Head to head
ESP MLB-4 BLACK BLAST vs Gibson SG Standard Bass, Heritage Cherry
The verdict
The ESP MLB-4 BLACK BLAST and Gibson SG Standard Bass, Heritage Cherry are closely matched overall — 77 to 77 on our estimated score.
Estimated from specs & owner reviews — a starting point, not a substitute for playing both.
ESP MLB-4 BLACK BLAST wins on
- Better playability (81 vs 72)
Gibson SG Standard Bass, Heritage Cherry wins on
- Better value (74 vs 67)
- Lower price ($1,999 vs $2,099)
Scorecard
| Metric | MLB-4 BLACK BLAST | SG Standard Bass, Heritage Cherry |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | 77 | 77 |
| Build | 87 | 91 |
| Playability | 81 | 72 |
| Sound | 68 | 68 |
| Value | 67 | 74 |
Full specifications
| Spec | MLB-4 BLACK BLAST | SG Standard Bass, Heritage Cherry |
|---|---|---|
| Brand | ESP | Gibson |
| Type | Bass | Bass |
| Years | — | — |
| Country | JP | US |
| Body wood | Swamp Ash | Mahogany |
| Neck wood | 5Pc Wenge / Purpleheart (Black Satin / Open Pore) | Mahogany |
| Fretboard | Macassar Ebony | Rosewood |
| Strings | 4 | 4 |
| Frets | 24 | 20 |
| Scale | 35" | 30.5" |
| Pickups | Nordstrand Big Splits / Nordstrand Big Splits | Rhythm SG Bass / Lead SG Bass |
| Rating | — | — |
| Price | $2,099 | $1,999 |
| Bridge | Gotoh 404BO-4 | 3-Point Adjustable |
| Bridge pickup | Nordstrand Big Splits | Lead SG Bass |
| Case | B BASS FORM FIT CASE | Hard Shell Case |
| Case Included | Y | — |
| Construction | Bolt-On | — |
| Controls | Active | 2 Volumes & 1 Master Tone |
| Finish | Black Blast | Chrome |
| Fretboard radius | 400mm | 304.8mm / 12.0in |
| Hardware | Black | — |
| Neck pickup | Nordstrand Big Splits | Rhythm SG Bass |
| Neck profile | Extra Thin U | — |
| Nut | Molded | Graph Tech |
| Nut width | 42mm | 40.64mm / 1.6in |
| Scale length | 35" | 774.7mm / 30.5in |
| Strap Button | Standard | — |
| Tuners | Gotoh | Grover Shamrocks |
| Accessories | — | Includes Gibson Accessory Kit |
| Body Finish | — | Gloss Nitrocellulose Lacquer |
| Body shape | — | SG |
| Body Styles | — | SG |
| Control Knobs | — | Black Tophats w/ Silver Inserts |
| End Of Board Width | — | 58.93mm / 2.32in |
| Fretboard inlay | — | Acrylic Trapezoid |
| Fret Count | — | 20 |
| Model | — | BASG00HCCH1 |
| Pickguard | — | Black 5-ply |
| Profile | — | Rounded |
| String gauges | — | .045, .065, .085, .105 |
| Weight Relief | — | None |