Grassroots guitars by ESP

[Kosthrash]

Anyone has experience with these? I wasn't aware of them, until I saw them in the used market. They're Mij and inexpensive...

 

[HeHasTheJazzHands]

Since when they were MiJ? I always assumed they were China, Korea, and Indo. They're supposed to be Japan's equivalent of the LTD line being more beginner and intermediate guitars.

 

[Nightside]

I've seen a lot of old mik ones but I was really really surprised to come across a neck through horizon for like 300 euro that says it's made in Japan.

 

[Kosthrash]

I saw a few in Reverb with made in Japan sticker on the back of the headstock...

 

[rifftrauma]

Agufish has a video (or two?) on youtube about them. I believe he's got a pink Les Paul copy, worth checking out. He also recommends a purchasing service (can't remember the name) whom you can use as a middle man to buy through. I think he spent ~$350.

 

[JimF]

For a while they were made in Korea/China/Indo and assembled in Japan

 

[sell2792]

I believe most of the more modern ones are MIK & MIC. That being said, I've had nothing but great experiences with Edwards and Navigator so I wouldn't hesitate to try a Grassroots for the right price.

 

[Shawn]

Since when they were MiJ? I always assumed they were China, Korea, and Indo. They're supposed to be Japan's equivalent of the LTD line being more beginner and intermediate guitars.

I was wondering this, too. But, I also thought they equivalent to E-II as well.

 

[Nightside]

I was wondering this, too. But, I also thought they equivalent to E-II as well.

Grass Roots have the cheapest cheapo hardware and pickups they can find. I checked out the big boss store and saw made in China on some. Made in Japan on one from ishibashi.

 

[HeHasTheJazzHands]

I was wondering this, too. But, I also thought they equivalent to E-II as well.

That's Edwards. MIJ with name brand hardware.

Now that I think about it I wouldn't be surprised if there was some Grassroots guitars made in Japan but with really cheap hardware and components. That's how LTD started off in the very beginning before they switched to Korea in 1998

 

[Shawn]

Grass Roots have the cheapest cheapo hardware and pickups they can find. I checked out the big boss store and saw made in China on some. Made in Japan on one from ishibashi.

Ah....I see. Thanks for clarifying.

 

[Shawn]

That's Edwards. MIJ with name brand hardware.

Now that I think about it I wouldn't be surprised if there was some Grassroots guitars made in Japan but with really cheap hardware and components. That's how LTD started off in the very beginning before they switched to Korea in 1998

I did not know the history of LTD. Interesting. I have no complaints with my MIJ E-II. Great guitars IMO.

 

[HeHasTheJazzHands]

I did not know the history of LTD. Interesting. I have no complaints with my MIJ E-II. Great guitars IMO.

Yeah the very first LTDs between 1996 - 1998 were really stripped town MiJ models with meh hardware and pickups

 

[Nightside]

Yeah the very first LTDs between 1996 - 1998 were really stripped town MiJ models with meh hardware and pickups

The earliest ones not even that. They had Schaller trem, Gotoh hardware and Esp Japan pickups which aren't bad. I bought my 98 brand new in 99. I didn't know it at the time but it was one of the last Japanese ones. It still had Gotoh tuners and esp stamped neck plate and the proper MII body and headstock shape which changed to some AliExpress looking shit for the first few years of Korean production. But mine was HH instead of HS like the old version and had Duncan designed pickups. And the trem was changed to something that looked like a JT580LP with rounded Floyd type wings.

 

[Nightside]

I was so proud of that mfer I had my senior portraits with it.

 

[nightsprinter]

Epic ^

 

[Emperor Guillotine]

GrassRoots is ESP’s bottom-dollar, budget line that is specifically targeted at beginner musicians within the Japanese domestic market. All of them are made in China, which is why prices are so dirt-cheap. GrassRoots stuff has nothing to do with Japan aside from ESP simply selling the instruments in Japan.

 

[ZXIIIT]

I recently purchased a white GrassRoots G-FR-62GT, they seem to be the same as the LTD F line with certain differences (different finishes, side dot fretboard inlays, strat style output jack plate, neck ferrules instead of a neck plate, different neck joint)

 

[SalsaWood]

So basically LTDs without the ESP tax.

 

[Mprinsje]

Comparable with 400-series LTD's build quality wise I think.

I have this grassroots. I like it a lot, mostly for the shape. Stock this came with EMG Hz pickups I believe. Quality wise it's definitely less than my Edwards guitars, but I only paid 300 bucks for it.