Head to head
Gibson Back to the Future "1955" ES-345 Collector's Edition, Light Aged, Cherry Red vs Gibson Eric Clapton 1958 Les Paul Custom, Ebony
Electric$19,999
No ratings yet77Overall / 100
The verdict
The Gibson Back to the Future "1955" ES-345 Collector's Edition, Light Aged, Cherry Red and Gibson Eric Clapton 1958 Les Paul Custom, Ebony are closely matched overall — 77 to 78 on our estimated score.
Estimated from specs & owner reviews — a starting point, not a substitute for playing both.
Gibson Back to the Future "1955" ES-345 Collector's Edition, Light Aged, Cherry Red wins on
No standout advantage.
Gibson Eric Clapton 1958 Les Paul Custom, Ebony wins on
- Better sound (79 vs 74)
Scorecard
| Metric | Back to the Future "1955" ES-345 Collector's Edition, Light Aged, Cherry Red | Eric Clapton 1958 Les Paul Custom, Ebony |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | 77 | 78 |
| Build | 87 | 87 |
| Playability | 75 | 75 |
| Sound | 74 | 79 |
| Value | 67 | 68 |
Full specifications
| Spec | Back to the Future "1955" ES-345 Collector's Edition, Light Aged, Cherry Red | Eric Clapton 1958 Les Paul Custom, Ebony |
|---|---|---|
| Brand | Gibson | Gibson |
| Type | Electric | Electric |
| Years | — | — |
| Country | US | US |
| Body wood | 3-ply maple/poplar/maple | One Piece Ultra-Light Weight Mahogany |
| Neck wood | Mahogany | Mahogany |
| Fretboard | Rosewood | Ebony |
| Strings | 6 | 6 |
| Frets | 22 | 22 |
| Scale | 24.75" | 24.75" |
| Pickups | Custombucker Alnico 3, Unpotted / Custombucker Alnico 3, Unpotted | Custombucker / Custombucker |
| Rating | — | — |
| Price | $19,999 | $19,999 |
| Binding | 3-ply top, single-ply back and fretboard | Multi-ply Top, Back, and Headstock, Single-ply Fretboard |
| Body Finish | Murphy Lab Aged Nitrocellulose Lacquer | Murphy Lab Aged Nitrocellulose Lacquer |
| Body shape | ES-335 | Les Paul |
| Body Styles | ES-335 | Les Paul |
| Bridge | ABR-1 No-Wire | ABR-1; Screws Towards Neck |
| Bridge pickup | Custombucker Alnico 3, Unpotted | Custombucker |
| Case | Lifton™ hardshell with Marvin Berry and The Starlighters graphics | Custom Duck Brothers Case |
| Centerblock | Maple | — |
| Control Knobs | Black top hat with gold reflector | True Historic Black Top Hat (No Dial Pointer) |
| Controls | 2 Volume, 2 Tone, CTS 500k audio taper potentiometers, paper-in-oil capacitors; 6-position mono varitone | 2 Volume, 2 Tone; CTS 500K Audio Taper Potentiometers, Paper in Oil Capacitors |
| Finish | Aged gold | Custom Murphy Lab Aged Gold |
| Fretboard inlay | Celluloid split parallelogram with celluloid parallelogram at 12th Fret | 1950s Pattern Mother of Pearl Block |
| Fretboard radius | 304.8mm / 12.0in | 304.8mm / 12.0in |
| Fret Count | 22 | 22 |
| Headstock Inlay | Gibson logo and crown in mother of pearl; Hill Valley Music dealer plaque on headstock rear | Gibson Logo and Custom Split Diamond Inlay in Mother of Pearl |
| Joint | Long tenon, hide glue fit | Long Tenon, Hide Glue Fit |
| Model | 55ES345BTTFMLGH1 | CSECB8MLAEBGH1 |
| Mounting Rings | Black M69 medium & tall | M69 Cellulose Acetate Butyrate |
| Neck pickup | Custombucker Alnico 3, Unpotted | Custombucker |
| Nut | Nylon | Nylon |
| Nut width | 42.85mm / 1.69in | 42.86mm / 1.69in |
| Output Jack | 1/4" Switchcraft | 1/4" Switchcraft |
| Pickguard | Short ES-335; black 5-ply, wide bevel | Multi-ply Laminated Acrylic |
| Pickup Covers | Gold | Authentic Profile Gold-plated Nickel Silver; Murphy Lab Aged |
| Pickup Selector | Switchcraft 3-way toggle | 3-way Switchcraft |
| Profile | 1961 Authentic Thin D-Shape | Medium C |
| Scale length | 628.65mm / 24.75in | 628.65mm / 24.75in |
| Strap Buttons | Burnished brass | Black |
| String gauges | .010, .013, .017, .026, .036, .046 | — |
| Switch Tip | Cream | Cream |
| Switchwasher | Gold with black lettering (Varitone) | True Historic Black |
| Tailpiece | Bigsby '59 B7, gold with black paint | Lightweight Aluminum Stop Bar |
| Truss rod | Authentic 1950s no-tube | Authentic 1950s No-Tube |
| Truss Rod Cover | Authentic stepped 2-ply | Authentic Stepped 2-Ply Les Paul Custom |
| Tuner Plating | Aged gold | Custom Murphy Lab Aged Gold |
| Tuners | Kluson single line, single ring | Grover Milk Bottle |
| Accessories | — | Certificate of Authenticity, Extra Pickguard Signed by Eric Clapton and Albert Lee, Custom Shop Switchplate Medallion in the Case |
| Control Covers | — | Black Royalite; EC Signature Switch Plate Medallion Installed (Custom Shop Medallion in the Case) |
| End Of Board Width | — | 56.89mm / 2.24in |
| Jack Plate Cover | — | Multi-ply Laminated Acrylic |
| Middle pickup | — | Custombucker Screw Side Towards Neck |
| Weight Relief | — | None |
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