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Gibson Custom 1963 Firebird V
Music Man Majesty 6 Hydrospace
VS
Playability
75
Sound
72
Build
74
Value
59
Score
74
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Playability
73
Sound
77
Build
87
Value
64
Score
79
FIND IT ON:
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Gibson Custom 1963 Firebird V vs Music Man Majesty 6 Hydrospace

Reasons to Get
Gibson Custom 1963 Firebird V over Music Man Majesty 6 Hydrospace

Release Year
2022 vs 2019
From a more recent year
Neck Profile
Traditional 1960s SlimTaper C Profile vs John Petrucci
Comfortable neck that works for most people
Tone Knobs
2 vs 1
More tone control
Paint Finish
Nitro vs Poly
Thin finish that creates aging marks faster
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 17'' (431.8mm)
More curved fretboard helpful to play chords without muting strings

Reasons to Get
Music Man Majesty 6 Hydrospace over Gibson Custom 1963 Firebird V

Decorative Top
Quilt Maple vs None
Finished with beautiful natural wood patterns
Fret Material
Stainless Steel vs Nickel Silver
Best fret material that will last forever
Neck Profile
John Petrucci vs Traditional 1960s SlimTaper C Profile
Thin and flat neck for playing fast
Pickup Mods
Multiple vs None
Number of Frets
24 vs 22
Allows to reach higher notes
Locking Tuners
Yes vs None
Easier to change strings
Paint Finish
Poly vs Nitro
Resistant paint that ages well
Scale Length
25.5'' (647.7mm) vs 24.75'' (628.7mm)
Lower action and brighter natural tone
Fretboard Radius
17'' (431.8mm) vs 12'' (304.8mm)
Flatter fretboard makes it easier to play single notes and bend
Value Score
64 vs 59
Better price/quality relationship

Other Key Differences
Gibson Custom 1963 Firebird V vs Music Man Majesty 6 Hydrospace

Bridge Pickup
Firebird Alnico V vs DiMarzio Dreamcatcher
Different Bridge Pickup
Neck Pickup
Firebird Alnico V vs DiMarzio Rainmaker
Different Neck Pickup
Body Wood
Mahogany vs Flame Maple
Different Body Wood
Fretboard Wood
Rosewood vs Ebony
Different Fretboard Wood
Headstock
R6 vs 4-2
Different Headstock
Nut Material
Nylon vs Compensated
Different Nut Material

Shared Features
Gibson Custom 1963 Firebird V vs Music Man Majesty 6 Hydrospace

Neck Wood
Mahogany
Same Neck Wood
Strings
6
Same playing style
Body Type
Solid Body
Feedback free
Switch Positions
3
Same pickups versatility
Volume Knobs
2
Same volume control
Pickups
HH
High output without hum
Nut Width
1.688'' (42.9mm)
Same string separation at the nut
Bridge
Tremolo
Simple vibratos without too much maintenance
Pickups Power
Passive
Cleaner sound and no battery needed
Neck Joint
Neck-Through
Stronger neck and easier access to upper frets
Type of Frets
Medium Jumbo
You'll feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings

Common Strengths

  • Neck-Through Build
  • High-Quality Nut
  • High-Quality Frets
  • From a High-Quality-Standards Country
  • Top Pickup Brand
  • Expensive Wood

Common Weaknesses

  • Weight Relief
  • Stays in Tune (Evertune)
  • 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 Music Man Majesty 6 Hydrospace is probably the better product overall with its final score of 79 compared to the Gibson Custom 1963 Firebird V's 74 score, although not by a lot.

The Music Man Majesty 6 Hydrospace wins when it comes to sound, build quality, value for the money. On the other hand, the Gibson Custom 1963 Firebird V has the upper hand when it comes to playability.

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 Music Man Majesty 6 Hydrospace is the better choice.

The Music Man Majesty 6 Hydrospace meets 5 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness, while the Gibson Custom 1963 Firebird V 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
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Tall frets
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Narrow nut
  • Short scale
  • Locking tuners

New Player Friendliness

Music Man Majesty 6 Hydrospace
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Locking tuners
  • Tall frets
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • 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 Overview

  • From Gibson Custom's 2022 Historic Collection 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 >

Music Man Majesty 6 Hydrospace Overview

  • From Music Man's 2019 John Petrucci series
  • John Petrucci Signature
  • Made in United States
  • 6 strings
  • 25.5"'' scale
  • 17" Fretboard Radius
  • Quilt Maple top
  • Alder Wings, Mahogany & Flame Maple through neck body
  • Mahogany & Flame Maple neck
  • Ebony fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: DiMarzio Dreamcatcher (Humbucker/Passive)
  • Neck pickup: DiMarzio Rainmaker (Humbucker/Passive)
  • 2 volume and 1 tone Dome knobs
  • 3-way Switch
  • Custom John Petrucci Music Man floating tremolo bridge
  • John Petrucci Neck-Through neck
  • 24 Medium Jumbo Stainless Steel frets
  • Schaller M6-IND 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

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.

Woods Used in the Gibson Custom 1963 Firebird V

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 Music Man Majesty 6 Hydrospace

Ebony wood pattern used for guitar building
Ebony
Flame Maple wood pattern used for guitar building
Flame Maple

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.

This wood has beautiful patterns only found in specific types of maple.

Winner: Music Man Majesty 6 Hydrospace.

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 1963 Firebird V 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: Gibson Custom 1963 Firebird V.

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 Music Man Majesty 6 Hydrospace comes with some kind of pickup modification: Coil Split, Multi-Voicing.

Coil Split lets you disconnect one of the pickup coils. When used with humbuckers, it turns them into single-coil with lower output and cleaner tone.

Multi-Voicing means the pickups come with multiple ''voices'', which means they can change the tone and gain by a simple switch or knob. Piezo, Fishman and similar are considered multi-voicing pickups.

Gibson Custom 1963 Firebird V pickups switch and push knobs diagram
Gibson Custom 1963 Firebird V's switch options
Music Man Majesty 6 Hydrospace pickups switch and push knobs diagram
Music Man Majesty 6 Hydrospace'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: Music Man Majesty 6 Hydrospace.

Final Sound Quality Scores

Gibson Custom 1963 Firebird V
Pickups 90
Sustain 70
Versatility 63
Tuning Stability 65
Sound 72
Music Man Majesty 6 Hydrospace
Pickups 85
Sustain 65
Versatility 81
Tuning Stability 75
Sound 77

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 compares to the Music Man Majesty 6 Hydrospace.

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 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 Music Man Majesty 6 Hydrospace comes with a Compensated nut. Each hole where the string sits at the nut is cut at a different distance from the bridge, which compensates for the different amount of tension that each string is subject to. This fixes most intonation issues across the fretboard, so it gives great tuning 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.

In this comparison, the Music Man Majesty 6 Hydrospace is the only one that has stainless steel frets. These frets will basically last for the entire life of the guitar. They will never need polishing nor replacement. And not only that, but some people also notice that bending and vibratos are much easier to perform when they upgrade to stainless steel.

Winner: Music Man Majesty 6 Hydrospace.

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 Music Man Majesty 6 Hydrospace 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: Music Man Majesty 6 Hydrospace.

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.

Both have 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.

Winner: Tie.

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

Strengths & Weaknesses
Gibson Custom 1963 Firebird V
  • 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
Strengths & Weaknesses
Music Man Majesty 6 Hydrospace
  • Stainless Steel Frets
  • Locking Tuners
  • Made in United States
  • Expensive Wood
  • Compensated Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Neck-Through Build
  • Coil Split, Multi-Voicing Pickups
  • Tremolo
  • No Weight Relief
  • No Luminescent Inlay
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock

Final Build Quality Scores

Gibson Custom 1963 Firebird V
Quality of materials 56
Features 65
Quality Control 100
Build Quality 74
Music Man Majesty 6 Hydrospace
Quality of materials 80
Features 80
Quality Control 100
Build Quality 87

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 1963 Firebird V 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 1963 Firebird V's Scale Length
Gibson Custom 1963 Firebird V's Scale Length
Music Man Majesty 6 Hydrospace's Scale Length
Music Man Majesty 6 Hydrospace'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 Music Man Majesty 6 Hydrospace has the longest scale: 25.5". The Gibson Custom 1963 Firebird V 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 1963 Firebird V Neck Profile
Gibson Custom 1963 Firebird V's neck profile
Music Man Majesty 6 Hydrospace Neck Profile
Music Man Majesty 6 Hydrospace'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 1963 Firebird V 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 Music Man Majesty 6 Hydrospace, 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 1963 Firebird V Fingerboard Radius
Gibson Custom 1963 Firebird V's Fingerboard radius
Music Man Majesty 6 Hydrospace Fingerboard Radius
Music Man Majesty 6 Hydrospace'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 Gibson Custom 1963 Firebird V's fingerboard radius is smaller, which means it's more curved than the Music Man Majesty 6 Hydrospace'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 Music Man Majesty 6 Hydrospace.

Still, both tend to favor soloing over chords, so if you're looking for a guitar for playing rhythm, you might want something else with a radius closer to a Stratocaster's 9.5''.

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 1963 Firebird V:
Big Hands
Small Hands
Music Man Majesty 6 Hydrospace:
Big Hands
Small Hands

Fret Size

Gibson Custom 1963 Firebird V and Music Man Majesty 6 Hydrospace 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

Gibson Custom 1963 Firebird V
Bending & Vibrato Ease 80
Chord Playability 65
Solo Playability 80
Playability 75
Music Man Majesty 6 Hydrospace
Bending & Vibrato Ease 70
Chord Playability 60
Solo Playability 90
Playability 73

Specs Side-by-Side

Gibson Custom 1963 Firebird V vs Music Man Majesty 6 Hydrospace
General Gibson Custom 1963 Firebird V Music Man Majesty 6 Hydrospace
Brand: Gibson Custom Music Man
Year: 2022 2019
Configuration: HH HH
Strings: 6 6
Made in: United States United States
Series: Historic Collection John Petrucci
Colors: Sunburst Blue, Green, Brown, Red
Left-Handed Version: No No
Body
Type: Solid Body Solid Body
Body Material: Layered Mahogany Alder Wings, Mahogany & Flame Maple through neck
Bridge: ABR-1 Maestro Short Vibrola Custom John Petrucci Music Man floating tremolo
Neck
Neck Joint: Neck-Through Neck-Through
Tuners: Deluxe Banjo Tuners Schaller M6-IND locking
Fretboard: Indian Rosewood Ebony
Neck Material: 9-ply Mahogany/Walnut Mahogany & Flame Maple
Decoration: Aged Cellulose Nitrate Trapezoid Atlante Majesty Inlays
Scale Size: 24.75" 25.5"
Shape: Traditional 1960s SlimTaper C Profile John Petrucci
Frets: 22 Medium Jumbo Nickel Silver 24 Medium Jumbo Stainless Steel
Fretboard Radius: 12" 17"
Nut: Nylon Compensated
Nut Width: 42.9mm (1.688'') 42.9mm (1.688'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickup: Firebird Alnico V (Humbucker / Passive) DiMarzio Dreamcatcher (Humbucker / Passive)
Middle Pickup:
Neck Pickup: Firebird Alnico V (Humbucker / Passive) DiMarzio Rainmaker (Humbucker / Passive)
Switch: 3 Way 3 Way
Knobs: Bell Dome
Pickup Mods: None Coil Split, Multi-Voicing
Volume Controls: 2 2
Tone Controls: 2 1