Head to head
ESP Snapper Ctm See Thru Black Cherry vs Gibson Kirk Hammett 1989 Les Paul Custom, Ebony
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 $8,999)
Gibson Kirk Hammett 1989 Les Paul Custom, Ebony wins on
No standout advantage.
Scorecard
| Metric | Snapper Ctm See Thru Black Cherry | Kirk Hammett 1989 Les Paul Custom, Ebony |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | 81 | 75 |
| Build | 97 | 87 |
| Playability | 78 | 75 |
| Sound | 73 | 68 |
| Value | 71 | 65 |
Full specifications
| Spec | Snapper Ctm See Thru Black Cherry | Kirk Hammett 1989 Les Paul Custom, Ebony |
|---|---|---|
| Brand | ESP | Gibson |
| Type | Electric | Electric |
| Years | — | — |
| Country | JP | US |
| Body wood | Swamp Ash | One Piece Mahogany |
| Neck wood | Maple | One Piece Mahogany |
| Fretboard | Hard Maple | Ebony |
| Strings | 6 | 6 |
| Frets | 22 | 22 |
| Scale | 25.5" | 24.75" |
| Pickups | Seymour Duncan Vintage Hot Stack Plus / Seymour Duncan ’59/Custom Hybrid | T-Type / T-Type |
| Rating | — | — |
| Price | $6,149 | $8,999 |
| Bridge | ESP Flicker-III | Fishman Powerbridge |
| Bridge pickup | Seymour Duncan ’59/Custom Hybrid | T-Type |
| Case | ST-1 Guitar Form Fit Case | Gibson Deluxe Protector Case |
| Case Included | Y | — |
| Coa | Y | — |
| Construction | Bolt-On | — |
| Controls | Passive | 2 Volume (for Neck and Bridge Pickups), Master Tone, Fishman Powerbridge Volume |
| Finish | See Thru Black Cherry | Black |
| 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 | T-Type |
| Neck profile | Slim U | — |
| Nut | Bone | Corian |
| Nut width | 42mm | 42.85mm / 1.69in |
| Scale length | 25.5" | 628.65mm / 24.75in |
| Strap Button | Standard | — |
| Top wood | Flamed Maple | Plain Maple |
| Tuners | Gotoh Locking | Grover Rotomatic with Kidney Buttons |
| Accessories | — | Certificate of Authenticity |
| Binding | — | 7-ply Top, 5-ply Back and Headstock, Single-ply Fretboard |
| Body Finish | — | Murphy Lab Aged Nitrocellulose Lacquer |
| Body shape | — | Les Paul |
| Body Styles | — | Les Paul |
| Control Covers | — | Custom Shop Medallion and Black |
| Control Knobs | — | Black Speed |
| End Of Board Width | — | 52.37mm / 2.06in |
| Fretboard inlay | — | Mother of Pearl Custom Block |
| Fret Count | — | 22 |
| Headstock Inlay | — | Gibson Logo and Custom Split Diamond in Mother of Pearl |
| Jack Plate Cover | — | Black |
| Joint | — | Glued In, Set Neck; Long Neck Tenon |
| Model | — | CSKH89LPCEBBC1 |
| Mounting Rings | — | Black |
| Output Jack | — | 1/4" |
| Pickup Covers | — | None |
| Pickup Selector | — | 3-way Toggle |
| Preamp | — | Fishman Powerchip Preamp - 9V Battery in Control Cavity |
| Profile | — | SlimTaper |
| Strap Buttons | — | 2 - Black Schaller S-Lock - Locking Strap Buttons in the Case |
| String gauges | — | .010, .013, .017, .026, .036, .046 |
| Switch Tip | — | Black |
| Switchwasher | — | Black with Gold Hot Stamp |
| Tailpiece | — | Stop Bar |
| Truss rod | — | Standard |
| Truss Rod Cover | — | Black Molded 2-ply Bell, Hot Stamp Les Paul Custom |
| Tuner Plating | — | Black |
| Under Saddle Pickup | — | Fishman Powerbridge Piezo Pickup |
| Weight Relief | — | None |