Tell me about the ESP Eclipse

J

jbru91

Active member
Hey all,

I'm curious about the ESP eclipse, I currently have a Gibson LP standard with the 60's slim neck but i'm looking for a single cut that's a bit faster and can go a bit heavier (given a lot of the eclipse have EMGs in them) and I prefer an ebony board. I owned an LTD KH-602 in the past that was fine but haven't tried out many ESP's in general. There's a used ESP Eclipse Standard from 2007 I have my eye on. Any particular eras to look for or avoid? I've heard some mixed things about the new EIIs but it seems most view these to be on par with the old standards.

Cheers,
Jesse
 
I've owned several. Not sure how much youre looking to spend, but I would strongly recomend checking out the higher end LTD ECs and EII series guitars. They can be had used pretty cheap and are very close to the ESP line in terms of quality and playability.
 
angelspade said:
I've owned several. Not sure how much youre looking to spend, but I would strongly recomend checking out the higher end LTD ECs and EII series guitars. They can be had used pretty cheap and are very close to the ESP line in terms of quality and playability.
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Ya I'd say anything up to the old ESP standard / E-II range. Not sure i'm willing to go up to the ESP USA, Original Series, or Custom line.

Thanks for the suggestion!
 
I had a n ESP Stamdard eclipse. It’s probably in the ballpark as far as being “close” to the Gibson 60’s neck carve, but I preferred the feel of the Eclipse over the LP. LOVE the body feel of the Eclipse line. I had the slightly ‘thinner’ version…it was suuuuper comfy. There were a set of Suhr Aldrich pups in it, and it fucking slayed. I still miss that guitar. Got this one from a fellow forum member-El Mariachi, I believe.
 

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garey77 said:
I had a n ESP Stamdard eclipse. It’s probably in the ballpark as far as being “close” to the Gibson 60’s neck carve, but I preferred the feel of the Eclipse over the LP. LOVE the body feel of the Eclipse line. I had the slightly ‘thinner’ version…it was suuuuper comfy. There were a set of Suhr Aldrich pups in it, and it fucking slayed. I still miss that guitar.
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That thing looks badass. What year was it?
 
They're all fine. LTDs are really close to them.

IME they can neck dive (I guess due to thinner, lighter bodies). The necks and huge frets are really great for shredding.

IMHO they are not inherently "heavier" sounding than an actual LP. A normal spec LP sounds just massive to me in a good way. The Eclipse is different. I've even had a custom order full thickness Eclipse, and it just didn't sound like an LPC. But it sounded good all the same.
 
cardinal said:
IMHO they are not inherently "heavier" sounding than an actual LP. A normal spec LP sounds just massive to me in a good way. The Eclipse is different. I've even had a custom order full thickness Eclipse, and it just didn't sound like an LPC. But it sounded good all the same.
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I agree...They do not sound or resonated the same way as my Gibson LPCs.
 
jbru91 said:
Ya I'd say anything up to the old ESP standard / E-II range. Not sure i'm willing to go up to the ESP USA, Original Series, or Custom line.

Thanks for the suggestion!
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I can't tell my ESP E-II's from my ESP USA's tbh. Maybe its me but theyre just both very well made and don't really leave me thinking "if only this part didnt suck"

The E-II eclipse is my next guitar
 
angelspade said:
I agree...They do not sound or resonated the same way as my Gibson LPCs.
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It doesn't make sense to me. I have some Navigators which nail the trve LP thing (just with flawless fit and finish).

But a full thickness Eclipse, which should be the same thing in any meaningful sense, just doesn't sound the same. I don't get it.
 
PaintChipsAreVegan said:
I can't tell my ESP E-II's from my ESP USA's tbh. Maybe its me but theyre just both very well made and don't really leave me thinking "if only this part didnt suck"

The E-II eclipse is my next guitar
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E-IIs are awesome. Supposedly they are all switching over the stainless steel frets, and when that actually happens I don't know how I can resist buying a whole bunch of them.
 
Geo said:
Well made guitars, but why not just buy a Les Paul?
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I should have clarified I currently have both an LP Standard with the 60s neck and an Adam Jones LP Standard. Just looking for a single cut that is a bit more shred friendly.
 
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jbru91 said:
I should have clarified I currently have both an LP Standard with the 60s neck and an Adam Jones LP Standard. Just looking for a single cut that is a bit more shred friendly.
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Then it sounds like it's perfect for you.
 
I have a couple ESP's, an EII, and an Edwards Eclipse now. They are different than an LP but still cool. The one @cardinal is referring to I believe is the one I have now. It doesn't sound like my LPC's, but my LPC's also don't sound the same either - I've had 4 LPC's and they all sound different. The ESP's and EII have an awesome sculpted neck heel which makes it easy to get to the 22nd fret. The Edwards is more like your traditional LP style and is more difficult to get up high if. The full thickness one sounds the biggest, but the others are no slouch even if the bodies are slimmer. One is a maple neck through with mahogany wings that is sort of it's own thing, but still sounds killer too.

All of them play great, though the two ESP's are "Customs" and are a step above the other two. If you are looking for something a little more shred friendly, I don't think you can go wrong here. I just had to get over the 3 knob thing, which bugged me for a long time.
 


I have a few. I kinda did a deep-dive into them one day when I was bored.

FWIW, I've owned 3 FT Eclipses (still have 2) and with passive pickups, they do the same things that Les Pauls do. I'm not sure what you guys think they're missing. They have a bit more of the low-mid thing than the regular thickness Eclipses. Your mileage may vary.
 
Pushead said:


I have a few. I kinda did a deep-dive into them one day when I was bored.

FWIW, I've owned 3 FT Eclipses (still have 2) and with passive pickups, they do the same things that Les Pauls do. I'm not sure what you guys think they're missing. They have a bit more of the low-mid thing than the regular thickness Eclipses. Your mileage may vary.
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Well this is helpful! Thanks for sharing
 
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