Show Full Spec Comparison
| Jackson American Series Soloist SL2MG | Charvel Prashant Aswani Signature Pro-Mod So-Cal PA28 | |
|---|---|---|
| General | ||
| Brand: | Jackson | Charvel |
| Year: | 2024 | 2023 |
| Configuration: | HH | HH |
| Strings: | 6 | 6 |
| Made in: | United States | Mexico |
| Series: | American | Artist Signature |
| Colors: | Black, Green, Red | Gray |
| Left-Handed Version: | No | No |
| Body | ||
| Type: | Solid Body | Solid Body |
| Body Material: | Alder | Alder |
| Bridge: | Floyd Rose 1500 Series Double-Locking Tremolo | Wilkinson WVS 130 CR 2-Point Locking Tremolo (Recessed) |
| Neck | ||
| Neck Joint: | Neck-Through | Bolt-On |
| Tuners: | Gotoh MG-T Locking | Charvel-Branded Die-Cast Locking |
| Fretboard: | Ebony | Rosewood |
| Neck Material: | Maple | Maple |
| Decoration: | Inverted Mother of Pearl Sharkfin | Cream Dot |
| Scale Size: | 25.5" | 25.5" |
| Shape: | Jackson Standard | Charvel Speed |
| Thickness: | 1st Fret: 0.79'' (20.1mm) - 12th Fret: 0.85'' (21.6mm) | 1st Fret: 0.77'' (19.6mm) - 12th Fret: 0.83'' (21.1mm) |
| Frets: | 24 Jumbo Stainless Steel | 22 Jumbo Nickel Silver |
| Fretboard Radius: | 12" to 16" | 12" |
| Nut: | Locking | Ivory Tusq |
| Nut Width: | 42.9mm (1.688'') | 41.9mm (1.65'') |
| Electronics | ||
| Bridge Pickups: | EMG 81 (Humbucker / Active) | Charvel PA28 Humbucker (Humbucker / Passive) |
| Middle Pickup: | ||
| Neck Pickup: | EMG 85 (Humbucker / Active) | Charvel PA28 Humbucker (Humbucker / Passive) |
| Switch: | 3 Way | 5 Way |
| Knobs: | Dome | Bell |
| Pickup Mods: | None | None |
| Volume Controls: | 1 | 1 |
| Tone Controls: | 1 | 1 |
| Hardware | ||
| Strap Lock: | Yes | No |
| Hardware Color: | Black | Chrome |
Show Diagrams Comparison
Reasons to Get
Jackson American Series Soloist SL2MG over Charvel Prashant Aswani Signature Pro-Mod So-Cal PA28
Reasons to Get
Charvel Prashant Aswani Signature Pro-Mod So-Cal PA28 over Jackson American Series Soloist SL2MG
Other Key Differences
Jackson American Series Soloist SL2MG vs Charvel Prashant Aswani Signature Pro-Mod So-Cal PA28
Shared Features
Jackson American Series Soloist SL2MG vs Charvel Prashant Aswani Signature Pro-Mod So-Cal PA28
Common Strengths
- High-Quality Nut
- Luminescent Sidedots
- Expensive Wood
Common Weaknesses
- Pickup Alter Switch/Knob
- Weight Relief
- Stays in Tune (Evertune)
- Compound Radius Fretboard
- 21:1 Tuner Ratio
- Active/Passive Preamp
Price History Comparison
These are affiliate links. We may earn a fee if you purchase after clicking. These prices are prone to error. Make sure you're buying the right product after clicking on a link from our site. We are not liable if you buy the wrong product after following these links. As an Amazon Associate site we earn from qualifying purchases.
Hand Size Comfortability
And after taking into account the scale length, nut width, neck profile and fretboard radius, we can conclude that the Jackson American Series Soloist SL2MG favors large hands more than the Charvel Prashant Aswani Signature Pro-Mod So-Cal PA28. But it's still more comfortable for people with small hands, as you can see in the score meter below.
Jackson American Series Soloist SL2MG:
Charvel Prashant Aswani Signature Pro-Mod So-Cal PA28:
Beginner Friendliness
The Charvel Prashant Aswani Signature Pro-Mod So-Cal PA28 meets 6 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness, while the Jackson American Series Soloist SL2MG 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
Jackson American Series Soloist SL2MG- Comfortable shape
- Locking tuners
- Comfortable fretboard
- Tall frets
- Comfortable neck
- Narrow nut
- Short scale
- Easy-to-use bridge
New Player Friendliness
Charvel Prashant Aswani Signature Pro-Mod So-Cal PA28- Comfortable shape
- Easy-to-use bridge
- Locking tuners
- Tall frets
- Narrow nut
- Comfortable neck
- Comfortable fretboard
- 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 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.
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.
Woods Used in the Jackson American Series Soloist SL2MG
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 Charvel Prashant Aswani Signature Pro-Mod So-Cal PA28
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.
Winner: Tie.
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 Jackson American Series Soloist SL2MG has pickups from a more specialized brand than the Charvel Prashant Aswani Signature Pro-Mod So-Cal PA28. 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 Heavy Metal and similar genres.
You can purchase similar pickups to the Jackson American Series Soloist SL2MG's and use them on any guitar:
The Jackson American Series Soloist SL2MG's pickups are Active while the Charvel Prashant Aswani Signature Pro-Mod So-Cal PA28's are Passive.
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: Jackson American Series Soloist SL2MG.
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
The Charvel Prashant Aswani Signature Pro-Mod So-Cal PA28 gives you 5 switch options while the Jackson American Series Soloist SL2MG gives you 3. This means that the Charvel Prashant Aswani Signature Pro-Mod So-Cal PA28 gives you more options to find the right pickup combination for the type of sound you want to achieve
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: Charvel Prashant Aswani Signature Pro-Mod So-Cal PA28.
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 Jackson American Series Soloist SL2MG compares to the Charvel Prashant Aswani Signature Pro-Mod So-Cal PA28.
Country of Origin
The manufacturing country can tell a lot about the build quality of an instrument. The Jackson American Series Soloist SL2MG is built in United States while the Charvel Prashant Aswani Signature Pro-Mod So-Cal PA28 is made in Mexico.
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.
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: Jackson American Series Soloist SL2MG
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 Jackson American Series Soloist SL2MG has 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.
On the other hand, the Charvel Prashant Aswani Signature Pro-Mod So-Cal PA28 comes with 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.
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 Jackson American Series Soloist SL2MG 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: Jackson American Series Soloist SL2MG.
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 Jackson American Series Soloist SL2MG's brige 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.
On the other hand, the Charvel Prashant Aswani Signature Pro-Mod So-Cal PA28'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: Jackson American Series Soloist SL2MG.
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 Jackson American Series Soloist SL2MG has 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.
On the other hand, the Charvel Prashant Aswani Signature Pro-Mod So-Cal PA28 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 American Series Soloist SL2MG.
Here is the list of features that were considered when choosing the winner in the Features subcategory:
Jackson American Series Soloist SL2MG
- Stainless Steel Frets
- Locking Tuners
- Made in United States
- Expensive Wood
- Locking Nut
- Top Brand Pickups
- Neck-Through Build
- Luminescent Inlay
- Tremolo
- Compound Radius Fretboard
- Strap Lock
- No Push Knob or Extra Switch Option
- No Weight Relief
- No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
- No Retainer Bar
Charvel Prashant Aswani Signature Pro-Mod So-Cal PA28
- Locking Tuners
- Expensive Wood
- Ivory Tusq Nut
- Luminescent Inlay
- Tremolo
- Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
- Made in Mexico
- No Top Brand Pickups
- No Neck-Through Build
- No Push Knob or Extra Switch Option
- No Weight Relief
- No Compound Radius Fretboard
- 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 Jackson American Series Soloist SL2MG has the wider nut with 42.9mm (1.688'') vs 41.9mm (1.65''). This is a 1mm (0.038'') difference
This means that it will be more difficult to do bar chords on the Jackson American Series Soloist SL2MG, 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.
In this case, both have a scale length of 25.5".
This is the scale used in most Stratocasters. It's slightly longer than the typical 24.75'' size found in Les Pauls, and it's one of the main reasons why Stratocasters have such a bright sound in general. A longer scale also means that the strings will have higher tension. This will help you get lower action without suffering fret buzz, which will also be helpful when playing in lower tunings without having to increase your string gauge.
However, this also means that there will be more separation between frets, which can make it more difficult to play. Also, bending the strings will require more strengths due to the increased tension, but remember that a tremolo guitar will offset this difficulty.
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 Jackson American Series Soloist SL2MG has a D type of 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.
The Charvel Prashant Aswani Signature Pro-Mod So-Cal PA28, on the other hand, has a C 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 Jackson American Series Soloist SL2MG 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
Both have a Jumbo fret size. This is one of the tallest frets you can get. You won't feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings. It will give you the best sustain and all types of chords will be easier to play. However, you can end up changing the pitch of your notes if you press too hard, which is something people used to feeling the fretboard do when trying Jumbo frets for the first time.
