Soloist...Dinky...Fusion...???

[DalyTek]

OK, I am sick of feeling stupid so I'm going to throw my stupid question on the table to be informed.

What's the difference between the Soloist, Dinky and Fusion? As far as I can tell, Soloists are all neck through, and all Dinkys (Dinkies?) are bolt-on. Is that correct?

What else are the differences, and how do you spot what which are which in not-so-good photos?

[neilli]

The fundementals are:

Soloist = neck thru
Dinky = Bolt-on
Fusion = Bolt-on with 25" scale (between a LP and a strat)

There have been various models of each, plus all the custom orders.

Older DK1s were h/s/s with 22 frets, newer are h/h with 24.
The vast majority of soloists have 24 frets, but there are some 22 frets out there.
Fusions have 24 frets, and I think they pretty much always have a 'scalloped' lower horn, and usually have some sort of mini switch between the pots. But of course, there are exceptions.

For 'production spec' guitars, there is no pattern to determine which is which regarding binding, fingerboard wood, inlays or whatever. Soloist students had rosewood with dots as did a lot of 'standard' dinkys back in the early Ontario days. Soloist customs were ebony with sharkfins, as are DK1s and current USA production soloists.

[Sunbane]

I could've sworn the Fusions were 24.75" scale?

[john.w.lawson]

They do, I think its just a type-O on his part. Fusions with trans finishs "PRO" fusion do not have the scalloped bottom horn. and some dinkys have the scalloped horn also, sound confusing?

[DalyTek]

So in other words, it's hard--if not impossible--to have a clear-cut easy way to ID from a simple picture? (Like the shrunk down crappy pictures on CL ads, for example.)
The exception being "if it's NOT a bolt-on neck, it's a Soloist."

Also, is a Dinky called a "Dinky" due to a shortened scale or something similar to that?

[Sunbane]

So in other words, it's hard--if not impossible--to have a clear-cut easy way to ID from a simple picture? (Like the shrunk down crappy pictures on CL ads, for example.)
The exception being "if it's NOT a bolt-on neck, it's a Soloist."

It may be hard, depending on the model and pic quality.

Also, is a Dinky called a "Dinky" due to a shortened scale or something similar to that?

'Dinky' is short for 'Dinky Strat'; the body shape is a downsized (roughly 7/8), streamlined strat body.

[toejam]

I could've sworn the Fusions were 24.75" scale?

Yep. It's a "fusion" between a Strat body and a Les Paul neck scale.

[DalyTek]

Thanks for the info guys. So I was pretty much right... (Are you proud of me? I researched BEFORE asking my stupid question!)
I see a lot of "Strat shaped" guitars on CL that just say "Jackson guitar" and they have no idea what it is.
I have also seen several guitars listed as a "Dinky" that turned out not to be.
One turned out to be an SLSMG for $300, but I missed out on it because it took me too long to figure out what it was.
That's why I am asking, so I can get better at IDing what I am looking at quickly.

[loose Cannon]

Surely the Stealth should be an honorable mention here while we r talking strat shape Jacksons??

[Sunbane]

Indeed!

There are also the SDK (Super Dinky) and SS (Short Scale) body shapes that fall into roughly the same category.