Head to head
ESP EC-200DX Charcoal Burst vs Harley Benton CST-24 BK
The verdict
The ESP EC-200DX Charcoal Burst comes out ahead overall — 81 to 70 on our estimated score.
Estimated from specs & owner reviews — a starting point, not a substitute for playing both.
ESP EC-200DX Charcoal Burst wins on
- Better build (87 vs 65)
- Better playability (84 vs 75)
- Better sound (68 vs 63)
Harley Benton CST-24 BK wins on
- Lower price ($271 vs $399)
Scorecard
| Metric | EC-200DX Charcoal Burst | CST-24 BK |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | 81 | 70 |
| Build | 87 | 65 |
| Playability | 84 | 75 |
| Sound | 68 | 63 |
| Value | 84 | 80 |
Full specifications
| Spec | EC-200DX Charcoal Burst | CST-24 BK |
|---|---|---|
| Brand | ESP | Harley Benton |
| Type | Electric | Electric |
| Years | — | — |
| Country | JP | — |
| Body wood | Poplar | Meranti |
| Neck wood | Roasted Maple | glued-in meranti |
| Fretboard | Rosewood | roasted jatoba |
| Strings | 6 | 6 |
| Frets | 24 | — |
| Scale | 24.75" | 25" |
| Pickups | ESP LH-150N *(Pull Tone for Split) / ESP LH-150B *(Pull Tone for Split) | 2 Roswell LAF AlNiCo-5 vintage-style humbuckers |
| Rating | — | — |
| Price | $399 | $271 |
| Bridge | TOM & Tailpiece | DLX GTB wrapover |
| Bridge pickup | ESP LH-150B *(Pull Tone for Split) | — |
| Case | EC Guitar Form Fit Case | — |
| Case Included | N | — |
| Construction | Bolt-On | — |
| Controls | Passive | — |
| Finish | Charcoal Burst | Black, high-gloss |
| Fretboard radius | 350mm | 350 mm |
| Hardware | Black | DLX chrome |
| Neck pickup | ESP LH-150N *(Pull Tone for Split) | — |
| Neck profile | Thin U | C |
| Nut | Molded | Graphite |
| Nut width | 42mm | 42 mm |
| Scale length | 24.75" | 635 mm |
| Strap Button | Standard | — |
| Top wood | Flamed Maple | arched maple |
| Tuners | LTD | — |
| Fretboard inlay | — | White dot |