ESP Arrow-1007 Baritone Evertune vs Jackson X Series Kelly KEX
Reasons to Get
ESP Arrow-1007 Baritone Evertune over Jackson X Series Kelly KEX
Reasons to Get
Jackson X Series Kelly KEX over ESP Arrow-1007 Baritone Evertune
Other Key Differences
ESP Arrow-1007 Baritone Evertune vs Jackson X Series Kelly KEX
Shared Features
ESP Arrow-1007 Baritone Evertune vs Jackson X Series Kelly KEX
Common Strengths
- Neck-Through Build
- Compound Radius Fretboard
Common Weaknesses
- Pickup Alter Switch/Knob
- Weight Relief
- Luminescent Sidedots
- 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 ESP Arrow-1007 Baritone Evertune is probably the better product overall with its final score of 77 compared to the Jackson X Series Kelly KEX's 71 score, although not by a lot.
The ESP Arrow-1007 Baritone Evertune wins when it comes to sound, build quality. On the other hand, the Jackson X Series Kelly KEX has the upper hand when it comes to value for the money.
If you got small hands, you'll probably feel that the Jackson X Series Kelly KEX is easier to play.
Which One is Better for Beginners?
If you're looking for your first guitar to learn how to play, the Jackson X Series Kelly KEX is the better choice.
The Jackson X Series Kelly KEX meets 4 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness, while the ESP Arrow-1007 Baritone Evertune meets only 3. 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
ESP Arrow-1007 Baritone Evertune- Comfortable fretboard
- Tall frets
- Comfortable neck
- Comfortable shape
- Narrow nut
- Short scale
- Locking tuners
- Easy-to-use bridge
New Player Friendliness
Jackson X Series Kelly KEX- Comfortable shape
- Comfortable fretboard
- Tall frets
- Comfortable neck
- Narrow nut
- Short scale
- Locking tuners
- Easy-to-use bridge
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.
ESP Arrow-1007 Baritone Evertune Overview
- From ESP's 2024 Arrow series
- Made in Japan
- 7 strings
- 27"'' scale
- 12" to 16" Fretboard Radius
- Mahogany w/ Maple Cap body
- 3pc Maple neck
- Macassar Ebony fretboard
- Bridge pickup: Fishman Fluence Modern Humbucker Ceramic Black Nickel *(Pull Volume for Voice 2) (Humbucker/Active)
- Neck pickup: Fishman Fluence Modern Humbucker Alnico Black Nickel *(Pull Volume for Voice 2) (Humbucker/Active)
- 1 volume and 0 tone Dome knobs
- 3-way Switch
- Evertune (F model) bridge
- Extra Thin U Neck-Through neck
- 24 XL Jumbo Stainless Steel frets
- Grover tuners
- Compare Specs >
Jackson X Series Kelly KEX Overview
- From Jackson's 2022 X series
- Made in Indonesia
- 6 strings
- 25.5"'' scale
- 12" to 16" Fretboard Radius
- Poplar body
- Maple neck
- Laurel fretboard
- Bridge pickup: Jackson High-Output Humbucking (Humbucker/Passive)
- Neck pickup: Jackson High-Output Humbucking (Humbucker/Passive)
- 1 volume and 1 tone Dome knobs
- 3-way Switch
- Floyd Rose Special Double-Locking Tremolo (Recessed) bridge
- Speed Neck-Through 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 Both
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.
Woods Used in the ESP Arrow-1007 Baritone Evertune
Ebony is a high-end wood, so it is not cheap. It's only used for fretboards because it's also very heavy. It does an excellent job as a durable material while looking elegant. Find out more about Ebony.
Mahogany is a fairly rare wood nowadays. It's used mostly for bodies due to its relatively lightweight. Gibson popularized it with their Les Paul guitars during their golden years, so this wood has a lot of good reputation behind it. The most expensive type comes from South America and it's still used by Gibson even today. Find out more about Mahogany.
Woods Used in the Jackson X Series Kelly KEX
There are many types of Laurel, but East Indian is the most common for guitar building. Its color can vary from dark to light brown with black lines. Many people find its tonality similar to Rosewood, which favors the warmer frequencies. Find out more about Laurel.
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: ESP Arrow-1007 Baritone Evertune.
Pickup Configuration
Both pickup configurations are HH. 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 ESP Arrow-1007 Baritone Evertune has pickups from a more specialized brand than the Jackson X Series Kelly KEX. 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 Heavy Metal and similar genres.
The ESP Arrow-1007 Baritone Evertune's pickups are Active while the Jackson X Series Kelly KEX's are Passive.
Passive pickups are what most guitars use. These have a normal output that works well for most genres. However, Active pickups are the preferred choice of heavy metal players because they offer extra output thanks to their 9v battery, which results in a heavier, more distorted sound. Bear in mind that achieving a completely clean tone with them won't be easy. So if you want to also use clean tones, you might want to avoid Active pickups.
Winner: ESP Arrow-1007 Baritone Evertune.
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
Both are equal when it comes to the pickup switching option.
Neither of them come with some kind of coil split or pickup mod option. This makes both lacking in terms of versatility.
They both share the following switching options:
When evaluating versatility, we also take into consideration bridge and neck joint type, number of frets, switch options, amount of pickups and more.
Winner: Jackson X Series Kelly KEX.
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 ESP Arrow-1007 Baritone Evertune compares to the Jackson X Series Kelly KEX.
Country of Origin
The manufacturing country can tell a lot about the build quality of an instrument. The ESP Arrow-1007 Baritone Evertune is built in Japan while the Jackson X Series Kelly KEX is made in Indonesia.
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.
Indonesia is becoming the most popular country for guitar building because they can make good instruments for a low price. Some people think that they're 'the new China' when it comes to build quality. But the truth is that Indonesian guitars are more consistent, although Chinese quality has improved a lot in the last few years.
Winner: ESP Arrow-1007 Baritone Evertune
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 ESP Arrow-1007 Baritone Evertune has 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.
On the other hand, the Jackson X Series Kelly KEX comes with a Locking nut. Instead of a regular nut, this guitar has a locking system that will lock down the strings at the nut, preventing it from getting out of tune. It removes one of the disadvantages of tremolo bridges, tune stability.
Winner: Jackson X Series Kelly KEX.
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 ESP Arrow-1007 Baritone Evertune 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: ESP Arrow-1007 Baritone Evertune.
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 ESP Arrow-1007 Baritone Evertune's brige is a Evertune. It will keep your guitar in tune and intonated until the next string swap. If you really like extremely subtle vibratos, this might not be the bridge for you because you won't be able to perform them as well. However, the fact that you won't need to tune your guitar is a huge advantage that many people will gladly pay the extra price for.
On the other hand, the Jackson X Series Kelly KEX's is a Floyd Rose. This is a double-locking bridge system that allows you to perform techniques like dive bombs and pinch harmonics. The locking nut allows your guitar to stay in tune even after the most intense tremolo usage. The disadvantage is that it takes more work to change the strings and set up everything correctly.
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: ESP Arrow-1007 Baritone Evertune.
Tuners
Both come with regular tuners. The ESP Arrow-1007 Baritone Evertune's are Grover while the Jackson X Series Kelly KEX's are Jackson Sealed Die-Cast
Winner: Tie.
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 Neck-Through neck joint. This neck is a lot more resistant and lets builders give the neck joint a more comfortable shape for soloing at the upper frets. The disadvantage is that they're more expensive and that if you damage your neck, you can't simply replace it like with bolt-on necks.
Winner: Tie.
Here is the list of features that were considered when choosing the winner in the Features subcategory:
ESP Arrow-1007 Baritone Evertune
- Stainless Steel Frets
- Made in Japan
- Expensive Wood
- Top Brand Pickups
- Neck-Through Build
- Stays in Tune (Evertune)
- Compound Radius Fretboard
- No Locking Tuners
- No High-Quality Nut
- No Push Knob or Extra Switch Option
- No Weight Relief
- No Luminescent Inlay
- No Tremolo
- No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
- No Strap Lock
Jackson X Series Kelly KEX
- Locking Nut
- Neck-Through Build
- Tremolo
- Compound Radius Fretboard
- Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
- No Locking Tuners
- Made in Indonesia
- No Expensive Woods
- No Top Brand Pickups
- No Push Knob or Extra Switch Option
- No Weight Relief
- No Luminescent Inlay
- No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
- No Retainer Bar
- 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 ESP Arrow-1007 Baritone Evertune has the wider nut with 48mm (1.89'') vs 42.9mm (1.688''). This is a 5.1mm (0.202'') difference
This means that it will be more difficult to do bar chords on the ESP Arrow-1007 Baritone Evertune, 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 ESP Arrow-1007 Baritone Evertune has the longest scale: 27". The Jackson X Series Kelly KEX is only 25.5" long. This is a 1.5'' (38.1mm) 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 ESP Arrow-1007 Baritone Evertune has a U type of neck. This is also referred to as ''baseball neck'' because of its shape. It's usually thick, which is why some people with big hands like it. However, they can also be thin, similar to a C shape, but with more shoulders for a better grip.
The Jackson X Series Kelly KEX, 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 ESP Arrow-1007 Baritone Evertune favors large hands more than the Jackson X Series Kelly KEX.
ESP Arrow-1007 Baritone Evertune:
Jackson X Series Kelly KEX:
Fret Size
The ESP Arrow-1007 Baritone Evertune has XL Jumbo frets, which should be taller than the Jackson X Series Kelly KEX's Jumbo frets.
Some people prefer taller frets because they result in more sustain since the strings get pressed cleanly without interference from the fretboard. However, if they're too tall—like Jumbo frets—, you might change the pitch of the strings accidentally if you press too hard because you won't be touching the fretboard with your fingers. This is also why some guitarists with a heavy grip prefer smaller frets. They like to feel the fingerboard to avoid pressing down too hard and getting out of pitch.
