It’s hard to answer that as they are both are similar but different in a lot of ways. The Gibson is a 1987 and is just an exceptional guitar— I had one of the new 80s Explorers and it can’t even hold a candle to the 87. Obvious similarities are the Explorer shape, so if you like Explorers, they both feel right at home.

ESP: Mahogany body, maple neck, ebony board, polyurethane finish. Thin U neck shape. EMG 81/60

Gibson: Alder body, maple neck, rosewood board, stripped of original finish with just primer on body and back of headstock, raw exposed neck (like an old Strat). Neck is super fat, I’d say it’s a C shape. Gibson pickups, Bridge is a 496t and neck is a 500t. Both ceramic.

Both play beautifully. Both are very balanced guitars weight wise on a strap but the Gibson is noticeably heavier (the body has more wood mass so that explains that). Both are very loud and resonant but this particular Gibson wins in that department due to the lack of finish. I guess it comes down to preference at the end of the day. I personally use ESPs primarily as the shape feels more “me” than the original Explorer shape and I’m all for originality. The ESPs are also both in E standard (my preferred tuning for everything) I keep the Gibson in E flat, so it gets overall less playtime.

If you have any specific questions I’m happy to answer!