ESP 2021 New Models

[soul_lip_mike]

The exhibition models are meant to be over the top. I’ve always enjoyed the videos of their making over the end products really. They are genuinely masterful luthiers and their ability to handle building each part with ease is impressive.
But remember they’re in Japan and the Japanese market sets a really high bar for doing some over the top guitars. A number of them can end up stateside, but I don’t think their goal is necessarily going head-to-head with PRS top tier.
That said, they do that well too:View attachment 91423

That eclipse is so amazing IMHO (I'm a sucker for ocean-like blue quilt finishes). Does anybody know how the controls might be configured? I see standard LP-location pickup switch and the other one is ....?

 

[HeHasTheJazzHands]

That eclipse is so amazing IMHO (I'm a sucker for ocean-like blue quilt finishes). Does anybody know how the controls might be configured? I see standard LP-location pickup switch and the other one is ....?

I've seen some guitars it acts like a coil split. Not sure what it does for the EMG loaded guitars. Probably a killswitch.

 

[narad]

There were a few I thought were actually bordering on being tastefully done. Usually just a swap of one spec would move it into something I'd actually buy.

 

[Masoo2]

Like always there are some absolutely bonkers tops and fretboards, but for some reason there isn't a single exhibition this year that I look at and think "man, I'd actually like to own that." They all have something pretty major off with them imo.

Regardless, these have some interesting design choices:

The flame on that board jesus... though I'm not so sure how I feel about the transition from the blue spalt maple(?) core to the brown fade flame

Really curious as to what they're actually doing with this, is it like woodburned/etched in or just printed out and then finished over?

I really want to like this for it's separate elements (body, neck, inlay work) but when all mashed together it kinda falls flat, shame because I think with some refinement (notably toning down the fretboard and headstock) I'd be a really nice piece. Maybe a little pink/pomegranate towards the end of the fade would make things pop

Did all of the past exhibition hexagon models have a sort of swirly resin(?) within the body or is that new? Fretboard wood color isn't helping either, nor the mix of black and chrome hardware

Also major overuse of the brushed/worn chrome custom hardware this year, not everything needs to look like James Trussart dropped by the shop to help out

 

[narad]

Like always there are some absolutely bonkers tops and fretboards, but for some reason there isn't a single exhibition this year that I look at and think "man, I'd actually like to own that." They all have something pretty major off with them imo.

Regardless, these have some interesting design choices:

The flame on that board jesus... though I'm not so sure how I feel about the transition from the blue spalt maple(?) core to the brown fade flame

Really curious as to what they're actually doing with this, is it like woodburned/etched in or just printed out and then finished over?

I really want to like this for it's separate elements (body, neck, inlay work) but when all mashed together it kinda falls flat, shame because I think with some refinement (notably toning down the fretboard and headstock) I'd be a really nice piece. Maybe a little pink/pomegranate towards the end of the fade would make things pop

Did all of the past exhibition hexagon models have a sort of swirly resin(?) within the body or is that new? Fretboard wood color isn't helping either, nor the mix of black and chrome hardware

Also major overuse of the brushed/worn chrome custom hardware this year, not everything needs to look like James Trussart dropped by the shop to help out

The past hexagon models weren't all swirly resin -- two of the first used gold paint and were really cool, but they've been moving in the epoxy direction the past couple of exhibitions.

 

[MaxOfMetal]

Also major overuse of the brushed/worn chrome custom hardware this year, not everything needs to look like James Trussart dropped by the shop to help out

 

[Hollowway]

I’m not a huge fan of the exhibition type models, but I will say the Shinigami they did years ago was one of the coolest things I’d ever seen, and I still love it. That was as cool as the J Frog Mom for me.

 

[MaxOfMetal]

I’m not a huge fan of the exhibition type models, but I will say the Shinigami they did years ago was one of the coolest things I’d ever seen, and I still love it. That was as cool as the J Frog Mom for me.

Yeah, stuff like that was at least interesting and unique.

These plastic top guitars are just so overdone now.

 

[Hollowway]

Yeah, stuff like that was at least interesting and unique.

These plastic top guitars are just so overdone now.

Agreed. Maybe we’re in a bubble, and have had our retinas burned out by the Kiesels over the last few years, but I don’t find the mash ups of woods and colors even remotely interesting. If anything, it’s pushing me the opposite direction - I’m loving the minimalistic concepts Jens Ritter is doing these days, for instance.

 

[MaxOfMetal]

Agreed. Maybe we’re in a bubble, and have had our retinas burned out by the Kiesels over the last few years, but I don’t find the mash ups of woods and colors even remotely interesting. If anything, it’s pushing me the opposite direction - I’m loving the minimalistic concepts Jens Ritter is doing these days, for instance.

Yeah, Ritter has been, and probably always will be, the master of this sort of ultra limited, ultra aesthetic one-offs. The dude has a great eye for the "it" factor on things like this.

These do feel like Kiesels, which is probably the worst thing you could say. Not knocking on Kiesel, they know that thier weird color and resin builds are just fucking around. It's like ESP took a joke seriously for what, the third year in a row?

 

[narad]

Yeah, Ritter has been, and probably always will be, the master of this sort of ultra limited, ultra aesthetic one-offs. The dude has a great eye for the "it" factor on things like this.

These do feel like Kiesels, which is probably the worst thing you could say. Not knocking on Kiesel, they know that thier weird color and resin builds are just fucking around. It's like ESP took a joke seriously for what, the third year in a row?

Have you seen the reactions to those resin spot models in the other ESP thread though? People are digging them. Meanwhile I just saw a set of 3 Harry Potter themed Aristides, with a lot of likes. And @StevenC reminded me of this build the other day:

Which begs the question, did the terrorists win?

 

[MaxOfMetal]

Have you seen the reactions to those resin spot models in the other ESP thread though?

I wouldn't know. I don't negotiate with terrorists.

Though, I tend to give customer builds a pass, this comic comes to mind:

 

[mlp187]

I actually love these builds, but I absolutely hate the in-house hardware. It looks cheap to me, and ruins what would otherwise be a dreamy guitar in my book. The pricing is ridiculous, even if it is to be expected.

This one and the purple one are my favorite:

 

[MaxOfMetal]

I actually love these builds, but I absolutely hate the in-house hardware. It looks cheap to me, and ruins what would otherwise be a dreamy guitar in my book. The pricing is ridiculous, even if it is to be expected.

I haven't even looked at pricing on these. Based on last year's, I'm guessing about $16k?

 

[mlp187]

Yeah, $16-$18k

 

[narad]

These things are already super played out in the DIY furniture world:

 

[Zado]

I find em artistically pleasing, very fancy looking, but as objects I'd hang on the wall like I'd do with a portrait or something of that sort. Make no sense as guitars.

 

[Millul]

I find them to be really...fatiguing? to the eyes, for lack of a better term? To busy.
The one posted by mlp187 is the one I like the best, even if i think a darker/no inlay fretboard would serve it better...but alas, I'll never be the taret audience for these.

 

[works0fheart]

I actually really like their expedition stuff. Would I ever play it? No, probably not, but I can certainly say that if I were going to have a guitar built I'd be hard-pressed to not go to them or Jackson.

Looking to maybe do just that by the end of the year, but haven't decided on which yet.

 

[Seabeast2000]

Retvrn to Quilt Maple.