Gretsch G6128T-89 Vintage Select '89 Duo Jet vs E-II RZK-II Burnt
Reasons to Get
Gretsch G6128T-89 Vintage Select '89 Duo Jet over E-II RZK-II Burnt
Reasons to Get
ESP E-II RZK-II Burnt over Gretsch G6128T-89 Vintage Select '89 Duo Jet
Other Key Differences
Gretsch G6128T-89 Vintage Select '89 Duo Jet vs E-II RZK-II Burnt
Shared Features
Gretsch G6128T-89 Vintage Select '89 Duo Jet vs E-II RZK-II Burnt
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
- Compound Radius Fretboard
- Luminescent Sidedots
- 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 ESP E-II RZK-II Burnt is probably the better product overall with its final score of 78 compared to the Gretsch G6128T-89 Vintage Select '89 Duo Jet's 74 score, although not by a lot.
The ESP E-II RZK-II Burnt wins when it comes to sound, playability, value for the money. On the other hand, the Gretsch G6128T-89 Vintage Select '89 Duo Jet has the upper hand when it comes to.
If you got small hands, you'll probably feel more comfortable playing the ESP E-II RZK-II Burnt.
Which One is Better for Beginners?
If you're looking for your first guitar to learn how to play, the ESP E-II RZK-II Burnt is the better choice.
The ESP E-II RZK-II Burnt meets 4 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness, while the Gretsch G6128T-89 Vintage Select '89 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-89 Vintage Select '89 Duo Jet- Comfortable shape
- Tall frets
- Short scale
- Comfortable fretboard
- Narrow nut
- Comfortable neck
- Locking tuners
- Easy-to-use bridge
New Player Friendliness
ESP E-II RZK-II Burnt- Comfortable shape
- Tall frets
- Narrow nut
- Comfortable neck
- Comfortable fretboard
- 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.
Gretsch G6128T-89 Vintage Select '89 Duo Jet Overview
- From Gretsch's 2021 Professional Collection series
- Made in Japan
- 6 strings
- 24.6"'' scale
- 12" Fretboard Radius
- Arched Laminated Maple top
- Mahogany body
- Maple neck
- Rosewood fretboard
- Bridge pickup: Gretsch TV Jones TV Classic Plus (Humbucker/Passive)
- Neck pickup: Gretsch TV Jones TV Classic (Humbucker/Passive)
- 3 volume and 1 tone Dome knobs
- 3-way Switch
- Bigsby B3C Vibrato Tailpiece with Gretsch Logo bridge
- Standard U Set neck
- 22 Medium Jumbo frets
- Gotoh Die-Cast tuners
- Compare Specs >
ESP E-II RZK-II Burnt Overview
- From ESP E-II's 2010 Signature series
- Richard ZK Signature
- Made in Japan
- 6 strings
- 25.5"'' scale
- 12" Fretboard Radius
- Alder body
- 3pc Maple neck
- Rosewood fretboard
- Bridge pickup: EMG 81 (Humbucker/Active)
- Neck pickup: EMG 81 (Humbucker/Active)
- 1 volume and 0 tone Dome knobs
- 3-way Switch
- Floyd Rose Original bridge
- Thin U Neck-Through neck
- 24 XL Jumbo frets
- Gotoh 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 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.
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 Gretsch G6128T-89 Vintage Select '89 Duo Jet
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 ESP E-II RZK-II Burnt
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: Gretsch G6128T-89 Vintage Select '89 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
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 Gretsch G6128T-89 Vintage Select '89 Duo Jet 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 ESP E-II RZK-II Burnt's online:
The Gretsch G6128T-89 Vintage Select '89 Duo Jet's pickups are Passive while the ESP E-II RZK-II Burnt's are Active.
Passive pickups are what most guitars use. These have a normal output that works well for most genres. However, Active pickups are the preferred choice of heavy metal players because they offer extra output thanks to their 9v battery, which results in a heavier, more distorted sound. Bear in mind that achieving a completely clean tone with them won't be easy. So if you want to also use clean tones, you might want to avoid Active pickups.
Winner: Gretsch G6128T-89 Vintage Select '89 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.
They both share the following switching 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: Gretsch G6128T-89 Vintage Select '89 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-89 Vintage Select '89 Duo Jet compares to the ESP E-II RZK-II Burnt.
Country of Origin
The manufacturing country can tell a lot about the build quality of an instrument. Both in this comparison where made in Japan.
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.
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 Gretsch G6128T-89 Vintage Select '89 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 ESP E-II RZK-II Burnt 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 Gretsch G6128T-89 Vintage Select '89 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 ESP E-II RZK-II Burnt'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: Tie.
Tuners
Both come with regular tuners. The Gretsch G6128T-89 Vintage Select '89 Duo Jet's are Gotoh Die-Cast while the ESP E-II RZK-II Burnt's are Gotoh
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-89 Vintage Select '89 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 ESP E-II RZK-II Burnt 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: ESP E-II RZK-II Burnt.
Here is the list of features that were considered when choosing the winner in the Features subcategory:
Gretsch G6128T-89 Vintage Select '89 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
ESP E-II RZK-II Burnt
- Made in Japan
- Expensive Wood
- Locking Nut
- Top Brand Pickups
- Neck-Through Build
- Tremolo
- Retainer Bar
- Strap Lock
- 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
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-89 Vintage Select '89 Duo Jet has the wider nut with 42.9mm (1.688'') vs 42mm (1.654''). This is a 0.9mm (0.034'') difference
This means that it will be more difficult to do bar chords on the Gretsch G6128T-89 Vintage Select '89 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 ESP E-II RZK-II Burnt has the longest scale: 25.5". The Gretsch G6128T-89 Vintage Select '89 Duo Jet is only 24.6" long. This is a 0.9'' (22.9mm) 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 Gretsch G6128T-89 Vintage Select '89 Duo Jet and the ESP E-II RZK-II Burnt have a U-shaped neck. This is also referred to as ''baseball neck'' because of its shape. It's usually thick, which is why some people with big hands like it. However, they can also be thin, similar to a C shape, but with more shoulders for a better grip.
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.
Both the Gretsch G6128T-89 Vintage Select '89 Duo Jet and the ESP E-II RZK-II Burnt have the same fretboard radius of 12". This is the radius used in most Gibson guitars. It gives you a good balance for playing chords without muting, but also good comfortability for playing single notes and bending.
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-89 Vintage Select '89 Duo Jet favors large hands more than the ESP E-II RZK-II Burnt.
Gretsch G6128T-89 Vintage Select '89 Duo Jet:
ESP E-II RZK-II Burnt:
Fret Size
The ESP E-II RZK-II Burnt has XL Jumbo frets, which should be taller than the Gretsch G6128T-89 Vintage Select '89 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.
