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JET Guitars Vs PRS Guitars

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JET Guitars                PRS Guitars

If you have ever done any serious woodworking, you might have looked at portable planers. If you have, you’ve seen that most of them have 12 or 12 ˝ inch blades, and only a few are 13”. In order to get a planer with a capacity greater than that you need to buy a large expensive floor mounted model, that weighs thousands of pounds.  What does all this have to do with electric guitars?  Here’s the facts:  The JET Earlewood is the only solid-body guitar in the world – with or without routed chambers – that is over 13” wide. It is 13 ˝”.  Unless you specify the petite model. (Same Price).
(Semi- hollow-body and hollow box guitars are wider, however, they are constructed completely differently.) 
Maybe it’s only a coincidence that no other solid guitar body will fit through a small portable planer.  But I think the reason is that the initial designs of Leo Fender, Ted McCarty & Paul Reed Smith were all limited by the equipment available in a small shop, which after all, is what they all had to start out with. 
Jeffrey Earle T. took an entirely different approach, one not influenced by the machinery available.  He designed the Earlewood for guitarists who are tired of smaller and smaller body designs, and want to go back to a body that has more substance, resonance, and visual appeal.  The Earlewood is not only wider than a PRS, it is also thicker. In fact, it comes in four different thicknesses, the largest being 2”, and even this one is no heavier than a PRS Custom.
How can this guitar be both wider and thicker, and yet weigh the same?  The answer is twofold:

One, the body is extensively chambered to cut weight and increase resonance.
Two, the top is joined to the body in a completely different manner than the way PRS, Gibson, Hamer, or any other guitar maker does it. 

Instead of gluing a thick maple cap onto a flat tone-wood body, the book-matched maple starts out a little thinner, and is press glued onto a body that is specially milled with a roof-like peak. This way you get a better proportion of tone-woods in the body.  The best of both worlds:  The weight and tonal response of a thinner top, and the cool look and feel of a sculpted figured top.

Would you rather have a PRS 22, or 24 fret model?  Of course you want the range and better playability of the 24. But if you compare the neck pickup response, the 22 sounds better.   That’s because in order to add two more frets, PRS adds another inch to the fingerboard, and has to push the pickup closer to the bridge.  JET, however, has a solution to this problem. They put a brass end-piece on the end of the fingerboard that acts as a 24th fret. Without the extra overhanging wood, they don’t have to knock the pickup completely out of its sweet spot.  Again, the best of both worlds.  The pickups are also direct mounted, giving a subtle microphonic coupling effect. That may sound bad, but in fact it produces a vast improvement in tonal complexity and resonance. That’s why Eddie Van Halen demanded this mounting style in both his signature models, from two different companies. 

Then there’s the electronics. With JET you can choose between traditional Les Paul wiring (with the special JET tone controls) or a simple, but effective, PRS-like scheme… As far as the neck goes, the Earlewood is starting to gain a reputation as the dreamiest neck in the business, and this is due in no small part to the compound radius fingerboard along with the hand carved soft V neck profile. (Naturally these can be custom varied per individual taste.)  The coup de grace is the unique jack placement, putting your unruly cable back in its place.

 

COMPARE PUBLISHED FEATURES  WE DID !!!!!

 

Feature
PRS
PRS  notes
JET
 JET  notes
Arch top body
Yes
High  arch deep bowl
Yes
Radiused Top
Natural scraped binding on body
Yes
Beautifully Done
Yes
Beautifully Done
Binding on neck
No
Never any Binding
 Yes
Real Flame Maple
Pickups spring mounted
Yes
Traditional Mounting Only
Yes
Optional No Extra Charge
Pickups solid mounted
No
Sprung Only
Yes
Standard (means better sound)
Indian Rosewood fingerboard
Yes
All Models
Yes
Never Uses It
Ebony Fingerboard
No
N.A.   (not available)
Yes
Optional No Extra Charge
Macassar Rosewood Fingerboard
No
N.A.
Yes
Optional No Extra Charge
Brazilian Rosewood Fingerboard
No
N.A.
Yes
$100.00 Up charge
Pau Ferro Fingerboard
No
N.A.
Yes
Optional No Extra Charge
Dual Graphite Rods in Neck
No
N.A.
Yes
No Extra Charge
Set Neck 
Yes
 
Yes
 
Choice of Pickups
No
PRS Only
Yes
Any pickup including even PRS
Available in 24 Fret Model 
Yes
Only a few models
Yes
All models No Extra Charge
Available in 22 Fret Model
Yes
All Models Post 1993
Yes
All models No Extra Charge
Custom Colors at No Extra Charge
No
There is an Extra Charge
Yes
All colors No Extra Charge
German Made Schaller Tuners 
No
Japanese Gotoh Tuners
Yes
Standard Equipment
Locking Tuners
Yes
Proprietary (hard to use)
Yes
Schallers  (Easier to use)
LSR Linear String Rotational 40 to 1 tuners
No
Not Available
Yes
Optional at an upcharge
Paint & Finish Excellent
Yes
Excellent, 
Yes
Excellent
Adjustable Bridge for Intonation
Yes 
Optional  $80.00
Yes
Standard no extra charge
Custom Inlays
No
Birds & Moons 
Yes
Anything at all
Strap lock System
No
Large Oversize Pins
Yes
Optional 
Choice of Body Wood (Back)
No
Mahogany All Models
Yes.
Optional 
Korina Wood Body Available
No
Not Available
Yes
Optional at extra cost
Totally Hand Built By One Craftsman
No
Made on CNC Machines
Yes
Totally handmade by one man
Wood Pickup Rings
No
Plastic Only
Yes
No Charge
5 Position Slide Selector
No
Absolutely No Way
Yes
Optional No Extra Charge
5 Position Lit Up Electronic Selector
No
Absolutely No Way
Yes
Optional No Extra Charge
Graphite Saddles
No
Unpolished Steel Only
Yes
Optional No Extra Charge
Small Heeless Neck Joint
No 
Worlds Worst
Yes
No Visible Neck Joint
Neck Through Body
No
Never Happen
Yes
Optional No Extra Charge
Tone Chambers
Yes
Extra Cost
Yes
Optional No Extra Charge
Choice Of Body Thickness
No
One Size Fits All
Yes
6 different thickness', No Charge
Neck Size Options
Yes
3 Sizes No Extra  Cost
Yes
12 Sizes No Extra Cost
Choice of Headstock Tilt Angle
No
Fixed
Yes
Optional No Extra Charge
Choice of Nut Material
Yes
Graphite Only
Yes
Bone, Brass, Graphite 
Figured Mahogany Back
Yes
Occasionally
Yes
Very Common 
Hand Signed No Not since 1991
Yes
All Models Hand Signed
Quarter Sawn Necks Yes Beautifully Done
Yes
Beautifully Done
7 string models available No Nothing on the Horizon
Yes
Optional at extra cost
Gold Hardware Price   $440.00 all models Yes 160.00
Flush mount truss rod cover No Plastic non flush mount Yes Real Wood with matching color
Flush mounted real wood cavity plates No Plastic  Yes Real Wood
Zero Fret 24  No Not available Yes this enhances the tone
Strings through the body No Black Satin or Red only Yes Ferrules on the back
Matching Headstock  No Not Available Yes Same Color Same Wood "Free"
Angled Input Jack No Side Jack Only Yes Innovative and original
Ebony Tailpiece No No Tailpiece Yes This enhances the tone
 

Options At Extra Charge

Option
PRS
List Price
JET
List Price
Gold Hardware Yes $440.00 Yes $160.00
Signature Inlays Yes $420.00 Birds Yes Unlimited Choices
10 Top Flame top Yes $720.00 Yes $600.00  Better
10 Top Quilt Yes $750.00 Yes $100 additional total $400.00
Private Stock Top Yes Price Jumps to the Moon Yes 600.00 Total
Custom Color Yes Call For Price  Usually $300. Yes No Extra Charge
Korina Wood Back No Not Available Yes Available
Korina Neck No Not Available Yes Available
7 String Option No Not Available Yes $700.00
Brazilian Rosewood FIB No Not Since 1991 Yes $100.00
Stainless Frets No Not Available Yes Available to Order
Gold Titanium Alloy Frets No Not Available Yes Available to Order
Nickel Silver Frets Yes Available Yes Available in multi sizes
Adjustable Stop Tail Piece Yes $80.00 Yes No Extra Charge
Tune A Matic Bridge No Not Since 1991 Yes No Extra Charge
Roll A Matic Bridge No Never Yes No Extra Charge
Center Position Pickup Yes $280.00 Yes No Extra Charge
Sweet Switch Yes Extra Charge Yes No Extra Charge
Left Handed No Discontinued 2005 Yes No Extra Charge to order
Tremolo YES 1 Model Yes Choice of 5 Tremolos
Floyd Rose Tremolo No Not Available Yes $290.00
  PRS   JET  
Large Budget National Ad Campaign Yes Gets Your Price Up No Keeps Your Price Down
Paid Famous Pro Endorsers Yes Gets Your Price Up No Keeps Your Price Down
Fully Automated Modern Factory Yes Keeps PRS Quality Up
Keeps PRS Cost Down
No Totally Hand Built
Keeps JET Quality & Design Up
Consistent Quality Construction Yes Excellent Yes Excellent
Consistent Innovation Yes (Very Expensive) Yes Very Reasonable
500 Dealers Worldwide Yes Means Lots of Hype No Less than 8 Dealers Worldwide

All JET Guitars are totally HAND MADE one at a time from beginning to end by Jeffery Earle Terwilliger himself.  There are no whirring computer controlled routers or other robotic machines at JET guitars. Just old fashioned Old World Craftsmanship.  Very few companies can make this claim and still deliver such a high grade of consistent quality.

You may order any of 100 color choices at no extra charge, Tone Chambers no extra charge, Your choice of body thicknesses,  etc etc

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