Back for round two of my Jackson comparison series, this is the reveal episode where I unmask which playthrough was the cheap 7-string and which was the expensive one. I used the same Quad Cortex patches, the same layering left/right, and the same drums/mastering chain so you’re hearing the guitars themselves—not a bunch of moving target variables. To my ear, the differences are real, but they’re marginal: the cheaper guitar comes off a little brighter with more of that upper-mid thing, and the pricier one has more lower mids, more low-end in general, and a smoother top. Where the gap really shows up is hardware, stability, and overall feel. The cheap Jackson was a struggle because the tuning keys slip, so keeping it in tune between takes was a pain. The Pro Series with the EverTune is basically the opposite experience: I’m a sucker for things that just work, and being able to set it up and not worry—especially in drop F#—is a game changer for recording. My take: the budget one is a solid platform to tinker, learn setups, and upgrade over time (I’m going to keep revamping it on the channel), while the Pro is the “ready for the stage/serious tracking” option. I scored the JS-style budget Dinky a 2.5/5 and the Pro EverTune a 4.5/5 (it’d be a 5 if it came with a case).