Esp F50 Electric Guitar For Sale (2024 Update)

I've had this guitar for about 10 months, and it's great! It's everything you'd come to expect from the ESP LTD line. But the big question is, "How's that bridge?" My motivation for buying this specific guitar was my unending frustration with the floating tremolo on my previous guitar. We started jumping back and forth between standard and dropped D in our set, and making that work with a FR was a nightmare. With that, I had set out on finding a non-FR or fixed bridge, since I rarely used the trem' anyway. I had always wanted an ESP and the idea of each saddle being independent of one another was compelling. It can take a little to get used to, though. Tuning is done at the bridge, and the tension on the strings is adjusted by the tuning pegs. Once the string has the right amount of tension, that saddle will be "activated" in what is referred to as "zone 2". Here, the springs will counter any additional tension applied to that string up to a given point. This means that you cannot do bends or change the pitch in any real or easy way. Some people may like this, but it feels very odd, and the people at Evertune know that most people don't play like this. So, to get the best of both worlds, you will need to apply enough tension on the saddle to bring it right up to the edge of zone 2 by turning the tuning pegs. What I found to be helpful here is to not just listen for the note to change, but to pull on the string and visually inspect movement in the saddle. Once this is set, it feels like a normal guitar with just a tad more tension on the strings. The guitar will come with 10-gauge strings. I gave that a shot for a while. Only recently did I switch them out for some 9s. I think it feels a lot better with a lighter gauge string, especially considering that tad bit of tension. A tip I learned regarding Dropped D was to tune the guitar down by default. Then tune up the low E, which puts that saddle into "zone 3". This is far easier than the reverse and stiJohn Q. GuitarPlayer

Im pretty good,not like a professional or anything but I practice about two to three hours a day. I love to play the guitar. I dont like guitars with bad sounds, bad buzzing sounds when you strumm, poor qqquality, and very poor pickups. I was looking to buy an ESP guitar like the LTD M100 when my birthday comes again in 7/11.Antonio the guitarist

People exagerate about this guitar on its flaws. I have yet to experience any of the bad flaws that were mentioned and i've had two of these puppies for 2 years now. Sure i eventually traded the pickups for active ones ('cause i favor actives) but the stocks were still good, its the amp settings that would make it sound hoorible. Yeah the strings buzzed a little but a small adjustment to the action of the strings helped that. My bridge still works like a charm and gets better and hasnt failed me or my tuning yet. Overall a very overlooked guitar. Ive dropped 'em numerous times i havent even had a chip off of it. Definitely better than any gibson or fender ive ever played.Extreme Sound Producer

I have been playing for about 11 years now and own quite a few guitars. Before I start bashing the other reveiws let me present my take on this guitar first. First of all in this price catagory you will not find an equal in any other brand. Starting with frett buzz, there has been very few guitars that i have bought that did not require a full out intonation, action set and neck adjustment out of the box. On double locking briges you also have to adjust your tension springs. After I brought this baby home and changed the strings I went ahead with my normal set up. If you do not know how to set up your own guitar ask your local Sam Ash Tech to help you out. In most cases what seperates guitar pricing the most is hard ware ( pick-ups, tuners, bridge ect..). This guitar has very basic stuff. For beginners or a nice practice piece this is perfect. As your playing progresses or if you are already experienced you will want to upgrade thse items. Again your Sam Ash Tech can help you out with this as well. Bottomline anybody writing reviews claiming to be experienced who either;A) Buys a guitar in this price range and expects to use the stock hardware to fit there neeeds orB) Has to complain about frett buzz because they can't set up there own instrument.Is clearly not someone I would take advice from. Hope this helpsJtighe

I bought this guitar for Christmas last year. It is not September. I loved this guitar the minute I got it. It stays in tune very well, the pickups are ok, though I intend on replacing them, there was a little fret buzz on the high E but it was easily fixed. I also replaced the knobs with speedknobs. It's great for metal, and I've gotten away with playing Punk and pop-punk with it. One thing I woudl caution you on though, the body is LARGER than standard guitars so you'll have to buy a ESP AX case or a Coffin Case, or if you can find another universal fit case, then that will work too, but all in all, it is an amazing buy. You can email me if you have any more questions.K.H.

If you haven't played one these your missing out on a great guitar. I have had just about every guitar you could think of (been at it for fifty years) and I just happened to pick one up and was blown away. The sound,how it feels to play with factory setup just screams metal. I like to use my 60 watt roland alot and man this thing just comes alive. The feel of the neck and good tuners just makes this a great buy. For the price I got two. Black and silver. The only thing I found is that the paint marks real easy (pick marks)so I made a custom pickguard for it and that fixed that. I like my guitars to look good so I have skull knobs and I'm working on a skull nut cover. All I know is this is a great5 value for the money. Try it you'll like it!MikeRock-juTUV

This is a great metal guitar. It actually was my first guitar and I still love it. But it has its kinks. For starters don't be expecting to shred high up on the board, the bolt-on neck and sheer size of this axe will make it really difficult. Also if you are looking for a soft, bluesy guitar, click back now. This guitar has such a metal bite and a sick drive. Its pickups are great, teamed with a decent amp (I use a Line 6 Spider III 15W) you will get a clean no buzz sound. Now, yes, there are better guitars out there for the same part (but not a good metal one). So if you have a metal heart, this is the iron fist you've been looking for!Were_blood

Overall: I have 2 of the ESP E2 M2 Urban Camo NT guitars and can't be happier. I got the third one back in March 2019 after my second one got stolen. I wanted to wait to write a review after I put the guitar through a few gigs and studio sessions. The guitars are total "machines", they perform above and beyond my expectations. I've got 2 of them and the old one (2016 model) hangs in there with the 2018 model I got back in March. I tune one in E standard and one in Eb tuning for different songs that we play, both guitars never go outta tune, they take all the punishment of the road and the studio, and they look cool on stage too. I wear camo on stage so they match me! The tone of these guitars through a Marshall Full Stack(tube)is legendary! Searing highs and moaning lows and everything in between, all the sounds a metal band would want! I get compliments on my tone from people and I tell them it's good equipment choices that I've made. The build quality of the guitars is perfect, their more like works of art with the paint jobs that they have and all of the cuts in the wood couldn't be more perfect. I would recommend these guitars to any pro who was looking for a shredder guitar for metal, death metal, hard rock, or prog cause that is exactly what they were built for, the sound, the lifestyle, the environment, everything! You don't have to modify nothing cause the guitars are already hot-rodded outta the box! With EMG 81's (Active), Floyd Rose locking bridge and nut, and Gotoh locking tuners(easy string changes). Just plug and play! If you get the black model or opt for the urban camo(my fav)ESP has built a shredding machine that is setup to make you play like a star. And ESP customer support was right there to answer any questions I had about the guitars, thanks to their website. Thanks ESP and Thanks zZounds!!!Jim

Overall: This guitar is awesome. Just received it yesterday. I used to own a esp mii standard series from 2010 and it is every bit as good as my eii mii and in some aspects better. The one I received has a dark rosewood fretboard and looks really high grade my old mii rosewood board was light in color in comparison. I keep looking the guitar over and I can’t find a single flaw. When I received the guitar the setup was flawless and it was even in tune. The fretwork is excellent. All hardware is top of the line. This guitar sounds so good for metal. It has a very quality sound and I play it through a evh 5150iii. It plays very good and effortlessly with no buzzing at all anywhere on the board. I am very impressed and can’t say enough things about it. I recommend anyone to buy this and not be hung up on the eii logo on the headstock vs. esp logo. It’s ever bit as good as my old standard and maybe better in ways. Don’t hesitate.Kelsey

My second favorite guitar of all times. I have many of good instruments but this one is woooow. My first favorite is Ibanez MTM1 if you were curious to ask. This esp is pushing you to play, cant play just for a couple minutes… every time you get stuck with it and dont feel time passing. So nice. I think I want to buy couple more ESPs. Nice work.Artem Bikin

This is really a great guitar, with a good setup and some d'adario 10's I was able to get a perfect super low action. I have several other guitars that are far more expensive but just don't play as well or nearly as comfortably. This is a lower end model but it's quality is unquestionable. It doesn't sound bad stock but a pickup upgrade I have made it my favorite guitar to play. I now have a distinct favor towards this companies guitars. If I enjoy their base models this much, I can't wait to see how much I love their higher end models.k.weed89

Cheap and cheerful but after a good clean, new strings and a little while setting up. It's a nice reserve guitar. Good crunchy metal sound from standard pickups may spend a little to upgrade in the future.nobby-jon

For $199.99 this guitar is an absolute steal.It has stock pickups and an entry level licensed Floyd Rose trem but what really shines on this guitar is the neck. It is very thin and flat witch I really like and the fret work is impeccable. they are highly polished,silky smooth,and the ends of the frets are dressed perfectly as good as any high end guitar I have ever played or looked at. This is now my practice guitar and is perfect for an entry level/intermediate player looking for an affordable axe that is easy on the wallet.paudruschk-0

With this guitar going on sale it's worth the wait, it's neck feels awesome and active emg's for Rock and metal especially sound great bit it'll handle any style you jam. It is a quilted maple top but there's a big difference between satin and gloss but still looks awesome but that glassy look many have is far from this. Plus if you do the points you'll get enough back to get the musicians friend molded case for single cutaway guitars which fits this guitar really well. For the money it'd be hard to find a better guitar in this price range ,it's also fairly light which your shoulder will thank you forRock it out

When you look at construction; great p'ups (JB & 59 SD's on my sunburst), locking tuners, tonepros locking bridge, a comfortable weight, good balance, more bling than a guitar deserves (although I do find that all of this abalone makes the fingerboard feel glass-smooth and is super fast!), great sustain and with a decreased head-stock angle (over the LP) to reduce neck breakage, 2-way adjustable truss rod and a much better price it's sort of a no brainer. I've had mine about 2 years and did have to change out the 3-way toggle after about 6 months due to periodic shorting out, but other than that it's been a fantastic guitar. Some day I might spring for the LP, but guitars are about tone, ergonomics, durability and how they comfortable they feel & play. The LTD EC-1000 has a lot going for it. It'll rock your socks off and cleans up nicely too! I can get some great country tones out of this one as well!JS

Fwiw, my experience is limited to being an "experienced beginner", not quite a low level intermediate. This guitar plays great and came set up decently with no obvious flaws in finish or quality. I believe it may be on sale because of problems with the finish color. Mine is beautiful, but definitely not the color described. The back is black, but the front is very greenish with off-white, yellowish binding. I love it, but if you are set on the color as described you could be disappointed if the whole batch is like this.Soylent Green

With this guitar going on sale it's worth the wait, it's neck feels awesome and active emg's for Rock and metal especially sound great bit it'll handle any style you jam. It is a quilted maple top but there's a big difference between satin and gloss but still looks awesome but that glassy look many have is far from this. Plus if you do the points you'll get enough back to get the musicians friend molded case for single cutaway guitars which fits this guitar really well. For the money it'd be hard to find a better guitar in this price range ,it's also fairly light which your shoulder will thank you forRock it out

When you look at construction; great p'ups (JB & 59 SD's on my sunburst), locking tuners, tonepros locking bridge, a comfortable weight, good balance, more bling than a guitar deserves (although I do find that all of this abalone makes the fingerboard feel glass-smooth and is super fast!), great sustain and with a decreased head-stock angle (over the LP) to reduce neck breakage, 2-way adjustable truss rod and a much better price it's sort of a no brainer. I've had mine about 2 years and did have to change out the 3-way toggle after about 6 months due to periodic shorting out, but other than that it's been a fantastic guitar. Some day I might spring for the LP, but guitars are about tone, ergonomics, durability and how they comfortable they feel & play. The LTD EC-1000 has a lot going for it. It'll rock your socks off and cleans up nicely too! I can get some great country tones out of this one as well!JS

Fwiw, my experience is limited to being an "experienced beginner", not quite a low level intermediate. This guitar plays great and came set up decently with no obvious flaws in finish or quality. I believe it may be on sale because of problems with the finish color. Mine is beautiful, but definitely not the color described. The back is black, but the front is very greenish with off-white, yellowish binding. I love it, but if you are set on the color as described you could be disappointed if the whole batch is like this.Soylent Green

I bought an LTD M10 about a year ago and love it so much that I bought an EC10 too, planning on slapping some humbucker-sized P90s in it for a different tone. Here's the details on how DIFFERENT these two guitars are, despite appearing more similar at first glance. – Headstock shape; just personal preference. I prefer the 3+3 design of the EC (functionally). – Scale length; the EC has a slightly shorter scale length (24.75" vs 25.5") than the M, making it somewhat easier to play, especially when performing wide stretches and chording. Bends are easier due to lower string tension. The longer scale of the M I believe contributes to superior tonal qualities. -The EC has a painted neck back to match the body. The M has a natural satin transparent finish. Personal preference, but I prefer the transparent finish for the more natural feel. -Both guitars have a 350mm (13.7") fretboard radius, which is somewhat flat, but not extremely so. -The EC has 24 frets, while the M has 22. -The M has slightly better upper fret access since the body shape is less restrictive of fretting hand thumb placement. -Both guitars have TOM bridges, but the M is strung through the body, whereas the EC has a stop tailpiece. String thru designs are lighter and arguably provide more resonance, but the tailpiece is adjustable, allowing you to raise or lower string tension. -Slightly different control layouts, particularly with the pickup selector; a blade on the M vs a toggle on the EC. -EC is slightly heavier. -Strap button placement affects strap retention and where the guitar hangs. The M retains a strap better and sits "closer" (further right) due to the horn, providing easier lower fret access. The EC has no horn so it sits "further" out (further left), naturally guiding the left hand towards the middle of the neck. -The EC sounds beefier, but muddier. The M has clearer but a BIT thinner tone. -The M is made in China and the EC is made in Indonesia. Hope this helps you decide between the two.Pazuzu

I did not buy mine from MF, but I had to put in my opinion. I bought my EC-10 from some guy who posted it on an app. He had not taken very good care of it and the body had a lot of dings and chipped paint. The neck was still good and the hardware was solid. I stripped off all the paint and sanded out most of the dings, stained it and put a coat of shiny finish on it. Topped it off with a new set of EMGs (just my preference the stock pups were actually pretty nice). Now it is one of my favorite guitars to play and I wouldn't give it up for anything. If my used and abused old EC-10 can be this good, I can only imagine what a brand new one could be like. May be buying a new one in the near future.Chris

I am just beginning to try and teach myself to play guitar. So I'm hesitant to give it any kind of star rating or say anything about the guitar in regards to quality of playability, electronics/pickups, tone or any of that important stuff, as I don't have the experience to fairly do so. I've played drums for about 20+ years in bands, so have been around plenty of guitar gear that I know was good. Vintage or custom Gibson and Fender guitars with high end or specialty pickups and hardware, running through half stack 100 watt Mesa Boogie triple rectifiers, 100 watt Marshall JCM 800s/900s, Vox AC 30s, Orange Rockerverbs, Sovteks, etc. Pretty much guitars and amps that sound amazing and are my only in person points of reference. However, It would be completey unfair to try and compare this sub-$200 guitar going through my little Blackstar HT5R combo to the guitars and rigs mentioned above that I'm used to drumming along with. My girlfriend was wonderful enough to buy this guitar for me and she took a good friend who's played for 20+ years and has a 1978 Les Paul himself and after checking out/playing a few lower budget guitars in the store, some in the used section that cost a little more, he recommended this one. Said it played good to him, didn't have the fret buzz that the guitar I wanted to replace had and happened to be the sweet satin black finish he remembered me saying I liked. To sum it up, I doubt this is a guitar any of the experienced players I know would have, but as a beginner still trying to figured out how to fret chord shapes, I'm very happy with this entry-level/budget guitar. Only minor complaint I have so far is that the low E (which I drop to C or D) string seems to need frequent tuning. I'm considering taking it to GC for a proper setup and have larger gauge strings put on, so hoping that might help. But for the price I'd say it's worth any beginner checking out. If only these entry level guitars would include some in-person lessons, lol.Marcus E.

Excelente guitar. I´m very dissapointed about the factory setup. For the price, I was expecting at least a playable factory setup. Instead it was with a really high strings action, pickups height totally out of pattern. And the finish wasn´t flawless. I has a little detail by the end of the scale. Besides that, Tumbstone Hard case is amazing! I was expecting more of the ESP inspections before it left the factory. By the way, the guitar was packed in the original box yet.Rodrigo

Overall: I was thinking about buying an ESP LTD for a while, and when I saw this guitar I was just blown away by how it looked, and the features it has. I'm happy to report that when it arrived at my home( which only took one day, thank you zZounds and fedex) I was even more blown away. The action is perfect out of the box, it's super lite, it plays faster than almost any guitar I've ever played, the Floyd Rose is top notch, and since I've stretched the strings and locked it, I hasn't gone out of tune once, and the sound is just mind blowing. I was a little nervous when I saw the body wood type was alder, being most of my guitars are mahogany, I thought the low end response would be affected. But I'm happy to tell everyone, it sounds like a beast. And of course the emg pickups are always incredible in my opinion. Plus it comes with the coolest case ever. It's got a tombstone motif on it. There's not enough good things I could say about this wonderful guitar. I was wailing sweep arpeggios all day on this bad boy, and every note was clear as a bell, no matter how fast I was playing. I highly recommend this guitar to anyone who's a metal aficionado. You won't be disappointed.Rob

I had been hunting for a V for a few months and I stumbled on to the Black Metal Arrow. I have a Gary Holt LTD and I love how it plays and sounds. I did comparisons between the two and the Arrow is almost exact specs of the GH-600. There are a couple small differences but I love how the ESP plays and knew that I could buy this Arrow without playing it first I would be happy, and I was extremely happy. The single pickup is perfect for me I usually only use the bridge pickup anyhow. One thing I really like about this guitar is the angle of the body. The front has been beveled so that my arm lays perfectly on the body. Just like my other ESP this thing screams. You can rip a violent harmonic and dive down or pull back on the whammy and it just screams. The kill switch is pretty cool. Right now it is more just for fun, I don't think I will incorporate it into any songs or anything. This was a great investment.ChupaCabra

This guitar has it all! A sleek look, the simplicity of a single pickup/volume knob and tons of attitude to spare. This guitar is sweet! It plays so nicely with the macassar ebony fretboard, and the stainless steel frets make shredding and bending the stings a breeze. It’s definitely a showstopper as well. I get so many compliments on not just the looks, but the crushing tone it produces through the single EMG 81 pickup. If you’re a shredder and want to add some menacing Black Metal savagery to your arsenal, look no further than this guitar. You’ll be glad that you did! ????Riff Ross

Overall: I have 2 of the ESP E2 M2 Urban Camo NT guitars and can't be happier. I got the third one back in March 2019 after my second one got stolen. I wanted to wait to write a review after I put the guitar through a few gigs and studio sessions. The guitars are total "machines", they perform above and beyond my expectations. I've got 2 of them and the old one (2016 model) hangs in there with the 2018 model I got back in March. I tune one in E standard and one in Eb tuning for different songs that we play, both guitars never go outta tune, they take all the punishment of the road and the studio, and they look cool on stage too. I wear camo on stage so they match me! The tone of these guitars through a Marshall Full Stack(tube)is legendary! Searing highs and moaning lows and everything in between, all the sounds a metal band would want! I get compliments on my tone from people and I tell them it's good equipment choices that I've made. The build quality of the guitars is perfect, their more like works of art with the paint jobs that they have and all of the cuts in the wood couldn't be more perfect. I would recommend these guitars to any pro who was looking for a shredder guitar for metal, death metal, hard rock, or prog cause that is exactly what they were built for, the sound, the lifestyle, the environment, everything! You don't have to modify nothing cause the guitars are already hot-rodded outta the box! With EMG 81's (Active), Floyd Rose locking bridge and nut, and Gotoh locking tuners(easy string changes). Just plug and play! If you get the black model or opt for the urban camo(my fav)ESP has built a shredding machine that is setup to make you play like a star. And ESP customer support was right there to answer any questions I had about the guitars, thanks to their website. Thanks ESP and Thanks zZounds!!!Jim

Overall: This guitar is awesome. Just received it yesterday. I used to own a esp mii standard series from 2010 and it is every bit as good as my eii mii and in some aspects better. The one I received has a dark rosewood fretboard and looks really high grade my old mii rosewood board was light in color in comparison. I keep looking the guitar over and I can’t find a single flaw. When I received the guitar the setup was flawless and it was even in tune. The fretwork is excellent. All hardware is top of the line. This guitar sounds so good for metal. It has a very quality sound and I play it through a evh 5150iii. It plays very good and effortlessly with no buzzing at all anywhere on the board. I am very impressed and can’t say enough things about it. I recommend anyone to buy this and not be hung up on the eii logo on the headstock vs. esp logo. It’s ever bit as good as my old standard and maybe better in ways. Don’t hesitate.Kelsey

My second favorite guitar of all times. I have many of good instruments but this one is woooow. My first favorite is Ibanez MTM1 if you were curious to ask. This esp is pushing you to play, cant play just for a couple minutes… every time you get stuck with it and dont feel time passing. So nice. I think I want to buy couple more ESPs. Nice work.Artem Bikin

This is the first ESP E-II guitar I have owned or played. I also have owned an ESP custom shop in the past. I must say this fret board feels just as good as the higher end ESP custom shop guitar. The neck is thin, but not too thin. It is flatter than my jackson sl1 compound radius fretboard, and it is a nice change. The pickups have a great range, totally different sounds bridge to neck giving a lot of versatility. Had a lot of fun with this so far!Steven the Yellow Dart

What an absolute MONSTER this guitar is! This is a metal machine with looks that kill. Absolutely stunning quilted maple top, despite being a mahogany body it's relatively lightweight, the dual Bareknuckle Aftermath tiger pickups are excellent and the maple fretboard is stunning making this guitar really pop. My favourite thing? Mine came with a SATIN neck, despite many photos online, even on ESP's website show it as a gloss finish. Also, it's definitely green – not turquoise.Andrew M.

Sound: As I mentioned above, I was skeptical about a single pickup configuration. However, this guitar's sound cuts through the mix, whether running through a chord progression riff or laying down a solo run. It's clear, concise, and articulated, even saturated with distortion. Response is immaculate, for my playing style, which varies, depending on the song we're playing. Features: Other than the Floyd Rose, given that I don't use a tremolo unit but very seldom, everything else, is perfect for the guitar. Mahogany is iconic for tone wood. I love the extra jumbo frets, as I like to bend strings when soloing. The controls are laid out nicely, conveniently, on the body. It is a comfortable guitar to play… nicely balanced. Ease of Use: Getting the sound you want is as easy and strumming or picking the strings. As with any guitar, a little dialing in, of the amp, and/or effects you're using, is always needed, given no two guitars have the same voice. It's fits seamlessly with what I use, (Marshall JVM410 through Marshall 1960 A and B cabs), and a few effects. Quality: The F is solidly constructed. I see years of trouble-free playing. Cosmetically, this is a beautiful instrument. Value: In my humble opinion, it's worth the money. I would, were anything to happen to it, buy another one. Manufacturer Support: I have not needed to consult the manufacturer. The Wow Factor: The F is a very appealing guitar. It has a look, a vibe, that appeals to the darker side of you. It speaks to a part of you, that is seldom given voice. Overall: Having been playing the F model, now, for a couple of weeks, I am impressed, something not easily done. Upon unboxing, tuning, and testing play, all that was needed… make the appropriate adjustment to eliminate a little fret buzz. The fit and finish is flawless, the look of the F screams METAL!!! The sound is amazing and it cuts through the mix. Playability is superb throughout the length of the neck.I had looked at the F on and off, being skeptical about a single pickup and a Floyd Rose, given the horror stories I've heard about tuning instabilities. However, my skepticisms proved unfounded. There is that unmistakable feel of a neck-through body guitar, unsurpassed by anything else, that cannot be matched. The F allows you to play it pretty, or as pretty as it gets with heavier, darker music or you can play it hard, dark, and dirty. The EMG 81 performs as you would expect and have come know, from the 81.The F's appearance, as I mentioned screams METAL. It has a sinister dark yet eloquent, (in a dark way), appearance, but will, definitely, catch the eye.Mikki

So. Guitar arrived on time,and required zero setup. Literally tune and play. I have an older version of this,the ex50. Both are amazing… buy one.Gary Mayhem Rumpff

This guitar is absolutely amazing, the neck is fast and not loggy, vary easy to move up and down the neck. The pickups it comes are bright and aggressive and the weight of it is just right, not to heavy and not to light and has a good natural tone. Finally it looks amazing all black finish with all black hardware including locking tuners and white binding going around the neck and headstock.Bret

Best guitar I have ever owned! I play mainly in Drop A#, and this guitar intonates perfectly for low tunings. Amazing clarity in really heavy tunings. Fretboard is fantastic and very fast. I have never been a fan of EMG's, so I switched it out for a Seymour Duncan AHB-3 Blackout, and the sound improved a lot. Definitely recommend this guitar!Kevin

This is the first ESP E-II guitar I have owned or played. I also have owned an ESP custom shop in the past. I must say this fret board feels just as good as the higher end ESP custom shop guitar. The neck is thin, but not too thin. It is flatter than my jackson sl1 compound radius fretboard, and it is a nice change. The pickups have a great range, totally different sounds bridge to neck giving a lot of versatility. Had a lot of fun with this so far!Steven the Yellow Dart

What an absolute MONSTER this guitar is! This is a metal machine with looks that kill. Absolutely stunning quilted maple top, despite being a mahogany body it's relatively lightweight, the dual Bareknuckle Aftermath tiger pickups are excellent and the maple fretboard is stunning making this guitar really pop. My favourite thing? Mine came with a SATIN neck, despite many photos online, even on ESP's website show it as a gloss finish. Also, it's definitely green – not turquoise.Andrew M.

Overall: About a year ago, in April, I bought this guitar as a sort of early (very early) birthday gift to myself. A couple months ago, I finished paying off this guitar, and took a deep breath. I held off on writing this review to make sure it wasn't a honeymoon phase, and here I am.Firstly, let's talk about the construction and quality. In it's price range, this thing is unrivaled and unmatched. There's no way that I could see any Gibson coming close and maybe only a PRS in terms of fit and finish. Flawless. From there we got the neck feel – I'm a firm believer that ESP makes the best modern neck shape in the game. Hell, best neck shape period. The Thin U is perfect for just about anything and one of the most comfortable necks I've tried. The sleek feel translates directly to the clean aesthetics. A Sandy beach shore fade on a burl maple top with light flaming in the deep colors. An absolute joy to play and look at. The hardware compliments it nicely in a dark brushed chrome. The pickups give the nice looking exterior a screaming, heavy sound ah since if the best pickups that EMG has to offer in the 57TW/66TW set. All of this and it includes Schaller strap locks.Long story short every time I pick up this guitar in truly in awe of it's playability, craftsmanship, and just how affordable it is considering everything else. With every single penny, and ESP has a return customer for life.Socks

I honestly hate having to go to work anymore because I do not want to put this guitar down. No detail was over looked. It looks fantastic with the flat black and gold hardware. Playability is equal to my 91 PRS Custom 24…not kidding, it's flawless. The action was PERFECT out of the case. The EMGs are what they are…EMGs, you know what your getting. To me, that's all subjective and I'm focused on overall build quality and playability. Comparing this to a Les Paul really isn't fair. The E-II wins in my hands. I've had a couple nice LPs and the E-II is lighter and more comfortable to play than both. Seriously, if you are looking for a top notch player, look at the E-IIs.Rob

the pickups benefit me since i tune to drop A#, the bare knuckles do this guitar amazing justice and if you're looking to play in lower tunings or in need of a metal guitar; this might be worth a lookmartin r

I have always been a Gibson man, but always end up with flaws ranging from rough fret ends to loud hum, and even to cosmetic dings on a guitar marketed as new. I wanted to trust in the consistent reputation of high quality from Japanese craftsmanship, and I must say that the finish and build of the guitar is solid. However, the strings were cut off right outside of the holes on the pegs, instead of being wrapped around, so all of them ended up popping off after I tuned down for some metal type stuff, which ESP is intended for. I had to put on some new strings, and no matter how much I stretched 'em and retuned and used the Gotoh locking tuners, the tuning stability was among the worst I've ever experienced. The finish and the pickups are really nice, though!Lee the Fee