Gretsch G6128T-59 Vintage Select ’59 Duo Jet vs Jackson JS Series Monarkh SC JS22
Reasons to Get
Gretsch G6128T-59 Vintage Select ’59 Duo Jet over Jackson JS Series Monarkh SC JS22
Reasons to Get
Jackson JS Series Monarkh SC JS22 over Gretsch G6128T-59 Vintage Select ’59 Duo Jet
Other Key Differences
Gretsch G6128T-59 Vintage Select ’59 Duo Jet vs Jackson JS Series Monarkh SC JS22
Shared Features
Gretsch G6128T-59 Vintage Select ’59 Duo Jet vs Jackson JS Series Monarkh SC JS22
Common Strengths
- Expensive Wood
Common Weaknesses
- Pickup Alter Switch/Knob
- Locking Tuners
- 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 Gretsch G6128T-59 Vintage Select ’59 Duo Jet is probably the better product overall with its final score of 73 compared to the Jackson JS Series Monarkh SC JS22's 66 score, although not by a lot.
The Gretsch G6128T-59 Vintage Select ’59 Duo Jet wins when it comes to sound, build quality. On the other hand, the Jackson JS Series Monarkh SC JS22 has the upper hand when it comes to playability, value for the money.
If you got small hands, you'll probably feel that the Jackson JS Series Monarkh SC JS22 is easier to play.
Which One is Better for Beginners?
If you're looking for your first guitar to learn how to play, the Jackson JS Series Monarkh SC JS22 is the better choice.
The Jackson JS Series Monarkh SC JS22 meets 6 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness, while the Gretsch G6128T-59 Vintage Select ’59 Duo Jet 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
Gretsch G6128T-59 Vintage Select ’59 Duo Jet- Comfortable shape
- Tall frets
- Short scale
- Comfortable fretboard
- Narrow nut
- Comfortable neck
- Locking tuners
- Easy-to-use bridge
New Player Friendliness
Jackson JS Series Monarkh SC JS22- Comfortable shape
- Easy-to-use bridge
- Comfortable fretboard
- Tall frets
- Narrow nut
- Comfortable neck
- Short scale
- Locking tuners
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.
Gretsch G6128T-59 Vintage Select ’59 Duo Jet Overview
- From Gretsch's 2018 Professional Collection series
- Made in Japan
- 6 strings
- 24.6"'' scale
- 12" Fretboard Radius
- Arched Laminated Maple top
- Mahogany body
- Mahogany neck
- Ebony fretboard
- Bridge pickup: Gretsch TV Jones Filter'Tron Classic (Humbucker/Passive)
- Neck pickup: Gretsch TV Jones Filter'Tron Classic (Humbucker/Passive)
- 3 volume and 0 tone Dome knobs
- 3-way Switch
- Bigsby B3CB bridge
- Vintage V Set neck
- 22 Medium Jumbo frets
- Grover Sta-Tite Die-Cast tuners
- Weight between 7.4lbs (3.4kgs) and 7.8lbs (3.5kgs)
- Compare Specs >
Jackson JS Series Monarkh SC JS22 Overview
- From Jackson's 2015 JS series
- Made in China
- 6 strings
- 24.75"'' scale
- 12" to 16" Fretboard Radius
- Mahogany body
- Maple neck
- Purpleheart fretboard
- Bridge pickup: Jackson High-Output Humbucking (Humbucker/Passive)
- Neck pickup: Jackson High-Output Humbucking (Humbucker/Passive)
- 1 volume and 1 tone Dome knobs
- 3-way Switch
- Jackson TOM-Style Adjustable with Anchored Tailpiece bridge
- Speed Bolt-On neck
- 22 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
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 Gretsch G6128T-59 Vintage Select ’59 Duo Jet
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.
Woods Used in the Jackson JS Series Monarkh SC JS22
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.
Purpleheart (also known as Amaranth) is a hard, dense wood with a brilliant tone. As its name suggests, the purple color makes this wood look exotic.
Winner: Gretsch G6128T-59 Vintage Select ’59 Duo Jet.
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
The Gretsch G6128T-59 Vintage Select ’59 Duo Jet has pickups from a more specialized brand than the Jackson JS Series Monarkh SC JS22. Its pickups should simply give you a better, fuller sound, although it all depends on what type of music you're going to play. We recommend these pickups for Hard Rock and similar genres.
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: Gretsch G6128T-59 Vintage Select ’59 Duo Jet.
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.
When evaluating versatility, we also take into consideration bridge and neck joint type, number of frets, switch options, amount of pickups and more.
Winner: Gretsch G6128T-59 Vintage Select ’59 Duo Jet.
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 Gretsch G6128T-59 Vintage Select ’59 Duo Jet compares to the Jackson JS Series Monarkh SC JS22.
Country of Origin
The manufacturing country can tell a lot about the build quality of an instrument. The Gretsch G6128T-59 Vintage Select ’59 Duo Jet is built in Japan while the Jackson JS Series Monarkh SC JS22 is made in China.
Japan has a long history of high-quality guitar building. Little has changed in terms of their manufacturing and quality control over the years. Many guitars made in this country can be compared—and even beat—others made in the US.
China has a bad reputation when it comes to building quality. However, times have changed and now respectable brands use China's cheap labor to build good instruments for a lower price. Don't discount a guitar only because it was built in China, but also expect more quality from countries like Korea.
Winner: Gretsch G6128T-59 Vintage Select ’59 Duo Jet
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 Gretsch G6128T-59 Vintage Select ’59 Duo Jet has a Bone nut. It's a type of nut found in high-quality instruments. They sound similar to Ivory since they give a lot of sustain and a bright sound (at least when striking open strings). The only problem they can run into is that you may get a bone piece that simply doesn't sound as well as others because that's just how natural materials are.
On the other hand, the Jackson JS Series Monarkh SC JS22 comes with a Plastic nut. This is a low-quality nut that you might want to consider upgrading soon. Bone and TUSQ nuts are the best for guitars with a fixed or simple tremolo bridge.
Winner: Gretsch G6128T-59 Vintage Select ’59 Duo Jet.
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 Gretsch G6128T-59 Vintage Select ’59 Duo Jet's brige is a Bigsby Tremolo. Bigsby tremolos are built differently than regular tremolos. They have a stiffer arm, which is something a lot of people like because the arm won't wiggle around a lot. On the other hand, this type of tremolo is more complicated to restring and it might not be as newbie-friendly as other simpler tremolos.
On the other hand, the Jackson JS Series Monarkh SC JS22's 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.
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: Gretsch G6128T-59 Vintage Select ’59 Duo Jet.
Tuners
Both come with regular tuners. The Gretsch G6128T-59 Vintage Select ’59 Duo Jet's are Grover Sta-Tite Die-Cast while the Jackson JS Series Monarkh SC JS22'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 Gretsch G6128T-59 Vintage Select ’59 Duo Jet 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 JS Series Monarkh SC JS22 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: Jackson JS Series Monarkh SC JS22.
Here is the list of features that were considered when choosing the winner in the Features subcategory:
Gretsch G6128T-59 Vintage Select ’59 Duo Jet
- Made in Japan
- Expensive Wood
- Bone Nut
- Top Brand Pickups
- Weight Relief
- Tremolo
- Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
- No Locking Tuners
- No Neck-Through Build
- No Push Knob or Extra Switch Option
- No Luminescent Inlay
- No Compound Radius Fretboard
- No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
- No Strap Lock
Jackson JS Series Monarkh SC JS22
- Expensive Wood
- Compound Radius Fretboard
- Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
- No Locking Tuners
- Made in China
- No High-Quality Nut
- No Top Brand Pickups
- No Neck-Through Build
- No Push Knob or Extra Switch Option
- No Weight Relief
- No Luminescent Inlay
- No Tremolo
- 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, the Gretsch G6128T-59 Vintage Select ’59 Duo Jet has the wider nut with 42.9mm (1.688'') vs 41.3mm (1.625''). This is a 1.6mm (0.063'') difference
This means that it will be more difficult to do bar chords on the Gretsch G6128T-59 Vintage Select ’59 Duo Jet, 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.
The Jackson JS Series Monarkh SC JS22 has the longest scale: 24.75". The Gretsch G6128T-59 Vintage Select ’59 Duo Jet is only 24.6" long. This is a 0.15'' (3.8mm) 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.
In this case, both have different neck shapes:
The Gretsch G6128T-59 Vintage Select ’59 Duo Jet has a V type of neck. This neck shape was more common during Fender's early years. Some people like it because they use their thumb over the edge of the fretboard to press the lower strings. It's rather thicker than most modern necks, so it's not usually used for playing fast solos.
The Jackson JS Series Monarkh SC JS22, 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 JS Series Monarkh SC JS22 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.
And after taking into account the scale length, nut width, neck profile and fretboard radius, we can conclude that the Gretsch G6128T-59 Vintage Select ’59 Duo Jet favors large hands more than the Jackson JS Series Monarkh SC JS22.
Gretsch G6128T-59 Vintage Select ’59 Duo Jet:
Jackson JS Series Monarkh SC JS22:
Fret Size
The Jackson JS Series Monarkh SC JS22 has Jumbo frets, which should be taller than the Gretsch G6128T-59 Vintage Select ’59 Duo Jet'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.
