Picked up an early ESP strat

bluetweed · 11-03-2009, 11:46 AM

Found a well worn, but very functional early ESP strat at a local used music store. Appears to be an old Esparto. Those are selling for pretty good money it seems. Has a pickguard held on with large head phillips, and the headstock has the name removed and looks like it was sanded a bit to look more like a Fender. However, it plays wonderfully, and sounds really good too. Pickups are very yellowed. Grover tuners. I only had a 20 on me, so I gave him that and will get it tomorrow or so. He had a 100 bucks on it. Well worth that IMHO. Kind of an off Lake Placid Blue with rosewood neck. I still can't believe how well that thing plays. Good score on my birthday.

NeoFauve · 11-03-2009, 11:49 AM

TTIUWP

chuckocaster · 11-03-2009, 12:07 PM

i played a gold sparkle esp strat once in a shop and wish i had the dosh to drop on it. but sadly didn't.

DanD · 11-03-2009, 01:11 PM

Excellent score!

I've had more than a few ESPs from the 400 series and a couple from the early NY Custom shop and all were excellent pieces.

Be great to see some pics after you get her in hand.

bluetweed · 11-04-2009, 12:43 PM

Here it is in all it's glory. It obviously has a different neck than it started life with as you can see by the holes in the pocket. Only one set are on the neck. I believe it might actually be a Fender or Squier neck as it's shape is pretty dead on. Have to wait till Annie wakes up to compare it with my real strat. I believe it to be an 83 due to 83 on all the pots. Not much to go on here, but it is a wonderful playing, awful looking thing. No markings on the pickups that I can see. They sure have some yellowing going on though! I still think it was well worth the money. For as worn as everything looks, there is basically no fret wear at all. Very weird. I wish my real strat played this well.

Not the first neck plate either, so no serial number.

NeoFauve · 11-04-2009, 12:48 PM

I bet if you do "the roof test" (see Whammy Bar thread) that pickguard won't blow off.

bluetweed · 11-04-2009, 12:55 PM

You think?

chuckocaster · 11-04-2009, 03:50 PM

that's a lot of guitar for 100 bones. you might as well seal the deal and use some of those fender beauty rings they use on the amp screws...

bluetweed · 11-04-2009, 04:23 PM

Ha. That would totally make the guitar! I'm confused now. I took it upstairs, and the headstock is identical to my MIJ 50's reissue. The heel contour is identical to it and my friend's mexi strat. It appears that it is probably an aftermarket Fender licensed neck. I think it would have to be to be identical, no? I'm wondering now if it is a Fender body since the neck fits the pocket perfectly. Don't know if there is any way to tell. Maybe just a partscaster with an ESP bridge? I can't believe how well this thing plays. After setting the intonation, which was WAY off, it is quite a nice guitar. Anyway, can't beat it with a stick for 100 bucks. It puts my buddy's mexican strat to total shame, and while mine sounds better, it sure doesn't play as nice.

Cygnus X1 · 11-04-2009, 05:18 PM

I'm much more familiar with Charvel/Jacksons...but someone certainly screwed up a great ESP!
You done good, no worries.

For the money it's a fantastic player I am sure of!
(That sentence is bass-ackwards....)

bluetweed · 11-04-2009, 05:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cygnus X1

...but someone certainly screwed up a great ESP!

LOL. Yep. I am loving it though. Some people are gonna be amazed at that piece of crap.

chuckocaster · 11-05-2009, 12:09 AM

play the shit out of it and forget the haters!

bluetweed · 11-07-2009, 07:08 PM

Well, what do you think now? Starting to look like a proper geetar. I broke the b string restringing. Doh. Never had that happen before. That fretboard soaked up just a wee bit o lemon oil. This is turning into a rather nice Crapocaster.

chuckocaster · 11-07-2009, 09:21 PM

now that's starting to look the deal.

phantomman · 11-07-2009, 09:28 PM

Not bad, Tweed Man. The MOTS pickguard looks swell. And it doesn't have those ghastly screws that looked like the heads of SIXTEEN-PENNY NAILS.

Rawk on!

refin · 11-07-2009, 10:06 PM

Great score,congrats!
I love the contour on the back,looks deep and vintage.

bluetweed · 11-09-2009, 08:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by phantomman

Not bad, Tweed Man. The MOTS pickguard looks swell. And it doesn't have those ghastly screws that looked like the heads of SIXTEEN-PENNY NAILS.

Rawk on!

I almost put them back on just for effect.... Uh, nah. LOL MOTS makes anything look better.

I should put some on my waistline. It's not just a gut, it's a RICH gut.

11-03-2009, 11:46 AM	#1
bluetweed Forum Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: New Castle, IN Posts: 161	Picked up an early ESP strat Found a well worn, but very functional early ESP strat at a local used music store. Appears to be an old Esparto. Those are selling for pretty good money it seems. Has a pickguard held on with large head phillips, and the headstock has the name removed and looks like it was sanded a bit to look more like a Fender. However, it plays wonderfully, and sounds really good too. Pickups are very yellowed. Grover tuners. I only had a 20 on me, so I gave him that and will get it tomorrow or so. He had a 100 bucks on it. Well worth that IMHO. Kind of an off Lake Placid Blue with rosewood neck. I still can't believe how well that thing plays. Good score on my birthday.

11-03-2009, 11:49 AM	#2
NeoFauve Forum Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: in interesting times Posts: 11,627	Re: Picked up an early ESP strat TTIUWP __________________ BOGGY 2012

11-03-2009, 12:07 PM	#3
chuckocaster Forum Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: spanish for lard. Posts: 6,577	Re: Picked up an early ESP strat i played a gold sparkle esp strat once in a shop and wish i had the dosh to drop on it. but sadly didn't. __________________ "don't worry, i'm a professional!"

11-03-2009, 01:11 PM	#4
DanD Forum Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 408	Re: Picked up an early ESP strat Excellent score! I've had more than a few ESPs from the 400 series and a couple from the early NY Custom shop and all were excellent pieces. Be great to see some pics after you get her in hand.

11-04-2009, 12:43 PM	#5
bluetweed Forum Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: New Castle, IN Posts: 161	Re: Picked up an early ESP strat Here it is in all it's glory. It obviously has a different neck than it started life with as you can see by the holes in the pocket. Only one set are on the neck. I believe it might actually be a Fender or Squier neck as it's shape is pretty dead on. Have to wait till Annie wakes up to compare it with my real strat. I believe it to be an 83 due to 83 on all the pots. Not much to go on here, but it is a wonderful playing, awful looking thing. No markings on the pickups that I can see. They sure have some yellowing going on though! I still think it was well worth the money. For as worn as everything looks, there is basically no fret wear at all. Very weird. I wish my real strat played this well. Not the first neck plate either, so no serial number.

11-04-2009, 12:48 PM	#6
NeoFauve Forum Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: in interesting times Posts: 11,627	Re: Picked up an early ESP strat I bet if you do "the roof test" (see Whammy Bar thread) that pickguard won't blow off. __________________ BOGGY 2012

11-04-2009, 12:55 PM	#7
bluetweed Forum Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: New Castle, IN Posts: 161	Re: Picked up an early ESP strat You think?

11-04-2009, 03:50 PM	#8
chuckocaster Forum Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: spanish for lard. Posts: 6,577	Re: Picked up an early ESP strat that's a lot of guitar for 100 bones. you might as well seal the deal and use some of those fender beauty rings they use on the amp screws... __________________ "don't worry, i'm a professional!"

11-04-2009, 04:23 PM	#9
bluetweed Forum Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: New Castle, IN Posts: 161	Re: Picked up an early ESP strat Ha. That would totally make the guitar! I'm confused now. I took it upstairs, and the headstock is identical to my MIJ 50's reissue. The heel contour is identical to it and my friend's mexi strat. It appears that it is probably an aftermarket Fender licensed neck. I think it would have to be to be identical, no? I'm wondering now if it is a Fender body since the neck fits the pocket perfectly. Don't know if there is any way to tell. Maybe just a partscaster with an ESP bridge? I can't believe how well this thing plays. After setting the intonation, which was WAY off, it is quite a nice guitar. Anyway, can't beat it with a stick for 100 bucks. It puts my buddy's mexican strat to total shame, and while mine sounds better, it sure doesn't play as nice.

11-04-2009, 05:18 PM	#10
Cygnus X1 Forum Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Sunny South Carolina Posts: 2,506	Re: Picked up an early ESP strat I'm much more familiar with Charvel/Jacksons...but someone certainly screwed up a great ESP! You done good, no worries. For the money it's a fantastic player I am sure of! (That sentence is bass-ackwards....) __________________ From now on, ending a sentence with a preposition is something up with which I will not put.-Winston Churchill.

11-05-2009, 12:09 AM	#12
chuckocaster Forum Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: spanish for lard. Posts: 6,577	Re: Picked up an early ESP strat play the shit out of it and forget the haters! __________________ "don't worry, i'm a professional!"

11-07-2009, 07:08 PM	#13
bluetweed Forum Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: New Castle, IN Posts: 161	Re: Picked up an early ESP strat Well, what do you think now? Starting to look like a proper geetar. I broke the b string restringing. Doh. Never had that happen before. That fretboard soaked up just a wee bit o lemon oil. This is turning into a rather nice Crapocaster.

11-07-2009, 09:21 PM	#14
chuckocaster Forum Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: spanish for lard. Posts: 6,577	Re: Picked up an early ESP strat now that's starting to look the deal. __________________ "don't worry, i'm a professional!"

11-07-2009, 09:28 PM	#15
phantomman Forum Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Ten miles from the Mexican Frontier, in Arizona Posts: 4,143	Re: Picked up an early ESP strat Not bad, Tweed Man. The MOTS pickguard looks swell. And it doesn't have those ghastly screws that looked like the heads of SIXTEEN-PENNY NAILS. Rawk on! __________________ "I'll be damned if all this fabulosity is going to go to waste reading Dr. Seuss to snot-nosed kids all day." -- Michelle Obama

11-07-2009, 10:06 PM	#16
refin Forum Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 3,305	Re: Picked up an early ESP strat Great score,congrats! I love the contour on the back,looks deep and vintage. __________________ "My flesh and my heart fail...but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." PS. 73:26 MY JAMS-- http://www.soundclick.com/bands/defa...&content=music "America," said Joseph Stalin, "is like a healthy body and its resistance is threefold: its patriotism, its morality, and its spiritual life.If we can undermine these three areas, America will collapse from within." "Life's tough......It's even tougher if you're stupid," John Wayne

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