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Music Man Jason Richardson 6-String Cutlass
PRS Custom 24 Piezo
VS
Playability
70
Sound
76
Build
83
Value
61
Score
76
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Playability
72
Sound
76
Build
73
Value
59
Score
74
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Side to side spec comparison >

Music Man Jason Richardson 6-String Cutlass vs PRS Custom 24 Piezo

Reasons to Get
Music Man Jason Richardson 6-String Cutlass over PRS Custom 24 Piezo

Fret Material
Stainless Steel vs Nickel Silver
Best fret material that will last forever
Neck Profile
Jason Richardson vs Pattern Thin
Thin and flat neck for playing fast
Pickup Mods
Coil Split vs Multi-Voicing
Splits humbuckers into single coil pickups
Neck Joint
Bolt-On vs Set
Allows you to detach and swap the neck
Nut Width
1.693'' (43mm) vs 1.688'' (42.9mm)
Less likely to mute strings by accident and more space for fingerstyle
Scale Length
25.5'' (647.7mm) vs 25'' (635mm)
Lower action and brighter natural tone
Fretboard Radius
15'' (381mm) vs 10'' (254mm)
Flatter fretboard makes it easier to play single notes and bend
Value Score
61 vs 59
Better price/quality relationship

Reasons to Get
PRS Custom 24 Piezo over Music Man Jason Richardson 6-String Cutlass

Neck Profile
Pattern Thin vs Jason Richardson
Comfortable neck that works for most people
Pickup Mods
Multi-Voicing vs Coil Split
Changes the voice (tones or gain) of the pickups
Switch Positions
5 vs 3
More tone options
Tone Knobs
2 vs 1
More tone control
Nut Width
1.688'' (42.9mm) vs 1.693'' (43mm)
Favors small hands, easier bar chords and other shapes
Scale Length
25'' (635mm) vs 25.5'' (647.7mm)
Easier bending, shorter fret separation and warmer natural tone
Fretboard Radius
10'' (254mm) vs 15'' (381mm)
More curved fretboard helpful to play chords without muting strings

Other Key Differences
Music Man Jason Richardson 6-String Cutlass vs PRS Custom 24 Piezo

Bridge Pickup
Music Man Custom Humbucker vs PRS 85/15
Different Bridge Pickup
Neck Pickup
Music Man Custom Humbucker vs PRS 85/15
Different Neck Pickup
Body Wood
Alder vs Mahogany
Different Body Wood
Neck Wood
Figured Maple vs Mahogany
Different Neck Wood
Fretboard Wood
Ebony vs Rosewood
Different Fretboard Wood
Headstock
4-2 vs 3-3
Different Headstock
Nut Material
Compensated vs PRS Propietary
Different Nut Material

Shared Features
Music Man Jason Richardson 6-String Cutlass vs PRS Custom 24 Piezo

Strings
6
Same playing style
Body Type
Solid Body
Feedback free
Volume Knobs
1
Same volume control
Pickups
HH
High output without hum
Number of Frets
24
Same maximum octave
Paint Finish
Poly
Resistant paint that ages well
Bridge
Tremolo
Simple vibratos without too much maintenance
Pickups Power
Passive
Cleaner sound and no battery needed
Decorative Top
Buckeye Burl vs Carved Figured Maple
Finished with beautiful natural wood patterns
Type of Frets
Medium Jumbo
You'll feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings

Common Strengths

  • Locking Tuners
  • 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

Music Man Jason Richardson 6-String Cutlass Prices

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Which One is Better Overall?

After going through our comparison algorithm, the results show that the Music Man Jason Richardson 6-String Cutlass is probably the better product overall with its final score of 76 compared to the PRS Custom 24 Piezo's 74 score, although not by a lot.

The Music Man Jason Richardson 6-String Cutlass wins when it comes to build quality, value for the money. On the other hand, the PRS Custom 24 Piezo has the upper hand when it comes to playability.

If you got small hands, you'll probably feel more comfortable playing the Music Man Jason Richardson 6-String Cutlass.

Which One is Better for Beginners?

Both meet 5 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

Music Man Jason Richardson 6-String Cutlass
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Locking tuners
  • Tall frets
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Narrow nut
  • Short scale

New Player Friendliness

PRS Custom 24 Piezo
  • 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.

Music Man Jason Richardson 6-String Cutlass Overview

  • From Music Man's 2020 Jason Richardson series
  • Jason Richardson Signature
  • Made in United States
  • 6 strings
  • 25.5"'' scale
  • 15" Fretboard Radius
  • Buckeye Burl top
  • Alder body
  • Figured Roasted Maple neck
  • Ebony fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: Music Man Custom Humbucker (Humbucker/Passive)
  • Neck pickup: Music Man Custom Humbucker (Humbucker/Passive)
  • 1 volume and 1 tone Dome knobs
  • 3-way Switch
  • Custom Music Man floating tremolo bridge
  • Jason Richardson Bolt-On neck
  • 24 Medium Jumbo Stainless Steel frets
  • Schaller M6-IND locking tuners
  • Compare Specs >

PRS Custom 24 Piezo Overview

  • From PRS's 2020 Core series
  • Made in United States
  • 6 strings
  • 25"'' scale
  • 10" Fretboard Radius
  • Carved Figured Maple top
  • Mahogany body
  • Mahogany neck
  • Rosewood fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: PRS 85/15 (Humbucker/Passive)
  • Neck pickup: PRS 85/15 (Humbucker/Passive)
  • 1 volume and 2 tone Speed knobs
  • 5-way Switch
  • PRS Patented Tremolo, Gen III Piezo bridge
  • Pattern Thin Set neck
  • 24 Medium Jumbo frets
  • PRS Phase III Locking tuners
  • Weight between 7.35lbs (3.3kgs) and 7.85lbs (3.6kgs)
  • 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 Jason Richardson 6-String Cutlass

Figured Maple wood pattern used for guitar building
Figured Maple
Ebony wood pattern used for guitar building
Ebony
Alder wood pattern used for guitar building
Alder

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

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.

Woods Used in the PRS Custom 24 Piezo

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: Tie.

Pickup Configuration

Both pickup configurations are HH. 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.

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.

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 PRS Custom 24 Piezo gives you 5 switch options while the Music Man Jason Richardson 6-String Cutlass gives you 3. This means that the PRS Custom 24 Piezo gives you more options to find the right pickup combination for the type of sound you want to achieve

Both give you different pickup mod options.

The Music Man Jason Richardson 6-String Cutlass offers 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.

On the other hand, the PRS Custom 24 Piezo comes with the following: Multi-Voicing.

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 Jason Richardson 6-String Cutlass pickups switch and push knobs diagram
Music Man Jason Richardson 6-String Cutlass's switch options
PRS Custom 24 Piezo pickups switch selector and push knobs diagram
PRS Custom 24 Piezo's switch 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: Tie.

Final Sound Quality Scores

Music Man Jason Richardson 6-String Cutlass
Pickups 85
Sustain 65
Versatility 79
Tuning Stability 75
Sound 76
PRS Custom 24 Piezo
Pickups 85
Sustain 65
Versatility 79
Tuning Stability 75
Sound 76

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 Jason Richardson 6-String Cutlass compares to the PRS Custom 24 Piezo.

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 Jason Richardson 6-String Cutlass 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 PRS Custom 24 Piezo comes with a PRS Propietary nut. It's similar to TUSQ nuts, but they're not as hard, and the tone is not as bright. However, the material is self-lubricating, and it's usually well cut, so they have good tuning stability.

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 Jason Richardson 6-String Cutlass 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 Jason Richardson 6-String Cutlass.

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: 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.

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 Music Man Jason Richardson 6-String Cutlass 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 PRS Custom 24 Piezo 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 Jason Richardson 6-String Cutlass.

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

Strengths & Weaknesses
Music Man Jason Richardson 6-String Cutlass
  • Stainless Steel Frets
  • Locking Tuners
  • Made in United States
  • Expensive Wood
  • Compensated Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Coil Split 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
PRS Custom 24 Piezo
  • Locking Tuners
  • Made in United States
  • Expensive Wood
  • PRS Propietary Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Multi-Voicing Pickups
  • Tremolo
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Neck-Through Build
  • No Weight Relief
  • No Luminescent Inlay
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock

Final Build Quality Scores

Music Man Jason Richardson 6-String Cutlass
Quality of materials 80
Features 70
Quality Control 100
Build Quality 83
PRS Custom 24 Piezo
Quality of materials 50
Features 70
Quality Control 100
Build Quality 73

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 Jason Richardson 6-String Cutlass Nut Width
Music Man Jason Richardson 6-String Cutlass Nut Width
PRS Custom 24 Piezo Nut Width
PRS Custom 24 Piezo Nut Width

The nut width will affect the separation between strings at the nut. In this comparison, the Music Man Jason Richardson 6-String Cutlass 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 Music Man Jason Richardson 6-String Cutlass, 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 Jason Richardson 6-String Cutlass's Scale Length
Music Man Jason Richardson 6-String Cutlass's Scale Length
PRS Custom 24 Piezo's Scale Length
PRS Custom 24 Piezo'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 Jason Richardson 6-String Cutlass has the longest scale: 25.5". The PRS Custom 24 Piezo is only 25" long. This is a 0.5'' (12.7mm) 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 Jason Richardson 6-String Cutlass Neck Profile
Music Man Jason Richardson 6-String Cutlass's neck profile
PRS Custom 24 Piezo Neck Profile
PRS Custom 24 Piezo'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 Jason Richardson 6-String Cutlass 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 PRS Custom 24 Piezo, 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

Music Man Jason Richardson 6-String Cutlass Fingerboard Radius
Music Man Jason Richardson 6-String Cutlass's Fingerboard radius
PRS Custom 24 Piezo Fingerboard Radius
PRS Custom 24 Piezo'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 PRS Custom 24 Piezo's fingerboard radius is smaller, which means it's more curved than the Music Man Jason Richardson 6-String Cutlass'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 Jason Richardson 6-String Cutlass.

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 PRS Custom 24 Piezo favors large hands more than the Music Man Jason Richardson 6-String Cutlass.

Music Man Jason Richardson 6-String Cutlass:
Big Hands
Small Hands
PRS Custom 24 Piezo:
Big Hands
Small Hands

Fret Size

Music Man Jason Richardson 6-String Cutlass and PRS Custom 24 Piezo 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 Jason Richardson 6-String Cutlass
Bending & Vibrato Ease 70
Chord Playability 60
Solo Playability 80
Playability 70
PRS Custom 24 Piezo
Bending & Vibrato Ease 70
Chord Playability 70
Solo Playability 75
Playability 72

Specs Side-by-Side

Music Man Jason Richardson 6-String Cutlass vs PRS Custom 24 Piezo
General Music Man Jason Richardson 6-String Cutlass PRS Custom 24 Piezo
Brand: Music Man PRS
Year: 2020 2020
Configuration: HH HH
Strings: 6 6
Made in: United States United States
Series: Jason Richardson Core
Colors: Red, Natural Burst Gold, White, Black, Blue, Green, Orange, Purple, Yellow, Red Burst, Gold Burst, Dark Cherry Sunburst, McCarty Sunburst, McCarty Tobacco Sunburst, Back Burst Burst
Left-Handed Version: No No
Body
Type: Solid Body Solid Body
Body Material: Alder Mahogany
Bridge: Custom Music Man floating tremolo PRS Patented Tremolo, Gen III Piezo
Neck
Neck Joint: Bolt-On Set
Tuners: Schaller M6-IND locking PRS Phase III Locking
Fretboard: Ebony Rosewood
Neck Material: Figured Roasted Maple Mahogany
Decoration: Dot Inlay Birds
Scale Size: 25.5" 25"
Shape: Jason Richardson Pattern Thin
Frets: 24 Medium Jumbo Stainless Steel 24 Medium Jumbo Nickel Silver
Fretboard Radius: 15" 10"
Nut: Compensated PRS Propietary
Nut Width: 43mm (1.693'') 42.9mm (1.688'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickup: Music Man Custom Humbucker (Humbucker / Passive) PRS 85/15 (Humbucker / Passive)
Middle Pickup:
Neck Pickup: Music Man Custom Humbucker (Humbucker / Passive) PRS 85/15 (Humbucker / Passive)
Switch: 3 Way 5 Way
Knobs: Dome Speed
Pickup Mods: Coil Split Multi-Voicing
Volume Controls: 1 1
Tone Controls: 1 2