The ESP Guitar Company

Which one's cheaper? I bet it's the cheaper one.

You really want to strip that guitar so you can see the 15 different pieces of balsa wood and wood filler?

Interesting project.

Stevie Strings wrote:

You really want to strip that guitar so you can see the 15 different pieces of balsa wood and wood filler?

Interesting project.

Yes,  I figured it would be a neat expirement to see what it looked like underneath the paint.  Maybe the body will look nasty, and maybe the body will only have 2-3 pieces of basswood, but I won't be able to tell until I take off the finish.

So why the negativity?

HERO! wrote:

Which one's cheaper? I bet it's the cheaper one.

I read on Ed Roman's website polyester was cheaper.

Polyester is the cheapest coating you can apply. That does not mean it is bad.

 It is  very wear resistant but does not take impact well.   I belive that ltds are polyester coated.

Polyurethane is applied thiner and is a little more flexible,  it will scratch and wear faster than polyester but is not as prone to chipping.

Both are said to inhibit the natural resonance of the instruments wood,  However I doubt highly that most people could audibly detect the difference under normal playing conditions.

nitrocellulose is an expensive finish that is easy to damage - it is the vintage correct type of finish for fenders or gibsons

shellac is the most expensive finish and is very easily damaged -is not common on electric guitars  

what ever the coating is Ltd's have a thick coating that will be difficult to remove

I would guess there is a 3 or 4 peice body - probably Bass wood

also a lot of the information on Ed Roman's website is incorrect and very opinionated.   For example Ed bascically states that ESP guitars are crap made over seas,

however he loves Kramer guitars espscially the neck thru Kramer americans, many of which were manufactured by ESP.      

jt76 wrote:

I belive that ltds are polyester coated.

Thanks for the insight.

As far as Ed Roman, I honestly don't mind his rants.  He seemed to be very impressed with Japanese Fenders.  I don't think he meant Japanese ESP guitars, but intstead Korean, Indonesian, and Chinese LTD guitars.

I personally think the Korean made LTDs can be pretty good quality and affordable.  This issue isn't about build quality, but the labor used to build the guitar.  When I was younger it didn't bother me to buy them, but now that I'm older and more educated about manufacturing I refuse to buy any "sweatshop" guitar new.  I have a hard time believing any LTD was not built in a sweatshop.  I have bought one used since I had this change of heart, and even then I wonder if I shouldn't buy these guitars.  It may in a round about way encourage more people to buy "sweatshop" guitars.

I'm sure the Japanese factory and now the American factory have conditions that are on par with what I consider to be an acceptable manufacturing facility.

I guess part of the ultimate goal was to tear this guitar apart, put it back together, and show what was inside these Chinese guitars so that they have a better idea of what they are getting.