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Jackson USA Signature Corey Beaulieu King V KV6
Ibanez M8M
VS
Playability
77
Sound
78
Build
75
Value
62
Score
77
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Playability
78
Sound
77
Build
72
Value
61
Score
76
FIND IT ON:
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Jackson USA Signature Corey Beaulieu King V KV6 vs Ibanez M8M

Reasons to Get
Jackson USA Signature Corey Beaulieu King V KV6 over Ibanez M8M

Compound Radius
12" to 16" vs 16"
Balanced playability for chords and single-notes
Neck Profile
Speed vs M8M
Thin and flat neck for playing fast
Strings
6 vs 8
Narrower neck and fewer strings to change
Switch Positions
3 vs 0
More tone options
Pickups
HH vs H
High output without hum
Neck Thickness at 1st Fret
0.775'' (19.7mm) vs 0.77'' (19.6mm)
More comfortable open chords for big hands
Neck Thickness at 12th Fret
0.835'' (21.2mm) vs 0.85'' (21.6mm)
More comfortable at higher frets for small hands
Nut Width
1.688'' (42.9mm) vs 2.165'' (55mm)
Favors small hands, easier bar chords and other shapes
Bridge
Floyd Rose vs Fixed
Allows intense vibratos and techniques like Dive Bombs
Scale Length
25.5'' (647.7mm) vs 29.4'' (746.8mm)
Easier bending, shorter fret separation and warmer natural tone
Pickups Power
Active vs Passive
More output
Value Score
62 vs 61
Better price/quality relationship

Reasons to Get
Ibanez M8M over Jackson USA Signature Corey Beaulieu King V KV6

Release Year
2020 vs 2017
From a more recent year
Neck Profile
M8M vs Speed
Thin neck for playing fast
Strings
8 vs 6
Allows you to play lower notes
Tone Knobs
1 vs 0
More tone control
Pickups
H vs HH
Hum-free with more right hand freedom and sustain
Neck Thickness at 1st Fret
0.77'' (19.6mm) vs 0.775'' (19.7mm)
More comfortable open chords for small hands
Neck Thickness at 12th Fret
0.85'' (21.6mm) vs 0.835'' (21.2mm)
More comfortable at higher frets for big hands
Nut Width
2.165'' (55mm) vs 1.688'' (42.9mm)
Less likely to mute strings by accident and more space for fingerstyle
Bridge
Fixed vs Floyd Rose
Good sustain and needs no set-up
Scale Length
29.4'' (746.8mm) vs 25.5'' (647.7mm)
Lower action and brighter natural tone
Pickups Power
Passive vs Active
Cleaner sound and no battery needed

Other Key Differences
Jackson USA Signature Corey Beaulieu King V KV6 vs Ibanez M8M

Bridge Pickup
Seymour Duncan Blackouts AHB-1B vs Lundgren Model M8
Different Bridge Pickup
Fretboard Wood
Ebony vs Rosewood
Different Fretboard Wood
Headstock
6 vs 4-4
Different Headstock

Shared Features
Jackson USA Signature Corey Beaulieu King V KV6 vs Ibanez M8M

Body Wood
Alder
Same Body Wood
Neck Wood
Maple
Same Neck Wood
Nut Material
Locking
Same Nut Material
Body Type
Solid Body
Feedback free
Volume Knobs
1
Same volume control
Number of Frets
24
Same maximum octave
Paint Finish
Poly
Resistant paint that ages well
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
  • From a High-Quality-Standards Country
  • Strap Lock
  • Top Pickup Brand
  • Expensive Wood

Common Weaknesses

  • Pickup Alter Switch/Knob
  • Weight Relief
  • Retainer Bar
  • Stays in Tune (Evertune)
  • High-Quality Frets
  • Compound Radius Fretboard
  • Luminescent Sidedots
  • 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • Active/Passive Preamp

Table of Contents

Price History Comparison

Jackson USA Signature Corey Beaulieu King V KV6 Prices

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Which One is Better Overall?

After going through our comparison algorithm, the results show that the Jackson USA Signature Corey Beaulieu King V KV6 is probably the better product overall with its final score of 77 compared to the Ibanez M8M's 76 score, although not by a lot.

The Jackson USA Signature Corey Beaulieu King V KV6 wins when it comes to sound, build quality, value for the money. On the other hand, the Ibanez M8M has the upper hand when it comes to playability.

If you got small hands, you'll probably feel more comfortable playing the Jackson USA Signature Corey Beaulieu King V KV6.

Which One is Better for Beginners?

If you're looking for your first guitar to learn how to play, the Ibanez M8M is the better choice.

The Ibanez M8M meets 4 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness, while the Jackson USA Signature Corey Beaulieu King V KV6 meets only 3. 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 Corey Beaulieu King V KV6
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Tall frets
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable shape
  • Narrow nut
  • Short scale
  • Locking tuners
  • Easy-to-use bridge

New Player Friendliness

Ibanez M8M
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Tall frets
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • 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 Corey Beaulieu King V KV6 Overview

  • From Jackson's 2017 Artist Signature series
  • Corey Beaulieu Signature
  • Made in United States
  • 6 strings
  • 25.5"'' scale
  • 12" to 16" Fretboard Radius
  • Alder body
  • Quartersawn Maple neck
  • Ebony fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: Seymour Duncan Blackouts AHB-1B (Humbucker/Active)
  • Neck pickup: Seymour Duncan Blackouts AHB-1N (Humbucker/Active)
  • 1 volume and 0 tone Dome knobs
  • 3-way Switch
  • Floyd Rose Original Double-Locking Tremolo bridge
  • Speed Neck-Through neck
  • 24 Jumbo frets
  • Jackson Sealed Die-Cast tuners
  • Compare Specs >

Ibanez M8M Overview

  • From Ibanez's 2020 M8M series
  • Marten Hagstrom Signature
  • Made in Japan
  • 8 strings
  • 29.4"'' scale
  • 16" Fretboard Radius
  • Alder wing body
  • Maple/Jatoba neck
  • Rosewood fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: Lundgren Model M8 (Humbucker/Passive)
  • 1 volume and 1 tone Dome knobs
  • FX Edge III-8 bridge
  • M8M Neck-Through neck
  • 24 Jumbo frets
  • Hipshot machine heads tuners
  • 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 wood pattern used for guitar building
Maple
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.

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 USA Signature Corey Beaulieu King V KV6

Ebony wood pattern used for guitar building
Ebony

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 Ibanez M8M

Rosewood wood pattern used for guitar building
Rosewood

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

The Jackson USA Signature Corey Beaulieu King V KV6 has an HH configuration while the Ibanez M8M 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 USA Signature Corey Beaulieu King V KV6's and use them on any guitar:

The Jackson USA Signature Corey Beaulieu King V KV6's pickups are Active while the Ibanez M8M'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: 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 USA Signature Corey Beaulieu King V KV6 gives you 3 switch options while the Ibanez M8M gives you 0. This means that the Jackson USA Signature Corey Beaulieu King V KV6 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.

Jackson USA Signature Corey Beaulieu King V KV6 pickups switch and push knobs diagram
Jackson USA Signature Corey Beaulieu King V KV6's switch options

The Ibanez M8M doesn't come with pickup 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 Corey Beaulieu King V KV6.

Final Sound Quality Scores

Jackson USA Signature Corey Beaulieu King V KV6
Pickups 85
Sustain 85
Versatility 57
Tuning Stability 85
Sound 78
Ibanez M8M
Pickups 85
Sustain 85
Versatility 54
Tuning Stability 85
Sound 77

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 Corey Beaulieu King V KV6 compares to the Ibanez M8M.

Country of Origin

The manufacturing country can tell a lot about the build quality of an instrument. The Jackson USA Signature Corey Beaulieu King V KV6 is built in United States while the Ibanez M8M is made in Japan.

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.

Japan has a long history of high-quality guitar building. Little has changed in terms of their manufacturing and quality control over the years. Many guitars made in this country can be compared—and even beat—others made in the US.

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.

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 Corey Beaulieu King V KV6'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 Ibanez M8M'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 Corey Beaulieu King V KV6.

Tuners

Both come with regular tuners. The Jackson USA Signature Corey Beaulieu King V KV6's are Jackson Sealed Die-Cast while the Ibanez M8M's are Hipshot machine heads

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 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 USA Signature Corey Beaulieu King V KV6
  • Made in United States
  • Expensive Wood
  • Locking Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Neck-Through Build
  • Tremolo
  • Compound Radius Fretboard
  • Strap Lock
  • 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
Strengths & Weaknesses
Ibanez M8M
  • Made in Japan
  • Expensive Wood
  • Locking Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Neck-Through Build
  • Strap Lock
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • 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 Retainer Bar

Final Build Quality Scores

Jackson USA Signature Corey Beaulieu King V KV6
Quality of materials 41
Features 85
Quality Control 100
Build Quality 75
Ibanez M8M
Quality of materials 51
Features 65
Quality Control 100
Build Quality 72

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 USA Signature Corey Beaulieu King V KV6 Nut Width
Jackson USA Signature Corey Beaulieu King V KV6 Nut Width
Ibanez M8M Nut Width
Ibanez M8M Nut Width

The nut width will affect the separation between strings at the nut. In this comparison, the Ibanez M8M has the wider nut with 55mm (2.165'') vs 42.9mm (1.688''). This is a 12.1mm (0.477'') difference

This means that it will be more difficult to do bar chords on the Ibanez M8M, especially closer to the nut. However, it's also easier to play without muting strings accidently. This favors people with big hands.

Scale Length

Jackson USA Signature Corey Beaulieu King V KV6's Scale Length
Jackson USA Signature Corey Beaulieu King V KV6's Scale Length
Ibanez M8M's Scale Length
Ibanez M8M's 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 Ibanez M8M has the longest scale: 29.4". The Jackson USA Signature Corey Beaulieu King V KV6 is only 25.5" long. This is a 3.9'' (99.1mm) 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

Jackson USA Signature Corey Beaulieu King V KV6 Neck Profile
Jackson USA Signature Corey Beaulieu King V KV6's neck profile
Ibanez M8M Neck Profile
Ibanez M8M'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.

In this case, both have different neck shapes:

The Jackson USA Signature Corey Beaulieu King V KV6 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 Ibanez M8M, on the other hand, has a GRGR neck. This neck is used in Ibanez's mass production guitars, and it's very similar to the Wizard profile in terms of shape and thickness.

Fretboard Radius

Jackson USA Signature Corey Beaulieu King V KV6 Fretboard Compound Radius
Jackson USA Signature Corey Beaulieu King V KV6's Compound Fretboard Radius
Ibanez M8M Fingerboard Radius
Ibanez M8M's Fingerboard 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 USA Signature Corey Beaulieu King V KV6 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 Ibanez M8M favors large hands more than the Jackson USA Signature Corey Beaulieu King V KV6.

Jackson USA Signature Corey Beaulieu King V KV6:
Big Hands
Small Hands
Ibanez M8M:
Big Hands
Small Hands

Fret Size

Jackson USA Signature Corey Beaulieu King V KV6 and Ibanez M8M 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 USA Signature Corey Beaulieu King V KV6
Bending & Vibrato Ease 70
Chord Playability 60
Solo Playability 100
Playability 77
Ibanez M8M
Bending & Vibrato Ease 85
Chord Playability 50
Solo Playability 100
Playability 78

Specs Side-by-Side

Jackson USA Signature Corey Beaulieu King V KV6 vs Ibanez M8M
General Jackson USA Signature Corey Beaulieu King V KV6 Ibanez M8M
Brand: Jackson Ibanez
Year: 2017 2020
Configuration: HH H
Strings: 6 8
Made in: United States Japan
Series: Artist Signature M8M
Colors: Black, Red Black
Left-Handed Version: No No
Body
Type: Solid Body Solid Body
Body Material: Alder Alder wing
Bridge: Floyd Rose Original Double-Locking Tremolo FX Edge III-8
Neck
Neck Joint: Neck-Through Neck-Through
Tuners: Jackson Sealed Die-Cast Hipshot machine heads
Fretboard: Ebony Rosewood
Neck Material: Quartersawn Maple Maple/Jatoba
Decoration: Pearloid Sharkfin
Scale Size: 25.5" 29.4"
Shape: Speed M8M
Thickness: 1st Fret: 0.775'' (19.7mm) - 12th Fret: 0.835'' (21.2mm) 1st Fret: 0.77'' (19.6mm) - 12th Fret: 0.85'' (21.6mm)
Frets: 24 Jumbo Nickel Silver 24 Jumbo Nickel Silver
Fretboard Radius: 12" to 16" 16"
Nut: Locking Locking
Nut Width: 42.9mm (1.688'') 55mm (2.165'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickup: Seymour Duncan Blackouts AHB-1B (Humbucker / Active) Lundgren Model M8 (Humbucker / Passive)
Middle Pickup:
Neck Pickup: Seymour Duncan Blackouts AHB-1N (Humbucker / Active)
Switch: 3 Way 0 Way
Knobs: Dome Dome
Pickup Mods: None None
Volume Controls: 1 1
Tone Controls: 0 1