Head to head
ESP Snapper Ctm See Thru Black Cherry vs Gibson 1958 Les Paul Standard, Heavy Aged, Olive Drab
The verdict
The ESP Snapper Ctm See Thru Black Cherry comes out ahead overall — 81 to 77 on our estimated score.
Estimated from specs & owner reviews — a starting point, not a substitute for playing both.
ESP Snapper Ctm See Thru Black Cherry wins on
- Better build (97 vs 87)
- Lower price ($6,149 vs $8,799)
Gibson 1958 Les Paul Standard, Heavy Aged, Olive Drab wins on
No standout advantage.
Scorecard
| Metric | Snapper Ctm See Thru Black Cherry | 1958 Les Paul Standard, Heavy Aged, Olive Drab |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | 81 | 77 |
| Build | 97 | 87 |
| Playability | 78 | 75 |
| Sound | 73 | 74 |
| Value | 71 | 67 |
Full specifications
| Spec | Snapper Ctm See Thru Black Cherry | 1958 Les Paul Standard, Heavy Aged, Olive Drab |
|---|---|---|
| Brand | ESP | Gibson |
| Type | Electric | Electric |
| Years | — | — |
| Country | JP | US |
| Body wood | Swamp Ash | 1-Piece Lightweight Mahogany |
| Neck wood | Maple | Solid Mahogany |
| Fretboard | Hard Maple | Indian Rosewood |
| Strings | 6 | 6 |
| Frets | 22 | 22 |
| Scale | 25.5" | 24.75" |
| Pickups | Seymour Duncan Vintage Hot Stack Plus / Seymour Duncan ’59/Custom Hybrid | Custombucker Alnico 3 / Custombucker Alnico 3 |
| Rating | — | — |
| Price | $6,149 | $8,799 |
| Bridge | ESP Flicker-III | No-Wire ABR-1 |
| Bridge pickup | Seymour Duncan ’59/Custom Hybrid | Custombucker Alnico 3 |
| Case | ST-1 Guitar Form Fit Case | Aged Brown/Pink Lifton Reissue 5-Latch Case |
| Case Included | Y | — |
| Coa | Y | — |
| Construction | Bolt-On | — |
| Controls | Passive | 2 Volume, 2 Tone, CTS 500KkAudio Taper Potentiometers, Paper-in-Oil Capacitors |
| Finish | See Thru Black Cherry | Nickel; Murphy Lab Heavy Aged |
| Fretboard radius | 240-305mm Compound | 304.8mm / 12.0in |
| Hardware | Chrome | — |
| Middle pickup | Seymour Duncan Vintage Hot Stack Plus | — |
| Neck pickup | Seymour Duncan Vintage Hot Stack Plus | Custombucker Alnico 3 |
| Neck profile | Slim U | — |
| Nut | Bone | Nylon |
| Nut width | 42mm | 42.85mm / 1.69in |
| Scale length | 25.5" | 628.65mm / 24.75in |
| Strap Button | Standard | — |
| Top wood | Flamed Maple | 2-Piece Plain Maple |
| Tuners | Gotoh Locking | Kluson Single Line, Single Ring |
| Accessories | — | Certificate of Authenticity, Mounted Custom Shop Switch Plate Medallion; Reissue Switch Backplate in Case |
| Binding | — | Single-ply Royalite, Top and Fretboard |
| Body Finish | — | Murphy Lab Aged Nitrocellulose Lacquer |
| Body shape | — | Les Paul |
| Body Styles | — | Les Paul |
| Control Covers | — | Black Reissue |
| Control Knobs | — | True Historic Gold Top Hat with Dial Pointer |
| Fretboard inlay | — | Aged Cellulose Nitrate Trapezoid |
| Fret Count | — | 22 |
| Headstock Inlay | — | Gibson logo in Mother of Pearl, Les Paul Model silkscreen |
| Joint | — | Hide Glue Fit |
| Model | — | CUS18941 |
| Mounting Rings | — | True Historic Cream |
| Output Jack | — | 1/4" Switchcraft |
| Pickguard | — | True Historic Cream |
| Pickup Covers | — | Murphy Lab Aged Nickel |
| Pickup Selector | — | 3-way Switchcraft |
| Profile | — | Rounded C |
| Strap Buttons | — | 2 - Aluminum |
| String gauges | — | .010, .013, .017, .026, .036, .046 |
| Switch Tip | — | True Historic Cream |
| Switchwasher | — | True Historic Cream |
| Tailpiece | — | Lightweight Aluminum Stop Bar |
| Truss rod | — | Authentic 1950s No-Tube |
| Truss Rod Cover | — | Authentic Stepped 2-Ply |
| Tuner Plating | — | Nickel; Murphy Lab Heavy Aged |