is this a custom???
is this a custom???
fez...lol!!the toggle switch is only a 2 way but it does look like a 3 way,also there really isnt any wear from playing on the back of the neck or on the fretboard but the fret bars actually look a little "oxidized"i dont know if thats the right term but there not very shiny,kinda dull but not knicked or beat up at all!the serial number is,"TH0345601" if its a real serial number at all!thanks everyone for your input!i appreciate it!!
The routing work is very clean (Floyd route, neck pocket), the headstock shape is right on, the headstock tilt angle and volute look correct, the heel of the neck where it goes from flat to rounded looks like the one on my LTD MW600, so it very well could be real. I've never seen that particular logo, but then again I've seen several different one off ESP logos too.
better pics. it's pretty hard to take good pics of guitars, especially if you don't have a great camera. i've seen those inlays on a fake, but that doesn't mean they weren't spec'ed.
you can get an esp neck plate for a few bucks, so hardware is less of a clue. it looks like the routing for the d-tuna was done at a later time. can you tell by the finish in that area. it looks like a good job, so anyone willing to spend dollars on having that done professionally points toward a real esp. the logo looks a lot less fake in the new pics too.
also the body shape seems right. i'm not familiar with the neck/body joint on those guitars, but that would be an area to look at as well.
so the neck is finished in the same way as the guitar, but it's 'satin'? it took me a long time to get used to glossy necks because i couldn't get my thumb to slide across them. a lot of people prefer a satin neck so this could be spec'ed from esp of done later by simple sanding the finish a little. also it could simply be wear from play. but that usually goes the other way (making a previously satin neck glossy), and the fretboard should have an equivalent degree of wear. (another good way to spot fake "vintage" stuff: inconsistent wear patterns.)
like i said the back is a good place to look. that trem cavity plate is a bit baffling, but i have seen that on a few legit guitars. it looks huge. i'd be interested in pics of the inside of those cavities. fender trem covers have asymmetric screw holes so some fakes are easy to spot that way.