Head to head
ESP JS-7 Baritone Black vs Harley Benton ST-70 RW
The verdict
The ESP JS-7 Baritone Black comes out ahead overall — 82 to 65 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 58)
- Better playability (81 vs 72)
- Better sound (69 vs 60)
Harley Benton ST-70 RW wins on
- Lower price ($195 vs $1,699)
Scorecard
| Metric | JS-7 Baritone Black | ST-70 RW |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | 82 | 65 |
| Build | 97 | 58 |
| Playability | 81 | 72 |
| Sound | 69 | 60 |
| Value | 79 | 75 |
Full specifications
| Spec | JS-7 Baritone Black | ST-70 RW |
|---|---|---|
| Brand | ESP | Harley Benton |
| Type | Electric | Electric |
| Years | — | — |
| Country | JP | — |
| Body wood | Mahogany | Basswood |
| Neck wood | 3Pc Maple | Maple |
| Fretboard | Macassar Ebony | Amaranth |
| Strings | 7 | 6 |
| Frets | 24 | — |
| Scale | 27" | 25.51" |
| Pickups | Fishman Open Core Modern 3-Voice Humbucker Black w/ Nickel Blades Direct Mount *(Pull Vol for Voice 3) | 3 Roswell STA Alnico-5 Vintage ST-Style Single Coils |
| Rating | — | — |
| Price | $1,699 | $195 |
| Bridge | Hipshot 7 w/ String Thru | — |
| Bridge pickup | Fishman Open Core Modern 3-Voice Humbucker Black w/ Nickel Blades Direct Mount *(Pull Vol for Voice 3) | — |
| Case | V XL FORM FIT CASE | — |
| Case Included | Y | — |
| Construction | Neck-Thru | — |
| Controls | Volume(Push/Pull) | — |
| Finish | Black | Natural High Gloss |
| Fretboard radius | 400mm | 305 mm |
| Hardware | Black | — |
| Neck profile | Thin U | C |
| Nut | Graph Tech TUSQ XL | — |
| Nut width | 48mm | 42 mm |
| Scale length | 27" | 648 mm |
| Strap Button | Standard | — |
| Tuners | ESP Locking | — |
| Ex Factory Stringing | — | D'Addario .010 - .046 (Article no. #104555#) |
| Top wood | — | Imitation rosewood veneer |