ESP LTD F-205

Got mine in 2002, Looks like it was made in Korea active pickups 3 band eq, regular tuning machines, killer body you know the usual

I play in two bands ones metal the other is kinda jam bandish, it does buzz a bit but goes with the territory, the bass is part chameleon it can adapt to most any style you'd like to play with a few knob turns(except maybe jazz). Decent tone for your buck.

straight up it came kinda sloppy for my taste, funny action, kinda low on the G, swapped strings, and most problems solved. the rest of the bass was concrete

okay this is one tuff mother i've been through LOTS of live shows and LOTS of practices with this bass it has many dings and scratches, however it still looks good, plays good and sounds good.

i've been playing for about 8 years and i've had this bass for 3 of the eight and i've NEVER had a back up only thing i've ever had to do was resolder the input and change the battery, but who doesn't

solid active EQ bass. I enjoy the low, mid and high tone controls, as opposed to just low and high as on most basses. I love EMGs, and the HZs that are in here sound fucking great. much more clarity of sound than anything else I've ever played.

I bought it new, so I had some tweaking to do to get my sound right. and while it has decent low-B response, I ditched the B, moved my strings down, and put a higher string on. basically like a 6 string without the B. this bass supports high tones REALLY well. if you're a solo-y high end guy like me, you'll love this bass. it's not noisy, or too punchy. certainly not designed for funk or jazz, but they don't advertise it as such. this is a straight up metal/rock bass. it has a very clear, crisp tone for the highs without being too clean and sharp. and a thick, smothering low end that rattles your chest without getting muddy. to the people who thought this bass sounded muddy, you need to use a better amp or learn how to adjust your settings, because this bass is anything but.

other than shitty factory strings and having the shim in the neck wound WAY too tight, it was in good shape. but, like all new guitars, you gotta break em in.

the f-205 is solid. it is the only bass I need or use. I've had it for a year, and after extensive practice and gigging, have only just recently needed to replace the active EQ battery.

never had to contact them. bass has served me well.

this is the best bass I've ever owned, and I've owned a lot. first off, once you go active EQ, you'll never go back. I learned that a few years back. passive is for funk and punk and any other genre that doesn't require clear, consise tones. and that's not a knock again those genres, I used to play both of them. but this is a great metal/hard rock bass. if it were stolen or broken, I'd cry, and if I had the money, I'd buy another. but I've never been that attached to equipment. but lord knows if I ever did, it would be for this bass. ESP outdid themselves with the F-205. beautiful in appearance and sound.

all been mentioned, an used to be found on the esp site but it seems they dont make it no more

this bass sounds awesome, i use it in a middle of the road rock band and a death metal band. i have not found another bass for this money that is so versatile... the EMG-HZ pickups are really sensitive for passives, and the sound out of ma trace elliot amp sounds slightly compressed wihtout any compression on it. well impressed.

everything is perfect for me, i took a chance when i bought it cos i liked the shape an it was reasonably cheap. but i had to import it into uk cos no one had one so that made it a bit more expensive. only one thing thats rucshed is the model number on the 12th fret, that im gonna get a custom inlay done anyway so that dont really matter

ive gigged the bass for 2 yrs or so now, last night it got knocked over 3 times and not a damn thing has happened to it, it seems to be invincible!!

for what you get, with the awesome almost growl sound without effects from my trace elliot amp this bass is god.

a sweet neck from korea, nice black coat on it. the wood is nicely shaped, very evil looking. two soap bar pickups, emg-hz's. 24 frets, 5 string. has a volume knob, balancer, and a three band eq meaning it's active. regular tuning machines.

i used a peavey 60watt basic amp. i tried it on almost all possible way, turning max bass and treble etc... very good. you can make it sound rich or bright using the balancers. also on the amp there is a "bright" option so it makes it clcik when you slap, like fieldy of korn.

also used on a portabl small marshall amp, like 5 watt or something. sounds good on that too.

preferably used for playign alot of metal like slipknot, pod, deftones. it's also great for some blues since it can have that bright sort of sound.

great bass all around

the action was perfect. it's measured from the bottom of each string from the fretboard, it's very low. the pickups are sort of high and can't really be adjusted downwards but that doesn't really make any problems. some say it interferes with the low b, but it's fine.

the shiny finish is nice. but once you touch it, you get your oily prints on it. easily removed with a cloth that's has a tiny bit of moisture, like breath on the finish a bit.

i haven't had it for too long. i banged it quite a few times against a cabinet. so far no scratches or nicks. it seems quite durable. the fnish is thick so i doubt it will wear out too soon. the neck has hardly bent from the time i bought it, it has been in humid conditions then to cold. that woudl mess up any poorly made neck but not this, it's also been in a plane so it shouldnt have any problems.

i probably wouldn't need a backup unless the battery for the active eq would crap out. that would be bad, not too long to change it though.

never had to deal witht them. warranty is about 2 years. samash also has a warranty type thing for 30 dollars. 4 times a year you can bring it in for adjusting just about everything. so it's worth it. alot of the time it takes alot of cash to adjust the truss rod.

i have a squier affinity p-bass pack. it came with a 15watt amp, i have yet to try it on that. obviously the f-205 is much better than that bass. it's a good buy if you like metal and for that price.

I think pickups are active, but the other features have been said. Good option for under 500 bucks.

B string is too muddy, and not as lively as I'd like on the slap pop, kicks the shit out of most basses in price range though. Bit muddy though.

neck pickup sometimes interferes with high neck action on the b string, other than that, pretty good.

takes beating, after all the times i've smacked it up, it only has minor chips/scuffs.

Good for price, I'd take it over any fender, ibanez, or peavey, including the high range ones, but compared to a warwick, it's not great.

Purchaced kinda on a whim, got the very last Grey Satin model that came out of the ESP/LTD factory. Features EMG HZ pickups, which are specially made for ESP (HZs on the F-205 bass, and some new ESP guitars, like the Viper and the F series guitars) The reviewer up there says that the pickups are passive, and i guess im not going to fight him about that since i dont know. has 2 volume knobs, bass, mid and treble as well. Good features for the money.

I play new school hardcore, and this bass is PERFECT for my style of music and my personality. it has the best low B response of any other bass in this price range (Ibanez low end stuff SUCKS). mids are punchy and the highs are clear as well. i play with a Ampeg SVT 4-pro with a Gallien Krueger 800RB slaved to it and 2 4x10 cabs and 2 1x15 cabs, and when i hit that B, you almost loose bowel control and throw up at the same time. VERY clear and low. i was amazed when i first played this beast.
for other styles besides hardcore, it is suited for as well. i also play worship music in a youth band, and it does just fine with that as well. there is almost nothing i dislike about this bass.

it was set up perfect when i got it, the action was fine with me. no flaws that i could find, but ESP did.. see the customer support section of my review.

a pet peve is, that since its a grey matte finish, the place where my fingers contact the body while i play (right above the pickups) gets worn down into a glossy grey. but other than that, its awesome.

ive played twice with it live and abused my baby, but she always came through on top. ive never broken a string on it, and ive played the smack out of it. the strap buttons are nice and wide, it would seem pretty hard to accidentally drop your bass. i replaced it with schaller strap locks, and its all good. i will depend on this for years and years to come.

everything seemed swell until i zapped the electronics by touching strings with my guitar player whos electrical outlet was not grounded. they sent it back to ESP and installed ALL NEW electronics, and noticed a flaw in the nut. they replaced it and sent it back at no charge

I love it. i want a white one now with custom inlays, they guys at ESP will hook me up right. go buy yourself this bass. for the money, there is no equal.

Made in '98? Unsure, but I got it in '99. 34" scale bolt-on maple neck with 24 fret rosewood fingerboard, very cool B.C.Rich-reminiscent mahogany body (which is really why I bought it), 2 EMG-HZ passive soapbar pickups through (assumably EMG) preamp, v/v/t/m/b controls. Basic black finish, black hardware, headstock has a nice backtilt and- yes!- a volute. The case it came with is indeed the standard LTD case, but it doesn't come close to fitting inside.

I'm not a big fan of the sound, though it sounds alot like some of the basses I've heard here & there (Carcass, Prince). Very crispy and clear, but also very nasal and sterile. I blame the EMGs personally- I've used EMGs before and they always sound stale and lifeless. It does cut through the cascades of guitar I have to deal with, and it has a cool slap tone (totally Prince in that category), though not a very aggressive one.

String buzz here & there, which I'm used to in fretted instruments (mainly a fretless player)- I have a heavy hand. Action was low enough for speedy runs, but too low to avoid buzz; raising the action makes strings feel somewhat rubbery. Otherwise everything was adjusted well, and the overall feel is extremely solid. The neck has a glossy finish, but is still rather sleek and quick; the profile feels great. Access to upper frets is no sweat.

A solid 5-er, and worth the money. If I were serious about playing 5 fulltime though, I would make the serious investment into something a little higher up (Zon, Lakland, etc.). It does the job okay though, and it sure looks cool! I've used it live, and my only gripe goes back to tone: clear, but not punchy enough. It just doesn't kick you in the face.

Never dealt with them. I used to live somewhat close to the ESP Custom Shop, but I was only looking.

I'll give it a good rating as it really does kick some butt at 4 bills. Neato lookin', clear tone, decent low B response, very comfy neck. Yeah, the case didn't fit, but I swapped it with the case for another bass, and they both fit better in their new homes.