Head to head
ESP JS-7 Baritone Black vs Jackson MJ Series Soloist SL2
The verdict
The ESP JS-7 Baritone Black comes out ahead overall — 82 to 65 on our estimated score.
Estimated from specs & owner reviews — a starting point, not a substitute for playing both.
ESP JS-7 Baritone Black wins on
- Better build (97 vs 61)
- Better playability (81 vs 75)
- Better value (79 vs 56)
- Lower price ($1,699 vs $2,570)
Jackson MJ Series Soloist SL2 wins on
No standout advantage.
Scorecard
| Metric | JS-7 Baritone Black | MJ Series Soloist SL2 |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | 82 | 65 |
| Build | 97 | 61 |
| Playability | 81 | 75 |
| Sound | 69 | 68 |
| Value | 79 | 56 |
Full specifications
| Spec | JS-7 Baritone Black | MJ Series Soloist SL2 |
|---|---|---|
| Brand | ESP | Jackson |
| Type | Electric | Electric |
| Years | — | — |
| Country | JP | — |
| Body wood | Mahogany | Alder |
| Neck wood | 3Pc Maple | 3-Piece Maple |
| Fretboard | Macassar Ebony | Ebony |
| Strings | 7 | 6 |
| Frets | 24 | 24 |
| Scale | 27" | 25.5" |
| Pickups | Fishman Open Core Modern 3-Voice Humbucker Black w/ Nickel Blades Direct Mount *(Pull Vol for Voice 3) | Seymour Duncan® Jazz™ SH-2N / Seymour Duncan® JB™ TB-4 |
| Rating | — | — |
| Price | $1,699 | $2,570 |
| Bridge | Hipshot 7 w/ String Thru | Gotoh® GE1996T Series Double-Locking Tremolo (Recessed) |
| Bridge pickup | Fishman Open Core Modern 3-Voice Humbucker Black w/ Nickel Blades Direct Mount *(Pull Vol for Voice 3) | Seymour Duncan® JB™ TB-4 |
| Case | V XL FORM FIT CASE | — |
| Case Included | Y | — |
| Construction | Neck-Thru | Neck-Through-Body with Graphite Reinforcement |
| Controls | Volume(Push/Pull) | Volume, Tone |
| Finish | Black | Gloss Black |
| Fretboard radius | 400mm | 12"-16" Compound Radius (304.8 mm to 406.4 mm) |
| Hardware | Black | — |
| Neck profile | Thin U | — |
| Nut | Graph Tech TUSQ XL | Floyd Rose® R3 Locking |
| Nut width | 48mm | 1.6875" (42.86 mm) |
| Scale length | 27" | 25.5" (64.77 cm) |
| Strap Button | Standard | — |
| Tuners | ESP Locking | Gotoh® Sealed Die-Cast |
| Body Finish | — | Gloss |
| Body shape | — | Soloist™ |
| Commodity Code | — | 9207901000 |
| Control Knobs | — | Dome-Style |
| Fret Size | — | Jumbo |
| Hardware Finish | — | Black |
| Headstock | — | Jackson® Pointed 6-In-Line |
| Headstock Binding | — | White |
| Neck Binding | — | White |
| Neck Finish | — | Gloss Color Matched |
| Neck pickup | — | Seymour Duncan® Jazz™ SH-2N |
| Neck Plate | — | None |
| Orientation | — | Right-Hand |
| Pickguard | — | None |
| Pickup Covers | — | Black |
| Position Inlays | — | Pearloid Sharkfin |
| Product Name | — | MJ Series Soloist™ SL2, Ebony Fingerboard, Gloss Black |
| Series | — | MJ Series |
| Side Dots | — | Luminlay® |
| Strap Buttons | — | Dunlop® Dual-Locking |
| String Nut | — | Floyd Rose® R3 Locking |
| Switching | — | 3-Position Toggle: Position 1. Bridge Pickup, Position 2. Middle and Neck Pickups, Position 3. Neck Pickup |
| Switch Tip | — | Black |
| Tremolo Arm | — | Gotoh® |
| Truss Rod Nut | — | Truss Rod Adjustment at Nut |
| Truss Rod Wrench | — | Yes |