Why is ESP more popular than Jackson?

[Chromatic]

I don't get it...

(flame war)

[Gartron]

My guess would be endorsements.

Back in the day anyone who was anyone played a Jackson, they were seen as the top expensive brand.

Now compare ESP's endorsments against the current Jackson one, if i was a 15 year old now, I know what company I would favour (of course I would be wrong!!)

[metal_bob1]

ESP is down with the kids. It was the case not so long ago (not so sure about now) that if you took a Jackson off the wall the kids would laugh at you, with their pointy headstocks and flashy looks.

[KMud]

As Gartron said, endorsements...particularly Hetfield and Hammet I'd wager.

[dangerous_dave]

metallica...

[shobet]

I think they understand their market better.

[Robert Burns]

I don't get it...

(flame war)

Because ESP PAYS more endorsment $'s... thats all.. Imagine if every
popular band played what they wanted to play? What if Prince were on
top o' the world? We would all be Oooohing and ahhing over that Ibanez
with the 22" horn!:ROTF:

[levantin]

It's not just that. Look at the guitars that the kids and the semi-pro guys are buying. ESP just offers better options. Many of their intro and mid level imports offer features such as emgs and duncans, more neckthroughs and BINDING along with nice flame tops. Jackson has just begun to put better pickups and hardware on their imports (2006 IIRC). The quality of the pickups and hardware on Jackson imports in recent years has hurt the brand a lot IMHO.

I've owned one or two ltd's and they have offered more bang for the buck than the import Jacksons. Jeebus, it took them years to figure out there was a market for a 24 fret RR and even now we're hearing bad things about the paintwork and inlays. Is it that hard to give people what they want?

[Allu]

ESP is great but Jackson is Jackson

[Gartron]

What if Prince were on
top o' the world? We would all be Oooohing and ahhing over that Ibanez
with the 22" horn!:ROTF:

Is that not also an ESP cloud model?

[Chromatic]

It's strange that a company like Jackson offering very original designs, great history and being one of the best custom shops in the USA... being beaten by a company with a stupid name (very stupid), no originality in their designs and no memorable history...

[AfterForever]

^They're making their history right now

ESP has made a HUGE mistake with their current line up.. They put "black nickle" hardware on all their LTD models! Black nickle sucks, it looks so cheap and it can't handle sweat well.. Same mistake BC Rich made with their line-up some years ago..

[Rsmacker]

Fashions change, what I think is cool my 20 yr old apprentice thinks is gay. His 15 year old brother likes the stuff I do though, it will come around again.

It has to be said though (AGAIN) that Jackson's big mistake was to whore out their Prestige Marque status by churning out cheap shite, but there you go, can't undo that. They stooped down rather than keeping aloof and elite. That's why a Nip company known (in my book) for making spares is wiping their arse with them. They deliberately moved up, Jackson deliberately moved down.

[guitar08man]

It's not just that. Look at the guitars that the kids and the semi-pro guys are buying. ESP just offers better options. Many of their intro and mid level imports offer features such as emgs and duncans, more neckthroughs and BINDING along with nice flame tops. Jackson has just begun to put better pickups and hardware on their imports (2006 IIRC). The quality of the pickups and hardware on Jackson imports in recent years has hurt the brand a lot IMHO.

I've owned one or two ltd's and they have offered more bang for the buck than the import Jacksons. Jeebus, it took them years to figure out there was a market for a 24 fret RR and even now we're hearing bad things about the paintwork and inlays. Is it that hard to give people what they want?

hit the nail on the head. Jackson imports these days are no match for the LTD stuff.

[Bengal65]

ESP is easier to spell. Let me see, E....S....P, Jackson, J A K S U, no..... Ah, J A K S O N, no, JACKSON. Yeah, that's it.:ROTF: