Head to head
ESP ALR-II See Thru Purple vs Gibson ES-335 DOT, Antique Faded Cherry
The verdict
The ESP ALR-II See Thru Purple comes out ahead overall — 82 to 72 on our estimated score.
Estimated from specs & owner reviews — a starting point, not a substitute for playing both.
ESP ALR-II See Thru Purple wins on
- Better build (93 vs 87)
- Better playability (84 vs 64)
- Better value (79 vs 62)
- Lower price ($1,799 vs $2,999)
Gibson ES-335 DOT, Antique Faded Cherry wins on
No standout advantage.
Scorecard
| Metric | ALR-II See Thru Purple | ES-335 DOT, Antique Faded Cherry |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | 82 | 72 |
| Build | 93 | 87 |
| Playability | 84 | 64 |
| Sound | 68 | 71 |
| Value | 79 | 62 |
Full specifications
| Spec | ALR-II See Thru Purple | ES-335 DOT, Antique Faded Cherry |
|---|---|---|
| Brand | ESP | Gibson |
| Type | Electric | Electric |
| Years | — | — |
| Country | JP | US |
| Body wood | Mahogany | 3-ply Maple/Poplar/Maple |
| Neck wood | 3Pc Maple | — |
| Fretboard | Macassar Ebony | — |
| Strings | 6 | 6 |
| Frets | 24 | — |
| Scale | 24.75" | — |
| Pickups | Seymour Duncan Custom Stack Plus / Seymour Duncan JB | MHS II Humbucker Rhythm / MHS II Humbucker Lead |
| Rating | — | — |
| Price | $1,799 | $2,999 |
| Bridge | Floyd Rose 1000 | ABR-1 Tune-O-Matic |
| Bridge pickup | Seymour Duncan JB | MHS II Humbucker Lead |
| Case | MH Guitar Form Fit Case | Gibson Hardshell |
| Case Included | Y | — |
| Construction | Neck-Thru | — |
| Controls | Passive | 2 volumes, 2 tones, 1 toggle switch, hand-wired with 500K potentiometers and orange drop capacitors |
| Finish | See Thru Purple | Nickel |
| Fretboard radius | 300-400mm Compound | — |
| Hardware | Black | — |
| Neck pickup | Seymour Duncan Custom Stack Plus | MHS II Humbucker Rhythm |
| Neck profile | Thin U | — |
| Nut | Locking | — |
| Nut width | 42mm | — |
| Scale length | 24.75" | — |
| Strap Button | Standard | — |
| Top wood | Quilted Maple | 3-ply Maple/Poplar/Maple |
| Tuners | LTD Locking | Grover 'Milk Bottle' Rotomatics |
| Accessories | — | Gibson Accessory Kit |
| Back | — | 3-ply Maple/Poplar/Maple |
| Binding | — | Single-ply Cream |
| Body Finish | — | Gloss Nitrocellulose Lacquer |
| Body shape | — | ES-335 |
| Body Styles | — | ES |
| Bracing | — | Spruce |
| Centerblock | — | Maple |
| Control Knobs | — | Black Top Hats with Silver Reflectors |
| Model | — | ESDPFCNH1 |
| Pickguard | — | 5-ply Black |
| String gauges | — | .010, .013, .017, .026, .036, .046 |
| Switch Tip | — | Cream |
| Switchwasher | — | N/A |
| Tailpiece | — | Aluminum Stopbar |
| Truss Rod Cover | — | Engraved F Hole |