ernie ball music man vs jackson

[bloodocean]

I recently acquired a Jackson USA Select Soloist SL-1, and an EBMM Majesty (7 string).

They’re both great, basically without fault.

I play the Majesty way more. It has mojo, it shreds, and I really, really like the Dreamcatcher bridge pickup. It’s a light weight guitar, comfy and the neck is lovely. It’s also clearly a fancier build vs. the Jackson in every way, yet somehow priced like $1k cheaper. I’ve never had a non-Floyd trem until this Maj, but rest assured EBMM knows what they’re doing.

The Jackson is the ultimate super strat. It’s also wonderful to play. The neck shape and compound radius are renowned for a reason. If you want to divebomb and squeal, the OFR abides. The SD JB bridge pickup - it's OK, not great. The one place Jackson dominates EBMM is its flush mounted anodized aluminum backplates with all of the screws (machine screws) going into threaded inserts. EBMM runs some odd sheet metal covers that are sprayed with something like truck bedliner, and they stand proud of the body.

 

[AkiraSpectrum]

Going to echo most everyone else in here. If you can't play them and you have to risk just ordering one without playing it then just pick one that you think is the coolest or most interesting. Just be aware of some of the 'outliers' like the Jackson PC which have very large necks and if weight is a factor for you then the Chris Broderick models might not be for you. EBMM JP 15's and Majesty's have very thin necks, so be aware of that.

Otherwise, order something from a store that has a good return policy if possible. If what you choose doesn't work for you, hopefully you can return it to get the next guitar on your list.

Good luck!

In terms of Jackson vs EBMM (Japan, USA vs. USA) I've played a fair amount of all of these and I own an older Japanese (2010-ish) Jackson DK2T; a Jackson USA Juggernaut 7; EBMM JP6; EBMM JR6. Each one of these guitars is great in their own way. The Jackson USA vs. EBMM USA's are obviously on the expensive side of things, but generally speaking, they're both in the same quality bracket (as are most things in that price-range).

 

[Jon Pearson]

I'll say again - a JP16 (used) is going to get you a Floyd-style bridge and the shreddiest spec of any JP guitar. Plus, sparkle finishes are the best

 

[sell2792]

I'll say again - a JP16 (used) is going to get you a Floyd-style bridge and the shreddiest spec of any JP guitar. Plus, sparkle finishes are the best

My only gripe with the 16 is that they removed the piezo system. Piezo saddles for a Floyd exist, why remove that?

 

[Jon Pearson]

My only gripe with the 16 is that they removed the piezo system. Piezo saddles for a Floyd exist, why remove that?

Because it's a SHRED MACHINE! Fair point though, that is a signature feature of Petrucci's guitars. Seems

 

[BabUShka]

The piezo was fun to play in the beginning, but I personally prefer the neck humbucker with a compressor, reverb and a nice clean channel

 

[Sermo Lupi]

I personally think the EBMM necks are nice and shreddy for the most part with the JPs and Jason Richardsons having a thinner D shape. They do tend to take a big hit on the used market if you don't end up liking it though.

You mean the used prices on the Jason Richardson model? The Petrucci models seem to sell quickly at surprisingly high prices. The days where you could expect to easily find a JP6 for under $1500 seem to be long gone...people are pricing those around $2500 on reverb these days, $3500+ for JP15s and Majesty's, often north of $4k for the latter. Granted, the new prices are also absurdly high compared to what EBMM were charging 10 years ago, but I'd say those guitars keep their value relatively well.

As for OP's question (and as Max said earlier), Jackson and Music Man make fairly different-feeling instruments. Best to just try them both out and see what you like. Some stores might be able to order something in without a condition to purchase upon arrival.

I've always preferred Music Man for their necks, but Jackson is at least offering more 'raw' or matte-finished necks than they used to.