Show Full Spec Comparison
| LTD GL Desert Eagle | Jackson MJ Series Soloist SL2 | |
|---|---|---|
| General | ||
| Brand: | ESP LTD | Jackson |
| Year: | 2024 | 2023 |
| Configuration: | HS | HH |
| Strings: | 6 | 6 |
| Made in: | South Korea | Japan |
| Series: | Artist | MJ |
| Colors: | Black | White, Black |
| Left-Handed Version: | No | No |
| Body | ||
| Type: | Solid Body | Solid Body |
| Body Material: | Alder | Alder |
| Bridge: | Floyd Rose 1000SE | Gotoh GE1996T Series Double-Locking Tremolo (Recessed) |
| Neck | ||
| Neck Joint: | Bolt-On | Neck-Through |
| Tuners: | LTD | Gotoh Sealed Die-Cast |
| Fretboard: | Macassar Ebony | Ebony |
| Neck Material: | Maple | 3-piece Maple |
| Decoration: | Dots | Pearloid Sharkfin |
| Scale Size: | 25.5" | 25.5" |
| Shape: | GL Original U | Jackson Standard |
| Frets: | 22 XL Jumbo Stainless Steel | 24 Jumbo Nickel Silver |
| Fretboard Radius: | 12" | 12" to 16" |
| Nut: | Locking | Locking |
| Nut Width: | 43mm (1.693'') | 42.9mm (1.688'') |
| Electronics | ||
| Bridge Pickups: | Seymour Duncan Distortion (Humbucker / Passive) | Seymour Duncan JB TB-4 (Humbucker / Passive) |
| Middle Pickup: | ||
| Neck Pickup: | ESP SS-120 (Single Coil / Passive) | Seymour Duncan Jazz SH-2 (Humbucker / Passive) |
| Switch: | 0 Way | 3 Way |
| Knobs: | Dome | Dome |
| Pickup Mods: | Coil Split | None |
| Volume Controls: | 1 | 1 |
| Tone Controls: | 0 | 1 |
| Hardware | ||
| Strap Lock: | No | Yes |
| Hardware Color: | Black | Black |
Show Diagrams Comparison
Reasons to Get
LTD GL Desert Eagle over Jackson MJ Series Soloist SL2
Reasons to Get
Jackson MJ Series Soloist SL2 over ESP LTD GL Desert Eagle
Other Key Differences
LTD GL Desert Eagle vs Jackson MJ Series Soloist SL2
Shared Features
LTD GL Desert Eagle vs Jackson MJ Series Soloist SL2
Common Strengths
- High-Quality Nut
- Top Pickup Brand
- Expensive Wood
Common Weaknesses
- Weight Relief
- Stays in Tune (Evertune)
- 21:1 Tuner Ratio
- Active/Passive Preamp
Price History Comparison
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Hand Size Comfortability
And after taking into account the scale length, nut width, neck profile and fretboard radius, we can conclude that the ESP LTD GL Desert Eagle favors large hands more than the Jackson MJ Series Soloist SL2.
ESP LTD GL Desert Eagle:
Jackson MJ Series Soloist SL2:
Beginner Friendliness
The Jackson MJ Series Soloist SL2 meets 4 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness, while the ESP LTD GL Desert Eagle 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 LTD GL Desert Eagle- Comfortable shape
- Tall frets
- Comfortable neck
- Comfortable fretboard
- Narrow nut
- Short scale
- Locking tuners
- Easy-to-use bridge
New Player Friendliness
Jackson MJ Series Soloist SL2- Comfortable shape
- Comfortable fretboard
- Tall frets
- Comfortable neck
- Narrow nut
- Short scale
- Locking tuners
- Easy-to-use bridge
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.
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.
Alder is the most popular wood that Fender uses in most of their guitars nowadays. Even though they say it's because of its balanced tone with an emphasis in the upper midrange, it probably is because it isn't too expensive, and it's also pretty lightweight—more than Mahogany. Find out more about Alder.
Winner: Tie.
Pickup Configuration
The ESP LTD GL Desert Eagle has an HS configuration while the Jackson MJ Series Soloist SL2 has HH pickups.
An HS configuration gives you a bridge pickup with a lot of output for playing distortion parts, but you'll also have the bright sound of a Tele or Strat neck pickup for your clean tones.
On the other hand, 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
Both come with very good pickups from at least one of the specialized brands in the market. With pickups like these, you probably won't need an upgrade anytime soon.
However, the ESP LTD GL Desert Eagle has a slight sound quality advantage when taking into account other factors like the type of pickups, magnet, position, etc.
We found the same or similar pickups to the Jackson MJ Series Soloist SL2's online:
Both use Passive pickups. This is what's used for most music genres. They have a regular output and will serve you for both high-gain and clean tones. The alternative (Active pickups) offer a higher output that is mostly used for heavy music.
Winner: ESP LTD GL Desert Eagle.
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
The Jackson MJ Series Soloist SL2 gives you 3 switch options while the ESP LTD GL Desert Eagle gives you 0. This means that the Jackson MJ Series Soloist SL2 gives you more options to find the right pickup combination for the type of sound you want to achieve
Only the ESP LTD GL Desert Eagle comes with some kind of pickup modification: Coil Split.
Coil Split lets you disconnect one of the pickup coils. When used with humbuckers, it turns them into single-coil with lower output and cleaner tone.
When evaluating versatility, we also take into consideration bridge and neck joint type, number of frets, switch options, amount of pickups and more.
Winner: ESP LTD GL Desert Eagle.
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 LTD GL Desert Eagle compares to the Jackson MJ Series Soloist SL2.
Country of Origin
The manufacturing country can tell a lot about the build quality of an instrument. The ESP LTD GL Desert Eagle is built in South Korea while the Jackson MJ Series Soloist SL2 is made in Japan.
South Korea was for many years the number one choice for mass-producing semi-premium guitars. They can build excellent guitars for a cheap price. Now, it's less common to find Korean guitars because Indonesia has proved capable of building guitars just as well, but likely for cheaper.
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.
Winner: Jackson MJ Series Soloist SL2
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.
In this case, both have Locking nuts. 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.
However, only the ESP LTD GL Desert Eagle has a retainer bar for the locking nut, which is a helpful addition. Without it, the Jackson MJ Series Soloist SL2's strings will change pitch once you lock down the nut, so you'll have to make more micro-adjustments at the bridge to tune it correctly.
Winner: ESP LTD GL Desert Eagle.
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 LTD GL Desert Eagle 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 LTD GL Desert Eagle.
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 LTD GL Desert Eagle's brige 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.
On the other hand, the Jackson MJ Series Soloist SL2's is a Double Locking. It's an advanced vibrato system designed for extreme pitch bending while maintaining tuning stability. Like Floyd Rose systems, they lock the strings at both the bridge and nut, preventing detuning from aggressive whammy bar use.
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: Tie.
Tuners
Both come with regular tuners. The ESP LTD GL Desert Eagle's are LTD while the Jackson MJ Series Soloist SL2's are Gotoh 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.
The ESP LTD GL Desert Eagle has a Bolt-On neck joint. This neck is joined to the body by 4 bolts that you can simply unscrew. This allows you to replace the neck or take it off for travel. It's the most common and cheapest way to build a guitar.
On the other hand, the Jackson MJ Series Soloist SL2 comes with 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: Jackson MJ Series Soloist SL2.
Here is the list of features that were considered when choosing the winner in the Features subcategory:
ESP LTD GL Desert Eagle
- Stainless Steel Frets
- Expensive Wood
- Locking Nut
- Top Brand Pickups
- Coil Split Pickups
- Tremolo
- Retainer Bar
- No Locking Tuners
- Made in South Korea
- No Neck-Through Build
- No Weight Relief
- No Luminescent Inlay
- No Compound Radius Fretboard
- No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
- No Strap Lock
Jackson MJ Series Soloist SL2
- Made in Japan
- Expensive Wood
- Locking Nut
- Top Brand Pickups
- Neck-Through Build
- Luminescent Inlay
- Tremolo
- Compound Radius Fretboard
- Strap Lock
- Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
- No Locking Tuners
- No Push Knob or Extra Switch Option
- No Weight Relief
- No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
- No Retainer Bar
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 LTD GL Desert Eagle has the wider nut with 43mm (1.693'') vs 42.9mm (1.688''). This is a 0.1mm (0.0050000000000001'') difference
This means that it will be more difficult to do bar chords on the ESP LTD GL Desert Eagle, 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.
In this case, both have a scale length of 25.5".
This is the scale used in most Stratocasters. It's slightly longer than the typical 24.75'' size found in Les Pauls, and it's one of the main reasons why Stratocasters have such a bright sound in general. A longer scale also means that the strings will have higher tension. This will help you get lower action without suffering fret buzz, which will also be helpful when playing in lower tunings without having to increase your string gauge.
However, this also means that there will be more separation between frets, which can make it more difficult to play. Also, bending the strings will require more strengths due to the increased tension, but remember that a tremolo guitar will offset this difficulty.
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 LTD GL Desert Eagle 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 MJ Series Soloist SL2, 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.
In this case, the Jackson MJ Series Soloist SL2 is the only one with a compound radius. This is a huge win because it will give you the best of both worlds: a more curved radius in the first few frets for chords, and flatter as you come closer to the body for soloing.
Fret Size
The ESP LTD GL Desert Eagle has XL Jumbo frets, which should be taller than the Jackson MJ Series Soloist SL2'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.
