GuitarIV
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- Apr 26, 2017
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Well hello my good friends, after opening up two threads last month looking for advice on buying first a Gibson Flying V, then a Midtown Custom used it turns out I got something I didn't even really have on my radar. I present to you my newest family member:
It's an ESP E-II Eclipse model with a lovely quilt maple top finished in black cherry as you can see. Pictures don't do it any justice, it's ridiculous how much the color changes depending on light and angle.
I was in a different country this summer, working and I wanted to reward myself by getting a new guitar. As said at first I was looking at used Gibsons online as I came to the realization that I feel more comfortable playing thicker 24.75" necks than the most times slimmer 25.5" ones. I had a Jackson Rhoads I just sold that would make my hand cramp up everytime, so she had to go and a replacement had to be found.
I wasn't really happy with the ads for the Gibbos, the V had been tampered with and the owner couldn't find the certificate, the Midtown had suspicious cracks near the neck joint and the heel and too high action (telling from the pictures). So I eventually thought about buying a new guitar and was looking for LTD Eclipse models as those would be affordable enough and have the shorter scale I was looking for.
Googling for Eclipse models I stumbled across the ESP E-II on the website of my local music store, they had it on sale for 1500€ instead of 2400€ (original price). I thought that was a really good deal but I had a budget of 900€ I set for myself so forking out an addtional 600€ was too painful.
Next day I woke up early and refreshed the website. 1199€. First I thought I was still drunk from the night before, but after I had my coffee I realized my eyes weren't deceiving me. Called the store 1 minute after they opened, asked em to put it aside and sent my lovely girlfriend there to go pick it up.
Got back to my homecountry 2 days later, (after being tortured by only having pictures to look at) went to my GFs place and opened the case. There she was, even more beautiful in person. Took the thing out, sat on the bed and played her unplugged.
Wow. Just straight out the box everything was perfect. Setup, intonation, tuning, string height, everything spot on. Low action, no buzzing, straight neck and frigging loud even without an amp. This is the first guitar I picked up where I haven't felt the need to do any adjustments, even the strings are thinner than the ones I'm used to (Cleartone 10-46, I usually play Elixir 10-52s) and I haven't changed em yet and won't do so until they start going bad.
The feel of the guitar is stellar. Just holding it in hands, playing it, having it against my body tells me how good the workmanship on this thing is, everything feels high quality, the fretjob the folks at ESP have done is the best I ever experienced and compared to my other axes it's almost as this one is from a different planet. I can honestly tell that this is the best guitar I own now. And that is next to my handbuilt Strat.
I'm also happy to report that the neck feels amazing in my fretting hand. I was a bit scared buying the guitar unseen and without testing it beforehand (has a "thin U" neck), but all is good. No cramping, no fatigue, I can instantly pick her up even without warming up and riff away, both standing and sitting down. Maybe it's the XJumbo frets, I dunno. Also although the back of the neck is finished my hand doesn't stick at all, even when it's sweaty. Big plus!
Now the thing has EMGs. I know people say they mask the sound of the guitar, they make all guitars sound the same but seriously, that's a load of horsecrap. I had other guitars with the same EMGs as reference and this one just sounds awesome. Whereas my Rhoads would be muddy and too flubby in the lows and low mids, the Eclipse rings like a bell. It bites, it snarls, it growls. Tight and defined in the low end, pinch harmonics in spades and harmonic feedback and sustain for days. I can't wait to save up some more and treat her to some boutique pickups, if she already sounds this good with the EMGs I can only imagine what it's gonna be like when I throw in some Bareknuckles. Also, all chords are in tune. No matter if I play an E, an A, a G or a D she doesn't sound out of tune like my Gibson does sometimes. Doesn't go out of tune either. No idea if it's the bone nut or the Gotoh locking tuners, whatever, it works!
I know, honeymoon phase and all. But I doubt my feelings will change. If there's anything I could "complain" about, it's that she has a Rosewood fretboard instead of an Ebony one and that the neck heel is the old traditional one instead of the new shaved off one ESP now offers on the newer models (and like you would find it on the Gibson Axcess LPs).
But that's not even valid. The Rosewood has a high quality feel, I don't even notice it being slower like the type used on cheaper guitars. Also since the body is a lot thinner than say on my LP Studio I have no problems reaching the high frets despite the traditional neck joint. Oh and did I mention that for 1200€ instead of 2400€ I FUCKING STOLE THE THING?
Pics:
I feel very lucky today. This is the best guitar I could have found by chance. I have also learned something new: I will never buy cheap again. I will rather save up longer and get something that will make me happy straight out of the box rather than always have to wonder what I have to fix or adjust on a cheaper instrument.
Next year I wanna get another E-II Eclipse. Already started saving up. They have a stunning model in matte black with gold hardware, an Ebony board and the shaved off heel. If that thing turns out to be anything like this one, I might just as well sell all my other guitars and call it a day. I'm officially in the ESP camp now
It's an ESP E-II Eclipse model with a lovely quilt maple top finished in black cherry as you can see. Pictures don't do it any justice, it's ridiculous how much the color changes depending on light and angle.
I was in a different country this summer, working and I wanted to reward myself by getting a new guitar. As said at first I was looking at used Gibsons online as I came to the realization that I feel more comfortable playing thicker 24.75" necks than the most times slimmer 25.5" ones. I had a Jackson Rhoads I just sold that would make my hand cramp up everytime, so she had to go and a replacement had to be found.
I wasn't really happy with the ads for the Gibbos, the V had been tampered with and the owner couldn't find the certificate, the Midtown had suspicious cracks near the neck joint and the heel and too high action (telling from the pictures). So I eventually thought about buying a new guitar and was looking for LTD Eclipse models as those would be affordable enough and have the shorter scale I was looking for.
Googling for Eclipse models I stumbled across the ESP E-II on the website of my local music store, they had it on sale for 1500€ instead of 2400€ (original price). I thought that was a really good deal but I had a budget of 900€ I set for myself so forking out an addtional 600€ was too painful.
Next day I woke up early and refreshed the website. 1199€. First I thought I was still drunk from the night before, but after I had my coffee I realized my eyes weren't deceiving me. Called the store 1 minute after they opened, asked em to put it aside and sent my lovely girlfriend there to go pick it up.
Got back to my homecountry 2 days later, (after being tortured by only having pictures to look at) went to my GFs place and opened the case. There she was, even more beautiful in person. Took the thing out, sat on the bed and played her unplugged.
Wow. Just straight out the box everything was perfect. Setup, intonation, tuning, string height, everything spot on. Low action, no buzzing, straight neck and frigging loud even without an amp. This is the first guitar I picked up where I haven't felt the need to do any adjustments, even the strings are thinner than the ones I'm used to (Cleartone 10-46, I usually play Elixir 10-52s) and I haven't changed em yet and won't do so until they start going bad.
The feel of the guitar is stellar. Just holding it in hands, playing it, having it against my body tells me how good the workmanship on this thing is, everything feels high quality, the fretjob the folks at ESP have done is the best I ever experienced and compared to my other axes it's almost as this one is from a different planet. I can honestly tell that this is the best guitar I own now. And that is next to my handbuilt Strat.
I'm also happy to report that the neck feels amazing in my fretting hand. I was a bit scared buying the guitar unseen and without testing it beforehand (has a "thin U" neck), but all is good. No cramping, no fatigue, I can instantly pick her up even without warming up and riff away, both standing and sitting down. Maybe it's the XJumbo frets, I dunno. Also although the back of the neck is finished my hand doesn't stick at all, even when it's sweaty. Big plus!
Now the thing has EMGs. I know people say they mask the sound of the guitar, they make all guitars sound the same but seriously, that's a load of horsecrap. I had other guitars with the same EMGs as reference and this one just sounds awesome. Whereas my Rhoads would be muddy and too flubby in the lows and low mids, the Eclipse rings like a bell. It bites, it snarls, it growls. Tight and defined in the low end, pinch harmonics in spades and harmonic feedback and sustain for days. I can't wait to save up some more and treat her to some boutique pickups, if she already sounds this good with the EMGs I can only imagine what it's gonna be like when I throw in some Bareknuckles. Also, all chords are in tune. No matter if I play an E, an A, a G or a D she doesn't sound out of tune like my Gibson does sometimes. Doesn't go out of tune either. No idea if it's the bone nut or the Gotoh locking tuners, whatever, it works!
I know, honeymoon phase and all. But I doubt my feelings will change. If there's anything I could "complain" about, it's that she has a Rosewood fretboard instead of an Ebony one and that the neck heel is the old traditional one instead of the new shaved off one ESP now offers on the newer models (and like you would find it on the Gibson Axcess LPs).
But that's not even valid. The Rosewood has a high quality feel, I don't even notice it being slower like the type used on cheaper guitars. Also since the body is a lot thinner than say on my LP Studio I have no problems reaching the high frets despite the traditional neck joint. Oh and did I mention that for 1200€ instead of 2400€ I FUCKING STOLE THE THING?
Pics:
I feel very lucky today. This is the best guitar I could have found by chance. I have also learned something new: I will never buy cheap again. I will rather save up longer and get something that will make me happy straight out of the box rather than always have to wonder what I have to fix or adjust on a cheaper instrument.
Next year I wanna get another E-II Eclipse. Already started saving up. They have a stunning model in matte black with gold hardware, an Ebony board and the shaved off heel. If that thing turns out to be anything like this one, I might just as well sell all my other guitars and call it a day. I'm officially in the ESP camp now
