LTD Elite Series???

ill take a Horizon III please! glad theyre finally bringing them here. but seriously, why an "Elite" line? dont understand, but hey, if the price is right, sign me up!
 
soc_monki":33ta1iuk said:
ill take a Horizon III please! glad theyre finally bringing them here. but seriously, why an "Elite" line? dont understand, but hey, if the price is right, sign me up!
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Because they're killing most of the the ESP Standard line and going nearly 100% Custom Shop.
 
I am glad they are keeping the 22 fret Eclipses as well as bringing back the H3. I still prefer the Edwards LPC's to the Eclipses though.
 
Yeah it's essentially Edwards for the USA market. I guess they think these are good enough reason to get rid of the ESP Standard line.
 
I have played the LTD Elites and they are really nice. Quality on par with the Japanese ESPs but not quite the signature or custom stuff.

I have full specs and pricing but I cant post it yet in detail but I will say they are in the $1300-$1500 price range and at that price point are serious bang for the buck and really ment to replace the standard ESP offerings out now.

From now on any new ESP guitar with the ESP logo on the peghead will be signature and custom shop pieces of the highest quality and all north of $3K some well north of that.
 
Brad, does that mean that if you walk into an ESP dealer this year, you won't see any ESPs? Meaning, will the Signature guitars still be in stock or done on a per-order basis instead?
 
beachbum":1idplwpj said:
Brad, does that mean that if you walk into an ESP dealer this year, you won't see any ESPs? Meaning, will the Signature guitars still be in stock or done on a per-order basis instead?
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I'm not Brad, but not all of the ESP standard line is being killed. Most of it is, and what's left is mostly black except for the Eclipse II, lol.

From another forum, here are the models that are NOT discontinued:

Eclipse II FR: BK
Eclipse II STD: ACSB, BLKAQ, SSB, SSP, SW, VB
Horizon FR-II: RDB, STR
Horizon NT-II: DBSB
Horizon 27FR: BK
Horizon HRF: BK
Horizon NT-7: BK
Horizon FR-7: BK
M-II NTB: BK
M-II Maple: BK
 
I have the new 2013 ESP Catalog and new model offerings.

There are only 5 new ESP Models for 2013 and all are signatures.

Kirk Hammett,
Gus G
Stef Carpenter
Will Adler
Alexi Laiho

There are 9 LTD Elite offerings

the rest are LTD.

There will still be 2012 ESP models around until they are sold.
 
$1300 to $1500 seems a bit steep,idk?
The Edwards horizon 3 is in that price range.
A standard esp M1 is $1300.
I'd have to play one before I did anything.
I paid $4200 for my custom shop horizon,and $3200 for
My B-7. Then again I just want a snapper, I have a Horizon III
Inbound.
 
locoed":62d05tyd said:
$1300 to $1500 seems a bit steep,idk?
The Edwards horizon 3 is in that price range.
A standard esp M1 is $1300.
I'd have to play one before I did anything.
I paid $4200 for my custom shop horizon,and $3200 for
My B-7. Then again I just want a snapper, I have a Horizon III
Inbound.
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You couldn't possibly have a Horizon III inbound as all ESP guitars sold in the world are sold by me and my shop and to my knowledge we didn't sell you one? ;) :D
 
I think it's ridiculous for ESP to think the guitar buying world will want to pay $1300 - $1500 for anything labeled LTD.
 
So are you saying there are no esp standards at all, or just no new finishes or variations? Meaning, the list I posted above is accurate? Perhaps the list posted on another forum was an export market dealer, not a US one...
 
JerEvil":l3eean8g said:
I think it's ridiculous for ESP to think the guitar buying world will want to pay $1300 - $1500 for anything labeled LTD.
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Meh, ESP in Japan is purely a custom guitar maker, and I fully support the idea that they cement that idea to the rest of the world. I'm a massive esp fan, but the standard series as it is these days in the US (since the new standards were introduced in the early 00's) IMO is a far cry from what esp truly is.

I wish the Japanese Original series models were what we got in the US as "standards", but considering they are custom shop made, they would still be big money here. We can get them here, but you never see them stocked.

I also read on another forum that the many custom houses for ESP in the Japan are being consolidated, so no more technical house, craft house, kiso shop, etc.

I'm all for it. The standard series US models were pretty much Edwards/ltd quality anyway, so moving them down in price point to save a few hundred bucks makes sense, IMO...in my mind they are just now given a product line and name to match their hierarchy.
 
nwright":5mm8uhkg said:
JerEvil":5mm8uhkg said:
I think it's ridiculous for ESP to think the guitar buying world will want to pay $1300 - $1500 for anything labeled LTD.
Click to expand...


Meh, ESP in Japan is purely a custom guitar maker, and I fully support the idea that they cement that idea to the rest of the world. I'm a massive esp fan, but the standard series as it is these days in the US (since the new standards were introduced in the early 00's) IMO is a far cry from what esp truly is.

I wish the Japanese Original series models were what we got in the US as "standards", but considering they are custom shop made, they would still be big money here. We can get them here, but you never see them stocked.

I also read on another forum that the many custom houses for ESP in the Japan are being consolidated, so no more technical house, craft house, kiso shop, etc.

I'm all for it. The standard series US models were pretty much Edwards/ltd quality anyway, so moving them down in price point to save a few hundred bucks makes sense, IMO...in my mind they are just now given a product line and name to match their hierarchy.
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pretty much this...
 
IMO LTD doesn't have the best rep for building guitars, despite building them in Japan now, or this limited edition, it would be one thing if they did this from the start, but now it's taken a beating, but lets build them in Japan now with quality? Hmmmm :confused:
That said, I'm still going to buy one.
Brad when you have the snapper lemme know.
Or start a list for people who want them?
Also their going to offer some of these with an ebony board?
Ibanez doesn't even offer an ebony board so IMO it's win win.
 
nwright":308k8rdq said:
JerEvil":308k8rdq said:
I think it's ridiculous for ESP to think the guitar buying world will want to pay $1300 - $1500 for anything labeled LTD.
Click to expand...


Meh, ESP in Japan is purely a custom guitar maker, and I fully support the idea that they cement that idea to the rest of the world. I'm a massive esp fan, but the standard series as it is these days in the US (since the new standards were introduced in the early 00's) IMO is a far cry from what esp truly is.

I wish the Japanese Original series models were what we got in the US as "standards", but considering they are custom shop made, they would still be big money here. We can get them here, but you never see them stocked.

I also read on another forum that the many custom houses for ESP in the Japan are being consolidated, so no more technical house, craft house, kiso shop, etc.

I'm all for it. The standard series US models were pretty much Edwards/ltd quality anyway, so moving them down in price point to save a few hundred bucks makes sense, IMO...in my mind they are just now given a product line and name to match their hierarchy.
Click to expand...
We're going to have to agree to disagree on this I guess. Why would I pay $500 more for and LTD that plays like an LTD (by your reckoning)?
 
I just lost all interest in ESPs. If these are basically Edwards guitars as has been stated, they are not fully made in Japan and are not made at the same factory that the ESP standard line guitars were made. Unless they changed that especially for this line which I seriously doubt.

I have an Edwards Snapper and it is great but would not have paid $1300-$1500 for it whatsoever. Glad I didn't. :D

I think this is a terrible idea. LTD has been in the marketplace for well over a decade and has been established as a mid and lower level brand. Taking the ESP name off of the majority of the line will devalue it significantly to most consumers. Throwing LTD on it lowers it right off the bat just by rules of the market.
 
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