Head to head
ESP Snapper Ctm See Thru Black Cherry vs Gibson 1963 Firebird V with Maestro Vibrola, Light Aged, Cardinal Red
Electric$8,799
No ratings yet75Overall / 100
The verdict
The ESP Snapper Ctm See Thru Black Cherry comes out ahead overall — 81 to 75 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)
- Better sound (73 vs 68)
- Better value (71 vs 65)
- Lower price ($6,149 vs $8,799)
Gibson 1963 Firebird V with Maestro Vibrola, Light Aged, Cardinal Red wins on
No standout advantage.
Scorecard
| Metric | Snapper Ctm See Thru Black Cherry | 1963 Firebird V with Maestro Vibrola, Light Aged, Cardinal Red |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | 81 | 75 |
| Build | 97 | 87 |
| Playability | 78 | 75 |
| Sound | 73 | 68 |
| Value | 71 | 65 |
Full specifications
| Spec | Snapper Ctm See Thru Black Cherry | 1963 Firebird V with Maestro Vibrola, Light Aged, Cardinal Red |
|---|---|---|
| Brand | ESP | Gibson |
| Type | Electric | Electric |
| Years | — | — |
| Country | JP | US |
| Body wood | Swamp Ash | Layered Mahogany |
| Neck wood | Maple | 9-ply Mahogany/Walnut Neck-Through |
| 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 | Firebird Alnico 5 / Firebird Alnico 5 |
| Rating | — | — |
| Price | $6,149 | $8,799 |
| Bridge | ESP Flicker-III | ABR-1 |
| Bridge pickup | Seymour Duncan ’59/Custom Hybrid | Firebird Alnico 5 |
| Case | ST-1 Guitar Form Fit Case | Custom Shop Hardshell |
| Case Included | Y | — |
| Coa | Y | — |
| Construction | Bolt-On | — |
| Controls | Passive | 2 Volume, 2 Tone, 500K CTS Potentiometers, Hand-Wired Harness with Black Beauty Capacitors |
| Finish | See Thru Black Cherry | Nickel; Murphy Lab Light 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 | Firebird Alnico 5 |
| 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 | — |
| Tuners | Gotoh Locking | Deluxe Banjo Tuners |
| Accessories | — | Certificate of Authenticity |
| Body Finish | — | Murphy Lab Aged Nitrocellulose Lacquer |
| Body shape | — | Firebird |
| Body Styles | — | Firebird |
| Control Covers | — | Black |
| Control Knobs | — | Black Top Hats with Silver Inserts |
| End Of Board Width | — | 56.89mm / 2.24in |
| Fretboard inlay | — | Aged Cellulose Nitrate Trapezoid |
| Fret Count | — | 22 |
| Joint | — | Neck-Through Construction |
| Model | — | FB5LACRNM1 |
| Output Jack | — | 1/4" Switchcraft |
| Pickguard | — | 3-Ply White/Black/White Firebird Hot-stamped |
| Pickup Covers | — | Nickel |
| Pickup Selector | — | 3-Way Switchcraft |
| Profile | — | Medium C |
| Saddle Material | — | Nickel-plated Brass |
| Strap Buttons | — | Aluminum |
| String gauges | — | .010, .013, .017, .026, .036, .046 |
| Switch Tip | — | Cream |
| Tailpiece | — | Maestro Vibrola |
| Truss rod | — | 2-way Adjustable |
| Truss Rod Cover | — | Black 1-Ply Gibson Hot-stamped |
| Tuner Plating | — | Nickel |
| Weight Relief | — | None |