JET EARLEWOOD VS PRS CUSTOM
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 solidbody
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- hollowbody 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 tonewood body, the bookmatched 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 tonewoods 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 endpiece 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.
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 |
|||
| 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 | One Size Fits All | Yes |
6 different thickness', No Charge | |
| Neck Size Options | 3 Sizes No Extra Cost | Yes |
12 Sizes No Extra Cost | |
| Choice of Headstock Tilt Angle | Yes |
Optional No Extra Charge | ||
| Choice of Nut Material | Graphite Only | Yes |
Bone, Brass, Graphite | |
| Figured Mahogany Back | 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 | $290.00 all models | Yes | No extra charge | |
| 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 | $330.00 | Yes | Free |
| Signature Inlays | Yes | $240.00 Birds | Yes | Unlimited Choices |
| 10 Top Flame top | Yes | $500.00 | Yes | $300.00 |
| 10 Top Quilt | Yes | $250.00 additional after $500.00 = $750.00 | Yes | $100 additional total $400.00 |
| Private Stock Top | Yes | Price Jumps to over $12,000.00 list | Yes | 600.00 Total |
| Custom Color | Yes | Call For Price (Usually $180.00) | Yes | No Extra Charge |
| Korina Wood Back | No | Not Available | Yes | Varies |
| Korina Neck | No | Not Available | Yes | Varies |
| 7 String Option | No | Not Available | Yes | $700.00 |
| Brazilian Rosewood FIB | No | Not Since 1991 | Yes | $100.00 |
| Adjustable Stop Tail Piece | Yes | $80.00 | Yes | No Extra Charge |
| Tune O matic Bridge | No | Not Since 1991 | 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 | But Coming soon for more money | Yes | No Extra Charge |
| JAM Tremolo System (Old) | Yes | All PRS Guitars up till 1993 | Yes | $550.00 |
| JAM Tremolo System (New) | No | PRS Now uses a different model | Yes | $250.00 |
| Full Contact Tremolo | No | Not Available | Yes | $100,00 |
| Wilkinson Tremolo | No | Not Available | Yes | $075.00 |
| Hipshot Tremolo | No | Not Available | Yes | $100.00 |
| Floyd Rose Tremolo | No | Not Available | Yes | $190.00 |
| The Point Tremolo | No | Not Available | Yes | $090.00 |
| Double Whammy Tremolo | No | Not Available | Yes | POOR (Brand New) |
| 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 Up |
| Consistent Quality Construction | Yes | Excellent | Yes | Excellent |
| Consistent Innovation | Yes | New Hollow Models | Yes | At all Levels |
| 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 at no extra charge. Your choice of neck size at no extra charge. This is the distinct advantage that hand making a guitar one at a time affords.