Head to head
ESP TH-1000 Snow White vs Gibson Kirk Douglas Signature SG, Ebony
The verdict
The ESP TH-1000 Snow White comes out ahead overall — 85 to 80 on our estimated score.
Estimated from specs & owner reviews — a starting point, not a substitute for playing both.
ESP TH-1000 Snow White wins on
- Better build (97 vs 91)
- Better playability (81 vs 75)
- Better value (82 vs 70)
- Lower price ($1,499 vs $2,499)
Gibson Kirk Douglas Signature SG, Ebony wins on
No standout advantage.
Scorecard
| Metric | TH-1000 Snow White | Kirk Douglas Signature SG, Ebony |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | 85 | 80 |
| Build | 97 | 91 |
| Playability | 81 | 75 |
| Sound | 77 | 79 |
| Value | 82 | 70 |
Full specifications
| Spec | TH-1000 Snow White | Kirk Douglas Signature SG, Ebony |
|---|---|---|
| Brand | ESP | Gibson |
| Type | Electric | Electric |
| Years | — | — |
| Country | JP | US |
| Body wood | Swamp Ash | Mahogany |
| Neck wood | 3Pc Roasted Maple | Mahogany |
| Fretboard | Macassar Ebony | Rosewood |
| Strings | 6 | 6 |
| Frets | 24 | 22 |
| Scale | 25.5" | 24.75" |
| Pickups | Seymour Duncan Mortal Coil 3-Voice Humbucker Direct-Mount *(Pull Volume for Voice 3 / Pull Tone for Voice 2) / Seymour Duncan Mortal Coil 3-Voice Humbucker Direct-Mount *(Pull Volume for Voice 3 / Pull Tone for Voice 2) | Burstbucker 1 / Burstbucker 3 |
| Rating | — | — |
| Price | $1,499 | $2,499 |
| Bridge | Hipshot w/ String Thru | Aluminum Nashville Tune-O-Matic™ |
| Bridge pickup | Seymour Duncan Mortal Coil 3-Voice Humbucker Direct-Mount *(Pull Volume for Voice 3 / Pull Tone for Voice 2) | Burstbucker 3 |
| Case | ST-1 FORM FIT CASE | Hardshell |
| Case Included | N | — |
| Construction | Bolt-On | — |
| Controls | Volume(Push/Pull)/Tone(Push/Pull)/3-way Switch | Master Volume, Master Tone, plus individual Volume controls with push/pull coil splitting for each of the three pickups |
| Finish | Snow White | Nickel on Inverness Green-finished model - Gold on Ebony-finished model |
| Fretboard radius | 350mm | 304.8mm / 12.0in |
| Hardware | Black | — |
| Neck pickup | Seymour Duncan Mortal Coil 3-Voice Humbucker Direct-Mount *(Pull Volume for Voice 3 / Pull Tone for Voice 2) | Burstbucker 1 |
| Neck profile | Thin U | — |
| Nut | Black Bone | Graph Tech® |
| Nut width | 42mm | 43.05mm / 1.7in |
| Scale length | 25.5" | 628.65mm / 24.75in |
| Strap Button | Standard | — |
| Tuners | LTD Locking | Nickel Keystone on Inverness Green-finished model - Gold Keystone on Ebony-finished model |
| Body Finish | — | Gloss Nitrocellulose Lacquer |
| Body shape | — | SG |
| Body Styles | — | SG |
| Control Knobs | — | Black Top Hats with Silver inserts on Inverness Green-finished model - Gold inserts on Ebony-finished model |
| Fretboard inlay | — | Acrylic Blocks |
| Fret Count | — | 22 |
| Headstock | — | Gibson logo in Mother of Pearl |
| Headstock Inlay | — | Custom split diamond in Mother of Pearl |
| Joint | — | Glued in |
| Middle pickup | — | Burstbucker 2 |
| Model | — | SGKD20EBGH1 |
| Output Jack | — | 1/4" |
| Pickguard | — | White 5-ply on Inverness Green-finished model; Black 5-ply on Ebony-finished model |
| Pickup Covers | — | Nickel on Inverness Green-finished model - Gold on Ebony-finished model |
| Pickup Selector | — | 3-way toggle |
| Profile | — | SlimTaper |
| Strap Buttons | — | 2 - bottom and behind heel |
| String gauges | — | .010, .013, .017, .026, .036, .046 |
| Switch Tip | — | Cream on Inverness Green-finished model - Black on Ebony-finished model |
| Switchwasher | — | Black with Gold lettering |
| Tailpiece | — | Kirk Douglas signature Captain Lyre Tail Vibrola |
| Tuner Plating | — | Nickel on Inverness Green-finished model - Gold on Ebony-finished model |