These are some phenomenal guitars. The Traditional is made in Indonesia and has a roasted maple neck as opposed to the Signature with a Wenge neck and made-in-USA upgrades. But still ...the Traditional is $799 USD while the Sig is $3150! You can check out the features list, but essentially, for the Sig -- $2350 more -- you get
The Wenge neck -- this wood is not endangered, -- not cheap but not expensive like Brazilian rosewood. Maybe a $200 upgrade. Frets -- maybe $100. Pickups -- maybe $150 more (full set is $300). Cracked nitro -- maybe $250 max. Total is $700. They are upcharging $2350. Complete ripoff if you ask me.
Signature
Traditional
YouTube has already compared the two. The video was sponsored by Schecter! So biased already. The Traditional is pretty close, and you can't tell in a track. The reviewer says he can tell, but he doesn't do a double-blind test and he knows the price difference. I really doubt that Wenge neck feels that much better -- especially when both guitars have rolled edges and NO stainless steel frets or rounded ends.
With that said, the Nick Johnston Traditional HSS is a tremendous guitar and incredible value at $799 USD. Workmanship and quality are impeccable. Guitars made in China and Indonesia are no longer poor quality. They can be comparable to what I have seen in boutique guitars made in the USA or Japan.
And Nick Johnston himself:
- Wenge neck
- Better Jescar frets
- Nick Johnston Atomic Set pickups
- Cracked nitro finish
The Wenge neck -- this wood is not endangered, -- not cheap but not expensive like Brazilian rosewood. Maybe a $200 upgrade. Frets -- maybe $100. Pickups -- maybe $150 more (full set is $300). Cracked nitro -- maybe $250 max. Total is $700. They are upcharging $2350. Complete ripoff if you ask me.
Signature
Traditional
YouTube has already compared the two. The video was sponsored by Schecter! So biased already. The Traditional is pretty close, and you can't tell in a track. The reviewer says he can tell, but he doesn't do a double-blind test and he knows the price difference. I really doubt that Wenge neck feels that much better -- especially when both guitars have rolled edges and NO stainless steel frets or rounded ends.
With that said, the Nick Johnston Traditional HSS is a tremendous guitar and incredible value at $799 USD. Workmanship and quality are impeccable. Guitars made in China and Indonesia are no longer poor quality. They can be comparable to what I have seen in boutique guitars made in the USA or Japan.
And Nick Johnston himself:
