ESP Tele!!!!

[Nelson F]

I have an ESP Tele and it RULZ!!!! It is Great""""""

[qtipburst]

Hey Nelson. why don't you bring it along with you know what on monday.

[Nelson F]

I'll bring that & my Esquire!! O.K

[Sonar]

Gotta agree -- I use 4 ESP Teles and 7 ESP Strats.

I have a '65 Fender Strat my mother bought at Chuck Levin's Washington Music Center before it burned in the D.C. riots -- but only the ESP 400 Series Strats come close to feeling like that guitar to me.

I love my friends new Suhr Strat -- but it was like $1,800!!!

SO! == I'll make it by with my old mid-80s ESP guitars and a good luthier to whip them into submission.

[DLHelfand]

Some of the older ESPs rule. I had a major jones for an ESP Tele Cusom yrs back at my friends shop. It was used and he wanted $350 for it and a Fender Tele was $400 used. The ESP smoked the Fender. Way better quality. Figured maple neck, bound body, MOT p/g. Beautiful red finish. I can still feel it. Had no dough though!

[mrlow]

I have a Chandler tele, but it has an ESP 400 Series neck on it (which I think is a strat copy, but lefties can't be choosies!). I love it.

BTW, my first post here. Looking forward to lively discussions!

[Sonar]

Seems like many just lump ALL the ESPs in one lot (even up to the LTD stuff)

Basically, ESP (Electric Sound Products) started as a professional repair shop in Tokyo for the high end and vintage guitars making it to Japan. Then they started manufacturing replacement parts -- rather nice stuff.

Next the step was manufacturing guitars for the Japanese market. These were not imported to the U.S. because they were direct knock-offs of Fender & Gibson. These were called "Navigator" guitars.

In about 1982/83, ESP entered the U.S. market with the ESP 400 Series guitars -- '54/'65 Strat & '53 & '63 Tele knockoffs (also P-Bass & J-Bass). These 400 Series models are my favorite. Neck is fast and thin on the rosewood 21-fret '65 model. Fret wire was small vintage -- so I typically replace with 6105 Dunlop myself.

Alder and occasionally Ash bodies that really take old Fender shapes (closer than Fender models). Lots of colors shot in poly (not nitro). Some have matching headstock color (mostly Candy Apple Red models).

The 400 Series maple neck began with a SERIOUS "V" shape but got rounded down in later models. These necks began as 21-frets and added a 22nd fret before the series was re-named. Of course, the ALL have a different headstock cut than Fender design for U.S. market.

Now -- these 400 Series guitars were said to be named for their suggested list prices around $400. By '86/'87, the prices were almost reaching $500, so the names was changed to ESP Traditional.

Traditional seems about right as ESP was beginning to also produce Floyd-equipped hocky-stick headstock metal machines also.

I also like the ESP Traditional models -- all 22-fret with a larger neck size (slightly) than the 400 Series. Most of the Traditional Series got larger fret wire -- especially the bound Teles.

Later ESP released models called "Vintage" and "Vintage Plus", but these models got BIG price increases and aren't as "vintage" as the early 400 Series (different neck shape again, two-point trem bridge, 22-frets, etc.)

I'm very happy with ALL my 400 Series models -- kinda vintage clunky and just feel like old worn-in blue jeans to me. Very consistant from guitar to guitar. I usually replace pickups with Fralins, Peter Florance Voodoo or WCR for different sounds, uses and tunings. Not for everybody -- but most of mine cost about 1/4 of a USED Grosh today (a couple of years back, of course -- probably 1/4 of a NEW Grosh now).

I know the pickups bring UP the total cost, but I purchase the replacement pickups USED and I GET TO KEEP THE PICKUPS if I sell. (Original ESP pickups remain in the case for re-install).

SO -- It's basically:
1.) "NAVIGATOR" (Japanese -- never imported here)
2.) "400 Series"
3.) "Traditionals"
4.) "Vintage" & "Vintage Plus"

In 1998, Guitar Shop Magazine called 400 Series and Traditionals, "...better guitars, at half the money.." than the Fenders offered at the time. Just great work guitars for the money -- if you can find 'em.

[J Crouch]

I have to agree. I had a Ron Wood Signature model "tele" and it rocked. I sold it due to having trouble getting used to the thick neck. Now I like the thicker necks and wish that I had never got rid of it.

[Sonar]

Yeah -- the Ron Wood Signature Model is basically the same as one of my late Traditional models. I believe the Ron Wood neck might be just a wee-bit fatter than mine also.

I got mine for $250 at Atomic Music in Maryland and it's worked to the hilt now. Just doesn't have a signature on the headstock that would put it into the $500 to $600 range -- go figure. I just finished playing it an hour or so and I really like that guitar also.

It's set up with Tom Anderson pickups -- Humbucker in the neck, Strat pickup in the middle and a Tele pickup in the bridge. All pickups recommended and wiring selected by Roy over at Tom Anderson Guitars.

Dark metallic blue and cream binding with a bakelite black pickguard PLUS a very cool old-style Wilkinson USA Tele bridge -- really looks like a stealth weapon and plays like a dream.

[mattb]

Sonar-thanks for the history lesson on ESP. I have two 400 series guitars, and one is for sale right now on eBay. (item number 897084616). Everybody who hears/plays my ESPs is floored by them!

You hit it right on the money when you compared yours to the1965 strat. The bodies of the 400 series strats are carved to perfection.

Someone is gonna be real happy with this guitar!

[Phil Jacoby]

You've spent far too much time molesting those ESPs! Now you'll drive the price up! Why don't you get into amps or sumptin?
LOL! See you at Surfside tonight. Which ESP you bringing?
Phil

[Sonar]

Matt,

Yeah -- Already spotted that guitar on Ebay.

In the photo (on MY cheezy computer) it looks like the very light blue color they made -- but that happened once before to me.

I had a light blue (I forget the "Fender" name for the color - Daphne Blue, perhaps?) ESP Traditional. Then I bid on another "light blue" ESP 400 Series Strat -- also looked light blue in the photos.

BUT when it arrived it was SO VERY SEAFOAM GREEN -- especially next to the actual blue version.

That's a nice looking example. I love my Seafoam Green ESP -- which makes me wonder what is the color of the ESP 400 you're keeping.

So - fess up! What's that magic color for ya?

[mattb]

Sonar-the keeper is shell pink, actually its pinker then fender's shell pink. The thing is an absolute monster and is the best sounding strat I've ever heard. the neck is thin, as you know, and I generally prefer a fatter neck, so now she is my #2. My #1 is a 62 RI, crafted in Japan with alder body and texas specials.

The ESP sound best clean, the 62 sounds great clean or distorted and is more versatile for my needs.

[sneaky]

ESP has been, for the past few years, producing a line of guitars for Seymour Duncan through their custom shop , that bear his name. The top line teles have one piece ash bodies with unsealed lacquer finishes. I own one and I must say it outshines my Fender custom shop. Theres nothing like actually feeling the wood on the neck, and the body is outstanding. Even their low end models much better than production Fenders. The good news is they can be bought quite cheap used over here. I own a low end strat and it is a very nice guitar too.
I have 2 ESP`s as well, an Eclipse and a signature model made for a Japanese guitarist. The only problem I`ve ever had with my ESPs was the pickup switch...minor enough.