Head to head
Gibson 1959 ES-355 Reissue, Light Aged, Grapefruit Red vs Harley Benton ST-70 RW
The verdict
The Gibson 1959 ES-355 Reissue, Light Aged, Grapefruit Red comes out ahead overall — 77 to 65 on our estimated score.
Estimated from specs & owner reviews — a starting point, not a substitute for playing both.
Gibson 1959 ES-355 Reissue, Light Aged, Grapefruit Red wins on
- Better build (87 vs 58)
- Better sound (74 vs 60)
Harley Benton ST-70 RW wins on
- Better value (75 vs 67)
- Lower price ($195 vs $8,199)
Scorecard
| Metric | 1959 ES-355 Reissue, Light Aged, Grapefruit Red | ST-70 RW |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | 77 | 65 |
| Build | 87 | 58 |
| Playability | 75 | 72 |
| Sound | 74 | 60 |
| Value | 67 | 75 |
Full specifications
| Spec | 1959 ES-355 Reissue, Light Aged, Grapefruit Red | ST-70 RW |
|---|---|---|
| Brand | Gibson | Harley Benton |
| Type | Electric | Electric |
| Years | — | — |
| Country | US | — |
| Body wood | 3-ply Maple/Poplar/Maple | Basswood |
| Neck wood | Mahogany | Maple |
| Fretboard | Ebony | Amaranth |
| Strings | 6 | 6 |
| Frets | 22 | — |
| Scale | 24.75" | 25.51" |
| Pickups | Custombucker / Custombucker | 3 Roswell STA Alnico-5 Vintage ST-Style Single Coils |
| Rating | — | — |
| Price | $8,199 | $195 |
| Back | 3-ply Maple/Poplar/Maple | — |
| Binding | Multi-ply Top, Back, and Headstock, Single-ply Fretboard | — |
| Body Finish | Murphy Lab Aged Nitrocellulose Lacquer | — |
| Body shape | ES-335 | — |
| Body Styles | ES | — |
| Bridge | ABR-1 | — |
| Bridge pickup | Custombucker | — |
| Case | 50s Brown/Pink Hardshell | — |
| Centerblock | Maple | — |
| Control Knobs | True Historic Black Top Hat with Dial Pointer | — |
| Controls | 2 Volume, 2 Tone, Vintage taper Potentiometers, Paper in Oil Capacitators | — |
| Finish | Gold, Light Aged | Natural High Gloss |
| Fretboard inlay | Mother of Pearl Custom Block | — |
| Fretboard radius | 304.8mm / 12.0in | 305 mm |
| Fret Count | 22 | — |
| Headstock Inlay | Gibson Logo and Custom Split Diamond in Mother of Pearl | — |
| Joint | Glued In, Set Neck; Hide Glue Fit | — |
| Model | CUS18761 | — |
| Mounting Rings | Black | — |
| Neck pickup | Custombucker | — |
| Nut | Nylon | — |
| Nut width | 42.86mm / 1.69in | 42 mm |
| Output Jack | 1/4" Switchcraft | — |
| Pickguard | ES-355 Bound Tortoise; Long | — |
| Pickup Covers | True Historic Gold | — |
| Pickup Selector | 3-way Switchcraft Toggle | — |
| Profile | 50s Rounded Medium C | — |
| Scale length | 628.65mm / 24.75in | 648 mm |
| Side | 3-ply Maple/Poplar/Maple | — |
| Strap Buttons | 2 | — |
| String gauges | .010, .013, .017, .026, .036, .046 | — |
| Switch Tip | True Historic Amber | — |
| Tailpiece | Lightweight Stop Bar | — |
| Top wood | 3-ply Maple/Poplar/Maple | Imitation rosewood veneer |
| Truss rod | Authentic 1950s No-Tube | — |
| Truss Rod Cover | True Historic | — |
| Tuner Plating | Gold | — |
| Tuners | Grover Rotomatic with Kidney Buttons | — |
| Ex Factory Stringing | — | D'Addario .010 - .046 (Article no. #104555#) |
| Neck profile | — | C |
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