Head to head
ESP M-II Ctm Fr Black Aqua C-Burst vs Gibson Mod™ Collection Firebird Platypus, High Five
The verdict
The ESP M-II Ctm Fr Black Aqua C-Burst comes out ahead overall — 85 to 77 on our estimated score.
Estimated from specs & owner reviews — a starting point, not a substitute for playing both.
ESP M-II Ctm Fr Black Aqua C-Burst wins on
- Better build (98 vs 91)
- Better playability (81 vs 75)
- Better sound (82 vs 71)
- Better value (75 vs 67)
Gibson Mod™ Collection Firebird Platypus, High Five wins on
- Lower price ($5,699 vs $7,799)
Scorecard
| Metric | M-II Ctm Fr Black Aqua C-Burst | Mod™ Collection Firebird Platypus, High Five |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | 85 | 77 |
| Build | 98 | 91 |
| Playability | 81 | 75 |
| Sound | 82 | 71 |
| Value | 75 | 67 |
Full specifications
| Spec | M-II Ctm Fr Black Aqua C-Burst | Mod™ Collection Firebird Platypus, High Five |
|---|---|---|
| Brand | ESP | Gibson |
| Type | Electric | Electric |
| Years | — | — |
| Country | JP | US |
| Body wood | Honduras Mahogany | Mahogany |
| Neck wood | 3Pc Maple | Mahogany |
| Fretboard | Ebony | Rosewood |
| Strings | 6 | 10 |
| Frets | 24 | 22 |
| Scale | 25.5" | 24.75" |
| Pickups | EMG 66TW Brushed Black Chrome Direct Mount *(Pull Tone for Single Coil Mode) / EMG 57TW Brushed Black Chrome Direct Mount *(Pull Volume for Single Coil Mode) | Firebird Mini Humbucker / Firebird Mini Humbucker |
| Rating | — | — |
| Price | $7,799 | $5,699 |
| Bridge | Floyd Rose Original | ABR-1 Tune-O-Matic |
| Bridge pickup | EMG 57TW Brushed Black Chrome Direct Mount *(Pull Volume for Single Coil Mode) | Firebird Mini Humbucker |
| Case | MH Guitar Form Fit Case | Hardshell |
| Case Included | Y | — |
| Coa | Y | — |
| Construction | Set-Thru | — |
| Controls | Volume(Push/Pull)/Tone(Push/Pull)/3-way Switch | 2 Volume, 2 Tone |
| Finish | Black Aqua C-Burst | Chrome |
| Fretboard radius | 305mm | 304.8mm / 12.0in |
| Hardware | Black Nickel | — |
| Neck pickup | EMG 66TW Brushed Black Chrome Direct Mount *(Pull Tone for Single Coil Mode) | Firebird Mini Humbucker |
| Neck profile | Thin U | — |
| Nut | Locking | Graph Tech |
| Nut width | 42mm | 43.05mm / 1.7in |
| Scale length | 25.5" | 628.65mm / 24.75in |
| Strap Button | ESP Strap Lock | — |
| Top wood | Solid Flamed Maple | — |
| Tuners | Gotoh Locking | Grover Mini Rotomatic |
| Accessories | — | Demo Shop Certificate of Authenticity and Gibson Limited Warranty |
| Binding | — | Single-ply, Fretboard |
| Body Finish | — | Gloss Nitrocellulose Lacquer |
| Body shape | — | Firebird |
| Control Knobs | — | Custom Gold Top Hats |
| End Of Board Width | — | 57.4mm / 2.26in |
| Fretboard inlay | — | Acrylic Trapezoid |
| Fret Count | — | 22 |
| Joint | — | Glued In, Set Neck |
| Model | — | RAM026948 |
| Output Jack | — | 1/4" |
| Pickguard | — | Gold |
| Pickup Covers | — | Chrome |
| Pickup Selector | — | 3-way Toggle |
| Plastic Parts | — | Gold |
| Profile | — | SlimTaper |
| String gauges | — | .010, .013, .008/.014, .011/.024, .017/.032, .022/.040 |
| Tailpiece | — | Stop Bar |