is this a custom???

Updated
tony.tipton
hey everyone i was wondering if anyone could possibly tell me if this is a custom esp v or not??i just got this off of a friend and was wondering what it may be worth or how much it was new!im a newbie to the esp world,im mostely ibanez but i was lucky enough to snag this thing up so i was wondering what i may have!thanks in advance!!:D 3174 3175 3176
shathe

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.

Explorer45

If I read the serial number correctly it would have been made in 2005 which would mean that ESP could probably verify it for you.

tony.tipton

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!!

Explorer45

If it is real then it would be made in 2003, not 2005 as I misread.

tony.tipton

i actually got ahold of a esp rep an im emailing some pics to him so hopefully that verifies the answer!

shathe

a two-way switch would be kinda cool to have for certain stuff, like tom morello.
use it as a cut-off switch.

tony.tipton

yea it would be!!that dude gets some crazy sounds!!!definately unique!

shathe

so, i'm assuming it will kill the pup output?

tony.tipton

you could do it that way but i think this particular one splits the humbucker when its up i think?not quite shure i havent played it thru an amp but maybe a couple times!

Justinschut

one does not split an 81

shathe

one does not split an 81

i was going to say that, but do we know it's an 81?

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sigm.xiria

I think the 2 way switch could be similar to what my friends guitar had. He had a 1963 Fender Esquire and those guitars have only 1 pickup with a three way toggle. The toggle was wired with capacitors, so it dramatically changed the pickups sound when you switched the position.

1point8t

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.

shathe

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.

that's one thing i was curious about. i don't have any bolt-on esps so i wasn't sure what the heel was supposed to look like.

Explorer45

Any word from the ESP rep yet?

Trendkill

Was the guitar bought on Ebay? . Pretty sure I saw it on Ebay at some stage.

Geetarguy70

Haha and let the ass kissing start with you my man from all the experts who told you that you bought a fake. Priceless and big time congrats my man!

Guitarslingerans

Haha and let the ass kissing start with you my man from all the experts who told you that you bought a fake. Priceless and big time congrats my man!

What?

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