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Fender Limited Edition Tom DeLonge Stratocaster
Gibson Custom 1963 Firebird V With Maestro Vibrola Light Aged
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Playability
68
Sound
69
Build
64
Value
67
Score
67
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Playability
75
Sound
72
Build
74
Value
59
Score
74
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Fender Limited Edition Tom DeLonge Stratocaster vs Gibson Custom 1963 Firebird V With Maestro Vibrola Light Aged Specs Comparison
Fender Limited Edition Tom DeLonge Stratocaster Gibson Custom 1963 Firebird V With Maestro Vibrola Light Aged
General
Brand: Fender Gibson Custom
Year: 2023 2022
Configuration: H HH
Strings: 6 6
Made in: Mexico United States
Series: Limited Edition Tom DeLonge Stratocaster Murphy Lab
Colors: Red
Left-Handed Version: No No
Body
Type: Solid Body Solid Body
Body Material: Alder Layered Mahogany
Bridge: 6-Saddle String-Through-Body Hardtail With Block Saddles ABR-1 Maestro Short Vibrola
Neck
Neck Joint: Bolt-On Neck-Through
Tuners: Fender Vintage-Style Deluxe Banjo Tuners
Fretboard: Slab Rosewood Indian Rosewood
Neck Material: Maple 9-ply Mahogany/Walnut
Decoration: White Dot Aged Cellulose Nitrate Trapezoid
Scale Size: 25.5" 24.75"
Shape: Modern C Traditional 1960s SlimTaper C Profile
Thickness: 1st Fret: 0.82'' (20.8mm) - 12th Fret: 0.87'' (22.1mm) 1st Fret: - 12th Fret:
Frets: 21 Medium Jumbo Nickel Silver 22 Medium Jumbo Nickel Silver
Fretboard Radius: 9.5" 12"
Nut: Synthetic Bone Nylon
Nut Width: 41.9mm (1.65'') 42.9mm (1.688'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickups: Fender Seymour Duncan Invader SH8 Humbucking (Humbucker / Passive) Firebird Alnico V (Humbucker / Passive)
Middle Pickup:
Neck Pickup: Firebird Alnico V (Humbucker / Passive)
Switch: 0 Way 3 Way
Knobs: Bell Bell
Pickup Mods: None None
Volume Controls: 1 2
Tone Controls: 0 2
Hardware
Strap Lock: No No
Hardware Color: Chrome Nickel
Show Diagrams Comparison
Gibson Custom 1963 Firebird V With Maestro Vibrola Light Aged pickups switch and push knobs diagram
Gibson Custom 1963 Firebird V With Maestro Vibrola Light Aged's switch options

Reasons to Get
Fender Limited Edition Tom DeLonge Stratocaster over Gibson Custom 1963 Firebird V With Maestro Vibrola Light Aged

Release Year
2023 vs 2022
From a more recent year
Pickups
H vs HH
Hum-free with more right hand freedom and sustain
Nut Width
1.65'' (41.9mm) vs 1.688'' (42.9mm)
Favors small hands, easier bar chords and other shapes
Paint Finish
Poly vs Relic
Resistant paint that ages well
Bridge
Fixed vs Tremolo
Good sustain and needs no set-up
Scale Length
25.5'' (647.7mm) vs 24.75'' (628.7mm)
Lower action and brighter natural tone
Fretboard Radius
9.5'' (241.3mm) vs 12'' (304.8mm)
Easier to play chords without muting strings
Value Score
67 vs 59
Better price/quality relationship

Reasons to Get
Gibson Custom 1963 Firebird V With Maestro Vibrola Light Aged over Fender Limited Edition Tom DeLonge Stratocaster

Country of Manufacturing
United States vs Mexico
Built with higher quality standards
Neck Joint
Neck-Through vs Bolt-On
Stronger neck and easier access to upper frets
Switch Positions
3 vs 0
More tone options
Volume Knobs
2 vs 1
More volume control
Tone Knobs
2 vs 0
More tone control
Pickups
HH vs H
High output without hum
Number of Frets
22 vs 21
Allows to reach higher notes
Nut Width
1.688'' (42.9mm) vs 1.65'' (41.9mm)
Less likely to mute strings by accident and more space for fingerstyle
Paint Finish
Relic vs Poly
Looks like an old and slightly beaten up instrument
Bridge
Tremolo vs Fixed
Simple vibratos without too much maintenance
Scale Length
24.75'' (628.7mm) vs 25.5'' (647.7mm)
Easier bending, shorter fret separation and warmer natural tone
Fretboard Radius
12'' (304.8mm) vs 9.5'' (241.3mm)
Flatter fretboard makes it easier to play single notes and bend

Other Key Differences
Fender Limited Edition Tom DeLonge Stratocaster vs Gibson Custom 1963 Firebird V With Maestro Vibrola Light Aged

Bridge Pickup
Fender Seymour Duncan Invader SH8 Humbucking vs Firebird Alnico V
Different Bridge Pickup
Body Wood
Alder vs Mahogany
Different Body Wood
Neck Wood
Maple vs Mahogany
Different Neck Wood
Headstock
6 vs R6
Different Headstock
Nut Material
Synthetic Bone vs Nylon
Different Nut Material

Shared Features
Fender Limited Edition Tom DeLonge Stratocaster vs Gibson Custom 1963 Firebird V With Maestro Vibrola Light Aged

Fretboard Wood
Rosewood
Same Fretboard Wood
Strings
6
Same playing style
Body Type
Solid Body
Feedback free
Pickups Power
Passive
Cleaner sound and no battery needed
Neck Profile Type
C
Comfortable neck that works for most people
Type of Frets
Medium Jumbo
You'll feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings

Common Strengths

  • High-Quality Nut
  • Top Pickup Brand
  • Expensive Wood

Common Weaknesses

  • Pickup Alter Switch/Knob
  • Weight Relief
  • Locking Tuners
  • Stays in Tune (Evertune)
  • High-Quality Frets
  • Compound Radius Fretboard
  • Luminescent Sidedots
  • Strap Lock
  • 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • Active/Passive Preamp

Price History Comparison

Fender Limited Edition Tom DeLonge Stratocaster Prices

SET PRICE ALERT

Gibson Custom 1963 Firebird V With Maestro Vibrola Light Aged Prices

SET PRICE ALERT

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Hand Size Comfortability

After taking into account the scale length, nut width, neck profile and fretboard radius, we can conclude that both favor small hands .

Fender Limited Edition Tom DeLonge Stratocaster:
Big Hands
Small Hands
Gibson Custom 1963 Firebird V With Maestro Vibrola Light Aged:
Big Hands
Small Hands

Beginner Friendliness

The Fender Limited Edition Tom DeLonge Stratocaster meets 6 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness, while the Gibson Custom 1963 Firebird V With Maestro Vibrola Light Aged 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 Limited Edition Tom DeLonge Stratocaster
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Tall frets
  • Narrow nut
  • Comfortable neck
  • Short scale
  • Locking tuners

New Player Friendliness

Gibson Custom 1963 Firebird V With Maestro Vibrola Light Aged
  • 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

Rosewood wood pattern used for guitar building
Rosewood

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.

Woods Used in the Fender Limited Edition Tom DeLonge Stratocaster

Maple wood pattern used for guitar building
Maple
Alder wood pattern used for guitar building
Alder

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.

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 Custom 1963 Firebird V With Maestro Vibrola Light Aged

Mahogany wood pattern used for guitar building
Mahogany

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 Custom 1963 Firebird V With Maestro Vibrola Light Aged.

Pickup Configuration

The Fender Limited Edition Tom DeLonge Stratocaster has an H configuration while the Gibson Custom 1963 Firebird V With Maestro Vibrola Light Aged has HH pickups.

A single H pickup gives you the advantage of having a little longer sustain (all other things being equal) because there will be less magnetic fields from other pickups affecting the strings' vibration. However, they also give you the least versatility because you won't have other pickups at different distances from the bridge to create different tones. A single humbucking pickup is used for noiseless high output, which is used mainly for Hard Rock genres.

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.

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: Tie.

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 Gibson Custom 1963 Firebird V With Maestro Vibrola Light Aged gives you 3 switch options while the Fender Limited Edition Tom DeLonge Stratocaster gives you 0. This means that the Gibson Custom 1963 Firebird V With Maestro Vibrola Light Aged 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: Gibson Custom 1963 Firebird V With Maestro Vibrola Light Aged.

Final Sound Quality Scores

Fender Limited Edition Tom DeLonge Stratocaster
Pickups 90
Sustain 75
Versatility 42
Tuning Stability 70
Sound 69
Gibson Custom 1963 Firebird V With Maestro Vibrola Light Aged
Pickups 90
Sustain 70
Versatility 63
Tuning Stability 65
Sound 72

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 Limited Edition Tom DeLonge Stratocaster compares to the Gibson Custom 1963 Firebird V With Maestro Vibrola Light Aged.

Country of Origin

The manufacturing country can tell a lot about the build quality of an instrument. The Fender Limited Edition Tom DeLonge Stratocaster is built in Mexico while the Gibson Custom 1963 Firebird V With Maestro Vibrola Light Aged is made in United States.

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.

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: Gibson Custom 1963 Firebird V With Maestro Vibrola Light Aged

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 Fender Limited Edition Tom DeLonge Stratocaster has 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.

On the other hand, the Gibson Custom 1963 Firebird V With Maestro Vibrola Light Aged comes with a Nylon nut. It used to be one of the highest quality materials for nuts (and still is), but it's rare to find nowadays because it's hard to work with. It's a very resistant material with very low friction, so it will keep the guitar in tune and will last for a long time

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.

The Fender Limited Edition Tom DeLonge Stratocaster's brige 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.

On the other hand, the Gibson Custom 1963 Firebird V With Maestro Vibrola Light Aged's 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.

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 Fender Limited Edition Tom DeLonge Stratocaster's are Fender Vintage-Style while the Gibson Custom 1963 Firebird V With Maestro Vibrola Light Aged's are Deluxe Banjo Tuners

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 Fender Limited Edition Tom DeLonge Stratocaster 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 Custom 1963 Firebird V With Maestro Vibrola Light Aged 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: Gibson Custom 1963 Firebird V With Maestro Vibrola Light Aged.

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

Strengths & Weaknesses
Fender Limited Edition Tom DeLonge Stratocaster
  • Expensive Wood
  • Synthetic Bone Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • 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
Strengths & Weaknesses
Gibson Custom 1963 Firebird V With Maestro Vibrola Light Aged
  • Made in United States
  • Expensive Wood
  • Nylon Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Neck-Through Build
  • Tremolo
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • No Push Knob or Extra Switch Option
  • No Weight Relief
  • No Luminescent Inlay
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock

Final Build Quality Scores

Fender Limited Edition Tom DeLonge Stratocaster
Quality of materials 66
Features 50
Quality Control 75
Build Quality 64
Gibson Custom 1963 Firebird V With Maestro Vibrola Light Aged
Quality of materials 56
Features 65
Quality Control 100
Build Quality 74

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 Limited Edition Tom DeLonge Stratocaster Nut Width
Fender Limited Edition Tom DeLonge Stratocaster Nut Width
Gibson Custom 1963 Firebird V With Maestro Vibrola Light Aged Nut Width
Gibson Custom 1963 Firebird V With Maestro Vibrola Light Aged Nut Width

The nut width will affect the separation between strings at the nut. In this comparison, the Gibson Custom 1963 Firebird V With Maestro Vibrola Light Aged has the wider nut with 42.9mm (1.688'') vs 41.9mm (1.65''). This is a 1mm (0.038'') difference

This means that it will be more difficult to do bar chords on the Gibson Custom 1963 Firebird V With Maestro Vibrola Light Aged, 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 Limited Edition Tom DeLonge Stratocaster's Scale Length
Fender Limited Edition Tom DeLonge Stratocaster's Scale Length
Gibson Custom 1963 Firebird V With Maestro Vibrola Light Aged's Scale Length
Gibson Custom 1963 Firebird V With Maestro Vibrola Light Aged'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 Limited Edition Tom DeLonge Stratocaster has the longest scale: 25.5". The Gibson Custom 1963 Firebird V With Maestro Vibrola Light Aged 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 Limited Edition Tom DeLonge Stratocaster Neck Profile
Fender Limited Edition Tom DeLonge Stratocaster's neck profile
Gibson Custom 1963 Firebird V With Maestro Vibrola Light Aged Neck Profile
Gibson Custom 1963 Firebird V With Maestro Vibrola Light Aged'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.

Both the Fender Limited Edition Tom DeLonge Stratocaster and the Gibson Custom 1963 Firebird V With Maestro Vibrola Light Aged 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

Fender Limited Edition Tom DeLonge Stratocaster Fingerboard Radius
Fender Limited Edition Tom DeLonge Stratocaster's Fingerboard radius
Gibson Custom 1963 Firebird V With Maestro Vibrola Light Aged Fingerboard Radius
Gibson Custom 1963 Firebird V With Maestro Vibrola Light Aged'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 Limited Edition Tom DeLonge Stratocaster's fingerboard radius is smaller, which means it's more curved than the Gibson Custom 1963 Firebird V With Maestro Vibrola Light Aged's. This extra arc will make playing chords easier in this model. You won't be as likely to mute the strings, especially if you have big hands. However, playing single notes and bending will be easier on the Gibson Custom 1963 Firebird V With Maestro Vibrola Light Aged.

Fret Size

Fender Limited Edition Tom DeLonge Stratocaster and Gibson Custom 1963 Firebird V With Maestro Vibrola Light Aged Frets Size
Both have a similar Medium Jumbo fret size

Both have a Medium Jumbo fret size. These are slightly shorter than full Jumbo frets, so you'll still feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings. However, they interfere less with your fretting hand than medium-size frets. This is a good size if you like easy-to-press frets, but would still like to feel a bit of the fretboard when playing.

Final Playability Scores

Fender Limited Edition Tom DeLonge Stratocaster
Bending & Vibrato Ease 65
Chord Playability 80
Solo Playability 60
Playability 68
Gibson Custom 1963 Firebird V With Maestro Vibrola Light Aged
Bending & Vibrato Ease 80
Chord Playability 65
Solo Playability 80
Playability 75