ESP Owners Club-Show Us Your ESPs!

[FireInside]

Hey guys. I had a Hanneman JH-600 on pre-order for nearly a year only to have it discontinued. So, in retaliation i preordered an M-II

Specifically this one:

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/EIIM2FMSTBLK--esp-e-ii-m-ii-see-thru-black

The E-II thing is slightly annoying but to me it will always be ESP anyway. Never dropped this much on a single guitar but really looking forward to getting my hands on it. Any thoughts? Are this things as badass as I think? I have a crap load of guitars at this point but I am expecting this one to be the cream of the crop.

 

[Steinmetzify]

Hey guys. I had a Hanneman JH-600 on pre-order for nearly a year only to have it discontinued. So, in retaliation i preordered an M-II

Specifically this one:

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/EIIM2FMSTBLK--esp-e-ii-m-ii-see-thru-black

The E-II thing is slightly annoying but to me it will always be ESP anyway. Never dropped this much on a single guitar but really looking forward to getting my hands on it. Any thoughts? Are this things as badass as I think? I have a crap load of guitars at this point but I am expecting this one to be the cream of the crop.

Solid guitars. I’ve had a lot of guitars. A lot. A buddy of mine has had more. With very few exceptions we only have ESPs anymore.

They just work. I love the way the knobs feel, the way the neck feels, they’re just great guitars. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

 

[Flappydoodle]

Hey guys. I had a Hanneman JH-600 on pre-order for nearly a year only to have it discontinued. So, in retaliation i preordered an M-II

Specifically this one:

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/EIIM2FMSTBLK--esp-e-ii-m-ii-see-thru-black

The E-II thing is slightly annoying but to me it will always be ESP anyway. Never dropped this much on a single guitar but really looking forward to getting my hands on it. Any thoughts? Are this things as badass as I think? I have a crap load of guitars at this point but I am expecting this one to be the cream of the crop.

E-IIs are fantastic. And they're super consistent. I've owned 4, played more than 10, and they've all been great.

All you're getting on the upgrade to original is nicer binding, slightly better wood for the fretboard etc. But 2x the price.

 

[Stephan]

E-IIs are fantastic. And they're super consistent. I've owned 4, played more than 10, and they've all been great.

All you're getting on the upgrade to original is nicer binding, slightly better wood for the fretboard etc. But 2x the price.

@FireInside : I personally think the M-II is one of their best models. The neck, proportions and overall feel is outstanding. Would love to try that specific model myself.

I‘m a huge ESP fan myself. I love my Eclipse of the standard series.
Are the E-II models indeed exactly objectively the same quality as their old standard series? Are they made at the same place they used to?

 

[Flappydoodle]

@FireInside : I personally think the M-II is one of their best models. The neck, proportions and overall feel is outstanding. Would love to try that specific model myself.

I‘m a huge ESP fan myself. I love my Eclipse of the standard series.
Are the E-II models indeed exactly objectively the same quality as their old standard series? Are they made at the same place they used to?

Yes, E-II is the exact same as the old standard series

 

[soul_lip_mike]

The only issue is you have to have that awful E-II logo on your headstock.

 

[Dekay82]

Hey guys. I had a Hanneman JH-600 on pre-order for nearly a year only to have it discontinued. So, in retaliation i preordered an M-II

Specifically this one:

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/EIIM2FMSTBLK--esp-e-ii-m-ii-see-thru-black

The E-II thing is slightly annoying but to me it will always be ESP anyway. Never dropped this much on a single guitar but really looking forward to getting my hands on it. Any thoughts? Are this things as badass as I think? I have a crap load of guitars at this point but I am expecting this one to be the cream of the crop.

I have an EII Eclipse, love it. Maybe I missed it, have you tried looking for used? That Sweetwater price seems pretty high for an EII MII. Also, used Hanneman maybe?

 

[budda]

The only issue is you have to have that awful E-II logo on your headstock.

How often do you look at the headstock?

 

[soul_lip_mike]

How often do you look at the headstock?

I have 8 headstocks in my direct view right now from my desk chair.

 

[budda]

I have 8 headstocks in my direct view right now from my desk chair.

And how often are you actually looking at them?

 

[mlp187]

Speaking of pricing, E-II have undergone a significant hike on their website, and last time the retailers were only a month behind. Buy them now if you can.

 

[gunch]

Anyone who has played lots of black or arctic metal LTDs:

Have they all consistently had nice fretboards and hemi-semi ball end frets? Agufish's EC arctic metal looked like it had insanely nice fretwork.

 

[Dumple Stilzkin]

Anyone who has played lots of black or arctic metal LTDs:

Have they all consistently had nice fretboards and hemi-semi ball end frets? Agufish's EC arctic metal looked like it had insanely nice fretwork.

Can’t speak for that series, but both my 1000 series do. The newer one has stainless frets to boot! I thought I had read somewhere that the BM and AM series were at 1000 series specs and QC.

 

[marke]

The E-II thing is slightly annoying but to me it will always be ESP anyway. Never dropped this much on a single guitar but really looking forward to getting my hands on it. Any thoughts? Are this things as badass as I think? I have a crap load of guitars at this point but I am expecting this one to be the cream of the crop.

Their ebony fretboards are nowadays stained. Or at least in my Eclipse it was. ESP CS responded to me the color is non-toxic and suggested cleaning, but the color made my fingers black & itchy, and it took 4-5 cleanings + a month of waiting to get rid of it until the color finally cured. At that point the fretboard was streaky. Also, the guitar felt insanely good to play initially, but I quickly got bored and noticed some weaknesses.

But people seem to like 'em, hopefully you have better luck If LTDs are an indication, M series have the nicest neck profiles, so there's that.

Anyone who has played lots of black or arctic metal LTDs:
Have they all consistently had nice fretboards and hemi-semi ball end frets? Agufish's EC arctic metal looked like it had insanely nice fretwork.

That guitar had way too big gouges in the fretboard next to those fret ends. Happens with a wrong file and/or fret end filing done too quickly. I've had a TE-1000 with the same issue, and seen it often. I returned that guitar. Some folks do not care, but be mindful of the possibility.

 

[pahulkster]

Anyone who has played lots of black or arctic metal LTDs:

Have they all consistently had nice fretboards and hemi-semi ball end frets? Agufish's EC arctic metal looked like it had insanely nice fretwork.

My black metal EC needed the ends dressed when I got it. Also needed the nut slots dropped by a good amount (low E was ridiculously high). I ordered a Korean one too but I guess that doesn't matter. Wasn't happy with Sweetwater for sending it out like that but they don't give a shit. Board only really shows anything but dark with a direct very bright light. Doesn't look out of place on a guitar that dark.

It's a nice guitar overall and I like it, but my E-II Horizon is a different level for sure.

 

[KnightBrolaire]

Anyone who has played lots of black or arctic metal LTDs:

Have they all consistently had nice fretboards and hemi-semi ball end frets? Agufish's EC arctic metal looked like it had insanely nice fretwork.

nah my viper baritone 7 and the arrow/ec black metals I've played all had varying degrees of brown fretboards. Not a big deal for me since I ended up dyeing the fretboard.
Frets were not sharp at all but def not touched up to semi ball ends. That's mostly an aesthetic thing tbh. It doesn't have a huge bearing on feel.

 

[olejason]

Did they dye the boards in years past as well? I have a JH-600 from ~2004 and the board is uniformly pitch black.

 

[Spicypickles]

They’ve been dyeing their ebony boards for a long time.

 

[Flappydoodle]

They’ve been dyeing their ebony boards for a long time.

E-II and some Ltd, yes

Original, I haven't seen a dyed one before

 

[soul_lip_mike]

I really wish people would stop listing LTD's and E-II as ESP on reverb.