ESP/LTD/E-II/Edwards Guitar Discussion
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- čas přidán 24. 07. 2020
- Here is a discussion video on ESP guitars! I figured since I own quite a bit of ESP guitars of different branches (E-II, Edwards, etc) I would talk about how well they are made and play! Let me know what you guys think and let's talk about ESP guitars. If you are on the fence of buying an ESP guitar, I hope this video is somewhat helpful when deciding what guitar to get. Thanks for watching and please subscribe :)
Time Stamps:
ESP LTD EC-1000 01:34
ESP LTD KH-202 03:36
ESP E-II Arrow 06:09
ESP Edwards E-CY-165CTM 09:13
ESP E-II BabyMetal Arrow 7 12:15
ESP Alexi Scythe 15:09
ESP Original Series Andromeda 18:54
ESP Edwards Alexi Pink Sawtooth 22:36 - Hudba
The E-II rebranding of the old ESP Standard Series, is one of the dumbest marketing decisions ever.
Imaging Fender rebranding their USA production models as ''F-I'' or something!
I agree LOL. Imagine if Jackson decided to rename their imports to Johnson. I know the EII and ESP standard are about the same in quality depending on who you ask, but yeah I' am not a fan of the rebranding either.
It was actually confusing before when the Japan factory ones just said ESP in big font and some people think that E-II is worse quality on purpose when it’s probably just like most guitar companies going down in quality; another rumor is that this replaced the LTD Elite, but any quality that ESP might have lost over the years is not nearly as bad as Jackson and especially not Ibanez.
@@michaelgrahamwongacutemadness It literally says "ESP" on the 12th fret inlay but "E-II" on the headstock, that´s just dumb af.
@@greekfreak1980 Some of the USA made ones do too even though it also says ESP on those headstocks, so I guess they just want their custom and semi-custom ones to say it since those showcase their brand the most; I’ve tried them all and used to own an LTD Jeff Hanneman which was only shitty because of the Kahler X-Trem which has nothing to do with ESP other than their poor choice to use it instead of a Floyd Rose Special for that price-point.
I agree. Now u have to 3.2k plus to get the letters "ESP" on the headstock.
My guess is that people had a hard time justifying buying anything more expensive than ESP Standard series because of how good they are and more high end ESPs were underselling. So by leaving the ESP branding for the more high end models only and rebranding the Standard to E-ll they are pushing people more towards the higher end models. E-lls are great and people are gonna buy them anyway. But they need to reinforce the sales of the upper range guitars. IMO. This is what you do if one of your products is selling "too well" and the other one "not well enough". As a guitar player I'd sure love to get the E-ll and have ESP logo there. Because that's what it is. But I'm not mad at them. Also I think the E-ll logo looks nice. Haha. End of essay. :D Cheers from Sweden.
I think that was definitely a factor. I also heard on the ESP forums that there was a huge problem with second-hand market confusion. People were re-selling them as ESP originals, and also selling them back to the Japanese market ( they were only intended for the export market).
Damn I flinched when that headstock almost banged the door @8:13 lol
😅
Awesome video, thank you! I really want the pinky Alexi guitar. Be safe and take care
This is a really informative video, and I'm hugely jealous of your collection. I played the £4k ESP arrow at a guitar festival and it was a real revelation - like all of a sudden you realise how a guitar is meant to feel. You're saying the LTD-1000 Arrow plays very similarly? Exciting, as I've made an order for one now!
Nice info on the Edwards guitars. I know In Flames played those back in the day also!
On what models?
Awesome video man
Thanks for watching dude!
Great video man I’m in the market for and E2 wish I could afford an ESP but the E-2 look pretty dope
Thanks for this video! My Edwards guitars are the nicest I've ever owned and as you mentioned, the artist series Edwards are especially good. I have an E-FR-130GT and an artist series E-HOMR-II (Hitsugi)
Got 2 FR GT here! Fantastic guitars.
I just became the proud owner of an Edwards Alexi Blackie. Absolutely outstanding guitar and easily equal in quality to any of my E-IIs.
Thank you for the detailed review a also bought an alexi edwards and was first irritated by getting the info that its assembled in china in parts but… you are right they are great of good quality sincerely I don‘t have an ESP so have no comparison .Thumbs up 👍Keep on !
Thank you for sharing your expertise and your amazing collection of instruments. STOP doubting the value of your opinions. They are based on your personal experiences. Those top end ESPs are way out of my price range...but KUDOS to you.
I have 3 Edwards Alexi SV's and I love them and agree they are above ltd best guitars I've owned for me play great sound great feel great I want to get more of them.
Great video and an impressive collection! Just a minor correction: The white Alexi Laiho ESP you showed is not a custom shop guitar. Its serial number begins with 'SS,' indicating that it's made in ESP Standard factory(Standard Series or Signature Series, now called E-II begins with "ES"). Keep up the good work!
It’s widely known that Standard Series guitars were built by the same guys who built guitars in the custom shops. ESP pre 2011 didn’t have a specific separate factory for ESP Standards. They were all built in the existing shops to fill production quotas.
This ended in 2011.
I have a edwards horizon 3 and a Ltd deluxe that I sold and I wish I didn’t. I love both guitars.
Can you please help me with your opinion about the guitar comparison for Esp Ltd Arrow 1000 and Edwards Scythe?
Hi! I'm planning to buy either an Edwards Alexi or an E-II arrow from Japan via shipping. How are the neck profiles? I have an EII M 7 NT and the neck is quite thick. We don't have access to LTDs here and If I'm going to order one from the US, the price would be almost the same as an E-II. Lol. Would love to hear your thoughts about it. Thanks!
Hi man, first of all thanks for the great video and all the useful comparisons.
It’s clear you’re a big fan of COB and here is my question: I want to buy a brand new guitar and the choice is between the LTD Alexi 600 greeny and the Edwards E-AL-166 greeny...yep, basically the same model, but since the price it’s not so different I would like to know what would you suggest and what would you buy...thanks a lot for your kindness and keep making videos🤘🏼
hello, i've two Edwards Alexi guitar (Blacky and Pink Sawtooth) and a LTD Alexi 600 blacky and i recommand you the Edwards model, it's really better for nearly the same price :)
awesome vid Moises. always enjoy esp content. ever try PRS Core stuff? both jp esp and prs usa stuff is awesome and just top stuff. prs for trad, esp for metal lol. Top brands imo. How light is your Arrow 7? Mine was hilariously light, was like woooaah! haha. oh and you finally owned the white scythe? lets race to see who gets one of those stunning ESP USA VIIs first!! cheers
Thanks dude! I have tried a few prs guitars at namm and they were great. My arrow is pretty light actually. My e-cy-165ctm is heavier and its only a 6 lol ash is a heavy wood! As for the scythe, I'm working out a trade for it. I'm trading my Jackson KV2 USA for it so now I have to wait for a response to seal the deal haha. I would get a VII if they made 7 string versions lol.
So i have a question about the differences on an LTD alexi 600 vs the ESP alexi. I have the alexi 600 yellow edges from 2008 i think. According to the specs it looks very much the same in terms of materials and hardware. Exept the pickup with gainboost and tuners everything is the same. What is really the difference? What justify the prisbump? You can easly upgrade to the right tuners and pickup to get the same specs for the price of a few hundred dollars and with basic guitar skills you can do the fretwork and settings without to much effort? Is there anything else that is different exept where it is assembled?
Loving my alexi 600 that i got for about 300$ in close to mint condition last year.I have been thinking about upgrading the pickup to the signature one, but kind of like the HZ that is original 😂
Hey dude, looking to buy an edwards, but My fav is the white AL-128, 2nd fav is the pinky AL-166, I am leaning towards 166 because of the extra features, what do you think about the 128 vs 166??
I have both, i think the 128 is very good for the price :)
whic one is the best e-ii arrow nebula burst fishman p.u or e-ii alexi laiho ripped ?
I am a big fan of Alexi and want to buy a sig alexi guitar but If I am real big fan I don't think I need to buy edwards I just learn about them a few days ago and still cant understand why they made alexi guitars , What guitar do you recommend for a fan like me :) I want any Alexi guitar ?
When you get over some arrow I have a ESP viper standard camo 2005, and I want to change it because I realized that I want to have very vertical mast to touch standing 🤣🤣
I’m usually a schecter guy, but I bought my first Korean made ec1000 and love it. I’m thinking about getting the arrow 1000, just a little worried about the quality since it’s now made in Indonesia.
Completely understandable. I believe some ltd arrow 1000s are made in Korea still IRRC. I saw the white one at namm and it was made in Korea.
Hi, I just want you to ask your opinion about 3 guitars. You clearly play Alexi's and Arrows thus you can produce a more accurate Opinion. Between Esp Ltd Arrow 1000, Edwards Scythe, Edwards Pink Sawtooth and new Esp Ltd Ripped Alexi, which one do you think is more value for money and can reproduce the plain but all around sound? (Big Alexi Fan btw)
You are still better off with the Edwards Version than the others. The Edwards are more specked or are exactly specked like the ESP Customs. Although the body on the Edwards are pretty much RR shapes and the US market ESP and LTD are a bit bigger. One thing that I don't like about the LTD versions for the new line is that they don't have the boost like the others. I know they have to keep it affordable, but that boost is where alexi's tone is at. Also, the Edwards versions for the most part feature a Seymour Duncan Blackout pickup so keep that in mind. Long story short, go with Edwards :) I hope one day we can see Edwards Ripped and Hex models.
Nice video. I got a question for you. Should I go for an LTD arrow NT at 1000$ or e-II arrow NT at 2000$ ?
Thanks! I'd say the eii. Try to see if you can get it for a lower price if the seller accepts offers.
Alright, very helpful video indeed. So you say that even the ESP Alexi models have a bigger body than the Edwards Alexi?
The Edward's models are similar dimensions to the Jackson RR3, RR24 etc, with a really small lower wing. The US and European LTD, ESP, and E2 models have a bigger lower wing closer in dimensions to the original concord V. It's just speculation since ESP has never said one way or the other, but the common theory is its to avoid a legal battle with Jackson over trademark. Edwards is a domestic brand with no official dealers outside of Japan, so they are sort of free to do as they please, and they do lol. Really nice guitars too.
Man I’d say out of the many videos I’ve watched after seeing this you’re in the top 10 options I’d trust on the subject, that being said you think a new old B stock Ltd greeny would be worth the 1500$ they’re asking
I appreciate the kind words man! I try my best to give my perspective on these topics. As for your question, I wouldn't pay that much for a b stock ltd. They are asking too much. I'm aware of the jump in prices on guitars but that's pushing it. You may be better finding one used for less. Unless that's the guitar you really want, try lower the price if the seller allows offers.
Dude I got an awesome esp Ltd ec - 1000fr qm Violet shadow deluxe with emg 60n and emg 81b on sale from sweetwater for $949 now they are $1149 but still worth it because it’s a monster and in my opinion it plays better than anything in its price range and it plays better than most Lp’s at the $2500 - $3000 ... it’s super fast and the frets were superb , beautiful binding , beautiful finish , and I was really surprised it had the action I wanted being right out the box it was ready to play besides being slightly out of tune so yeah don’t let morons fool you it’s nothing wrong with an Ltd especially the 1000 series just give one a try ...
thanks ... GOD BLESS !!!
However, the LTDs made in Korea I have (ALX-600, MH-1000) are not as good as the made in Indonesia (MH-401). They had some issues on finish and fret job. I don't know if the MH-401 was just luck, but it`s still a reason why I would look for an Indonesian LTD first.
E-II (or ex ESP Standard) are really worth the price. Really good quality guitars. I don`t need a higher level.
That's interesting. Most of the indo ltd deluxe I tried such as the ec1000 and an arrow played great but didn't feel as good as a korean one. Maybe those were just a bad batch or something. Although, I tried an EC-1000 again and coincidentally there Korean version was right next to it. After playing both I couldn't tell the difference.
Im in between arrow Ltd 1000 and eII and kinda leaning towards Ltd cause it’s made from mahogany and eII is made from alder. Am I in wrong here?!?
Awesome vid btw 🤘😎
I'm not the biggest tone wood Connoiseur but I know both will sound great. Although, the eii will be of greater quality so look at some used. You'll be surprised what you can find. Thanks for watching! :)
I'm in the same dilemma as you: LTD 1000's are Mahogany while E-II's are Alder, thus am torn. I might just buy both an LTD 1000 and an E-II. Sounds nuts I know.
You can’t go wrong guys.
Do the edwards have poly finishes? Or do they use nitro?
Not too sure about that one man. 😕
On the head : ESP Signature Limited Moises Custom model !
Maybe one day haha or custom order one xD
22:26 - heart attack
楽器が好きな貴方を尊敬します。
babymetalを選んでくれて有り難う😊
Thank you so much! Babymetal is definitely one of my top favorite bands and the Arrow plays really good! Thanks for watching :)
Can the Edwards Alexi fit in a Jackson case? I dont want to pay $300 for the Alexi case.
Im not too sure my friend. Sorry :(
@@moisessalcido1283 No need to apologize. Thank you. What’s your favorite Alexi model?
@@9hk38f The pink sawtooth and the katakana one. I wouldn't mind pulling the on that one. The gold and black color scheme on that guitar is really nice!
Great video!
Do anyone know if it's possible to order new Edwards guitars?
Try email this guitar store
sales@hiendguitar.com
They got brandbnew edwards on their website
ESP has raised the bar on the LTD line, i just got my Arrow 1000 in the violet andromada color shit paint last week, i would find it hard to justify the jump in price to the E-II line. This arrow is that good right out of the box. i did have it pleked. it even has the stainless frets. hardly what i would call a entry lvl guitar. I can say it wont be my last ESP.
Thanks for the video i have a jackson custom soloist ; seymour duncan, ebony, neck thru body, floyd rose etc price aprox 4000$
My Another guitar is Edwards e-cy 165 -ctm
Fully same the my jackson. Edwards extreme quality, seymour duncan, floyd rose, ebony fingerboard, neck thru body and only 1600$
Like a joke
Yeah Edwards guitars are insane for how much they go for especially the e-cy models. Sometimes, I prefer it over my USA Jackons Kelly. Thanks for watching!
Edwards bodies where only at the very early beginning made in china and then finished in japan...i think now they are 100percent japan made with slightly less high spec hardware and lacquer
If they are still made in China, I think it’s just the Grassroots series. All the high end Edwards are all made in Japan like you said.
pretty sure anything all the 1000 series guitars are korean made if im not mistaken , and also if you do buy a LTD deluxe it certainly does not mean you will get a quality instrument , i just bought a TE1000 deluxe got it home unboxed it and the 23/24th frets were badly gouged and damaged (like the actual fret board itself) , the frets were extremely dirty , needless to say it went straight back into the box and straight back to my local shop the next day... now im stuck waiting on a new one to come in and out the price of the guitar . hopefully the new one is 100 percent perfect
I've got a 1996 esp custom. A guy down on his luck was trying to sell it to a pawn shop. They tryed to give him $150.00 for it I seen it was a Koran arrow custom so I gladly gave him $300.00 for it because he had kids in his car . Then I went back to his house and gave him $300.00 more. Yea it needs work but a few new things. New paint and I'll have better then a ell anyday. I bought some guyker locking tuners emg 81 and 85 sanded it down . I'm thanking of making it a wireless system installed no cord's. I'm leaving the maple neck and just clear coat it. The body's going candy apple red metallic with gold micro seaqunce beeds . The head I'm leaving it black that way I don't destroy the Numbers . I'm a car painter so I don't have to worry how good someone else will do what I want. I'll post it t soon okay
how does the monarchy go?
Sell me your white Alexi 😂
Been looking for exactly this Version for years. Now since the Hexed and Ripped came Out, it's basically Impossible to find a White Scythe Version.
I bought the LTD Greeny now. Someday i will buy the "real" ESP Hexed.
Been wanting an Alexi Signature Version basically since i started playing guitar 8 or 10 years ago.
Unfortunately I no longer have this guitar anymore 😭. I sold it to fund another guitar. That was like almost a year ago. I do miss it. Yeah the white ones are hard to find. I think there may be a couple edwards scythe guitars out there.
Hello, I'm totally agree with you and thanks for this Video ! Edwards guitar are really good, I have E AL 166 Pink sawtooth and Blacky guitar and they are really awesome, a little bit better than my E-II Wild Scythe and really better than my LTD blacky (i'm going to sell my LTD since i've purchase edwards blacky) ^^ and neck from LTD really sticky, a little bit for E-II but not with Edwards and ESP STD ^^ I've 2 ESP SV STD from 2009, one white with black pinstrapes and the another black with white pinstrapes and they are monstrous ! Next step will be custom shop ESP Katana ;) I've just a little problem with pearloid inlay on my Edwards blacky on fret 17 19 and 24 : it's missing pearloid and it's completed by something black
By my experience : ESP > Edwards > E-II >>> LTD
#Anyone have songbook of children Of Bodom - Blooddrunk and Are you dead yet(play it like it is Guitar) please
You just need a USA now : )
would you like to sell the esp alexi?
Lol "would you like"
a $1000 LTD Alexi 600 😂 good one!
You should see how much LTDs are now lol 😆
@@moisessalcido1283 oh… i know 😕
bout to see about getting an Alexi ripped in the next couple months. gonna be 2k i’m sure
@@scythe4277 Yes, it's guna be up there but I bet it will be fantastic. I'm omw to namm so I'm guna go to the ESP booth and try a lot out. If I see the ripped model, I'll let you know how it feels. 😏
@@moisessalcido1283 thanks brother, i’m searching around Orlando rn yo see if i can find one i can go play myself. Best of luck and enjoy NAMM! I’m jelly lol
What sound this guitars???!!!!!
Here's the thing. I believe the ESP Arrows are hand made. They are going for around $3500. The E-ll is not hand made. Going for $2500. I, personally, don't want any handmade guitars. Handmade means every one will be slightly different. That means you go play one at your local store and you like it. You then order one and the neck may feel slightly different. At least with the machine made E-ll, you can really expect to get the same feel.
I have the same esp original arrow and a esp kh 2 the kh 2 is used and the arrow is brand new the arrow plays so much better I think I just need to get the kh 2 frets crowned but the esp original arrow is the easiest guitar I have ever played
Yeah it might be just that. I have bought a few used eii and Edward's guitars and the issue I found with them was that the floyd needed to be replaced. I guess the previous owners didnt know that lowering the action on the trem while in tension pretty much ruins the knife edges and now if I pull back it stays sharp so I have to push down to stabilize the tuning.
moises salcido glad you said that I been doing that lol I have some feet buzz on the 14 and 15 th fret I’m having it re crowned next week for 200 kind of pricey but I want it to be perfect like my arrow the arrow has spoiled me of the way it plays
Maaaaaaaan everytime u were swinging that Alexi EII with red bevels around and the headstock was mere centimetres away from the door behind him i would cringe and cover my eyes 😳😳😳🤦♂️
Broo you have no idea haha. I low-key faint when I hit my guitars hahaha
Brother, the Alexi Leiho in your hand is not a custom shop, it's a standard, which is now known as E II
Why don't you just use black nail polish on the chips
You look like shawn from the good doctor
i find so weird that even some big artist got "LTD" model and not ESP
Look at Nergal from Behemoth, he got his own custom shop with the ESP logo but barrely play them, you always see him with LTD one
i wonder if those are actual ESP but with LTD logo just to "promote them" and be like "look even big artist uses LTD"
I just wish ESP werent so pretentious about their name, they could slap "ESP" branding even on their entry line, it wouldnt matter and people would be even more happy about it, like all the other brands, it doesnt harm the brand in any way, if it did, Ibanez or Jackson would rename their entry model then...
You are right about how it's weird how some artists only get an LTD signature guitar and not an ESP at first. Andy James was one of those guys and Brian Welch from Korn. Yeah the ESP name is a thing of it's own.
thats interesting, my thought was id rather bang up an LTD on stage than a custom ESP. but it gives credibility to the LTD line
You want to sell that E-ll Arrow for $1500? I'll buy it.
E-II, edwards and old ss series esp are made in Shandong, China. Japan factory only do pick-up mounting and QC. You can never see E-II wood job in any esp factory tour.
I have heard of that as well. I saw pictures of raw eii and even old esp standard guitars in that Chinese warehouse. Some have tried to bring it up in forums, but they immediately get attacked by users saying it's not true. Few people say that eii guitars are made the same way edwards are as well. 50\50 China/Japan. I wanted to make a video about it, but I don't know it's worth it.
What others fail to realize as well and is while a shop may be in China, for ESP and their higher end line, they put those builders though their school (ESP School), so, you aren't getting your typical Alibaba quality guitar. China has some great luthiers but budget brands with poor QA has given China as a whole a bad name
@@feilong29westerns think asians don't know woodworking. Which is funny lol. Who had those insane temples made of wood?
Esp, e-ii, ltd dlx, ltd, edwards..too much separation.
Tell me about it... 😫
Eres más coleccionista que guitarrista, no es por hatear. Y se salva la ESP de laiho, porque las demás son horribles.
Less talky more playey