ESP Horizon

I bought this guitar in our music center in Czech republic. I have seen this beauty wood and I knew that I want it.
I have ESP horizon NT-II DBSB (strings thru body).
Neck thru mahagonary body, quilted maple top, maple neck, eben fingerboard, 24XJ frets, Gotoh Magnum lock tuners. Pictups were there Seymour's SH4 and JB59. Electronics is 3 way selector with possibility to connect single versions of pickups. Now replacet by DiMarzio DP213 (joe satriani's) and Seymour's SH15.

What is my music style is a long list. But basicaly I play Rock, Metal, Ambient and experimental blues.
I had a Gibson les paul before and it wasn't so variable so far. With this guitar you can play all kinds of music you want. With my pickup combination and the great mahagon you can point to finest sound.
I'm using Line6 X3 Live stereo sounds to direct recording. I can made metallica, nightwish, in flames, guns'n'roses or for example deep low sound to ambient sounds.

This insrument was absolutely prepared for everything from the factory. I have to tell, that japan workers do they work well! Everyhing was all right!

I have played a few show with this ESP and I'm playing around 2-3 hours at day. I'm always tune it once or twice at week. The strings are cathed into best system I've ever used. You can pull them, beat them, twice round them around neck and they will still hold the right tune. Gotoh magnus are holy grail between lock systems for me.
I don't have backup guitar and I know I dont need it. Probably ina future I'll buy another horizon with Floyd rose but not for the reason that I don't trust this, but i just want to have both of this kind of tuning.
I can depend on her every day, every time, wherever around this and all other worlds..

Our suppor for my country is from germany and they are perfect. Reclamation or other problems they solve as soon as possible.

I've been playing guitar for 4 years. I had Fedner stratocaster, gibson les paul and (borrowed) jackon DK2. I'm the operator in huge music center and I've played many guitars in all cost categories and I need to know that the ESP is one of the best. I've never played anything what's more perfect for me. I'm really in love with this guitar.
I saw this guitar with Emppu Vuorinen (nightwish) and a few days later in our shop. I sold my Gibson at the moment...
I can recommend ESP Horizon NT-II DBSB to everyone who want to have something usiversal and adequate for all you want to play..
And don't be affraid of the sharp head shape.. She isn't so bad at all ;-)

More or less the same as other Horizons; '98/99, made in Japan, two humbuckers, 5-way switch, 24 extra jumbo frets, tune-o-matic bridge w/stop tail piece, see thru blue with natural "binding" strip, one volume and one tone.

Perfect sound. I dropped a Dimarzio Tone Zone pickup in the bridge position and a Dimarzio Steve's Special in the neck. My amps are a Splawn modified Marshall MKII 50 watt head, and a Laney GH50L head. Effects are a Tube Screamer, Small Clone, and MXR Micro Amp. With the Tone Zone this thing is THICK. Lots of tight low end, with great definition. The notes jump out out you, especially with the Laney. With an ear put to the guitar's body, the acoustic sound is like a bell, and with great sustain.

Immaculate. Everything is tight and well fit.

I actually backed over this guitar with my S10 truck, with only a gig bag between the wheels and the guitar!!!! DOHHHH!!!! The high E string broke, that's it. Speaking of tuning, this thing is a dream. With properly stretched strings it will hold tune. Only slight changes with temperature variation, and even then I think the strings are contracting, not the wood. Some of the chrome finish on the tail piece is dulled from sweat. The wood finish, other than dings, is in great shape. Extremely accurate and sensitive tuners, zero backlash or slop in the gears. An absolute workhorse of a guitar.

Never dealt with them.

This is the most comfortable and playable guitar I've owned. I would try to get another one if this one went missing. I hope it never goes missing. I've been playing 28 years,
13 of which are pro and semi-pro. This axe and a '79 Dean Baby ML are the greatest live guitars I've played. If you want to see and hear this guitar go to www.inthemob.com and check out the MP3s.

Proudly made in Japan circa '99/'00. 24 x-tra jumbo frets on a rosewood fingerboard, atop a maple (single piece) neck bolted to a swamp ash body. The arch-top strat-style body features an unpainted strip around the top edge. It looks like its bound in natural wood. Mine is see-thru purple (matching headstock). Twin humbuckers (both are passive ESP's) with a volume knob/tone knob/5-way selector switch. Chrome hardware - non-locking tuners (3 per side), tune-o-matic bridge with a stop tailpiece. The neck is ultra-fast and thin, similar to an Ibanez Wizard neck, but with a more natural feel. Mine came with a case and strap. For what I paid, I am very satisfied with the amount of features.

This was probably one of the most versatile ESP's made (when ESP still made standard models). The guitar easily reproduces vintage Les Paul sounds, bluesy Strat tones, and hard-driving metal crunch. I play mostly hard '80's stlye rock (Iron Maiden, Dokken, Ozzy) but occasionally like to strum blues, pop and jazz. This axe works perfectly for all styles (although suited more toward rock). I'm running it through a Crate GFX212-T and couldn't be happier (well, the amp is a litle noisy, but the guitar is NOT.) The sound can be sharp and biting when you want it to be, but when you back off it can be bluesy and full. The great pickups and ash body help keep the sound bright, but the 5-way selecor switch lets you use the humbuckers as single-coils, so there are plenty of ways to dial in the sound you're looking for. The bridge pickup is perfect, it has medium output with lots of harmonics. The neck humbucker can get a little muddy if you don't fiddle with your amp controls, though.

I bought this guitar brand new, but it made probably 3 years ago. It was new-old-stock from Drum City Guitar Land. Even though it had been sitting for quite some time, you wouldv'e thought it was made last week. The crafsmanship was exceptional (as is the case with all ESP's), the pickups were adjusted perfectly, the action was as low as I've ever seen on a guitar with a tune-o-matic brige, and there was absolutely no buzzing. The frets were flawless, and the grain of the ash body is stunning. The see-thru purple paint could double as a mirror. I did find a few tiny bubbles in the clear coat, though. Not more than 2 or 3, and from an inche away you would never know. But I know. It wasn't a mistake during construction, probably just just a natural process for whatever lacquer they use. All controls were top-notch. The tuners don't lock, but they don't need to - I haven't tuned this thing once since I bought it (2 weeks now). The pickups are completely balanced sound better than many Duncan or Dimarzio models. People wonder what the differences are between the ESP's and their cheap Korean LTD cousins. Its all the little details like action, sound, materials, playability, and craftsmanship.

This is my second ESP, and I can tell its built to last. I punish my other one (a '97 Mirage)and you couldn't tell its not brand new. These things are built like tanks. I've picked up 10 and 15 year old used ESP's and they play and sound better thatn 5 year old Jacksons. ESP's truly do sound better over time. I use this for occasional gigging, but its because I don't want anything to happen to it. The strap buttons are anchored into the body with a thread thats over an inch long (Still, I'd suggest strap-locks). Every piece of hardware is of the finest quality chrome. Like I said, this thing is built to play daily and last. If I gigged more and wasn't afriad of chipping the finish I'd gig with it exclusively. No need for a back-up when you've got an ESP - that's why you bought an ESP!

All ESP's feature lifetime warranties (except LTD's, but those aren't real ESP's anyway.) I've called their 800 number a few times for general questions, and you actually get to talk to specific people. There is just one person who answers tech questions, and three people who handle the sales/custom shop line. Its a small company here in the US, and you can actually get to be on a first name basis with them (from what it seems). They have a webite, but no e-mail support. i've never had to have any of my ESP's fixed, but I've heard some stories about their service. I guess I'll have to wait and see...

I've been playing for about 12 years now. I really like the '80's style Super-Strat guitars like Jacksons and B.C. Rich (owned them both - great axes). ESP's are by far the ultimate 80's guitar, though. Even still, the newer ones are quite versatile. I wish it would've had a bound fingerboard and a neck-thru design (even the LTD's have those), but it just would've raised the price. I love the features it has (arch top, flawless frets, great pickups, plenty of controls, etc) not to mention some of the best craftsmanship I have ever see. Seriously, I've held $3,000 PRS guitars at Guitar Center that have had paint overspray, buzzing frets and noisy pickups. I especially like the rarity and mystery it brings. Everybody has a Jackson or Ibanez, I like being different and playing a rare guitar. At under $900 (list is $1595 with see-thru paint) with case, this is a great value. If it were stolen, I'd order a custom shop model since they are out of production. ESP's might be Japanese guitars, but they are by FAR the absolute best Japanese guitars available. Its not like they're a US company who builds stuff in Asia to keep costs down. All the best woods, electronics, etc. are used. They are built with pride by true professionals. These things are becoming collector's items. If you have one, hang onto it. It will only get better with time.

Well this marvelous guitar was made in 1999 I think in Japan. It has 24 extra jumbo frets and a solid top, a 5 way selector (even if I use only one of the 5), 2 ESP LH 200 passive picksup (exactly the same as the duncan, I tested the 2 versions at the shop). the body is ash, the neck is maple and the fingerboard in rosewood. Mine is see thru blue (marvelous), got a tune o matic ans non locking tuners (but they keep in tune anyway so perfect for me hehe). a gig bag was include with the guitar but for a small price the guy replace it by a solid case and gave me stuff to polish my "lady" :)

well as the other esp users, I mostly play metal so it's perfect for me, but anyway it depends on which kinda metal you play... If you play death or songs that need a sound that "cut" (seultura, slipknot, metallica), then you need to put EMG pickups. But if you play a music with a loud tone (very deep) with a sound that literaly spread on the song, then it's ok and it's just what I like (deftones'style for example) coz it's allow you to play other thing than hard rock... :) I only use the brige position (I really don't like the other positions on which the output level is weak), but with its very rich sound, I don't know if it's really great to play solos (or put EMG pickups for that)

Well it was perfect for me :) no flaws, all was well adjusted :))) But I must admit I was lucky when I bought this one coz they put the same guitar in the store after, and the guitar wasn't as beautiful as mine, so :)

the only thing I have broken on it is one of the E string so... very reliable; I think I'd use a back up like a gig bag but not the case:)

well never had to deal with them so...

well I have been playing acoustic guitar for 1 and 1/2 years now and electric guitar for 3 months and I definitely love this guitar. I must admit that I needed a time of adaptation coz your play won't be the same that on gibson, fender, or even guitars with EMG pickups. I love all in this guitar; the only thing is that for me the strings are too close (hard at the begining but now it's ok). When I bought it, I hesisated with a gibson SG and now I know that I'll buy also the gibson coz the ESP can't do all the syles, but it's really perfect for most things I play and I would definitely buy it again if someone stole it :) Enjoy this guitar :)

i already reviewed this guitar and am still pleased to date. i went and installed EMG 81 active humbuckers in it and its my favorite electric ever. i also have a digitech legend 2 effects processor which makes this guitar and pickups realy come alive. my purpose in this little update is to inform that i have already reviewed this guitar and my review is the second from last. i have changed my email adress but contact me at this name if you want.

Not exactly sure when this guitar was made... At least 3, but probably 4 years ago. Not even sure what country they're made in, but that information is available from ESP's site. Standard Horizons come with 24 extra-jumbo frets. The body is a solid, contoured alder (I think). One volume knob, one tone knob, 5-way selector switch (notch positions coil-tap). Two humbuckers, both are ESP LH-200 model pickups -- These come standard, you can have Seymour Duncans installed if you like. The neck is maple, and the fretboard is rosewood ... the guitar has no binding. Finish is very nice, it's transparent, my guitar is a deep purple.. looks pretty sweet. The body styling is a double-cutaway, a bit more streamlined than a strat body. The bridge is a Tune-O-Matic with a stop-tailpiece. Not sure what kind of tuners are on this guitar, but they're non-locking -- this is not a problem for tuning, though, since this guitar stays in tune perfectly after the strings are stretched. This says a lot for the nut too... strings don't bind on the nut, as long as it's properly calibrated. This is where you might not like the ESP -- The neck on this guitar is thinner than any other neck I've tried. This doesn't bother me. Thin or thick necks, I like them both, although the thinner necks seem to give better access to the bottom strings (namely the E and A) at the upper-register frets. The neck joint is thin as well, so you shredders will have no problem ripping it up on those high frets. I did the neck-joint test on this guitar ... I was able to slip a piece of paper into the neck joint on both sides of the neck... so it's not fit perfectly. However, this hasn't been a problem for me, since that area of the guitar hasn't shifted at all. Finally, the only problem I have with thin necks is that they respond a lot to humidity and temperature. If you don't know how to tweak the truss rod, this is a problem.. you either need to get a setup often, or learn how to adjust your own truss rod. For those who do know how to do guitar setups, well, you know this is no big deal -- just a hassle.
Can't give it a 10 because it's not perfect. Nothing is -- But hey, it cost me $700, and at that much, this guitar is a bargain.
Can't give it a 9 because I had some problems with the levels of the frets (they were uneven, causing inconsistant buzzing along the neck).
Once the small kinks were worked out, this guitar really pleases me (as far as playability and looks go). So, voila, an 8.

After I had been playing for a while and developed an ear for tone (you know when you start playing, even those DOD Grunge pedals sound good) I started to really dislike the sound of the guitar. The clean sound was thin to my ears (though I WAS only playing through a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe (1x12)) and the distortion lacked "balls". I shopped around for a new bridge pickup, and picked the DiMarzio Tone Zone. I installed it myself (though I had no idea what I was doing) and that really beefed up the sound -- even through the HR Deluxe. A while later, after I started to work on my lead playing, I got dissatisfied with my neck pickup (by this time I was playing through a Line 6 Flextone HD and a 2x12 cab) and started shopping for a replacement -- I picked up a DiMarzio Air Norton. This pickup combination sounds good in my opinion. The Tone Zone can give you your rock or metal sounds, even fusion. If you like the bridge clean, you can even a nice clean out of it. The Air Norton is warm, clear, defined, and bassy on clean parts, and STILL stays nice and defined with distortion -- no mush, no muddiness (of course, that depends on how you EQ your amp ... if you want mush and mud, you can still get it). Splitting the Air Norton, you can get a lot better single-coil sound than the stock ESP LH-200 pickups. Splitting the Air Norton and the Tone Zone and using them at the same time, can give you some real nice clean tones, if you know what you're doing with the amp's EQ. Very pristine, very clear, sounds great with effects added, or totally dry.
Rating for the guitar with the LH-200 pickups in it - 5. It's about average. Doesn't sound great, but doesn't sound bad either.
Rating for the guitar with the DiMarzios - 9. Again, nothing is perfect. Might be able to get a 10 out of this with a nicer amp, which is my next purchase... going to start shopping for some VHTs or Hughes & Kettner amps next weekend.

Action - set medium height, not too high, not much buzzing. Pickups - LH-200s set at a good level, balanced output. Everything felt solid on the guitar, all joints tight, no rattles or creaks.
Flaws - the frets were not level, so I had that done. Also the angle that the fretboard came into the guitar after the neck joint was a little too high, causing excessive fretting out at the upper-register frets. Had that taken care of, and now the guitar is totally schweet. At least 8 months since the fret levelling, and no more modifications needed... the guitar is around 3 or 4 years old, so the wood is probably finished "setting".
Rated a six because of the flaws.. not major flaws, but I've seen cheaper (much cheaper) guitars without any of these problems.

This guitar is put together very well. I would use it without a backup, though I'd bring extra strings. My playing has gotten pretty agressive, and I snap the high E string every 3 weeks or so... I dont' like strap buttons so I installed straplocks myself. The finish has lasted over the years that I've had it, and I don't treat this thing with kid gloves either -- After polishing the guitar, it looks new, every time. It's excellent. This guitar has never failed me. Sure, the switches get dirty and all that. But as far as ESP is concerned, they did a great job.

I've never dealt with ESP except for an email asking some silly question that I do not remember. They answered me back by the next day... The warranty is for a year I believe, but I never needed to use it.

You can't really express how long you've been playing in years -- you gotta tell it in hours. I have a lot of hours invested in this guitar, and it's treated me well. I don't mind the fret problems, as I've come to accept that things can't be done right all the time. I'd be pretty pissed if this guitar was stolen, and I'd buy another, only this time I'd order through the custom shop just to try something new.
For my styles of music, this guitar works pretty well. I play mainly fusion and rock, but this guitar does really well for mellow jazz, or grinding death metal -- It all depends on your hands (TONE IS IN THE FINGERS!) and in the pickups you put in the guitar. It'll even get some half-decent SRV-style tones, depending, again, on your amp and pickups. But if you're going to play that kind of blues, get yourself a Strat or a strat copy. Don't use an ESP to play blues. :)

My horizon was made in Japan and it has 24 extra jumbo frets. It has an arched top with non-transperant dark blue. It has a H/H setup with a 5-way select switch for tapping. The pickups that come with ir are ESP H-200 passive Humbuckers. Alder body/ maple neck/ rosewood fingerboard. Strat shaped body but more sharp looking but not as sharp as the Ibanez RG series. Tune-o-matic bridge and non-locking tuners. Nice wide neck for easy playability/not as wide as classiscal guitars. Free case with purchase at most authorized dealers.

This guitar fits my style as of the moment but i want new pickups because I play metal and the pickups dont have enough "chunk" to them. I use a Boss Metal Zone and a Peavy Classic 50 amp. Coil tapping sounds different on each setting. Bright sound, but depends on strings, pickups, and accessories. Makes good crisp sounds, very defined. I really like how it sounds in the clean channel.

The horizon is so comfortable its hard to belive i payed $850 for it. The pickups were not adjusted too much, but its easily accessable like most other pickups. All of the components were properly attached. Everything about the Horizons action is very comfortable and attached perfectly. No loose parts. The most comfortable bolt-on neck I've ever played.

This guitar will withstand live playing as long as you dont go breaking it on the floor every performance. All of the hardware will last a long time. The finish is very durrable and pick marks rub right off with a good cloth. the strap buttons are nice and solid, big, and wide. I can truly depend on this guitar at all times. I might use it on a gig without a backup guitar because I use size 11 strings so they dont break, the pickups arent active so i dont wory about that, and its disaster-free!

usually, with every purchase at most authorized dealers, a free neck adjustment and new strings are given. But i have not dealt with the company yet after 3 months of playing it.

I have been playing for a little over a year now and i also own two hand-me-down acoustics and a hand-me-down Lotus electric. If this guitar was stolen or lost i would buy a new one if i could get it at the same sale price of $799.00 (originaly $1499.00) I love the comfort of this guitar the most. It inspires me to play better, longer, and stronger. My most favorite feature about it is its nice, smooth, thin, wide neck. The only other guitar that came close to this one in comparison was the Ibanez RG 470

This babe is a Gunmetal Blue standard horizon from the japanese factory (aren't they all nowadays?). It's all standard (ESP LH-200 humbuckers, alder body, 24 jumbo frets, etc) except for the bridge which is a Original Floyd Rose. As you probably know, it's a H/H guitar with a very fast scale, volume and tone control pots and an amazing design ;-) This guitar is really incredible!
Coil split like the Eclipse would have been apreciated though.

I play metal rythm guitar. The guitar gives me a wide range of sounds, from full fat sound to bright and sharp. Maybe a bit fatter sound would be perfect, but i still need to upgrade my amp section to be able to really comment on this. I'm using a Valvstate right now, and a Boss Metal Zone for dist, nothing else. Que buckers are very quiet, and range from hot blues to very hard distortion, so i'm satisfied.

The guitar came perfect for the 0.09 strings i use. No adjustments were needed. the finnish and all details are perfect, it's ESP!

I play hard on it. I try to get the most out of this babe, and even I am rough with it, it still holds perfectly. I think the finnish will need some taking care of, but not before 5 years of playing, i think.
I can depend fully on it.

The local dealer was very helpful, never contacted ESP directly.

I play for almost 3 years now, i own the horizon for a couple of months. I tried and asked everything i could before i bought it. If I lost it, i'd weep cause i'd have to work hard to get money to buy a new one :) I love everything about it. It's the nicest guitar i ever played. Try it, and you'll see what i mean.