MkIII Renegade
New member
Found a new old stock ESP with the much coveted script logo (as opposed to the loathsome new block logo) and had to jump on it.
It's a bit thinner and quite a bit lighter than some LPs, but the beefy tone and resonance is still there. I know there is a full thickness body version available in the LTD, although I haven't seen that among ESPs. I might have gotten that if it was available, but it still kicks as is. Likewise, I was hoping there may have been a ebony fretboard option available in this Aqua Quilt finish, but it was nowhere to be found. The rosewood board is very nice and probably helps round out the EMGs anyway. The neck is lightning fast and doesn't drag at all, although again, if I had my way, I'd like to have the raw neck such as on the Gibson Zakk Wylde LPs. I recall playing some older Gibsons with painted necks that presented a clear problem unless they were wiped down with something all the time. No problem here.
Only a year ago, I got my first EMG equipped guitar (Charvel 650 neck thru) after playing for 20+ years, and I have to say, I really dig them for my Assassin guitars! They may not be as versatile as passives, but that's why you have multiple guitars, with some being more focused in one area or another. I didn't like the 81 when it came in my Charvel 650, although he 85 improved that guitar quite a bit. With a LP design, however, the 81 comes to life! It's really inspiring to have so much beef, yet such clarity in this guitar. And the 60 is very nice, and cleans up much better than the 85 for the neck (its reason for being created). Compared to a LTD1000 I played at GC recently, the ESP is clearly a higher end instrument, although the LTD is no slouch. Still, if I had been open to the idea of paying GC's new LTD price + tax, the take home wouldn't have been far enough from what I paid for the real article....so no contest!
It's a bit thinner and quite a bit lighter than some LPs, but the beefy tone and resonance is still there. I know there is a full thickness body version available in the LTD, although I haven't seen that among ESPs. I might have gotten that if it was available, but it still kicks as is. Likewise, I was hoping there may have been a ebony fretboard option available in this Aqua Quilt finish, but it was nowhere to be found. The rosewood board is very nice and probably helps round out the EMGs anyway. The neck is lightning fast and doesn't drag at all, although again, if I had my way, I'd like to have the raw neck such as on the Gibson Zakk Wylde LPs. I recall playing some older Gibsons with painted necks that presented a clear problem unless they were wiped down with something all the time. No problem here.
Only a year ago, I got my first EMG equipped guitar (Charvel 650 neck thru) after playing for 20+ years, and I have to say, I really dig them for my Assassin guitars! They may not be as versatile as passives, but that's why you have multiple guitars, with some being more focused in one area or another. I didn't like the 81 when it came in my Charvel 650, although he 85 improved that guitar quite a bit. With a LP design, however, the 81 comes to life! It's really inspiring to have so much beef, yet such clarity in this guitar. And the 60 is very nice, and cleans up much better than the 85 for the neck (its reason for being created). Compared to a LTD1000 I played at GC recently, the ESP is clearly a higher end instrument, although the LTD is no slouch. Still, if I had been open to the idea of paying GC's new LTD price + tax, the take home wouldn't have been far enough from what I paid for the real article....so no contest!
I wouldn't hesitate to buy other guitars in the higher LTD models (such as the signature models----I'm not paying $5000 for a guitar!!), but I've wanted this particular guitar for some time and have no regrets. 
if youre looking for an unpainted neck (or did you mean purely unfinished bare wood?), check out '90s ESP eclipse i / "the" eclipse models (same thing, afaik), they just have clearcoats on bolton necks...can be had at truly funny prices used