Is ESP trying to copy JACKSON/CHARVEL?

[tonemonster]

Its all about money and marketing. ESP was a guitar parts company and started building guitars, they had some good marketing people that went out and got some huge names in the biz to endorse their products. they compensated the artists and continuted to build steam getting more big names. IMO Jackson has never been great at marketing, and they have never been great at the whole endorsement thing. sure they do it, but every other company out there does it better. ESP is a master of marketing and they know how to SELL guitars. Jackson knows how to build them, but they have never been much on selling them.

[tomanyjacksons]

I looked on ESP Japan's site, they endorse a lot of players in Japan with some wierd looking guitars.

[McD]

They're a cover brand, yes.

[AK47]

Jeff's original 1986 Soloist was messed up pretty bad from the fake blood in the Bloodline video, Jackson CS remade him one in 2005 with some updated features but they used the original one as a template for the neck. It even had the larger neck heel, the one that was on DCGL website had the new neck heel. I have actually held the original Kahler bridge from the 86 soloist in my hand, its in my friend's private "Kahler Museum" its caked with fake blood.

[vampire dark]

Thanks everybody!!!!!!!!!!In my opinion I believe that Jackson does a great work with their guitars but the last years their are some things going wrong.Jackson should create products in more affordable prices that can still play like the ones made in USA .Like Bc Rich does , you can see reasonable prices at the Bc Rich guitars that most of the times do not exceed 1000 E(1430$).I also agree with tonemonster "ESP knows how to sell guitars/Jackson knows how to build them".If I were an artist I'd choose the second cause I'd really care about my guitar's performance

[MakeAJazzNoiseHere]

Artists like lots of free crap and money, though. It's why they become artists!

[Scooter]

They're a cover brand, yes.

That's a fact.

[Sephiroth]

A lot of people already stated how I feel except for the part where ESP does knock-offs of sig models of dead artists like Randy Rhoads, which to me is the biggest asshole thing a rival guitar-maker can possibly do.

I just don't repect them.

Most of their endorsee artists never touched their shit until ESP paid them to. Even afterwards, said artists still use their Gibsons, Jacksons, etc. to record with and sometimes even play live with, which to me amounts to a form of intellectual theft by ESP. You record with one guitar, you get your picture taken with an ESP, stupid kids buy ESP believing they get the same shit they heard on the album, and ESP happily allows it to happen. There should be a warning label with ESP guitars that says *this instrument was not actually used in the recording of so-and-so album* when ESP is off whoring sig models in ads and shit.

[TKEblue]

Thanks everybody!!!!!!!!!!In my opinion I believe that Jackson does a great work with their guitars but the last years their are some things going wrong.Jackson should create products in more affordable prices that can still play like the ones made in USA .Like Bc Rich does , you can see reasonable prices at the Bc Rich guitars that most of the times do not exceed 1000 E(1430$).I also agree with tonemonster "ESP knows how to sell guitars/Jackson knows how to build them".If I were an artist I'd choose the second cause I'd really care about my guitar's performance

All of the ESP "affordable" guitars I've played are pieces of junk. The to me the whole LTD line just feels like cheap guitars aside from the ec1000. Jackson does make affordable guitars, the quality of my dk2m guitars is outstanding for the price. I was actually supprised when I played on one of the new js dinkys, for a few hundred bucks they're great guitars compaired to many others in the price range.

there aren't many companies out there that you can get a mij guitar for the prices that jackson has them. I think they're doing a fine job because their guitars truely speak for themselves. They just need to put the guitars out there for people to find that out. Gl finding anything new at a GC other then a JS series, which makes people think that that's what jackson has to offer. a decent cheap guitar? I agree with everyone that the only thing the company is lacking is a marketing perspective.

And yeah they just picked up chris broderick, who is an outstanding guitar player, but I don't even think megadeth is a relevent band to most people anymore unless they're trying to appeal to a specific group of people in their mid 30s to 40s who already know jackson is the shit cos they watched almost any music video on mtv in the 80s, so I wouldn't call it a great marketing victory. Regardless, im happy to have him on the J/C team. Lol

[tonemonster]

when ESP is off whoring sig models in ads and shit.

as I said, they know how to SELL guitars.

[tonemonster]

imagine this.............

I heard a story, and I have no idea if it was true as alot of what you read on the net is BS. but I read that George Lynch was supposed to meet the artist rep for J/C back in the day before his ESP deal. I heard the rep never showed, and GL got pissed and went with the next brand that knocked on his door. Kirk Hammett had a Jackson Rhoads and played it before his ESP deal. Imagine if J/C would have signed those 2 major players how that could have changed things.

[Scooter]

Seems like I heard the GL story too, the rep didn't show before the plane left for a Japanese tour, and ESP scooped him up.
I also read another story about where they got back from a Japan tour and he was presented with a J. Frog skull and bones guitar, wanted to use it in the 'Its Not Love' video and the ESP rep said no, unless he covered the name with an ESP sticker. I can believe it. I used to think it WAS an ESP for a long time.

[emperor_black]

how 'bout the story of Children of Bodom...all of Alexi's jackson guitars got stolen and Jackson wanted him to wait 7 months before building new guitars for him and so he went to ESP.

[BenoA]

Seems like I heard the GL story too, the rep didn't show before the plane left for a Japanese tour, and ESP scooped him up.

Heard also that story... But it was Kramer not J/C. But I may be wrong. My memory could be playing tricks on me. I'm getting old

[Axegrinder87]

Thing is, Kirk STILL plays his RR1T, instead of a lame ESP copy. And since ESP is solely a marketing brand, they're too scared to tell him to stop playing it, because he sells soooooo many ESPs, and even more LTDs for them.

James and Kirk both are prime examples of jumping on an endorsement for no reason other than money, and free gear. They have both been using EMGs for YEARS. Yet now that James has been playing some Gibsons lately, with stock pickups, he's realized how dynamic passive pickups are. Where was this mentality when EMG approached him? Didn't he use stock Gibson pickups in his V's and Explorers for a few years prior? He didn't care, he jumped at the endorsement.

I LOVE that Jackson does not cater to these types.

And I completely agree that ESP should burn in hell for making Laiho a Rhoads. At least when Jackson makes signature RRs, they include the name "Rhoads", such as the "Kevin Bond Rhoads", and the "Matt Tuck Rhoads" But no, ESP makes an "Alexi".

It would be acceptable for a custom shop guitar, but not to market it as they have. But I'm partial....