Do Jacksons sound worse than ESPs?

[eaeolian]

No, I'm sure this isn't the case.

Well, setup has a LOT to do with it. If you have uneven frets, for example, you'll get dead spots and in some cases shrill notes, etc. I've reached the point where I believe the quality of the fretwork/fingerboard/setup makes most of the difference in solidbody guitars.

 

[narad]

Well my dude, you're comparing two totally different guitars. Same body shape, to an extent.

The ESP is a Horizon arch top model with no Floyd Rose brah - no routing for said Floyd Rose. The Jackson is a flat stop model with the heavily routed body with 24 frets.

So naturally, regardless of pickups, pots, electronics yadda yadda fucking yadda - the ESP will sound thicker even just acoustically bro. The ESP has more wood since the top is a beveled edge guitar rather than the flat top Jackson.

TLDR: way more wood on ESP, way less wood on the Jackson.

I wouldn't even say that. Again, two random guitars, who knows, I can't see the sides. But I have a many horizons and one soloist here now, and the soloist is way thicker and heavier. It's more comparable to an M-1. When you look at an M-1, even though that's a flat-top, it's almost like the horizon shape is made by chiseling away extra wood from the M-1.

 

[Dr. Caligari]

Well, setup has a LOT to do with it. If you have uneven frets, for example, you'll get dead spots and in some cases shrill notes, etc. I've reached the point where I believe the quality of the fretwork/fingerboard/setup makes most of the difference in solidbody guitars.

Interesting, I haven't thought much about that.

I wouldn't even say that. Again, two random guitars, who knows, I can't see the sides. But I have a many horizons and one soloist here now, and the soloist is way thicker and heavier. It's more comparable to an M-1. When you look at an M-1, even though that's a flat-top, it's almost like the horizon shape is made by chiseling away extra wood from the M-1.

Which ones sound best and what bridges do they have?

 

[StevenC]

Yes, one who has played nothing but entry level or trash may find a Jackson amazing.

 

[narad]

Interesting, I haven't thought much about that.



Which ones sound best and what bridges do they have?

All 3 are really good, some of the best I have. I'm in the middle of a pickup swap on the Jackson now, so will be curious how it pans out. But really the biggest difference is not the sound, it's the feel. A Jackson neck and frets feel way different than ESPs. I prefer ESP, personally.

The Jackson has an original floyd. The M-1 has an ESP sinclair. The horizons have both.

 

[Dr. Caligari]

Hm cool! Annoyingly I don't have similar enough guitars to make a great comparison, but my Jackson feels "un-solid" and sounds quiet acoustically. Might just be the trem, or dud guitar...

 

[Manurack]

I wouldn't even say that. Again, two random guitars, who knows, I can't see the sides. But I have a many horizons and one soloist here now, and the soloist is way thicker and heavier. It's more comparable to an M-1. When you look at an M-1, even though that's a flat-top, it's almost like the horizon shape is made by chiseling away extra wood from the M-1.

And how much wood is on the string through body Horizon compared to the Jackson Floyd Rose Soloist?

A lot more. A hell of a lot more!

 

[trem licking]

No, I'm sure this isn't the case.

it is absolutely the case

 

[Blytheryn]

Ok can you explain to me how electronics can make the difference heard in the video? I genuinely don't know that much about electronics but I'm happy to learn.

Potentiometer values can deviate by up to 20%. This can make a guitar sound radically different.

 

[bigcupholder]

Wood varies a lot even in the same species and the same production line. That will absolutely impact the sound that the pickups generate. I once bought two identical guitars online at the same time and found one piece of wood was significantly brighter and livelier than the other, both unplugged and plugged in. Pickups can compensate for some of the inherent tone of the guitar, but it's foolish to believe the pickup is everything and the wood doesn't matter.

Pots can vary a lot and can make a guitar sound brighter or darker.

Pickups also have a range of tolerance, but I haven't personally tested how much that can impact the sound. I think wood would vary more between two otherwise identical guitars.

Strings make a big difference. Older strings sound dead and muffled. Heavier strings sound muddy. Lighter strings can sound a bit thin. It's funny that bass players obsess about their strings to the point of trying tons of different brands and constructions but guitar players tend to stick to one brand and ignore this factor entirely.

 

[Dr. Caligari]

it is absolutely the case

Just so I'm not misunderstanding... You're saying that only the pickups and other electronics on an electric guitar make a difference to the sound? Not things like construction, wood, hardware etc.?

No way.

 

[Emperoff]

Just so I'm not misunderstanding... You're saying that only the pickups and other electronics on an electric guitar make a difference to the sound? Not things like construction, wood, hardware etc.?

No way.

Tonewood debate, here we go!

 

[eaeolian]

Just so I'm not misunderstanding... You're saying that only the pickups and other electronics on an electric guitar make a difference to the sound? Not things like construction, wood, hardware etc.?

No way.

I think it's minimal. Scale length makes a much a much bigger difference than hardware (unless that hardware is crap and causing things like string buzzing), for example. Pot values have an influence, so the better the tolerances on the parts (more expensive), the more predicable they are. Wood type isn't as big of a player as wood resonance, and that varies even within the same species.

 

[Dr. Caligari]

Potentiometer values can deviate by up to 20%. This can make a guitar sound radically different.

I just don't think pots make that huge of a difference though. Slightly more or less treble bleed maybe but more than that? I can't really see it... but to be fair I have never compared a million different pots in my guitars... should I?

Strings make a big difference. Older strings sound dead and muffled. Heavier strings sound muddy. Lighter strings can sound a bit thin. It's funny that bass players obsess about their strings to the point of trying tons of different brands and constructions but guitar players tend to stick to one brand and ignore this factor entirely.

My feeling is old/new strings make a difference for acoustics and bass/clean tones but that it doesn't really come through after distortion.

 

[nickgray]

found this comparison on youtube between two guitars, and I think the Jackson sounds really bad compared to the ESP.

They sound virtually indentical (yes, I have high quality monitors and headphones, and my ears are fine), and it's a shit recording because it's clipping. There's also far too much gain used.

and this thought occurred to me that maybe in general Jacksons don't sound as good as ESPs, for whatever reason.

It's the logo on the headstock. That has far and away the biggest impact of playability and sound. No other element of the guitar comes even close. I'm being dead serious, not joking in the slightest or being sarcastic.

 

[Dr. Caligari]

They sound virtually indentical (yes, I have high quality monitors and headphones, and my ears are fine), and it's a shit recording because it's clipping. There's also far too much gain used.

No the ESP sounds much clearer and more defined!

Am I the only one who thinks they sound different?

 

[trem licking]

Just so I'm not misunderstanding... You're saying that only the pickups and other electronics on an electric guitar make a difference to the sound? Not things like construction, wood, hardware etc.?

No way.

I'm telling you to look for quality construction and feel as well as the aesthetics and comfort that you like, because tone is ALL in the electronics. guitar players hyper-focus on things that are extremely trivial as far as "tone" goes. i mean, if it's fun for you to get out the microscope on things and nerd out then by all means have at it, but the truth of the matter is... tone is all pickups and resistor values in solid body electric guitars. there is no debate, this stuff has been figured out for a long time

 

[eaeolian]

Finally listened to the video. Part of what makes the Jackson "less defined" to you is the sag of the trem on the attack of the notes. As someone who switches between a Floyd and TOM all the time, it's a real thing. The rest is probably just playing variation - the attack angle of your pick is different when going from the TOM to the recessed Floyd, that's one reason I like my Floyds on top. It also seems like the Jackson is a bit darker, but SL2Hs come with a JB in the bridge and a 250K tone pot, whereas I'm sure the ESP with the JB has all 500Ks, so that would probably make a difference.

 

[RevelGTR]

it is absolutely the case

Swap the same pickups and electronics between a Les Paul with a TOM and a superstrat with a Floyd and tell me they sound the same. Fret material makes a difference as well. Warmoth even did a comparison swapping a huge neck and a thin neck on to the exact same body and there was a slight difference.

 

[Dr. Caligari]

I'm telling you to look for quality construction and feel as well as the aesthetics and comfort that you like, because tone is ALL in the electronics. guitar players hyper-focus on things that are extremely trivial as far as "tone" goes. i mean, if it's fun for you to get out the microscope on things and nerd out then by all means have at it, but the truth of the matter is... tone is all pickups and resistor values in solid body electric guitars. there is no debate, this stuff has been figured out for a long time

No, you're wrong.

Finally listened to the video. Part of what makes the Jackson "less defined" to you is the sag of the trem on the attack of the notes. As someone who switches between a Floyd and TOM all the time, it's a real thing. The rest is probably just playing variation - the attack angle of your pick is different when going from the TOM to the recessed Floyd, that's one reason I like my Floyds on top. It also seems like the Jackson is a bit darker, but SL2Hs come with a JB in the bridge and a 250K tone pot, whereas I'm sure the ESP with the JB has all 500Ks, so that would probably make a difference.

Yeah, I think you're right that the trem is a culprit here... Also interesting info about 250k pots, I didn't know that.

Can't help but wonder if things like the Jackson pickup placement and other construction factors also play a role but I guess that stuff is impossible to really narrow down.