ESP Standard Series Eclipse II Black Cherry

Comments about ESP Standard Series Eclipse II:

10's all around the board here... I love this guitar, and it seems I'm not alone. everyone who touches it is wowed by the fit and finish, feel, playability. I had a pro luthier with 30 years experience working for some pretty big names set it up. He's done all of my guitars including a $3k Gretsch and this is the only guitar that he said he *really* liked. Said it more than once actually. Granted it's not really a guitar for all styles, but it's surprisingly versatile. The clean tones out of the neck pickup are fantastic. All of the hardware is top notch. Only thing it could have used is straplocks, but that's an easy $15 fix. Get some Schallers and (here's a tip) reuse the stock ESP strab button screws. The heads fit the Schaller buttons perfectly and since the screw's threads have already cut their grooves in the wood they go back in like butter. The Schaller screws had a slightly different thread.

Comments about ESP Standard Series Eclipse II:

I bought the snow white version recently. After 30 days I loved it so much that I bought the black cherry version too. They sound very different and that is why I am reviewing both for those out there who arent sure what to get. The snow white has an ebony fret board and this along with the sealed mahogany body makes it sound very bright and clear, but almost too bright for standard tuning (IMHO). That being said it is great for clarity with low and Drop tunings like Drop D, C, B, etc. I also added the 18 volt mod which I add to all my active EMG pickups and also suggest you try it too. The snow white is so white that it almost looks like a plastic mold and not wood since there is no flamed maple top to see, but I grew to like this look in a few weeks. I put on black knobs and got rid of the vintage knobs it came with for a modern look. Overall it is the best guitar Ive bought and is the reason I bought another. I am not rich and bought 2 because THEY ARE THAT GOOD and I will not need to spend and waste money buying up to it in the future! The black cherry has a rosewood fret board and flamed maple top that is absolutely beautiful! The stock online photos dont do justice and an LTD Eclipse version does not have the same grain pattern or finish as other reviewers have claimed. It has a more traditional tone being much warmer and darker in tone overall and sounds great in standard or Drop D tuning. I would choose the snow white for better tone to suit metal, but would chose black cherry for better looks overall if you dont plan to play really low Drop tunings. Dont misunderstand me about tones. The rhythm guitarist for Devil Driver plays the black cherry version in Drop C and sounds great. I just wanted to say that these guitars are better then a Gibson LP for rock or metal (IMHO) with the 81/60 PUs and is better than anything Ive played in the LTD versions which I have owned many other styles of LTD Eclipses too. These guitars are chambered and ridiculously light too in comparison to a Gibson LP. Dont hesitate buying! Hope to have helped out? Keep on Rockin people! \m/ \m/
These have Gotoh Magnum locking tuners and I would suggest looking at a youtube video on how they work. They are great and make string changes easy! The back body is sculpted and this is not seen in the photos. This makes it comfortable for sure. The biggest thing about this guitar is the short scale of 24 & 3/4" length which makes it less of a stretch to the first fret in comparison to 25 & 1/2" scales like the LTDs have. This makes certain chords much easier to play!
Best quality in any guitar I've owned. Blows away Ibanez and Fender or Shecter since I've owned them all. Prestige, US strat & tele, Shecter C-6, etc. Simply the best quality!
Value is great overall since the Gibson LP version it is modeled after is over twice the price and doesn't come with EMGs either which is standard in ESP. Anything over $1,500 should be great and this is certainly the case and I have no complaints at all. If working pros play these then there is something good to be said about them in that alone. Will these improve playing skills? Probrably since you will never want to put it down!

Comments about ESP Standard Series Eclipse II:

Several years ago, when I was in my early 20's and just getting into the band scene, I went looking for a new guitar. I assumed I would walk out of my local music store with a Les Paul. After trying out various guitars and a ton of Gibson models, none of them made me say "Wow that's a good deal for a sweet guitar". One of the guys in the shop heard the style of music I was playing and suggested an LTD EC-1000. I fell in love with it within seconds. Since then I've bought nothing but LTD and ESP products. I own 2 EC-100'0's, an ESP Eclipse II, and an ESP Eclipse Custom model. Each time I spring for a more expensive ESP model I am never disappointed that I did so. Ever.

Comments about ESP Standard Series Eclipse II:

I Played one of these for about 2 hours and it the most amazing guitar ive ever played. The hang up i have is for 800 less the ltd ec-1000 is almost the identical guitar, prettier actually due to the abalone binding. the hardware and pickups are identical. both are same woods and cut. Why pay the extra for the ESP at the headstock instead of LTD. I walked out of the shop with the ec-1000 and it plays identical. and has since (1 year) played flawless. save your bucks get the same for less.

Comments about ESP Standard Series Eclipse II:

I bought the used Aged CherryBurst and I was very impressed with everything. I play mainly metal stuff, but I also love the blues; this guitar was perfect for me. I will have to have it set up, but that's what comes with the territory; besides I am picky when it comes to the way I prefer my guitar set up (strings, tuning, ect...).

Comments about ESP Standard Series Eclipse II:

This guitar has the tone every Metal guitarist looks for. Everybody knows that the EMG 81/60 is the most overused pickup setup in the metal scene, but thats because it sounds amazing! The mahogany provides a dense, dark tone, and the pickups are amazing. Les Paul style guitars are dificult for me to play, but I didn't seem to have a problem with this for some reason. My only problem with this guitar is that you could find or create the same thing for much cheaper. Overall, Id give this guitar a 5/5.

Comments about ESP Standard Series Eclipse II:

i played this at guitar center, i love how it sounds. the cut out in the back is pain full. its not the greatest to sit with. but you can get used to any guitar. what i didnt like was the finish. it looks cheap. there should be a NICE flamed maple top. it didnt look like at all.. looked like a tipical fake flamed paint job. it playes great sounds great. looks cheap.. and since your paying soo much money. just get a gibson, and install a emg.

Comments about ESP Standard Series Eclipse II:

I've played for 30 plus years and my #1 guitar (a custom carvetop neck through body beauty) was in need of a fret job so for a change I bought the esp eclipse in the vintage black. I tried it out in the store for maybe ten minutes and knew that it was leaving with me. What an absolutly fantastic guitar, tight and responsive, ringing out clear even when unplugged. Stays in perfect tune even through major shredding and bends. The feel is so right it's inspiring new music out of this old dog. I play fast technical to kick in the guts metal to groovy stuff and this guitar takes anything I can throw at it. I baby the hell out of it as I don't know how tough the finish is but I'm not touring anymore so it should be fine. My old #1 hangs on the wall these days and is now a jealous #2. If you can find one of these buy it, you'll never regret it.

Comments about ESP Standard Series Eclipse II:

This guitar is amazing guitar. The sound is amazing and the EMGs set the tone all the way. I have heavier guage strings for lower tuning (drop A, drop B) and I had to adjust my bridge, but the feel is so tight and everything from palm muting to open strumming is so tight and crisp. I originally had on standard SIT strings that came with the guitar, and the strings were really good and the guitar still had a really precise, tight feel. I even get a great clean sound out of this guitar. I play in a band, and this guitar is so lightweight that it makes playing a show that much better. I recommend this guitar for any metal guitarist, or guitarist in general. You'll drop some bucks on it, but its worth it.

Comments about ESP Standard Series Eclipse II:

I absolutly love this guitar. First ESP I've ever owned and now I'm regretting not giving them a shot earlier! Great craftsmanship, guitar sounds great clean or distorted, absolutly no blemishes on the finish or hardware. I have two Gibson LPs and this one is half the weight. I would definetly buy another and I highly doubt you will find another pro quality LP at such a low price. If your thinking of buying one do it! The only thing you will regret is not trying one out sooner.