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Jackson American Series Soloist SL2MG
Jackson USA Select Kelly KE2
VS
Playability
77
Sound
84
Build
89
Value
73
Score
83
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Playability
77
Sound
79
Build
74
Value
62
Score
77
FIND IT ON:
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Jackson American Series Soloist SL2MG vs USA Select Kelly KE2 Specs Comparison
Jackson American Series Soloist SL2MG USA Select Kelly KE2
General
Brand: Jackson Jackson
Year: 2024 2020
Configuration: HH HH
Strings: 6 6
Made in: United States United States
Series: American USA Select
Colors: Black, Green, Red White, Black
Left-Handed Version: No No
Body
Type: Solid Body Solid Body
Body Material: Alder Alder
Bridge: Floyd Rose 1500 Series Double-Locking Tremolo Floyd Rose Original Double-Locking Tremolo
Neck
Neck Joint: Neck-Through Neck-Through
Tuners: Gotoh MG-T Locking Jackson Sealed Die-Cast
Fretboard: Ebony Ebony
Neck Material: Maple Quartersawn Maple
Decoration: Inverted Mother of Pearl Sharkfin Mother of Pearl Sharkfin
Scale Size: 25.5" 25.5"
Shape: Jackson Standard Speed
Thickness: 1st Fret: 0.79'' (20.1mm) - 12th Fret: 0.85'' (21.6mm) 1st Fret: 0.775'' (19.7mm) - 12th Fret: 0.835'' (21.2mm)
Frets: 24 Jumbo Stainless Steel 24 Jumbo Nickel Silver
Fretboard Radius: 12" to 16" 12" to 16"
Nut: Locking Locking
Nut Width: 42.9mm (1.688'') 42.9mm (1.688'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickups: EMG 81 (Humbucker / Active) Seymour Duncan JB TB-4 (Humbucker / Passive)
Middle Pickup:
Neck Pickup: EMG 85 (Humbucker / Active) Seymour Duncan Jazz SH-2 (Humbucker / Passive)
Switch: 3 Way 3 Way
Knobs: Dome Dome
Pickup Mods: None None
Volume Controls: 1 1
Tone Controls: 1 1
Hardware
Strap Lock: Yes No
Hardware Color: Black Black
Show Diagrams Comparison
Jackson American Series Soloist SL2MG and Jackson USA Select Kelly KE2 pickups switch and push knobs diagram
Jackson American Series Soloist SL2MG and Jackson USA Select Kelly KE2's switch options

Reasons to Get
Jackson American Series Soloist SL2MG over USA Select Kelly KE2

Fret Material
Stainless Steel vs Nickel Silver
Best fret material that will last forever
Release Year
2024 vs 2020
From a more recent year
Locking Tuners
Yes vs None
Easier to change strings
Neck Thickness at 1st Fret
0.79'' (20.1mm) vs 0.775'' (19.7mm)
More comfortable open chords for big hands
Neck Thickness at 12th Fret
0.85'' (21.6mm) vs 0.835'' (21.2mm)
More comfortable at higher frets for big hands
Luminescent Sidedots
Yes vs None
Assists you when playing in dark environments
Strap Lock
Yes vs None
Protects your guitar from dropping by locking the strap
Pickups Power
Active vs Passive
More output
Value Score
73 vs 62
Better price/quality relationship

Reasons to Get
Jackson USA Select Kelly KE2 over American Series Soloist SL2MG

Neck Thickness at 1st Fret
0.775'' (19.7mm) vs 0.79'' (20.1mm)
More comfortable open chords for small hands
Neck Thickness at 12th Fret
0.835'' (21.2mm) vs 0.85'' (21.6mm)
More comfortable at higher frets for small hands
Pickups Power
Passive vs Active
Cleaner sound and no battery needed

Other Key Differences
Jackson American Series Soloist SL2MG vs USA Select Kelly KE2

Bridge Pickup
EMG 81 vs Seymour Duncan JB TB-4
Different Bridge Pickup
Neck Pickup
EMG 85 vs Seymour Duncan Jazz SH-2
Different Neck Pickup

Shared Features
Jackson American Series Soloist SL2MG vs USA Select Kelly KE2

Body Wood
Alder
Same Body Wood
Neck Wood
Maple
Same Neck Wood
Fretboard Wood
Ebony
Same Fretboard Wood
Headstock
6
Same Headstock
Nut Material
Locking
Same Nut Material
Strings
6
Same playing style
Body Type
Solid Body
Feedback free
Switch Positions
3
Same pickups versatility
Volume Knobs
1
Same volume control
Tone Knobs
1
Same tone control
Pickups
HH
High output without hum
Number of Frets
24
Same maximum octave
Nut Width
1.688'' (42.9mm)
Same string separation at the nut
Paint Finish
Poly
Resistant paint that ages well
Bridge
Floyd Rose
Allows intense vibratos and techniques like Dive Bombs
Scale Length
25.5'' (647.7mm)
Same string tension and fret separation
Compound Radius
12" to 16"
Balanced playability for chords and single-notes
Neck Profile Type
D
Thin and flat neck for playing fast
Neck Joint
Neck-Through
Stronger neck and easier access to upper frets
Type of Frets
Jumbo
You won't feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings

Common Strengths

  • Neck-Through Build
  • High-Quality Nut
  • Compound Radius Fretboard
  • From a High-Quality-Standards Country
  • Top Pickup Brand
  • Expensive Wood

Common Weaknesses

  • Pickup Alter Switch/Knob
  • Weight Relief
  • Retainer Bar
  • Stays in Tune (Evertune)
  • 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • Active/Passive Preamp

Price History Comparison

SET PRICE ALERT

Jackson USA Select Kelly KE2 Prices

SET PRICE ALERT

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Hand Size Comfortability

After taking into account the scale length, nut width, neck profile and fretboard radius, we can conclude that both favor small hands .

Jackson American Series Soloist SL2MG:
Big Hands
Small Hands
Jackson USA Select Kelly KE2:
Big Hands
Small Hands

Beginner Friendliness

The Jackson American Series Soloist SL2MG meets 5 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness, while the Jackson USA Select Kelly KE2 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

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

Jackson USA Select Kelly KE2
  • Comfortable shape
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Tall frets
  • Comfortable neck
  • Narrow nut
  • Short scale
  • Locking tuners
  • Easy-to-use bridge

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
Ebony wood pattern used for guitar building
Ebony
Alder wood pattern used for guitar building
Alder

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.

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.

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

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 Jackson American Series Soloist SL2MG has a slight sound quality advantage when taking into account other factors like the type of pickups, magnet, position, etc.

You can purchase similar pickups to the Jackson American Series Soloist SL2MG's and use them on any guitar:

We found the same or similar pickups to the Jackson USA Select Kelly KE2's online:

The Jackson American Series Soloist SL2MG's pickups are Active while the Jackson USA Select Kelly KE2'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

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: Jackson USA Select Kelly KE2.

Final Sound Quality Scores

Jackson American Series Soloist SL2MG
Pickups 95
Sustain 85
Versatility 59
Tuning Stability 95
Sound 84
Jackson USA Select Kelly KE2
Pickups 85
Sustain 80
Versatility 64
Tuning Stability 85
Sound 79

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 Jackson USA Select Kelly KE2.

Country of Origin

The manufacturing country can tell a lot about the build quality of an instrument. Both in this comparison where made in United States.

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.

In this case, both have Locking nuts. 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.

Unfortunately, neither of them have a retainer bar for the nut, which would be a helpful addition. Without it, the strings will change pitch once you lock down the nut, so you'll have to make more micro-adjustments at the bridge to tune it correctly.

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.

Both come with a similar bridge: 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

The Jackson American Series Soloist SL2MG 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 Jackson American Series Soloist SL2MG has a locking nut, so it should have even better tune stability and doesn't need locking tuners.

Winner: Jackson American Series Soloist SL2MG.

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 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: Tie.

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

Strengths & Weaknesses
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
Strengths & Weaknesses
Jackson USA Select Kelly KE2
  • Made in United States
  • Expensive Wood
  • Locking Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Neck-Through Build
  • Tremolo
  • Compound Radius Fretboard
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • No Push Knob or Extra Switch Option
  • No Weight Relief
  • No Luminescent Inlay
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Retainer Bar
  • No Strap Lock

Final Build Quality Scores

Jackson American Series Soloist SL2MG
Quality of materials 71
Features 100
Quality Control 95
Build Quality 89
Jackson USA Select Kelly KE2
Quality of materials 41
Features 80
Quality Control 100
Build Quality 74

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

Jackson American Series Soloist SL2MG Nut Width
Both Guitars Have The Same Nut Width

The nut width will affect the separation between strings at the nut. In this comparison, both have a nut width of 42.9mm (1.688'').

This is within the most common range of nut widths for a 6-string guitar. It offers a good balance of string separation at the nut. It's the size that most guitarists prefer as it gives them just enough space to play open chords without muting the strings, but without spreading the strings too wide and making bar chords difficult to perform.

Scale Length

Jackson American Series Soloist SL2MG and Jackson USA Select Kelly KE2's Scale Length
Both have the same 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

Jackson American Series Soloist SL2MG Neck Profile
Jackson American Series Soloist SL2MG's neck profile
Jackson USA Select Kelly KE2 Neck Profile
Jackson USA Select Kelly KE2'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.

Both the Jackson American Series Soloist SL2MG and the Jackson USA Select Kelly KE2 have a D-shaped 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

Jackson American Series Soloist SL2MG Fretboard Compound Radius
Jackson American Series Soloist SL2MG'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.

Both have a compound radius. This means both offer you the best craftsmanship when it comes to fretboard design. You'll have an arc to help you play chords close to the nut, while also having a flat design at the higher frets for faster soloing and easier bends.

Fret Size

Jackson American Series Soloist SL2MG and Jackson USA Select Kelly KE2 Frets Size
Both have a similar Jumbo 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.

Final Playability Scores

Jackson American Series Soloist SL2MG
Bending & Vibrato Ease 70
Chord Playability 60
Solo Playability 100
Playability 77
Jackson USA Select Kelly KE2
Bending & Vibrato Ease 70
Chord Playability 60
Solo Playability 100
Playability 77