Did I just snag one of the semi-mythical 90s MIJ LTDs??

[Adieu]

An $85 + s&h bet against Guitar Center:




IMHO, it's a very early ~95-97 LTD Eclipse sometimes billed as E-200 in print, MSRP 50% off ESP-branded version, ~$695-795. Color also shows up in 90s ESP catalogs

But why am I curious enough to bet $116 shipped to find out if it's a Jap? The pearl inlaid headstock logo.

My ~95 full ESP Eclipse has ESP inlaid on the headstock the same way... later ESP and LTD Eclipses and Vipers with that headstock don't, its just white paint.

Lines also resemble Japanese ESP more so than later LTDs.

And Im guessing worst case scenario, S. Korea & a decent platform to testbed mods before considering doing them to the real handmade ESP...


WHAT DO YOU THINK? Results to be announced in 3-5 business days

 

[Adieu]

Re: Did I just snag one of the semi-mythical 90s MIJ LTDs??

PS if it's just an EC-10, I'll eat my camo trucker hat. In FullHD video

 

[Silence Kid]

Re: Did I just snag one of the semi-mythical 90s MIJ LTDs??

That GC is so near me I'm kind of jealous I wouldn't have known what that guitar was if I saw it. lol.

Did you call to ask if those are real Duncans? What's up with the holes by the pots?

 

[Adieu]

Re: Did I just snag one of the semi-mythical 90s MIJ LTDs??

That GC is so near me I'm kind of jealous I wouldn't have known what that guitar was if I saw it. lol.

Did you call to ask if those are real Duncans? What's up with the holes by the pots?

Duncan Designed by the looks of it. Probably stock, looks period correct.

Holes look to be someone's DIY conversion to 2v,2t



PS I dont terribly mind holes. Most of my coolest stuff has holes. Helps keep the price down... my usual GAS budget is hunting down something cool for $75-150. Ive gotten like a dozen cool japs that way:

Westminster LP 1970s mij, Super 70s & Gotoh Japan hardware maple fretboard (rebadged Greco/Ibanez) $125

Quest Atak mij - 70s Explorer/Destroyer clone - miss that thing $99

Ibanez SR-885 mij - $99

Ibanez RD-707 mij - $150

Jackson RR3 mij - $125 disassembled - swapped pups & traded for Ibanez Prestige RG-1570 lol. Straight trade!

Fame Mastercaster 007 mij, active bass w/ kahler bass trem - $85, with two weird holes on back othewise mint

Squier MIJ strat - $~100ish disassembled (about half of a $200 batch of parts)

Charvel Rhoad vee mij w/ aftermarket Kahler - $150 i think

Washburn Pbass mij - $150 - worth it just for the SD Actives w/ EQ switches alone really - swapped in EMG from the Mastercaster, cleaned it up, shimmed neck, and flipped on for $400 %)

Cort Fretless w/ active Barts - sure just mik, but $99 kinda hard to beat

Etc.

 

[The JEM Ghost]

Re: Did I just snag one of the semi-mythical 90s MIJ LTDs??

What's with all those good deals Adieu????
Do you buy the sellers a drink and then spike it or something????
If you do I want your recipe though... :jester:

 

[Adieu]

Re: Did I just snag one of the semi-mythical 90s MIJ LTDs??

You should see me shop for cars lol.

I do stuff like buy a gov't truck w/ 3 mismatched seats and missing trim panels then drive it straight to the junkyards to load up on the missing parts... or newish bimmers with huge white blemishes on the AC controls (im guessing chick driver - got wet nailpolish on it - accidentally bleached the buttons trying to get it off....prolly saved me $5k or so by doing that lol)

What's with all those good deals Adieu????
Do you buy the sellers a drink and then spike it or something????
If you do I want your recipe though... :jester:

Craigslist & GC

Buying from people who dont know or dont care what they have

And, most importantly....being unable to afford anything else lol

I got plenty more where that came from... $180 Carvin cab loaded with 80s vintage UK celestions (g12-65 & g12k-85, rola-branded)... $380 ESP Japan... several $400-500 gibsons (nothing memorable but the price) I flipped on right away for $1k or more... etc

 

[dystrust]

Re: Did I just snag one of the semi-mythical 90s MIJ LTDs??

Looks like a late 90s or early 00s entry level LTD Eclipse; almost certainly made in S. Korea.

 

[Adieu]

Re: Did I just snag one of the semi-mythical 90s MIJ LTDs??

Looks like a late 90s or early 00s entry level LTD Eclipse; almost certainly made in S. Korea.

If you're referring to the 90s generation eclipse body style and its bolt-on build, that alone doesnt indicate a budget model... there's a few RECENT budget models in that old shape, but they look somewhat different. In the 90s the ESP Eclipse, back then only offerred in bolt-on, was MSRP'd at a base of $1595 (+ for options), and the LTD was about half that.

And Im pretty sure that, whichever country it is from, its from the era when LTDs only had a single level. The binding and color suggest its from super-early years.

If it IS just korean -- it'll still be interesting, even if just to do a thorough side by side comparison with the real thing...and then go crazy on it with invasive modding.

Ive been a bit TOO reluctant to experiment on the real deal:

 

[RoteGitarre]

Re: Did I just snag one of the semi-mythical 90s MIJ LTDs??

How did this turn out? I'm guessing it was just a typical Korean built LTD?

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