Head to head
Gibson B.B. King “Rumble in the Jungle” 1974 ES-355, Walnut vs Harley Benton ST-70 RW

Electric$9,999
No ratings yet77Overall / 100
The verdict
The Gibson B.B. King “Rumble in the Jungle” 1974 ES-355, Walnut 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 B.B. King “Rumble in the Jungle” 1974 ES-355, Walnut 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 $9,999)
Scorecard
| Metric | B.B. King “Rumble in the Jungle” 1974 ES-355, Walnut | ST-70 RW |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | 77 | 65 |
| Build | 87 | 58 |
| Playability | 75 | 72 |
| Sound | 74 | 60 |
| Value | 67 | 75 |
Full specifications
| Spec | B.B. King “Rumble in the Jungle” 1974 ES-355, Walnut | ST-70 RW |
|---|---|---|
| Brand | Gibson | Harley Benton |
| Type | Electric | Electric |
| Years | — | — |
| Country | US | — |
| Body wood | Plain Laminated Maple | Basswood |
| Neck wood | 3-piece Mahogany | Maple |
| Fretboard | Ebony | Amaranth |
| Strings | 6 | 6 |
| Frets | 22 | — |
| Scale | 24.75" | 25.51" |
| Pickups | T-Type Custombucker Alnico 5 / T-Type Custombucker Alnico 5 | 3 Roswell STA Alnico-5 Vintage ST-Style Single Coils |
| Rating | — | — |
| Price | $9,999 | $195 |
| Back | Plain Laminated Maple | — |
| Binding | Multi-ply Top, Back, and Headstock; Single-ply Fretboard and F-Holes | — |
| Body Finish | Murphy Lab Aged Nitrocellulose Lacquer | — |
| Body shape | ES-335 | — |
| Body Styles | ES | — |
| Bracing | Red Spruce | — |
| Bridge | Tune-O-Matic | — |
| Bridge pickup | T-Type Custombucker Alnico 5 | — |
| Case | B.B. King Zaire Hardshell | — |
| Centerblock | Lightweight Solid Maple | — |
| Control Knobs | Black Witch Hat with Gold Insert | — |
| Controls | 2 Volume, 2 Tone, 6-Position Mono Varitone; Vintage Taper Potentiometers, Ceramic Capacitors | — |
| End Of Board Width | 52.37mm / 2.06in | — |
| Finish | Aged Gold | 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 Spilt Diamond in Mother of Pearl | — |
| Joint | Glued In, Set Neck, Hide Glue Fit | — |
| Model | BBES355ZWGH1 | — |
| Mounting Rings | Black | — |
| Neck pickup | T-Type Custombucker Alnico 5 | — |
| Nut | Corian | — |
| Nut width | 42.85mm / 1.69in | 42 mm |
| Output Jack | Switchcraft 1/4" | — |
| Pickguard | 5-ply Tortoise | — |
| Pickup Covers | True Historic Gold | — |
| Pickup Selector | Switchcraft 3-way Toggle | — |
| Profile | Artist Profile | — |
| Scale length | 628.65mm / 24.75in | 648 mm |
| Side | Plain Laminated Maple | — |
| Strap Buttons | 2 | — |
| String gauges | .010, .013, .017, .026, .036, .046 | — |
| Switch Tip | Cream | — |
| Switchwasher | Gold Varitone Plate & Black Chicken Head Knob (Varitone Switch) | — |
| Tailpiece | Maestro Vibrola | — |
| Top wood | Plain Laminated Maple | Imitation rosewood veneer |
| Truss rod | Reissue | — |
| Truss Rod Cover | Black; Engraved Stereo | — |
| Tuner Plating | Aged Gold | — |
| Tuners | Kluson Waffleback with Metal Button | — |
| Ex Factory Stringing | — | D'Addario .010 - .046 (Article no. #104555#) |
| Neck profile | — | C |
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