Head to head
ESP EC-1000 Pearl White vs Jackson American Series Virtuoso HT
The verdict
The ESP EC-1000 Pearl White comes out ahead overall — 85 to 69 on our estimated score.
Estimated from specs & owner reviews — a starting point, not a substitute for playing both.
ESP EC-1000 Pearl White wins on
- Better build (93 vs 71)
- Better playability (84 vs 75)
- Better sound (77 vs 68)
- Better value (82 vs 59)
- Lower price ($1,499 vs $2,050)
Jackson American Series Virtuoso HT wins on
No standout advantage.
Scorecard
| Metric | EC-1000 Pearl White | American Series Virtuoso HT |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | 85 | 69 |
| Build | 93 | 71 |
| Playability | 84 | 75 |
| Sound | 77 | 68 |
| Value | 82 | 59 |
Full specifications
| Spec | EC-1000 Pearl White | American Series Virtuoso HT |
|---|---|---|
| Brand | ESP | Jackson |
| Type | Electric | Electric |
| Years | — | — |
| Country | JP | — |
| Body wood | Mahogany | Alder |
| Neck wood | 3Pc Mahogany | 5-Piece Caramelized Maple/Maple/Caramelized Maple/Maple/Caramelized Maple |
| Fretboard | Macassar Ebony | Streaked Ebony |
| Strings | 6 | 6 |
| Frets | 24 | 24 |
| Scale | 24.75" | 25.5" |
| Pickups | Fishman Fluence Modern 3-Voice Humbucker Alnico Brushed Stainless Direct-Mount *(Pull Neck Volume for Voice 3 / Pull Tone for Voice 2) / Fishman Fluence Modern 3-Voice Humbucker Ceramic Brushed Stainless Direct-Mount *(Pull Neck Volume for Voice 3 / Pull Tone for Voice 2) | Seymour Duncan® '59™ SH-1N Direct-Mount / Seymour Duncan® JB™ TB-4 Direct Mount |
| Rating | — | — |
| Price | $1,499 | $2,050 |
| Bridge | TonePros Locking TOM & Tailpiece | Hipshot® 6 - Fixed .175 |
| Bridge pickup | Fishman Fluence Modern 3-Voice Humbucker Ceramic Brushed Stainless Direct-Mount *(Pull Neck Volume for Voice 3 / Pull Tone for Voice 2) | Seymour Duncan® JB™ TB-4 Direct Mount |
| Case | EC GUITAR FORM FIT CASE | — |
| Case Included | N | — |
| Construction | Set-Thru | Bolt-On with Graphite Reinforcement |
| Controls | Volume/Volume(Push/Pull)/Tone(Push/Pull)/Toggle Switch | Volume, Tone |
| Finish | Pearl White | Mystic Blue |
| Fretboard radius | 350mm | 12" to 16" Compound Radius (304.8 mm to 406.4 mm) |
| Hardware | Chrome | — |
| Neck pickup | Fishman Fluence Modern 3-Voice Humbucker Alnico Brushed Stainless Direct-Mount *(Pull Neck Volume for Voice 3 / Pull Tone for Voice 2) | Seymour Duncan® '59™ SH-1N Direct-Mount |
| Neck profile | Thin U | — |
| Nut | Molded | Graph Tech TUSQ XL |
| Nut width | 42mm | 1.6875" (42.86 mm) |
| Scale length | 24.75" | 25.5" (64.77 cm) |
| Strap Button | Standard | — |
| Tuners | LTD Locking | Gotoh® MG-T Locking |
| Body Finish | — | Gloss |
| Body shape | — | Virtuoso™ |
| Control Knobs | — | Dome-Style |
| Fret Size | — | Jumbo |
| Hardware Finish | — | Black |
| Headstock | — | Jackson® Pointed 6-In-Line |
| Headstock Binding | — | 1-Ply White |
| Neck Finish | — | Hand-Rubbed Urethane |
| Orientation | — | Right-Hand |
| Pickup Covers | — | Black |
| Position Inlays | — | Mother of Pearl Offset Dot |
| Product Name | — | American Series Virtuoso™ HT, Streaked Ebony Fingerboard, Mystic Blue |
| Series | — | American Series |
| Side Dots | — | Luminlay® |
| Strap Buttons | — | Dunlop® Dual-Locking |
| String Nut | — | Graph Tech TUSQ XL |
| Style | — | 2 Humbucking |
| Switching | — | 5-Position Blade: Position 1. Bridge, Position 2. Bridge Outer Coil and Neck Inner Coil, Position 3. Bridge and Neck, Position 4. Bridge Inner Coil and Neck Outer Coil, Position 5. Neck |
| Truss rod | — | Dual-Action with Wheel |
| Truss Rod Nut | — | Heel-Mount Truss Rod Adjustment Wheel |