ESP 400 Series

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ESP 400 Series

Hi guys, I bought this 400 Series, the owner claims to be from 1983 but i only found guitars like this in 1984 catalogs, can somebody tell more about this guitar, where it was made and a year perhaps and how much it cost now? Thank you very much

http://imgur.com/4EhLVTL

http://imgur.com/5iSrHVm

http://imgur.com/GcJogr6

http://imgur.com/a9if4eO

http://imgur.com/TPy0EVK

http://imgur.com/xYe2aYv

http://imgur.com/5ZO6Aqy

http://imgur.com/ikHneb1

Tomás Villablanca

Can somebody help me pls

Matthew B

Any pics? Those are great guitars. I had a tele shaped one that was outstanding. But yeah '84 seems about right. 

Matthew B

Any pics? Those are nice guitars, I had a tele shaped one that was outstanding. 

jt76

Nice guitars,  I have owned 3, I sold the black one regretted it and bought the cream colored one.  

If you are comfortable taking the neck off, they often have a date writen on the neck heal, and neck pocket. 

 

Tomás Villablanca

Do you know something about the pickups? i Only know that they are a LH800 model or something like that because i saw it on a catalog of ESP 1984

jt76

The Stock pickups sound glassy, very bright, and a lot of stratty quack.  Very 1970's strat sounding.  I don't think they were outsourced, I believe that ESP Manufactured them.   The are very good sounding if you like the sound of 1970's strats. 

It has been a very long time since I pulled the guard off,  I do not remeber what they looked like on the bottom. 

 

 

Tomás Villablanca

Sorry the link was off, I still need the info if somebody knows more about this guitar.

The owner claims to be from 1983 but i only found guitars like this in 1984 catalogs, can somebody tell more about this guitar, where it was made and a year perhaps and how much it cost now? Thank you very much

Pics:

http://imgur.com/4EhLVTL

http://imgur.com/5iSrHVm

http://imgur.com/GcJogr6

http://imgur.com/a9if4eO

http://imgur.com/TPy0EVK

http://imgur.com/xYe2aYv

http://imgur.com/5ZO6Aqy

http://imgur.com/ikHneb1

Stonecat

That's a beautiful guitar. 

jt76

It is an early model, the slightly more rounded or V shaped headstock tips on your guitar and the cream one that I own. 

Compared to the later models,  the Red Tele and the Black ST

Impossible for me to give you an exact date or location of manufacture from external pictures.

would be made by ESP japan and either assembled by them and imported by a distributor, or 

shiped as parts and assembled in the 48th shop in New York.   Mid 80's

should have information writen on the neck heal and possibly neck pocket.

 

neck heal

picture from the maverick discussion also in past models section 

 

 

These are very nice, they are not particularly rare, easy to find if you know where to look,

They very undervalued in the market at the moment. 

Would probably value yours around $600 - $650 US as it appears to be in very good condition.

Tomás Villablanca

Really? that's really low.., I bought this one and is in really excelent condition in 900 US, I didn't get it in the US that's why probably cost me more. I got it in Southamerica (I'm from Chile).
The guy also claims that it was from the shop in NY. I will have to look at the neck heal or neck pocket. 

Thank you very much for the information it was very helpfull  

PS: Im not planing on selling this guitar because it's really awesome, sounds amazing, I love it and also smells old  haha. But I was hoping to have made a good deal for it. Maybe in a couple of years will cost more  

jt76

They are usually market NY and a date if I remeber off the top of my head if they were assembled in the 48th street shop.

 

The quality of the guitar definitely supports that $900 price.   I am suprised they sell as low as they do. 

The low prices on the older ESP guitars is most likely due to that lack of information available about them.

Were you are in the world will definitely affect the availability and the price also.  

 

CLT-ESP

They are usually market NY and a date if I remeber off the top of my head if they were assembled in the 48th street shop.

 

The quality of the guitar definitely supports that $900 price.   I am suprised they sell as low as they do. 

The low prices on the older ESP guitars is most likely due to that lack of information available about them.

Were you are in the world will definitely affect the availability and the price also.  

 

 

jt76 is absolutely right! $900 guitars, but they can be found on a regular basis between $400 and $600 due to the lack of knowledge. I have an '83 which was labeled "Series" and I have a later "400 Series" like yours. I bought them both because they were so cheaply priced, and both were bought for under $500. It is what it is. 

Hassle

 I've just picked one of these up in seafoam green with a standard strat headstock. Unfortunately there is nothing written in the pocket or on the heel to help me date it, only the serial number on the plate.

Seems like a lovely guitar though!

Izzyspi

Hi Josh. Can I be cheeky and ask what you paid for this please? I'm in the UK and have just been offered a 400 in cream with rosewood for £1k. Doesn't look like a 48th job, or custom shop as no markings on neck heel, so curious as to what it is worth.

Thanks in advance for your help.

load more replies (1 of 1)
Hassle

You're welcome

Izzyspi

Thanks Josh - really good to know, and has stopped me paying a grand for a guitar that clearly isn't worth that!

Much appreciated

Jeremy D.

I've got a 48th St Customs branded strat that would be very similar.

Picked it from eBay for about $200 and put a little love into it.

Awesome guitar. These were sold at 48th St for around $700 new in the very late '90s/ 2000s before they closed up.

Replaced the bridge on this one. Generic Zink block vintage, half rusted out from sweat and sounded terrible. Managed to find a MANNMADE (PRS trem maker) steel and brass vintage trem that dropped directly into it. 

Keeps tune far better and sounds amazeballs.

Love the split-post Kluson style tuners. They hold tune really well!

Steve S.

Hi guys - I have posted similar query today - please look at my pic and can someone tell me an approximate value as it is on Ebay right now and people are asking me for buy it now prices but I have no idea.  Thanks

 

Tomás Villablanca

Update: I checked the neck pocket and... it says NY 215 on the neck and NY 250 on the neck pocket.

https://imgur.com/sr5HnEn

https://imgur.com/CVO2Uah

Mike S.

I've searched the internet but was unable to find any really good data regarding the ESP 400 Series,
so I searched thru my extensive collection of old Guitar Player & Guitar World magazines.
Here's what I found.

ESP (Electric Sound Products) 400 Series guitars were manufactured in Japan during the 1980’s.
The 400 Series were named for their suggested list price: $400.00.
They made excellent copies of vintage Stratocasters, Telecasters, Jazz, and Precision basses.

The earlier batch of 6-string (400 Series) guitars had:
Solid black ESP decal.
22 frets.
Blank (non-stamped) saddles.
The headstock had a ‘rounder’ profile than the later models.



The later models had:
Black & gold ESP decal on the headstock.
21 frets (Though some had a 22nd fret ‘lip’).
ESP stamped on the saddles.
The headstock had a ‘sharper’ look/shape.


The Fender copies might not have been produced beyond 1987-1988.
There is no evidence that they were manufactured in the 1990’s.
The first batch (of strats) was:
S454 - 2-tone sunburst w/maple neck & single-ply pickguard.
S465 - 3-tone sunburst w/rosewood neck & 3-ply ‘green’ pickguard*.

Telecasters were: T453 (blonde, maple board), T463 (3-tone sunburst w/rosewood board).
Precision basses: P457 (2-tone, maple) and P464 (3-tone, rosewood): and the J464 Jazz bass (3-tone, rosewood.).
The S454 and T453 had one-piece ‘V’-shaped necks.
The later Traditional Series had ‘U’-shaped necks.
Other standard (no extra charge), appropriate-vintage ‘Custom Colors’ offered were: Black, Olympic White, Lake Placid Blue, Surf Green, Candy Apple Red, etc., and J464’s in Metallic blue or red w/matching headstocks. Prices around 1986 were $495.00 for guitars and $550.00 for basses.
Double-bound ‘Tele Custom’ bodies cost an extra $75.00.
They all featured period hardware, vintage replica bridges and saddles.
They feel, play, and sound like the real things, and aside from the headstock shape, the only noticeable difference from a vintage Fender was an extra fret, 22 instead of 21.
Locking tremolos, locking nuts, and Humbucking pickups were neither standard, nor optional, on the 400 Series models.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Here's my batch...............

 

 

 

This one below is a mutt: Neck/tuners are original ESP 400 Series.
Body (Candy Apple Red): Rondo Music
Hardware/electronics: Guitar Fetish

 

 

metalhobo

Yes, I agree info on the 400 series is sparse. nice collection, and summary! guess I'll post my dakota red one too, for posterity

 

Frank P.

Mike,

Great info! Thank you for that research.

A dear friend of mine sent me his to refurbish/restore. I' m not sure if the pickups are original or not. Do you have any "under the pickguard" photos of any of yours, so that I can compare? 

Thanks

Mike S.

"'ll post my dakota red one too...."

Very nice!

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