Esp and Jackson...

[NextInLine]

yes.

VARIETY = OFFERING MORE
I.E MORE TO CHOOSE FROM

more shapes, more signatures. How can that not be offering more?

That won't be offering more because we are not talking about a company adding more guitars to his produciton line but we are talking about 2 distinct companies one of which offers more than the other. That clearly is not something related to signature models...

[Hamner1]

A few Sig models are OK, only if they differ from the base model significantly. For example the Phil Collen model is vastly different from an SL1 or a DK1. Now if they took a DK1 & slapped an Adrenalize graphic on it to make it a sig model, that would be stupid in my opinion. Or in the case of ESP, The put an 8-ball inlay @ the first fret for Dave.

I have never bought a sig model & even if I did I wouldn't sound like that player, non of us would. To much goes into tone outside of the instrument.

[Hamner1]

addendum to previous post:
I do own a KV pro Dave Mustaine model, but technically my wife bought it for me. But again when playing the KV, I don't sound quite like Dave. Maybe I'll get a Rocktron Prophecy II preamp & then paired w/ the KV I'll sound like Dave... not likely, but if someone wants to donate the preamp to me I'll be happy to test that theory out.

[MEX3]

For Christ's sake...Jenna Jameson is Jackson's highest profile endorser and has a signature model guitar. I think the lame bat inlay guitar is better than that simply because the guy is known for playing guitar. I think ESP is doing a better job with getting relevant players seen with their guitars. BTW, isn't the SJR guy's signature guitar just a rear loaded rhoads with pot leaf or pentagram inlays? Kinda like the lame bat wing deal, don't you think?

[shadowcat]

No I don't think so, since you forgot quite alot of unique features... you won't find a mahogany body and neck, hardtail bridge with fine tuners, one hum config (with SD Iommi pickup)and the red/green bevels and logo on any other production rhoads model.
Apart from that, it is the only import Rhoads model with binding and ebony fretboard.

Thinking about it, the only thing it has in common to other Rhoads models is the general shape... sound, feel, looks and hardware/pickup configuration are different.

So IMO the Kevin Bond Rhoads is both unique and a great addition to the Jackson line.

[MEX3]

I stand corrected.

[pro-fusion]

Who says ESP doesn't innovate?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ESP-ZEON-HEAT-HAWK-TYPE-GUITAR-GUNDAM-KISS-GENE-SIMMONS_W0QQitemZ200007950564QQihZ010QQcategoryZ33038QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

In all seriousness, though, most of the posts here are about marketing, not the quality of the guitars. Sig models are marketing, nothing more or less. Since I'm not an ESP or FMIC shareholder, I really don't give a darn which company's marketing strategy is more effective. As a player, I've tried both USA Jacksons and Japanese ESPs and found them to be nice players, though I generally prefer the necks on Jacksons. Yesterday I had the chance to play a used ESP Viper Standard (not an LTD POS), and it seriously kicked the ass of any Gibson SG in the store, including ones that were selling for twice the price of the ESP. If I wasn't already at guitar overload, I might have snagged it.

[Firebird V]

wow. is that a guitar or a shop vac?

[mm2002]

wow. is that a guitar or a shop vac?

You obviously don't understand the theory behind that design. It's not a shop vac. That black "tube' actually stores and recirculates the harmonic vibrations through the neck at a rate of approx. 176 times per second, therefore increasing the sustain of the instrument tenfold. I've been told that you can actually strum a chord on that guitar, put it in the case overnight, then get it out the next day, and that chord will still be playing just as loud as when you put it up. It's modern technology..........don't try to understand it, just accept it.

[RacerX]

Nothing says quality like a built-in speaker!

[Firebird V]

he heh... sweet!