.
Winner: Tie.
Bridge
The perfect bridge for you will depend on your playstyle because they all have advantages and disadvantages. However, some bridges are more expensive—like Floyd Roses and Evertunes—and thus add more value to a guitar.
The Gibson Brian Ray 62 SG Junior's brige is a Tremolo. Tremolo bridges give you more versatility than fixed bridges. They let you perform the intense vibrato effects that would be impossible with a fixed bridge. However, since the bridge floats and there's less contact with the body, the strings lose sustain slightly faster. They can also be a bit harder to restring and set up correctly than fixed bridges.
On the other hand, the Jackson X Series Dinky DK2X HT's is a Fixed. It's a simple bridge that is very beginner-friendly since it doesn't require any set-up. You can swap strings easily. It might also give more sustain since it doesn't have complex moving parts that make the strings lose vibration. However, it doesn't have the same versatility as a tremolo bridge.
Since we need to be objective, the most expensive type of bridge will be the winner of this section. In the end, this doesn't matter if you're not going to use the bridge for its original purpose, so choose the bridge that fits your playing style better.
Winner: Tie.
Tuners
Both come with regular tuners. The Gibson Brian Ray 62 SG Junior's are Vintage while the Jackson X Series Dinky DK2X HT's are Jackson Sealed Die-Cast
Winner: Tie.
Neck Joint
Contrary to popular belief, the difference in sustain and tone that some neck joints give to a guitar is simply unperceivable—if they're all well built. However, some of them do have advantages over the others.
The Gibson Brian Ray 62 SG Junior has a Set neck joint. This neck is tightly glued to the body. They give you the least versatility because you can't swap them for a neck that fits your hand better if you want to, unlike bolt-on necks. Some people think this gives more resonance and sustain, but there's no real difference if the bolt-on joint is well built.
On the other hand, the Jackson X Series Dinky DK2X HT comes with Bolt-On neck joint. This neck is joined to the body by 4 bolts that you can simply unscrew. This allows you to replace the neck or take it off for travel. It's the most common and cheapest way to build a guitar.
Winner: Jackson X Series Dinky DK2X HT.
Here is the list of features that were considered when choosing the winner in the Features subcategory:
Gibson Brian Ray 62 SG Junior
- Made in United States
- Expensive Wood
- Nylon Nut
- Top Brand Pickups
- Multi-Voicing Pickups
- Tremolo
- Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
- No Locking Tuners
- No Neck-Through Build
- No Weight Relief
- No Luminescent Inlay
- No Compound Radius Fretboard
- No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
- No Strap Lock
Jackson X Series Dinky DK2X HT
- Compound Radius Fretboard
- Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
- No Locking Tuners
- Made in Indonesia
- No Expensive Woods
- No High-Quality Nut
- No Top Brand Pickups
- No Neck-Through Build
- No Push Knob or Extra Switch Option
- No Weight Relief
- No Luminescent Inlay
- No Tremolo
- No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
- No Strap Lock
Final Build Quality Scores
Playability Comparison
Let's now compare their playability. Bear in mind that the instrument will feel different depending on your hand size and play style. That's why you should always test before buying. But if you can't or want a second opinion on it, we can still take a look at each of the important measurements of the instrument for you. This way, we can predict how easy a guitar might be to play, or how different it will feel compared to the other.
Remember that, even though the difference might seem small, every inch counts when it comes to feeling of the instrument in your hands. Any variation can completely change how comfortable a guitar feels in your hands.
Nut Width
The nut width will affect the separation between strings at the nut. In this comparison, the Gibson Brian Ray 62 SG Junior has the wider nut with 43mm (1.693'') vs 42.9mm (1.688''). This is a 0.1mm (0.0050000000000001'') difference
This means that it will be more difficult to do bar chords on the Gibson Brian Ray 62 SG Junior, especially closer to the nut. However, it's also easier to play without muting strings accidently. This favors people with big hands.
Scale Length
The scale length is one of the things that influences playability the most. This is the distance between the nut and the bridge and will affect everything from low action allowance, difficulty to perform bends, fret separation, and even tone.
The Jackson X Series Dinky DK2X HT has the longest scale: 25.5". The Gibson Brian Ray 62 SG Junior is only 24.75" long. This is a 0.75'' (19.1mm) scale length difference.
This longer scale means that the strings need more tension to get in tune. This is good if you want to avoid fret buzz, which can happen when the strings are too loose and touch the frets while vibrating. This is especially important when playing in lower tunings. This will also let you reduce the gap between fretboard and strings (low action) to make them easier to press down. However, this higher tension will also make it harder to perform bends and vibratos as the strings will feel stiffer.
This also means that the frets have a longer separation between each other, so this will make it harder for people with smaller hands when playing some chord positions.
Another characteristic of a longer scale is that it makes the guitar sound 'snappier' or brighter. This is due to the extra separation between harmonics and overtones produced by the tension. This influences tone more than any other factor (except the pickups).
Lastly, remember that you can also affect the tension of the strings by changing your string gauge. You can use a thicker gauge for more tension and a lighter one for less tension.
Neck Profile
No single neck shape is better than others. However, most people tend to prefer a thinner necks because it doesn't get in their way when playing fast and most hand sizes can adapt to it pretty well. However, some people still prefer thicker necks for a better grip, especially if they have big hands.
Both the Gibson Brian Ray 62 SG Junior and the Jackson X Series Dinky DK2X HT have a D-shaped neck. This is a thin and flat neck that is made for playing fast. If you prefer a neck that doesn't get in your way when soloing, this is the shape you should use. Guitarists that prefer to have a bit more grip won't like this type of neck.
Fretboard Radius
Most guitar fretboards are not flat; they usually have a curve or arc across their width. A curved fretboard will make it easier to perform chords without muting strings, while a flatter one will make it easier to play single notes, which is good for bending and soloing in general. The best fretboards have a compound radius that varies across the fingerboard, but they're not common since they take a lot more work to build.
In this case, the Jackson X Series Dinky DK2X HT is the only one with a compound radius. This is a huge win because it will give you the best of both worlds: a more curved radius in the first few frets for chords, and flatter as you come closer to the body for soloing.
Hand Size Comfortability
Everyone has a different hand size, and that's why it's recommended to try a guitar before buying, even if others tell you that it's comfortable to play. However, we can know whether a guitar favors small or large hands just by knowing its exact measurements.
And after taking into account the scale length, nut width, neck profile and fretboard radius, we can conclude that the Gibson Brian Ray 62 SG Junior favors large hands more than the Jackson X Series Dinky DK2X HT.
Gibson Brian Ray 62 SG Junior:
Jackson X Series Dinky DK2X HT:
Fret Size
Both have a Jumbo fret size. This is one of the tallest frets you can get. You won't feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings. It will give you the best sustain and all types of chords will be easier to play. However, you can end up changing the pitch of your notes if you press too hard, which is something people used to feeling the fretboard do when trying Jumbo frets for the first time.
