ESP M-II Deluxe

not sure of the year '96-'96 I believe. alder body, maple neck, rosewood fretboard, dot inlays with pear esp logo on 12th fret, 3-way pickup switch, 1 volume knob, original floyd rose, seymour duncan hot rails in the neck and full shred in the bridge. a lot of people whine about only having one volume knob and no tone knob, but that's how you get the most signal out of your guitar, it could only have the humbucker and one volume knob for all i care, the neck is what this guitar is all about. i measured with od mics and found at 1st fret it's 17.78mm thick 19.76mm at the 12th putting it between an ibanez super wizard and wizrd. it's also slightly narrower than a wizard style neck at 41.275mm nut and 56.35mm base width, still plenty wide. this thing is pretty flat and plays as smooth as buttered silk.

I play thrash mostly and the full shred bridge bucker is great for palm muted riffs and has great definition for leads. the hot rails in the neck is ok, but it sounds a little thin compared to a normal humbucker to me, not that good liquid tone usually found in a neck pickup. but i use mostly bridge pickup anyways and it sounds really good.

i got mine used and it's 11-13 years old so it has a few blems, but they didn't come from the factory. paint is starting to flake on one of the bridge studs, but the rest of the floyd looks brand new, and it stays in tune very well, even setup in D standard tuning. the neck pocket is tight and the neck itself feels better than anything i've ever touched, ibanez included, the only thing guitar neck that feels close to this good is my friends '74 SG Custom, but that guitar was guilded in the depths of hell and he had to trade his soul for it. an ebony fretboard is about the only way this guitar could feel better. 1mm action all the way down the neck.

haven't had it real long, but it's like 11-13 years old and feels super solid, you can't beat the floyd out of tune and the electronics all work like new, so i'd have to say it's pretty reliable. i own like 8 electrics so i probably wouldn't gig without a backup, it's got a floyd and nobody wants to deal with restringing a floyd during a show if one broke, but really a broken string is the only thing i would have the slightest concern about ever going wrong with this guitar

never had to deal with them, so don't know

I've been playing for about 13 years and this is my favorite guitar out of anthing i've played. i've had gibsons,ibanez,shecter,b.c.rich,westone,esp ltd,played prs, g&l,parker,cort,fender,washburn, you name it, this beats it for playability. if you want to hang a guitar on the wall and just look at it, don't buy this, get a prs, but if you want to play, buy this, no questions asked. if it were stolen i'd definately get another, but i'd try like hell to get this one back, it has metal mojo that i can feel.

I own an ESP M-II Deluxe Japenese Model from the 90's. 24 frets, dark blue metallic finish, a 3 way toggle switch, and one volume knob. I bought it used about 4 years ago. Pickups are a SD hum in the neck position and a SD dimebucker in the Bridge. Fretboard is maple and i believe body is alder. Original Floyd Rose Bridge with locking nut. It has a thin neck which is good for shredding. If i buy a new guitar, i would like at least one tone knob.

I play mostly metal and lead guitar and this guitar suits my style quite well, but it seems to be lacking in versatility for playing other genres. I play through a crate 120 Watt combo amp and only use a wah wah pedal sometimes. the guitar is quiet for the most part and will feedback on high gain (not a bad thing for me. The sound is somewhere in between the brightness of a fender stratocaster, and the heavyness of a gibson les paul. I love the Floyd Rose tremolo. The humbuckers suit my needs well, but sometimes i wish to play on single coil pickups. Biggest letdown is the lack of versatility in this guitar.

I bought this guitar used, and it came in great condition, ready to be played. it had fretboard rust and a missing back cover, but i have since fixed these problems. My floyd rose is rusty in someparts. The finish had held up well considering the abuse it has taken and looks very nice. Its not a showstopper look, but i didnt buy this guitar for the looks.

This is a guitar that can withstand live playing, but i would want a backup just in case. FInish will last a long time and is high quality. not much else to say about that.

I love this guitar. If it was lost, i would probably not buy the same one again. I'd go for a PRS or a Fender as i believe they are better guitars for me. As far as shred guitars go, this one is one of the best and i recommend it.

As far as i know its a 90's Japan ESP M-II Deluxe,
24 frets
1 Vol. & 3 way switch
Sin./Hum.
originally came with stock pick ups but replaced the bridge w/ a SD SH-14
Alder Body with bolt-on maple neck and rosewood fingerboard
Solid green finish but you can see the grain a bit if you tilt it a bit
Gold Hardware
Has a Lic. Floyd made by Schaller and esp tuners
The neck has the thin U-shape which is perfect for me.

Ill give this an 8 since it lacks a tone knob which i might install in the near future and because the stock pickup just plain sucked.
Might consider also doing a new finish on it, may be blue?

Well i actually use this more for instrumental guitar kind of stuff. Since i have other guitars this is my standard tuned guitar.
Used it w/ a Crate BV150H for live purposes, sounded pretty nice and full especially with the Seymour SH-14. But mainly now i use it on a small RMS amp w/ a BOSS GT-8 to practice and jam in my room. Id say the guitar for sure can get a for a variety of styles. if tried some guthrie govan, joe satriani, dream theater stuff, and can get the tone i want out of it.

As for the bad, the Alder body tends to give it a brighter sound (im a mahogany guy). So i tried a PU swap and the Seymour def gave it a deeper sound to it.

When i got it, it was used so the guy had the action a little to high for my tastes but set it up as soon as i got home and now it plays amazing. Only thing was that the guy didnt seem like playe dit much nor maintained it anymore so the fretboard was pretty dry and the hardware was oxidized a bit. Also the gold seems to have rubbed off from usage but thats no biggie, it happens.

Im pretty sure this guitar will do good live, have had the chance to use it live but pretty sure it'll hold. Tuning seems to hold pretty well, but im gonna block the floyd either way to make sure i doesnt go wack like any other floyd will eventually.

Never dealt w/ ESP so cant say.

Overall id say its a solid guitar with just a couple of things i wish it had but thats just my preferences. If it were stolen id def miss this guitar, doubt ill ever find another for the price i got it for, $300.

MADE IN JAPAN ! i dont know the year.
Black solid, no pickguards, Alder body (Strat style), Maple Fretboard, 24 frets.
GOTOH tuners, Original Floyd Rose tremolo (ROCKS!).
3-way selector with Hum-Hum (ESP LH-???) i dont really care it sucks!
thumbs up for the original floyd rose, but.. i crush the ESP LH's pickups with my hammer.

i dump the ESP LH's Pickups. change it with the seymour duncan Screamin Demon (George Lynch)-Bridge, and seymour duncan 59` on neck. they are both trembuckers.
the sounds are ... umm, GREAT! Hi-gain, treble, good for picking, and it is Very Bright. oh yeah, i mainly use this guitar for playing Rock, Hard Rock, and Japanese Rocks (L`arc-en-ciel - direnGrey) it really suits my style. I combine it with mesa/boogie stilleto 4x12 head cabinet, and Hughes&Kettner tubeman with SD pickup booster. the results are ... surely your neighbour will cut your pricks.. heheh.

DAMN you slant eyes! how dare you give me those as*hole (LH's pickups).
i really-really dissapointed when i know the truth, that this shit is ain't equipped with neither an EMG's/Seymour Duncan.

it will crush the stage!
the hardware are top rated. (GOTOH - Floyd Rose)
strap Buttons are strong.
i always count on this bitch.

i've been playin guitar for 6 years..
i also own ibanez rg-550 and fender strat. richie sambora.
i wish.. i never see those damn LH's Pickups, why do the ESP even bother on creating them..?
The Feel of the maple Necks.. it really hits Me!
praise the FLOYD ROSE ! (original)

Not really that many features but thats the way I like it. One volume knob works for me. Don't need a pick guard neither so that works for me also. The locking bar works flawlessly although it does usually take some time to get it tuned up but once this guitar gets in tune it STAYS in tune! I wasn't crazy about the pickups myself and repalced both the bridge and front. The frets are a little tight past the 12 fret but it still plays nice up there, just wish they were a little wider. I have owned this guitar for at least 7 years now and it play just as good if not better as it did the day I bought it.

Excellent sounding and feel! Obviously pickups have a lot to do with this so I am judging by the action, feel, and accuracy of how the guitar plays mostly here.

Everything here in my opinion is another 10 (already rated a couple of these factors already).

I got the guitar from a music store for highest bid due to a customer dropping it which caused a crack by the neck. The seller couldn't be sure if the crack was in the wood\neck or just the paint so I got quite a deal on this one. At least seven years now and it still plays like a dream (serious metal - played hard on this guitar!).

N/A

Beautiful playing AND looking guitar. Can't go wrong here unless you like nice wide frets above the 12th fret.

Made in Japan, really hard to know the year...
24 frets, one volume, 3 way selector. Pickups are standard Hot Rails and JB (I switched with tonezone, that fits perfctly to my stile).
The color is transparent green. with original Floyd Rose.

Well, for my style, that is Dream Theater and most of the modern Guitar Heroes; such as Vai, Romeo, Howe, or even Malmsteen; the original JB feels a little closed sound, imagine your amp into a box... them i put the ToneZone; it was like removing that box from the amp (Mesa/Boogie DC-5).
well, it was perfect for me.
i think that JB fits perfect for many people.
The Floyd, the tuners, the scale... everything is perfect.

well, is there a little flaws. misaligned bracing; but it does not compromise the action or the sound.

yes, this guitar is awesome choice for stage, studio...
you can trust. just let always reguled.

never tried.

im a guitar player for 14 years, i've had some JEMs, some JS... but the neck and the scale of the ESP is faster. Just liked more the wood of the JEMs, that is heavyer.

This is a left handed 1998 ESP M-II Deluxe. Alder body, with bolt on maple neck. Floyd Rose Original, ESP LH-100 humbukers (since replaced with SD JB trembucker and 59), 1 vol knob, and 3 way switch. Rosewood fretboard, with 24 jumbo frets. The Strat shaped body is finished in glossy black, the neck isa clear satin, and the hardware is black. This guitar came with an ESP hardshell case.

This guitar has the perfect sound for metal tones. The SD pickups really brought out everything this guitar has to offer. It is not noisy not all, and has a great balance of bass, mid, and high end. There is not much variety (no coil taps, or even tone knobs!!). Again, it sounds perfect for what it was designed for. I run this guitar through a Peavey XXX and Ultra Plus with Marshall 4x12s.

I bough this new back in Jan of 99, so I cant remember the setup then. I can say that today, it is one of my best playing guitars. It stays in tune, the neck bows very little (just during the changes of the seasons), and is very comfortable to play. The only thing that is stopping it from getting a 10 is the finish. The paint on the body as on the thin side. It scratches very easily.

This guitar has withstood live playing. The hardware seems like it will last, and has. Just have to clean and oil it one in while. Again, the finish tends to scratch easliy. I replaced the strap buttons with Schaller strap locks, the day I got it, so I can't comment on the factory originals. I can say that I can depend on this guitar. Since I have bought it I have only had 2 problems with it. 1st, the toggle switch became scratchy (after a number of years). A can of contact cleaner fixed that. 2nd, a few years ago, I had to get the frets leveled and dressed. Not big deals considering the amount of time spent playing it.

Never had to deal with them.

I've been playing for about 11 years, and this is by far my favorite guitar for tone, and playability. All 24 frets are easily reachable, and the neck feels perfectly shaped. The only thing that bugs me about this guitar is how easy it scratches. The M-II was desined for heavy music, and it delivers without exception. i think that it is limited in that respect though. The Floyd Rose, thin wide neck, wide radius fretboard, and tone knob less humbuckers make it some what awkward for other styles. Make sure you're buying the right tool for the job!!

Made in Japan, 1997, 24 frets, alder body, 3-way selector, sigle volume knob (I changed the original one to push-pull). Seymour duncan pickups (TB-5 Duncan Custom and Hot-Rails). Maple neck and ebony fingerboard. Abalone pearl dots. Original Floys Rose.

Sounds very good through my set (laney TT100, ibanez tube screamer and boss GT6)

It came from the store with a little high action (for my taste!), but i'd lowered and now it's perfect. ESP really took care in selecting the woods for this guitar.

Looks very solid.

N/A

I've been playing for about 20 years. I own a strat (loaded with seymour duncan TB-4, little 59 and a fender texas special) and an ibanez RG american custom with dimarzios (tone zone and paf-pro). But the M-II is better than them. Very good guitar. Shame i've not find one with maple sunburst top. (Sorry about my english, i'm brazilian, ;-).)

bought in 1992, came with dimarzio bridge humbucker, humbucker in singlecoil format at net neck position, on master volume, one 3 three way switch and NO tone control, not to mention the floyd rose. ah i forgot the gigbag :)

improved like everybody else with emg81 humbucker in brigde posi. now i have tone adjuster!

metal style, nothing more...
sound is clear with brigdePU, in my opinion much too hard, and fits only with distortet sounds. missing the punch with neckPU

what can i say, ESP. know for best quality this is a ten of ten!

never had a problem,looks after a couple of years and useage it looks still like the same i bought, since i oiled the the hardware .

never had contact

since i dont like metal anymore im quite unhappy with this guitar. in my harder years i plugged it into my marshall cabinet and got a fearfull distorted sound but ever had problems with the clean thing... now im getting older and more wise, i tried to get the jazzy/funky sound but it doesnt work anyway. switching to my old equipment: ibanez roadster and fender sidekick-combo, i can produce the more warmth and not so bright sound..
i quess its only my opinion. metal is dead :)

This guitar is probably from the mid to late 90's. It has the ultra rare maple fretboard (with maple neck)and has dual humbuckers (bridge and neck). It's got a 3-way gibson type toggle switch for the pickups and has only a single volume knob. Also, this guitar has an original floyd rose tremelo.

The finish is a Very Dark Metallic Blue. From more than 2 feet away it looks black.

I'm rating this as a "9" because almost all guitars are the same in terms of general features. It would take some pretty cool features to get a "10" from me.....of course, I have all the features that I wand and/or need!

I play everything from 80's glam to Death Metal to Shred, etc. THis guitar fits it all perfectly. The pickups are stock ESP made humbuckers but sound perfect to my ears, especially with the maple fretboard and floyd.

If you want a guitar that sounds full and fat buy a 24.75" scale length guitar with a fixed bridge (LES PAUL)

If you want something that covers a lot of tonal ground find one of these!

I all ready had a Gibson Les Paul so I needed something a lot more shred-a-riffic.

I use the guitar through a Peavey 5150 combo with a BOSS noise reduction unit in the FX loop. It sounds killer! Even using the ESP through my little 15W crate practice amp it sounds great. The ESP humbuckers kick-ass.

I really feel that this guitar will get more use the my Les Paul. It just pulls off everything I need it to do in terms of tone. Of course when I need extra-heavey brew-tal (sic) metal I'll grab the LP

I bought the guitar used (looks to have been barely touched) from chrisguitars.com it came to me set up with the perfect action, the pickup height was awesome no flaws.

I rated this as a "9" because it's almost perfect in regards to action fit and finish. That though, is because I bought the guitar used.

This guitar is solid. I've owned other ESP Custom guitars and they all have been superb guitars. This one is no different. ESP custom shop guitars rule.

It has a floyd so a back up is a must at gigs. However, I will not mark the guitar down for that.

I have dealt with ESP before when my last ESP custom guitar was stolen. They found out who I bought it from and gave me the serial number for my insurance claim within 24 hours of contacting them

I've never dealt with them in any other fashsion so I fell that they do a good job with customer support.

I've been playing for 13 years and if this were lost or stolen I would be pissed. ESP custom guitars are a always a great guitar. I plan on buying more!

94-96 M-II Deluxe, Gunmetal Blue, Floyd rose original, Alder body, Maple neck and fingerboard, one volume, one 3-way toggle. Single coil in neck and humbucker in bridge. 25.5" scale, 24 frets. Really nice abolone or mother of pearl inlays on fretboard. Looks unreal with blue finish and maple fretboard! Locking nut, etc. Perfect!

I can't beleive how wonderful this guitar sounds! Never owned a "metal" style guitar before and I think I'm head-over-heels! I won't even try out the other brands (Jackson, etc.). Bridge p/u is unbeleivably hot! Fingerwork really shines through distortion. Neck p/u is creamy and still has definition. Combine the two p/u's and I swear it's a strat! But of course it's not! Would still rather have a strat for some types of music.

Pretty rad setup! I think my action can go lower, but it's fine where it is. Paint is beautiful! Looks black from a distance, but up close (or outside) it is a light blue sparkle (Gunmetal). WARNING! Gunmetal blue is not a "ghetto hooked-up hoopty" car sparkle finish. It is a work of art. Like I said earlier, it does wonders with maple fingerboard.

It's a work of art. No careless handling here. It makes me cry when I see a guitar that has been abused and dropped religiously and purposely. All hardware is spotless. This M-II is 10 years and as new condition. MINT, MINT! No signs of finish wearing anywhere!

Called ESP to verify the date my M-II was manufactured and didn't get far. They didn't keep records that far back. Oh well, I'll call in a little while and maybe get someone different. Something I always do. They picked up within two rings and answered my battery of questions with confidence. Extremely pleased.

Played 12 years now. Own a nuts didj. Guitars. Drums. Studio. Yada yada. I can't imagine it being gone. It resides in an ESP hard case next to my bed. Seriously. Every morning I wake up I walk over it to the b-room and feel satisfied about it. I wish Kylie Minogue would be mine forever. And a little while after. Some more... mmmmm

PLAY IN PEACE

Guitar is ESP M-II Deluxe (Standard series) probably made in 02-03. 24 Jumbo frets, one volume, 3-way toggle, H-H conf, ESP stock pickups: LH-200. Body is alder, neck is maple and fingerboard is rosewood. Bolt-on construction, scale 25.5", tuners are Gotoh. And Orginal Floyd Rose. Included a hard ESP case and tools.

Im playing metal, shredding, rock, whatever you name it! This baby fits style to style! With stock PU's it doesnt get noisy... With bridge PU sound is clear and sharp, when both bridge and neck is on the sound is round and clear. When your putting the neck on its creamy, round and little bit mushy.. But i like it!
But i think that im going to change to EMG's 81 and 85, when i get mony for that ;).

Well i didnt get it from a factory. Byed it from a music store in Finland. Action was really low, just the way i like it! PUs were adjusted good. Set-up was SUPERB! This baby can get really low! No flaws noticed. And keeps in tune 100%!!!

Of cource this will manage live playing! It will last! Strap buttons are really solid! but gonna still put there locking strap. I can depend on it 100%. I dont think it needs backup, but if you have one spare put it along, but ya wont need it :). This guitar is realible situation and situation, are you playing live or studio!

If i get any troubles with guitar i go back to the store and they will do customer support..

I have played 4? years now. I have owned difrend guitars in that time: Tokai Les Paul, Washburn, Ibanez JCRG5(yes that, but it wasnt for me, neck was too thin and i didnt like the "cold" touch). And now i have founded it! M-II just kick asses of them all! If it were stolen or lost, i would buy it back!

I love the D neck, the warm feeling.. and its beautifull.

If you need little bit thicker neck guitar and dont want to buy Fender ect. Buy ESP and you are on ur way! Fantastic VALUE!

Japanese, probably made in 1995, 24 frets. With original Floyd Rose. One volyme knob, 3-way switch, no tone. Simply everything you'll need for a metal guitar.

I play metal, and this guitar is a perfect metal guitar. Sound is rich and not muddy at all. For both of our albums all guitars were recorded with this guitar... I've changed the diMarzio PU's that were installed to this guitar when I bought it, to EMG 81 and EMG SA. They work great with this guitar. Nowadays I use ENGL Fireball amplifier and which ever effects I desire. Previously I had a Rocktron Chameleon 2000 pre-amp/fx and a Tubeworks 2x250W poweramp. With ENGL:s incredible versatility and this guitars great microphones I can get great clean sounds, warm bluesy kind of overdrive, tons of distortion for rhythm and soaring leads.

I bought this used, so I haven't go a slightest idea how the factory set-up was, but this guitar has had harsh users before me. It was in terrible condition, maybe thats why it was so cheap. With little adjusting and repair it's now my main guitar.

I've never had any problems with this guitar. Amplifiers have broken, strings cut, but ESP never does.

I have never used ESPs own customer support so I don't know.

I've played for about 13 years, I've had about 15 different guitars and this is the one I never have sold. I have owned it from 1997. If this guitar were stolen I'll send hitmen to get those thieves :). And then I'd order a custom M-II from ESP...

my main guitar is a 1995-96 m-II deluxe. its a japanese model with a duncan distortion pick-up at the bridge and a duncan hot rail at the neck. features are not overly abundant. if you like to play many different styles with one guitar then you should probably check out the ESP eclipse or a PRS Guitar. if you play rock or metal than this guitar is a dream come true. it only has a volume knob and a three-way toggle switch. no tone knob. (but what true rocker really needs one?)

this is the perfect instrument for high-gain applications. Trust me, I would know being a rock/metal guitarist for almost 14 years. I am currently using a marshall valvestate II head, a marshall 4 x 12 cabinet with celestion vintage 30's on top and celestion g12h-100's on the bottom. as far as effects go, i use a zoom 505II effects box and a DOD equalizer. The only overdrive i use is built into the amp. It is a little on the noisy side but thats the way the ball bounces when you have a lot of gain. I also have to pull back on the treble to keep it from getting to bright. I am pretty sure it is because of the pick-ups i use. But beside that this guitar running through this rig is just intense. It has more growl than a pride of lions and more rumble than a fleet of mack trucks. Every body in my band loves it to
death. artificial harmonics- no problem, bone-jarring power chords-no problem, and the ability to punch through on solos- no problem.

Since i bought this guitar used on e-bay, i had to adjust the set-up a little. but besides that it is a great guitar. I trusted the quality of the guitar because i own another ESP that i bought new ten years ago. I have been to hell and back with the first one and it still plays great. but make no mistakes, the m-II i bought was in almost showroom condition. the frets look as if it had been hardly ever played. it is a joy to play.

ESP's are the Honda's of the guitar world. You get many years of playing satisfaction with a minimum of problems. If you want
problems, buy an ibanez (see "junk" in the dictionary) or a B.C. Rich.
would I use it on-stage without a back-up? no, but anyone that would gig without a back up guitar is not in a good band. After all, strings
break and i would rather grab another guitar then take a 5-10 minute break to change a string and re-tune. However my back-up is also an ESP.

never had a problem with it- couldnt tell you anything usefull here.

I would probably put a Mafia contract out on the person who stole this guitar. i love it. I have played alot of guitars before, but nothing comes close to the way this one plays or sounds. It is a rock guitarist's dream come true.

First of all, I had been saving money to buy this guitar for years... It's not that I'm Kirk Hammet's biggest fan (not even close), but I have to admit that this guitar was beautiful from the first moment I saw it. Mind you, I wouldn't buy it if it wasn't any good. The only disadvantage that I saw in that guitar was the fact that it had a rail pick-up in the neck, instead of a humbucker; you see, I already had a Ibanez RG470 with PU configuration H/S/H, so I developed a lot of my style around the neck humbucker. But after awhile, ESP started making these guitars with an humbucker at the neck, so there was no sweat. The pickups are from Seymour Duncan ('59 and JB). I found that the EMG pickups weren't tha versatile. The bridge is an ORIGINAL Floyd Rose (I've decided to change my licensed Floyd Rose bridge on the Ibanez to an origianl one, so you can see that there's nothing better). The PU switch was a three-way one, and that's my only complaint: I'm used to change selections a lot and it's not on the easiest position to reach. It has no tone dial, but since never used it, I couldn't care less. Othere than the switch, the features are perfect.

I play a lot of different styles and surprisingly, this guitar that everyone thinks immediately as a Heavy Metal guitar, can cover them all. Of course, I use it with a Boss GT-5 multi-effects processor.
I found that the Seymour Duncan pickups are noisier that the DiMarzio's that I have on the Ibanez, but they aren't that loud. The general tone of the PUs is great, although I would like some more definition in the neck PU. I have no shitty sound, in any of the selections, no matter how hard I try (of course, that was never a main goal of mine).
A person may think that the guitar won't have a versatile sound just because it doesn't have a tone dial, but I found that to be false.
I just think that the 3-way selector switch is not enough. I'm used to change the sound by changing from series, parallel and single-coil connections and I think the volume dial could be one of those dials that pop up to give you another 3 different selections.

I found the action of the guitar great right from the factory, and I have never touched it.
The neck pickup had to be better connected, but it's a perfect excusable mistake, when you're manufacturing guitars in series.
There no flaws whatsoever on the guitar.

I'm no Jimi Hendrix, so I won't burn this one on stage, and I'm not the Incredible Hulk, so I don't think this guitar is going to break during a song, live.
I play somedays 4 hours straight in a row, so I sweat a little, and while the guitar is a little dirty (I have to clean it, by the way), the paint is still there.
Anyone that has more than one guitar should bring at least two to a live show, but I guess I could use it without a backup.

I've been play for 7 years now, and I gotta tell you, this guitar is not a single-minded as it seems! You can play any style with this guitar. I have read some of the reviews of people saying the guitar doesnt give them the sound and tone that they want, but that's solely from lack of trying or lack of imagination. The playability is great, the looks are great, the sound is great, the electronics are great, the guitar sounds great even when it is unplugged. You definitely won't sound as Metallica, if that's what you're afraid of.

First off I want to begin by saying ESP is way too proud of their product, this guitar wasnt worth half of the 1400 book value. But as long as "Kirk" continues to endorse them, kids will keep buying them. Mine was a 95 M2 deluxe with an original Floyd, Duncan JB in the bridge and a Duncan cool rail in the neck. It had quality componets on it but I never could seem to coax the right sound out of it.

Very uninspiring guitar to play. I used it with a 70 Super Reverb, ADA-MP1, Alesis Quadraverb and some misc pedals, this guitar had no excuse. To make a long story short, my Fender AMSTD Strat and 80's Jap Charvel chewed it up, so I dumped it on Ebay to collect some of my loss.

Heres where I'll give ESP some credit, the finish on this guitar was an excellent green/black/tan Python skin design, and it was stunning, and unfortunatly thats what sold me on the guitar.

It never broke, but then again I only had it a couple of years

My ESP M-II was made in Japan in 1996. 24 jumbo frets, alder body, maple neck/w rosewood fretboard.
The electronic is passive : one humbucker for the bridge and one hot-rails for the neck. The selector is a 3-way and the only control is a volume one. I've changed the pickups in 1998: an EMG 81 for the bridge and and EMG SA for the neck. I've also installed a tone control.
The bridge is a Floyd Rose original and the tuners are non-locking.

Frist, i have to say that the sound of my model is very bright so I can't use an amp like a Marshall: I use Mesa Boogie DC5. The sound of the original pickups was pretty good for clean tones. This guitar isn't good for blues tones. In distortion tones, the sound of the bridge pickup is really good (not muddy at all): this guitar is designed for metal! I've installed different pickups (EMG) : I wanted to reinforce the capacity of this guitar in distortion. I think that it was a good operation. I also have to say that the rhythm metal sound isn't as good as the solo one (this is the problem of all guitar which have got floyd rose...).

The action was really bad when I bought this guitar but the pickups were pretty good adjusted.

i've had my m-II for about five years and have never had big problems with it. I've just had a problem with the gig-bag in 1998: my guitar was shocked but it wasn't a disaster because it's a very strong guitar. Except whith the floyd rose (this type of tremolo make me crazy...), I didn't have any surprise with this guitar, so I always use it on a gig without a backup.

Never have to repair it.

I think that's a good guitar. It's a good one for "soloist" guitarists who like metal and who have an amplifier which isn't a Marshall (or other like that). If you want to have a huge rhythm sound, buy an anothoner model whith a fixed bridge. In the 2001 models, I saw that the stock pickups were EMG: I think that's a really good idea.

Not much to mess with on stage. Just a Volume and a 3 way switch... Thats all you need pretty much... I mainly use my Bridge for soloing and my Neck for rythem... Kick ass low end... and Awesome high end for soloing...

Ive tried every possiable tuning on it... Its possibally the best guitar to tune down... The stock pickups handle the low end like a charm... my guitar is tuned Fullstep down Drop C... (Essecentially drop D droped down a full step) Ive had it at standered and half step down to.. and it sounded awesome...

The whole thing was perfect... my finish has a few dents and paint chips.. thats just cause i beat the shit outta my guitars.. i play alot on stage... little green spotting on the neck.. beyond that... its perfect... in every way... If your a beginer... dont get this guitar though.. The floyd rose is to much for ya to handle... but the action on it is sweet... The guitar is built for lead

I always have a backup guitar handy... but its collecting dust.. heh.. Broken a string once on stage.. and i had to go to my backup.. but thats about it.. but the strings were 3 weeks old... (CHANGE YOUR STRINGS OFTEN!!! NO MATTER WHAT THE AX!!!)if i have a problem with my sound... its usually my cables or efx... never had a problem wiht the guitar it self

Never delt with em.. life time warrenty.. so its a good guitar

I bought the guitar brand new.. I just wish the guitar would have a cup holder so i could get a drink of water on stage.. hehe... but no guitar comes with that.. gotta install that your self... but its a definate buy if your looking for a reliable guitar... This is the ax... its pretty much a metal guitar... the clean tone isnt so hot if your into alot of clean playing.. I mellow it out with a light chorus.. but the distorted tone is unmatched (specially through my 5150)..

This is a follow up review and also a response to Dave's review. First of all i've had my m-II for about five years and have never had a problem with it. I do play every day so it's not because it's been babied. Also when I got my guitar the setup was perfect, it never went out of tune (still doesn't) and the tuners feel perfect. You might want to talk to where you got your guitar dave and see if they ripped you off or not because the guitar you are describing is not the same one I purchased. I also know a lot of other people with esp's and they all have nothing but praise for their instruments also

Probably made in Japan in 1999. It has got 24 frets, one volume and a three way selector. A humpucker plus a single pickup, were talking basic here. But this is good cause the money are spent on making a killer guitar and not so much on extras. The stock pickups were ESP's own, the single is a hotrail, I changed the humbucker for an EMG 81, thinking about changing the Hotrail for an EMG S, not sure about this yet do.
The body is alder, shaped as a strat, medium weight. I got it in transparent red, beautiful guitar I must say.
The bride is floyd rose.

What a sound, I only have a practice amp(getting a new as soon as possible), but I tryed this baby through a marshall amp at the store, and I couldnt ask for more. Its perfect for rock and heavy, and I believe it can handle some more quiet songs to, especially if you change the hotrail for an EMS S.
You cant do much with the sound caus it has no tone knob and only two pickups, but who needs more when the settings it does have are great.
I love it all the way.

What can I say, got it, played it loved it, no settings needs adjustment. I would recomend changing the pickup in the bridge though, that didnt sound too good.
No flaws in the guitar, it is a sheer beauty.

Trust it like nothing you have trusted before. Remember backup though in case of a string should happend to break.

No idea.

This guitar is all I have been waiting for, I would how ever liked a double humbucker system, but this is great as well.
If anyone should steel it, I would absolutely get another one, then I would kill the fucker with the neck of the guitar...

1995, Japanese. I bought it new in 2000 (N.O.S.) from Chuck Levin's Washington Music Center. 24 jumbo frets, alder body, maple neck/w rosewood fretboard. S/H pickup config (bridge is Seymour Duncan JB, neck is ESP Rails Humbucker in Single-coil housing). Passive electronics (1 vol, 3-way). Super-strat shape, reverse headstock. Wide/thin neck. Abalone dot inlays, "ESP" on 12th fret. Floyd Rose ORIGINAL tremelo (not a licensed copy). Black hardware. I got it with a TKL Deluxe Case, Whammy Bar, Some Allen wrenches, and a free set-up. It's not particularly versatile- it only has 1 vol and no tone. But it does what it does very well.

I love the tone, perfect rock tone. I'm going thru a 5150 and a nice rack full of crap. ;) Very bright sound, perfect for hard rock/metal like I play (my benchmarks for tone are Criss Oliva from Savatage and Wilton/DeGarmo from Queensryche). Clean sounds are good in either the middle selector or the neck, bridge isn't cool. But it's perfect for metal/hard rock like I said.

The workmanship is great, I got the setup for free, very low and buzz free. Yummy.

I rely on my ESP Viper all the time, no prob with this I can see. I will be using the Viper as a backup because it's well.. a good backup guitar. It isn't my main guitar because it doesn't have a floyd, but oh well.

I don't know. i don't generally deal with companies, just my store. Go tim and phil @ WMC! This rating is just for the store.

I saw it at the store, it's a blowout sale on all the old ESP M-II and M-II deluxes since the new (crappy) ones are out now. Amazing axe if you can find one.

Made in Japan(all ESP Guitars is japanese).Made in 97.Single Esp on neck and HUmbicker esp on bridge.Floyd rose brige, black finish.24 extra jumbo frets, dots*** are mother-pearl and have the ESP logo on the 12 fret.Placed emg-81 in the brigge and EMG-S on the neck.3 way position, 1 volume.I placed a button near of volume to shut-of one bobine from EMG-S(sounds like stratocaster single coil).Maple neck and alder body.***:custom shop:skulls and croosbones inlays.

Sounds is realy like.I changed the pickups because i like emg, but original sounds is fucking cool(the neck pickp is IMO).Sounds like metallica.

Black finish, normal guitar.

Noirmal

this guitars is fucking cool

I got mine with a SD Screamin' Demon in the bridge and the standard ESP hotrails in the neck position. Floyd Rose double-locking trem (as on all my guitars). One volume. 3-way switch. It's about as plain jane as you can get with more than one pick-up. The neck is ultra-thin and ultra-fast. I can see why the guys from Metallica and Queensryche use these guitars.

I love this guitar. With the SD in the bridge, this thing packs TONS of punch. Great for that 80's metal sound. If you use the middle switch, it gives you that warm growl of today's bands with still tons of punch. It's not so great for classic rock but who would want to play classic rock through this monster?!! Even without a tone knob, it still sounds pretty sweet clean with a little chorus and delay.

Allegedly, this guitar was set-up by the same guy who sets up Kirk Hammet's guitars and, to be honest, it shows. The action is right down to the frets without any buzz. The pick-ups are in the right positions and the Floyd Rose just can't fall out of tune. I've left a set of GHS Boomers on it for over 6 months and it still stays in tune, right out of the case.

The only problem I've had with this guitar is the volume knob came loose once...but that's happened to me with every guitar I've owned. I keep a back-up handy but that's only for breaking a string (hey, it's a Floyd Rose, they sound great but chaning a string is a b*tch).

I've got a very long story about how I got this guitar which I'll be happy to share upon request but all I have to say is, these guys were great in helping me get my guitar. I haven't had to deal with them since but just knowing the support I got in getting it made it all worth while.

You can't touch this guitar for speed and punch. Granted, it doesn't have the versatility of a Fender Strat or get that classic Les Paul sound, but that ain't what I'm after. I'm after a hard, growl, punchy sound and this beauty delivers.

Almost as basic as guitars come. Only guitars simpler are Marty Friedman's Jackson and Dino Cavares' Ibanez. Two pickups-humbucker at the bridge, single at the neck. Volume knob and 3-way switch. The stock pickups are weak, so I got and recomend EMG's. Floyd Rose bridge. Locking nuts of course. Maple neck through alder body. Rosewood fretboard. Reverse and tilted headstock with volute (hump behind the nut). Thats all. Lower score just cause its basic-but basic is good.

One word-bichin'. Fits my style perfect. I wired the EMG 81 and S to run off of 18 volts instead of 9. Its hard to fit 2 9 volts in to that cavity. Very hot, bright sound. The 81 is terrible for clean, but just flip the switch and perfect clean tones. Lots of good overtones from this fine piece of wood. Crunch tones just cut through the mix. Yet very articulated. Wood doesn't vibrate a helluva lot after you mute the strings, but the virtue of neck-thru construction gives you sustain like none other. I added another trem spring cause I like the stiff bar feel, and I play 10-52's tuned 1/2 step down.

Set-up is easy. No real neck/truss adjusting is needed. ESP's necks are so perfectly flat that there is little or no buzzing with low ass action even with huge strings. Extra jumbo frets almost give a scalloped neck feel. Adjustments are easy with this machine. I keep my pickups fairly low, like a mm under string for the 81, and a little lower-like neck height. The only problem with it was the single coil tended to creep upward if I played extremely hard. Eventually if not adjusted would fret out. Easy fix though-just set where you like and put a dot of super glue at each screw.

Its built to last, thats why pro's use em. I use Dunlop straplocks so the instrument is firmly attached to me. The finish itself is so thick that if you scratch it, you can buff it out so its un-noticable. Why need a backup with such a fine ax. I only use a second guitar for alternate tunings-soon to be a proud owner of an LTD M-207.

ESP was easy to work with, but now that they underwent managment changes, they are a bitch to deal with now. Its taken almost 2 months to get my 207, and its on backorder right now. Be instock in 2-3 weeks.

I've been playing for about 6 years. Doesn't sound long, but I'm only 17 now so it is. Hadn't touched a guitar until I started taking lessons. I teach now at the same store, started that last spring. Not many other guitar get close to this. I've played most of everything. PRS-don't have features or tone like an ESP. Ibanez-makes mostly beginning guitars. Only the Satch models came close, but those are only 22 frets. That and a Universe. Jackson-if I didn't play an ESP, I'd have a Jackson. They are the closest in my mind. BC Rich-Haven't played any high end BC's, but they seem average. Gibson/Fender-don't even touch, cause they aren't worth my time. Schecter-too odd of a feel. Samick-beginner guitars. Peavey Wolfgang-too small of a guitar, too mellow of a guitar. Parker-cool cleans, but crunch an feel of guitar are too wierd. Thats about it.

1997 m2 deluxe made in japan (as are all other esp guitars) custom shop exempt. 24 fret bolt-on. one volume, three way selector. changed pickups to (duncan) screamin' demon (bridge), and hot rails (neck). alder body, maple neck, rosewood fingerboard. super, extra, mega, jumbo frets. a little too big in my opinion. floyd rose joke of a tremolo, and 25 1/2" scale neck.

originally, when i got this guitar, it had a floating bridge, and stock pickups. the thing would not ever stay in tune, and the pickups were dull, and just plain awful sounding. i fixed that with some duncans. i blocked the tremolo (the right way, not with a quarter) and that gave it about 10 billion times the sustain. now, it's got a good rock tone. if you're into an 80's cover band, this thing does great. it's really trebly though; i run through a marshall jcm-800, and turn my treble down to about 3. that gives it a thick, chunky sound.

the tuning pegs are the 10 for a dollar "blue light special" pieces of crap. i don't see how they got away with that one...despite the lousy componants, the finish was fine, and the setup was good. they put the volume pot in the worst place imaginable!!! it gets in the way of the tremolo, muting especially, and that eddie van halen tremolo fan picking thing. i had to move it!!

the thing is good sounding (now), but don't take it on the road without a spare!!!! a few of the saddles are sticking on my bridge. it takes big tools and lots of time to change my strings. the volume and pickup selector i ended up tearing out and getting new ones that didn't break every 4 seconds. when i first got this thing, the neck moved from side to side!!!!!! at least they gave me a new neck..

i got a one year warranty with it. they must have known it would die after that time. i had it repaired at the custom shop in hollywood (several times) they are bastards to deal with!!! they do good work, but it's impossible to get them to do anything extra.

with all the work i've done to it ($350) worth, it's a great guitar, but you don't get them that way!!!!!!! stock, they're just garbage-- the equivelant to a $500 jackson. the rating for the guitar with all the stuff i've done to it is 7.5..

I have had my ESP for aprroximately 7 years now and it has not let me down once. I like the other reviews belive that the EMG is the way to go. I had an EMG 81 installed in the dual coil position, and left the seymor duncan in the forward single coil. I have the 24 fret Mad Bomber edition. I wish I had a picture to show you, whoever this Eddie Meeks guy is that is on the paint job should win a medal. All I have is the One volume knob and one 3 way pickup switch but that is all I need. I have a maple neck and think it meshes awesome with the paint job. I have never seen a guitar stay in tune better. (other than dad's 57' Strat) I even use Peavy Balanced 8's on it and it stays in tune. I have owned an '85 Strat, A '90 hammer (fogot model), and a Dean Mach 5 and this one tops the list.

I play mostly heavy stile lead, but in recent months have been exploring more things like the red hot chili peppers and alot more old rock like Boston and Kansas. I even jam some stuff like 7 mary 3 and Barenakedladies and it keeps up without a hitch. I typicaly run it through a small crate practice amp, A boss metal zone distortion pedal, and an ART FX-1 (recently broke after 6 years of abuse). I also know this setup is kind of weak but I have my reasons. (hint $$$). So far the only trouble I have had with sound is it cuts out on ocasion but that is blamed on the folks who installed my pickup. It is not an original problem.

The action on this guitar has not changes since I bought it. I took a quick measurement with a ruler (no micrometer handy) and the high E at the 24th fret is 1/16th of an inch. The low E is 1/8th of an inch. It is defanatly a lead players best bet. The only problem I found with it so far was the nut on the input jack came loose once.

The only hardware problem is that the knobs on the floyd rose are losing color. I am seening shiny gold color where it use to be black. And as stated before the only reliability question (cuts out once in a while) is an aftermarket pickup instilation.

Have not yet dealt with the company but they have a pretty cool webpage.

I have been playing for about 10 years, The only gear I have right now is the before mentioned Metal Zone and ART FX-1. Unless you count the Korg GT-3 Guitar tuner (flawless).

Basic...simple...love it. It's a neck-thru, so the sustain is great. Locking nut with Floyd Rose bridge. I love the fact that I can bend the piss out of the strings and it'll stay in tune. But then again, the Floyd is a pain to tune and set up. The neck is made for fast playing-24 frets and easy access to all of them! I put in EMG pickups cause the stock's were weak. They are one EMG-81 and one EMG-S. I definately recommend upgrading, or ordering the guitar with them. As far as controls go, agin simple. One volume pot, and a 3-way toggle. oh, and the fretboard/headstock are bound with a white strip.

Sounds wonderful. Like I said, the stock pickups were weak. So get EMG's! Its definitely a metal/rock guitar. Kirk Hammett of Metallica play one like mine. Nuff said. Tone wise, it suits a lead player better, really bright tone. but because of the lack of tone controls, you get what the guitar is, not sugar coating the real thing. I played directly from the guitar to a power amp, and it sounds beautiful, so not a lot of EQ is needed. There's no buzz or static, but thats a result of the EMG's.

Action wasn't factory done, I had the place I bought it at hook me up. I keep it low, really low. The finish is metallic red, so it can't really be bad looking as far as finish. It came perfect in almost everyway.

This guitar is a tank. Its got some weight, unlike say a Ibanez S-series or a Parker Fly. I like that quality. Lets ya fell the guitar while performing. The only problems I had were the saddle poles kept on getting stuck from tighting them too much while changing strings.

Never dealt with them, but I've heard that ESP gives lifetime warrenty. Shows how reliable the AXE is.

Overall, this guitar's a keeper. The price is really high, but thats because of the features like the neck-thru, binding, custom shop, and pickups all add up. the basic ESP is like $1500, but all the good ones are more. I think its because ESP uses better wood for construction.

1994 Model made in Japan, but is extremely well put together, 24 Jumbo frets that are as sweet as. Solid black finish w/ one stock ESP humbucker in the bridge and one rails neck p/up. The stock bridge p/up was fine but I put in a Duncan JB and it sounds a lot better. The neck p/up is average though, I feel a real humbucker would sound a lot better. Maple neck with rosewood fingerboard, which is nice and thin (not as good as an Ibanez wizard IMHO) and it has been finished in a nice oil finish. The body is your stock standard downsized super strat and is ultra light. There is an original floyd and gotoh tuners. Its your same old stock standard thing that could probably be improved by another volume knob for the neck p/up (there's only one) and a neck humbucker.

This guitar kicks ass for metal or hard rockin type stuff. If your looking for something versatile look elsewhere. While not huge on sustain it does and adequate job and the tones are somewhat dark.

This guitar was set up great. The action while not super low was good enough. the only bitch I have about the way the guitar was set up was that the bridge humbucker was too low. Other than that the paint work is excellent.

In the 3 years I have owned it I have only had one broken string and I am a pretty heavy picker. The finish is still as good as the day I bought it (thanks to regular polishing with car polish)

It's been made in Japan, in 1998. 24 HUGE frets. Solid top. No tone pot, only a volume and a 3-way toggle switch. H-H PU config. They are the stock ESP LH-200 pickups (see my review of that in the pickup section) Passive electronics. Neck: quartersawn maple. body: alder. Finish: Metallic purple. Body style: Super-strat. The bridge is an original floyd-rose. The tuners are non locking gotoh tuners. The neck is BIG!! it isn't only fat, it's also large. The neck gets better after the 12th fret, where it feels more like an Ibanez Wizard neck. Despite the fact that it's not an Ultra-thin neck, it plays wonderful. I got the solid case and some trem tools.

I play 80's shred metal and some progressive rock/metal. I'm using no effects at all. It is the most quiet guitar I've ever played with. The sound is damn balanced, it produces the full spectrum very well. Sounds a little bright...but I like it! Overall, the sound is tight, focused but also really open at the same time. I never thought the guitar itself could make such a difference.

The factory setup was ok. The pickups were a little low and the action was too high for me. The guitar is simply perfect! The fretwork is awesome. I had all my bugs fixed by a setup at the local shop.
I could shave with the finish...is so darn nice!!
The action could be a little better without buzzing for the price I paid....so I give it a 9.

This guitar could withstand anything! But I'm by no means going to put it through the test! The hardware is fine..the floyd is really hard to detune. The strap buttons are ok. I would never gig without a backup! And yes I can depend on it...ESP guitars are tough.

There's a lifetime warranty, but you have to leave the guitar stock. This sucks horse. They are really friendly but their policy sucks.

I've been playing for 5 years now. I would probably buy it again if it was stolen...I will NEVER LOOSE this thing! I love everything, it's a great guitar. No downfall at all.
ESP reputation is there to proove they're the best rock-guitar makers in the world.
Next guitar: Tom Anderson Drop Top....it's the only thing better than this ESP IMHO...but I wouldn't even touch the anderson, that's why I chose the ESP.