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Music Man Sabre HT
Jackson USA Signature Chris Broderick Soloist HT6
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Playability
65
Sound
77
Build
83
Value
60
Score
75
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Playability
78
Sound
80
Build
82
Value
65
Score
80
FIND IT ON:
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Music Man Sabre HT vs Jackson USA Signature Chris Broderick Soloist HT6

Reasons to Get
Music Man Sabre HT over Jackson USA Signature Chris Broderick Soloist HT6

Fret Material
Stainless Steel vs Nickel Silver
Best fret material that will last forever
Release Year
2022 vs 2016
From a more recent year
Number of Frets
22 vs 24
Warmer neck pickup
Type of Frets
Medium vs Jumbo
You'll feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings
Neck Profile
HT vs Jackson Standard
Comfortable neck that works for most people
Pickup Mods
Boost vs Multiple
Increases the output of the pickup
Switch Positions
5 vs 3
More tone options
Nut Width
1.693'' (43mm) vs 1.688'' (42.9mm)
Less likely to mute strings by accident and more space for fingerstyle
Bridge
Tremolo vs Fixed
Simple vibratos without too much maintenance
Fretboard Radius
10'' (254mm) vs 12'' (304.8mm)
More curved fretboard helpful to play chords without muting strings

Reasons to Get
Jackson USA Signature Chris Broderick Soloist HT6 over Music Man Sabre HT

Frets Height
Taller vs Shorter
Easier to press down strings and bend them
Type of Frets
Jumbo vs Medium
You won't feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings
Neck Profile
Jackson Standard vs HT
Thin and flat neck for playing fast
Pickup Mods
Multiple vs Boost
Neck Joint
Neck-Through vs Bolt-On
Stronger neck and easier access to upper frets
Tone Knobs
2 vs 1
More tone control
Number of Frets
24 vs 22
Allows to reach higher notes
Nut Width
1.688'' (42.9mm) vs 1.693'' (43mm)
Favors small hands, easier bar chords and other shapes
Strap Lock
Yes vs None
Protects your guitar from dropping by locking the strap
Bridge
Fixed vs Tremolo
Good sustain and needs no set-up
Fretboard Radius
12'' (304.8mm) vs 10'' (254mm)
Flatter fretboard makes it easier to play single notes and bend
Value Score
65 vs 60
Better price/quality relationship

Other Key Differences
Music Man Sabre HT vs Jackson USA Signature Chris Broderick Soloist HT6

Bridge Pickup
Music Man Custom Humbucker vs Direct Mount DiMarzio Chris Broderick CB6
Different Bridge Pickup
Neck Pickup
Music Man Custom Humbucker vs Direct Mount DiMarzio Chris Broderick CB6
Different Neck Pickup
Body Wood
Okoume vs Mahogany
Different Body Wood
Neck Wood
Figured Maple vs Maple
Different Neck Wood
Fretboard Wood
Figured Maple vs Ebony
Different Fretboard Wood
Headstock
4-2 vs 3-3
Different Headstock
Nut Material
Compensated vs Black Tusq XL
Different Nut Material

Shared Features
Music Man Sabre HT vs Jackson USA Signature Chris Broderick Soloist HT6

Strings
6
Same playing style
Body Type
Solid Body
Feedback free
Volume Knobs
1
Same volume control
Pickups
HH
High output without hum
Paint Finish
Poly
Resistant paint that ages well
Scale Length
25.5'' (647.7mm)
Same string tension and fret separation
Pickups Power
Passive
Cleaner sound and no battery needed
Decorative Top
Flame Maple vs Arched Maple
Finished with beautiful natural wood patterns

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
  • 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • Active/Passive Preamp

Table of Contents

Price History Comparison

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Jackson USA Signature Chris Broderick Soloist HT6 Prices

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Which One is Better Overall?

After going through our comparison algorithm, the results show that the Jackson USA Signature Chris Broderick Soloist HT6 is probably the better product overall with its final score of 80 compared to the Music Man Sabre HT's 75 score, although not by a lot.

The Jackson USA Signature Chris Broderick Soloist HT6 wins when it comes to sound, playability, value for the money. On the other hand, the Music Man Sabre HT has the upper hand when it comes to build quality.

If you got small hands, none of these instruments will make a big difference when it comes to comfortability.

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 Sabre HT
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Locking tuners
  • Tall frets
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Narrow nut
  • Short scale

New Player Friendliness

Jackson USA Signature Chris Broderick Soloist HT6
  • 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 Sabre HT Overview

  • From Music Man's 2022 HT series
  • Made in United States
  • 6 strings
  • 25.5"'' scale
  • 10" Fretboard Radius
  • Flame Maple top
  • Okoume body
  • Roasted Figured Maple neck
  • Roasted Figured Maple fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: Music Man Custom Humbucker (Humbucker/Passive)
  • Neck pickup: Music Man Custom Humbucker (Humbucker/Passive)
  • 1 volume and 1 tone Dome knobs
  • 5-way Switch
  • Music Man Modern Tremolo bridge
  • HT Bolt-On neck
  • 22 Medium Stainless Steel frets
  • Schaller M6-IND locking tuners
  • Compare Specs >

Jackson USA Signature Chris Broderick Soloist HT6 Overview

  • From Jackson's 2016 Artist Signature series
  • Chris Broderick Signature
  • Made in United States
  • 6 strings
  • 25.5"'' scale
  • 12" Fretboard Radius
  • Arched Maple top
  • Mahogany body
  • Quartersawn Maple neck
  • Ebony fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: Direct Mount DiMarzio Chris Broderick CB6 (Humbucker/Passive)
  • Neck pickup: Direct Mount DiMarzio Chris Broderick CB6 (Humbucker/Passive)
  • 1 volume and 2 tone Dome knobs
  • 3-way Switch
  • Jackson Single-String Guitar Bridge bridge
  • Jackson Standard Neck-Through neck
  • 24 Jumbo frets
  • Planet Waves Auto-Trim 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 Sabre HT

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 Jackson USA Signature Chris Broderick Soloist HT6

Maple wood pattern used for guitar building
Maple
Ebony wood pattern used for guitar building
Ebony
Mahogany wood pattern used for guitar building
Mahogany

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.

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.

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.

Winner: Jackson USA Signature Chris Broderick Soloist HT6.

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.

However, the Music Man Sabre HT 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: Music Man Sabre HT.

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 Sabre HT gives you 5 switch options while the Jackson USA Signature Chris Broderick Soloist HT6 gives you 3. This means that the Music Man Sabre HT 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 Sabre HT offers Boost.

A Boost will give your pickups more output, similar to an active pickup. It's great if you like to use a lot of output for heavy genres, but also like to use a cleaner tone often.

On the other hand, the Jackson USA Signature Chris Broderick Soloist HT6 comes with the following: Coil Split, Killswitch.

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.

A Killswitch lets you disengage the pickups instantly. It can be useful when playing live, and it allows you to create some cool sound effects by using the switch rapidly.

Music Man Sabre HT pickups switch selector and push knobs diagram
Music Man Sabre HT's switch options
Jackson USA Signature Chris Broderick Soloist HT6 pickups switch and push knobs diagram
Jackson USA Signature Chris Broderick Soloist HT6'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: Music Man Sabre HT.

Final Sound Quality Scores

Music Man Sabre HT
Pickups 90
Sustain 65
Versatility 77
Tuning Stability 75
Sound 77
Jackson USA Signature Chris Broderick Soloist HT6
Pickups 85
Sustain 85
Versatility 71
Tuning Stability 80
Sound 80

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 Sabre HT compares to the Jackson USA Signature Chris Broderick Soloist HT6.

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 Sabre HT 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 Jackson USA Signature Chris Broderick Soloist HT6 comes with a Black Tusq XL nut. TUSQ nuts are usually the highest quality you can get. Black TUSQs are made from a special slippery material that helps the strings get back to its original position (one of the keys to 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 Sabre HT 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 Sabre HT.

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 Sabre HT'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 Jackson USA Signature Chris Broderick Soloist HT6'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

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 Sabre HT 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 Jackson USA Signature Chris Broderick Soloist HT6 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: Jackson USA Signature Chris Broderick Soloist HT6.

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

Strengths & Weaknesses
Music Man Sabre HT
  • Stainless Steel Frets
  • Locking Tuners
  • Made in United States
  • Expensive Wood
  • Compensated Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Boost 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
Jackson USA Signature Chris Broderick Soloist HT6
  • Locking Tuners
  • Made in United States
  • Expensive Wood
  • Black Tusq XL Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Neck-Through Build
  • Coil Split, Killswitch Pickups
  • Strap Lock
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Weight Relief
  • No Luminescent Inlay
  • No Tremolo
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio

Final Build Quality Scores

Music Man Sabre HT
Quality of materials 80
Features 70
Quality Control 100
Build Quality 83
Jackson USA Signature Chris Broderick Soloist HT6
Quality of materials 65
Features 80
Quality Control 100
Build Quality 82

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 Sabre HT Nut Width
Music Man Sabre HT Nut Width
Jackson USA Signature Chris Broderick Soloist HT6 Nut Width
Jackson USA Signature Chris Broderick Soloist HT6 Nut Width

The nut width will affect the separation between strings at the nut. In this comparison, the Music Man Sabre HT 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 Sabre HT, 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 Sabre HT and Jackson USA Signature Chris Broderick Soloist HT6's Scale Length
Both have the same 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

Music Man Sabre HT Neck Profile
Music Man Sabre HT's neck profile
Jackson USA Signature Chris Broderick Soloist HT6 Neck Profile
Jackson USA Signature Chris Broderick Soloist HT6'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 Sabre HT has a C type of 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.

The Jackson USA Signature Chris Broderick Soloist HT6, on the other hand, has a D 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

Music Man Sabre HT Fingerboard Radius
Music Man Sabre HT's Fingerboard radius
Jackson USA Signature Chris Broderick Soloist HT6 Fingerboard Radius
Jackson USA Signature Chris Broderick Soloist HT6'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 Music Man Sabre HT's fingerboard radius is smaller, which means it's more curved than the Jackson USA Signature Chris Broderick Soloist HT6'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 Jackson USA Signature Chris Broderick Soloist HT6.

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.

After taking into account the scale length, nut width, neck profile and fretboard radius, we can conclude that both in this comparison favor small hands .

Music Man Sabre HT:
Big Hands
Small Hands
Jackson USA Signature Chris Broderick Soloist HT6:
Big Hands
Small Hands

Fret Size

Music Man Sabre HT Frets Size
Music Man Sabre HT's Frets Size
Jackson USA Signature Chris Broderick Soloist HT6 Frets Size
Jackson USA Signature Chris Broderick Soloist HT6's Frets Size

The Jackson USA Signature Chris Broderick Soloist HT6 has Jumbo frets, which should be taller than the Music Man Sabre HT's Medium 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.

Final Playability Scores

Music Man Sabre HT
Bending & Vibrato Ease 65
Chord Playability 65
Solo Playability 65
Playability 65
Jackson USA Signature Chris Broderick Soloist HT6
Bending & Vibrato Ease 85
Chord Playability 50
Solo Playability 100
Playability 78

Specs Side-by-Side

Music Man Sabre HT vs Jackson USA Signature Chris Broderick Soloist HT6
General Music Man Sabre HT Jackson USA Signature Chris Broderick Soloist HT6
Brand: Music Man Jackson
Year: 2022 2016
Configuration: HH HH
Strings: 6 6
Made in: United States United States
Series: HT Artist Signature
Colors: White, Sunburst, Blue, Red Burst White, Black, Blue, Red
Left-Handed Version: No No
Body
Type: Solid Body Solid Body
Body Material: Okoume Mahogany
Bridge: Music Man Modern Tremolo Jackson Single-String Guitar Bridge
Neck
Neck Joint: Bolt-On Neck-Through
Tuners: Schaller M6-IND locking Planet Waves Auto-Trim
Fretboard: Roasted Figured Maple Ebony
Neck Material: Roasted Figured Maple Quartersawn Maple
Decoration: Dot
Scale Size: 25.5" 25.5"
Shape: HT Jackson Standard
Frets: 22 Medium Stainless Steel 24 Jumbo Nickel Silver
Fretboard Radius: 10" 12"
Nut: Compensated Black Tusq XL
Nut Width: 43mm (1.693'') 42.9mm (1.688'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickup: Music Man Custom Humbucker (Humbucker / Passive) Direct Mount DiMarzio Chris Broderick CB6 (Humbucker / Passive)
Middle Pickup:
Neck Pickup: Music Man Custom Humbucker (Humbucker / Passive) Direct Mount DiMarzio Chris Broderick CB6 (Humbucker / Passive)
Switch: 5 Way 3 Way
Knobs: Dome Dome
Pickup Mods: Boost Coil Split, Killswitch
Volume Controls: 1 1
Tone Controls: 1 2