Head to head
ESP LTD Gl Desert Eagle Black w/ Graphic vs Gibson Back to the Future "1955" ES-345 Collector's Edition, Light Aged, Cherry Red
Electric$19,999
No ratings yet77Overall / 100
The verdict
The Gibson Back to the Future "1955" ES-345 Collector's Edition, Light Aged, Cherry Red comes out ahead overall — 77 to 66 on our estimated score.
Estimated from specs & owner reviews — a starting point, not a substitute for playing both.
ESP LTD Gl Desert Eagle Black w/ Graphic wins on
- Lower price ($1,699 vs $19,999)
Gibson Back to the Future "1955" ES-345 Collector's Edition, Light Aged, Cherry Red wins on
- Better build (87 vs 61)
- Better sound (74 vs 68)
Scorecard
| Metric | LTD Gl Desert Eagle Black w/ Graphic | Back to the Future "1955" ES-345 Collector's Edition, Light Aged, Cherry Red |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | 66 | 77 |
| Build | 61 | 87 |
| Playability | 72 | 75 |
| Sound | 68 | 74 |
| Value | 64 | 67 |
Full specifications
| Spec | LTD Gl Desert Eagle Black w/ Graphic | Back to the Future "1955" ES-345 Collector's Edition, Light Aged, Cherry Red |
|---|---|---|
| Brand | ESP | Gibson |
| Type | Electric | Electric |
| Years | — | — |
| Country | — | US |
| Body wood | Alder | 3-ply maple/poplar/maple |
| Neck wood | Maple | Mahogany |
| Fretboard | Macassar Ebony | Rosewood |
| Strings | 6 | 6 |
| Frets | 22 | 22 |
| Scale | 25.5" | 24.75" |
| Pickups | ESP LS-120 *(Pull to Select) / Seymour Duncan ‘78 Direct Mount *(Push to Select) | Custombucker Alnico 3, Unpotted / Custombucker Alnico 3, Unpotted |
| Rating | — | — |
| Price | $1,699 | $19,999 |
| Bridge | Floyd Rose 1000SE | ABR-1 No-Wire |
| Bridge pickup | Seymour Duncan ‘78 Direct Mount *(Push to Select) | Custombucker Alnico 3, Unpotted |
| Case | ST-TE Guitar Form Fit Case | Lifton™ hardshell with Marvin Berry and The Starlighters graphics |
| Case Included | Y | — |
| Construction | Bolt-On | — |
| Controls | Passive | 2 Volume, 2 Tone, CTS 500k audio taper potentiometers, paper-in-oil capacitors; 6-position mono varitone |
| Finish | Black w/ Desert Eagle Graphic | Aged gold |
| Fretboard radius | 305mm | 304.8mm / 12.0in |
| Hardware | Black | — |
| Neck pickup | ESP LS-120 *(Pull to Select) | Custombucker Alnico 3, Unpotted |
| Neck profile | GL Original U | — |
| Nut | Locking | Nylon |
| Nut width | 43mm nut / 45mm neck width | 42.85mm / 1.69in |
| Scale length | 25.5" | 628.65mm / 24.75in |
| Strap Button | Standard | — |
| Tuners | LTD | Kluson single line, single ring |
| Binding | — | 3-ply top, single-ply back and fretboard |
| Body Finish | — | Murphy Lab Aged Nitrocellulose Lacquer |
| Body shape | — | ES-335 |
| Body Styles | — | ES-335 |
| Centerblock | — | Maple |
| Control Knobs | — | Black top hat with gold reflector |
| Fretboard inlay | — | Celluloid split parallelogram with celluloid parallelogram at 12th Fret |
| Fret Count | — | 22 |
| Headstock Inlay | — | Gibson logo and crown in mother of pearl; Hill Valley Music dealer plaque on headstock rear |
| Joint | — | Long tenon, hide glue fit |
| Model | — | 55ES345BTTFMLGH1 |
| Mounting Rings | — | Black M69 medium & tall |
| Output Jack | — | 1/4" Switchcraft |
| Pickguard | — | Short ES-335; black 5-ply, wide bevel |
| Pickup Covers | — | Gold |
| Pickup Selector | — | Switchcraft 3-way toggle |
| Profile | — | 1961 Authentic Thin D-Shape |
| Strap Buttons | — | Burnished brass |
| String gauges | — | .010, .013, .017, .026, .036, .046 |
| Switch Tip | — | Cream |
| Switchwasher | — | Gold with black lettering (Varitone) |
| Tailpiece | — | Bigsby '59 B7, gold with black paint |
| Truss rod | — | Authentic 1950s no-tube |
| Truss Rod Cover | — | Authentic stepped 2-ply |
| Tuner Plating | — | Aged gold |