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Gibson Marcus King 1962 ES-345 With Sideways Vibrola, Sixties Cherry vs Harley Benton ST-70 RW

Gibson Marcus King 1962 ES-345 With Sideways Vibrola, Sixties Cherry
Electric$6,999
No ratings yet
78Overall / 100
Harley Benton ST-70 RW
Harley Benton
ST-70 RW
Electric$195
No ratings yet
65Overall / 100

The verdict

The Gibson Marcus King 1962 ES-345 With Sideways Vibrola, Sixties Cherry 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 Marcus King 1962 ES-345 With Sideways Vibrola, Sixties Cherry wins on
  • Better build (91 vs 58)
  • Better sound (74 vs 60)
Harley Benton ST-70 RW wins on
  • Better value (75 vs 68)
  • Lower price ($195 vs $6,999)

Scorecard

Estimated scores
MetricMarcus King 1962 ES-345 With Sideways Vibrola, Sixties CherryST-70 RW
Overall7865
Build9158
Playability7572
Sound7460
Value6875

Full specifications

Specification comparison
SpecMarcus King 1962 ES-345 With Sideways Vibrola, Sixties CherryST-70 RW
BrandGibsonHarley Benton
TypeElectricElectric
Years
CountryUS
Body wood3-ply Maple/Poplar/MapleBasswood
Neck woodMahoganyMaple
FretboardIndian RosewoodAmaranth
Strings66
Frets22
Scale24.75"25.51"
PickupsCustombucker / Custombucker3 Roswell STA Alnico-5 Vintage ST-Style Single Coils
Rating
Price$6,999$195
AccessoriesCertificate of Authenticity, hand-carved, hand-cast and hand-finished in the USA by Maker and Smith Marcus King Belt Buckle
Back3-ply Maple/Poplar/Maple
BindingMulti-ply Top, Single-ply Back and Fretboard
Body FinishNitrocellulose VOS (Vintage Patina)
Body shapeES-335
Body StylesES
BridgeABR-1
Bridge pickupCustombucker
CaseCustom Shop 60s ES Case 940-08034
CenterblockSolid Maple
Control KnobsBlack Top Hats with Gold Inserts and Dial Pointers
Controls2 Volume, 2 Tone, 6 position Mono Varitone Switch, 500K CTS Audio-Taper Potentiometers, Black Cat Capacitors, Hand-Wired Harness
FinishGold VOSNatural High Gloss
Fretboard inlaySplit Parallelogram
Fretboard radius304.8mm / 12.0in305 mm
Fret Count22
Headstock InlayGibson logo and Crown inlay, both in Mother of Pearl
JointHide Glue Fit
Model62ES345MKSCSP1
Mounting RingsBlack
Neck pickupCustombucker
NutBone
Nut width42.29mm / 1.67in42 mm
Output Jack1/4" Switchcraft
PickguardBlack 5-Ply
Pickup Selector3-Way Switchcraft
ProfileArtist Profile
Scale length628.65mm / 24.75in648 mm
Side3-Ply Maple/Poplar/Maple
Strap Buttons2 - Brass
String gauges.010, .013, .017, .026, .036, .046
Switch TipCream
TailpieceSideways Vibrola
Top wood3-Ply Maple/Poplar/MapleImitation rosewood veneer
Truss rodAuthentic 1950s No-Tube
Truss Rod CoverEngraved Stereo
Tuner PlatingGold
TunersGrover Milk Bottle Rotomatic
Ex Factory StringingD'Addario .010 - .046 (Article no. #104555#)
Neck profileC

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