Show Full Spec Comparison
| Epiphone Nancy Wilson Fanatic | Fender Jim Root Jazzmaster V4 | |
|---|---|---|
| General | ||
| Brand: | Epiphone | Fender |
| Year: | 2021 | 2020 |
| Configuration: | HH | HH |
| Strings: | 6 | 6 |
| Made in: | China | Mexico |
| Series: | Artist Collection | Artist |
| Colors: | Sunburst | White |
| Left-Handed Version: | No | No |
| Body | ||
| Type: | Solid Body | Solid Body |
| Body Material: | Mahogany | Mahogany |
| Bridge: | Nighthawk Hardtail | 6-Saddle String-Through-Body Hardtail With Block Saddles |
| Neck | ||
| Neck Joint: | Set | Bolt-On |
| Tuners: | Epiphone Deluxe | Deluxe Staggered Cast/Sealed Locking |
| Fretboard: | Ebony | Ebony |
| Neck Material: | Mahogany | Maple |
| Decoration: | Twin Parallelogram in Pearloid | Pearliod Block with Luminlay Fluorescent Side Dots |
| Scale Size: | 25.5" | 25.5" |
| Shape: | Rounded C | Fender Thin C |
| Thickness: | 1st Fret: 0.84'' (21.3mm) - 12th Fret: 0.94'' (23.9mm) | 1st Fret: 0.8'' (20.3mm) - 12th Fret: 0.86'' (21.8mm) |
| Frets: | 22 Medium Jumbo Nickel Silver | 22 Jumbo Nickel Silver |
| Fretboard Radius: | 12" | 12" |
| Nut: | NuBone | Synthetic Bone |
| Nut Width: | 43mm (1.693'') | 42.8mm (1.685'') |
| Electronics | ||
| Bridge Pickups: | ProBucker 3 Slant (Open-coil) (Humbucker / Passive) | EMG Jim Root Signature Daemonum Open-Coil Active Humbucking (Humbucker / Active) |
| Middle Pickup: | ||
| Neck Pickup: | ProBucker FB720 (Nickel) (Humbucker / Passive) | EMG Jim Root Signature Daemonum Open-Coil Active Humbucking (Humbucker / Active) |
| Switch: | 5 Way | 3 Way |
| Knobs: | Bell | Bell |
| Pickup Mods: | None | None |
| Volume Controls: | 1 | 1 |
| Tone Controls: | 1 | 0 |
| Hardware | ||
| Strap Lock: | No | No |
| Hardware Color: | Chrome | Black |
Show Diagrams Comparison
Reasons to Get
Epiphone Nancy Wilson Fanatic over Fender Jim Root Jazzmaster V4
Reasons to Get
Fender Jim Root Jazzmaster V4 over Epiphone Nancy Wilson Fanatic
Other Key Differences
Epiphone Nancy Wilson Fanatic vs Fender Jim Root Jazzmaster V4
Shared Features
Epiphone Nancy Wilson Fanatic vs Fender Jim Root Jazzmaster V4
Common Strengths
- High-Quality Nut
- Expensive Wood
Common Weaknesses
- Pickup Alter Switch/Knob
- Weight Relief
- Stays in Tune (Evertune)
- High-Quality Frets
- Compound Radius Fretboard
- Luminescent Sidedots
- Strap Lock
- 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 Epiphone Nancy Wilson Fanatic favors large hands more than the Fender Jim Root Jazzmaster V4.
Epiphone Nancy Wilson Fanatic:
Fender Jim Root Jazzmaster V4:
Beginner Friendliness
The Fender Jim Root Jazzmaster V4 meets 6 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness, while the Epiphone Nancy Wilson Fanatic meets only 4. 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
Epiphone Nancy Wilson Fanatic- Comfortable shape
- Easy-to-use bridge
- Tall frets
- Comfortable neck
- Comfortable fretboard
- Narrow nut
- Short scale
- Locking tuners
New Player Friendliness
Fender Jim Root Jazzmaster V4- Comfortable shape
- Easy-to-use bridge
- Locking tuners
- Tall frets
- Narrow nut
- Comfortable neck
- Comfortable fretboard
- Short scale
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
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.
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.
Woods Used in the Fender Jim Root Jazzmaster V4
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.
Winner: Tie.
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 Fender Jim Root Jazzmaster V4 pickups from a more specialized brand than the Epiphone Nancy Wilson Fanatic. Its pickups should give you a fuller, richer 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.
We found the same or similar pickups to the Fender Jim Root Jazzmaster V4's online:
The Epiphone Nancy Wilson Fanatic's pickups are Passive while the Fender Jim Root Jazzmaster V4's are Active.
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: Fender Jim Root Jazzmaster V4.
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 Epiphone Nancy Wilson Fanatic gives you 5 switch options while the Fender Jim Root Jazzmaster V4 gives you 3. This means that the Epiphone Nancy Wilson Fanatic gives you more options to find the right pickup combination for the type of sound you want to achieve
Neither of them come with some kind of coil split or pickup mod option. This makes both lacking in terms of versatility.
When evaluating versatility, we also take into consideration bridge and neck joint type, number of frets, switch options, amount of pickups and more.
Winner: Epiphone Nancy Wilson Fanatic.
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 Epiphone Nancy Wilson Fanatic compares to the Fender Jim Root Jazzmaster V4.
Country of Origin
The manufacturing country can tell a lot about the build quality of an instrument. The Epiphone Nancy Wilson Fanatic is built in China while the Fender Jim Root Jazzmaster V4 is made in Mexico.
China has a bad reputation when it comes to building quality. However, times have changed and now respectable brands use China's cheap labor to build good instruments for a lower price. Don't discount a guitar only because it was built in China, but also expect more quality from countries like Korea.
Mexico has been for a long time where Fender has built their semi-premium series. If you don't want to overpay for a wellp-built instrument, a guitar built in this country by a good brand always offers good value for the money.
Winner: Fender Jim Root Jazzmaster V4
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 Epiphone Nancy Wilson Fanatic has a NuBone nut. It's made by the same company that makes TUSQ nuts. It's slightly softer but hard enough to give you a brighter sound when playing open strings. It's also self-lubricating, so it's good for tuning stability.
On the other hand, the Fender Jim Root Jazzmaster V4 comes with a Synthetic Bone nut. Bone is the best natural material for guitar nuts. However, its tonal properties can be inconsistent. That's the problem that synthetic bone fixes. This is much better than using a plastic nut because the nut is more slippery—which helps with tuning stability—, and it gives your open strings rich harmonics.
Winner: Tie.
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.
Unfortunately, none of them come with stainless steel frets.
Winner: Tie.
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.
Both come with a similar bridge: Fixed. It's a simple bridge that is very beginner-friendly since it doesn't require any set-up. You can swap strings easily. It might also give more sustain since it doesn't have complex moving parts that make the strings lose vibration. However, it doesn't have the same versatility as a tremolo bridge.
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
The Fender Jim Root Jazzmaster V4 has the best tuners of the two because they are locking tuners. They'll help to keep your guitar in tune because they allow you to tune it without wrapping the strings around the posts. This avoids variations in the tuning due to the strings changing position at the post after a bend. They come at the disadvantage of being slightly heavier than regular tuners. Also, it makes it a lot easier to restring.
Winner: Fender Jim Root Jazzmaster V4.
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 Epiphone Nancy Wilson Fanatic has a Set neck joint. This neck is tightly glued to the body. They give you the least versatility because you can't swap them for a neck that fits your hand better if you want to, unlike bolt-on necks. Some people think this gives more resonance and sustain, but there's no real difference if the bolt-on joint is well built.
On the other hand, the Fender Jim Root Jazzmaster V4 comes with 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.
Winner: Fender Jim Root Jazzmaster V4.
Here is the list of features that were considered when choosing the winner in the Features subcategory:
Epiphone Nancy Wilson Fanatic
- Expensive Wood
- NuBone Nut
- Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
- No Locking Tuners
- Made in China
- No Top Brand Pickups
- No Neck-Through Build
- No Push Knob or Extra Switch Option
- No Weight Relief
- No Luminescent Inlay
- No Tremolo
- No Compound Radius Fretboard
- No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
- No Strap Lock
Fender Jim Root Jazzmaster V4
- Locking Tuners
- Expensive Wood
- Synthetic Bone Nut
- Top Brand Pickups
- Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
- Made in Mexico
- No Neck-Through Build
- No Push Knob or Extra Switch Option
- No Weight Relief
- No Luminescent Inlay
- No Tremolo
- No Compound Radius Fretboard
- No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
- 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 Epiphone Nancy Wilson Fanatic has the wider nut with 43mm (1.693'') vs 42.8mm (1.685''). This is a 0.2mm (0.008'') difference
This means that it will be more difficult to do bar chords on the Epiphone Nancy Wilson Fanatic, 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.
Both the Epiphone Nancy Wilson Fanatic and the Fender Jim Root Jazzmaster V4 have a C-shaped neck. This is what you'll find in most modern guitars. Most people feel like the thickness of a C neck is simply the less intrusive one for playing fast, while at the same time allowing you to grab the neck easily for resting if you want to.
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 the Epiphone Nancy Wilson Fanatic and the Fender Jim Root Jazzmaster V4 have the same fretboard radius of 12". This is the radius used in most Gibson guitars. It gives you a good balance for playing chords without muting, but also good comfortability for playing single notes and bending.
Fret Size
The Fender Jim Root Jazzmaster V4 has Jumbo frets, which should be taller than the Epiphone Nancy Wilson Fanatic's Medium 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.
