HEAD TO HEAD
A question of preference rather than value
As far as build quality goes, there is very little in difference between these models. They all feel rugged and reliable, with the same dependable double-locking Floyd Rose system to ensure tuning is held no matter how much use or abuse it receives. All of these guitars are fitted with an allen key holder on the back of the headstock and come with Seymour Duncans – so really it just boils down to which best suits your needs.
Anyone needing a neck pickup will naturally rule out the Baretta Vintage, but there are plenty of rock players out there that will appreciate the simplicity of one angled humbucker in the bridge. It’s also worth noting that for only £50 more, the Pacer Vintage benefits from two humbuckers fitted with the treble-bleed mod. Interestingly, both of these models are made entirely out of maple – which, in conjunction with Seymours, makes for bright tones with no shortage of attack to cut through.
The mahogany body and neck through of the SM-1, however, is aimed at a more of a darker-sounding metallic shredder – with higher output in the neck and a trem cavity. As we expected, it is also considerably lighter – maple is a much denser and harder tonewood by comparison. Its deep warmth is offset by the snappiness of the ebony fingerboard.
The Jersey Star is the most expensive offering in this line-up and with any group test we have to ask ourselves, is it worth the extra money? In this case, very much so. The alder body is noticeably louder unplugged and sounds fuller plugged in, with no shortage of tonal options thanks to two independent coil split switches for the neck and bridge pickups. This model also features no less than 13 stars and – thanks to the JS trussrod cover – will leave your friends mistakenly wondering how you got your hands on an incredibly rare Joe Satriani prototype!
THE JERSEY STAR’S ALDER BODY SOUNDS FULLER PLUGGED IN, WITH NO SHORTAGE OF TONAL OPTIONS