New Hanneman ESP

[neilli]

Re: New Hanneman ESP

Tetsuo, I realise that Kirk does use bolt-ons as well, but lets face it, his best known KH2s (Black, Ouija and Mummy) and the KH3 are all neck through, hence why the relic was sold as being built exactly like Kirk's guitar, then relic'd...
Noodles I do see your point - that's a difficult one to argue against!

[pro-fusion]

Re: New Hanneman ESP

That LTD version seems pretty nice, but then it won't be cheap, so I would expect ebony board, original Floyd, etc.

However, I've played a bunch of new LTDs at the store recently, and every single one of them had ATROCIOUS fretwork. Worse than the new Schecter Diamonds or Japanese Jacksons I've played. And I say that as someone whose guitar collection (at the moment) is entirely ESP or LTD--an old '80s Mirage Custom neckthru and an LTD H-307. I've still got a Jackson bass, however--and I'm sure to be getting back to a Jackson guitar soon, but I just haven't had the $$$ recently.

[slayer]

Re: New Hanneman ESP

Wow, the Japanese one is very nice, but the LTD has 2 things going against it, one the Maple body, that is crazy, and also they uses a beveled horn body instead of the regular one like on the Japan model. If they would have used Alder and the Japanese body style, I would have considered the LTD. Jack.

[eddiewarlock]

Re: New Hanneman ESP

[ QUOTE ]
That's it? What a let down! I've been waiting for it to come out, hoping it would be something really cool, and this is what they come up with. I like the inlays, but otherwise it's boring.

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Dude, i agree with you, MAJOR dissapointment for me , i thought they were gonna come up with another body style, maybe the same model but some graphics, but this? HORRIBLE, and yeah, it needs a Kahler

[Megadeth79]

Re: New Hanneman ESP

What's wrong with the maple body? You do not like it coz its heavy or the sustain is bad? I am asking it coz I will maybe buy a Kamikaze with a maple body.

[quiksilver]

Re: New Hanneman ESP

Different strokes, I guess. I strongly prefer the added lower horn contour of the LTD. I also think the maple body is unique and pretty cool, having had a maple bodied guitar that sounded fantastic.

Add to that the price difference ($945 LTD vs. $2249 ESP), and the LTD is looking pretty good.

[pro-fusion]

Re: New Hanneman ESP

[ QUOTE ]
Wow, the Japanese one is very nice, but the LTD has 2 things going against it, one the Maple body, that is crazy, and also they uses a beveled horn body instead of the regular one like on the Japan model. If they would have used Alder and the Japanese body style, I would have considered the LTD. Jack.

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All-maple neckthrus ROCK! My '80s-era ESP Mirage Custom is all-maple, and it is really a fantastic-sounding guitar. I don't know if they are all like this, but mine doesn't weigh a ton, and it has a crisp sound but still with a lot of body. Very nice.

What's funny is that my Mirage is really the same guitar as this Hanneman model and the Kirk Hammett model (they were both based off the Mirage), only I got mine for $450, and it doesn't have those tacky eagle or skull/crossbones inlays. I feel so superior!! [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[RR05xx]

Re: New Hanneman ESP

Yeah, maple is actually a pretty cool guitar wood. I have a GMW which has a heavy maple body and maple/maple neck. Plays and sounds very cool with an EMG 81 and floyd.

[slayer]

Re: New Hanneman ESP

Too brigth sounding for me, but I am a low/mids guy so I usually choose mahogany for at least the body. Jack.

[quiksilver]

Re: New Hanneman ESP

I'd like to see a pic of that Mirage. Not knowing much about ESP, I thought these were based on the M-II. Is the Mirage a neck-through guitar? Also, how does the neck feel in terms of thickness and width. I like 'em wide & flat, like my women. Um, I mean, like a Jem's neck. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[pro-fusion]

Re: New Hanneman ESP

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I'd like to see a pic of that Mirage. Not knowing much about ESP, I thought these were based on the M-II. Is the Mirage a neck-through guitar? Also, how does the neck feel in terms of thickness and width. I like 'em wide & flat, like my women. Um, I mean, like a Jem's neck. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

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The auction in which I won the Mirage has pics:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...e=STRK:MEWN:IT

Not all Mirages are neckthru--the term was used by ESP back in the late '80s for their Dinky-bodied guitars. The Mirage Deluxe was a bolt-on, while the Mirage Custom was a neckthru. I'm not 100% sure, but I believe the M-1 and M-II were/are simply variants of the Mirage. The M-1 typically had a single pickup and a radically scooped lower horn, while the M-II was a dual pickup version, I believe, but otherwise looks identical to the Mirage Custom. However, you will also see M-II's that are bolt-ons--basically the successor to the Mirage Deluxe model. ESP has had confusing and inconsistent naming practices over the years. However, I believe any model (including the LTDs) that starts with the letter "M" is a Mirage variant, while the "H" guitars stand for Horizon, which has an archtop Dinky-style body.

My Mirage is almost a *dead ringer* for a Soloist, since it was made back when ESP was using the Jackson headstock. The body contours on the Mirage are subtlely different, but you have to look closely to tell. The neck is thinner than a Soloist by just a little bit, but also doesn't seem quite as wide. More like a Gibson contour than an Ibanez Wizard. I find it to be very playable.

[quiksilver]

Re: New Hanneman ESP

Wow. Nice deal on a nice guitar. I did a search on completed eBay auctions, looking at various ESPs to learn a bit more about them, and it looks like there are some good deals to be had. Plus, I really like their pickup options (1H, 1H/1S, etc.) and the fact that maple fretboards seem to be readily available. Thanks for educating me a bit on these!

[RR05xx]

Re: New Hanneman ESP

This a good deal on the Mirage Custom and I guess the damage kept the price from going higher. I have followed ESP prices and I found that more anything that was worht getting was overpriced for what it was. I do not think that his changed for what my tastes are, but that is me and I am picky!

[pro-fusion]

Re: New Hanneman ESP

[ QUOTE ]
Wow. Nice deal on a nice guitar. I did a search on completed eBay auctions, looking at various ESPs to learn a bit more about them, and it looks like there are some good deals to be had. Plus, I really like their pickup options (1H, 1H/1S, etc.) and the fact that maple fretboards seem to be readily available. Thanks for educating me a bit on these!

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I'm still a newbie myself when it comes to ESPs. I barely knew they existed 5 or 10 years ago, let alone that they were one of Jackson's major competitors.

Jackson has done a lot of weird sh!t with its model lines, particularly back in the early-mid '90s. But they've got nothing on ESP that way. There seems to be no rhyme, reason or continuity to ESP's model lines. One year it's called a Mirage, then it's an M-1, then it's an M-II, and if you put cheesy skull inlays on it, it magically becomes a goofy overpriced KH.

ESP's USA lineup is pretty boring. For the fun stuff, you have to look at their Japanese web site. They've got some signature models for Japanese pop and rock stars that are too weird to believe.

Unfortunately, there is no resource like the JCF devoted to ESPs that would provide good info on the older guitars. The company's message board is a complete joke--it seems to consist of a bunch of 13-year old jerkoffs who probably have no idea who Queensryche or George Lynch are, and give an online 'blank stare' whenever anyone asks about the old ESPs.

[VinceV]

Re: New Hanneman ESP

That isn't even a guitar board, it's a pure Metallica board. That consist of how do I get an EXP(Explorer shape), and Look at my KL Explorer. That's it.