Head to head
Epiphone ES-345, Tri-Burst, Exclusive vs Harley Benton ST-70 RW
The verdict
The Epiphone ES-345, Tri-Burst, Exclusive comes out ahead overall — 70 to 65 on our estimated score.
Estimated from specs & owner reviews — a starting point, not a substitute for playing both.
Epiphone ES-345, Tri-Burst, Exclusive wins on
- Better build (65 vs 58)
- Better sound (68 vs 60)
Harley Benton ST-70 RW wins on
- Lower price ($195 vs $749)
Scorecard
| Metric | ES-345, Tri-Burst, Exclusive | ST-70 RW |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | 70 | 65 |
| Build | 65 | 58 |
| Playability | 75 | 72 |
| Sound | 68 | 60 |
| Value | 73 | 75 |
Full specifications
| Spec | ES-345, Tri-Burst, Exclusive | ST-70 RW |
|---|---|---|
| Brand | Epiphone | Harley Benton |
| Type | Electric | Electric |
| Years | — | — |
| Country | — | — |
| Body wood | 5-ply Layered Maple | Basswood |
| Neck wood | Mahogany | Maple |
| Fretboard | Laurel | Amaranth |
| Strings | 6 | 6 |
| Frets | 22 | — |
| Scale | 24.75" | 25.51" |
| Pickups | Alnico Classic PRO / Alnico Classic PRO | 3 Roswell STA Alnico-5 Vintage ST-Style Single Coils |
| Rating | — | — |
| Price | $749 | $195 |
| Back | 5-ply Layered Maple | — |
| Binding | 3-ply Top, Single-ply Back and Fretboard | — |
| Body Finish | Gloss | — |
| Body shape | ES-335 | — |
| Body Styles | ES | — |
| Bracing | Spruce | — |
| Bridge | LockTone Tune-O-Matic | — |
| Bridge pickup | Alnico Classic PRO | — |
| Case | Premium Gig Bag | — |
| Centerblock | Maple | — |
| Control Knobs | Black Top Hat with Gold Insert | — |
| Controls | 2 Volume, 2 Tone, Mono Varitone | — |
| Finish | Gold | Natural High Gloss |
| Fretboard inlay | Pearloid Split Parallelogram | — |
| Fretboard radius | 304.8mm / 12.0in | 305 mm |
| Fret Count | 22 | — |
| Headstock | 60s Kalamazoo | — |
| Headstock Inlay | Epiphone Logo and Gibson Crown in Mother of Pearl | — |
| Joint | Glued In, Set Neck | — |
| Model | EI-345VTBGH1 | — |
| Mounting Rings | Black | — |
| Neck pickup | Alnico Classic PRO | — |
| Nut | Graph Tech | — |
| Nut width | 43.0mm / 1.69in | 42 mm |
| Output Jack | Epiphone 1/4" | — |
| Pickguard | 5-ply Black ES-345 | — |
| Pickup Covers | Gold | — |
| Pickup Selector | 3-way Toggle | — |
| Profile | Rounded C | — |
| Scale length | 628.65mm / 24.75in | 648 mm |
| Side | 5-ply Layered Maple | — |
| Strap Buttons | 2 - Bottom and Back of Heel | — |
| String gauges | .010, .013, .017, .026, .036, .046 | — |
| Switch Tip | Ivory | — |
| Switchwasher | Gold (Varitone Washer) | — |
| Tailpiece | LockTone Stop Bar | — |
| Top wood | 5-ply Layered Maple | Imitation rosewood veneer |
| Truss rod | Dual Action | — |
| Truss Rod Cover | 2-ply Black Bell | — |
| Tuner Plating | Gold | — |
| Tuners | Epiphone Deluxe | — |
| Ex Factory Stringing | — | D'Addario .010 - .046 (Article no. #104555#) |
| Neck profile | — | C |