Head to head
ESP ALR-II See Thru Purple vs Gibson Les Paul Modern, Graphite Top
The verdict
The ESP ALR-II See Thru Purple comes out ahead overall — 82 to 77 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 playability (84 vs 64)
- Better value (79 vs 66)
- Lower price ($1,799 vs $2,999)
Gibson Les Paul Modern, Graphite Top wins on
- Better sound (74 vs 68)
Scorecard
| Metric | ALR-II See Thru Purple | Les Paul Modern, Graphite Top |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | 82 | 77 |
| Build | 93 | 97 |
| Playability | 84 | 64 |
| Sound | 68 | 74 |
| Value | 79 | 66 |
Full specifications
| Spec | ALR-II See Thru Purple | Les Paul Modern, Graphite Top |
|---|---|---|
| Brand | ESP | Gibson |
| Type | Electric | Electric |
| Years | — | — |
| Country | JP | US |
| Body wood | Mahogany | Mahogany |
| Neck wood | 3Pc Maple | Mahogany |
| Fretboard | Macassar Ebony | Ebony |
| Strings | 6 | 6 |
| Frets | 24 | 22 |
| Scale | 24.75" | 24.75" |
| Pickups | Seymour Duncan Custom Stack Plus / Seymour Duncan JB | Burstbucker Pro Rhythm / Burstbucker Pro Plus Lead |
| Rating | — | — |
| Price | $1,799 | $2,999 |
| Bridge | Floyd Rose 1000 | Aluminum Nashville Tune-O-Matic |
| Bridge pickup | Seymour Duncan JB | Burstbucker Pro Plus Lead |
| Case | MH Guitar Form Fit Case | Hard Shell Case |
| Case Included | Y | — |
| Construction | Neck-Thru | — |
| Controls | Passive | 2 Push/Pull Volume (Coil-Tap), 2 Push/Pull Tone (Pure Bypass/Phase) |
| Finish | See Thru Purple | Chrome |
| Fretboard radius | 300-400mm Compound | 1.0mm / 0.04in |
| Hardware | Black | — |
| Neck pickup | Seymour Duncan Custom Stack Plus | Burstbucker Pro Rhythm |
| Neck profile | Thin U | — |
| Nut | Locking | Graph Tech |
| Nut width | 42mm | 43.05mm / 1.69in |
| Scale length | 24.75" | 628.65mm / 24.75in |
| Strap Button | Standard | — |
| Top wood | Quilted Maple | Maple |
| Tuners | LTD Locking | Grover Locking Rotomatics w/Keystone buttons |
| Accessories | — | Includes Gibson Accessory Kit |
| Body Finish | — | Gloss Nitrocellulose Lacquer |
| Body shape | — | Les Paul |
| Body Styles | — | Les Paul |
| Control Knobs | — | Clear Top Hats |
| End Of Board Width | — | 57.4mm / 2.26in |
| Fretboard inlay | — | Mother of Pearl Trapezoids |
| Fret Count | — | 22 |
| Jack Plate Cover | — | Chrome |
| Model | — | LPM00M1CH1 |
| Output Jack | — | 1/4" |
| Pickguard | — | Black 5-ply |
| Pickup Selector | — | 3-way Toggle |
| Profile | — | SlimTaper |
| String gauges | — | .010, .013, .017, .026, .036, .046 |
| Switch Tip | — | Black |
| Switchwasher | — | Black (Not Mounted) |
| Tailpiece | — | Aluminum Stopbar |
| Weight Relief | — | Ultra-Modern |