ESP DV8

2004 ESP Custop Shop, Japan. 24 frets, two volume, one tone, LiweWire Dave Mustaine Active PU`s, Mahogany neck and body, snow white, Robin "King" V body, sperzel locking tuners, case, dunlop flashmount straplocks

I play speed and thrash using Laney and very often POD XT Live to play live. The sound is powerful but it is extremely warm for me. Massive bottoms and pure brighrs. It was a cool guitar but my Jackson KV`s (poplar and korina) a better for me, a think that DV is too muffled.

Low action, great finish. Location of volume knobs is very comfortable, as it is made on KV`s. No flaws, no scratches.

It`s a cool axe but I never play gigs without any backup guitar. But I was never never taken by any bad surpruse by this guitar

Haven`t dealt about this guitar, but as concerned about any other questions I`ve got - I`ve allways have got an answer.

Never used warranty

I've been playing for around 8 years, and I`ve got a pair of Jackson KV`s, very-very old Gibson Les Paul (it`s about 40 years old), Caparison Horus, Los Angeles Custom Shop Ibanez and a few guitars more. DV8 is great guitar, but as for me - KV`s are better and of course - nothing could be compared with old LP so I`ve decided to sell it. I think it should be used more actively then I did it, so no worse about selling it.

2005,korea,24 jumbo frets,solid top,2 volume,1 tone,3way toggle,duncan jb pickups,neck thru mahogany body, string thru body,sperzel locking tuners,strap locks, no case..

Alright, this guitar shipped to me w/.09's Mr.Mustaine plays .010's so wtf..first mistake..last mistake.. so I string it up w/some .10's so I can play holy wars!! well that didn't last long cuz the saddles wouldn't hold my strings into place. price to groove the saddles..mucho D'friggin nero,$$40 hard earned dollaz. After that everything was groovy..and I was broke. the sperzels make it lovely to change strings..had to set the action..the strap kinda gets in the way up around the high shred zone..oh well this axe looks wicked and pretending to be in Megadeth is loads of fun..the G string doesn't stay in tune, maybe cuz I bend the shit out of it..

I've never played live w/the dv8r, still waiting for dave to call me back for the next tour..the hardware seems damn sturdy..I'll probably sand down the neck for a more smooth playing..strap locks hold the guitar nice and tight, fuggedabout droppin it..no need for a back up though I have a jackson if need be..

I've never contacted ESP

I've been playing...I cannot remember..it's been a while..I play through MXR graphic EQ-->quadraverb-->vht head-->mesa cab..this guitar will nail megadeth's tone..the pickups have a raw bite and bark which is essential when playing this style..I love this guitar and would not sell it..not sure if i'd buy another..I origionaly bought it cuz it's unique..so far so good so what.....

As listed above for the most part, I have the DV8R, cheaper model, but still a great axe.

I love this thing. I love the weight, the finish etc. The Duncans sound great, actually like this better than my LP Supreme and my SG. People complain of not being able to play it in the sitting position, but I don't have much of a probelm with that. Besides, I use mostly whilst standing. She sounds great. I'd buy another tomorrow.

Out of the box it was setup pretty nicely, no issues. Frets are a little rough on the binding edge in places, but not too bad. The only bitch I do have is the location of the bridge volume knob. Could have been moved slightly back, but it as well is just a matter of getting used to it.

It'll probably last for a long time, seems to be constructed well. As long as I don't smash a wing into something, I'm good.

Never dealt with them.

Been playing for for 30 years, have many high quality guitars, but I LOVE this thing.

This is the high-end ESP version of Dave Mustaine's new signature series V-shaped guitar. I got a black one which was made in 2004. It's got a mahogany body and mahogany neck (which isn't exactly super thin, but is still extremely fast and playable) with bound ebony fingerboard. 24 frets, neck through construction. Two Seymour Duncan humbuckers, a JB at the bridge and a Jazz at the neck, controlled by two volume and one tone knob. There's a three-way toggle switch as well. Tonepros locking tune-o-matic bridge, with string-through body. Locking Sperzel tuners. Dunlop flushmount straploks.

Top-notch features, all high-end parts. I'll rate it a 9 just because some people might prefer it to have a Floyd Rose bridge or dual tone controls. For me it's perfect though.

I play a lot of metal. mostly thrash or death metal in the vein of Megadeth and Carcass. The first thing I did was to play it clean through my old Charvel amp, and mess with the settings. I still haven't been able to make the guitar sound bad! The Seymour Duncan pickups are a great matched pair and will provide you with a number of tones to pick from. Next, I ran it through my DOD FX86 Death Metal distortion pedal. Now, most of the time, I really have to mess with the pedal to get the right sound. Different guitars and different tunings require some tweaking to clear up the sound, but the JB pickup seemed to love the supercharged distortion. The humbuckers also were remarkably noise free, which helped to get an even better sound from the FX86. Today I went around town and ran it through a bunch of amps (I'm shopping for a new one) and the DV8 seemed to bring out the best in all of them. Bottom line, if you play metal, you'll love this guitar.

Set-up was awesome. It was brand new and had been at the store for about a year. Dunno about how it was set up coming from the factory, the store set it up for me after installing new strings, and they did an outstanding job. Flawless finish to the guitar. I have not found a single problem, and I looked it over pretty good when I first opened the case.

This is one solid guitar. Everything is high-end, and if it'll stand up to a Megadeth tour, it'll last a less aggressive individual many, many years. I'd definitely gig without a backup.

Haven't dealt with ESP, so I'll rate Drum City instead. They were supremely helpful over the phone when I ordered the DV8. I got a strap, new strings, picks, a t-shirt, and setup for free. Can't argue with that, and they did an outstanding job on the setup.

I've been playing for around 10 years, and this is the first high-end guitar I've gotten. Overall, I am 100% satisfied with this guitar. If it ever had to be replaced, I'd get the exact same thing all over again. If you're on a budget, look for the LTD DV8-R version. The same guitar for around a grand less. The only thing is, it's factory made and not handmade in the custom shop, so there may be some finish flaws (I've heard stories).