KH 2 Vintage 2009

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KH 2 Vintage 2009

Hi everyone,

My name is Alex from the Netherlands and I'm the lucky and very happy owner of this Kirk Hammett Vintage guitar that I bought from Bob (I refer to an earlier post by Jeunehomme, 2 months ago, I need you advice about a KH2 Vintage). I thought it'd be great if I posted some pics of the guitar.

I knew that the guitar was a used one and had its damages. Bob was a nice guy and immediately told me the truth. He showed me that he was the first owner. Surely you can see a few damages from him playing, but honestly, I didn't care. It's so goddamn relic, it just looks like a Fender custom shop stratocaster. I love it.

Bob had showed me some videos from 2011. The guitar was in the same condition, only the damage on the front pick-up was a bit bigger and he had bolted two new screws in the back plate. He also replaced one of the top lock screws. But so what!

I really like the relic finish of this guitar, especially the back. I never saw a guitar in this condition. As you can see mine was made in 2009. Are the KH 2 vintage guitars really built differently through the years?
Apparently so.

I also knew that the Floyd looked differently than the other Kirk Hammett Vintage guitars. To me, that makes the guitar more special than all the other vintage guitars in all those years. Big Daddy B previously said that they made a black nickel hardware version that looks corroded. Yes, yes, yes, i like it.
Was the black nickel version only made in 2009?

This was the answer from the ESP customer service in Germany.

Hello Alex,
many thanks for your email and congrats to this cool guitar. The distressed areas might slightly changed during the years - welll it's handmade. You're right re the interpretation of the serial number. But Feb 11th was the day where the guitar was finished and July 27th is the shipping date.

The black nickel hardware was mounted for aproxx 2 years only when the EU released a new law re the ingredients of coated metal parts and the hardware suppliers couldn't deliver EU conform black parts for a while.

Enjoy your guitar!

Best regards
Stefan Kühn
Product & Artist Relations Manager
Blackstar | DiMarzio | ESP Guitars | Eventide Guitar FX | SIT Strings | TECH-21 | ZOOM

Finally all these different things (much more relic, hardware in black nickel, 2009, Kiso, EMG 60/81) were the actual reasons for me to buy the guitar. I'm so very glad because I simply can't afford to spend between $5000 and $6000 for a guitar. Here in the Netherlands they have a 2015 version for €5100 ($5800).
So I'm an enormously lucky guy with my KH 2 vintage from 2009 with hardware that was only made for 2 years. Last but not least its the best instrument I have ever played.

Glad to meet you all.
Greetz Alex

Alex K0907304

Talking about differences in the making of the KH-2 Vintage.
Do have the Vintage owners (since 2010/2011) the following manufactured?

Greetz Alex
And ESP 348 have a nice holiday

Big Daddy B

Alex, I PMed you pics of mine because I didn't want to clog up your thread with a bunch of pics of my Vintage. I am not sure if the message went thru though. let me know if you got them!

Alex K0907304

Big Daddy B:

I have nothing received. I have absolutly no problem with it if you post the pictures in this thread. 

Greetz Alex 

Big Daddy B
Alex K0907304 wrote:

Thankx Stonecat, really appreciate your comment. And you're right, I'm really proud to own this guitar. Especially because of the large differences that appear to be.

Big Daddy B:
Thankx man, very nice. Good homework. Thankx for the pic. Fact is that the Vintage guitars are manufactured differently since 2010/2011. I hardly dare to say; since 2010/2011 more machine made than handmade?? It would not really be oké, right?

For example: Do you guys (KH-2 Vintage owners since 2010/2011) have the "cable damage" manufactured?
Or another example: Look at the earlier posted pics from my headstock, unbelievable. It reminds me of the KH-2 Vintage limited 100 p (2001).
What about your headstocks? (the amount of relic finishes)

Another option might be that the guitars manufactured since 2010/2011 have the look of the "Vintages/relics". Like Big Daddy B said. The series is modeled after. Correct me if I'm wrong Big Daddy B. This are two pics from Kirk with his new Vintages/relics, right?

The guitar looks a lot more like the Vintage guitars that were built since 2010/2011. Quietly and calm. No "cable damage" or lots of scrathes, dings, dongs, ect. Not so fucked up like mine.

How do you guys think about it?

ESP 348, you're totally right. I totally agree with you comment. Maybe I contact Mr. Stefan Kühn Customer service Germany again. When I approached him, he responded within a day.
Like you previously said:
This guitar definitely raises a few questions doesn't it. Some VERY interesting questions.

And come on with those pics ESP 348, ha, ha. Big Daddy B I'm curious about your Vintage one.

Have a nice Sunday everyone, I'm going to play my guitar now. Cheers.
Greetz Alex

 

The second pic looks like the "original" one. You can tell because of the discolored paint around the sticker where the guitar suffered some damage, was repainted, then the sticker put over it. The first pic may be a relic/vintage.

Big Daddy B
Alex K0907304 wrote:

Big Daddy B:

I have nothing received. I have absolutly no problem with it if you post the pictures in this thread. 

Greetz Alex 

 

Here you go then. I do not have any wear on the sides of the fretboard like yours.

Note in the above pic that in 2013 there were no Custom Shop or Sig Series logos on the back of the headstock. That is why I went with a 2013 because it looked more like Kirk's original which had a blank headstock back

Alex K0907304

Mr. Big Daddy B you have a really nice Vintage guitar. It's really in mint condition, Zjezus!!!, very nice. Now I know what you mean with the buckle rash, ha, ha.

Good to see that you have also a few dings, dongs and scratches at the front. A very nice metal battery compartment and the guitar looks incredible new. It looks like you have bought the guitar yesterday. Cool. I like the back of the headstock. A nice feature.
Got a few pictures for you. Maybe you got them already.

Pity that you don't have the "cable damage". The headstock in general is also a large difference.

The major differences are incredible compared to my Vintage guitar. Hell Yeah.
Until yesterday I had never seen close up pics from KH-2 Vintage guitars. Thankx Big Daddy B. Now I starting (a little bit) to think that I've really have a unique guitar.
I'm going to sleep now, very peaceful.
Greetz Alex

Big Daddy B
Alex K0907304 wrote:

Pity that you don't have the "cable damage".

 

Actually I do  ...I think. You mean that kind of braided looking indentation below the Caution sticker?  I have that! You just can't see it in my pic but I just went to go play it and noticed it was there. Looking at it I don't think it is "cable" damage per say. Looks like like a heavy gauge string got pressed onto it or something.

Alex K0907304

Hi Big Daddy B,
Yeah, thats what I mean.
Actuelly "heavy gauge string" damage sounds much better, ha, ha. Hope that all the Vintage guitars have that feature.
I'm glad to see that your guitar has it. I even see lots of scrathes, nice.
It looks again "very clean" made compared to mine if you know what I mean?

Talking about scratches and damages in the sunlight, again with filtercamera.

Greetz Alex

Big Daddy B

Yes mine has the swirl marks from polishing that kind of cut down on the sheen of say a brand new guitar. My guess is they rub it with steel wool to simulate the polishing marks. Gibson attemted to do the same with their VOS version of guitars but guys figured out it had a sticky coating so many just polished it right off hahaha.

Guiguitarz

Here's one in find on a French dealer webstie : http://www.pourlesmusiciens.com/esp-kirk-hammett-kh-2-vintage-k0542506-distressed-black.html 

It's a Vintage from 2005, same as mine, and the aged process is pushed as far as yours, so ... maybe it's one or two per batch/year, not a question of year.

Here's mine :

Alex K0907304

Hi Guiguitarz,
Thankx for sharing your thoughts, very nice.
One or two per batch/year, Yeah, it very well could be, why not?

Thankx for the link to the French dealer. You have found the guitar where I posted  a pic from earlier. Many thankx for this. This was the only guitar on the web that came close to my guitar. I was a bit shocked by it's price for a USED KH-2 Vintage, €3200 ($3550). Or is it just me?

I bearly dare to mention what I've paid for mine!!

Indeed it's from 2005, nice to know. Cool that you own one that is buildt in the same year to compare it. Thankx for posting your pic.

It seems to be that the guitar has a little bit more damages than the guitars from Big Daddy B, NRudy and ESP 348. There are (I think) more damages (dings/dongs) above the bridge pick-up. There is also a relic finish by the bridge pick-up and the heavy gauge string damage. Very nice. 
Curious about the back of your Vintage Guiguitarz, ha!
Also you see the heavy gauge string damage clearly below the Caution Hot sticker. Nice to know that ESP has manufactured since 2005.
 
Honestly, I think that the guitars build before 2010/2011 have more (other) vintage relic finishes (maybe different manufactured, hand made VS machine made) than the guitars that are manufactured since 2011.
(Don't shoot me people! ) Again! Or is it just me?  

What do you people think about it?

Greetz Alex

Big Daddy B

Yes it certainly is appearing the older ones may be more heavily aged. Would be nice if ESP chimed in on this. Maybe you should post that question in the Ask ESP section. G, do you have any aging on the sides of your fretboard?

Guiguitarz

My fretboard sides are clean, and as new, nothing to declare on it.

ernest l.

Meine ist unter meinem Bett irgendwann gefüllt, ich beschriftete die Hartkörper, aber die Aufkleber haben alle verschwommen und sind abgefallen. Lol

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