Esp Eclipse II Review
Contents |
Information
Original author: AudioPaal
Weapon: Guitar
Make: ESP
Model: Eclipse II
Price: 13.000 NOK (ca. 2300 USD)
I'm sorry, I haven't taken any pictures of my guitar yet. But I will, and I'll update this review when I have.
In the meantime you'll have to live with this picture from the ESP website
The purchase
I've wanted one of these for a long time, but couldn't afford one. One day I decided to sell my old guitars (except my first one..) and add a bunch of money to that and buy three new guitars; The ESP Eclipse II, The Gibson Les Paul Nasville Junior (reviewed here) and a Gibson Chet Atkins SST. Man am I glad I did it, this guitar is so beautiful and a pleasure to play. I should have bought it a long time ago!
Description/Features
A ESP Eclipse II.
Amber cherry sunburst finish with a very nice quilted maple top. Mahogany body/neck and Rosewood fingerboard with Flag inlays and ESP at the 12th fret. 2 volume and 1 tone control as well as a three way switch. Looks amazing
Technical Description
Binding: White binding on body, neck & headstock, Body: Mahogany, Bridge/Tremolo: Gotoh tune-o-matic bridge w/stop tailpiece, Controls: 2 volume & 1 tone control w/3-way toggle, Fingerboard: Ebony Frets: 22 XJ frets, Inlays: Flag inlays w/ESP at 12th fret, Machine Heads: Sperzel locking tuners, Neck Joint: Set-neck, Neck Material: 3-Piece Mahogany, Pickguard: None, Pickups: EMG 81 (bridge) and EMG 60 (neck) active pick-ups, Scale: 24 3/4".
Price
Bought in Norway from Rebelimport (www.rebelimport.net) for 13.000 NOK (ca. 2300 USD). This is actually "cheap" in Norway as they usually go for 17.000 NOK (ca. 3000 USD), which is crazy compared to what it costs in the United States for example.
Sound
Sound is classic EMG, but a bit less shrill on the highs, mainly due to the mahogany body. Sustains forever. I really enjoy the sound, it's exactly what I want for my rock & metal guitar. This is by far one of the nicest guitars i've played, and leaves most of the Gibson Les Paul's I've tried in the dust. Incredible bang for your buck. If you play heavy metal or with distorted sounds in general, this guitar is perfect. The neck is fast and smooth, making this a perfect guitar for shredding. (I need to work on my shredding now )
I can really only speak of the EMG 81, because the neck pick-up (EMG 60) didn't work when I got the guitar. It was completely dead so I had to return it and I'm waiting for a new one..
Still, the sound from the 81 is priceless when it comes to metal and distorted sounds
Action, Fit & Finish
Action out of the box was really good. Intonation was perfect. The pick-ups were adjusted nicely and the Amber Cherry Sunburst is perfect. The quilted maple top is stunning in this finish. The frets were dressed great, no sharp edges what so ever.
Reliability/Durability
It looks and feels like it would last a lifetime, and I'm taking care of it like a baby Seems very dependable, as long as you have a spare nine volt battery in the case!
Value
This guitar is well worth its price, if not more! To me this guitar is a dream come true, I love it!
Overall impression
I'm really happy with this guitar. There is nothing bad to say about it really, except for the fact that the EMG 60 was broken. But I'll get a new one free of charge so it doesn't really bother me that much. I love to play on this guitar, awesome playability and feel.. Very good sound and sustains 'til kingdom come. Well worth the money and if stolen I'd buy a new one instantly!
Overall rating
9/10 (Due to the EMG 60 not working)
