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So this arrived yesterday at my office, but I had work in another town, so I just dropped by the office at the end of the day to pick it up. Always wanted to own an 80's-inspired HS SuperStrat, so here it is!
It's an ESP LTD MH-1000HS in Black Cherry Fade. It has a three-piece maple neck, neck-through construction, mahogany body wings and a carved quilted maple top. Fretboard has 24 jumbo frets, well finished, and it's a Macassar ebony board.
Hardware and electronics consist of an Original Floyd Rose 1000SE, with some of the screws and parts made out of stainless steel in order to avoid rust. Grover tuners on the body-matching headstock. Pickups are a Duncan Pegasus trembucker and a Hot Rails neck, wired to a three position blade switch and master volume and tone knobs, the latter being a push/pull pot to split both pickups.
Bought this online from a german store, along with a Rockboard guitar case and Schaller S-Locks. The store did a crap job on my order, since there was no tremolo bar on the box, and the Allen wrench set was incomplete, sice the top lock sized one was missing. Fortunately I had a spare Schaller trem bar, and I already own other Floyded guitars, so I have complete Allen wrench sets. I'll email the company complaining about this, and demanding they send me the missing stuff at no charge.
BTW, the ABS Rockboard case is way too large for the guitar. It's a standard case, but it has no pocket for a strap or trem bar, and the guitar moves when the case is carried. No biggie, will just use it to store, and swap cases when I take it out.
Never tried this store before, since I usually buy stuff from Thomann and never had any issues. Unfortunately the guitar is sold out, and they are not expecting a restock. So the store I bought it from had the best price (still higher than the one Thomann had, but still cheap than other stores, and the price Portuguese stores asked ridiculous prices or couldn't ever get it), so I took a chance. Never again!
On to the guitar: it plays like a dream, and even came setup for E standard with the stock 9/42 D'Addario string set, action just is a bit higher than I usually play, but my tech will take care of that. No cosmetic issues, well rounded frets, and the neck feels good, not as slim as an Ibanez, but more of Jackson profile.
Unplugged it's very resonant, and sustain is way above average, almost matching my Gibson Traditional LP.
The only thing I don't like about the guitar is the stock Duncans. Never played a Pegasus before, but it feels too sterile compared to the other Duncan I use. I guess I'm not into modern sounding pickups. Tight lows, but the low and high mds and treble are definitely not my thing. So it will be replaced with a zebra Custom 5 trembucker, which seems to be more to my liking.
The neck Hot Rails is nothing like the bridge version I already own on another guitar. Way too much output, and cleans are way too middy and to my ears it lacks highs. Still like it better than the Pegasus, though. Nevertheless, it will be replaced by a neck cream Lil 59.
All my guitars are stored in their cases inside some IKEA closets, and no more space is available. Will have to find some other way to store my pedalboards so this one will fit. Otherwise, my wife will have my head for Sunday dinner...
Some eye candy for you, sorry for being a crap photographer...
It's an ESP LTD MH-1000HS in Black Cherry Fade. It has a three-piece maple neck, neck-through construction, mahogany body wings and a carved quilted maple top. Fretboard has 24 jumbo frets, well finished, and it's a Macassar ebony board.
Hardware and electronics consist of an Original Floyd Rose 1000SE, with some of the screws and parts made out of stainless steel in order to avoid rust. Grover tuners on the body-matching headstock. Pickups are a Duncan Pegasus trembucker and a Hot Rails neck, wired to a three position blade switch and master volume and tone knobs, the latter being a push/pull pot to split both pickups.
Bought this online from a german store, along with a Rockboard guitar case and Schaller S-Locks. The store did a crap job on my order, since there was no tremolo bar on the box, and the Allen wrench set was incomplete, sice the top lock sized one was missing. Fortunately I had a spare Schaller trem bar, and I already own other Floyded guitars, so I have complete Allen wrench sets. I'll email the company complaining about this, and demanding they send me the missing stuff at no charge.
BTW, the ABS Rockboard case is way too large for the guitar. It's a standard case, but it has no pocket for a strap or trem bar, and the guitar moves when the case is carried. No biggie, will just use it to store, and swap cases when I take it out.
Never tried this store before, since I usually buy stuff from Thomann and never had any issues. Unfortunately the guitar is sold out, and they are not expecting a restock. So the store I bought it from had the best price (still higher than the one Thomann had, but still cheap than other stores, and the price Portuguese stores asked ridiculous prices or couldn't ever get it), so I took a chance. Never again!
On to the guitar: it plays like a dream, and even came setup for E standard with the stock 9/42 D'Addario string set, action just is a bit higher than I usually play, but my tech will take care of that. No cosmetic issues, well rounded frets, and the neck feels good, not as slim as an Ibanez, but more of Jackson profile.
Unplugged it's very resonant, and sustain is way above average, almost matching my Gibson Traditional LP.
The only thing I don't like about the guitar is the stock Duncans. Never played a Pegasus before, but it feels too sterile compared to the other Duncan I use. I guess I'm not into modern sounding pickups. Tight lows, but the low and high mds and treble are definitely not my thing. So it will be replaced with a zebra Custom 5 trembucker, which seems to be more to my liking.
The neck Hot Rails is nothing like the bridge version I already own on another guitar. Way too much output, and cleans are way too middy and to my ears it lacks highs. Still like it better than the Pegasus, though. Nevertheless, it will be replaced by a neck cream Lil 59.
All my guitars are stored in their cases inside some IKEA closets, and no more space is available. Will have to find some other way to store my pedalboards so this one will fit. Otherwise, my wife will have my head for Sunday dinner...
Some eye candy for you, sorry for being a crap photographer...
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