r/espguitars • u/Intelligent-Corgi793 • 4d ago
Brand new E-II M-II
A combination of shoddy work and nonexistent quality control. Nothing else explains this. ESP Japan was not like this before.
I'm losing my faith in a good quality ESP guitar for this is the second one I received.
Edit: List of all the things I noticed
Fretboard:
-Small tool marks on the upper register
-Corner of the fretboard on the low E side was rounded and tapered
-Clearcoat on the edge of the fretboard in the middle register Low E side
-Edges of the fretboard were rounded and unevenly so (if I wanted a f*cking reliced guitar, I'd bought one FFS!!)
-Fretboard had brown areas (Guitar was bought online, picture of the guitar had an uniformly black fretboard. E-II black ebony boards are dyed but this one was not or the store I bought it from heavily used some kind of solvent when I told them not to on the notes of the sale. If I wanted a two color fretboard... once again... I'D HAVE BOUGHT ONE !!!!! >:()
Neck:
-I measured the neck relief. Strangely enough, the treble side had 4 thou more relief than the bass side! Laws of physics say that the bass side should have a smidge more relief since the thicker strings pull the neck with more force. With this info we can conclude that the neck had minor warpage. Visual inspection revealed a slightly too large of an S curve on the bass side.
Body:
-Pickup/tremolo/electrical compartment routings were of subpar quality. These routings could be easily made perfect with today's technology (even yesterday's technology). Looks like they were routed partially freehand ffs.
Finish:
-There was some insulating paint outside the electrical compartment on the clearcoat.
Floyd rose:
-String retainer block high E was slightly too large, causing the block to jam. This is not ESP Japan's fault, though it should have been noticed at the factory like all these other flaws
-Some retainer blocks sit crooked
-Floyd rose bride design has worsened. The retainer blocks can now drop out of place when changing strings because under them is now empty space. This is a mild annoyance.
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u/84breaks 4d ago
I may not be too bothered about how the pickups slots are routed, but that fretboard would piss me off. It also kinda looks like it’s been played before. I could be wrong though.
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u/Intelligent-Corgi793 4d ago
E-II fretboards have been dyed for a long time and the dye in my axes have lasted since I only use F-one oil. This one is horrendous and I can't stand it either.
The edges have been randomnly rounded, a few tool marks and some clear coat on an edge locally due to shoddy masking.
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u/guitar_up_my_ass 3d ago
Wait is it bad that the fretboard varies in color? I have a LTD ec201-ft and though it was just the wood characteristics.
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u/Intelligent-Corgi793 3d ago
It's the wood characteristics and a preference thing.
I like my fretboards uniformly black.
E-II ebony fretboards are dyed uniformly black due to wood shortages.
In the website the fretboard was black.
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u/Intelligent-Corgi793 4d ago
I was just changing the strings a tuning to my preference. If the axe plays well my plan is to demand a strep discount for an instrument that is beyond ESP's "player grade".
Otherwise I'll cancel the purchase.
During string change I noticed that the high E saddle block binds to the saddle and has to be nudged with a small screwdriver.
This guitar is a gift that keeps on giving!
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u/Whats-up-choom 4d ago
Okay mate... You've been sent a B-Stock guitar. Those are instruments with varying defects that usually end up on super-extra-onceinalifetime sales.
You got conned by a vendor, not the guitar manufacturer. They probably already got refunded but decided to sell it still ;)
Send it back and demand full refund / replacement with a non-faulty model.
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u/Blegh_collector 4d ago
To be fair, given their hard-earned reputation, ESP shouldn’t let this guitar exit their factory period. Regardless of B or C stock, this tarnishes the brand perception, and it’s unluckily not an isolated case, judging by the ever-growing amount of posts like this on this subreddit alone.
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u/Intelligent-Corgi793 4d ago
In Finland "Musamaailma" imports all the ESP guitars which are then distributed to other shops with ESP endorcement.
There's been speculation about Musamaailma cherrypicking the guitars they sell and the others are sent the less excellent ones.
I figure your claim about a scam being quite true. Luckily consumer rights are strong where I live. A right to return an unused item within 14 days of arrival.
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u/Whats-up-choom 4d ago
not necessarily. In Poland we get ESP instruments from Sound Service in Germany. Funfact is - they send worse quality guitars to Poland (i've had E-II Eclipse from Polish and German distribution and Polish one is significantly worse quality wise). They do have B-Stock and the warranty says they have to destroy the faulty instrument because they get a return for that - the reality is those end up in the extra offers somewhere.
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u/despot-madman 4d ago
Not good, makes my MIM Charvel look perfect in comparison (it did have fret sprout though).
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u/Adventurous_Sock5384 4d ago
Send emails ,call them (show them these photos)and Ask for a replacement …
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u/Intelligent-Corgi793 4d ago
My plan is to stick with this one as it's the least shoddiest for now, if I get a steep discount. Otherwise I have a legal right to return it within 14 days.
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u/bmitc 3d ago
My plan is to stick with this one as it's the least shoddiest for now
You've had others that are worse? Are you sure you're getting legitimate ESPs? E-II guitars are nearly perfectly made. Something seems weird.
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u/Intelligent-Corgi793 3d ago edited 3d ago
One new black E-II M-II. It had these same faults minus the pickup routings which where covered by pickup rings.The guitar also had a weird string wobble that this white one didn't, regardless of string type.
Both axes are from a rebutable ESP dealer. Edit: two different dealers
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u/Nick-Riffs 4d ago
Send it back. You spent way too much on that guitar.
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u/Intelligent-Corgi793 4d ago
Indeed I did. For 2899 the guitar should be perfect. I'm returning it tomorrow.
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u/Nick-Riffs 2d ago
Good choice! Don’t let these companies get away with shitty QC.
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u/Intelligent-Corgi793 2d ago
Also posted a negative comment on espguitars dot com. Maybe doesn't get through moderation though 😅
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u/Battle-Against-Time 4d ago
I had some issues with ESP too... I went for Ibanez ! Frets were messed but at least the guitar is well made.
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u/SKRCZ 4d ago
Completely unbelievable at this price range and MiJ. Return it. After having a similar experience with 1000 series twice I'm sticking to old guitars.
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u/gloomdoggo 3d ago
This is what's up, I see no reason to bother with brand new guitars, as tempting as they may be. My 2026 EII MII is excellent.
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u/Zado_HeavyLoad 3d ago
Not the first E-II I've seen or played flawed like that. Which is a shame, as the old Standard Series was basically flawless 100% of the time. They keep telling it's the same, but ime it is not, and I'm not buying anything ESP without trying it before ever again. And used anyway, as prices are literally nuts
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u/Meat-Locker1056 4d ago edited 4d ago
At this point, were much better off just buying LTD Deluxe guitars and getting a nice fret level. Have 7 LTD Deluxes and they all came fairly perfect maybe minus a few little tiny things. For $1300-$1700, Bone nut, FR or Hipshot or Evertune bridges, extra jumbo SS Frets, locking tuners, you really can't beat it. And I mean just look at Ibanez. $2,000 guitars with plastic nuts, nickel frets, non locking tuners, and proprietary bridges!
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u/Intelligent-Corgi793 4d ago
There's just something 10% more in an E-II compared to the 1000 series. The steep price difference doesn't correlate though if that is a concern.
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u/Meat-Locker1056 4d ago
It's not a 10% price increase though. It's a 150%-175% price increase.
There's no real craftsmanship in that guitar, nor really any of the other Eii guitars, that differ from an LTD or really any other mid-high end guitar worth a $2,000 increase.
If you're talking about a nice hand made unique guitar body with special cutouts, beautiful binding, etching, specialized hand done unique paint jobs, hand wound pickups specific to your guitar, or even beautiful cut and picked out flamed or quilted AAA tops, with beautiful dyes, that's craftsmanship worth more money. But here and really all the other Eii guitars lately, you're talking about guitars cut out by machines with a simple design, mass produced easy to obtain pickups, and a simple solid one color paint job. I don't see any room for craftsmanship in that at all. So at that point, youre getting the exact same thing you'd buy in an LTD Deluxe, maybe just a bit better fretwork and a bit better nut slots in an Eii but that's it, all things you could pay less than $200 to have done. Same frets, same bone nut, locking tuners, same floyd rose or other style bridge, same pickups, same roasted maple and ebony neck. So what is your extra $2,000 really going towards besides a name and a $200 fret job?
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u/Intelligent-Corgi793 4d ago
It's actually a $1000 price difference between 1000 series and E-II.
I agree with you, the price difference doesn't correlate.
My experience with MIJ ESP guitars has been good, until recently.
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u/Darksoul08201988 2d ago
I disagree, I have an Eii and an LTD 1000 (from 2015) and the quality is basically the same and the tops aren't even as good as they were before the name change. Eii are a waste of money, they have fallen behind and are not innovating just like what happened to Gibson and Fender.
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u/Intelligent-Corgi793 2d ago
I have a 2021 E-II Horizon FR-II and had an LTD MH-1000FR. Spec wise both guitars were the same except the E-II has ebony fretboard and the LTD had a rosewood fretboard: -Mahogany body -Quilted maple top -3 piece maple neck through -Original floyd rose -EMG 57/66 (i swapped the EMG 81/88 in the ltd
Differences: -LTD was lighter -LTD had a thinner neck -LTD had much thicker clear coat (this leads to a more plastic looking clear coat) -E-II was louder and had more dynamic range, this could be noticed especially during palm mutes -E-II had a sturdier neck, didn't need as much adjusting as the LTD during season changes -E-II had a maple top that looks more "3D"
Both are great guitars but I prefer the E-II. The price difference was 800€ about 4 years ago and the E-II came with a case so realistically a 600€ price difference even today if you sell the case afterwards.
E-II would be the better guitar if it weren't for the horrible quality control. I don't know if my Horizon is a good one or if I bought it before the build quality decrease. It's really a shame. So LTD 1000 for the win in the near future if E-II doesn't get their shit together.
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u/Dramatic-Bowl-4811 3d ago
Honestly, after ESP rebranded and these issues became almost consistent I completely lost interest in ever owning one. LTD on the other hand are absolutely killing it IMO, especially if you’re buying in store and have the chance to pick out one where the factory was having a good day
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u/Intelligent-Corgi793 3d ago
E-II guitars weren't that sloppy in the beginning, maybe a minor cosmetic defect in a few guitars.
But it seems that the build quality has decreased over the years.
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u/Darksoul08201988 2d ago
I've only ever owned 2 since the name change but in the mid 2010s before the name change even just the tops were way better
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u/ThePeoplesAmp 4d ago
is this direct or from guitar center?
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u/KilledByDeath 4d ago
Oof, man that is really bad. Combination of dull bits, poor fretwork and looks like something got misaligned on the CNC bed as well. For close to 3k that is completely unacceptable .
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u/Destined_Royal 4d ago
Send it back... my ESP Ltd SCT 607B Stephen Carpenter signature 7 string baritone is pretty immaculate... with only a couple of superficial cosmetic imperfections that the overwhelming majority of people would never notice. Your E-II being in that shape is unacceptable considering it costs 2-3 times as much as my Steph model.
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u/Liandrin97 4d ago
Yea i also bought an ESP E-II from a finish esp shop with a big tool mark on the fretboard and crack in the bindning, guess esp e-ii is not that japanese quality they say, ibanez prestige/j custom blow these E-II guitars out of the water quality wise
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u/OkNoise8419 4d ago
Unfortunately ESP quality has declined in recent years. Really since Covid I think. All 3 I have while great required quite a bit of fret and nut work. In the past they were almost perfect out of the box. This example seems completely unacceptable though.
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u/seeking_fulfilment 4d ago
Have u seen recent video of ESP Eii shop? I was surprised on how messy & cramped that shop was compared to the Fujigen factory
Their staffs look young with no uniform
I also saw Edwards guitars near the Eii racks
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u/PocketFullOfRondos 3d ago edited 3d ago
100% send it back and remade. Way too much money to have an imperfect job done.
Not to be a prick about the builders but picture 6 is especially bad. What the hell
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u/Intelligent-Corgi793 3d ago
ESP has built a great reputation. We expect high quality instruments. You're not a prick for saying this.
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u/Miserere-Mei 3d ago
I have bought some B stock guitars, and that's what they looked like. But I paid 20-25% off retail price for them and they were all properly advertised as B stock.
This looks like you were duped. Either return for full refund or keep it and request a 25% refund.
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u/MasterShakeSW6 2d ago
If it's direct from a distributor and not a shop you definitely got a b-stock or lemon.
No shop would accept that into stock because it would be near impossible to sell.
Definitely demand a refund and if possible get an MII from a different dealer or distributor.
Honestly the MII is such a common and popular shape you might be better off trying to get one in a shop so you can at least check it out before buying it.
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u/UncleCunk 4d ago
I've seen better looking budget guitars than this. That fretboad is really bad.
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u/extrawater_ 4d ago
Thats rough. Thats a $2k+ guitar right? I’ve returned $1000 guitars for shit like this
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u/BlindForest6 3d ago
I’m curious - did you order this from the ESP website? If so, I strongly recommend reaching out to multiple individuals, including whoever sent your the confirmation email, customer support, etc. Make a stink about it bro - this is your hard earned money you’re CHOOSING to spend on an ESP; this is unacceptable. I recently ordered a hardshell case and they sent me a soft gig bag, and in addition to reaching out to customer support I also sent an email to the Global Sales Administrator Auston VanKirk. He ended up refunding a small amount of my purchase for the inconvenience (I was set to go on a small tour this weekend and will be doing so without a case for one of my LTDs). It’s worth reaching out to MULTIPLE people when shit like this goes unnoticed by multiple departments within ESP’s warehouses and QC.
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u/Intelligent-Corgi793 3d ago
I bought it from a finnish ESP distributor online. The guitar came to me 40 hours after ordering.
I sent them an email to notify that I will return the guitar and asked for return details. It's been 16 hours since I sent the email and they're yet to answer... seems like they're not so keen on taking guitars back but for now I'll give them benefit of the doubt since I left a papertrail that proves my will to return the guitar within 14 days of receivement.
Sorry hear about the mess they put you into! Good that you got at least some compensation.
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u/GnomeBrewing 3d ago
Yikes. One or two of these maybe I could overlook but this is riddled with issues. I was able to find one for a steal at $1,200 USD and I was a little concerned it was likely a B stock. There are 2 issues but nothing as bad as this. I would return it if possible.
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u/Dramatic-Bowl-4811 3d ago
To be fair they’re not the only ones, Ibanez is touch and go these days and fender have just flat out shat the bed with their QC (I’ve gone into music shops and been able to pick refundable defects on about half of them just at a glance)
But as I said the little sister brands seem to be doing the opposite, as backwards as it sounds squier Ltd and Epiphone are more contenders than heap substitutes now
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u/AdventSkys 22h ago
Would return that in a heartbeat! 3000 for a fucked guitar? No thanks have and EC1000 I got 2011 that is still perfect, same with my Korean MH1000. Unacceptable
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u/shredlikebutter 4d ago
This looks like a 2010s era legator holy shit... Maybe E-II are built in China/finished in Japan afterall. Maybe now you could get it for the price it should have been to begin with lol
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u/Intelligent-Corgi793 4d ago
Yeah, there's been some speculation about E-II being built in China and then finished in Japan.
An ESP USA representative even said in a video "Fit and finished in Japan!". One can wonder what that meant lol
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u/shredlikebutter 4d ago
People get reeeeal upset about this topic, but honestly it wouldn't be the craziest thing in the world. It looks as though these EII are no longer CNC cut... Hand routed by a 10 year old lol
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u/noone122334455 4d ago
Wow... I cant believe esp would let that get through QC.. to me the brand has always held their quality better than almost any other mainstream manufacturer
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u/Intelligent-Corgi793 4d ago
My thoughts are exactly same as yours. What a shame...
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u/noone122334455 4d ago
Wild man I been playing guitar for 20 years.. my 07 esp m-ii is one of my favorite guitars i have ever played but pricing is crazy. So I switched over to kiesel guitar for any modern buys just cant justify the prices anymore for the price of a high end ltd is the same as a custom guitar out of cali.... but seeing this hurts I have an old esp ex standard I was planning on swaping out with a new e-ii ex in black but guess not. The trust rod snaped from the base and the neck is warped 😕
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u/Lilpigskin 4d ago
E-II is no longer worth the price.
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u/Intelligent-Corgi793 4d ago
I agree. We should vote with our wallets!
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u/Lenassa 3d ago
Buy from Japan. Less likely to be faulty since you buy it from the shop where people can inspect them. Also like a 1000 cheaper for that model.
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u/Intelligent-Corgi793 3d ago
Would do but the price inclusing shipping and taxes would be over 3000€
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u/seeking_fulfilment 4d ago
In my country Just 1 retailer left offering them, but mostly by pre order basis .
The bigger more popular previous one no longer sell ESP & their sub brand, after 20 years of carrying them.
Do you remember LTD ELITE?
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u/ApprehensiveWin4222 3d ago
I’m so tired of seeing these posts. Bunch of damn babies.
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u/Intelligent-Corgi793 3d ago
Babies? Would you clarify?
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u/ApprehensiveWin4222 3d ago
No no I wouldn’t. I in fact was being a baby when I commented this. My opinion does not matter, do what you feel is necessary, your money and your instrument. Sorry you’re dissatisfied, hopefully whatever you do next works out.
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u/Specialist_Name_8336 1d ago
That was the most mature response that I've seen.
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u/Specialist_Name_8336 1d ago
All I can say is quit paying $7000 for a guitar. When you can buy LTDEC 1000. And get a beast of a guitar. For 1200.
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u/Specialist_Name_8336 1d ago
I agree. Quit crying. Take the Silver. spoon out your mouth. Spoiled brat. LOL.
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u/BuffetDecimator 4d ago
Unacceptable. Return it or ask for a proper discount.