Edwards guitars

taliababa

taliababa

New member
I know that the Edwards are a line of guitars made by ESP. Does anyone know how they are quality wise? Do they fall between ESP and LTD or are they below LTD in the quality department?
 
I don't have first hand knowledge, but it's my understanding that they're between ESP and LTD. Quoting Wikipedia:

"Edwards guitars are made by ESP Japan. They consist of very high quality copies of legendary guitars like the Les Paul, Telecaster, and Stratocaster, and also original ESP designs. The Edwards Les Paul, Tele, and Strat guitars are built specifically for the Japanese market, and are not sold in the US as they contravene Gibson and Fender patents; they can however be imported by individual buyers. The guitars consist of specifications that are at least equal to, or arguably better, than their US counterparts, including features like Seymour Duncan pickups, long tenon neck joints, quality hardware, carefully chosen tone woods, and of course the high quality workmanship that ESP Japan is known for. Edwards are gaining an increasing following amongst guitarists who have discovered the sound, playability and high standard of workmanship is to their liking."

Judging from that, and the prices used ones go around here, I'd assume they're quite good quality wise.
 
I have two Edwards LP's and they are killer. Quality is not a concern as compared to the LTD series. I've only had a couple 'real' ESP's and I'd say the Edwards are at least the equivalent of if not better than.

When I bought mine I got lucky, both have BKP Painkillers and sound phenomenal.
 
If you're interested, it's all one company that, I think, tiers its line sort of like this:

From best down:
Navigator
ESP
Edwards
LTD
Grassroots

Now that ESP is more a custom shop, and they added the LTD Elite lineup, I'm not sure how it goes. In short, Edwards are solid.
 
As I've understood it, the pecking order is:

ESP - now custom shop, top tier
ESP E-II Standard - newly named line, non-NA market, what ESP was before the product line shuffle last year, MIJ
ESP Standard - NA naming of the E-II line
LTD Elite - MIJ, same as their ESP Standard line except less options (colors)
Edwards - MIC, inspected and set up (?) in Japan, made for non-NA market
LTD - same as before

This would've been a perfect thread for the recently deleted ESP mfr. forum.
 
I've got one and really like it... nice neck carve, plays well, stays in tune... sounds good with the not stock pickups the guy I bought it from put in (lol I can't remember what the are... I have crs).

I paid $725 for mine, I'll tell ya... WAY better than any Gibson Studio I ever played... can't say "better than Gibson" cuz you know how they are, some suck, some rock... to me it's like a decent standard (but I think the top is a laminate).
 
I am looking into getting a ESP E-LP-125ALC, E-LP-98LTC or the E-LP-92CD in black. Have not desided on which one. I really do not want to spend the money on a used Les Paul Custom though, which are still very expensive. I do have a Heritage 150CM that I love!!!! Not a huge LP player.
 
I had an Edwards LP copy (not sure of the model) it was a great guitar, I preferred it to any Gibson LP I have played. I currently own an Edwards V that is right on par with my Gibson V. Oh and my V says "Made in Japan" on it..
 
Killer!!! They are Made in China as per the My Les Paul site except for the first runs, but all of the information on the Japan sites who sell these state "Made in Japan".


I have had a couple of exchanges with ESP Japan (parent company of Edwards) and did some reading—what follows is what I have learned or surmised.


--The first runs of Edwards guitars were entirely made in Japan

--Nowadays the initial phase of the manufacture of an Edwards guitar (woodworking through painting) is done in an ESP factory just inside the Chinese border in the Northeast province of Heilongjiang.

-- I believe that the Edwards LP series is made from genuine mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla or possibly Swietenia mahagoni) grown in plantations in Indonesia and/or possibly Fiji. That’s why the guitars are so light and lively. The wood is neither Sapele (entandrophragma cylindricum) nor African Mahogany (khaya anthotheca).

--ESP employees from Japan oversee and QC the production line.

--The finish and electronics, hardware and plastics, as well as the setup are done in Japan, now at the new ESP factory near Tokyo

-- This is not new. It has been like this for a few years, though exactly how many I could not pin down.

ESP established a joint venture in Northeast China in early 1992, named the Heilongjiang ESP Electronic Audio Co., Ltd. (黑龙江ESP电子音响有限公司 Heilongjiang E.S.P Electronic Hi-Fi Co Ltd. Jiguan District, Jixi City, Heilongjiang, China 158100. Processing Electric Guitar. Phone: 86-453-2358268). ESP ENTERTAINMENT GROUP

ESP made this move at that time due to China’s opening of the Northeast Asia Economic Subregion--in short this was an agreement among China, Russia, Japan and Korea to ease restrictions and tariffs on the import and export of finished and particularly unfinished goods among one another. This cooperation among the countries was renewed and expanded in 2003.
 
I think they are at least equivalent to the standard (now E-II) series.
They are the non-custom shop models catering to the Japanese market;
for the japanese market (in order of quality):
Navigator
Original series (essentially custom shop guitars, but are made in small batches)
Edwards
Grassroots

For the rest of the world:
Custom shop
Standard/E-II
LTD elite
LTD

Like the standard series, they are CNC'd but assembled manually by a team in Japan.
The ones I have seen are much better than the LTDs I've played and were at least equal to the standard series.
Also, Edwards have many more models to choose from than the equivalent export models.
Unless you are looking for custom shop quality, I wouldn't hesitate to go with Edwards.
 
My Edwards is awesome! So much so that I can't make myself buy a "real" Gibson. I know Gibson is more of an investment but my Edwards never fails to put a smile on my face. The build quality is great. The luthier in town who routed mine to go from P90's to full sized buckers was blown away by the guitar as he had not heard of the brand previously.

 
bulletproof_funk":hqifpttm said:
How long have Edwards been sold in the US? I've never seen nor heard of them in Canada. :confused:
Click to expand...
They aren't and probably never will be. You buy used or pay $150 to have them shipped from Japan.
 
Back in 2008 when the yen was low I ordered 3 from Ishibashi . A blue Horizon, Black/Gold LP and a white/gold LP. Just ask yourself why Edwards (fender and gibson copies) is (was) not sold outside Japan. Because the quality scared the hell out of Gibson and Fender so after some lawsuits they stayed in Japan.

The 3 guitars are very wel build with the best materials. Quality hardware with real floyd, duncans etc.
Love them altough I sold the black/gold LP because I got a offer I couldn't refuse.

In 2011 I visited ESP in Tokyo. What a great ompany this is. In the shop there were a lot of Edwards to choose from. Loved that guitar area in Tokyo! The highest density of great guitars on the planet.
 
My inner CharvelDan is coming out...

Just got this one last week from wkruspe.

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