ESP strat experts needed....

[frank thomson]

is this body an early 80's body?

that sunburst is funky. ....
on the upper bout, it's only 2 colors, like when
you take the PG off a jazz bass, the red in not underneath.

opinions???

[DanD]

Hard to tell from that pic Frank. I'm no expert but I've had a few mid 80s 400 Series ESP Strats and each one has had pencil markings in the neck cavity. Best I can figure is they refer to some type of serialization (they did not match the neck plates tho) or production number and the location either of final assembly or production.

Give a look in the neck pocket if you can and tell me what you see and I'll confirm whether or not it coincides with those I've seen. If it's any help to you, all my ESP 400 Series bodies were light in weight. Somewhere between 3#s 12 ozs (the lightest) and 4#s 3 ozs (heaviest).

[frank thomson]

yea, i have a tele ESP early 80's....very nice indeed, except i ditched the V neck for a USA fender neck.

prob, the above pic is not mine...he said early 80s body, newish MIM neck...but if the body is actually what he says, then i'd put another neck om it.

just that body (dis)coloring kinda has me wondering

[DanD]

After a 2nd look, I see a Tele neck on that Strat body... All my ESPs were true to Fender in that the neck pockets were curved Strat types. It works OK using a Strat neck on a Tele body (just a little gap shows at the either side of the neck pocket) bt it doesn't work the other way round. Unless someone 'carved' that Tele neck to fit the body, it isn't an ESP body. Some other Asian manufacturers used flat/tele style routes on their Strat style guitars. Hohner comes to mind as well as Lotus.

If it is an ESP body I'm really hoping someone didn't chisel out the neck cavity... The PG looks to be squared off also, if no routing/chiseling/shaping of either part has occured it's not an ESP body. A pic with the neck off and one of the neck end itself would clear it all up.

Hope this helps.