ESP Eclipse Guitars.... What do you guys know about them?...

[nicknuisance]

Still waiting to buy an Eclipse, but the price makes you wait just a wheeeeee longer.

 

[Fret-Shredder]

I love mine. ESP CUSTOM SHOP with EMGs and Original Floyd ROSE trem. The flame mapel top and matching headstock are gorgeous the pic does not do it justice. I love the rosewood fretboard with a thinner neck than the Les Paul its easy to shred on this baby.

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[Rocky]

Gibson really grinds my gears with all these lawsuits. I believe these are far worse than anything Lars did to Napster....... (which, I wasn't against Lars anyway, it just pissed off everybody who likes free music). I mean, if they could back up those lawsuits with quality guitars that are up to par with the ESP Custom Shop, then they wouldn't have to worry about people buying the Eclipse over the LP. But to shell out 3 grand for a mediocre Looking and PLaying Les Paul vs. a Hand-built-to-exact-specs Eclipse, I know what I'd choose. Just a thought of mine. Don't mean to step on any Gibby fans toes. They just love to attack others who try to "improve" or "re-design" their original and it makes me angry. I'll never get over them making ESP stop the EXP's.....those are so much better than the Gibsons IMO(and I got a new one out of the country in spite of the suit :lol: :lol: :lol: ) Anyway, enough of my rant. This is about an Eclipse, good guitar. I'd go for the Truckster myself.

-AJH

THere is no more hand work on an ESP Eclipse than there is in a Gibson Les Paul.

The term hand built has many, many ways of being interpreted and ESP is one of the main companies that calls 'hand finishing' (which is what they REALLY DO) hand building.
I am not really a Gibson or an ESP guy so to me, which is better is irrelevant but the "ESP's are handbuilt" thing is complete bollocks.

 

[sean106ESP]

The ESP Eclipse FT (Full thickness) is a great guitar, but ya have to get them over sea's. They can still do the old horn and 4 knob layout and is a tad thicker than my LPC. Great guitars (the FT's) the USA Eclipses just don't really do it for me. I just got to LPC's and having them modded with EMG 60/81's. I know most gibby fanatics would consider tha blasphemy but, I just can't get MY tone I like with passives I know people knock the Japan made guitars, but with all my CS ESP's, the attention to detail and wood qualities have been superb IMO. Gibby's are great but I only buy em used Never a new one as IMO they are overpriced (LPC's) and if you can't see or play it in person, Gibby has a rap for QC. ( I visited their shop in Memphis and I can see why LOL )

Shitty vid but gives you an Idea.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQz3B1fMOOU


Sorry for the big pix, need to set my cam resolution down.

Eclipse FT

 

[t0m]

the thing that attracts me to ESP is that they are not overpriced, and they are top quality

 

[sean106ESP]

Yeah the standards are high quality, but not as high as the Custom Shop stuff. The sad thing is due to lovely Gibson, the FT's can't be sold in the USA unless you got a connect. I had to pay a lot more because of all the shipping etc.

 

[Kaz]

I own a few ESPs, and have played many. I own an LTD Eclipse (EC-1000). and to me, it is a guitar that has beaten out several highly priced Les Pauls, weighs much less (but to me that's not an issue, I don't mind heavy guitars since I started on bass), and has an amazing fit and finish.

I've played a few ESP Eclipse IIs (The post lawsuit guitar)--they are even better. To my knowledge there is no quality difference between the pre-lawsuit Eclipse I and the post-lawsuit Eclipse II besides the four knobs, and the angle of the cutaway. They are excellent guitars that will hold their own against LPCs and LPSes. The EMGs are not as versatile as passive pickups, but have great tone of their own (besides, pickups can be replaced).

 

[Kaz]

Eclipse FT

I've seen that top one before! Are you on the ESP forums?

 

[sean106ESP]

Yup, that is me I am sean106OCD on the ESP board.

 

[vds5000]

Not sure if someone already mentioned this, but Musicians Friend had ESP Eclipse's on clearance a couple weeks back for $999. These guitars included figured maple tops and the buyer had the choice of real Duncans or real EMGS. These were real ESPs, not the LTDs.

Also, I've owned several ESPs in the past (Lynch Sunburst Tiger, MI Custom, MII Custom, Horizon, Traditional, etc.) - be aware that the resale on ESPs is very poor - probably worse than USA Hamers.

 

[RR]

I'm not sure I like the ESP guitar or the chick, ... o-kay I like both.

 

[vds5000]

She's a much better Asian export than the guitar

 

[themisfit138]

sh!t vid but gives you an Idea.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQz3B1fMOOU

Nice vid, but hard to get a good comparison the Les has passives and the ESP has active EMGs. Now if they both had EMGs that would be a better way to tell

 

[Syrinx-M]

In my opinion I'd save some more cash and buy a Les Paul.

I borrowed a buddy LP for a few weeks, played the ESP Eclipse and it felt like **** compared to the LP.

I still like the looks of the ESP though...

 

[sean106ESP]

Well mine was a Eclipse Full Thickness. Much Different than the standard USA Eclipse. So it sounds much different. Also the ESP Truckster whether u like Metallica or not IMO is the best sounding Eclipse IMO. Brootal overdrive tones and sparkling cleans. Probably because of the maple neck and rosewood. hence why I just got my 2 custom shop ESP Explorers made with the specs of Maple Necks and rosewood boards like my EET FUK.

Sorry for the big pix.

The my fav fanboy home collector only guitar to play inside and never taken out to gig or jam

 

[Herbie the Rad Dorklift]

Any LTD including and above the 400 range is great

 

[nathan28]

First I wanna say that it should be considered a sin to play a foreign made guitar through an american made amp!!! Everytime i see someone holding a dime signature or a ltd(esp) i instantly think POSER, and nine times out of ten im right.
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Anyways my best friend just bought an esp not ltd eclipse from musicians friend. I own a les paul standard in the same color that he bought in the esp. He did not buy a gibson standard because it is $2529 vs $900.
-------------------------------------
Is there a quality difference. What do you think?

The esp's flame looks almost painted on when held next to the les paul. I honestly feel like im holding a cheap guitar when i was playing the eclipse.
But here is the biggest thing i noticed. The esp had a emg 81/60 combo and my les paul has a emg 81/60 combo. So i decided to hook them both up and play to hear the difference.
The esp had a lot of uncontrollable feedback, i had to back the gain off my amp from where i play it with my les paul. It also sounded brittle.
But the neck was great.
There is no substitute for wood. More wood = better tone.
Thats why the esp sounded brittle and was noisy.
The esp didnt even come close to the low end chunch the les paul
produces.
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On a side note - for those who think emg's sound the same no matter what guitar they put them in, that is completely untrue, and stupid.

 

[sean106ESP]

I disagree if your just talking about a ESP standard series. My Explorers are all custom shop and I have 2 Les Paul Customs with EMg 60/81's and the Explorer just sound better and have much better attention to detail with the craftsmanship. Hence why I sold all my gibbys but the LPC's and bought all ESP's. The whole foreign guitar through and USA amp is bullshit IMO. The ESP's sounds sick through my Boogie TA and 2:90 rack. and in all reality, the germans make the best amps IMO like Diezel and ENGL. I have had them both, and my Diezel Vh4 has the best cleans ever from a head and just brootl distortion and low end and also vintage tones. Plus they build them like tanks and you can drop a bomb on them. I was the same way a while back till I opened my eyes 10 years ago "USA maaannnnnnnnnnnn !!!**** foreign guitars and amps111111" Sorry bro, the Japanese ESP's from the CS and even some of the standard series Full thickness guitars sound just as good if not better. And watch the German amps although very pricey are worth the money. You'll see. Everyone I know that has and

not a great compariosn but gives you an idea

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQz3B1fMOOU
Now these are LPC passives and a Eclipse Full Thickness with EMG's to compare

 

[nathan28]

I've had plenty of ltd's, as well as esp's. I have never owned a custom shop esp. But custom shop anything should be great quality. But I will never own foriegh made guitar again, I used to be all about esp because james hetfield and kirk hammett had them, but then i grew up and realized there is no substitute for a killer gibson les paul or PRS. Foreigh guitars are built on cheap labor from cheaper parts period. Do you think the pros use foreigh made guitars? Guitars and music equipment is one of the last things where made in usa means something. And im going to support it.

 

[sean106ESP]

I understand your point and it cool we disagree that is what makes the world go around. But back to the craftsmanship and cheap parts. yes LTD is made in Korea and uses laminates and cheap woods, however the custom shop ESP Explorers and Eclipses I have IMO are superb in tone. Gibson cranks out 400 custom shop LPC's a day, ESP may crank out 40 at most in there small custom shops. hence why the wait is so long on ESP customs and not so much on Gibbys(my local shop is a gibby hall of fame for christ sake, they have toooooooons of gibbys and it came from them as they are one of gibbys top dealers....so they claim ) I have 2 Les Paul Customs with the same EMG set up 61/81 and I am a tone nut myself and IMO the ESP's have more attention to detail and also IMO better tone to my liking. Just my onions I visited the Gibby shop and took the tour and actually was sad seeing it looked like a sweat shop, and how many people returned the 84 Explorer reissue they just amde due to finsih flaws all over. Only one so far surfaced that they liked and had no issues, but all the ESP fanatics ordered them and all eneded up returning them but one. Dark Alone. I think gibby rushed them due to the demand, but who knows. I also was brought up the USA made = best, Foreign = inferior, until I opened my horizons and tried a ESP Explorer and then sold all my gibbys (had like 6 of them) and went all ESP. They only gibby I would buy is a used one and only a LPC. Nothing else brand new. At GC I inspected so many LPC's I would have dropped the hammer on but found too many nuances with them, I said **** it..."the best Gibson is a used Gibson" Same with amps, the Diezels and ENGl's really blew me away. I love my TA/2:90 combo for gigging, but does not sound as clean or superb in OD tones as my VH4, hence why I never bring it out as I am too afraid to damage it LOL even though it is built like a tank.

Here are my gear tour so ya know I am not BS ing that I have some ESP's and 2 gibbys.

tour part I
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJ3XaRlOroc

tour part II
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QpQM6hmOsvQ