ESP LTD Viper 407 Pics (Extreme close Ups! 56K Be afraid, be very afraid!!)

[Rich]

Hey guys, I got this about a week ago, but only just got my camera working today. I'd originally planned on getting a Schecter 7 string, but finding one in the UK was a pain in the ass so it was this or the RG7321. I've owned a Viper 400 for a year and still love it, so I went for the 407.

The satin finish looks really nice, especially with the white binding on the neck. It's a bit of a pain to keep clean though. The neck feels a lot slimmer that I was expecting. Like all SG style guitars it's quite neck-heavy, but I'm a 100% bedroom guitarist and play sitting down most of the time so it's not a problem for me.

Specs can be found here http://www.espguitars.com/guitars_viper.html

I didn't have enough room to put them all together, so here's my other guitars and basses:

Hope the pics aren't too huge!

 

[NegaTiveXero]

How does the neck compare to an RG7321? If you've played it, since you said it was down to the two. I really want to get a new guitar and this is one of my choices, I just haven't had a chance to play one.

 

[Rich]

How does the neck compare to an RG7321?

It was a while between playing the RG7321 and playing this, but the two felt quite similar to me. The Viper feels a bit bigger maybe, but not enough to make a huge difference. The back of the neck on the Viper is a lot flatter than I though it would be, and the satin finish gives it a similar feel to the RG7321. Also the whole guitar just felt more solid than the RG7321.

 

[Rick]

Extreme closeup is right. No ESP store around so I wouldn't be able to test one.

 

[7slinger]

the 2 vipers are like yin/yang

 

[skattabrain]

is it a wicked pain to clean that guitar? looks like the slightest amount of oil would make a mess on it.

killer though ... i wouldn't mind one myself.

 

[Shawn]

Nice guitar and interesting collection, congrats!

 

[jacksonplayer]

I had one of those briefly. The neck shape really is just about perfect. I couldn't get used to the neck-heaviness or the position of the neck when you are standing with the guitar, which is a problem for me with all SG bodied guitars. Apart from that, it wasn't bad, and if it had had a strat body I'd probably have kept it.

 

[Kagami]

That guitar is freaking beatiful, man \m/

kill some n00bs with it.

 

[Michael]

Those are all really awesome, man!

 

[Adam]

Thats a really nice guitar man Im still stuck choosing between this and the Hellraiser as a non trem 7, the neck on my LTD M-307 still looks thinner though.

 

[Cancer]

I actuallylike the Viper beter then the Hellraiser. 'Tis the rhythm beast.

 

[okta]

NICE! Post up A sound clip soon...let us hear how it screams!!

 

[Kagami]

Thats a really nice guitar man Im still stuck choosing between this and the Hellraiser as a non trem 7, the neck on my LTD M-307 still looks thinner though.

From my experience, get the Viper.

 

[metalfiend666]

Nice. Which store did you get it from?

 

[playstopause]

Niiiiiiiiiice guitarz.

If it had the "regular" Sg shape, i definitly would get one, since the Sg's are by far my favorite "old school" guitars. I've got a cream / gold hardware Epi Sg-400 Custom hangin' on the wall just so i can look at it... (well, almost, since its missing a string).

 

[Ancestor]

I was determined to get one, but changed my mind when I started to think about the weight balance issue. I still think they're cool. I played at 6-string Viper and it was a kickass guitar.

 

[Chris]

Donnie's going to love that green thing.

 

[Rich]

Thanks for the compliments guys!

Nice. Which store did you get it from?

I got it from the Guitar & Amp Centre in Brighton. I don't really like that shop too much, but nowhere else around here has anywhere near as much stuff. I had to get it special ordered though, the guy told me it would be about a week, and a month later I finally got it

The other guitars, in case anyone is wondering, are:

The green thing: It's an Aria Pro II, I have no idea what model though, and despite some serious googling still can't find one like it. I got it on my 12th birthday in 1994, didn't think to ask what it was and the shop has long since disappeared.

The strat is a really cheap Aria Pro II Fullerton. It's not great, but it's about 8 or 9 years old (I think ) and still plays pretty well. It's handy for playing around with different tunings.

The 5 string bass is another cheap one; an Ibanez GSR205. It buzzes and rattles and sounds a bit crap, but it's fun to play around with every now and then.

The other bass was once a Hohner Rockwood LX90B Fender rip off with a really ugly sunburst finish (when looking for a pic I found one on ebay for £16 ). It looked like this until I reshaped it with a rusty old coping saw :

 

[i_love_tazzus]

Nice collection. I love that Aria Pro II Explorer...