ESP Custom Shop Elviscaster

1996 Model, telecaster style alder body, black back with black binding on top. Elvis stamp graphics on top. Clear pickguard. Standard tele pickup configuration, Duncans. Fishman Piezo bridge(looks like a Wilkinson with 6 heavy duty individual pole pieces). Wide maple neck with small abalone dot inlays. Huge frets. Kluson tuners. Custom shop logo on back of headstock. Vintique neck kit and stainless control plate with Vintique pots, wiring, cap. Only a few of these guitars (less than 10 according to ESP) were made before ESP was sued by the King's estate. The entire top is covered with what looks like a slightly enlarged sheet of Elvis stamps. Up close, it is stunning. The overall color of the stamps is red. ESP also made a Marilyn Monroe stamp version. This one hung in a local music shop for 2 years with a $2,200 price tag on it. I rate the features as average just because it is set up like a standard tele with a Fishman.

Great for blues, country, rock. Sounds best through Vox AC30 and Landgraff Dynamic Overdrive. The Vintique neck kit and wiring kit greatly improved the sound of this guitar. The Fishman needs a preamp to work properly. I've only used it once. This guitar is extremely resonant. Even though the Duncans push the front end of the AC30 very nicely, the guitar has tremendous sustain, even undistorted. It is a blast to play.

ESP makes great guitars. The fit and finish are excellent. The cool Elvis stamp graphics on the top are bright and the guitar gets alot of attention. ESP's necks and fretwork are the best I have encountered from a production guitar. The big frets make this thing a joy to play....especially blues. Top notched artistic design and assembly. I had bought the Vintique neck kit to put in another guitar, but just on a whim decided to put it in the Elviscaster. If you are unfamiliar with the concept of Vintique's neck kit, go to their website at www.vintique.com. All bolt on guitars should have this kit in them. It really solidifies the neck-body joint. I changed out the controls on a whim too, also with great sonic improvement.

I have played live with this guitar about 100 times in 5 years without any problems. It is extremely durable. The nitro finish is yellowing somewhat over the graphics. I play hard. No problems. Very dependable.

The guys at the ESP custom shop are assholes. I called a couple of times trying to get information on this guitar and they were extremely rude. The head guy (I can't remember his name) was the worst. Due to their legal problems relating to this guitar, they didn't even want to acknowledge that it exists. No letter of authenticity, no cooperation.

I've been playing for 36 years. In addition to the Elviscaster, I have a 79 strat, a 1999 Love Rock, and a G&L ASAT Semihollow. When I saw this guitar, I just had to have it. It sat there for two years. Nobody would buy it. Finally, we agreed on a trade. It is one of the best guitars I have ever played. My amps include a Vox AC30 reissue with the blue speakers, a 69 Bandmaster Reverb with Celestions and a Leslie 18, and a 71 Princeton Reverb.