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Gretsch G6636T Players Edition Falcon
Fender American Ultra Jazzmaster
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Playability
75
Sound
73
Build
80
Value
61
Score
76
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Playability
70
Sound
78
Build
75
Value
64
Score
74
FIND IT ON:
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Gretsch G6636T Players Edition Falcon vs Fender American Ultra Jazzmaster Specs Comparison
Gretsch G6636T Players Edition Falcon Fender American Ultra Jazzmaster
General
Brand: Gretsch Fender
Year: 2019 2019
Configuration: HH SS
Strings: 6 6
Made in: Japan United States
Series: Professional Collection American Ultra
Colors: White, Black Sunburst, Blue, Brown Burst
Left-Handed Version: No No
Body
Type: Semi-Hollow Solid Body
Body Material: Laminated Maple Alder
Bridge: Bigsby B7CP String-Thru American Professional Jazzmaster
Neck
Neck Joint: Set Bolt-On
Tuners: Gotoh Locking Deluxe Cast/Sealed Locking (all short posts)
Fretboard: Ebony Rosewood
Neck Material: Maple Maple
Decoration: Pearloid Neo-Classic Thumbnail White Pearloid Dot
Scale Size: 24.6" 25.5"
Shape: Standard U Ultra Modern D
Thickness: 1st Fret: 0.83'' (21.1mm) - 12th Fret: 0.97'' (24.6mm) 1st Fret: 0.82'' (20.8mm) - 12th Fret: 0.87'' (22.1mm)
Frets: 22 Medium Jumbo Nickel Silver 21 Medium Jumbo Nickel Silver
Fretboard Radius: 12" 10" to 14"
Nut: Ivory Tusq Bone
Nut Width: 42.9mm (1.688'') 42.8mm (1.685'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickups: Gretsch High Sensitive Filter'Tron (Humbucker / Passive) Fender Ultra Noiseless Vintage Jazzmaster (Single Coil / Passive)
Middle Pickup:
Neck Pickup: Gretsch High Sensitive Filter'Tron (Humbucker / Passive) Fender Ultra Noiseless Vintage Jazzmaster (Single Coil / Passive)
Switch: 3 Way 3 Way
Knobs: Speed Bell
Pickup Mods: None Series Split
Volume Controls: 3 2
Tone Controls: 1 2
Hardware
Strap Lock: Yes No
Hardware Color: Gold Chrome
Show Diagrams Comparison
Gretsch G6636T Players Edition Falcon pickups switch and push knobs diagram
Gretsch G6636T Players Edition Falcon's switch options
Fender American Ultra Jazzmaster pickups switch and push knobs diagram
Fender American Ultra Jazzmaster's switch options

Reasons to Get
Gretsch G6636T Players Edition Falcon over Fender American Ultra Jazzmaster

Neck Profile
Standard U vs Ultra Modern D
Comfortable neck with more grip
Body Type
Semi-Hollow vs Solid Body
Lighter and allows more gain than a hollowbody
Volume Knobs
3 vs 2
More volume control
Pickups
HH vs SS
High output without hum
Number of Frets
22 vs 21
Allows to reach higher notes
Neck Thickness at 1st Fret
0.83'' (21.1mm) vs 0.82'' (20.8mm)
More comfortable open chords for big hands
Neck Thickness at 12th Fret
0.97'' (24.6mm) vs 0.87'' (22.1mm)
More comfortable at higher frets for big hands
Nut Width
1.688'' (42.9mm) vs 1.685'' (42.8mm)
Less likely to mute strings by accident and more space for fingerstyle
Strap Lock
Yes vs None
Protects your guitar from dropping by locking the strap
Bridge
Bigsby Tremolo vs Tremolo
Intense vibrato with a solid arm
Scale Length
24.6'' (624.8mm) vs 25.5'' (647.7mm)
Easier bending, shorter fret separation and warmer natural tone

Reasons to Get
Fender American Ultra Jazzmaster over Gretsch G6636T Players Edition Falcon

Compound Radius
10" to 14" vs 12"
Balanced playability for chords and single-notes
Neck Profile
Ultra Modern D vs Standard U
Thin and flat neck for playing fast
Pickup Mods
Series Split vs None
Connects pickups in series to imitate a humbucker
Neck Joint
Bolt-On vs Set
Allows you to detach and swap the neck
Body Type
Solid Body vs Semi-Hollow
Feedback free
Tone Knobs
2 vs 1
More tone control
Pickups
SS vs HH
Beautiful cleans
Neck Thickness at 1st Fret
0.82'' (20.8mm) vs 0.83'' (21.1mm)
More comfortable open chords for small hands
Neck Thickness at 12th Fret
0.87'' (22.1mm) vs 0.97'' (24.6mm)
More comfortable at higher frets for small hands
Nut Width
1.685'' (42.8mm) vs 1.688'' (42.9mm)
Favors small hands, easier bar chords and other shapes
Bridge
Tremolo vs Bigsby Tremolo
Simple vibratos without too much maintenance
Scale Length
25.5'' (647.7mm) vs 24.6'' (624.8mm)
Lower action and brighter natural tone
Value Score
64 vs 61
Better price/quality relationship

Other Key Differences
Gretsch G6636T Players Edition Falcon vs Fender American Ultra Jazzmaster

Bridge Pickup
Gretsch High Sensitive Filter'Tron vs Fender Ultra Noiseless Vintage Jazzmaster
Different Bridge Pickup
Neck Pickup
Gretsch High Sensitive Filter'Tron vs Fender Ultra Noiseless Vintage Jazzmaster
Different Neck Pickup
Body Wood
Maple vs Alder
Different Body Wood
Fretboard Wood
Ebony vs Rosewood
Different Fretboard Wood
Headstock
3-3 vs 6
Different Headstock
Nut Material
Ivory Tusq vs Bone
Different Nut Material

Shared Features
Gretsch G6636T Players Edition Falcon vs Fender American Ultra Jazzmaster

Neck Wood
Maple
Same Neck Wood
Strings
6
Same playing style
Switch Positions
3
Same pickups versatility
Paint Finish
Poly
Resistant paint that ages well
Pickups Power
Passive
Cleaner sound and no battery needed
Type of Frets
Medium Jumbo
You'll feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings

Common Strengths

  • Locking Tuners
  • High-Quality Nut
  • From a High-Quality-Standards Country
  • Top Pickup Brand
  • Expensive Wood

Common Weaknesses

  • Stays in Tune (Evertune)
  • High-Quality Frets
  • Luminescent Sidedots
  • 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • Active/Passive Preamp

Price History Comparison

Gretsch G6636T Players Edition Falcon Prices

SET PRICE ALERT

Fender American Ultra Jazzmaster Prices

SET PRICE ALERT

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Hand Size Comfortability

And after taking into account the scale length, nut width, neck profile and fretboard radius, we can conclude that the Gretsch G6636T Players Edition Falcon favors large hands more than the Fender American Ultra Jazzmaster.

Gretsch G6636T Players Edition Falcon:
Big Hands
Small Hands
Fender American Ultra Jazzmaster:
Big Hands
Small Hands

Beginner Friendliness

The Fender American Ultra Jazzmaster meets 7 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness, while the Gretsch G6636T Players Edition Falcon 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

Gretsch G6636T Players Edition Falcon
  • Comfortable shape
  • Locking tuners
  • Tall frets
  • Short scale
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Narrow nut
  • Comfortable neck
  • Easy-to-use bridge

New Player Friendliness

Fender American Ultra Jazzmaster
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Locking tuners
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Tall frets
  • Narrow nut
  • Comfortable neck
  • Short scale

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 Gretsch G6636T Players Edition Falcon

Ebony wood pattern used for guitar building
Ebony

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 Fender American Ultra Jazzmaster

Rosewood wood pattern used for guitar building
Rosewood
Alder wood pattern used for guitar building
Alder

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.

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: Tie.

Pickup Configuration

The Gretsch G6636T Players Edition Falcon has an HH configuration while the Fender American Ultra Jazzmaster has SS 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, SS is the classic Telecaster configuration. It's used mainly for playing clean or with low-gain distortion, and it's very popular for the country genre because of their brightness. It doesn't give you as much versatility as a Strat SSS configuration, but you might like the cleaner look of a guitar body with fewer pickups.

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 American Ultra Jazzmaster 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: Fender American Ultra Jazzmaster.

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 Fender American Ultra Jazzmaster comes with some kind of pickup modification: Series Split.

The Series Split feature allows it to split and connect some of the pickups in series. When wired in series, the resulting tone is similar to a Humbucker's. The pickups will work together and produce a fuller tone with more output than single-coils, but less than Humbuckers.

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 American Ultra Jazzmaster.

Final Sound Quality Scores

Gretsch G6636T Players Edition Falcon
Pickups 90
Sustain 70
Versatility 58
Tuning Stability 75
Sound 73
Fender American Ultra Jazzmaster
Pickups 100
Sustain 60
Versatility 78
Tuning Stability 75
Sound 78

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 G6636T Players Edition Falcon compares to the Fender American Ultra Jazzmaster.

Country of Origin

The manufacturing country can tell a lot about the build quality of an instrument. The Gretsch G6636T Players Edition Falcon is built in Japan while the Fender American Ultra Jazzmaster is made in United States.

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.

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 Gretsch G6636T Players Edition Falcon has a Ivory Tusq nut. Ivory used to be considered the best material for guitar nuts due to its beauty, durability, and the rich harmonics and sustain you could get from a guitar with it. However, the way to obtain it is simply unethical. Enter TUSQ ivory nuts, which are made synthetically to imitate ivory. Technically, it's better than ivory because it is consistent piece-to-piece, while natural materials can vary a lot, even if they're made from the same.

On the other hand, the Fender American Ultra Jazzmaster comes with 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.

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 G6636T Players Edition Falcon'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 Fender American Ultra Jazzmaster's is a 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: Gretsch G6636T Players Edition Falcon.

Tuners

They both have 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: 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 G6636T Players Edition Falcon 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 Fender American Ultra Jazzmaster 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: Fender American Ultra Jazzmaster.

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

Strengths & Weaknesses
Gretsch G6636T Players Edition Falcon
  • Locking Tuners
  • Made in Japan
  • Expensive Wood
  • Ivory Tusq Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Tremolo
  • Strap Lock
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Neck-Through Build
  • No Push Knob or Extra Switch Option
  • No Luminescent Inlay
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
Strengths & Weaknesses
Fender American Ultra Jazzmaster
  • Locking Tuners
  • Made in United States
  • Expensive Wood
  • Bone Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Series Split Pickups
  • Tremolo
  • Compound Radius Fretboard
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Neck-Through Build
  • No Weight Relief
  • No Luminescent Inlay
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock

Final Build Quality Scores

Gretsch G6636T Players Edition Falcon
Quality of materials 66
Features 75
Quality Control 100
Build Quality 80
Fender American Ultra Jazzmaster
Quality of materials 51
Features 80
Quality Control 95
Build Quality 75

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

Gretsch G6636T Players Edition Falcon Nut Width
Gretsch G6636T Players Edition Falcon Nut Width
Fender American Ultra Jazzmaster Nut Width
Fender American Ultra Jazzmaster Nut Width

The nut width will affect the separation between strings at the nut. In this comparison, the Gretsch G6636T Players Edition Falcon has the wider nut with 42.9mm (1.688'') vs 42.8mm (1.685''). This is a 0.1mm (0.0029999999999999'') difference

This means that it will be more difficult to do bar chords on the Gretsch G6636T Players Edition Falcon, especially closer to the nut. However, it's also easier to play without muting strings accidently. This favors people with big hands.

Scale Length

Gretsch G6636T Players Edition Falcon's Scale Length
Gretsch G6636T Players Edition Falcon's Scale Length
Fender American Ultra Jazzmaster's Scale Length
Fender American Ultra Jazzmaster'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 Fender American Ultra Jazzmaster has the longest scale: 25.5". The Gretsch G6636T Players Edition Falcon 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

Gretsch G6636T Players Edition Falcon Neck Profile
Gretsch G6636T Players Edition Falcon's neck profile
Fender American Ultra Jazzmaster Neck Profile
Fender American Ultra Jazzmaster'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 Gretsch G6636T Players Edition Falcon has a U type of 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.

The Fender American Ultra Jazzmaster, 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

Gretsch G6636T Players Edition Falcon Fingerboard Radius
Gretsch G6636T Players Edition Falcon's Fingerboard radius
Fender American Ultra Jazzmaster Fretboard Compound Radius
Fender American Ultra Jazzmaster'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 Fender American Ultra Jazzmaster 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.

Fret Size

Gretsch G6636T Players Edition Falcon and Fender American Ultra Jazzmaster 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

Gretsch G6636T Players Edition Falcon
Bending & Vibrato Ease 85
Chord Playability 80
Solo Playability 60
Playability 75
Fender American Ultra Jazzmaster
Bending & Vibrato Ease 60
Chord Playability 80
Solo Playability 70
Playability 70