Head to head
Gibson Eric Clapton 1958 Les Paul Custom, Ebony vs Harley Benton ST-70 RW
The verdict
The Gibson Eric Clapton 1958 Les Paul Custom, Ebony comes out ahead overall — 78 to 65 on our estimated score.
Estimated from specs & owner reviews — a starting point, not a substitute for playing both.
Gibson Eric Clapton 1958 Les Paul Custom, Ebony wins on
- Better build (87 vs 58)
- Better sound (79 vs 60)
Harley Benton ST-70 RW wins on
- Better value (75 vs 68)
- Lower price ($195 vs $19,999)
Scorecard
| Metric | Eric Clapton 1958 Les Paul Custom, Ebony | ST-70 RW |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | 78 | 65 |
| Build | 87 | 58 |
| Playability | 75 | 72 |
| Sound | 79 | 60 |
| Value | 68 | 75 |
Full specifications
| Spec | Eric Clapton 1958 Les Paul Custom, Ebony | ST-70 RW |
|---|---|---|
| Brand | Gibson | Harley Benton |
| Type | Electric | Electric |
| Years | — | — |
| Country | US | — |
| Body wood | One Piece Ultra-Light Weight Mahogany | 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 | $19,999 | $195 |
| Accessories | Certificate of Authenticity, Extra Pickguard Signed by Eric Clapton and Albert Lee, Custom Shop Switchplate Medallion in the Case | — |
| Binding | Multi-ply Top, Back, and Headstock, Single-ply Fretboard | — |
| Body Finish | Murphy Lab Aged Nitrocellulose Lacquer | — |
| Body shape | Les Paul | — |
| Body Styles | Les Paul | — |
| Bridge | ABR-1; Screws Towards Neck | — |
| Bridge pickup | Custombucker | — |
| Case | Custom Duck Brothers Case | — |
| Control Covers | Black Royalite; EC Signature Switch Plate Medallion Installed (Custom Shop Medallion in the Case) | — |
| Control Knobs | True Historic Black Top Hat (No Dial Pointer) | — |
| Controls | 2 Volume, 2 Tone; CTS 500K Audio Taper Potentiometers, Paper in Oil Capacitors | — |
| End Of Board Width | 56.89mm / 2.24in | — |
| Finish | Custom Murphy Lab Aged Gold | Natural High Gloss |
| Fretboard inlay | 1950s Pattern Mother of Pearl Block | — |
| Fretboard radius | 304.8mm / 12.0in | 305 mm |
| Fret Count | 22 | — |
| Headstock Inlay | Gibson Logo and Custom Split Diamond Inlay in Mother of Pearl | — |
| Jack Plate Cover | Multi-ply Laminated Acrylic | — |
| Joint | Long Tenon, Hide Glue Fit | — |
| Middle pickup | Custombucker Screw Side Towards Neck | — |
| Model | CSECB8MLAEBGH1 | — |
| Mounting Rings | M69 Cellulose Acetate Butyrate | — |
| Neck pickup | Custombucker | — |
| Nut | Nylon | — |
| Nut width | 42.86mm / 1.69in | 42 mm |
| Output Jack | 1/4" Switchcraft | — |
| Pickguard | Multi-ply Laminated Acrylic | — |
| Pickup Covers | Authentic Profile Gold-plated Nickel Silver; Murphy Lab Aged | — |
| Pickup Selector | 3-way Switchcraft | — |
| Profile | Medium C | — |
| Scale length | 628.65mm / 24.75in | 648 mm |
| Strap Buttons | Black | — |
| Switch Tip | Cream | — |
| Switchwasher | True Historic Black | — |
| Tailpiece | Lightweight Aluminum Stop Bar | — |
| Truss rod | Authentic 1950s No-Tube | — |
| Truss Rod Cover | Authentic Stepped 2-Ply Les Paul Custom | — |
| Tuner Plating | Custom Murphy Lab Aged Gold | — |
| Tuners | Grover Milk Bottle | — |
| Weight Relief | None | — |
| Ex Factory Stringing | — | D'Addario .010 - .046 (Article no. #104555#) |
| Neck profile | — | C |
| Top wood | — | Imitation rosewood veneer |
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