Jackson X Series Signature Adrian Smith SDX vs LTD M-HT Black Metal
Reasons to Get
Jackson X Series Signature Adrian Smith SDX over LTD M-HT Black Metal
Reasons to Get
ESP LTD M-HT Black Metal over Jackson X Series Signature Adrian Smith SDX
Other Key Differences
Jackson X Series Signature Adrian Smith SDX vs LTD M-HT Black Metal
Shared Features
Jackson X Series Signature Adrian Smith SDX vs LTD M-HT Black Metal
Common Weaknesses
- Weight Relief
- Stays in Tune (Evertune)
- High-Quality Frets
- Compound Radius Fretboard
- 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 ESP LTD M-HT Black Metal is probably the better product overall with its final score of 73 compared to the Jackson X Series Signature Adrian Smith SDX's 68 score, although not by a lot.
The ESP LTD M-HT Black Metal wins when it comes to playability, build quality. On the other hand, the Jackson X Series Signature Adrian Smith SDX has the upper hand when it comes to sound.
If you got small hands, you'll probably feel that the Jackson X Series Signature Adrian Smith SDX is easier to play.
Which One is Better for Beginners?
If you're looking for your first guitar to learn how to play, the ESP LTD M-HT Black Metal is the better choice.
The ESP LTD M-HT Black Metal meets 5 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness, while the Jackson X Series Signature Adrian Smith SDX 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 X Series Signature Adrian Smith SDX- Comfortable shape
- Comfortable fretboard
- Tall frets
- Comfortable neck
- Narrow nut
- Short scale
- Locking tuners
- Easy-to-use bridge
New Player Friendliness
ESP LTD M-HT Black Metal- Comfortable shape
- Easy-to-use bridge
- Locking tuners
- Tall frets
- Comfortable neck
- Comfortable fretboard
- Narrow nut
- Short scale
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 X Series Signature Adrian Smith SDX Overview
- From Jackson's 2020 Artist Signature series
- Adrian Smith Signature
- Made in China
- 6 strings
- 25.5"'' scale
- 12" to 16" Fretboard Radius
- Poplar body
- Maple neck
- Laurel fretboard
- Bridge pickup: Jackson High-Output Humbucking (Humbucker/Passive)
- Middle pickup: Jackson Single-Coil (Single Coil/Passive)
- Neck pickup: Jackson Single-Coil (Single Coil/Passive)
- 1 volume and 1 tone Dome knobs
- 5-way Switch
- Floyd Rose Special Double-Locking Tremolo bridge
- Jackson Thin D Bolt-On neck
- 22 Jumbo frets
- Jackson Sealed Die-Cast tuners
- Weight between 7.85lbs (3.6kgs) and 8.5lbs (3.9kgs)
- Compare Specs >
ESP LTD M-HT Black Metal Overview
- From ESP LTD's 2020 Black Metal series
- Made in Indonesia
- 6 strings
- 25.5"'' scale
- 13.78" Fretboard Radius
- Alder body
- 3pc Maple neck
- Macassar Ebony fretboard
- Bridge pickup: Seymour Duncan Black Winter (Humbucker/Passive)
- 1 volume and 0 tone Dome knobs
- Hipshot w/ String Thru bridge
- Extra Thin U Neck-Through neck
- 24 XL Jumbo frets
- LTD Locking tuners
- Weight between 7lbs (3.2kgs) and 7.5lbs (3.4kgs)
- 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.
Woods Used in the Jackson X Series Signature Adrian Smith SDX
There are many types of Laurel, but East Indian is the most common for guitar building. Its color can vary from dark to light brown with black lines. Many people find its tonality similar to Rosewood, which favors the warmer frequencies. Find out more about Laurel.
Poplar is a cheaper and heavier alternative to Alder wood. It terms of tone, it emphasizes the low-end and has cutting mids. It's relatively soft compared to most body woods. Find out more about Poplar.
Woods Used in the ESP LTD M-HT Black Metal
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: ESP LTD M-HT Black Metal.
Pickup Configuration
The Jackson X Series Signature Adrian Smith SDX has an HSS configuration while the ESP LTD M-HT Black Metal has H pickups.
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.
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
The ESP LTD M-HT Black Metal pickups from a more specialized brand than the Jackson X Series Signature Adrian Smith SDX. Its pickups should give you a fuller, richer sound, although it all depends on what type of music you're going to play. We recommend these pickups for Hard Rock and similar genres.
We found the same or similar pickups to the ESP LTD M-HT Black Metal'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: ESP LTD M-HT Black Metal.
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 X Series Signature Adrian Smith SDX gives you 5 switch options while the ESP LTD M-HT Black Metal gives you 0. This means that the Jackson X Series Signature Adrian Smith SDX gives you more options to find the right pickup combination for the type of sound you want to achieve
Only the ESP LTD M-HT Black Metal comes with some kind of pickup modification: Coil Split.
Coil Split lets you disconnect one of the pickup coils. When used with humbuckers, it turns them into single-coil with lower output and cleaner tone.
The ESP LTD M-HT Black Metal 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 X Series Signature Adrian Smith SDX.
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 X Series Signature Adrian Smith SDX compares to the ESP LTD M-HT Black Metal.
Country of Origin
The manufacturing country can tell a lot about the build quality of an instrument. The Jackson X Series Signature Adrian Smith SDX is built in China while the ESP LTD M-HT Black Metal is made in Indonesia.
China has a bad reputation when it comes to building quality. However, times have changed and now respectable brands use China's cheap labor to build good instruments for a lower price. Don't discount a guitar only because it was built in China, but also expect more quality from countries like Korea.
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: ESP LTD M-HT Black Metal
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 X Series Signature Adrian Smith SDX 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 ESP LTD M-HT Black Metal 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 X Series Signature Adrian Smith SDX.
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 X Series Signature Adrian Smith SDX'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 ESP LTD M-HT Black Metal'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 X Series Signature Adrian Smith SDX.
Tuners
The ESP LTD M-HT Black Metal 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 X Series Signature Adrian Smith SDX has a locking nut, so it should have even better tune stability and doesn't need locking tuners.
Winner: ESP LTD M-HT Black Metal.
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 X Series Signature Adrian Smith SDX has 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.
On the other hand, the ESP LTD M-HT Black Metal comes with 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: ESP LTD M-HT Black Metal.
Here is the list of features that were considered when choosing the winner in the Features subcategory:
Jackson X Series Signature Adrian Smith SDX
- Locking Nut
- Tremolo
- Compound Radius Fretboard
- Retainer Bar
- Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
- No Locking Tuners
- Made in China
- No Expensive Woods
- No Top Brand Pickups
- 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
ESP LTD M-HT Black Metal
- Locking Tuners
- Expensive Wood
- Top Brand Pickups
- Neck-Through Build
- Coil Split Pickups
- Luminescent Inlay
- Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
- Made in Indonesia
- No High-Quality Nut
- No Weight Relief
- 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 ESP LTD M-HT Black Metal has the wider nut with 43mm (1.693'') vs 42.9mm (1.688''). This is a 0.1mm (0.0050000000000001'') difference
This means that it will be more difficult to do bar chords on the ESP LTD M-HT Black Metal, 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 X Series Signature Adrian Smith SDX 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 M-HT Black Metal, 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 X Series Signature Adrian Smith SDX 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 ESP LTD M-HT Black Metal favors large hands more than the Jackson X Series Signature Adrian Smith SDX.
Jackson X Series Signature Adrian Smith SDX:
ESP LTD M-HT Black Metal:
Fret Size
The ESP LTD M-HT Black Metal has XL Jumbo frets, which should be taller than the Jackson X Series Signature Adrian Smith SDX'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.
