Show Full Spec Comparison
| Music Man Jason Richardson 7-String Cutlass | LTD BUZ-7 | |
|---|---|---|
| General | ||
| Brand: | Music Man | ESP LTD |
| Year: | 2020 | 2013 |
| Configuration: | HH | HH |
| Strings: | 7 | 7 |
| Made in: | United States | Indonesia |
| Series: | Jason Richardson | Signature |
| Colors: | Red, Natural Burst | Black |
| Left-Handed Version: | No | No |
| Body | ||
| Type: | Solid Body | Solid Body |
| Body Material: | Alder | Alder |
| Bridge: | Custom Music Man floating tremolo | Floyd Rose 1000 |
| Neck | ||
| Neck Joint: | Bolt-On | Neck-Through |
| Tuners: | Schaller M6-IND locking | Grover |
| Fretboard: | Ebony | Macassar Ebony |
| Neck Material: | Figured Roasted Maple | 5pc Maple/Walnut |
| Decoration: | Dot Inlay | Offset Dots |
| Scale Size: | 25.5" | 25.5" |
| Shape: | Jason Richardson | Extra Thin Flat |
| Frets: | 24 Medium Jumbo Stainless Steel | 24 XL Jumbo Nickel Silver |
| Fretboard Radius: | 15" | 15.75" |
| Nut: | Compensated | Locking |
| Nut Width: | 47.6mm (1.875'') | 48mm (1.89'') |
| Electronics | ||
| Bridge Pickups: | Music Man Custom Humbucker (Humbucker / Passive) | Fishman Fluence SRC Signature (Humbucker / Active) |
| Middle Pickup: | ||
| Neck Pickup: | Music Man Custom Humbucker (Humbucker / Passive) | Fishman Fluence SRC Signature (Humbucker / Active) |
| Switch: | 3 Way | 3 Way |
| Knobs: | Dome | Dome |
| Pickup Mods: | Coil Split | Multi-Voicing |
| Volume Controls: | 1 | 1 |
| Tone Controls: | 1 | 0 |
| Hardware | ||
| Strap Lock: | No | No |
| Hardware Color: | Gold | Black |
Show Diagrams Comparison
Reasons to Get
Music Man Jason Richardson 7-String Cutlass over LTD BUZ-7
Reasons to Get
ESP LTD BUZ-7 over Music Man Jason Richardson 7-String Cutlass
Other Key Differences
Music Man Jason Richardson 7-String Cutlass vs LTD BUZ-7
Shared Features
Music Man Jason Richardson 7-String Cutlass vs LTD BUZ-7
Common Strengths
- High-Quality Nut
- 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
Price History Comparison
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Hand Size Comfortability
And after taking into account the scale length, nut width, neck profile and fretboard radius, we can conclude that the ESP LTD BUZ-7 favors large hands more than the Music Man Jason Richardson 7-String Cutlass.
Music Man Jason Richardson 7-String Cutlass:
ESP LTD BUZ-7:
Beginner Friendliness
The Music Man Jason Richardson 7-String Cutlass meets 5 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness, while the ESP LTD BUZ-7 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 Jason Richardson 7-String Cutlass- Comfortable shape
- Easy-to-use bridge
- Locking tuners
- Tall frets
- Comfortable neck
- Comfortable fretboard
- Narrow nut
- Short scale
New Player Friendliness
ESP LTD BUZ-7- Comfortable shape
- Tall frets
- Comfortable neck
- Comfortable fretboard
- Narrow nut
- Short scale
- Locking tuners
- Easy-to-use bridge
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
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 Music Man Jason Richardson 7-String Cutlass
This wood has beautiful patterns only found in specific types of maple.
Woods Used in the ESP LTD BUZ-7
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.
Winner: Music Man Jason Richardson 7-String Cutlass.
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.
We found the same or similar pickups to the ESP LTD BUZ-7's online:
The Music Man Jason Richardson 7-String Cutlass's pickups are Passive while the ESP LTD BUZ-7's are Active.
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
Both are equal when it comes to the pickup switching option.
Both give you different pickup mod options.
The Music Man Jason Richardson 7-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 ESP LTD BUZ-7 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.
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 Jason Richardson 7-String Cutlass.
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 Music Man Jason Richardson 7-String Cutlass compares to the ESP LTD BUZ-7.
Country of Origin
The manufacturing country can tell a lot about the build quality of an instrument. The Music Man Jason Richardson 7-String Cutlass is built in United States while the ESP LTD BUZ-7 is made in Indonesia.
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.
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: Music Man Jason Richardson 7-String Cutlass
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 7-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 ESP LTD BUZ-7 comes with 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.
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 7-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 7-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.
The Music Man Jason Richardson 7-String Cutlass'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 ESP LTD BUZ-7's 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.
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: ESP LTD BUZ-7.
Tuners
The Music Man Jason Richardson 7-String Cutlass 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 ESP LTD BUZ-7 has a locking nut, so it should have even better tune stability and doesn't need locking tuners.
Winner: Music Man Jason Richardson 7-String Cutlass.
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 7-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 ESP LTD BUZ-7 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 BUZ-7.
Here is the list of features that were considered when choosing the winner in the Features subcategory:
Music Man Jason Richardson 7-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
ESP LTD BUZ-7
- Expensive Wood
- Locking Nut
- Top Brand Pickups
- Neck-Through Build
- Multi-Voicing Pickups
- Tremolo
- Retainer Bar
- Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
- No Locking Tuners
- Made in Indonesia
- No Weight Relief
- No Luminescent Inlay
- 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 BUZ-7 has the wider nut with 48mm (1.89'') vs 47.6mm (1.875''). This is a 0.4mm (0.015'') difference
This means that it will be more difficult to do bar chords on the ESP LTD BUZ-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
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.
Both the Music Man Jason Richardson 7-String Cutlass and the ESP LTD BUZ-7 have a D-shaped 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.
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 Music Man Jason Richardson 7-String Cutlass's fingerboard radius is smaller, which means it's more curved than the ESP LTD BUZ-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 ESP LTD BUZ-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''.
Fret Size
The ESP LTD BUZ-7 has XL Jumbo frets, which should be taller than the Music Man Jason Richardson 7-String Cutlass's Medium 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.
