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Sterling St. Vincent HH
Jackson Pro Series Signature Mark Morton Dominion with Figured Walnut
VS
Playability
70
Sound
69
Build
62
Value
72
Score
67
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Playability
77
Sound
75
Build
70
Value
74
Score
74
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Sterling St. Vincent HH vs Jackson Pro Series Signature Mark Morton Dominion with Figured Walnut

Reasons to Get
Sterling St. Vincent HH over Jackson Pro Series Signature Mark Morton Dominion with Figured Walnut

Release Year
2019 vs 2014
From a more recent year
Frets Height
Taller vs Shorter
Easier to press down strings and bend them
Type of Frets
Narrow Tall vs Medium Jumbo
You won't feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings
Neck Profile
St. Vincent vs Speed
Comfortable neck that works for most people
Nut Material
Compensated vs Plastic
Fixes intonation issues
Switch Positions
5 vs 3
More tone options
Nut Width
1.65'' (41.9mm) vs 1.688'' (42.9mm)
Favors small hands, easier bar chords and other shapes
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

Reasons to Get
Jackson Pro Series Signature Mark Morton Dominion with Figured Walnut over Sterling St. Vincent HH

Decorative Top
Figured Walnut vs None
Finished with beautiful natural wood patterns
Type of Frets
Medium Jumbo vs Narrow Tall
You'll feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings
Compound Radius
12" to 16" vs 9.5"
Balanced playability for chords and single-notes
Neck Profile
Speed vs St. Vincent
Thin and flat neck for playing fast
Pickups Brand
DiMarzio vs None
Pickups from a renown brand
Pickup Mods
Coil Split vs None
Splits humbuckers into single coil pickups
Neck Joint
Neck-Through vs Bolt-On
Stronger neck and easier access to upper frets
Volume Knobs
2 vs 1
More volume control
Tone Knobs
2 vs 1
More tone control
Nut Width
1.688'' (42.9mm) vs 1.65'' (41.9mm)
Less likely to mute strings by accident and more space for fingerstyle
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
Scale Length
24.75'' (628.7mm) vs 25.5'' (647.7mm)
Easier bending, shorter fret separation and warmer natural tone
Value Score
74 vs 72
Better price/quality relationship

Other Key Differences
Sterling St. Vincent HH vs Jackson Pro Series Signature Mark Morton Dominion with Figured Walnut

Bridge Pickup
Sterling Humbucker vs DiMarzio Mark Morton Signature Dominion
Different Bridge Pickup
Neck Pickup
Sterling Humbucker vs DiMarzio Mark Morton Signature Dominion
Different Neck Pickup
Neck Wood
Maple vs Mahogany
Different Neck Wood
Fretboard Wood
Rosewood vs Ebony
Different Fretboard Wood
Headstock
4-2 vs 3-3
Different Headstock
Nut Material
Compensated vs Plastic
Different Nut Material

Shared Features
Sterling St. Vincent HH vs Jackson Pro Series Signature Mark Morton Dominion with Figured Walnut

Body Wood
Mahogany
Same Body Wood
Strings
6
Same playing style
Body Type
Solid Body
Feedback free
Pickups
HH
High output without hum
Number of Frets
22
Same maximum octave
Paint Finish
Poly
Resistant paint that ages well
Pickups Power
Passive
Cleaner sound and no battery needed

Common Strengths

  • Locking Tuners
  • Expensive Wood

Common Weaknesses

  • Weight Relief
  • Stays in Tune (Evertune)
  • High-Quality Frets
  • From a High-Quality-Standards Country
  • Luminescent Sidedots
  • 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • Active/Passive Preamp

Table of Contents

Price History Comparison

Sterling St. Vincent HH Prices

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Jackson Pro Series Signature Mark Morton Dominion with Figured Walnut Prices

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Which One is Better Overall?

After going through our comparison algorithm, the results show that the Jackson Pro Series Signature Mark Morton Dominion with Figured Walnut is probably the better product overall with its final score of 74 compared to the Sterling St. Vincent HH's 67 score, although not by a lot.

The Jackson Pro Series Signature Mark Morton Dominion with Figured Walnut wins when it comes to sound, playability, build quality, value for the money. This means that it wins over the Sterling St. Vincent HH in every aspect.

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?

If you're looking for your first guitar to learn how to play, the Sterling St. Vincent HH is the better choice.

The Sterling St. Vincent HH meets 6 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness, while the Jackson Pro Series Signature Mark Morton Dominion with Figured Walnut meets only 5. 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

Sterling St. Vincent HH
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Locking tuners
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Tall frets
  • Narrow nut
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable shape
  • Short scale

New Player Friendliness

Jackson Pro Series Signature Mark Morton Dominion with Figured Walnut
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Locking tuners
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Tall frets
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable shape
  • 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.

Sterling St. Vincent HH Overview

  • From Sterling's 2019 Artist series
  • St. Vincent Signature
  • Made in Indonesia
  • 6 strings
  • 25.5"'' scale
  • 9.5" Fretboard Radius
  • Mahogany body
  • Hard Maple neck
  • Rosewood fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: Sterling Humbucker (Humbucker/Passive)
  • Neck pickup: Sterling Humbucker (Humbucker/Passive)
  • 1 volume and 1 tone Dome knobs
  • 5-way Switch
  • Vintage Tremolo bridge
  • St. Vincent Bolt-On neck
  • 22 Narrow Tall frets
  • Locking tuners
  • Compare Specs >

Jackson Pro Series Signature Mark Morton Dominion with Figured Walnut Overview

  • From Jackson's 2014 Artist Signature series
  • Mark Morton Signature
  • Made in Indonesia
  • 6 strings
  • 24.75"'' scale
  • 12" to 16" Fretboard Radius
  • Figured Walnut top
  • Mahogany body
  • Mahogany neck
  • Ebony fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: DiMarzio Mark Morton Signature Dominion (Humbucker/Passive)
  • Neck pickup: DiMarzio Mark Morton Signature Dominion (Humbucker/Passive)
  • 2 volume and 2 tone Dome knobs
  • 3-way Switch
  • Jackson TOM-Style Adjustable with Anchored Tailpiece bridge
  • Speed Neck-Through neck
  • 22 Medium Jumbo frets
  • Jackson Sealed Die-Cast Locking 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 Both

Mahogany wood pattern used for guitar building
Mahogany

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.

Woods Used in the Sterling St. Vincent HH

Maple wood pattern used for guitar building
Maple
Rosewood wood pattern used for guitar building
Rosewood

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.

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.

Woods Used in the Jackson Pro Series Signature Mark Morton Dominion with Figured Walnut

Ebony wood pattern used for guitar building
Ebony

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.

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

The Jackson Pro Series Signature Mark Morton Dominion with Figured Walnut pickups from a more specialized brand than the Sterling St. Vincent HH. Its pickups should give you a fuller, richer sound, although it all depends on what type of music you're going to play. We recommend these pickups for Hard Rock and similar genres.

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: Jackson Pro Series Signature Mark Morton Dominion with Figured Walnut.

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 Sterling St. Vincent HH gives you 5 switch options while the Jackson Pro Series Signature Mark Morton Dominion with Figured Walnut gives you 3. This means that the Sterling St. Vincent HH gives you more options to find the right pickup combination for the type of sound you want to achieve

Only the Jackson Pro Series Signature Mark Morton Dominion with Figured Walnut comes with some kind of pickup modification: Coil Split.

Coil Split lets you disconnect one of the pickup coils. When used with humbuckers, it turns them into single-coil with lower output and cleaner tone.

Sterling St. Vincent HH pickups switch selector and push knobs diagram
Sterling St. Vincent HH's switch options
Jackson Pro Series Signature Mark Morton Dominion with Figured Walnut pickups switch and push knobs diagram
Jackson Pro Series Signature Mark Morton Dominion with Figured Walnut'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: Sterling St. Vincent HH.

Final Sound Quality Scores

Sterling St. Vincent HH
Pickups 60
Sustain 75
Versatility 67
Tuning Stability 75
Sound 69
Jackson Pro Series Signature Mark Morton Dominion with Figured Walnut
Pickups 90
Sustain 70
Versatility 63
Tuning Stability 75
Sound 75

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 Sterling St. Vincent HH compares to the Jackson Pro Series Signature Mark Morton Dominion with Figured Walnut.

Country of Origin

The manufacturing country can tell a lot about the build quality of an instrument. Both in this comparison where made in Indonesia.

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: 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 Sterling St. Vincent HH 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 Pro Series Signature Mark Morton Dominion with Figured Walnut comes with a Plastic nut. This is a low-quality nut that you might want to consider upgrading soon. Bone and TUSQ nuts are the best for guitars with a fixed or simple tremolo bridge.

Winner: Sterling St. Vincent HH.

Fret Material

Most fret wire is made of nickel silver. This material eventually wears down after a lot of use and most instruments end up needing a complete fret replacement. However, some expensive models come with stainless steel frets. This is what you should aim for if you can afford it.

Unfortunately, none of them come with stainless steel frets.

Winner: Tie.

Bridge

The perfect bridge for you will depend on your playstyle because they all have advantages and disadvantages. However, some bridges are more expensive—like Floyd Roses and Evertunes—and thus add more value to a guitar.

The Sterling St. Vincent HH'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 Pro Series Signature Mark Morton Dominion with Figured Walnut'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 Sterling St. Vincent HH 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 Pro Series Signature Mark Morton Dominion with Figured Walnut 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 Pro Series Signature Mark Morton Dominion with Figured Walnut.

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

Strengths & Weaknesses
Sterling St. Vincent HH
  • Locking Tuners
  • Expensive Wood
  • Compensated Nut
  • Tremolo
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • Made in Indonesia
  • No Top Brand Pickups
  • No Neck-Through Build
  • No Push Knob or Extra Switch Option
  • No Weight Relief
  • No Luminescent Inlay
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock
Strengths & Weaknesses
Jackson Pro Series Signature Mark Morton Dominion with Figured Walnut
  • Locking Tuners
  • Expensive Wood
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Neck-Through Build
  • Coil Split Pickups
  • Compound Radius Fretboard
  • Strap Lock
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • Made in Indonesia
  • No High-Quality Nut
  • No Weight Relief
  • No Luminescent Inlay
  • No Tremolo
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio

Final Build Quality Scores

Sterling St. Vincent HH
Quality of materials 51
Features 65
Quality Control 70
Build Quality 62
Jackson Pro Series Signature Mark Morton Dominion with Figured Walnut
Quality of materials 45
Features 90
Quality Control 75
Build Quality 70

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

Sterling St. Vincent HH Nut Width
Sterling St. Vincent HH Nut Width
Jackson Pro Series Signature Mark Morton Dominion with Figured Walnut Nut Width
Jackson Pro Series Signature Mark Morton Dominion with Figured Walnut Nut Width

The nut width will affect the separation between strings at the nut. In this comparison, the Jackson Pro Series Signature Mark Morton Dominion with Figured Walnut has the wider nut with 42.9mm (1.688'') vs 41.9mm (1.65''). This is a 1mm (0.038'') difference

This means that it will be more difficult to do bar chords on the Jackson Pro Series Signature Mark Morton Dominion with Figured Walnut, especially closer to the nut. However, it's also easier to play without muting strings accidently. This favors people with big hands.

Scale Length

Sterling St. Vincent HH's Scale Length
Sterling St. Vincent HH's Scale Length
Jackson Pro Series Signature Mark Morton Dominion with Figured Walnut's Scale Length
Jackson Pro Series Signature Mark Morton Dominion with Figured Walnut'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 Sterling St. Vincent HH has the longest scale: 25.5". The Jackson Pro Series Signature Mark Morton Dominion with Figured Walnut 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

Sterling St. Vincent HH Neck Profile
Sterling St. Vincent HH's neck profile
Jackson Pro Series Signature Mark Morton Dominion with Figured Walnut Neck Profile
Jackson Pro Series Signature Mark Morton Dominion with Figured Walnut'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 Sterling St. Vincent HH 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 Pro Series Signature Mark Morton Dominion with Figured Walnut, 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

Sterling St. Vincent HH Fingerboard Radius
Sterling St. Vincent HH's Fingerboard radius
Jackson Pro Series Signature Mark Morton Dominion with Figured Walnut Fretboard Compound Radius
Jackson Pro Series Signature Mark Morton Dominion with Figured Walnut's Compound Fretboard Radius

Most guitar fretboards are not flat; they usually have a curve or arc across their width. A curved fretboard will make it easier to perform chords without muting strings, while a flatter one will make it easier to play single notes, which is good for bending and soloing in general. The best fretboards have a compound radius that varies across the fingerboard, but they're not common since they take a lot more work to build.

In this case, the Jackson Pro Series Signature Mark Morton Dominion with Figured Walnut is the only one with a compound radius. This is a huge win because it will give you the best of both worlds: a more curved radius in the first few frets for chords, and flatter as you come closer to the body for soloing.

Hand Size Comfortability

Everyone has a different hand size, and that's why it's recommended to try a guitar before buying, even if others tell you that it's comfortable to play. However, we can know whether a guitar favors small or large hands just by knowing its exact measurements.

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 .

Sterling St. Vincent HH:
Big Hands
Small Hands
Jackson Pro Series Signature Mark Morton Dominion with Figured Walnut:
Big Hands
Small Hands

Fret Size

Sterling St. Vincent HH Frets Size
Sterling St. Vincent HH's Frets Size
Jackson Pro Series Signature Mark Morton Dominion with Figured Walnut Frets Size
Jackson Pro Series Signature Mark Morton Dominion with Figured Walnut's Frets Size

The Sterling St. Vincent HH has Narrow Tall frets, which should be taller than the Jackson Pro Series Signature Mark Morton Dominion with Figured Walnut'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.

Final Playability Scores

Sterling St. Vincent HH
Bending & Vibrato Ease 70
Chord Playability 70
Solo Playability 70
Playability 70
Jackson Pro Series Signature Mark Morton Dominion with Figured Walnut
Bending & Vibrato Ease 75
Chord Playability 75
Solo Playability 80
Playability 77

Specs Side-by-Side

Sterling St. Vincent HH vs Jackson Pro Series Signature Mark Morton Dominion with Figured Walnut
General Sterling St. Vincent HH Jackson Pro Series Signature Mark Morton Dominion with Figured Walnut
Brand: Sterling Jackson
Year: 2019 2014
Configuration: HH HH
Strings: 6 6
Made in: Indonesia Indonesia
Series: Artist Artist Signature
Colors: Blue, Red Brown
Left-Handed Version: No No
Body
Type: Solid Body Solid Body
Body Material: Mahogany Mahogany
Bridge: Vintage Tremolo Jackson TOM-Style Adjustable with Anchored Tailpiece
Neck
Neck Joint: Bolt-On Neck-Through
Tuners: Locking Jackson Sealed Die-Cast Locking
Fretboard: Rosewood Ebony
Neck Material: Hard Maple Mahogany
Decoration: Custom St. Vincent Inlays Shark-Eye Block
Scale Size: 25.5" 24.75"
Shape: St. Vincent Speed
Frets: 22 Narrow Tall Nickel Silver 22 Medium Jumbo Nickel Silver
Fretboard Radius: 9.5" 12" to 16"
Nut: Compensated Plastic
Nut Width: 41.9mm (1.65'') 42.9mm (1.688'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickup: Sterling Humbucker (Humbucker / Passive) DiMarzio Mark Morton Signature Dominion (Humbucker / Passive)
Middle Pickup:
Neck Pickup: Sterling Humbucker (Humbucker / Passive) DiMarzio Mark Morton Signature Dominion (Humbucker / Passive)
Switch: 5 Way 3 Way
Knobs: Dome Dome
Pickup Mods: None Coil Split
Volume Controls: 1 2
Tone Controls: 1 2