Ibanez AZ2203N Prestige vs Jackson JS Series Dinky Arch Top JS22-7 DKA HT
Reasons to Get
Ibanez AZ2203N Prestige over Jackson JS Series Dinky Arch Top JS22-7 DKA HT
Reasons to Get
Jackson JS Series Dinky Arch Top JS22-7 DKA HT over Ibanez AZ2203N Prestige
Other Key Differences
Ibanez AZ2203N Prestige vs Jackson JS Series Dinky Arch Top JS22-7 DKA HT
Shared Features
Ibanez AZ2203N Prestige vs Jackson JS Series Dinky Arch Top JS22-7 DKA HT
Common Strengths
- Compound Radius Fretboard
Common Weaknesses
- Neck-Through Build
- Weight Relief
- Stays in Tune (Evertune)
- 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 Ibanez AZ2203N Prestige is probably the better product overall with its final score of 80 compared to the Jackson JS Series Dinky Arch Top JS22-7 DKA HT's 64 score, which is a significant difference.
The Ibanez AZ2203N Prestige wins when it comes to sound, build quality. On the other hand, the Jackson JS Series Dinky Arch Top JS22-7 DKA HT has the upper hand when it comes to playability, value for the money.
If you got small hands, you'll probably feel more comfortable playing the Ibanez AZ2203N Prestige.
Which One is Better for Beginners?
If you're looking for your first guitar to learn how to play, the Ibanez AZ2203N Prestige is the better choice.
The Ibanez AZ2203N Prestige meets 7 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness, while the Jackson JS Series Dinky Arch Top JS22-7 DKA HT meets only 5. 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
Ibanez AZ2203N Prestige- Comfortable shape
- Easy-to-use bridge
- Locking tuners
- Comfortable fretboard
- Tall frets
- Narrow nut
- Comfortable neck
- Short scale
New Player Friendliness
Jackson JS Series Dinky Arch Top JS22-7 DKA 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.
Ibanez AZ2203N Prestige Overview
- From Ibanez's 2023 AZ series
- Made in Japan
- 6 strings
- 25.5"'' scale
- 9" to 12" Fretboard Radius
- Alder body
- Roasted Maple neck
- Rosewood fretboard
- Bridge pickup: Seymour Duncan Fortuna (H) (Humbucker/Passive)
- Middle pickup: Seymour Duncan Fortuna (H) (Humbucker/Passive)
- Neck pickup: Seymour Duncan Fortuna (H) (Humbucker/Passive)
- 1 volume and 2 tone Bell knobs
- 5-way Switch
- Gotoh T1502S bridge
- AZ Oval C Bolt-On neck
- 22 Jumbo Stainless Steel frets
- Gotoh Magnum Lock machine heads w/H.A.P. tuners
- Compare Specs >
Jackson JS Series Dinky Arch Top JS22-7 DKA HT Overview
- From Jackson's 2017 JS series
- Made in China
- 7 strings
- 26.5"'' scale
- 12" to 16" Fretboard Radius
- Poplar body
- Maple neck
- Purpleheart fretboard
- Bridge pickup: Jackson High-Output 7-String Humbucking (Humbucker/Passive)
- Neck pickup: Jackson High-Output 7-String Humbucking (Humbucker/Passive)
- 1 volume and 1 tone Dome knobs
- 3-way Switch
- Jackson HT7 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 Ibanez AZ2203N Prestige
Roasted Maple is just maple without a finish. It's technically cheaper than regular maple, but it doesn't have any extra disadvantages because of this. The color is darker, and it's lighter weight and very stable even when there's a lot of humidity.
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.
Alder is the most popular wood that Fender uses in most of their guitars nowadays. Even though they say it's because of its balanced tone with an emphasis in the upper midrange, it probably is because it isn't too expensive, and it's also pretty lightweight—more than Mahogany. Find out more about Alder.
Woods Used in the Jackson JS Series Dinky Arch Top JS22-7 DKA 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.
Purpleheart (also known as Amaranth) is a hard, dense wood with a brilliant tone. As its name suggests, the purple color makes this wood look exotic.
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: Ibanez AZ2203N Prestige.
Pickup Configuration
The Ibanez AZ2203N Prestige has an SSS configuration while the Jackson JS Series Dinky Arch Top JS22-7 DKA HT has HH pickups.
SSS is perfect for players who like to play clean. The definition you get between notes and the crispiness is unmatched by most other configurations. You can still use it for distortion, but you won't get the same kind of output and power compared to a humbucker, and the hum they produce also makes them less adequate for high gain.
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 Ibanez AZ2203N Prestige has pickups from a more specialized brand than the Jackson JS Series Dinky Arch Top JS22-7 DKA 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 Funk and similar genres.
Both use Passive pickups. This is what's used for most music genres. They have a regular output and will serve you for both high-gain and clean tones. The alternative (Active pickups) offer a higher output that is mostly used for heavy music.
Winner: Ibanez AZ2203N Prestige.
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 Ibanez AZ2203N Prestige gives you 5 switch options while the Jackson JS Series Dinky Arch Top JS22-7 DKA HT gives you 3. This means that the Ibanez AZ2203N Prestige gives you more options to find the right pickup combination for the type of sound you want to achieve
Only the Ibanez AZ2203N Prestige comes with some kind of pickup modification: Coil Split.
Coil Split lets you disconnect one of the pickup coils. When used with humbuckers, it turns them into single-coil with lower output and cleaner tone.
When evaluating versatility, we also take into consideration bridge and neck joint type, number of frets, switch options, amount of pickups and more.
Winner: Ibanez AZ2203N Prestige.
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 Ibanez AZ2203N Prestige compares to the Jackson JS Series Dinky Arch Top JS22-7 DKA HT.
Country of Origin
The manufacturing country can tell a lot about the build quality of an instrument. The Ibanez AZ2203N Prestige is built in Japan while the Jackson JS Series Dinky Arch Top JS22-7 DKA HT is made in China.
Japan has a long history of high-quality guitar building. Little has changed in terms of their manufacturing and quality control over the years. Many guitars made in this country can be compared—and even beat—others made in the US.
China has a bad reputation when it comes to building quality. However, times have changed and now respectable brands use China's cheap labor to build good instruments for a lower price. Don't discount a guitar only because it was built in China, but also expect more quality from countries like Korea.
Winner: Ibanez AZ2203N Prestige
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 Ibanez AZ2203N Prestige has a Bone nut. It's a type of nut found in high-quality instruments. They sound similar to Ivory since they give a lot of sustain and a bright sound (at least when striking open strings). The only problem they can run into is that you may get a bone piece that simply doesn't sound as well as others because that's just how natural materials are.
On the other hand, the Jackson JS Series Dinky Arch Top JS22-7 DKA 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: Ibanez AZ2203N Prestige.
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.
In this comparison, the Ibanez AZ2203N Prestige is the only one that has stainless steel frets. These frets will basically last for the entire life of the guitar. They will never need polishing nor replacement. And not only that, but some people also notice that bending and vibratos are much easier to perform when they upgrade to stainless steel.
Winner: Ibanez AZ2203N Prestige.
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 Ibanez AZ2203N Prestige'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 JS Series Dinky Arch Top JS22-7 DKA 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
The Ibanez AZ2203N Prestige has the best tuners of the two because they are locking tuners. They'll help to keep your guitar in tune because they allow you to tune it without wrapping the strings around the posts. This avoids variations in the tuning due to the strings changing position at the post after a bend. They come at the disadvantage of being slightly heavier than regular tuners. Also, it makes it a lot easier to restring.
Winner: Ibanez AZ2203N Prestige.
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.
Both have a 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: Tie.
Here is the list of features that were considered when choosing the winner in the Features subcategory:
Ibanez AZ2203N Prestige
- Stainless Steel Frets
- Locking Tuners
- Made in Japan
- Expensive Wood
- Bone Nut
- Top Brand Pickups
- Coil Split Pickups
- Luminescent Inlay
- Tremolo
- Compound Radius Fretboard
- No Neck-Through Build
- No Weight Relief
- No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
- No Strap Lock
Jackson JS Series Dinky Arch Top JS22-7 DKA HT
- Compound Radius Fretboard
- Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
- No Locking Tuners
- Made in China
- 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 Jackson JS Series Dinky Arch Top JS22-7 DKA HT has the wider nut with 47.6mm (1.875'') vs 42mm (1.654''). This is a 5.6mm (0.221'') difference
This means that it will be more difficult to do bar chords on the Jackson JS Series Dinky Arch Top JS22-7 DKA HT, 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 JS Series Dinky Arch Top JS22-7 DKA HT has the longest scale: 26.5". The Ibanez AZ2203N Prestige is only 25.5" long. This is a 1'' (25.4mm) 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.
In this case, both have different neck shapes:
The Ibanez AZ2203N Prestige has a C type of neck. This is what you'll find in most modern guitars. Most people feel like the thickness of a C neck is simply the less intrusive one for playing fast, while at the same time allowing you to grab the neck easily for resting if you want to.
The Jackson JS Series Dinky Arch Top JS22-7 DKA HT, on the other hand, has a D 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.
Both have a compound radius. This means both offer you the best craftsmanship when it comes to fretboard design. You'll have an arc to help you play chords close to the nut, while also having a flat design at the higher frets for faster soloing and easier bends.
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 Jackson JS Series Dinky Arch Top JS22-7 DKA HT favors large hands more than the Ibanez AZ2203N Prestige. But it's still more comfortable for people with small hands, as you can see in the score meter below.
Ibanez AZ2203N Prestige:
Jackson JS Series Dinky Arch Top JS22-7 DKA 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.
