Head to head
ESP TH-400 Charcoal Metallic vs Harley Benton ST-Modern Carlos Asensio IBM
The verdict
The ESP TH-400 Charcoal Metallic comes out ahead overall — 81 to 66 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 62)
- Better playability (81 vs 70)
- Better sound (68 vs 63)
- Better value (78 vs 69)
Harley Benton ST-Modern Carlos Asensio IBM wins on
- Lower price ($653 vs $899)
Scorecard
| Metric | TH-400 Charcoal Metallic | ST-Modern Carlos Asensio IBM |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | 81 | 66 |
| Build | 93 | 62 |
| Playability | 81 | 70 |
| Sound | 68 | 63 |
| Value | 78 | 69 |
Full specifications
| Spec | TH-400 Charcoal Metallic | ST-Modern Carlos Asensio IBM |
|---|---|---|
| Brand | ESP | Harley Benton |
| Type | Electric | Electric |
| Years | — | — |
| Country | JP | — |
| Body wood | Mahogany | American alder |
| Neck wood | 3Pc Roasted Maple | Roasted Canadian maple |
| Fretboard | Rosewood | Rosewood |
| Strings | 6 | 6 |
| Frets | 24 | — |
| Scale | 25.5" | 25.5" |
| Pickups | EMG 85 Black / EMG 81 Black | 1 Tesla OPUS-X humbucker with black cover (bridge) and 2 Tesla Time Machine 57's single coils (middle and neck) |
| 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 | Ice Blue Metallic Gloss |
| Fretboard radius | 350mm | 305 mm - 406 mm (12" - 16") |
| Hardware | Black | — |
| Neck pickup | EMG 85 Black | — |
| Neck profile | Thin U | smooth D - Thickness at 1st fret: 20.5 mm, at 12th fret: 22.5 mm |
| Nut | Molded | Graphite |
| Nut width | 42mm | 42 mm (1.65") |
| Scale length | 25.5" | 648 mm (25.5") |
| Strap Button | Standard | — |
| Tuners | LTD Locking | — |
| Fretboard inlay | — | Dots and Glow-in-dark side markers |