The ESP Guitar Company

Pics??

Pics??

I have none at the moment, might be able to get some in the next few days.

The headstock says "ESP M-5" in that exact term. Black hardware, rosewood board, dot inlays. The neck has that orangey vintage tint you can only get from age! Feels like quite a medium deep but narrow neck, feels like a strat neck, i think it has 22 frets, Any ideas on the age?

Not sure since I've never seen or heard of the M-5... but pics would help me figure out if it's legit and based on what I see, possibly a time frame too. Try and get some posted, I'll do my best to help you.

I might be taking it home with me on Wednesday, it certainly looks legit and it feels legit!

Oh i just remembered, It didnt say M-5 It was actually M-V as in the roman numeral.

Oh i just remembered, It didnt say M-5 It was actually M-V as in the roman numeral.

*cue Jeopardy music*

Yea that's the only M-V I've ever heard of... a 5 string bass. Hmmmmmmmmmmm.

Alright!

Badass guitar... here's what I can tell you. Yes, it's legit. That neck is from the 1984-1985 Kramer Focus guitars, which were built by ESP. I think they must have had a bunch leftover after Kramer switched to the pointier style headstocks in 86, and I've seen those used on old ESP M-1s and a few others from that time era. ESP also didn't use Floyd Rose trems on many guitars until after 1986, so it makes sense that it has a vintage trem. And lastly... the square neckplate. Those were common on all the early ESP guitars until ESP started using the angled/sorta triangular plates on the Mirage and Horizon guitars around 1987. So... all in all, that's a super rare model from 1985-1986 or so. I've never seen that particular guitar before, but I can tell you that everything from that time era checks out and makes sense.

Ok, so the Banana necks were only introduced in the mid 80's and no possibility of being late 70's? Does the serial numbers really tell anything about the guitar? (IE, one said 79 at the end which got my heart pounding!)

Ok so how much is it worth or how much would you pay for one?

I havent bought it yet, still humming and hawing.

Interesting that it has two different serial numbers.

And a value? (This would decide whether i get it or not) Cheers for all the information so far!

As far as what I'd pay... well... first, do you live in the US?

Since I've never seen that model for sale or anywhere for that matter, I have no idea what a good asking price would be... but a lot of that era ESP's generally sell for $300-600 depending on model and condition. All they had going in that era (1983-1985) were the M-1, Mirage, Eclipse, and the 400 series strats.

I am in the UK, ESPs and Kramers are very rare here as it is. I have seen a couple of 400 series strats here once. The only Kramers i have seen are modern musicyo ones and a few alu necked. The price on it is £600, or £200 plus a Fender jap strat (which to be fair i got pretty cheap)in a part ex.

Yeah that may have been a Euro market guitar for all I know... I haven't seen it in any of the USA catalogs from that time. Very cool though, if it feels good and sounds good, steal it! The ESP-made Kramers from that time frame are amazing bang for the buck... one of my first guitars was a Kramer Focus 1000 with the same headstock as that ESP. Great neck profile on those... looks like that guitar is in great shape too.

Cool man, good luck on that... :)

lucky you, i think it would look better with an angled hs and a fixed bridge but, good find