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Music Man JP15 7
Gibson Lukas Nelson 56 Les Paul Junior
VS
Playability
70
Sound
78
Build
83
Value
62
Score
77
FIND IT ON:
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Playability
73
Sound
69
Build
64
Value
64
Score
69
FIND IT ON:
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Music Man JP15 7 vs Gibson Lukas Nelson 56 Les Paul Junior

Reasons to Get
Music Man JP15 7 over Gibson Lukas Nelson 56 Les Paul Junior

Decorative Top
Figured Maple vs None
Finished with beautiful natural wood patterns
Fret Material
Stainless Steel vs Nickel Silver
Best fret material that will last forever
Neck Profile
John Petrucci vs 50s Vintage
Thin and flat neck for playing fast
Pickup Mods
Multiple vs None
Neck Joint
Bolt-On vs Set
Allows you to detach and swap the neck
Strings
7 vs 6
Allows you to play lower notes
Switch Positions
3 vs 0
More tone options
Volume Knobs
2 vs 1
More volume control
Pickups
HH vs P90
High output without hum
Number of Frets
24 vs 22
Allows to reach higher notes
Locking Tuners
Yes vs None
Easier to change strings
Nut Width
1.875'' (47.6mm) vs 1.693'' (43mm)
Less likely to mute strings by accident and more space for fingerstyle
Bridge
Tremolo vs Fixed
Simple vibratos without too much maintenance
Scale Length
25.5'' (647.7mm) vs 24.75'' (628.7mm)
Lower action and brighter natural tone
Fretboard Radius
17'' (431.8mm) vs 12'' (304.8mm)
Flatter fretboard makes it easier to play single notes and bend

Reasons to Get
Gibson Lukas Nelson 56 Les Paul Junior over Music Man JP15 7

Release Year
2020 vs 2016
From a more recent year
Neck Profile
50s Vintage vs John Petrucci
Great if you like to hang your thumb over the fretboard
Strings
6 vs 7
Narrower neck and fewer strings to change
Pickups
P90 vs HH
Vintage tone with good sustain
Nut Width
1.693'' (43mm) vs 1.875'' (47.6mm)
Favors small hands, easier bar chords and other shapes
Bridge
Fixed vs Tremolo
Good sustain and needs no set-up
Scale Length
24.75'' (628.7mm) vs 25.5'' (647.7mm)
Easier bending, shorter fret separation and warmer natural tone
Fretboard Radius
12'' (304.8mm) vs 17'' (431.8mm)
More curved fretboard helpful to play chords without muting strings
Value Score
64 vs 62
Better price/quality relationship

Other Key Differences
Music Man JP15 7 vs Gibson Lukas Nelson 56 Les Paul Junior

Bridge Pickup
DiMarzio Illuminator vs Gibson Alnico 3 P-90 Dogear
Different Bridge Pickup
Body Wood
Okoume vs Mahogany
Different Body Wood
Neck Wood
Figured Maple vs Mahogany
Different Neck Wood
Fretboard Wood
Figured Maple vs Rosewood
Different Fretboard Wood
Headstock
4-2 vs 3-3
Different Headstock
Nut Material
Compensated vs Ivory Tusq
Different Nut Material

Shared Features
Music Man JP15 7 vs Gibson Lukas Nelson 56 Les Paul Junior

Body Type
Solid Body
Feedback free
Tone Knobs
1
Same tone control
Paint Finish
Poly
Resistant paint that ages well
Pickups Power
Passive
Cleaner sound and no battery needed
Type of Frets
Medium Jumbo
You'll feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings

Common Strengths

  • High-Quality Nut
  • From a High-Quality-Standards Country
  • Top Pickup Brand
  • Expensive Wood

Common Weaknesses

  • Weight Relief
  • Stays in Tune (Evertune)
  • Compound Radius Fretboard
  • Luminescent Sidedots
  • Strap Lock
  • 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • Active/Passive Preamp

Table of Contents

Price History Comparison

SET PRICE ALERT

Gibson Lukas Nelson 56 Les Paul Junior Prices

SET PRICE ALERT

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Which One is Better Overall?

After going through our comparison algorithm, the results show that the Music Man JP15 7 is probably the better product overall with its final score of 77 compared to the Gibson Lukas Nelson 56 Les Paul Junior's 69 score, although not by a lot.

The Music Man JP15 7 wins when it comes to sound, build quality. On the other hand, the Gibson Lukas Nelson 56 Les Paul Junior has the upper hand when it comes to playability, value for the money.

If you got small hands, you'll probably feel more comfortable playing the Music Man JP15 7.

Which One is Better for Beginners?

If you're looking for your first guitar to learn how to play, the Music Man JP15 7 is the better choice.

The Music Man JP15 7 meets 5 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness, while the Gibson Lukas Nelson 56 Les Paul Junior 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

Music Man JP15 7
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Locking tuners
  • Tall frets
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Narrow nut
  • Short scale

New Player Friendliness

Gibson Lukas Nelson 56 Les Paul Junior
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Tall frets
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Narrow nut
  • Short scale
  • Comfortable neck
  • 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.

Music Man JP15 7 Overview

  • From Music Man's 2016 John Petrucci series
  • John Petrucci Signature
  • Made in United States
  • 7 strings
  • 25.5"'' scale
  • 17" Fretboard Radius
  • Figured Maple top
  • Okoume with maple top (roasted maple top on Sahara Burst) body
  • Figured roasted maple neck neck
  • Figured roasted maple neck fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: DiMarzio Illuminator (Humbucker/Passive)
  • Neck pickup: DiMarzio Illuminator (Humbucker/Passive)
  • 2 volume and 1 tone Dome knobs
  • 3-way Switch
  • Custom John Petrucci Music Man Piezo floating tremolo bridge
  • John Petrucci Bolt-On neck
  • 24 Medium Jumbo Stainless Steel frets
  • Schaller M6-IND locking with pearl buttons tuners
  • Weight around 7.85lbs (3.6kgs)
  • Compare Specs >

Gibson Lukas Nelson 56 Les Paul Junior Overview

  • From Gibson's 2020 Artist Collection series
  • Lukas Nelson Signature
  • Made in United States
  • 6 strings
  • 24.75"'' scale
  • 12" Fretboard Radius
  • Mahogany body
  • Mahogany neck
  • Rosewood fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: Gibson Alnico 3 P-90 Dogear (P90/Passive)
  • Middle pickup: (/)
  • Neck pickup: (/)
  • 1 volume and 1 tone Speed knobs
  • Vintage Style Compensated Wraparound bridge
  • 50s Vintage Set neck
  • 22 Medium Jumbo frets
  • Vintage Deluxe strip with white buttons 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 the Music Man JP15 7

Figured Maple wood pattern used for guitar building
Figured Maple
Okoume wood pattern used for guitar building
Okoume

This wood has beautiful patterns only found in specific types of maple.

Okoume is an affordable wood and one of the first to replace Mahogany when the prohibitions started. It's generally softer than Mahogany and the tone has warmer lows.

Woods Used in the Gibson Lukas Nelson 56 Les Paul Junior

Mahogany wood pattern used for guitar building
Mahogany
Rosewood wood pattern used for guitar building
Rosewood

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.

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: Gibson Lukas Nelson 56 Les Paul Junior.

Pickup Configuration

The Music Man JP15 7 has an HH configuration while the Gibson Lukas Nelson 56 Les Paul Junior has P90 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, P90s are vintage pickups that are somewhere in the middle between a Humbucker and a single coil. They have decent output, and the tone is not too warm. It's a very particular type of sound that is used in many genres, but it was more popular decades ago.

Like any other single-pickup guitars, it should give you a bit more sustain since there will be less interference with the vibration of the strings. However, you're stuck to one single tone, unless you use effect pedals.

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 Gibson Lukas Nelson 56 Les Paul Junior has a slight sound quality advantage when taking into account other factors like the type of pickups, magnet, position, etc.

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: Gibson Lukas Nelson 56 Les Paul Junior.

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 Music Man JP15 7 gives you 3 switch options while the Gibson Lukas Nelson 56 Les Paul Junior gives you 0. This means that the Music Man JP15 7 gives you more options to find the right pickup combination for the type of sound you want to achieve

Only the Music Man JP15 7 comes with some kind of pickup modification: Coil Split, Multi-Voicing.

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.

Multi-Voicing means the pickups come with multiple ''voices'', which means they can change the tone and gain by a simple switch or knob. Piezo, Fishman and similar are considered multi-voicing pickups.

Music Man JP15 7 pickups switch and push knobs diagram
Music Man JP15 7's switch options

The Gibson Lukas Nelson 56 Les Paul Junior 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: Music Man JP15 7.

Final Sound Quality Scores

Music Man JP15 7
Pickups 85
Sustain 65
Versatility 86
Tuning Stability 75
Sound 78
Gibson Lukas Nelson 56 Les Paul Junior
Pickups 100
Sustain 65
Versatility 39
Tuning Stability 70
Sound 69

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 Music Man JP15 7 compares to the Gibson Lukas Nelson 56 Les Paul Junior.

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.

The Music Man JP15 7 has a Compensated nut. Each hole where the string sits at the nut is cut at a different distance from the bridge, which compensates for the different amount of tension that each string is subject to. This fixes most intonation issues across the fretboard, so it gives great tuning stability.

On the other hand, the Gibson Lukas Nelson 56 Les Paul Junior comes with 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.

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 Music Man JP15 7 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: Music Man JP15 7.

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 Music Man JP15 7's brige is a Tremolo. Tremolo bridges give you more versatility than fixed bridges. They let you perform the intense vibrato effects that would be impossible with a fixed bridge. However, since the bridge floats and there's less contact with the body, the strings lose sustain slightly faster. They can also be a bit harder to restring and set up correctly than fixed bridges.

On the other hand, the Gibson Lukas Nelson 56 Les Paul Junior'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: Tie.

Tuners

The Music Man JP15 7 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.

Winner: Music Man JP15 7.

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 Music Man JP15 7 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 Gibson Lukas Nelson 56 Les Paul Junior 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: Music Man JP15 7.

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

Strengths & Weaknesses
Music Man JP15 7
  • Stainless Steel Frets
  • Locking Tuners
  • Made in United States
  • Expensive Wood
  • Compensated Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Coil Split, Multi-Voicing Pickups
  • Tremolo
  • No Neck-Through Build
  • No Weight Relief
  • No Luminescent Inlay
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock
Strengths & Weaknesses
Gibson Lukas Nelson 56 Les Paul Junior
  • Made in United States
  • Expensive Wood
  • Ivory Tusq Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • 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

Music Man JP15 7
Quality of materials 80
Features 70
Quality Control 100
Build Quality 83
Gibson Lukas Nelson 56 Les Paul Junior
Quality of materials 51
Features 50
Quality Control 90
Build Quality 64

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

Music Man JP15 7 Nut Width
Music Man JP15 7 Nut Width
Gibson Lukas Nelson 56 Les Paul Junior Nut Width
Gibson Lukas Nelson 56 Les Paul Junior Nut Width

The nut width will affect the separation between strings at the nut. In this comparison, the Music Man JP15 7 has the wider nut with 47.6mm (1.875'') vs 43mm (1.693''). This is a 4.6mm (0.182'') difference

This means that it will be more difficult to do bar chords on the Music Man JP15 7, especially closer to the nut. However, it's also easier to play without muting strings accidently. This favors people with big hands.

Scale Length

Music Man JP15 7's Scale Length
Music Man JP15 7's Scale Length
Gibson Lukas Nelson 56 Les Paul Junior's Scale Length
Gibson Lukas Nelson 56 Les Paul Junior'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 Music Man JP15 7 has the longest scale: 25.5". The Gibson Lukas Nelson 56 Les Paul Junior is only 24.75" long. This is a 0.75'' (19.1mm) 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

Music Man JP15 7 Neck Profile
Music Man JP15 7's neck profile
Gibson Lukas Nelson 56 Les Paul Junior Neck Profile
Gibson Lukas Nelson 56 Les Paul Junior'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 Music Man JP15 7 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 Gibson Lukas Nelson 56 Les Paul Junior, on the other hand, has a V neck. This neck shape was more common during Fender's early years. Some people like it because they use their thumb over the edge of the fretboard to press the lower strings. It's rather thicker than most modern necks, so it's not usually used for playing fast solos.

Fretboard Radius

Music Man JP15 7 Fingerboard Radius
Music Man JP15 7's Fingerboard radius
Gibson Lukas Nelson 56 Les Paul Junior Fingerboard Radius
Gibson Lukas Nelson 56 Les Paul Junior'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 Gibson Lukas Nelson 56 Les Paul Junior's fingerboard radius is smaller, which means it's more curved than the Music Man JP15 7's. This extra arc will make playing chords easier in this model. You won't be as likely to mute the strings, especially if you have big hands. However, playing single notes and bending will be easier on the Music Man JP15 7.

Still, both tend to favor soloing over chords, so if you're looking for a guitar for playing rhythm, you might want something else with a radius closer to a Stratocaster's 9.5''.

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 Gibson Lukas Nelson 56 Les Paul Junior favors large hands more than the Music Man JP15 7.

Music Man JP15 7:
Big Hands
Small Hands
Gibson Lukas Nelson 56 Les Paul Junior:
Big Hands
Small Hands

Fret Size

Music Man JP15 7 and Gibson Lukas Nelson 56 Les Paul Junior Frets Size
Both have a similar Medium Jumbo fret size

Both have a Medium Jumbo fret size. These are slightly shorter than full Jumbo frets, so you'll still feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings. However, they interfere less with your fretting hand than medium-size frets. This is a good size if you like easy-to-press frets, but would still like to feel a bit of the fretboard when playing.

Final Playability Scores

Music Man JP15 7
Bending & Vibrato Ease 70
Chord Playability 60
Solo Playability 80
Playability 70
Gibson Lukas Nelson 56 Les Paul Junior
Bending & Vibrato Ease 85
Chord Playability 75
Solo Playability 60
Playability 73

Specs Side-by-Side

Music Man JP15 7 vs Gibson Lukas Nelson 56 Les Paul Junior
General Music Man JP15 7 Gibson Lukas Nelson 56 Les Paul Junior
Brand: Music Man Gibson
Year: 2016 2020
Configuration: HH P90
Strings: 7 6
Made in: United States United States
Series: John Petrucci Artist Collection
Colors: Blue, Black Burst, Brown Burst Sunburst
Left-Handed Version: No No
Body
Type: Solid Body Solid Body
Body Material: Okoume with maple top (roasted maple top on Sahara Burst) Mahogany
Bridge: Custom John Petrucci Music Man Piezo floating tremolo Vintage Style Compensated Wraparound
Neck
Neck Joint: Bolt-On Set
Tuners: Schaller M6-IND locking with pearl buttons Vintage Deluxe strip with white buttons
Fretboard: Figured roasted maple neck Rosewood
Neck Material: Figured roasted maple neck Mahogany
Decoration: Custom Jp15 Inlays Acrylic Dots
Scale Size: 25.5" 24.75"
Shape: John Petrucci 50s Vintage
Frets: 24 Medium Jumbo Stainless Steel 22 Medium Jumbo Nickel Silver
Fretboard Radius: 17" 12"
Nut: Compensated Ivory Tusq
Nut Width: 47.6mm (1.875'') 43mm (1.693'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickup: DiMarzio Illuminator (Humbucker / Passive) Gibson Alnico 3 P-90 Dogear (P90 / Passive)
Middle Pickup:
Neck Pickup: DiMarzio Illuminator (Humbucker / Passive)
Switch: 3 Way 0 Way
Knobs: Dome Speed
Pickup Mods: Coil Split, Multi-Voicing None
Volume Controls: 2 1
Tone Controls: 1 1