Ibanez PSM10 vs Charvel Jim Root Signature Pro-Mod San Dimas Style 1 HH FR E
Reasons to Get
Ibanez PSM10 over Charvel Jim Root Signature Pro-Mod San Dimas Style 1 HH FR E
Reasons to Get
Charvel Jim Root Signature Pro-Mod San Dimas Style 1 HH FR E over Ibanez PSM10
Other Key Differences
Ibanez PSM10 vs Charvel Jim Root Signature Pro-Mod San Dimas Style 1 HH FR E
Shared Features
Ibanez PSM10 vs Charvel Jim Root Signature Pro-Mod San Dimas Style 1 HH FR E
Common Weaknesses
- Neck-Through Build
- Pickup Alter Switch/Knob
- Weight Relief
- Stays in Tune (Evertune)
- High-Quality Frets
- 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 Charvel Jim Root Signature Pro-Mod San Dimas Style 1 HH FR E is probably the better product overall with its final score of 74 compared to the Ibanez PSM10's 64 score, which is a significant difference.
The Charvel Jim Root Signature Pro-Mod San Dimas Style 1 HH FR E wins when it comes to sound, build quality. On the other hand, the Ibanez PSM10 has the upper hand when it comes to playability.
If you got small hands, you'll probably feel that the Ibanez PSM10 is easier to play.
Which One is Better for Beginners?
If you're looking for your first guitar to learn how to play, the Ibanez PSM10 is the better choice.
The Ibanez PSM10 meets 6 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness, while the Charvel Jim Root Signature Pro-Mod San Dimas Style 1 HH FR E meets only 5. 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
Ibanez PSM10- Comfortable shape
- Easy-to-use bridge
- Tall frets
- Narrow nut
- Short scale
- Comfortable neck
- Comfortable fretboard
- Locking tuners
New Player Friendliness
Charvel Jim Root Signature Pro-Mod San Dimas Style 1 HH FR E- Comfortable shape
- Locking tuners
- Comfortable fretboard
- Tall frets
- Comfortable neck
- Narrow nut
- Short scale
- 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.
Ibanez PSM10 Overview
- From Ibanez's 2023 PS series
- Paul Stanley Signature
- Made in China
- 6 strings
- 22.2"'' scale
- 12" Fretboard Radius
- Poplar body
- Maple neck
- Bound Purpleheart fretboard
- Bridge pickup: Infinity R (Humbucker/Passive)
- Neck pickup: Infinity R (Humbucker/Passive)
- 1 volume and 1 tone Speed knobs
- 3-way Switch
- Gibraltar Performer bridge
- PSM Bolt-On neck
- 22 Medium frets
- Ibanez tuners
- Compare Specs >
Charvel Jim Root Signature Pro-Mod San Dimas Style 1 HH FR E Overview
- From Charvel's 2022 Artist Signature series
- Jim Root Signature
- Made in Mexico
- 6 strings
- 25.5"'' scale
- 12" to 16" Fretboard Radius
- Mahogany body
- Maple neck
- Ebony fretboard
- Bridge pickup: EMG Jim Root Signature Daemonum Open-Coil Active Humbucking (Humbucker/Active)
- Neck pickup: EMG Jim Root Signature Daemonum Open-Coil Active Humbucking (Humbucker/Active)
- 1 volume and 0 tone Bell knobs
- 3-way Switch
- Floyd Rose 1500 Series Double-Locking Tremolo bridge
- Charvel Speed Bolt-On neck
- 22 Jumbo frets
- Charvel-Branded Die-Cast Locking tuners
- Weight between 7.7lbs (3.5kgs) and 8.75lbs (4kgs)
- 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.
Woods Used in the Ibanez PSM10
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.
Poplar is a cheaper and heavier alternative to Alder wood. It terms of tone, it emphasizes the low-end and has cutting mids. It's relatively soft compared to most body woods. Find out more about Poplar.
Woods Used in the Charvel Jim Root Signature Pro-Mod San Dimas Style 1 HH FR E
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.
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.
Winner: Charvel Jim Root Signature Pro-Mod San Dimas Style 1 HH FR E.
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 Charvel Jim Root Signature Pro-Mod San Dimas Style 1 HH FR E pickups from a more specialized brand than the Ibanez PSM10. Its pickups should give you a fuller, richer sound, although it all depends on what type of music you're going to play. We recommend these pickups for Heavy Metal and similar genres.
We found the same or similar pickups to the Charvel Jim Root Signature Pro-Mod San Dimas Style 1 HH FR E's online:
The Ibanez PSM10's pickups are Passive while the Charvel Jim Root Signature Pro-Mod San Dimas Style 1 HH FR E'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: Charvel Jim Root Signature Pro-Mod San Dimas Style 1 HH FR E.
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: Charvel Jim Root Signature Pro-Mod San Dimas Style 1 HH FR E.
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 Ibanez PSM10 compares to the Charvel Jim Root Signature Pro-Mod San Dimas Style 1 HH FR E.
Country of Origin
The manufacturing country can tell a lot about the build quality of an instrument. The Ibanez PSM10 is built in China while the Charvel Jim Root Signature Pro-Mod San Dimas Style 1 HH FR E is made in Mexico.
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.
Mexico has been for a long time where Fender has built their semi-premium series. If you don't want to overpay for a wellp-built instrument, a guitar built in this country by a good brand always offers good value for the money.
Winner: Charvel Jim Root Signature Pro-Mod San Dimas Style 1 HH FR E
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 Ibanez PSM10 has 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.
On the other hand, the Charvel Jim Root Signature Pro-Mod San Dimas Style 1 HH FR E 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: Charvel Jim Root Signature Pro-Mod San Dimas Style 1 HH FR E.
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 Ibanez PSM10's brige 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.
On the other hand, the Charvel Jim Root Signature Pro-Mod San Dimas Style 1 HH FR E'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: Charvel Jim Root Signature Pro-Mod San Dimas Style 1 HH FR E.
Tuners
The Charvel Jim Root Signature Pro-Mod San Dimas Style 1 HH FR E 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.
Nevertheless, the Charvel Jim Root Signature Pro-Mod San Dimas Style 1 HH FR E has a locking nut, so it should have even better tune stability and doesn't need locking tuners.
Winner: Charvel Jim Root Signature Pro-Mod San Dimas Style 1 HH FR E.
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 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: Tie.
Here is the list of features that were considered when choosing the winner in the Features subcategory:
Ibanez PSM10
- Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
- No Locking Tuners
- Made in China
- No Expensive Woods
- 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 Compound Radius Fretboard
- No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
- No Strap Lock
Charvel Jim Root Signature Pro-Mod San Dimas Style 1 HH FR E
- Locking Tuners
- Expensive Wood
- Locking Nut
- Top Brand Pickups
- Luminescent Inlay
- Tremolo
- Compound Radius Fretboard
- Retainer Bar
- Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
- Made in Mexico
- No Neck-Through Build
- No Push Knob or Extra Switch Option
- No Weight Relief
- 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 Charvel Jim Root Signature Pro-Mod San Dimas Style 1 HH FR E has the wider nut with 42.9mm (1.688'') vs 41mm (1.614''). This is a 1.9mm (0.074'') difference
This means that it will be more difficult to do bar chords on the Charvel Jim Root Signature Pro-Mod San Dimas Style 1 HH FR E, 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 Charvel Jim Root Signature Pro-Mod San Dimas Style 1 HH FR E has the longest scale: 25.5". The Ibanez PSM10 is only 22.2" long. This is a 3.3'' (83.8mm) 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.
Both the Ibanez PSM10 and the Charvel Jim Root Signature Pro-Mod San Dimas Style 1 HH FR E 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 Charvel Jim Root Signature Pro-Mod San Dimas Style 1 HH FR E 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 Charvel Jim Root Signature Pro-Mod San Dimas Style 1 HH FR E favors large hands more than the Ibanez PSM10. But it's still more comfortable for people with small hands, as you can see in the score meter below.
Ibanez PSM10:
Charvel Jim Root Signature Pro-Mod San Dimas Style 1 HH FR E:
Fret Size
The Charvel Jim Root Signature Pro-Mod San Dimas Style 1 HH FR E has Jumbo frets, which should be taller than the Ibanez PSM10's Medium 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.
