E-II, honest opinions?

Updated
luke b.

yo guys,

 

Honestly im struggling to see why ESP made this line, im sure they play great etc but why on earth would anyone spend £1000+ on a guitar that doesnt say ESP on the headstock? 

 

literally its the only thing putting me off owning one.

 

Opinions?

Cogan C.

I'm wondering if Hypnotoad6969 isn't a fan of the E-II series?

Ranger Jay

I have one Original Eclipse, and two E-IIs. They each feel pretty much the same to me. No difference in quality or workmanship. My latest is a newly acquired E-II  Eclipse in transparent black. Excellent guitar. Pretty much flawless out of the box. Once I got rid of the coated strings and slapped some GHS Burnished Nickels on it, it really came into its own. Quality is top notch.

Rikki Tikki Tavi

I've had my E-II two and a half years now, still gets played daily. Selling my PRS Cu24 as it doesn't get played at all. Suppose folks have different expectations.

Josh in NY

Despite hearing that the quality of the E-II stuff has gotten truly on the old "Standard Series" level, I am STILL NOT happy with having a gaff AF looking E-II logo on the headstock. It makes the guitar look cheap, almost like a higher end LTD. 

 

I get the idea of "If you want a true ESP Standard Series, just find an older used one", BUT for someone like me that plays and wants a 7-string, that is NOT an option - neither is spending more than $4k and a 14 month wait for a Japan Custom Shop model, or getting an actual production model ESP 7-string from Japan or somewhere in Europe with the shipping and import and Cutoms fees... And the USA M-7 is just out of price range. So now what does one do???

 

From the time I started playing guitar, it was ALWAYS the way of "a REAL ESP will cost more than $1400 new, and then everything below that was the LTD line up". And for the money you were spending on that  ESP, you were not only damn proud to get and have that ESP, but you knew what you were getting and it didn't look cheap. That's not to say that a lot of the LTD stuff wasn't and isn't equally as good for the price, but it's the absolute distinction of that ESP vs. the LTD. There was NO mistaking it. It seems to me that the whole E-II thing here in the US is basically starting to come out and across like the Edwards & Navigator lines in Japan... I get the idea and concept of trying to appeal to more of a customer base by offering more upscale models at even better price points compared to that of an actual ESP, but that's not how it has been for us here in the US and I dont feel it's right to what we have all been accustomed to

 

It sucks now that ESP FINALLY makes a 7-string that I want and I can finally spend "REAL ESP" money on one, that I am not getting a real ESP with exactly that on the headstock. It has been a dream of mine for as long as I have been playing guitar to FINALLY get and have a REAL ESP that I really want, and I get something that doesn't have the same standard that ESP has been known for since the beginning. Am I NOT going to live my E-II that I have on order? Possibly, as I have never played an E-II to know first hand... I have only ever played the various levels of the LTD range,  and the real deal ESP stuff. But from what my dealer and a vast majority have stated that the quality is on the same level as the original "Standard Series", I am certainly hoping that this is going to be everything I hope, expect and want for the "real ESP" money I am spending on it. I will surely be pissed off if its anything less.

 

Just my $.02...

Jshannon3

I’m new to ESP and the ESP E2 M2 Urban Camo guitars blow my old Ibanez RG prestige guitars out of the water, for metal.  I don’t know about this whole name on the headstock thing, but the name is on the fretboard and that tells me it’s an ESP.  I absolutely love my new ESP E2 M2 Urban Camo guitars!

Josh B.

I had 2 ESP Standard Horizons and I sold them to get 4 E-IIs. 3 Horizons and an M-II. I couldn't be happier. The quality is better to me and, because of the rebranding, a lot of closed minded people are selling used ones very cheap. Got my Horizon-III for $900 and my Horizon-NT for $800.

Ranger Jay

I've added to my stable since my last post. I now have four E-II guitars:

E-II Eclipse See-thru Black with EMGs

E-II Eclipse Purple Sparkle with EMGs

E-II ST-1 Tea Sunburst with Seymour Duncan Pearly Gates in Bridge

E-II M-II with EMGs

All of them were pretty much perfect out of the box. I had to make some minor adjustments for my playing preferences, but overall, excellent quality from the factory. Right now, it's a tossup between the ST-1 and the Purple Eclipse as to which is my fave. I've only scratched the surface of the M-II, though, so things could change.

Hypnotoad6969

They don't play quite as well or hold their tune near as well (FR models).  Mid 90s through mid 2000s ESP is where it's at. They want 4K for that type of quality now. My 95 "the eclipse" plays far far better than any E2 I've picked up which at this point is a lot, and that fucker is 30 years old.  E2's remind of of the (conveniently) discontinued LTD deluxe line. You MIGHT get one that is as good as a true ESP, but it's like a 1/10 crapshoot or so. Go to reverb/ebay and pick up a nice 2011 M2 or a 96 eclipse I think you'll find the quality in wood, frets, bindings, everything, to be quite superior to 90% of E2s floating around there. To each their own. A bungle by ESP IMO, I'm onto Jackson USA. 

Donald H.

Looks great and sounds great, unless you get a lemon like I did.  I've tried to buy2 vintage black and gold db's.  Made by experts in Japan...bahha.  If its not made in the states, roll the dice.  Good Luck

VSC-1

All I can say is that I have a E II M II  and it is awesome. have had it for about 3 months now. It is actually a very versatile guitar and built like a tank. The neck is a real selling point for me. Very comfortable.

Rick_Kala

I think people are silly worrying about the head stock saying ESP. That's an ego thing kicking in there. Do you think people that purchase Mayones Guitars are worried that their head-stocks because their guitars only have an M on the head-stock? The guitars are same level as previous and play great.

SunnyD

That comparison does not hold up because the "M" logo is literally the Mayones logo. Even their cheapest models like the discontinued Mayones Setius Alpha is still a Mayones no matter what. People would be very upset if their Mayones guitars no longer had the freaking Mayones logo. E-IIs are not cheap and in the past for the same price you could get something with "ESP" on the headstock, made to a higher standard than E-II because back then, even the Standard Series needed stringent QC because at the end of the day, it had an ESP logo on the headstock and it needed to be as close to perfect as possible because if they aren't, it directly damages the ESP brand. Now with E-II, since the headstock no longer carries the ESP logo, ESP no longer has to be as stringent with the E-II line because in the end it doesn't exactly hurt their ESP brand. 

Yamaneru

If they are making a guitar in Japan by the Japanese luthiers paid in Japanese yen, I'm pretty sure they are expected to build high-quality products no matter what the letters in the headstock are unless they want to lose their jobs. If E-II guitars end up being subpar products, then the customers will complain and that new "brand" will suffer even more than it already did from the unnecessary branch-out.

Considering mass-produced guitars are already going through a price revolution (with Harley Benton as the flagship), I find it amazing people can complain about such miniscule things as two letters in the headstock while they could spend hundreds of (or even a thousand) dollars less for a slightly worse guitar. Would people be happier if they could buy overpriced instruments similar to Fenders made in China (with "supported by Squire" text on the back) or the cheapest Gibson models (where their QC and specs for the price actually was bad enough to make people complain) just because it had ESP on the headstock?

Paul J.

Yeah, I'd agree.  It's silly.  I just purchased my first ESP E-ii Eclipse, and when I say it's flawless... I literally mean without flaw.  The finish, hardware, pickups, set-up, and tone is incredible.  I wont say it's better than any other guitar manufactures can produce, but it'd go tow-to-tow with any guitar.

And yes, it's a tough argument going to an e-ii over say the EC-1000 at 1/2 the cost and most of the quality.  But you could say the same thing about the e-ii and an ESP USA at twice the cost and maybe just a bit more quality.

Just my opinion. 

VSC-1

In my opinion the E II line is awesome. No complaints here

Bill Seme

After countless readings in google and in this forum, i come to realize that 99% percent of guitar players only care for the letters on the headstock instead of the instrument they play. That's so sad :( 

The Slow Jaywalker

Here's my issue w/ the hideous E-II logo.  Besides the fact that just the idea/concept of E-II looks like something written via Sharpie on the headstock of a prototype model to distinguish it from a hypothetical E-I or E-III, etc.,.....it says, I want more than an LTD, but don't have enough to spend on the USA series.  Of course the look of a guitar is what initially draws one to a particular instrument, not just how well it plays. If they're not going to approach their models like Jackson, maybe take something out of the PRS playbook and distinguish the models using the truss rod cover.  Maybe just use a cool/beautiful symbol to distinguish the series (ESP has used a skull in the past for stickers, etc.....just an idea).  I have a PRS Custom 24, Les Paul Standard, Jackson Pro Series RR model, Stratocaster, Fujigen Ibanez w/ original Wizard neck, but one of my top 2 fav necks is the one on my LTD Horizon 1001.  

Don M.

I agree. $2000 is a good sum for a

n E-II or III guitar. For it to not be worthy of the “ESP” name on the headstock, where all companies proudly display their logo, tells me that the company itself don’t consider it worthy of the company logo. It diminishes the brand. First this LTD garbage and then the E-whatever.  It’s the Epiphone of Gibson. Call it what you want and justify it how you will. PRS, Fender, Jackson, Charvel put their logo and brand reputation behind their products regardless of price point. ESP markets themselves out of customers with this move. It’s not the guitarists that are making a big deal out of the letters on the headstock. It’s the manufacturer. I won’t buy one until they’re willing to put their ESP name and reputation on a guitar headstock, in big bold letter, that doesn’t come from the custom shop and at custom shop prices. And not this E-2 by ESP or LTD by ESP or other diminishing wording. Be bold. Say it. Stand behind it. In fact they can ditch the LTD line altogether with the net gain via massive sales increases they would see in ESP labeled guitars made in Japan. 

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