ESP Lynch Kamakaze...Thoughts?

[mustaine-who?]

Anyone have any experience with an ESP Lynch Kamakaze? I have to admit to always wanting one, and there's a one for sale locally here in Chicago.

[Jack Napalm]

I have one and they are very different from Jackson's. Heavy Maple body, mine is very heavy, rivals if not beats a Les Paul. The neck is wider and thicker. I like mine but don't play it nearly as much as my Jackson's. Course it is setup in Drop-D.

[mustaine-who?]

C

Could you compare the tone? Treblie? Beefie?

[Jack Napalm]

I think it has a pretty beefy tone. Mine has a Screamin Demon in it, not sure what the current model has, I think its the Demon as well.

[mrrs]

I've had an early 90's model for years now and I've only played it a few times.
It's my prize guitar I keep in the case, but I can tell you a few things about it.

Like Jack said, it is very heavy.
The neck is wide and fairly thick compared to most of my other super strats.
The fretwork and craftsmanship are top notch on mine, real nice.
Mine has a Duncan Distortion and SSL5 if I remember correctly.

[rattojack]

I've had three Kamakaze guitars - two number 1's and one number 2. Like others have said, they are the heaviest guitars you will ever play. I always thought that they were very mushy sounding. Necks are very wide. In fact, I sold mine because my hand would hurt after playing on those necks. I'm six feet tall and I've got big hands. Try before you buy. They look awesome, but I fell the sound and playability are drawbacks.

[tonemonster]

I have always been afraid of buying one as I have always heard the necks are super thick and beefy on them. its the same thing that kept me away from buying a PC1. I do not like thick ass necks or wide ass necks. I have a super strat guitar that is solid maple and its heavy, so I can relate to that. far outweighs a les paul. Les Pauls piss me off. big clumbsy ugly bastards.

[Soap]

You need to plug one in and play through an amp thats similar to the amp you own.
Then do yourself the favor of plugging in to 2x12 or 4x12 cab.

I own one and its a different beast in itself.
Unlike alot who own them and had to adjust appreciating and liking the guitar.
It never had to grow on me.
Aside from the weight, the guitar felt right, meant for me.
I immediately upon playing for a short few fell in love with it.
Balanced in my hands, neck fit my hands nicely and the ability to do squeals and harmonics were effortlessly. The crunch and sustain was great.
I have yet to play a "bolt on neck"that can equal it.
Its a great guitar without question and will last forever, it's tank.

They only thing then and now I didn't/don't like is that stupid kamikaze graphic.
I don't care what version or color I dislike the whole kamikaze graphic, period.
It goes without saying and is obvious I didn't buy it because of what it looks like.
I bought it because of how it feels and plays TO ME.

I have never once experienced any pain/cramps in my fret hand playing it.

[tonemonster]

are the necks the same on the sunburst tiger graphics??? I had one guitar store guy tell me they took a ESP sunburst tiger on trade and the neck was thin......... I was skeptical......... arent they the same as kamakazi??

[Soap]

I'm not an authority on this and I think Jack would be more knowledgeable about it.
So I would wait for jack to reply because I'm thinking he would know.

With that said I'm only gonna tell you what I know, again I think Jack would know for sure.

Here's what alot people overlook and seem to forget.
The LTD version are the affordable knock off's of the ESP signature model's.
Their good budget guitars BUT a far cry from the real ESP signature model.
The LTD's DO have thinner necks, much thinner necks actually.
This throws alot of people off.
So look at the headstock to confirm what your playing.

Moving on... ESP model's only.
All the Kamikaze's have the same neck specs and same frets.
The difference would only be maple and ebony fret boards.

The sunburst tiger (I heard and don't know for certain) I thought they too had the same frets and neck specs as the Kamikaze's. Again, Jack would most likely know this more than I would.

The yellow tiger has a different neck. I don't know the exact specs.
It has a rounder C feel to it in the hands. It's not as wide as the Kamikaze models.
This is the one graphic and color out of all his guitars that is my favorite.

[Axewielder]

Maple bodies are the shit. I'd love to take one of these for a test drive.

[Jack Napalm]

I'm not an authority on this and I think Jack would be more knowledgeable about it.
So I would wait for jack to reply because I'm thinking he would know.

With that said I'm only gonna tell you what I know, again I think Jack would know for sure.

Here's what alot people overlook and seem to forget.
The LTD version are the affordable knock off's of the ESP signature model's.
Their good budget guitars BUT a far cry from the real ESP signature model.
The LTD's DO have thinner necks, much thinner necks actually.
This throws alot of people off.
So look at the headstock to confirm what your playing.

Moving on... ESP model's only.
All the Kamikaze's have the same neck specs and same frets.
The difference would only be maple and ebony fret boards.

The sunburst tiger (I heard and don't know for certain) I thought they too had the same frets and neck specs as the Kamikaze's. Again, Jack would most likely know this more than I would.

The yellow tiger has a different neck. I don't know the exact specs.
It has a rounder C feel to it in the hands. It's not as wide as the Kamikaze models.
This is the one graphic and color out of all his guitars that is my favori

Thanks for the vote of confidence but I really don't know them that well. I have a Kami and a Serpent. The Serpent I think is similar to the Sunburst Tiger. I have a buddy here in Dallas who brought one over one day. It was a long time ago. The Serpent is thinner than the kami and if I recall has a D shape to it but the same width as the Kamikaze.

On the site they have a U neck contour listed. I wonder how new that is. I don't remember them referring to that years ago.

I retired the Serpent a few years ago. Its been its case for a while now.

The Kami is a beast all its own. What makes it so heavy is its 1 3/4" thick.

[tonemonster]

Im afraid to try a kamakazi. what if i like it too much???

[Soap]

My opinion of my ESP Sig Kami.

A Kami isn't for a beginner.
It's not a forgiving guitar.
If your fret and picking hands aren't developed or poor in performance or heavy pick hand you will hear it REALLY WELL with a Kami.
You can/will hear every minute picking nuance with a Kami.
Stuff you don't pay attention or the ear doesn't pick up on with other guitars, you will with a Kami. Changing pickups doesn't help this much either because it's the way it is designed, it's craftsmanship.

It's not a guitar for sloppy players.
Most sloppy players who play one instantly hate it.
It brings out the flaws in one's playing.

Also, some guitars you have to bear down on the note when doing a vibrato to really get it to ring out. A Kami isn't like that. Although you can bear down on a note it definitely will ring and sustain out. It's a guitar you don't have to work it if you will to get it to perform. That kind of stuff is already built into it because of it's craftsmanship.

Weight?
Just buy a strap with some extra padding on the shoulder area and the whole weight issue is resolved and it's that simple.

A butt ugly but great performing guitar built to last.

[roodyrocker]

I have an ESP Sunburst Tiger and have played the Kami before as well. They both felt like the same neck to me. They have 1 3/4" nuts which is a change from our familiar Jacksons and thats why they feel very different. The bodies on both the Kami and Sunburst Tiger are maple and that makes them heavy. I don't mind heavy guitars so these and Les Pauls don't bother me in the least, in fact I had a custom shop Soloist built in all maple and its heavy too The earlier version of the Kami had a Duncan Distortion in the bridge and the ones from about the early to mid 90's on have a Duncan Screamin Demon which I think works well in a heavy bodied guitar. The one thing to watch on these ESP's is the setup. That can make it go from a nice playing guitar to extremely bad depending on how its set up.