whats wrong with ESP?

[pilot996]

i was just curious as to why you people knock ESP so often. im not one of those "i have one so it has to be good" kind of people, but i have an ldt and im happy with it. now that they brought the real ones back state side ill probably get one of them. and as is my understanding, ESP and Jackson USA are the 2 top guitar companies. i know gibson has quality control issues but they would be third in line i guess and fender really doesnt make anything appealing to me. but back to my question, do you all knock ESP because of the immature people that post on this board who support them, is it that ESP does copy other designs, the fact that they are japanese, or is it mostly a loyalty thing like the ford vs. chevy guys? i mean, if there is really something wrong with the company then please let me know.

[Hotrodder]

Re: whats wrong with ESP?

It all boils down to one thing. They cost too much for what they are.

I feel the same about PRS and Gibson.

[xRR1x]

Re: whats wrong with ESP?

i dont know maybe its cause your in a jackson board and people like jackson more go to esp board and ask them

[Mattpj]

Re: whats wrong with ESP?

True we all like jacksons, but other makes too.

Agreed they are pricey for what they are, but I do actually really love ESP guitars.

If it sounds good to you, plays good to you. Don'let anyones opinion change yours [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[JACKSONFREAK]

Re: whats wrong with ESP?

I agree with these guys. It's a value thing. For the money you would pay for a Korean made LTD you could buy a better built Japanese made Jackson. Plus ESP never really did it for me. They just don't feel right. I don't get that mojo feeling I get when I pick up a Jackson. It's just not my thing. And yes I do own more than just Jackson/Charvels including Gibson, Dean, and Fender.
Gil

[Newc]

Re: whats wrong with ESP?

I played one of the first series ESPs in 1988/89 - the neck-through Custom that was a Soloist ripoff (even had the Jackson headstock). It felt like playing a brick with strings on it. No "life" to it.
And they are seriously overpriced and under-quality. I recently tried their set-neck/neckthrough (whatever) King V (V-350?) and while it did play well, I had serious concern about the stability of it. It felt cheap, and I've had cheap guitars.

Besides, with USA and high quality import Jacksons going on Ebay for $350-$1000 used, why buy new at all? [img]graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

Bottom line: Play what makes you happy, and bash what doesn't make you happy [img]graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

Newc

[Black Mariah]

Re: whats wrong with ESP?

Most of it is brand snobbery. "Well, OUR stuff is made in the USA!", like that really makes it any better. The high-end ESP stuff is just as handmade as a US Jackson. It's not like Japanese guys can't build guitars. I do agree that at a given price level Jacksons are a better value. But then again, that's just my opinion.

A lot of it is also the fact that ESP has big-name endorsers coming out the wazoo while Jackson has... Phil Collen. I like Def Leppard as much as the next dude, but they need to do better.

[ChickenScratch]

Re: whats wrong with ESP?

Can't say I've bashed ESP on these here boards. Maybe I have but don't remember. Fact is I have played ESP guitars, my bass player owns an ESP 7 string that I have used for recording.

For me though I'm in love with cheap gear and value for money. I'm obsessed with Carvin, Jackson and Kramer for this reason. They all play well and are neck thru for decent prices. so it's not like I'm against ESP but if I could find one where the neck shap suits me and the construction is solid enough I'll get it.

[j2379]

Re: whats wrong with ESP?

ive had 3 esps all very nice guitars, all bought in the mid late 80s,& they were cheap by todays standards.
it was IMO for someone who couldnt afford a USA charvel/jackson or hamer or BCRich. kinda like late 70s ibanez's compared to gibsons. late 70's ibanez copys of gibson were great for the price, good woods good build quality decent electronics & half the price of gibson.
NOW i think esps are way over priced given there look at whats out there in the $1200+ range. ALOT of really nice guitars. plus i think the quality has become inconsitent, even there high end so called custom sLop guitars. remembers its just a logo.

[Sephiroth]

Re: whats wrong with ESP?

Originally posted by Hotrodder:
It all boils down to one thing. They cost too much for what they are.

I feel the same about PRS and Gibson.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I agree, especially about the sig models. They obivously pay their endorsees so much that a huge amount of that is passed along to the customer. Their guitars are very solid, but I can get a comparable USA Jackson while saving $1000 (price of an LTD) easily.

For Gibsons and PRS's, I don't care for any one else's reasoning; for the prices they ask, I expect more than plastic knobs and a thin veneer of wood to only make the top look nice.

[j2379]

Re: whats wrong with ESP?

prs & gibson thin wood veneer to make it look nice? what r U talking about? PRS tops r thicker than most & what would like the knobs made out of...gold, silver, maybe platinum

[Ninja Guitar]

Re: whats wrong with ESP?

PRS and Gibson guitars have carved arch tops. The maple top has to be thicker than just 1mm to be carved into an arch top. Jackson, Ibanez, ESP, Yamaha, etc. use maple veneers. I know Jackson has used thick maple tops for carved arch top guitars, especially in their custom shop. Very yummy looking guitars [img]graemlins/drool2.gif[/img]

[pro-fusion]

Re: whats wrong with ESP?

I totally agree with Newc's comment about the "dead" feel--every ESP set neck/neckthru that I've played, whether LTD or real ESP, has felt like a dead piece of wood, with no real tone to it. Why is that? I'm not sure. But their neckthrus always seem really heavy to me, so maybe they are using especially dense pieces of maple, which don't resonate very well. Just a theory.

Also, the typical ESP tends to have really "square" fret jobs, for some reason. It's just their style, but it's not my style.

[BigDaddyD]

Re: whats wrong with ESP?

Whoever said that it is because you are on a Jackson board hit it right on the head. Jackson will be favored here due to the nature of where you are asking the question. I have never understood the price thing. There seems to be a lets compare ESP list to discount Jackson price here. You have to find something that you like. As far as ESP, I haven't really been into them since the '90s and never got into LTDs. I have had many of the original ESPs, which were all awesome. I still have an old Kamikaze which kicks ass. I seem to prefer ESP to Jacksons when comparing the ones that I had at the time of purchase, but I don't favor either company. I would like to grab a Jackson at some point, but to me, the ones I felt were "lifeless" as Newc said about ESP. It really is a per guitar per individual. Each company is capable of making fantastic instruments, as well as dogs. Get out there and play them.

[taxistationary]

Re: whats wrong with ESP?

[img]graemlins/sleep.gif[/img] I'm sick of hearing about how everyone hates ESP. Yes, i hate them aswell, but there still a guitar brand, and other people are still gonna like them. It's not our fault they dont know what a real guitar is. Let's just end it already!