Show Full Spec Comparison
| Fender Limited Edition Tom DeLonge Stratocaster | Jackson Pro Series Soloist SL3M | |
|---|---|---|
| General | ||
| Brand: | Fender | Jackson |
| Year: | 2023 | 2020 |
| Configuration: | H | HSS |
| Strings: | 6 | 6 |
| Made in: | Mexico | Indonesia |
| Series: | Limited Edition Tom DeLonge Stratocaster | Pro |
| Colors: | Black Patterns | |
| Left-Handed Version: | No | No |
| Body | ||
| Type: | Solid Body | Solid Body |
| Body Material: | Alder | Basswood |
| Bridge: | 6-Saddle String-Through-Body Hardtail With Block Saddles | Floyd Rose 1000 Series Double-Locking Tremolo (Recessed) |
| Neck | ||
| Neck Joint: | Bolt-On | Neck-Through |
| Tuners: | Fender Vintage-Style | Jackson Sealed Die-Cast |
| Fretboard: | Slab Rosewood | Maple |
| Neck Material: | Maple | Maple |
| Decoration: | White Dot | Black Piranha Tooth (Small Sharkfin) |
| Scale Size: | 25.5" | 25.5" |
| Shape: | Modern C | Jackson Standard |
| Thickness: | 1st Fret: 0.82'' (20.8mm) - 12th Fret: 0.87'' (22.1mm) | 1st Fret: 0.79'' (20.1mm) - 12th Fret: 0.85'' (21.6mm) |
| Frets: | 21 Medium Jumbo Nickel Silver | 24 Jumbo Nickel Silver |
| Fretboard Radius: | 9.5" | 12" to 16" |
| Nut: | Synthetic Bone | Locking |
| Nut Width: | 41.9mm (1.65'') | 42.9mm (1.688'') |
| Electronics | ||
| Bridge Pickups: | Fender Seymour Duncan Invader SH8 Humbucking (Humbucker / Passive) | Seymour Duncan Distortion TB-6 (Humbucker / Passive) |
| Middle Pickup: | Seymour Duncan Custom Flat Strat SSL-6 RWRP (Single Coil / Passive) | |
| Neck Pickup: | Seymour Duncan Custom Flat Strat SSL-6 (Single Coil / Passive) | |
| Switch: | 0 Way | 5 Way |
| Knobs: | Bell | Dome |
| Pickup Mods: | None | None |
| Volume Controls: | 1 | 1 |
| Tone Controls: | 0 | 1 |
| Hardware | ||
| Strap Lock: | No | Yes |
| Hardware Color: | Chrome | Black |
Show Diagrams Comparison
Reasons to Get
Fender Limited Edition Tom DeLonge Stratocaster over Jackson Pro Series Soloist SL3M
Reasons to Get
Jackson Pro Series Soloist SL3M over Fender Limited Edition Tom DeLonge Stratocaster
Other Key Differences
Fender Limited Edition Tom DeLonge Stratocaster vs Jackson Pro Series Soloist SL3M
Shared Features
Fender Limited Edition Tom DeLonge Stratocaster vs Jackson Pro Series Soloist SL3M
Common Strengths
- High-Quality Nut
- Top Pickup Brand
Common Weaknesses
- Pickup Alter Switch/Knob
- Weight Relief
- Stays in Tune (Evertune)
- High-Quality Frets
- From a High-Quality-Standards Country
- Luminescent Sidedots
- 21:1 Tuner Ratio
- Active/Passive Preamp
Price History Comparison
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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:
Jackson Pro Series Soloist SL3M:
Beginner Friendliness
The Fender Limited Edition Tom DeLonge Stratocaster meets 6 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness, while the Jackson Pro Series Soloist SL3M 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
Jackson Pro Series Soloist SL3M- 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.
Woods Used in the Fender Limited Edition Tom DeLonge Stratocaster
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 Jackson Pro Series Soloist SL3M
Basswood is a lightweight type of wood that isn't as expensive as other popular choices for guitar building. It gives more power to the mid-range frequencies. Its color can vary from pale white to light brown. Find out more about Basswood.
Winner: Fender Limited Edition Tom DeLonge Stratocaster.
Pickup Configuration
The Fender Limited Edition Tom DeLonge Stratocaster has an H configuration while the Jackson Pro Series Soloist SL3M has HSS 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, HSS provides a great balance if you like to play with a lot of distortion, but also love to use clean tones. You'll get a lot of output at the bridge position, but you'll be able to play bright clean tones at the other positions.
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 Limited Edition Tom DeLonge Stratocaster 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 Pro Series Soloist SL3M'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: Fender Limited Edition Tom DeLonge Stratocaster.
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 Pro Series Soloist SL3M gives you 5 switch options while the Fender Limited Edition Tom DeLonge Stratocaster gives you 0. This means that the Jackson Pro Series Soloist SL3M 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: Jackson Pro Series Soloist SL3M.
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 Fender Limited Edition Tom DeLonge Stratocaster compares to the Jackson Pro Series Soloist SL3M.
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 Jackson Pro Series Soloist SL3M is made in Indonesia.
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.
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: 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.
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 Jackson Pro Series Soloist SL3M 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: 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 Jackson Pro Series Soloist SL3M'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: Jackson Pro Series Soloist SL3M.
Tuners
Both come with regular tuners. The Fender Limited Edition Tom DeLonge Stratocaster's are Fender Vintage-Style while the Jackson Pro Series Soloist SL3M'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.
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 Jackson Pro Series Soloist SL3M 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 Pro Series Soloist SL3M.
Here is the list of features that were considered when choosing the winner in the Features subcategory:
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
Jackson Pro Series Soloist SL3M
- Locking Nut
- Top Brand Pickups
- Neck-Through Build
- Tremolo
- Compound Radius Fretboard
- Strap Lock
- Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
- No Locking Tuners
- Made in Indonesia
- No Expensive Woods
- No Push Knob or Extra Switch Option
- No Weight Relief
- No Luminescent Inlay
- 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 Jackson Pro Series Soloist SL3M 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 Jackson Pro Series Soloist SL3M, 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 Fender Limited Edition Tom DeLonge Stratocaster has a C type of 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.
The Jackson Pro Series Soloist SL3M, 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 Pro Series Soloist SL3M 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 Jackson Pro Series Soloist SL3M has Jumbo frets, which should be taller than the Fender Limited Edition Tom DeLonge Stratocaster'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.
