Jackson USA Signature Adrian Smith San Dimas SDQM vs Charvel Jake E Lee Signature Pro-Mod So-Cal Style 1 HSS HT RW
Reasons to Get
Jackson USA Signature Adrian Smith San Dimas SDQM over Charvel Jake E Lee Signature Pro-Mod So-Cal Style 1 HSS HT RW
Reasons to Get
Charvel Jake E Lee Signature Pro-Mod So-Cal Style 1 HSS HT RW over Jackson USA Signature Adrian Smith San Dimas SDQM
Other Key Differences
Jackson USA Signature Adrian Smith San Dimas SDQM vs Charvel Jake E Lee Signature Pro-Mod So-Cal Style 1 HSS HT RW
Shared Features
Jackson USA Signature Adrian Smith San Dimas SDQM vs Charvel Jake E Lee Signature Pro-Mod So-Cal Style 1 HSS HT RW
Common Strengths
- Compound Radius Fretboard
- Top Pickup Brand
Common Weaknesses
- Neck-Through Build
- Pickup Alter Switch/Knob
- Weight Relief
- Stays in Tune (Evertune)
- High-Quality Frets
- Luminescent Sidedots
- 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 Jackson USA Signature Adrian Smith San Dimas SDQM is probably the better product overall with its final score of 75 compared to the Charvel Jake E Lee Signature Pro-Mod So-Cal Style 1 HSS HT RW's 68 score, although not by a lot.
The Jackson USA Signature Adrian Smith San Dimas SDQM wins when it comes to sound, build quality. On the other hand, the Charvel Jake E Lee Signature Pro-Mod So-Cal Style 1 HSS HT RW has the upper hand when it comes to playability, value for the money.
If you got small hands, none of these instruments will make a big difference when it comes to comfortability.
Which One is Better for Beginners?
If you're looking for your first guitar to learn how to play, the Charvel Jake E Lee Signature Pro-Mod So-Cal Style 1 HSS HT RW is the better choice.
The Charvel Jake E Lee Signature Pro-Mod So-Cal Style 1 HSS HT RW meets 5 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness, while the Jackson USA Signature Adrian Smith San Dimas SDQM 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 USA Signature Adrian Smith San Dimas SDQM- Comfortable shape
- Comfortable fretboard
- Tall frets
- Comfortable neck
- Narrow nut
- Short scale
- Locking tuners
- Easy-to-use bridge
New Player Friendliness
Charvel Jake E Lee Signature Pro-Mod So-Cal Style 1 HSS HT RW- Comfortable shape
- Easy-to-use bridge
- Comfortable fretboard
- Tall frets
- Comfortable neck
- Narrow nut
- Short scale
- Locking tuners
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.
Jackson USA Signature Adrian Smith San Dimas SDQM Overview
- From Jackson's 2020 Artist Signature series
- Adrian Smith Signature
- Made in United States
- 6 strings
- 25.5"'' scale
- 12" to 16" Fretboard Radius
- Flame Maple top
- Alder body
- Quartersawn Maple neck
- Maple fretboard
- Bridge pickup: Seymour Duncan JB TB-4 (Humbucker/Passive)
- Middle pickup: Samarium Cobalt Noiseless (SCN) Single-Coil Strat (Single Coil/Passive)
- Neck pickup: Samarium Cobalt Noiseless (SCN) Single-Coil Strat (Single Coil/Passive)
- 1 volume and 1 tone Dome knobs
- 5-way Switch
- Floyd Rose Original Double-Locking Tremolo bridge
- Jackson Thin D Bolt-On neck
- 22 Jumbo frets
- Jackson Sealed Die-Cast tuners
- Weight between 8.25lbs (3.7kgs) and 8.35lbs (3.8kgs)
- Compare Specs >
Charvel Jake E Lee Signature Pro-Mod So-Cal Style 1 HSS HT RW Overview
- From Charvel's 2022 Artist Signature series
- Jake E Lee Signature
- Made in Mexico
- 6 strings
- 25.5"'' scale
- 12" to 16" Fretboard Radius
- Alder body
- Maple neck
- Rosewood fretboard
- Bridge pickup: Seymour Duncan JB SH-4 (Humbucker/Passive)
- Middle pickup: DiMarzio SDS-1 DP111 (Single Coil/Passive)
- Neck pickup: DiMarzio SDS-1 DP111 (Single Coil/Passive)
- 1 volume and 0 tone Bell knobs
- 5-way Switch
- Hardtail Bridge with Black Base Plate bridge
- Charvel Speed Bolt-On neck
- 21 Jumbo frets
- Charvel-Branded with Pearl Buttons tuners
- Weight between 7.3lbs (3.3kgs) and 8.15lbs (3.7kgs)
- 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.
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 Charvel Jake E Lee Signature Pro-Mod So-Cal Style 1 HSS HT RW
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: Charvel Jake E Lee Signature Pro-Mod So-Cal Style 1 HSS HT RW.
Pickup Configuration
Both pickup configurations are HSS. HSS provides a great balance if you like to play with a lot of distortion, but also love to use clean tones. You'll get a lot of output at the bridge position, but you'll be able to play bright clean tones at the other positions.
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 USA Signature Adrian Smith San Dimas SDQM's and use them on any guitar:
We found the same or similar pickups to the Charvel Jake E Lee Signature Pro-Mod So-Cal Style 1 HSS HT RW's online:
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
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: Jackson USA Signature Adrian Smith San Dimas SDQM.
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 USA Signature Adrian Smith San Dimas SDQM compares to the Charvel Jake E Lee Signature Pro-Mod So-Cal Style 1 HSS HT RW.
Country of Origin
The manufacturing country can tell a lot about the build quality of an instrument. The Jackson USA Signature Adrian Smith San Dimas SDQM is built in United States while the Charvel Jake E Lee Signature Pro-Mod So-Cal Style 1 HSS HT RW 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 USA Signature Adrian Smith San Dimas SDQM
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 USA Signature Adrian Smith San Dimas SDQM 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 Jake E Lee Signature Pro-Mod So-Cal Style 1 HSS HT RW 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 USA Signature Adrian Smith San Dimas SDQM.
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 Jackson USA Signature Adrian Smith San Dimas SDQM'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 Jake E Lee Signature Pro-Mod So-Cal Style 1 HSS HT RW's 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.
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 USA Signature Adrian Smith San Dimas SDQM.
Tuners
Both come with regular tuners. The Jackson USA Signature Adrian Smith San Dimas SDQM's are Jackson Sealed Die-Cast while the Charvel Jake E Lee Signature Pro-Mod So-Cal Style 1 HSS HT RW's are Charvel-Branded with Pearl Buttons
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.
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:
Jackson USA Signature Adrian Smith San Dimas SDQM
- Made in United States
- Locking Nut
- Top Brand Pickups
- Tremolo
- Compound Radius Fretboard
- Retainer Bar
- Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
- No Locking Tuners
- No Expensive Woods
- No Neck-Through Build
- No Push Knob or Extra Switch Option
- No Weight Relief
- No Luminescent Inlay
- No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
- No Strap Lock
Charvel Jake E Lee Signature Pro-Mod So-Cal Style 1 HSS HT RW
- Expensive Wood
- Top Brand Pickups
- Compound Radius Fretboard
- Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
- No Locking Tuners
- Made in Mexico
- No High-Quality Nut
- No Neck-Through Build
- No Push Knob or Extra Switch Option
- No Weight Relief
- No Luminescent Inlay
- No Tremolo
- 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, 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
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 USA Signature Adrian Smith San Dimas SDQM 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 Jake E Lee Signature Pro-Mod So-Cal Style 1 HSS HT RW, 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.
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.
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.
After taking into account the scale length, nut width, neck profile and fretboard radius, we can conclude that both in this comparison favor small hands .
Jackson USA Signature Adrian Smith San Dimas SDQM:
Charvel Jake E Lee Signature Pro-Mod So-Cal Style 1 HSS HT RW:
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.