Is ESP trying to copy JACKSON/CHARVEL?

[vampire dark]

Hey guys I've been thinking of it for a while and I'd like to know your opinion about this issue.I think that ESP is trying to copy Charvel/Jackson guitars through the years.First its the headstock ESP used in the early days:
Then I see that Alexi Lahio , Roope Latvala who had jackson custom shop guitars changed company and now they are signed at ESP. Alexi using a guitar which looks like the RR and Roope using the star shape which belongs to Charvel guitars.Jeff Hanneman used to play a Jackson dinky , now he is also signed to ESP.What I want to know is if really ESP guitars are better than Jackson-Charvel( someone who playes both instruments would be the proper person to inform us) , or if artist change their guitar companies just because they want to use new models.Also what do you believe about ESP trying to copy Jackson-Charvel?

Thanks for reading it!!!!!!!!!!

[Scooter]

Yes ESpee copies Jackson. And Gibson. And Fender. And whoever else has a guitar thats ever been popular. Both companies make incredible guitars, but ESP can churn them out faster. Jackson has an air of quality and a stigma as the original metal guitar. Charvel is the original hot-rodded guitar. Read some of the history of the companies, that's how I formed my opinion.

Oh yeah, Hammerman used a Soloist, and still plays it today. Or it may have been a CS (Before the name designation of the Soloist/Dinky/RR)

[MetalHeadMat]

I think the only reason Hanneman doesn't use his soloist anymore is due to rust on the tremolo/pickups, but I only vaguely remember reading that in an interview a long time ago, (so long ago I didn't know the difference between a Dinky and a Soloist... Oh how the days go by!)

[~K~]

That's been ESP's market direction for a long time.

[Ward]

or if artist change their guitar companies just because they want to use new models.

I think artists probably change companies because of $ more often than wanting to use a new model.

[~K~]

When it came to jumping to ESP most artists have done so for $$. Dave Mustaine left out of bad feelings.

[BenoA]

When it came to jumping to ESP most artists have done so for $$.

Exactly. But this is for most endorsement deals I supposed.

[~K~]

Exactly. But this is for most endorsement deals I supposed.

Not always. Jackson was one of the companies that refused to do that for a long time. They want their guitars to stand on merit alone. They lost a lot of endorsees that way to compnies like ESP and Ibanez. ..

[BenoA]

Not always. Jackson was one of the companies that refused to do that for a long time. They want their guitars to stand on merit alone. They lost a lot of endorsees that way to compnies like ESP and Ibanez. ..

Agree... But look at what is Jackson today compared to ESP, Ibanez and Schecter...

Not saying about the products that Jackson makes but more from a "marketing" stand point.

[toejam]

Jeff Hanneman used to play a Jackson dinky, now he is also signed to ESP.

He played a Soloist, not a Dinky. A Dinky is a bolt-on neck.

[toejam]

Not always. Jackson was one of the companies that refused to do that for a long time. They want their guitars to stand on merit alone. They lost a lot of endorsees that way to compnies like ESP and Ibanez. ..

Scott used Jackson in the early '80s, then he and Frank Bello were endorsed by ESP. Scott then was endorsed by Jackson for awhile, then he got a Randall amp endorsement, which is also part of Washburn, then had a Washburn endorsement for a bried period. Now he's back with Jackson.

[toejam]

Oh yeah, Hammerman used a Soloist, and still plays it today.

Does he still play it? It originally had a Kahler nut, then got routed for a Floyd nut. He sweats a lot, and that killed the electronics which he had rebuilt/replaced several times. Not sure if he still uses that one much, if at all, any more.

[Scooter]

Lemme re-word that: still HAS it. I thought he used it on the big 4 DVD, but I was wrong. Last time I saw it was one of the vids from God Hates Us All.

http://youtu.be/BNUEhLavV2k

[Scooter]

One of these days I'll learn to embed these vid links.....

[Nightbat]

One of these days I'll learn to embed these vid links.....

there's an icon at the top of the quick reply window called "Insert Video"
copy/paste link, insert, done