Head to head
ESP TH-400 Charcoal Metallic vs Harley Benton DC-Custom II 612 Cherry
The verdict
The ESP TH-400 Charcoal Metallic comes out ahead overall — 81 to 62 on our estimated score.
Estimated from specs & owner reviews — a starting point, not a substitute for playing both.
ESP TH-400 Charcoal Metallic wins on
- Better build (93 vs 58)
- Better playability (81 vs 67)
- Better sound (68 vs 60)
- Better value (78 vs 66)
Harley Benton DC-Custom II 612 Cherry wins on
- Lower price ($653 vs $899)
Scorecard
| Metric | TH-400 Charcoal Metallic | DC-Custom II 612 Cherry |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | 81 | 62 |
| Build | 93 | 58 |
| Playability | 81 | 67 |
| Sound | 68 | 60 |
| Value | 78 | 66 |
Full specifications
| Spec | TH-400 Charcoal Metallic | DC-Custom II 612 Cherry |
|---|---|---|
| Brand | ESP | Harley Benton |
| Type | Electric | Electric |
| Years | — | — |
| Country | JP | — |
| Body wood | Mahogany | Meranti |
| Neck wood | 3Pc Roasted Maple | Meranti |
| Fretboard | Rosewood | — |
| Strings | 6 | 6 |
| Frets | 24 | — |
| Scale | 25.5" | 24.72" |
| Pickups | EMG 85 Black / EMG 81 Black | — |
| Rating | — | — |
| Price | $899 | $653 |
| Bridge | LTD Fixed Bridge w/ String Thru | — |
| Bridge pickup | EMG 81 Black | — |
| Case | ST-1 FORM FIT CASE | — |
| Case Included | N | — |
| Construction | Bolt-On | — |
| Controls | Volume/Tone/3-way Switch | — |
| Finish | Charcoal Metallic | Cherry, high-gloss |
| Fretboard radius | 350mm | — |
| Hardware | Black | — |
| Neck pickup | EMG 85 Black | — |
| Neck profile | Thin U | — |
| Nut | Molded | — |
| Nut width | 42mm | — |
| Scale length | 25.5" | — |
| Strap Button | Standard | — |
| Tuners | LTD Locking | — |
| Fingerboard Radii | — | 350 mm each |
| Fingerboards | — | Rosewood |
| Neck Profiles | — | C - thickness at 1st fret: 20.5 mm, thickness at 12th fret: 22.5 mm |
| Nut Width 12 String Neck | — | 48 mm |
| Nut Width 6 String Neck | — | 42 mm |
| Pickups 12 String | — | Two Tesla Opus-G1 Alnico-5 vintage-style humbuckers |
| Pickups 6 String | — | Two Tesla TM VR-60 Classic Alnico-5 vintage-style humbuckers |
| Scales | — | 628 mm |
| Set In Necks | — | Meranti |