The ESP Guitar Company

If I were in the market, I'd feel comfortable buying it. I'd be interested in knowing why GC thought it was fake. There's nothing here that jumps out to me at all.

Please look over.  Pickup rings I saw on another 2005 where the silver/chrome color.  Wan to purchase.

It's legit. Looks like the pickup rings were replaced at some point.

Found a better picture of the pickups of this guitar.  Definitely looks like distressed metal here.

That will do it. Looks good to me.

Hi Pushead,

please have a look at this Explorer. The current owner claims it is a genuine ESP MX-250 from the late 90s. However, based on the photos I am not conviced. Although the ESP logo on the headstock looks legit and the typefont "Custom" seems correct, the serial number on the back is weird. Doesn't look at all like an original stamp. Also, the screws on the tune-o-matic bridge and the stop-tailpiece look odd and nothing like the Gotoh GE 103 B. Truss rod cover seems wrong as well.

He says that he cannot remember what he paid for and from whom he bought it back then. Sounds fishy. What are your thoughts?

It's a fake that someone put real EMGs into.

Hi all, this is very interesting thread! what do you think about this LTD M-400, is this a fake? Metal parts color is propably "black nickel", quite worn, looks like a chromium, especially on the lfr and jack plate.Pick-up frames are black plastic.The serial number points to it being an LTD from 2006, but according to the catalog, the 2007 model would be closer, only tremolo does not match? The control cover on the back is curved, should it be like a coffin, or does this only apply to the ESP brand?

Any photos of the full guitar?

Hi Pushead, here a few more pictures:

Logo and 12. fret inlay:

The strings are not positioned symmetrically on the fingerboard. tremolo is a bit on the side.Low E is closer to the edge than High E:

More strange things. There is an unconnected gnd wire from flr spring plate to nothing.. I think it's no need for emg81, but I wonder why the heck this wire is here? As if the guitar had previously had passive microphones,with connected ground wire to tremolo spring plate,and wire cut off later. Or maybe the ground wire has been pre-soldered to plates?

Hey Teletap! Yeah, I don't see anything that jumps out to me saying it isn't legit. ESP (and LTD) always put in a ground wire for the bridge, even on EMG models. I think it's a good thing because if you decide to go with passive pickups, you can just attach it and rock. You don't have to worry about drilling a hole through the guitar. There's nothing that would hurt EMG pickups by having them grounded to the bridge.

The string spacing could be fixed, but it would require moving the nut toward the high E string. That means you would have to remove the nut, fill the screw holes, reposition the nut and drill new screw holes for it. It's not a complicated fix, and if you have someone who you trust to work on the guitar can be done well. But if you can play the guitar as-is, it may not be worth trying to fix.