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Fender American Ultra Jazzmaster
Gibson Adam Jones 1979 Les Paul Custom VOS
VS
Playability
70
Sound
78
Build
75
Value
64
Score
74
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Playability
77
Sound
75
Build
72
Value
60
Score
75
FIND IT ON:
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Fender American Ultra Jazzmaster vs Gibson Adam Jones 1979 Les Paul Custom VOS Specs Comparison
Fender American Ultra Jazzmaster Gibson Adam Jones 1979 Les Paul Custom VOS
General
Brand: Fender Gibson
Year: 2019 2020
Configuration: SS HH
Strings: 6 6
Made in: United States United States
Series: American Ultra Custom Shop Collection
Colors: Sunburst, Blue, Brown Burst Gray
Left-Handed Version: No No
Body
Type: Solid Body Solid Body
Body Material: Alder Solid Mahogany
Bridge: American Professional Jazzmaster Tune-O-Matic
Neck
Neck Joint: Bolt-On Set
Tuners: Deluxe Cast/Sealed Locking (all short posts) Schaller M6 with Large Buttons
Fretboard: Rosewood Ebony, with 1-ply White Binding
Neck Material: Maple 3-piece Maple
Decoration: White Pearloid Dot Mother of Pearl Block
Scale Size: 25.5" 24.75"
Shape: Ultra Modern D Adam Jones Medium C
Thickness: 1st Fret: 0.82'' (20.8mm) - 12th Fret: 0.87'' (22.1mm) 1st Fret: - 12th Fret:
Frets: 21 Medium Jumbo Nickel Silver 22 Jumbo Nickel Silver
Fretboard Radius: 10" to 14" 12"
Nut: Bone Bone
Nut Width: 42.8mm (1.685'') 43mm (1.693'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickups: Fender Ultra Noiseless Vintage Jazzmaster (Single Coil / Passive) Custom-Wound Seymour Duncan DDJ (Humbucker / Passive)
Middle Pickup:
Neck Pickup: Fender Ultra Noiseless Vintage Jazzmaster (Single Coil / Passive) Gibson Custombucker (Reverse-Mounted) (Humbucker / Passive)
Switch: 3 Way 3 Way
Knobs: Bell Speed
Pickup Mods: Series Split None
Volume Controls: 2 2
Tone Controls: 2 2
Hardware
Strap Lock: No No
Hardware Color: Chrome Chrome
Show Diagrams Comparison
Fender American Ultra Jazzmaster pickups switch and push knobs diagram
Fender American Ultra Jazzmaster's switch options
Gibson Adam Jones 1979 Les Paul Custom VOS pickups switch and push knobs diagram
Gibson Adam Jones 1979 Les Paul Custom VOS's switch options

Reasons to Get
Fender American Ultra Jazzmaster over Gibson Adam Jones 1979 Les Paul Custom VOS

Type of Frets
Medium Jumbo vs Jumbo
You'll feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings
Compound Radius
10" to 14" vs 12"
Balanced playability for chords and single-notes
Neck Profile
Ultra Modern D vs Adam Jones Medium C
Thin and flat neck for playing fast
Pickup Mods
Series Split vs None
Connects pickups in series to imitate a humbucker
Neck Joint
Bolt-On vs Set
Allows you to detach and swap the neck
Pickups
SS vs HH
Beautiful cleans
Locking Tuners
Yes vs None
Easier to change strings
Nut Width
1.685'' (42.8mm) vs 1.693'' (43mm)
Favors small hands, easier bar chords and other shapes
Bridge
Tremolo vs Fixed
Simple vibratos without too much maintenance
Scale Length
25.5'' (647.7mm) vs 24.75'' (628.7mm)
Lower action and brighter natural tone
Value Score
64 vs 60
Better price/quality relationship

Reasons to Get
Gibson Adam Jones 1979 Les Paul Custom VOS over Fender American Ultra Jazzmaster

Decorative Top
3-piece Maple vs None
Finished with beautiful natural wood patterns
Release Year
2020 vs 2019
From a more recent year
Frets Height
Taller vs Shorter
Easier to press down strings and bend them
Type of Frets
Jumbo vs Medium Jumbo
You won't feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings
Neck Profile
Adam Jones Medium C vs Ultra Modern D
Comfortable neck that works for most people
Pickups
HH vs SS
High output without hum
Number of Frets
22 vs 21
Allows to reach higher notes
Nut Width
1.693'' (43mm) vs 1.685'' (42.8mm)
Less likely to mute strings by accident and more space for fingerstyle
Bridge
Fixed vs Tremolo
Good sustain and needs no set-up
Scale Length
24.75'' (628.7mm) vs 25.5'' (647.7mm)
Easier bending, shorter fret separation and warmer natural tone

Other Key Differences
Fender American Ultra Jazzmaster vs Gibson Adam Jones 1979 Les Paul Custom VOS

Bridge Pickup
Fender Ultra Noiseless Vintage Jazzmaster vs Custom-Wound Seymour Duncan DDJ
Different Bridge Pickup
Neck Pickup
Fender Ultra Noiseless Vintage Jazzmaster vs Gibson Custombucker (Reverse-Mounted)
Different Neck Pickup
Body Wood
Alder vs Mahogany
Different Body Wood
Fretboard Wood
Rosewood vs Ebony
Different Fretboard Wood
Headstock
6 vs 3-3
Different Headstock

Shared Features
Fender American Ultra Jazzmaster vs Gibson Adam Jones 1979 Les Paul Custom VOS

Neck Wood
Maple
Same Neck Wood
Nut Material
Bone
Same Nut Material
Strings
6
Same playing style
Body Type
Solid Body
Feedback free
Switch Positions
3
Same pickups versatility
Volume Knobs
2
Same volume control
Tone Knobs
2
Same tone control
Paint Finish
Poly
Resistant paint that ages well
Pickups Power
Passive
Cleaner sound and no battery needed

Common Strengths

  • High-Quality Nut
  • From a High-Quality-Standards Country
  • Top Pickup Brand
  • Expensive Wood

Common Weaknesses

  • 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

SET PRICE ALERT

Gibson Adam Jones 1979 Les Paul Custom VOS Prices

    SET PRICE ALERT

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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 Gibson Adam Jones 1979 Les Paul Custom VOS favors large hands more than the Fender American Ultra Jazzmaster. But it's still more comfortable for people with small hands, as you can see in the score meter below.

    Fender American Ultra Jazzmaster:
    Big Hands
    Small Hands
    Gibson Adam Jones 1979 Les Paul Custom VOS:
    Big Hands
    Small Hands

    Beginner Friendliness

    The Fender American Ultra Jazzmaster meets 7 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness, while the Gibson Adam Jones 1979 Les Paul Custom VOS 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

    Fender American Ultra Jazzmaster
    • Comfortable shape
    • Easy-to-use bridge
    • Locking tuners
    • Comfortable fretboard
    • Tall frets
    • Narrow nut
    • Comfortable neck
    • Short scale

    New Player Friendliness

    Gibson Adam Jones 1979 Les Paul Custom VOS
    • Comfortable shape
    • Easy-to-use bridge
    • Tall frets
    • Comfortable neck
    • Comfortable fretboard
    • Narrow nut
    • Short scale
    • Locking tuners

    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 wood pattern used for guitar building
    Maple

    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 Fender American Ultra Jazzmaster

    Rosewood wood pattern used for guitar building
    Rosewood
    Alder wood pattern used for guitar building
    Alder

    Rosewood is an almost purple-looking wood that is used mainly for fretboards since it's heavy, rare, and expensive. It's sometimes used on acoustic guitar bodies to create stronger warm tones. Find out more about Rosewood.

    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.

    Woods Used in the Gibson Adam Jones 1979 Les Paul Custom VOS

    Ebony wood pattern used for guitar building
    Ebony
    Mahogany wood pattern used for guitar building
    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.

    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.

    Winner: Gibson Adam Jones 1979 Les Paul Custom VOS.

    Pickup Configuration

    The Fender American Ultra Jazzmaster has an SS configuration while the Gibson Adam Jones 1979 Les Paul Custom VOS has HH pickups.

    SS is the classic Telecaster configuration. It's used mainly for playing clean or with low-gain distortion, and it's very popular for the country genre because of their brightness. It doesn't give you as much versatility as a Strat SSS configuration, but you might like the cleaner look of a guitar body with fewer pickups.

    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 Fender American Ultra Jazzmaster has a slight sound quality advantage when taking into account other factors like the type of pickups, magnet, position, etc.

    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: Fender American Ultra Jazzmaster.

    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.

    Only the Fender American Ultra Jazzmaster comes with some kind of pickup modification: Series Split.

    The Series Split feature allows it to split and connect some of the pickups in series. When wired in series, the resulting tone is similar to a Humbucker's. The pickups will work together and produce a fuller tone with more output than single-coils, but less than Humbuckers.

    When evaluating versatility, we also take into consideration bridge and neck joint type, number of frets, switch options, amount of pickups and more.

    Winner: Fender American Ultra Jazzmaster.

    Final Sound Quality Scores

    Fender American Ultra Jazzmaster
    Pickups 100
    Sustain 60
    Versatility 78
    Tuning Stability 75
    Sound 78
    Gibson Adam Jones 1979 Les Paul Custom VOS
    Pickups 90
    Sustain 85
    Versatility 53
    Tuning Stability 70
    Sound 75

    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 Fender American Ultra Jazzmaster compares to the Gibson Adam Jones 1979 Les Paul Custom VOS.

    Country of Origin

    The manufacturing country can tell a lot about the build quality of an instrument. Both in this comparison where made in United States.

    The United States is considered one of the best electric guitar manufacturers in the world. A guitar made in this country is supposed to have world-class quality control. Nowadays, guitars made in other countries can beat some of the ones made in the US, but most of the time, this country offers the best you can get. Of course, that comes at a price.

    Winner: Tie

    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 Bone nuts. It's a type of nut found in high-quality instruments. They sound similar to Ivory since they give a lot of sustain and a bright sound (at least when striking open strings). The only problem they can run into is that you may get a bone piece that simply doesn't sound as well as others because that's just how natural materials are.

    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.

    The Fender American Ultra Jazzmaster's brige is a Tremolo. Tremolo bridges give you more versatility than fixed bridges. They let you perform the intense vibrato effects that would be impossible with a fixed bridge. However, since the bridge floats and there's less contact with the body, the strings lose sustain slightly faster. They can also be a bit harder to restring and set up correctly than fixed bridges.

    On the other hand, the Gibson Adam Jones 1979 Les Paul Custom VOS's is a 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 American Ultra Jazzmaster 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 American Ultra Jazzmaster.

    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 Fender American Ultra Jazzmaster 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 Gibson Adam Jones 1979 Les Paul Custom VOS comes with 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.

    Winner: Fender American Ultra Jazzmaster.

    Here is the list of features that were considered when choosing the winner in the Features subcategory:

    Strengths & Weaknesses
    Fender American Ultra Jazzmaster
    • Locking Tuners
    • Made in United States
    • Expensive Wood
    • Bone Nut
    • Top Brand Pickups
    • Series Split Pickups
    • Tremolo
    • Compound Radius Fretboard
    • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
    • No Neck-Through Build
    • No Weight Relief
    • No Luminescent Inlay
    • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
    • No Strap Lock
    Strengths & Weaknesses
    Gibson Adam Jones 1979 Les Paul Custom VOS
    • Made in United States
    • Expensive Wood
    • Bone Nut
    • Top Brand Pickups
    • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
    • No Locking Tuners
    • 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

    Fender American Ultra Jazzmaster
    Quality of materials 51
    Features 80
    Quality Control 95
    Build Quality 75
    Gibson Adam Jones 1979 Les Paul Custom VOS
    Quality of materials 65
    Features 50
    Quality Control 100
    Build Quality 72

    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

    Fender American Ultra Jazzmaster Nut Width
    Fender American Ultra Jazzmaster Nut Width
    Gibson Adam Jones 1979 Les Paul Custom VOS Nut Width
    Gibson Adam Jones 1979 Les Paul Custom VOS Nut Width

    The nut width will affect the separation between strings at the nut. In this comparison, the Gibson Adam Jones 1979 Les Paul Custom VOS 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 Gibson Adam Jones 1979 Les Paul Custom VOS, especially closer to the nut. However, it's also easier to play without muting strings accidently. This favors people with big hands.

    Scale Length

    Fender American Ultra Jazzmaster's Scale Length
    Fender American Ultra Jazzmaster's Scale Length
    Gibson Adam Jones 1979 Les Paul Custom VOS's Scale Length
    Gibson Adam Jones 1979 Les Paul Custom VOS's 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 Fender American Ultra Jazzmaster has the longest scale: 25.5". The Gibson Adam Jones 1979 Les Paul Custom VOS is only 24.75" long. This is a 0.75'' (19.1mm) 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

    Fender American Ultra Jazzmaster Neck Profile
    Fender American Ultra Jazzmaster's neck profile
    Gibson Adam Jones 1979 Les Paul Custom VOS Neck Profile
    Gibson Adam Jones 1979 Les Paul Custom VOS's 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 Fender American Ultra Jazzmaster has a D type of 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.

    The Gibson Adam Jones 1979 Les Paul Custom VOS, on the other hand, has a C 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

    Fender American Ultra Jazzmaster Fretboard Compound Radius
    Fender American Ultra Jazzmaster's Compound Fretboard Radius
    Gibson Adam Jones 1979 Les Paul Custom VOS Fingerboard Radius
    Gibson Adam Jones 1979 Les Paul Custom VOS's Fingerboard 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 Fender American Ultra Jazzmaster 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

    Fender American Ultra Jazzmaster Frets Size
    Fender American Ultra Jazzmaster's Frets Size
    Gibson Adam Jones 1979 Les Paul Custom VOS Frets Size
    Gibson Adam Jones 1979 Les Paul Custom VOS's Frets Size

    The Gibson Adam Jones 1979 Les Paul Custom VOS has Jumbo frets, which should be taller than the Fender American Ultra Jazzmaster'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.

    Final Playability Scores

    Fender American Ultra Jazzmaster
    Bending & Vibrato Ease 60
    Chord Playability 80
    Solo Playability 70
    Playability 70
    Gibson Adam Jones 1979 Les Paul Custom VOS
    Bending & Vibrato Ease 95
    Chord Playability 55
    Solo Playability 80
    Playability 77