The ESP Guitar Company

Definitely spend the extra bucks and go with the Vintage.

I have both and the Vintage is a lot better guitar than the standard KH2 bolt on.

And you will always be able to sell the Vintage and re-coupe most, if not all of your money if you look after it.

A basic KH2 bolt on will be hard to re-sell one day as there are plenty of them to go around.

Hope this little bit of info helps and please be sure to post up pics of whichever guitar it is you buy.

Just my two cents but before I had the vintage and the kh2 SE I had a KH2 bolt on.  Fantastic guitar for the money I found the neck a bit slimmer and actually liked it better.

You can't go wrong with either but if you really want to save some cash there is nothing wrong with a KH2 bolt on.  I got mine new I think in 2009.  It was my first ESP and I wish I never sold it! 

It's funny how we all have varying opinions. My first ESP was a KH-2 bolt on but once I discovered neck thru, I would never go back. Mind you I do own a handful of guitars with bolt on necks, but for me if I am going with a KH/M-2 style guitar it's gotta be NTB. OP, you should definitely try both and see what you like better. It sounds like you are interested only in ESP, not LTD, but the limited edition LTD Ouijas pop up regularly and those are a great guitar as well and would still have money left over.

There is a used NTB KH-2 on Reverb right now: https://reverb.com/item/2605405-esp-kh-2-ntb-kirk-hammett-signature-guitar

Yep, I love my NTB guitars.

Used KH-2 bolt-ons can be had all day for $700-$1100. I've owned both versions and I can't tell any difference in sustain.