ESP Eclipse Archtop

ESP Eclipse Archtop, produced 1998 or 99 in Japan. It has 22 frets, 3-way switch, 3 knobs, H/H PU-configuration. PU's are ESP lh-300. Passive electronics.
Woods: i think the top is maple, the body mahogany, the neck should be maple again. Rosewood fingerboard, Gotoh Deluxe machines & mother of pearl Flag inlays! Has got a trapeze style bridge.
Finish: something green, don't know the exact name for this finish, but really kicks ass. Paula-Shape, with f-hole (rickenbacker-style), jumbo frets, including a really amazing esp-case, made in canada.
Not too much features... It's everything you need and not more.
And: not much more than 3 kilos!!
I LOVE IT!

Play a lot of different styles, but love especially rock/metal/punk.
I use a crate vc30 (rock 'n' roll man!!). The guitar isn't noisy at all, but a lil' bit sensitive to interfering signals like those of monitors. But as long as you don't play in the front of your computer you won't have any probs.
The sound is really, really, really (believe me!) f**** awesome! Fits to every style. This guitar is the most cameleonic one I've ever held in my hands. You can satisfy every metaller by using the bridge PU, volume full force. The guitar can scream, roar and shout as hell. Good for lead sounds and heavy riffs. Sounds really dirty. Can also produce good ol' rock 'n' roll tunes or bluesy crunch sounds.
Every jazzer would immediately die for the neck-PU. Sounds great if you turn down the tune-knob. Good for clean ballad-sounds, but also for rhythm play or singing lead sounds.
The f-hole makes this guitar very special, it just produces a better tone than those solid-bodies. And a very special thing: you won't have any problems with the feedback. I mean - yeah - the feedback is coming a bit faster than with a solidbody, but it's no problem at all. You can still play your marshall 4x12'' stacks (I tried it and it works without any special problems). I like it if the guitar gets a bit faster into a feedback. Especially for my solos it's useful.

This guitar is the most perfect one I've ever owned and I wont ever get a better sound.

can't say anything about this, bought it used...

I already played it a lot live. It never left me. No problems at all.
Perfect - Reliable - Durable
10

bought it used

I've been playing since 9 years now. I own some other ESP's, LTD's, an Ibanez and a Fender Strat.
This guitar is the best one I've ever held in my hands.
If it would be stolen or lost... Hell yeah, I would try to buy a new one. Also for a very high price. But it's difficult to find one, those guitars are very rare.
I like everything about this guitar: design, features, tone, sounds, reliability, PU's... Just perfect.
I can compare this guitar to any other one (and that already were tons of) it always wins.

Look at the other reviews. My one is green, looks amazing. This guitar is just perfect!

I play many styles of music. In my band I play Old-School Punk 'n' Roll like Social Distortion, at home I play everything from Jazz to Metal.
This guitar can do everything! I play it through a Marshall JCM2000, a Brunetti R-Evo 60 and a Hughes&Kettner Attax.
A big surprise was, that this guitar hasn't got any feedback-problems. It doesn't sound as metal as my other ESP with EMG's, but it's still amazing. I love it, the best sound of a guitar I've ever owned.

I bought it used, so I can't say anything about the set-up at the factory.

Seems to be very reliable. But the toggle-switch is a bit loose. But the rest is still okay. It is now 10 years old and still looks sexy and also feels sexy. ;)

Best guitar I've ever owned! It isn't as good as a Suhr, a very expensive Gibson or a very expensive PRS. But what you get here for your money is just amazing!
If you can buy it, buy it! You won't repent it!

This is a '99 Esp Eclipse Archtop, Made in Japan. I purchased it from a collector in 2000 who was looking to fund the purchase of a new vintage guitar. Thus I got it quite cheap in 'as new' condition. I think it was about the time when they were just discontinued.

Les Paul shaped, with a thorn shaped hollow port in the body (similar to an f-hole in a jazzer). Mine is Cherry Red with Cream binding and silver/chrome hardware. The pickups are stock H/H with chrome covers. The neck is Maple with a rosewood fingerboard, Gotoh Deluxe machines & mother of pearl Flag inlays and ESP headstock logo. The trapeze style floating bridge is amazing! Two Volume and a Tone pot, 3-way selector switch.

The Eclipse is ESP's version of the Les Paul, but the Archtop is nothing like a Les Paul in the way it sounds. The hollow section creates a significantly different quality to the sound more tonally rounded. You can achieve quite bright sounds and quite smooth semi-acoustic feel sounds. When played clean you achieve a thick full sound to chords when on the middle and neck pickups perfect when you want a smoother less cutting tone.

Lead still cuts through great though, with a bit of distortion or overdrive, the Eclipse sings with the best of them. The humbuckers produce tight gainy lead runs that seem to broaden the sound yet still remain easily heard when there is a lot going on. Its not super trebly, and so it won't really appeal to those of you who like that thrashy metal sound. It will however produce a lot of fat grunt if you require thick distorted chord work.

I often play with the tone dialled back about half way which really illustrates the versatility of this guitar's sound. The tone pot seems to serve as a sort of thickness selector greating a more acoustic vibe the further you dial it back (rather than on some guitars where it seems to just muffle the sound)
Played clean with a light tremolo and volume pedal or use of a the volume knob, you can even quite accurately simulate the sound of a violin or cello. I have not tried it with an 'E-bow', but I imagine that may work well also.

The neck is perfect! I can't remember playing a neck so good. It just entices you to play faster smoother licks and sweep through chord changes like you're being assisted. Never had any fret buzz, and the sustain is amazing.

I've had a channel switch go and the jack socket needed replacing after a while. But these are minor things that cost very little to replace (especially when you know how to do them yourself) and I might be blamed for giving the switch a little too much when playing live. Other than that she is completely solid and I do jump around with her at a gig, regularly playing without a backup.

Never needed to deal with them.

If you are after a Les Paul, look elsewhere - maybe an Eclipse Standard or Gibson. I wired in a JB in the bridge initially and it just sounded wrong. The pickups it has stock really suit the body style and produce great tone.

If you're after a great and highly versatile guitar, this is the one! This is the main guitar in my arsenal, an I have quite a few at my disposal. I wouldn't sell it... Ever! It is simply amazing!

I think mine is a '98 or '99, bought it new in '99, direct from factory to local guitar man, to me. Pretty sure it was made in Japan. Paid around a $1000 for it new. 22 fret, semi-hollow. Has a nice floating Trapeze Tail Piece. Awesome neck. This guitar convinced me to pick up an ESP Eclipse Solid Top. The frets aren't very big on this one, it said Jumbo, but my Solid Top has jumbo and these are almost like a fretless wonder LP. Oh and the finish is Sparkle Red, was apposed to the color until I saw it, amazing.

I play hard rock, a la Tool, but love to noodle on all types. Killer for anything, I replaced the stock pickups with a Duncan Jazz in the neck and a JB in the bridge, stock were fine but the Duncans take this guitar to a new level of tone. Super tight, and just thick enough with tons of bite. Back off the tone and Jazz players would die for this guitar. Only dislike as with all ESPs is the wiring, and as with all LP style guitars, tuning issues. I run through a Mesa/Boogie DC-5 and a Marshall cab, killer tone, with no effects other than occasional wah. I also run a Line 6 PODxt through a Kustom combo for clean, and I run a similar Mesa/POD sound loaded with effects along side the Mesa.

Everything seems fine on the guitar outside of the wiring, had my guy do his thing and I can't ask for a better guitar. Will never get rid of this or my other ESP as they were my dream guitars and I love them. Action is super low, but in the most perfect way.

I've gigged this guitar more than most people would, and beat the hell out of it, It just keeps on ticking. I think it thrives on being played, as with my solid top, The fact that it isn't a $2000 guitar screams I want to be a player. I love all the dings and such that I have giving it, For some reason I get pissed when I see a band using a PRS or supped up LP, what happened to players having a main axe that became worn.

Never dealt with them personally.

Playing about 10 years, I would buy this guitar again and again and will if the money ever is available. I love the neck, perfect is what I'd tell someone. Had a LP Standard for a short while, wouldn't trade the ESP's for one. Could use a second tone, I think the new Eclipses have them, but who wants a new ESP these days?

An ESP EClipse Archtop, MIJ in about '98. Wonderful silver sparkle finish, almost flawless - only few "relic" dings and yellowed spots on the finish - but I bought it used, so who knows who's to blame for this.

Mahogany body with maple top, suited with sound holes (well, it's actually only one), gotoh hardware - which is extremely reliable. Maple neck, the normal LP 24.75" scale.

2x Superb LH-200 ESP PU's, in my opinion the best stock PU's ever. Even some Gibsons are crap compared to these. No joke.

All in all, a well done guitar. :)

Beautiful humbucker sound, from jazzy smooth neck-PU sound to screaming HiGain sound - everything is possible.

Since it's archtop, be careful not to add too much gain, since these guitars tend to cause feedback naturally.

Well it's not a see-thru finish, but it's really beautiful with those sparkle thangs. :)
Onle those few relic spots are to be mentioned.

Action was well done - but since I prefer a couple of different settings, I had to fix it. But that's a problem of mine, not the guitar's. :)

Suited with strap locks (every guitar should have some!), this guitar should withstand a lot. As long as you take care of the neck (the problem with all Les-Paul-a-like guitars) it will last forever.

Never dealt with them.

Superb guitar for the money. Sometimes I wish it had a Bigsby trem for some rockabily sounds, but I'm happy with this guitar as-is. I own (too!) many other guitars, but this one is one of my favorites.

Maple neck, Semi-Hollow Mahogany body, 2 humbuckers. Not many features, but I like my guitars plain anyways.

I play JAZZ to METAL, and the stock pick ups are fine, but I'll probably throw in a JB or Duncan Custom in the bridge sometime. I'll never change the neck pick up, very smooth and articulate jazz runs, very nice neck pickup. THE NECK, this is the best part about the guitar. The neck is the skinniest neck ever made. It is so fast that you could shred on this axe better than an Ibanez or some other shred guitar. This neck kills brian moore necks and is probably thinner than a Wizard ibanez neck, it feels great, and the frets are very smooth.

Only thing that pisses me off about ESP is the crappy wiring and electronics. The pots get loose fast,and the input jack gets very loose as well, but with some small asjustments this thing is solid as a rock.

Straight from warehouse, the set up sucks, and things come loose, I work at Musician's Friend, and the main problem on ESP is the pots, and input jacks, they allways come loose or short out or something, but with small adjustments these guitars are solid as a rock.

Im going to rate this guitar out of all guitars, and not just as it is good for what it is. What I mean is this. For under a grand this guitar is the best guitar ever, but compared to a high end PRS, Brian Moore it isn't nearly as good, but were talking a difference of 2,000 dollars. So compared to every other guitar I have ever seen and played on here is what I rate it.

See other review. It would be nice to have a tone for both p/u's.

The p/u's are very nice given that they are stock. I have Lindy Fralins in another guitar and the ESP's don't sound as good, a bit brighter to me. In clean modes these p/u's are great. But in overdrive they lack gain compared to the Fralins, but once i turn up the gain, it compensates. These are some of the best stock p/u's i've heard. but once i can put some fralins in it, i will.

The guitar out of the factory needed work. Some frets were popping out, and one was creating bad fret out, not just buzz. I had a tech dress the frets, glue in the frets, and set it up. it plays very well, i can't believe how easy it is to play. i've had many guitars over the 22 years i've been playing, many gibsons, strats, and others. this inexpensive guitar plays as good or better than any of them. it is very comfortable to play w/a strap. it is light and has a very large cut out in the back that makes is fit nicely to the body. out of the factory i give this category a 5, once tweaked 10

i've had problems. the frets, toggle switch, and needed a new bridge.

they took care of the bridge, but were resistant to take care of the toggle switch. they wanted me to mail the guitar back to them for warranty coverage on the toggle. that is rediculous to spend all that shipping $$$ to fix a toggle. i took care of it myself. they did mail me a new switch, but i was on the hook for labor. i give a 5 for customer service.

once all things fixed and it's up and running, it is a great buy and a great guitar. i would hunt another down if it were gone. i think esp quit making these. be aware of customer service however.

This a semi/hollow body eclipse. The body is Mahogany with a maple neck, both neck and body binding, rosewood fret board, 22 frets, flag inlays. Very good looking guitar.
It has Gotoh deluxe tuners.
Pick-ups are ESP LH 200 h/b.
Two volumes one tone three way switch
The neck is thin, with extra jumbo frets, very fast neck you'll have to play it to believe it.

The sound is very warm to crisp, Its not as bright as my strat but that is why I bought it. Its sounds a lot like a Les paul but not as muddy

The action was real low, I raised it just a little. The neck pick-up looks like it may need to raise , both pickups seem to be on the loose side , I don't know if they were made to be like that or what, so far it has not been a problem.
The finish on this axe looks really good , the inlays have no filler around them, the frets are smooth and well dressed.

Everything about this guitar says pro. This is a solid, well made guitar. Gig without a backup, yeah right, I don't care what you're playing s/happens take a backup.

dont' know

I have been playing off and on for over 30 years. I have owned everything from Ric to fenders, played lots of gibson never found one that had a neck that I liked. This ESP looks like a les paul, sound simular to one and plays as easy as my Strat. If I lost this guitar,
yes,I would buy it again.