ESP KH-2 SE 'Greenburst' - Where were they built ?

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ESP KH-2 SE 'Greenburst' - Where were they built ?

Hi guys,

After this post about the difference of hardware (Europe, US, RoHS, Black, Chrome, ...) I'm coming with a new question about this guitar :

- Where were they built ?

I saw some "Custom Shop" on Youtube, with the back plate recessed and a K serial, I've got a "Signature Series" with a SS serial.

Do the Custom Shop ones are extras from the original 100 produced ?

Do Kiso factory built guitars can leave the wharehouse with a SS serial ?

Cheers,

G.

Dave R.

They are all Custom Shop guitars.

Guiguitarz
Dave R. wrote:

They are all Custom Shop guitars.

 

That is a straight answer. Thanks Dave. 

Should I understand that they come from the Kiso plant ?

Breadfan32

Custom shop even though they have SS serial numbers? 

Breadfan32

I'm still confused.  Dave R said they were all custom shop.  That doesn't make sense to me.  I used to have one with an SS serial number. 

Guiguitarz

That's my second question : Can SS serials leave the Custom Shop from Kiso ? 

Seeing the answer from Dave R, it is the case.

Breadfan32

And if they do leave the custom shop, that still doesn't mean they are custom shop?  

Guiguitarz

They are Limited Signature Series from the Custom Shop 

And K serials are Custom ORDER (maybe ?) AND for the Japan market, as Big D. said.

Guiguitarz

Big D. ,

You forget the scalloped fretboard ...? And sincerly, considering the construction of mine, I'd say that it surely came out from the Custom Shop.

Breadfan32

It would be nice though since its been brought up to know if the special edition is a custom shop guitar.  

Dave R. wrote that they were all custom shop guitars.  For what I know the 100 released were all SS serial numbers with standard COA's.  

Not trying to say Dave R. is wrong but if he could confirm that I'm sure we would appreciate it.

 As of now whoever reads this thread will believe that the special edition is now a custom shop guitar when nobody originally thought it was.

I used to own a ESP custom shop vintage and I have owned the ESP KH2 special edition with SS serial number like all I've seen except for one.  The special edition was an unbelievable guitar.  Whether it was custom shop or not it could have not got any better in my opinion.

Breadfan32

I also find funny how the seller on reverb stated that the us market got the cheaper SS ones with heavier wood and non recessed cavity when that one he was selling got the shit chrome hardware that Kirk doesn't use.  Mine was light as fuck and had the proper black hardware.  I wouldn't have traded it for his.  The tone was perfect.  Only sold it because I'm not a Floyd guy. 

ESP 348

These are great guitars and also very nice quality.

Very interesting seeing that Kiso guitar with a Signature Series logo on the back of it.

Guiguitarz

I think guys we need some explanations about nowadays origins of our ESP guitars ...  and the new serials ... (e.g. Exxxxxxxx ...)

Guiguitarz

Two auctions these days, both with chrome hardware (The one from Alex is really CHROME ... not Black/Chrome )

http://www.ebay.com/itm/USED-ESP-KH2-SE-Kirk-Hammett-world-limited-100-Electric-Guitar-METALLICA-/322092730077

http://www.ebay.com/itm/ESP-KH2SE-GreenBurst-Kirk-Hammett-Metallica-Signature-Limited-Edition-100pieces-/182111810148

For information, mine is all Black/Black Hardware and CoA is handwritten, which is not the case for those two above ...  Why too much difference between the same serie of 100 ?!

 

ESP 348

It looks like the one out of Japan has a recessed rear tremelo cover also??

My COA is the same as yours mate. My SE came from the US and also has ALL black hardware on the guitar also.

Could the Japanese one perhaps be a Custom Shop guitar like the one that sold on Reverb?

And I agree with you man, there are only supposed to be 100 of these guitars made so why are there so many differences in them.

I know about the hardware finish in different countries, but the recessed back plates on those guitars and the different COA's has me wondering if they really ever made 100 of them??

I reckon they made more because mine is not numbered, neither is yours.

My KH20 and re-issue Ouija are numbered on the back of the headstock. My SE is not.

It's all BS, ESP made more than 100 of these guitars in my opinion! I am going to call the President of ESP Matt Masciandaro tomorrow and demand proof of how many KH2-SE guitars they made!


vex_sb

This is all interesting since i have lust for this guitar lol  

Anyway, what do you mean under standard series, signature or custom ??? i was thinking it's all hand made instruments ?? i mean its not like some robot is putting them together on a assembly line ?? 

Guiguitarz

It's a story of location, and so, a story of persons who have more skills and time to handcraft a guitar than others ...

- The Custom Shop of ESP build Custom Order guitars and limited series (Some signatures sometimes ... That's the point of our topic here ...) The Craftmen are paid more and got more time to build a guitar.

- Signatures Series are built sometimes at the Custom Shop or at the standard factories of ESP. Normal Craftmen, still handmade (always, a machine can't built a guitar)

- Standard series are built at the standard factories for Standard models

- And then you have Korea 

vex_sb

okay, but i understand ESP was changing only the logo form custom to standard to signature series but eles should be same ( in case of KH2 for example ) ? 

and in the end, on this level, i doubt there is any significant difference between craftmanship ... 

 

My KH2 is K24158 . Is that good hahaha ??? 

Big Daddy B
Guiguitarz wrote:

Two auctions these days, both with chrome hardware (The one from Alex is really CHROME ... not Black/Chrome )

http://www.ebay.com/itm/USED-ESP-KH2-SE-Kirk-Hammett-world-limited-100-Electric-Guitar-METALLICA-/322092730077

http://www.ebay.com/itm/ESP-KH2SE-GreenBurst-Kirk-Hammett-Metallica-Signature-Limited-Edition-100pieces-/182111810148

For information, mine is all Black/Black Hardware and CoA is handwritten, which is not the case for those two above ...  Why too much difference between the same serie of 100 ?!

 

 

My COA is the same except for model is says KH-2 SE G.B. Also the date is formatted 5/24/2011. Also I noticed Alex's case has a diffrent handle than either of the s GBs I have owned here in the US. His handle is like the case for my black Ouija which came from Japan. Also my case is black fur interior, not grey.

Tondog

I know that my LTD "Elite" (or whatever those were), and also the current MII trans black M1's are all Edwards made. The quality on them is exceptional that I've seen on all of them, but that could vary as on all of them. The "E" ones are basically high end Edwards products run on their lines. It's an easy way to amortize costs over the lines and spread the margin out a little and EVERY SINGLE COMPANY that makes guitars does this. I have about zero doubt that both companies share resources, wood sourcing etc, so this would make perfect sense. The manufacturing goal is always to keep all lines and resources running, so whoever gets tasked with whatever marching orders churns out the orders that come to them.

There is a lot of mythology about how these things get made, and the marketing shenanigans that goes into that. They are not made by naked samauri women with magical whittling hands.

If I were them and wanted to do a special run like these green ones, I'd set aside every KH body that meets a certain criteria until you get to 100 pcs or so, cull your dent and scratch ones, spray them slightly different than the standard Sig Series fare, set aside some scalloped fretboards, and use a glow in the dark decal. Easy peasey Japanesee! Now you've got a line that you can slap Kirks name on, mark it up $500 as a special run, and use that margin to pay for 500 LTD's made in China.

 

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