ESP: Special order - touchdown (4)

I was at Beez's last weekend, had a push-pull coil split switch installed in my ESP Special Order M-II so that the Duncan JB there could be reduced to a single coil for a wider tonal option. I'm currently liking the fact that there's no tone knob in this guitar so it churns out that very protrusive growl.

This is how the control cavity looks like- spacious & absolutely neat all round.
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My other ESPs:

• Eclipse II (satin finish)
• Horizon II
• Horizon III
• Phoenix II

ESP: Special order - touchdown (3)

Rushed home today to hear my new darling in action- ESP MII Special Order. I've had enough of black, so it's an all white affair this time.

The only special change for this guitar- otherwise it's an ordinary, off-the-shelf M-Series- is the inclusion of a single coil neck pickup instead of a humbucker. This is my first Special Order guitar, I just want to observe the QC standard which is unquestionably superb!

Body rear view- the heel there had been inclined & bevelled as an upper fret allowance.

A very ordinary, M-Series headstock...

... the rear headstock has the label proof that this is not a custom order model. The Special Order is any Standard Series guitar with specific instructions from the buyer to incorporate a little deviation in specs.

This is another ESP guitar of mine, featuring an Original Floyd Rose bridge, which allows for a very low action. I'm not concluding that a Floyd Rose inclusion is the end-all solution for you if you wish for a low action but it facilitates this set up.

The pickups in this guitar:

• Neck: Seymour Duncan Classic Stack Plus
• Bridge: Seymour Duncan JB

I am currently favouring the single coil pickup in the neck for its more top-end protrusion; I wouldn't like to hear too much bass in this position.

My utmost thanks to Janet @ Davis GMC for making this acquisition possible, Chris for leaving a message to inform me of its arrival & Burn for helping me hook this guitar up with many Fuchs pedals! Thank you, everyone!

ESP: Special order - touchdown (2)

I've brought my Special Order ESP home; revelation tomorrow. Tired... not feeling well.

ESP: Special order - touchdown (1)

I was at Davis GMC earlier today... em... that should be yesterday. Never mind. I was there to settle payment for my ESP Special Order model which finally arrived on16th July 2011. I didn't bring it home because I was on the way to another destination; dinner beckoned.

Quake @ Japan

With Japan now in the midst of recovering from the earthquake, I can forget about my ESP special order guitar arriving here on time... The nuclear plant explosion is worrying. Many of us could hardly remember the Chernobyl disaster which had the fallout travel to Malaysia- Japan is much nearer to us.

I'm not blaming anyone for this- just a small test in the wait. Godspeed to the recovery in Japan.

ESP Special Order: Spec list

This is a follow-up to my ESP Special Order entry, a list of what can/cannot be achieved through this purchase specifications. The Special Order is only extended to the Standard Series of ESP instruments, do keep this in mind. So here goes:

Acceptable:

• Left-hand version of any existing Standard Series instruments
• Change of colours
• Request for distressed finish ('relic' finish to the rest of us)
• Change of colours for hardware
• Change of colours/design for inlays
• Change of neck finish type (eg: you dislike the lacquered finish of some models, you can request for a non-gloss/ satin version)
• Change of pickups (Seymour Duncan/ EMG)
• Change of tuners (Gotoh/ Sperzel)
• Change of nut type (bone/ graphite)
• Change of fingerboard type (Ebony/ Rosewood/ Maple)
• Scalloping of fingerboard
• Fretless fretboard
• Request for binding
• Change of pickups combination
• Change of neck profile
• Request for headstock reversal
• Change number of frets (maximum number to be updated)

 Not acceptable:

• Change of body shape
• Modifications to body/ headstock shape
• Change of headstock shape (eg: you can't get an Eclipse headstock for an M-series)
• Custom inlays
• Change of original (body) graphics
• Change of scale length
• Additional string

Special order: ESP M-II

Davis GMC is currently extending ESP's Special Order programme to us local dweebs. So how does it work? It's basically a custom order purchase but in limited format. The idea is to limit the custom charges, otherwise, it would effectively become an official Custom Order which would extend costs into the $3K - $4K bracket. Details of the Special Order programme will be disclosed here soon.

Since I have a pending M-II delivery which was originally scheduled in January 2011, I asked Janet if my order could be converted into this special order & I was lucky enough to be given the positive answer. My special order instruction was a simple one for this first time purchase; to have my M-II sport a hum cancelling single coil pickup instead of a full humbucking unit (so Duncan's Classic Stack + was my natural selection) The rest of the features remain unchanged.

I foresee a more adventurous order in the later half of 2011 should this initial episode prove to be appealing. I don't see why it shouldn't be the case.