Head to head
ESP MH-200HT Qm Dark Brown Sunburst vs Harley Benton ST-Modern Plus MN HSS Purple Blast
The verdict
The ESP MH-200HT Qm Dark Brown Sunburst comes out ahead overall — 82 to 64 on our estimated score.
Estimated from specs & owner reviews — a starting point, not a substitute for playing both.
ESP MH-200HT Qm Dark Brown Sunburst wins on
- Better build (87 vs 58)
- Better playability (81 vs 70)
- Better sound (74 vs 63)
- Better value (85 vs 68)
Harley Benton ST-Modern Plus MN HSS Purple Blast wins on
- Lower price ($435 vs $649)
Scorecard
| Metric | MH-200HT Qm Dark Brown Sunburst | ST-Modern Plus MN HSS Purple Blast |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | 82 | 64 |
| Build | 87 | 58 |
| Playability | 81 | 70 |
| Sound | 74 | 63 |
| Value | 85 | 68 |
Full specifications
| Spec | MH-200HT Qm Dark Brown Sunburst | ST-Modern Plus MN HSS Purple Blast |
|---|---|---|
| Brand | ESP | Harley Benton |
| Type | Electric | Electric |
| Years | — | — |
| Country | JP | — |
| Body wood | Mahogany | American ash |
| Neck wood | 3Pc Maple | Roasted Canadian flamed maple |
| Fretboard | Rosewood | Canadian maple |
| Strings | 6 | 6 |
| Frets | 24 | — |
| Scale | 25.5" | 25.5" |
| Pickups | ESP LH-301N *(Pull Tone for Split) / ESP LH-301B *(Pull Tone for Split) | 1 Tesla VR-Nitro Alnico 5 open humbucker (bridge) and 2 Tesla TV-S1 Alnico 5 single coils (middle and neck) |
| Rating | — | — |
| Price | $649 | $435 |
| Bridge | LTD Fixed Bridge w/ String Thru | — |
| Bridge pickup | ESP LH-301B *(Pull Tone for Split) | — |
| Case | MH GUITAR FORM FIT CASE | — |
| Case Included | N | — |
| Construction | Bolt-On | — |
| Controls | Volume/Tone(Push/Pull)/3-way Switch | — |
| Finish | Dark Brown Sunburst | Purple Blast |
| Fretboard radius | 350mm | 305 mm - 406 mm (12" - 16") |
| Hardware | Black | — |
| Neck pickup | ESP LH-301N *(Pull Tone for Split) | — |
| Neck profile | Extra Thin U | Smooth "D" - thickness at 1st fret: 20.5 mm, at 12th fret: 22.5 mm |
| Nut | Molded | — |
| Nut width | 42mm | 42 mm (1.65") |
| Scale length | 25.5" | 648 mm (25.5") |
| Strap Button | Standard | — |
| Top wood | Quilted Maple | — |
| Tuners | LTD | — |
| String gauges | — | Elixir Coated .010–.046 |
| Tuning | — | E-A-D-G-B-E standard |