ESP Vintage-4

Alder body with maple neck/maple fretboard. Black finish that has undergone "distressing" to make it appear to be several decades old. Seymor Duncan P/J pickup configuration with controls being 2 volume and 1 tone. Electronics are passive, but these pickups are very responsive so it works out fine. Has the feel and tone of an old, hot-rodded P Bass. Not a ton of bells and whistles, but it wasn't designed to be that way and in my opinion it's great.

A faithful reproduction of classic rock bass tone from the 70's and 80's. (Think somewhere between John Paul Jones and Duff Mckagan) Produces a warm but snappy tone thanks to the alder/maple combination, so it works well with fingerstyle, slapping or using a pick. I play through an SWR 900 head and SWR 6x10 cabinet, and it cuts through the mix easily. As with anything though, your own playing style has TONS to do the tone you get.

The bass was set up perfectly by the staff at the music store before they even put it on display. According to them, the truss rod needed no adjustment and inntonation was very close. They did lower the action some, but all in all it was very minor the amount of tweaking they had to do.
The bass has a great, aged look to it. Everything from worn spots on the body to the tinting on the front and back of the neck is done well, but not overdone. I only wish ESP would have not sprayed lacquer over the "worn down" areas. Kinda goes against the point to do that, but from a distance you're not able to tell.

Seems to be very well made (in Japan) using high quality materials. Only needs slight tuning adjustment in between sets. I play this bass for 4 hours/night and it performs flawlessly. Very consistent tone the entire length of the neck- NO DEAD SPOTS!

Never had to deal with them but the store where purchased thinks very highly of them so I'll just go with that.

I've been playing bass since 1993. I've been using a Modulus 5 string for over 10 years now and bought the ESP as a back up. After realizing that I can play the entire night with only a four string, get a fantastic tone with it and not have to bother with ever changing batteries in it, I've been using the ESP as my main bass.
Only criticism I have is with the list price of $1800, even though most of the stores tag them around $1400, it's still kinda high considering it doesn't have American labor costs attached to it. Personally, I think a fair price selling price is in the $800-1000 range. I was able to buy mine new for under $1000 with a hard ESP case. (the music store was motivated to move it in order to get some new inventory in, so apparently I was in the right place at the right time) For what I paid, I'm extremely happy.

I saw this bass hanging in a local music store and immediately was drawn to the "distressed" black finish and maple fretboard. It was right beside the other Vintage four model with a sunburst finish and rosewood board, but this one just screamed "old-school punk" from top to bottom. It's almost like it was begging me to pick it up and beat the living hell out of it.
First impressions are very important, but being a bass player for almost 20 years I know that cosmetics don't mean anything unless they're backed up by playability and tone. With that in mind, I sat down and played it for about 30 minutes (both plugged and unplugged) and ran it through 2, mabye 3 different amps.
The alder body and maple fretboard are a fantastic combination on this bass. Using a p/j pickup configuration allows you to have the best of both worlds and I'm glad ESP decided to use this. It has classic jazz bass controls, two volume and one tone and possibly the best electronic feature of this bass- it's passive!

What you get with this bass is a faithful reproduction of classic rock tones from the 70's and 80's. Hardly any tweaking is required. About the only thing that will make a dramatic difference in the tone is your own playing style.
One word of advice, if you're heavily into taking solos then this might not have the fat, rich tone you long for in those situations. Instead, this is an "in the pocket" instrument that mixes nicely whether live or in the studio. I've owned it for several months now and have played live with it 6 or 8 times. The guys in my band as well as several audience members have given numerous compliments on it's tone.

I love the distressed finish. The tinting on the neck and the purposefully added wear spots on the front and back of the body are just right. I don't really care for the fact that they lacquered over the worn areas, though. Kinda goes against the point, don't you think? The bass was set up by the store I bought it from before it was displayed in their showroom, so I don't know what it was like from the factory. (Gee, what a novel idea! A music store that takes the time to do that instead of trying to bleed it out of their customers later on)

I bought this bass to be a back up when playing live. I've been playing the same Modulus Genesis since 1998 and just thought it was time to add another..you know, just in case. I have used the ESP all night on several occasions and have been more than satisfied with it. I'm reluctant to say it, but my Modulus is slowly becoming my back up bass.

Haven't had to deal with them personally, but the store I bought it from thinks very highly of them.

The only thing I will be very critical about with this bass is the price. List is around $1800 and most retailers price them in the $1200 range. That's ridiculous. This bass should cost no more than $700-800, plus tax. I mean, it plays extremely well and has a killer vibe to it. Plus the tone is awesome. Alder body, maple neck, maple fretboard, Duncan pickups and made very well in Japan. If I wanted to spend $1200-1800 on a bass with a vintage vibe, I'd probably just try to find an actual vintage bass (70's fender or rickenbacker mabye) I must say, I got a hell of a deal on mine from the store I bought it from. He was willing to let it go for alot less because it had been in the inventory for quite a while and I think was just tired of seeing it sit there. If ESP can't price these more reasonably, they won't stay in production long. I'm giving this bass a rating of "8" because I was able to buy it new, with a hard case, for under $1000 including tax.