Head to head
Epiphone USA Casino, Royal Tan vs ESP LTD Gl Desert Eagle Black w/ Graphic
The verdict
The Epiphone USA Casino, Royal Tan and ESP LTD Gl Desert Eagle Black w/ Graphic are closely matched overall — 67 to 66 on our estimated score.
Estimated from specs & owner reviews — a starting point, not a substitute for playing both.
Epiphone USA Casino, Royal Tan wins on
No standout advantage.
ESP LTD Gl Desert Eagle Black w/ Graphic wins on
- Better value (64 vs 57)
- Lower price ($1,699 vs $3,499)
Scorecard
| Metric | USA Casino, Royal Tan | LTD Gl Desert Eagle Black w/ Graphic |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | 67 | 66 |
| Build | 65 | 61 |
| Playability | 75 | 72 |
| Sound | 68 | 68 |
| Value | 57 | 64 |
Full specifications
| Spec | USA Casino, Royal Tan | LTD Gl Desert Eagle Black w/ Graphic |
|---|---|---|
| Brand | Epiphone | ESP |
| Type | Electric | Electric |
| Years | — | — |
| Country | — | — |
| Body wood | 3-ply Maple/Poplar/Maple | Alder |
| Neck wood | Solid Mahogany | Maple |
| Fretboard | Indian Rosewood | Macassar Ebony |
| Strings | 6 | 6 |
| Frets | 22 | 22 |
| Scale | 24.75" | 25.5" |
| Pickups | Gibson USA P-90 Dogear / Gibson USA P-90 Dogear | ESP LS-120 *(Pull to Select) / Seymour Duncan ‘78 Direct Mount *(Push to Select) |
| Rating | — | — |
| Price | $3,499 | $1,699 |
| Accessories | Featuring Gibson Strings | — |
| Back | 3-ply Maple/Poplar/Maple | — |
| Binding | Single-ply Cream | — |
| Body Finish | Gloss Nitrocellulose Lacquer | — |
| Body shape | Casino | — |
| Body Styles | Archtop | — |
| Bracing | Quarter Sawn Spruce | — |
| Bridge | ABR-1 | Floyd Rose 1000SE |
| Bridge pickup | Gibson USA P-90 Dogear | Seymour Duncan ‘78 Direct Mount *(Push to Select) |
| Case | Epiphone Hard Case | ST-TE Guitar Form Fit Case |
| Controls | 2 volume, 2 tone, hand-wired with Orange Drop® capacitors | Passive |
| Finish | Nickel | Black w/ Desert Eagle Graphic |
| Fretboard inlay | Acrylic Parallelogram | — |
| Fretboard radius | 304.8mm / 12.0in | 305mm |
| Fret Count | 22 | — |
| Headstock | 60s Kalamazoo Epiphone headstock | — |
| Model | ESECA00RTNH1 | — |
| Neck pickup | Gibson USA P-90 Dogear | ESP LS-120 *(Pull to Select) |
| Nut | Graph Tech | Locking |
| Nut width | 42.85mm / 1.69in | 43mm nut / 45mm neck width |
| Output Jack | 1/4" | — |
| Pickguard | White (Casino) Three-ply White/Black/White/Black pickguard with Epiphone logo | — |
| Pickup Covers | Black | — |
| Pickup Selector | 3-way toggle | — |
| Profile | Rounded C | — |
| Scale length | 628.65mm / 24.75in | 25.5" |
| String gauges | .010, .013, .017, .026, .036, .046 | — |
| Tailpiece | Thinline Trapeze | — |
| Top wood | 3-ply Maple/Poplar/Maple | — |
| Truss rod | Adjustable | — |
| Truss Rod Cover | Bullet shaped; 2-layer (B/W); Vintage E in White | — |
| Tuner Plating | Nickel | — |
| Tuners | Vintage Deluxe | LTD |
| Case Included | — | Y |
| Construction | — | Bolt-On |
| Hardware | — | Black |
| Neck profile | — | GL Original U |
| Strap Button | — | Standard |