Show Full Spec Comparison
| Jackson Pro Plus XT Soloist SLAT HT6 Baritone | LTD NW-44 | |
|---|---|---|
| General | ||
| Brand: | Jackson | ESP LTD |
| Year: | 2024 | 2018 |
| Configuration: | HH | H |
| Strings: | 6 | 6 |
| Made in: | Indonesia | Indonesia |
| Series: | Pro Plus | Signature |
| Colors: | Black | White |
| Left-Handed Version: | No | No |
| Body | ||
| Type: | Solid Body | Solid Body |
| Body Material: | Nyatoh | Mahogany w/ Maple Cap |
| Bridge: | Jackson HT6 String-Through-Body Hardtail | Tonepros Locking TOM & Tailpiece |
| Neck | ||
| Neck Joint: | Neck-Through | Set |
| Tuners: | Jackson Sealed Die-Cast Locking | LTD Locking |
| Fretboard: | Ebony | Macassar Ebony |
| Neck Material: | 3-piece Maple | 3Pc Mahogany |
| Decoration: | Black Sharkfin | Blocks |
| Scale Size: | 27" | 25.5" |
| Shape: | Jackson Standard | Thin U |
| Thickness: | 1st Fret: 0.79'' (20.1mm) - 12th Fret: 0.85'' (21.6mm) | 1st Fret: 0.787'' (20mm) - 12th Fret: 0.866'' (22mm) |
| Frets: | 24 Jumbo Nickel Silver | 24 XL Jumbo Nickel Silver |
| Fretboard Radius: | 12" to 16" | 13.78" |
| Nut: | Ivory Tusq | Plastic |
| Nut Width: | 42.9mm (1.688'') | 42mm (1.654'') |
| Electronics | ||
| Bridge Pickups: | Seymour Duncan Nazgul (Humbucker / Passive) | Bare Knuckle Aftermath (Humbucker / Passive) |
| Middle Pickup: | ||
| Neck Pickup: | Seymour Duncan Sentient (Humbucker / Passive) | |
| Switch: | 3 Way | 0 Way |
| Knobs: | Speed | Bell |
| Pickup Mods: | Killswitch | None |
| Volume Controls: | 1 | 1 |
| Tone Controls: | 0 | 0 |
| Hardware | ||
| Strap Lock: | Yes | No |
| Hardware Color: | Black | Gold |
Show Diagrams Comparison
Reasons to Get
Jackson Pro Plus XT Soloist SLAT HT6 Baritone over LTD NW-44
Reasons to Get
ESP LTD NW-44 over Jackson Pro Plus XT Soloist SLAT HT6 Baritone
Other Key Differences
Jackson Pro Plus XT Soloist SLAT HT6 Baritone vs LTD NW-44
Shared Features
Jackson Pro Plus XT Soloist SLAT HT6 Baritone vs LTD NW-44
Common Strengths
- Locking Tuners
- Top Pickup Brand
- Expensive Wood
Common Weaknesses
- Weight Relief
- Stays in Tune (Evertune)
- High-Quality Frets
- Compound Radius Fretboard
- From a High-Quality-Standards Country
- 21:1 Tuner Ratio
- Active/Passive Preamp
Price History Comparison
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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 Pro Plus XT Soloist SLAT HT6 Baritone:
ESP LTD NW-44:
Beginner Friendliness
Both meet 6 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness. 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. If you're looking for your first guitar to learn how to play, you can't go wrong with either of them.
New Player Friendliness
Jackson Pro Plus XT Soloist SLAT HT6 Baritone- Comfortable shape
- Easy-to-use bridge
- Locking tuners
- Comfortable fretboard
- Tall frets
- Comfortable neck
- Narrow nut
- Short scale
New Player Friendliness
ESP LTD NW-44- 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
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 Jackson Pro Plus XT Soloist SLAT HT6 Baritone
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.
Nyatoh has been replacing Mahogany for guitar building. It's fairly hard, durable, more sustentable and common than Mahogany. Find out more about Nyatoh.
Woods Used in the ESP LTD NW-44
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: ESP LTD NW-44.
Pickup Configuration
The Jackson Pro Plus XT Soloist SLAT HT6 Baritone has an HH configuration while the ESP LTD NW-44 has H 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, A single H pickup gives you the advantage of having a little longer sustain (all other things being equal) because there will be less magnetic fields from other pickups affecting the strings' vibration. However, they also give you the least versatility because you won't have other pickups at different distances from the bridge to create different tones. A single humbucking pickup is used for noiseless high output, which is used mainly for Hard Rock genres.
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.
You can purchase similar pickups to the Jackson Pro Plus XT Soloist SLAT HT6 Baritone's and use them on any guitar:
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: Tie.
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 Jackson Pro Plus XT Soloist SLAT HT6 Baritone gives you 3 switch options while the ESP LTD NW-44 gives you 0. This means that the Jackson Pro Plus XT Soloist SLAT HT6 Baritone gives you more options to find the right pickup combination for the type of sound you want to achieve
Only the Jackson Pro Plus XT Soloist SLAT HT6 Baritone comes with some kind of pickup modification: Killswitch.
A Killswitch lets you disengage the pickups instantly. It can be useful when playing live, and it allows you to create some cool sound effects by using the switch rapidly.
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 Pro Plus XT Soloist SLAT HT6 Baritone.
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 Pro Plus XT Soloist SLAT HT6 Baritone compares to the ESP LTD NW-44.
Country of Origin
The manufacturing country can tell a lot about the build quality of an instrument. Both in this comparison where made in Indonesia.
Indonesia is becoming the most popular country for guitar building because they can make good instruments for a low price. Some people think that they're 'the new China' when it comes to build quality. But the truth is that Indonesian guitars are more consistent, although Chinese quality has improved a lot in the last few years.
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 Jackson Pro Plus XT Soloist SLAT HT6 Baritone 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 ESP LTD NW-44 comes with 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.
Winner: Jackson Pro Plus XT Soloist SLAT HT6 Baritone.
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.
Both come with a similar bridge: 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.
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
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 Pro Plus XT Soloist SLAT HT6 Baritone 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 ESP LTD NW-44 comes with 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.
Winner: Jackson Pro Plus XT Soloist SLAT HT6 Baritone.
Here is the list of features that were considered when choosing the winner in the Features subcategory:
Jackson Pro Plus XT Soloist SLAT HT6 Baritone
- Locking Tuners
- Expensive Wood
- Ivory Tusq Nut
- Top Brand Pickups
- Neck-Through Build
- Killswitch Pickups
- Luminescent Inlay
- Compound Radius Fretboard
- Strap Lock
- Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
- Made in Indonesia
- No Weight Relief
- No Tremolo
- No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
ESP LTD NW-44
- Locking Tuners
- Expensive Wood
- Top Brand Pickups
- Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
- Made in Indonesia
- No High-Quality Nut
- 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
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 Pro Plus XT Soloist SLAT HT6 Baritone 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 Jackson Pro Plus XT Soloist SLAT HT6 Baritone, 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 Jackson Pro Plus XT Soloist SLAT HT6 Baritone has the longest scale: 27". The ESP LTD NW-44 is only 25.5" long. This is a 1.5'' (38.1mm) 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.
In this case, both have different neck shapes:
The Jackson Pro Plus XT Soloist SLAT HT6 Baritone 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 ESP LTD NW-44, on the other hand, has a U 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.
In this case, the Jackson Pro Plus XT Soloist SLAT HT6 Baritone 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
The ESP LTD NW-44 has XL Jumbo frets, which should be taller than the Jackson Pro Plus XT Soloist SLAT HT6 Baritone's 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.
