Product: ESP M-44
Price Paid: US $350 used
Submitted
01/15/2004
at
11:35am
by
Aaron
Features
:
9
This is a Japanese made bass with tons of tone. It has a cut alder body, rosewood fretboard, and a birdseye maple neck. The body has a nice cutaway for accessing the higher frets. It has a humbucking P and J pickups (these may be EMG or Duncan). Originally on the M-4 the ESP brand pickups were single coil. I bought this used, so they are either the upgraded pickups, or ESP improved their pickups. It electronics includes a volume, tone and pickup selector (a blend knob would've been much nicer, but I'm sure you could find a store to do that). Comes with an ESP bridge that is great for adjustments.
Sound
:
9
I play mostly blues-rock, heavy metal, and funk, and the P pickup delivers a HUGE ballsy sound. Very full but not muddy at all. The jazz pickup has a decent sound, but when set solely on the jazz pickup, the sound a little too trebly. If you play jazz though, it could be a decent sound. A blend knob would be fantastic. The jazz pickup has some potential, but playing it by itself may not be an option for most players. Together the pickups put out a decent sound. Since they are dual coils, there is no hum. Even if you don't like the jazz pickup, this bass sounds fantastic even if you never use it at all! Sounds great with fingers or a pick. A GREAT bass for slap/funk.
Action, Fit, & Finish
:
10
Whoa! The action is so low on this bass it's sick! I love the action being set so low, but some of the upper frets buzz because of this (I need to get the truss rod adjusted). The low action makes tapping very easy. The pickups have a little groove which makes playing great for fingerpickers. The neck is shapped just right! I have never played a faster neck. It combines the best parts of a jazz bass and a p bass neck. Tuners and bridge are great, this thing stays in tune well. If you know anything about basses made in Japan, you know there is no comparison.
Reliability/Durability
:
10
The finish and neck are holding up well. No problems with the electronics. I haven't had the neck adjusted since I bought it a few years ago, but it isn't that bad as is. The Japanese really know how to build a bass.
Customer Support
:
No Opinion
never dealt with ESP, so I'm not sure
Overall Rating
:
9
I have been playing bass for about 7 years and this is a great bass for those who are serious about playing. I paid $350 on ebay, which is a steal since this retailed for over $1000 new. The J pickup is not my bag, but this bass is worth it for the P pickup alone. The quality is top notch. This is easiest bass to play I have ever seen. The neck is incredible. It produces a great sound for funk/rock/blues. My only complaint is that there should have been a blend knob instead of a pickup selector.
