ESP USA - Not taking orders anymore?

[Sir_Shreddington]

So the title says it all.

I just went to the site to see if they had any new color offerings for the year, because I've been contemplating placing an order for an M-I...and they took down the guitar builder! At first I had a total reactionary response and was like "tHeY aRe cHAnGinG tHEir BUsiNesS MOdel!?" But then I thought maybe they aren't taking orders to catch up on backlog. FWIW I haven't tried calling any dealers to verify if they are suspending orders yet, but I figured I would post here to see if anyone knew differently, or could confirm.

 

[budda]

I mean i would try the dealers first lol

 

[HeHasTheJazzHands]

Yeah they confirmed they changed things up for this year. No more custom orders, the catalog is stripped down and they're only offering set specs and finishes. Basically have to order them off the shelf. It sounds like they couldn't keep up with the demand due to how few guitars they make so they needed to change their strategy.

 

[SalsaWood]

It's a big club, and you ain't gettin in it.
God I wish my guitar-ing were as simple as colors. The consumerism I would wield...
Also, you can run a shop suited to demand or you can run a shop suited to quality. Guess which one turns away your money.

 

[jco5055]

I guess I really underestimated how many USA or bust boomers there are to have the ESP USA shop backed up that badly, when it's a pretty barebones pick your top and pickups etc, unless it was also really understaffed and such

 

[Sir_Shreddington]

Yeah they confirmed they changed things up for this year. No more custom orders, the catalog is stripped down and they're only offering set specs and finishes. Basically have to order them off the shelf. It sounds like they couldn't keep up with the demand due to how few guitars they make so they needed to change their strategy.

That's a major bummer to hear. Hopefully they take orders again starting next year. I thought they just moved into a bigger facility too. Why invest money to expand production in a new facility, especially in the current commercial real estate market, if they didn't plan on making semi-customs?

 

[narad]

Where am I going to get my 3A maple top or poorly done blood drip guitars now??

 

[sneerim]

I guess I really underestimated how many USA or bust boomers there are to have the ESP USA shop backed up that badly, when it's a pretty barebones pick your top and pickups etc, unless it was also really understaffed and such

They had some nice things going that you couldn’t otherwise get without going full custom. My first ESP USA was a quilt top V which is badass and would’ve cost probably close to double if ordered from Japan.

My second one soured me big time. I ordered an Eclipse during the lockdown. Beforehand, they ran a 6-8 month lead time. Between the effects of the shutdown and the increase in orders, I didn’t get it until Oct ‘22, and it came in with a top that isn’t exactly bad but is underwhelming for the price point. My dealer was prepared to reject it based on the ESP photos but it was what I’d call barely acceptable in person and I didn’t want to go through another wait.

Now seeing this… yeah, no thanks, I’m good. They got rid of any appeal the USA line had. Hopefully they’ll bring back options after they get their backlog down, as I have to imagine their order volume will be way down. Either way, I’m pretty much done with them.

 

[M3CHK1LLA]

A couple of years ago I tried to see about getting another custom shop (esp japan) made, but it was over a one year wait.

Never tried the USA shop cause it didn't seem like it was the same quality according to some...at least at first.

I'm sure there are plenty of guitars that are great quality and there are people who love theirs, but I wasn't willing to roll the dice unless I played it first...

 

[Sir_Shreddington]

Where am I going to get my 3A maple top or poorly done blood drip guitars now??

lol harsh. It did give me a good chuckle though. Honestly though I'm pretty pleased with my M-II, but I got it second hand so I could see the end result before purchase and at a nice discount for being a 6 month old guitar.

It is worth saying that I was told by a dealer not to pay the extra fee for a quilt top and to go with the flame instead because he had received some guitars that weren't really up to standard for the MSRP on a new build.

 

[sneerim]

Before covid their tops were usually in the good-to-great range. Since then, lots of stinkers. I really wish I had ordered a solid color on my Eclipse, but at the time we had no idea they would drop off so badly. My “quilt” but not really a normal quilt top looks pretty wild if the light hits it just right and very mild in any other light.

 

[narad]

lol harsh. It did give me a good chuckle though. Honestly though I'm pretty pleased with my M-II, but I got it second hand so I could see the end result before purchase and at a nice discount for being a 6 month old guitar.

It is worth saying that I was told by a dealer not to pay the extra fee for a quilt top and to go with the flame instead because he had received some guitars that weren't really up to standard for the MSRP on a new build.

Yea, I don't think they're bad guitars, but they're asking a stupid amount of money vs. the quality of the materials that go into it. It would cost me functionally the same to order a USA made one vs. an JP one, and the latter would have a crazy top, custom specs, better fretwork, etc.

Before covid their tops were usually in the good-to-great range. Since then, lots of stinkers. I really wish I had ordered a solid color on my Eclipse, but at the time we had no idea they would drop off so badly. My “quilt” but not really a normal quilt top looks pretty wild if the light hits it just right and very mild in any other light.View attachment 138840

That's pretty cool. Much better to have an unorthodox and interesting top than a low grade version of traditional figuring.

 

[sneerim]

That's pretty cool. Much better to have an unorthodox and interesting top than a low grade version of traditional figuring.

Totally agree. I actually like this top overall because it’s pretty unique, but I had visions of a stereotypical badass quilt top. I ordered this guitar specifically because the shop had a couple killer Lynch burst quilt Horizons come through that I loved, and I wanted the same thing in an Eclipse, so there’s a tinge of regret just because it’s not that.

 

[wiretap]

So I’ve been to the USA shop a couple times, back when they were first getting started, maybe 2017-2018ish?. It was a very small operation then and I don’t think it’s really expanded much since then either, this kinda makes sense if they happen to be moving a lot of them (I have no idea, never really dig the offerings so don’t keep up). The prices seem pretty high these days, as well, although I suppose that’s in line with increases across all companies but still seems rather high for what these are to me.

 

[somethingsomething]

ESP USA is great if you want to pay ESP MIJ prices for a guitar that pales in comparison.

 

[zw470]

ESP USA is great if you want to pay ESP MIJ prices for a guitar that pales in comparison.

Who's gonna pay $4,900 for an ESP USA Horizon II when you could spend an extra $500 and get an ESP Original Horizon II?

 

[Dumple Stilzkin]

Who's gonna pay $4,900 for an ESP USA Horizon II when you could spend an extra $500 and get an ESP Original Horizon II?

Not me, ESP USA is a joke.

 

[JD27]

They were a good value before, I love mine (2017 TE), but the prices are stupid expensive now. I would be ordering a full custom from the CS if I were going to spend 5k. Though with inflation everywhere, I’d hate to see what a CS order is these days. Should have pulled the trigger on that custom XJ I got a quote for pre COVID.

 

[SkeletronPrime]

I've had a solid color M-II NTB FR on order with them for over a year now.

I've not played a USA ESP before, but I've read a lot of great things about them. Guess I'll see, if it ever shows up. About $5300, doing a GBP to USD conversion.

Either way, looks like you indeed cannot order one to the same specification now.

 

[soliloquy]

Before covid their tops were usually in the good-to-great range. Since then, lots of stinkers. I really wish I had ordered a solid color on my Eclipse, but at the time we had no idea they would drop off so badly. My “quilt” but not really a normal quilt top looks pretty wild if the light hits it just right and very mild in any other light.View attachment 138840

for that reason i prefer flames over quilt. Quilt expectation is BIG/THICK Curls, and in my expeirence, they (not just ESP, but 'they' in general) have been more 'popcorn' quilt than the loose curls/folds.

Flames on the other hand are a bit more consistent.

if you're not happy with your top, but otherwise happy with the rest, you could always get it repainted a solid color?
Solids are more my preference due to the random variation in flame/quilt tops.