Head to head
ESP JS-7 Baritone Black vs Gibson Explorer 70s with Gold Hardware, Vintage Sunburst, Exclusive
Electric$2,599
No ratings yet76Overall / 100
The verdict
The ESP JS-7 Baritone Black comes out ahead overall — 82 to 76 on our estimated score.
Estimated from specs & owner reviews — a starting point, not a substitute for playing both.
ESP JS-7 Baritone Black wins on
- Better build (97 vs 91)
- Better playability (81 vs 75)
- Better value (79 vs 66)
- Lower price ($1,699 vs $2,599)
Gibson Explorer 70s with Gold Hardware, Vintage Sunburst, Exclusive wins on
No standout advantage.
Scorecard
| Metric | JS-7 Baritone Black | Explorer 70s with Gold Hardware, Vintage Sunburst, Exclusive |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | 82 | 76 |
| Build | 97 | 91 |
| Playability | 81 | 75 |
| Sound | 69 | 68 |
| Value | 79 | 66 |
Full specifications
| Spec | JS-7 Baritone Black | Explorer 70s with Gold Hardware, Vintage Sunburst, Exclusive |
|---|---|---|
| Brand | ESP | Gibson |
| Type | Electric | Electric |
| Years | — | — |
| Country | JP | US |
| Body wood | Mahogany | Mahogany |
| Neck wood | 3Pc Maple | Mahogany |
| Fretboard | Macassar Ebony | Rosewood |
| Strings | 7 | 6 |
| Frets | 24 | 22 |
| Scale | 27" | 24.75" |
| Pickups | Fishman Open Core Modern 3-Voice Humbucker Black w/ Nickel Blades Direct Mount *(Pull Vol for Voice 3) | 70s Tribute / 70s Tribute |
| Rating | — | — |
| Price | $1,699 | $2,599 |
| Bridge | Hipshot 7 w/ String Thru | Nashville Tune-O-Matic |
| Bridge pickup | Fishman Open Core Modern 3-Voice Humbucker Black w/ Nickel Blades Direct Mount *(Pull Vol for Voice 3) | 70s Tribute |
| Case | V XL FORM FIT CASE | Gibson Hard Shell Case |
| Case Included | Y | — |
| Construction | Neck-Thru | — |
| Controls | Volume(Push/Pull) | 2 Volumes, 1 Tone & Toggle Switch (Hand-wired with Orange Drop Capacitors) |
| Finish | Black | Gold |
| Fretboard radius | 400mm | 12 in. | 304.8 mm |
| Hardware | Black | — |
| Neck profile | Thin U | — |
| Nut | Graph Tech TUSQ XL | Graph Tech |
| Nut width | 48mm | 43.05mm / 1.69in |
| Scale length | 27" | 628.65mm / 24.75in |
| Strap Button | Standard | — |
| Tuners | ESP Locking | Grover Mini Rotomatic |
| Accessories | — | Gibson Accessory Kit |
| Body Finish | — | Gloss Nitrocellulose Lacquer |
| Body shape | — | Explorer |
| Body Styles | — | Solidbody |
| Control Knobs | — | Black Speed |
| End Of Board Width | — | 57.4mm / 2.26in |
| Fretboard inlay | — | Acrylic Dots |
| Fret Count | — | 22 |
| Model | — | DSXS25TBGH3 |
| Neck pickup | — | 70s Tribute |
| Pickguard | — | White multi-ply |
| Pickup Covers | — | Gold |
| Profile | — | SlimTaper |
| String gauges | — | .010, .013, .017, .026, .036, .046 |
| Tailpiece | — | Stop Bar |