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

Electric$6,999
No ratings yet78Overall / 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
| Metric | Marcus King 1962 ES-345 With Sideways Vibrola, Sixties Cherry | ST-70 RW |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | 78 | 65 |
| Build | 91 | 58 |
| Playability | 75 | 72 |
| Sound | 74 | 60 |
| Value | 68 | 75 |
Full specifications
| Spec | Marcus King 1962 ES-345 With Sideways Vibrola, Sixties Cherry | 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 | Indian Rosewood | 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 | $6,999 | $195 |
| Accessories | Certificate of Authenticity, hand-carved, hand-cast and hand-finished in the USA by Maker and Smith Marcus King Belt Buckle | — |
| Back | 3-ply Maple/Poplar/Maple | — |
| Binding | Multi-ply Top, Single-ply Back and Fretboard | — |
| Body Finish | Nitrocellulose VOS (Vintage Patina) | — |
| Body shape | ES-335 | — |
| Body Styles | ES | — |
| Bridge | ABR-1 | — |
| Bridge pickup | Custombucker | — |
| Case | Custom Shop 60s ES Case 940-08034 | — |
| Centerblock | Solid Maple | — |
| Control Knobs | Black Top Hats with Gold Inserts and Dial Pointers | — |
| Controls | 2 Volume, 2 Tone, 6 position Mono Varitone Switch, 500K CTS Audio-Taper Potentiometers, Black Cat Capacitors, Hand-Wired Harness | — |
| Finish | Gold VOS | Natural High Gloss |
| Fretboard inlay | Split Parallelogram | — |
| Fretboard radius | 304.8mm / 12.0in | 305 mm |
| Fret Count | 22 | — |
| Headstock Inlay | Gibson logo and Crown inlay, both in Mother of Pearl | — |
| Joint | Hide Glue Fit | — |
| Model | 62ES345MKSCSP1 | — |
| Mounting Rings | Black | — |
| Neck pickup | Custombucker | — |
| Nut | Bone | — |
| Nut width | 42.29mm / 1.67in | 42 mm |
| Output Jack | 1/4" Switchcraft | — |
| Pickguard | Black 5-Ply | — |
| Pickup Selector | 3-Way Switchcraft | — |
| Profile | Artist Profile | — |
| Scale length | 628.65mm / 24.75in | 648 mm |
| Side | 3-Ply Maple/Poplar/Maple | — |
| Strap Buttons | 2 - Brass | — |
| String gauges | .010, .013, .017, .026, .036, .046 | — |
| Switch Tip | Cream | — |
| Tailpiece | Sideways Vibrola | — |
| Top wood | 3-Ply Maple/Poplar/Maple | Imitation rosewood veneer |
| Truss rod | Authentic 1950s No-Tube | — |
| Truss Rod Cover | Engraved Stereo | — |
| Tuner Plating | Gold | — |
| Tuners | Grover Milk Bottle Rotomatic | — |
| Ex Factory Stringing | — | D'Addario .010 - .046 (Article no. #104555#) |
| Neck profile | — | C |
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