Gibson Custom 1963 Firebird V With Maestro Vibrola Heavy Aged vs Fender Jeff Beck Stratocaster
Reasons to Get
Gibson Custom 1963 Firebird V With Maestro Vibrola Heavy Aged over Fender Jeff Beck Stratocaster
Reasons to Get
Fender Jeff Beck Stratocaster over Gibson Custom 1963 Firebird V With Maestro Vibrola Heavy Aged
Other Key Differences
Gibson Custom 1963 Firebird V With Maestro Vibrola Heavy Aged vs Fender Jeff Beck Stratocaster
Shared Features
Gibson Custom 1963 Firebird V With Maestro Vibrola Heavy Aged vs Fender Jeff Beck Stratocaster
Common Strengths
- From a High-Quality-Standards Country
- Top Pickup Brand
- 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
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 Gibson Custom 1963 Firebird V With Maestro Vibrola Heavy Aged is probably the better product overall with its final score of 74 compared to the Fender Jeff Beck Stratocaster's 69 score, although not by a lot.
The Gibson Custom 1963 Firebird V With Maestro Vibrola Heavy Aged wins when it comes to playability, build quality. On the other hand, the Fender Jeff Beck Stratocaster has the upper hand when it comes to sound.
If you got small hands, you'll probably feel more comfortable playing the Gibson Custom 1963 Firebird V With Maestro Vibrola Heavy Aged.
Which One is Better for Beginners?
If you're looking for your first guitar to learn how to play, the Fender Jeff Beck Stratocaster is the better choice.
The Fender Jeff Beck Stratocaster meets 6 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness, while the Gibson Custom 1963 Firebird V With Maestro Vibrola Heavy 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
Gibson Custom 1963 Firebird V With Maestro Vibrola Heavy Aged- Comfortable shape
- Easy-to-use bridge
- Tall frets
- Comfortable neck
- Comfortable fretboard
- Narrow nut
- Short scale
- Locking tuners
New Player Friendliness
Fender Jeff Beck Stratocaster- Comfortable shape
- Easy-to-use bridge
- Locking tuners
- Comfortable fretboard
- Tall frets
- Comfortable neck
- Narrow nut
- Short scale
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 1963 Firebird V With Maestro Vibrola Heavy Aged Overview
- From Gibson Custom's 2022 Murphy Lab series
- Made in United States
- 6 strings
- 24.75"'' scale
- 12" Fretboard Radius
- Layered Mahogany body
- 9-ply Mahogany/Walnut neck
- Indian Rosewood fretboard
- Bridge pickup: Firebird Alnico V (Humbucker/Passive)
- Neck pickup: Firebird Alnico V (Humbucker/Passive)
- 2 volume and 2 tone Bell knobs
- 3-way Switch
- ABR-1 Maestro Short Vibrola bridge
- Traditional 1960s SlimTaper C Profile Neck-Through neck
- 22 Medium Jumbo frets
- Deluxe Banjo Tuners tuners
- Compare Specs >
Fender Jeff Beck Stratocaster Overview
- From Fender's 2004 Artist series
- Jeff Beck Signature
- Made in United States
- 6 strings
- 25.5"'' scale
- 9.5" Fretboard Radius
- Alder body
- Maple neck
- Rosewood fretboard
- Bridge pickup: Fender Hot Noiseless (Single Coil/Passive)
- Middle pickup: Fender Hot Noiseless (Single Coil/Passive)
- Neck pickup: Fender Hot Noiseless (Single Coil/Passive)
- 1 volume and 2 tone Bell knobs
- 5-way Switch
- 2-Point American Series Synchronized Tremolo with Stainless Steel Saddles bridge
- Jeff Beck C Bolt-On neck
- 22 Medium Jumbo frets
- Deluxe Staggered Cast/Sealed Locking 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
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 Gibson Custom 1963 Firebird V With Maestro Vibrola Heavy Aged
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.
Woods Used in the Fender Jeff Beck Stratocaster
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.
Winner: Gibson Custom 1963 Firebird V With Maestro Vibrola Heavy Aged.
Pickup Configuration
The Gibson Custom 1963 Firebird V With Maestro Vibrola Heavy Aged has an HH configuration while the Fender Jeff Beck Stratocaster has SSS pickups.
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.
On the other hand, SSS is perfect for players who like to play clean. The definition you get between notes and the crispiness is unmatched by most other configurations. You can still use it for distortion, but you won't get the same kind of output and power compared to a humbucker, and the hum they produce also makes them less adequate for high gain.
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 Jeff Beck 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 Fender Jeff Beck Stratocaster'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 Jeff Beck 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 Fender Jeff Beck Stratocaster gives you 5 switch options while the Gibson Custom 1963 Firebird V With Maestro Vibrola Heavy Aged gives you 3. This means that the Fender Jeff Beck Stratocaster 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: Fender Jeff Beck Stratocaster.
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 Gibson Custom 1963 Firebird V With Maestro Vibrola Heavy Aged compares to the Fender Jeff Beck Stratocaster.
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 1963 Firebird V With Maestro Vibrola Heavy Aged 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 Fender Jeff Beck Stratocaster comes with a LSR Roller nut. It's very different than the typical nut. Instead of a cut slot, it features ball bearings that allow the strings to move freely with almost no friction. It should help with tuning stability, although other types of well-cut nuts made of slippery materials can also do a good job keeping the guitar in tune.
Winner: Gibson Custom 1963 Firebird V With Maestro Vibrola Heavy Aged.
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: 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
The Fender Jeff Beck Stratocaster 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 Jeff Beck Stratocaster.
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 1963 Firebird V With Maestro Vibrola Heavy Aged has a 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.
On the other hand, the Fender Jeff Beck Stratocaster 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: Gibson Custom 1963 Firebird V With Maestro Vibrola Heavy Aged.
Here is the list of features that were considered when choosing the winner in the Features subcategory:
Gibson Custom 1963 Firebird V With Maestro Vibrola Heavy 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
Fender Jeff Beck Stratocaster
- Locking Tuners
- Made in United States
- Expensive Wood
- Top Brand Pickups
- Tremolo
- Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
- No High-Quality Nut
- No Neck-Through Build
- 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
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, 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
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 Jeff Beck Stratocaster has the longest scale: 25.5". The Gibson Custom 1963 Firebird V With Maestro Vibrola Heavy 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
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 Gibson Custom 1963 Firebird V With Maestro Vibrola Heavy Aged and the Fender Jeff Beck Stratocaster 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.
In this case, the Fender Jeff Beck Stratocaster's fingerboard radius is smaller, which means it's more curved than the Gibson Custom 1963 Firebird V With Maestro Vibrola Heavy 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 Heavy Aged.
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.
And after taking into account the scale length, nut width, neck profile and fretboard radius, we can conclude that the Fender Jeff Beck Stratocaster favors large hands more than the Gibson Custom 1963 Firebird V With Maestro Vibrola Heavy Aged.
Gibson Custom 1963 Firebird V With Maestro Vibrola Heavy Aged:
Fender Jeff Beck Stratocaster:
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.
