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Gibson Custom 1961 ES-335 Reissue
Jackson USA Select King V KV2
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Playability
73
Sound
72
Build
74
Value
58
Score
73
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Playability
77
Sound
79
Build
74
Value
62
Score
77
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Gibson Custom 1961 ES-335 Reissue vs Jackson USA Select King V KV2

Reasons to Get
Gibson Custom 1961 ES-335 Reissue over Jackson USA Select King V KV2

Release Year
2022 vs 2020
From a more recent year
Type of Frets
Medium Jumbo vs Jumbo
You'll feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings
Neck Profile
SlimTaper 60s C vs Speed
Comfortable neck that works for most people
Body Type
Semi-Hollow vs Solid Body
Lighter and allows more gain than a hollowbody
Volume Knobs
2 vs 1
More volume control
Tone Knobs
2 vs 1
More tone control
Paint Finish
Nitro vs Poly
Thin finish that creates aging marks faster
Bridge
Fixed vs Floyd Rose
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

Reasons to Get
Jackson USA Select King V KV2 over Gibson Custom 1961 ES-335 Reissue

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
Compound Radius
12" to 16" vs 12"
Balanced playability for chords and single-notes
Neck Profile
Speed vs SlimTaper 60s C
Thin and flat neck for playing fast
Neck Joint
Neck-Through vs Set
Stronger neck and easier access to upper frets
Body Type
Solid Body vs Semi-Hollow
Feedback free
Number of Frets
24 vs 22
Allows to reach higher notes
Paint Finish
Poly vs Nitro
Resistant paint that ages well
Bridge
Floyd Rose vs Fixed
Allows intense vibratos and techniques like Dive Bombs
Scale Length
25.5'' (647.7mm) vs 24.75'' (628.7mm)
Lower action and brighter natural tone
Value Score
62 vs 58
Better price/quality relationship

Other Key Differences
Gibson Custom 1961 ES-335 Reissue vs Jackson USA Select King V KV2

Bridge Pickup
Custombucker Alnico III (Unpotted) vs Seymour Duncan JB TB-4
Different Bridge Pickup
Neck Pickup
Custombucker Alnico III (Unpotted) vs Seymour Duncan '59 SH-1N
Different Neck Pickup
Body Wood
Maple vs Alder
Different Body Wood
Neck Wood
Mahogany vs Maple
Different Neck Wood
Fretboard Wood
Rosewood vs Ebony
Different Fretboard Wood
Headstock
3-3 vs 6
Different Headstock
Nut Material
Nylon vs Locking
Different Nut Material

Shared Features
Gibson Custom 1961 ES-335 Reissue vs Jackson USA Select King V KV2

Strings
6
Same playing style
Switch Positions
3
Same pickups versatility
Pickups
HH
High output without hum
Nut Width
1.688'' (42.9mm)
Same string separation at the nut
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

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

Table of Contents

Price History Comparison

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Which One is Better Overall?

After going through our comparison algorithm, the results show that the Jackson USA Select King V KV2 is probably the better product overall with its final score of 77 compared to the Gibson Custom 1961 ES-335 Reissue's 73 score, although not by a lot.

The Jackson USA Select King V KV2 wins when it comes to sound, playability, value for the money. On the other hand, the Gibson Custom 1961 ES-335 Reissue has the upper hand when it comes to.

If you got small hands, none of these instruments will make a big difference when it comes to comfortability.

Which One is Better for Beginners?

If you're looking for your first guitar to learn how to play, the Gibson Custom 1961 ES-335 Reissue is the better choice.

The Gibson Custom 1961 ES-335 Reissue meets 4 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness, while the Jackson USA Select King V KV2 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

Gibson Custom 1961 ES-335 Reissue
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Tall frets
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Narrow nut
  • Short scale
  • Locking tuners

New Player Friendliness

Jackson USA Select King V KV2
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Tall frets
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable shape
  • Narrow nut
  • Short scale
  • Locking tuners
  • Easy-to-use bridge

Nevertheless, when it comes to choosing an instrument, you should pick the one more compatible with your personal style. Still, below we'll try you to give you our results as objectively as it's possible to help you decide.

Gibson Custom 1961 ES-335 Reissue Overview

  • From Gibson Custom's 2022 Historic Collection series
  • Made in United States
  • 6 strings
  • 24.75"'' scale
  • 12" Fretboard Radius
  • 3-Ply Maple/Poplar/Maple body
  • Mahogany neck
  • Indian Rosewood fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: Custombucker Alnico III (Unpotted) (Humbucker/Passive)
  • Neck pickup: Custombucker Alnico III (Unpotted) (Humbucker/Passive)
  • 2 volume and 2 tone Bell knobs
  • 3-way Switch
  • Lightweight Aluminum Stop Bar bridge
  • SlimTaper 60s C Set neck
  • 22 Medium Jumbo frets
  • Kluson Single Line, Double Ring tuners
  • Weight between 7.8lbs (3.5kgs) and 8.1lbs (3.7kgs)
  • Compare Specs >

Jackson USA Select King V KV2 Overview

  • From Jackson's 2020 USA Select series
  • Made in United States
  • 6 strings
  • 25.5"'' scale
  • 12" to 16" Fretboard Radius
  • Alder body
  • Quartersawn Maple neck
  • Ebony fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: Seymour Duncan JB TB-4 (Humbucker/Passive)
  • Neck pickup: Seymour Duncan '59 SH-1N (Humbucker/Passive)
  • 1 volume and 1 tone Dome knobs
  • 3-way Switch
  • Floyd Rose Original Double-Locking Tremolo bridge
  • Speed Neck-Through neck
  • 24 Jumbo frets
  • Jackson Sealed Die-Cast tuners
  • Compare Specs >

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 Gibson Custom 1961 ES-335 Reissue

Mahogany wood pattern used for guitar building
Mahogany
Rosewood wood pattern used for guitar building
Rosewood

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.

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 Jackson USA Select King V KV2

Ebony wood pattern used for guitar building
Ebony
Alder wood pattern used for guitar building
Alder

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: Gibson Custom 1961 ES-335 Reissue.

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

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 Gibson Custom 1961 ES-335 Reissue 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 USA Select King V KV2'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: Gibson Custom 1961 ES-335 Reissue.

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.

Neither of them come with some kind of coil split or pickup mod option. This makes both lacking in terms of versatility.

They both share the following switching options:

Gibson Custom 1961 ES-335 Reissue and Jackson USA Select King V KV2 pickups switch and push knobs diagram
Gibson Custom 1961 ES-335 Reissue and Jackson USA Select King V KV2's switch options

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 USA Select King V KV2.

Final Sound Quality Scores

Gibson Custom 1961 ES-335 Reissue
Pickups 90
Sustain 75
Versatility 53
Tuning Stability 70
Sound 72
Jackson USA Select King V KV2
Pickups 85
Sustain 80
Versatility 64
Tuning Stability 85
Sound 79

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 Gibson Custom 1961 ES-335 Reissue compares to the Jackson USA Select King V KV2.

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.

The Gibson Custom 1961 ES-335 Reissue has 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

On the other hand, the Jackson USA Select King V KV2 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 Gibson Custom 1961 ES-335 Reissue'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 USA Select King V KV2'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 USA Select King V KV2.

Tuners

Both come with regular tuners. The Gibson Custom 1961 ES-335 Reissue's are Kluson Single Line, Double Ring while the Jackson USA Select King V KV2'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 Gibson Custom 1961 ES-335 Reissue 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 Jackson USA Select King V KV2 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 USA Select King V KV2.

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

Strengths & Weaknesses
Gibson Custom 1961 ES-335 Reissue
  • Made in United States
  • Expensive Wood
  • Nylon Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • No Neck-Through Build
  • No Push Knob or Extra Switch Option
  • No Luminescent Inlay
  • No Tremolo
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock
Strengths & Weaknesses
Jackson USA Select King V KV2
  • Made in United States
  • Expensive Wood
  • Locking Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Neck-Through Build
  • Tremolo
  • Compound Radius Fretboard
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • No Push Knob or Extra Switch Option
  • No Weight Relief
  • No Luminescent Inlay
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Retainer Bar
  • No Strap Lock

Final Build Quality Scores

Gibson Custom 1961 ES-335 Reissue
Quality of materials 66
Features 55
Quality Control 100
Build Quality 74
Jackson USA Select King V KV2
Quality of materials 41
Features 80
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

Gibson Custom 1961 ES-335 Reissue Nut Width
Both Guitars Have The Same Nut Width

The nut width will affect the separation between strings at the nut. In this comparison, both have a nut width of 42.9mm (1.688'').

This is within the most common range of nut widths for a 6-string guitar. It offers a good balance of string separation at the nut. It's the size that most guitarists prefer as it gives them just enough space to play open chords without muting the strings, but without spreading the strings too wide and making bar chords difficult to perform.

Scale Length

Gibson Custom 1961 ES-335 Reissue's Scale Length
Gibson Custom 1961 ES-335 Reissue's Scale Length
Jackson USA Select King V KV2's Scale Length
Jackson USA Select King V KV2'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 Jackson USA Select King V KV2 has the longest scale: 25.5". The Gibson Custom 1961 ES-335 Reissue 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

Gibson Custom 1961 ES-335 Reissue Neck Profile
Gibson Custom 1961 ES-335 Reissue's neck profile
Jackson USA Select King V KV2 Neck Profile
Jackson USA Select King V KV2'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 Gibson Custom 1961 ES-335 Reissue 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 USA Select King V KV2, 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

Gibson Custom 1961 ES-335 Reissue Fingerboard Radius
Gibson Custom 1961 ES-335 Reissue's Fingerboard radius
Jackson USA Select King V KV2 Fretboard Compound Radius
Jackson USA Select King V KV2's Compound 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 USA Select King V KV2 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.

Hand Size Comfortability

Everyone has a different hand size, and that's why it's recommended to try a guitar before buying, even if others tell you that it's comfortable to play. However, we can know whether a guitar favors small or large hands just by knowing its exact measurements.

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

Gibson Custom 1961 ES-335 Reissue:
Big Hands
Small Hands
Jackson USA Select King V KV2:
Big Hands
Small Hands

Fret Size

Gibson Custom 1961 ES-335 Reissue Frets Size
Gibson Custom 1961 ES-335 Reissue's Frets Size
Jackson USA Select King V KV2 Frets Size
Jackson USA Select King V KV2's Frets Size

The Jackson USA Select King V KV2 has Jumbo frets, which should be taller than the Gibson Custom 1961 ES-335 Reissue'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

Gibson Custom 1961 ES-335 Reissue
Bending & Vibrato Ease 85
Chord Playability 65
Solo Playability 70
Playability 73
Jackson USA Select King V KV2
Bending & Vibrato Ease 70
Chord Playability 60
Solo Playability 100
Playability 77

Specs Side-by-Side

Gibson Custom 1961 ES-335 Reissue vs Jackson USA Select King V KV2
General Gibson Custom 1961 ES-335 Reissue Jackson USA Select King V KV2
Brand: Gibson Custom Jackson
Year: 2022 2020
Configuration: HH HH
Strings: 6 6
Made in: United States United States
Series: Historic Collection USA Select
Colors: Sunburst, Red White, Black
Left-Handed Version: No No
Body
Type: Semi-Hollow Solid Body
Body Material: 3-Ply Maple/Poplar/Maple Alder
Bridge: Lightweight Aluminum Stop Bar Floyd Rose Original Double-Locking Tremolo
Neck
Neck Joint: Set Neck-Through
Tuners: Kluson Single Line, Double Ring Jackson Sealed Die-Cast
Fretboard: Indian Rosewood Ebony
Neck Material: Mahogany Quartersawn Maple
Decoration: Pearloid Dot Mother of Pearl Sharkfin
Scale Size: 24.75" 25.5"
Shape: SlimTaper 60s C Speed
Frets: 22 Medium Jumbo Nickel Silver 24 Jumbo Nickel Silver
Fretboard Radius: 12" 12" to 16"
Nut: Nylon Locking
Nut Width: 42.9mm (1.688'') 42.9mm (1.688'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickup: Custombucker Alnico III (Unpotted) (Humbucker / Passive) Seymour Duncan JB TB-4 (Humbucker / Passive)
Middle Pickup:
Neck Pickup: Custombucker Alnico III (Unpotted) (Humbucker / Passive) Seymour Duncan '59 SH-1N (Humbucker / Passive)
Switch: 3 Way 3 Way
Knobs: Bell Dome
Pickup Mods: None None
Volume Controls: 2 1
Tone Controls: 2 1