Educate me about ESP Original Series guitars

[cardinal]

Ordering from Japan requires you to find a shop that ships to the US (BigBoss does NOT) or to use a proxy to buy it for you and ship it (which is more expensive because then you have to pay all the Japanese taxes plus the proxy's fees).

 

[somethingsomething]

Ordering from Japan requires you to find a shop that ships to the US (BigBoss does NOT) or to use a proxy to buy it for you and ship it (which is more expensive because then you have to pay all the Japanese taxes plus the proxy's fees).

Ikebe is great to do business with. They ship fast and pack well. I've never done something "built-to-order" through them, but I wouldn't hesitate to purchase a guitar they have in stock.

 

[cardinal]

Ikebe is great to do business with. They ship fast and pack well. I've never done something "built-to-order" through them, but I wouldn't hesitate to purchase a guitar they have in stock.

Plenty of shops have been a real pleasure to work with. Some of the proxies are great too. I don't think I've had a bad experience, but it helps to do some diligence.

 

[budda]

OP asking about the thin-U - if they are all built to order can he just choose his neck spec?

 

[Aso]

OP asking about the thin-U - if they are all built to order can he just choose his neck spec?

With a ESP custom shop you could but the price will reflect that you didn't go with one of their commonly used neck specs. When I ordered my NV I was able to select neck spec but decided to just go with the standard NV neck spec.

 

[NoodleFace]

I think they're great, but if you love Jackson's I feel like caparison is the logical choice.

 

[AndiKravljaca]

Same position as me right now. Jackson USA has always been my preferred, but the ordering times are ridiculous.

I usually would prefer the Jackson neck but this ESP had the tone and flawless craftsmanship. Better fretwork than my Jackson CS for sure.

Yes, that's what I've been hearing which got me curious. And as you say, Jackson isn't really an option anymore unless you're buying a USA select used (and I have two of those).

Ordering from Japan requires you to find a shop that ships to the US (BigBoss does NOT) or to use a proxy to buy it for you and ship it (which is more expensive because then you have to pay all the Japanese taxes plus the proxy's fees).

Well, I'm over in Europe so for me it's rather the opposite - there are several dealers in the EU which deal with ESP Japan. That's the easy part, even though they're more expensive than a j.custom or Jackson USA.

OP asking about the thin-U - if they are all built to order can he just choose his neck spec?

Custom shop is an option of course but I was asking about the more 'pret a porter' preconfigured ESP Original models. Particularly I've been ogling the Horizon I in the Andromeda finish, that looks spectacular. And that comes with a Thin U neck.

I think they're great, but if you love Jackson's I feel like caparison is the logical choice.

I agree and it was my first "knee jerk" reaction - but there's no harm in making an informed choice and finding out everything I can!

 

[AndiKravljaca]

I think they're great, but if you love Jackson's I feel like caparison is the logical choice.

Right now I'm shopping these against each other. Similar configuration, similar(ish) price tags, but one of them I don't know anything about and the other is a six string version of a guitar I already own.

So, I'm trying to rectify that information gap basically, so I can make an informed choice 😁

 

[narad]

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Right now I'm shopping these against each other. Similar configuration, similar(ish) price tags, but one of them I don't know anything about and the other is a six string version of a guitar I already own.

So, I'm trying to rectify that information gap basically, so I can make an informed choice 😁

Similar pricetags...gotta go with the horizon, hands-down. Maybe at half price I'd start to consider the Caparison, which on the used market, is about where they'll fall comparatively.

 

[Dudley]

I own a few Original Series ESP’s and have played a lot of Caparisons and for me the ESP is the better made, feeling and sounding guitar every day of the week. If Caparison are at that kind of price point these days then they seem like really bad value in comparison.

If my house was on fire and I could only grab a few guitar cases the Aristides and PRS etc. would be getting left behind and the ESP’s coming with me, so I definitely think highly of them.

Other than one really nice Applehorn I’ve never gelled with Caparisons or felt like they were worth the cash, but it’s all personal preference at the end of the day. They just feel like a lot of money for something that doesn’t have the ‘wow’ factor in your hands like an OS ESP or Mayones, for me.

 

[Dumple Stilzkin]

As a person who has owned both original series ESP and custom Jacksons I will echo the sentiments, both are typically very high quality. I prefer the neck carve on my ESP's over the compound radius my Jacksons had, that said I think you will only know which you like better by playing them. I find that my ESP do remind of my Jackson's in many ways, the necks are both fabulous. But I have settled on ESP as being my go to, however, I will probably want to own at least one USA Jackson in my collection (to contrast with my 4 ESP Japan models).

 

[Samark]

My answer is always purple ESP, but in order to reduce my bias, I offer you these pics to assist with your decision

 

[narad]

My answer is always purple ESP, but in order to reduce my bias, I offer you these pics to assist with your decision

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Crap, this is the best thing they've done since the CL14. Really digging the pink (but also, no matching headstock veneer wtf)

 

[marke]

Imo these capas look great, especially because no matching headstock. Most of the time matching headstocks are.. well.. ugly :/

Sometimes they look nice, but quite often not.

 

[AndiKravljaca]

Well, looks like I'm officially saving up for a Horizon then! Thanks for all the advice.

 

[jco5055]

Honestly I feel like with Capa it's more a "if it just works for you"...I've said this before as I know on paper they might be a bit overpriced, but there's just this mojo/fun factor to them for me...I feel like this is pretty common all the fans of Capa it was a case of really just perfectly gelling with them that most seem to not get.

 

[TonyFlyingSquirrel]

I’ve done professional setups on most of all the major and sub brands for many, many customers. Some come in with great core instruments as a starting point, and some in states of neglect, and then I’ve had Epiphones and Squiers come in and turn out better than many of their expensive counterparts.

Ive not had a bad ESP come across my bench, nor a USA Jackson, or Schecter. Results may vary, but the main thing is the core instrumen, ie; the body and neck. If the neck isn’t straight and the fingerboard dead flat in truss rod adjustment to start with, the setup quality can diminish significantly from there. I’ve had $3K Gibsons with wavy necks, and I’ve had $300 Squiers with straight necks, and I’ll be honest, much of my repeat business is from making a $300 guitar play like a $3K guitar, but that isn’t always possible if the circumstances aren’t consistent.

 

[Steinmetzify]

Honestly I feel like with Capa it's more a "if it just works for you"...I've said this before as I know on paper they might be a bit overpriced, but there's just this mojo/fun factor to them for me...I feel like this is pretty common all the fans of Capa it was a case of really just perfectly gelling with them that most seem to not get.

This.

I took mine to a buddy’s house shortly after I got it. He’s a hardcore ESP guy but he loved it.

 

[Shawn]

ESP is that brand that only releases bland boring black sevenstrings but also has the stupidest looking multicolor stuff for their showroom CS stuff.

While I love ESP, I feel like there should be more reverse pointed headstocks...that and every model seems to come with a battery compartment. Those are my only issues.

 

[Emperoff]

While I love ESP, I feel like there should be more reverse pointed headstocks...that and every model seems to come with a battery compartment. Those are my only issues.

You forget something...