ESP/LTD Vintage 204.....Anyone have one or played one?

jordacr · #1 09-13-2010, 09:46 AM

I am trying to find some reviews on this bass. It is the LTD version of the ESP Vintage 4. These were released earlier this year but I cannot seem to find much info on them. They look pretty good to me in the pics and the few places that do have them for sale have them priced at $349 new. I have heard some decent things about LTD guitars but not really heard anything about their basses.

Thanks!!

mid_life_crisis · #2 09-13-2010, 09:58 AM

I have a lower level ($100 bucks less) ESP LTD 5 string with the same pickup arrangement and active electronics. When I brought it to my lesson, my teacher played with it for a few minutes, smiled and said, "I can't get a bad sound out of this".
I would hope that a higher level unit has to be at least as good. Play one and judge for yourself.

Mr wiggl3s · #3 09-13-2010, 11:07 AM

I have a B-50 which is the cheapest model they have, and it's pretty decent. $200 new. The frets suck and the truss rod sucks, but other then that, it's great for the price.

xhawk5 · #4 06-18-2011, 10:36 AM

I have the Vintage-204 rosewood. After a set-up it plays fantastic. The factory installed SIT strings are great strings also. Just played my first gig with it last night and WHOA... did it ever sound so freakin good.
VERY easy to play with quick/low action and those SIT good strings.
For the price of $349 it kills any p-bass or p/j bass I've played under a grand. Honestly. My whole band loved the tone! I'm hooked.
WILL OUT PLAY AND SOUND BETTER THAN ANY SQUIRE VM or CLASSIC IN THAT SAME PRICE RANGE.
Will also out-play the MIM Fender P-Bass Special. I mean it. I've bought and sold over 100 basses and this one is , BY FAR, the best P/J I've had for under $1000. Even sounds better than the "Reggie Hamilton" sig model.
I also carefully sanded the LTD on the headstock and put an ESP slide-on decal. Now to clear coat it...
I might install a set of Basslines like in the ESP Vintage IV. But the stock pups are VERY P-Bass vintage sounding with just the right amount of grind and boom you expect from basses that cost much higher. Roll in some bridge pickup and you'll get that sought-after growl. But I found I had the neck on full and bridge on 6-7 for best tone.
I Love It!!!
Buy it, you will not regret it!!

bassplayer8953 · #5 06-18-2011, 11:05 AM

For 349 shipped I'd say the LTD is probably the best lower priced P - P/J bass available.

After buying my LTD I decided to raise the bar, & bought the ESP model. Obviously a cut above the LTD, but at several X the cost. But the ESP is easily the equivalent of any mid-priced P/J on the market.

Even though ESP/LTD is known for Ibanez/Jackson style pointy guitars & basses, the Vintage series are great instruments & well worth he price of admission.

pattonpwr · #6 12-15-2011, 01:42 PM

i got an american precision fender elite ii bass from 1983... planning to sell it and get the cheap LTD and mount a badass ii bridge and set it up from drop c tunning. Think it's worth it? Looks beautiful... wish I could afford the ESP model.

(may sound stupid to go from an 83 pbass to a korean ltd from 2011 but unfortunately I need the money asap).

screaminglucy · #7 12-15-2011, 03:31 PM

very nice bass. some specs from mine in case anyone is interested:
14" fretboard radius
1.62" nut width
Neck is 0.83" thick at first fret, 0.89" at 12th fret. 2 7/16" wide at heel.

i haven't measured the frets yet but they look vintage size.

genericusername · #8 12-15-2011, 03:38 PM

I have a Korean-made AX-404, and the craftsmanship is excellent on it. The vintage-204 is probably very good, but it's a shame I can't get it in a 5-string version.

Starflyer59 · #9 12-15-2011, 03:44 PM

I've been eeying a esp vintage for a while now and its NOS and the store wants $700 for it. I've tried it and it blows most mid range p bases out of the water!!
What do you guys think?

**Engine207** · #10 12-15-2011, 04:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bassplayer8953

Even though ESP/LTD is known for Ibanez/Jackson style pointy guitars & basses, the Vintage series are great instruments & well worth he price of admission.

I've been very pleasantly surprised by the F-105 I picked up a few weeks ago as a debt payback. I would have preferred the cash I was owed, but I'm having fun playing this awesome sounding 5-banger, until I hook up a cool trade.

It has great bottom end, a nice neck, and an above-average B-string. Too bad the pointy looks don't really work for my "45 year-old dad" appearance.

anarkink · #11 12-16-2011, 11:39 PM

@ starflyer - the ESP (not LTD) goes for like 1500 - 700 sounds good to me for an NOS.

bassplayer8953 · #12 12-17-2011, 07:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Starflyer59

I've been eeying a esp vintage for a while now and its NOS and the store wants $700 for it. I've tried it and it blows most mid range p bases out of the water!!
What do you guys think?

I bought mine LN for $525 on ebay. If you have patience you will probably find a similar deal. But 700 brand new wouldn't be bad. The ESP is certainly the equivalent of any PJ Fender I've played, obviously not as much variety to the ESP basses, but if the Vintage is what you're looking for, by all means go for it. You won't find a better PJ for less than a grand.

screaminglucy · #13 12-17-2011, 09:49 AM

my overall impression of the neck on these is it feels like the warmoth thin profile neck just fyi IMHO ...

dag79 · #14 01-08-2012, 01:26 PM

I own the LTD Vintage 204 in sunburst/rosewood.

I'm very happy with the bass, the neck is killer compared to the Squier CV series (not a fan of the lacquer used on their necks). Truthfully I never thought I'd be into the "pre-punked" look but I have to say when I saw it in person, it's very handsome. I'm also not a fan of most cheaper sunburst bodies, but again the quality of the burst on the LTD is much better than those I've seen on Squiers and other low-end Fender style instruments. I also dig the satin finish on the body, which matches the feel of the neck. The stock pickups sound good, the bass has that wonderful warm P sound we all know and love, and of course you've got the bridge pickup for more articulation. Just a really nice feeling instrument overall and I'd definitely recommend it over the Squier P-Bass Special equivalents.

I had the opportunity to try both the rosewood/sunburst and black/maple prior to purchasing. Both are very nice, and I can definitely hear a bit more high-end "snap" in the maple model (as you'd expect). The fretboard on the maple LTD shows some interesting wear & tear which I haven't seen on other distressed models (such as Nash or the Fender Roadworn series).

For the "modders" out there: I would warn that direct replacement of the split-coil humbucker might be a little of a pain. Reason being, the mounting holes in the grommets on the LTD "P" pickup are spaced a bit further apart than those on a typical "P" pickup (stock Fenders or Seymour Duncan/EMG replacement pickups, etc...). Is this a deal-breaker? No, just an annoyance. Additionally, I had considered throwing a Badass I have onto the bass, but again the mounting holes do not match those of the stock Gotoh-style bridge. Anyone willing to put some time in could definitely make it happen though.

With this in mind, I plan to keep my LTD stock for the time being...there's nothing wrong at all with the existing hardware/electronics. Aside from a set-up, the instrument sounds great out of the box and I've definitely learned the hard way that if it isn't broken, don't fix it!

Zuokie · #15 02-04-2012, 07:30 AM

I have a Vintage 204 and love it. For the money I would buy over any squire - just my opinion

Metania · #16 05-30-2012, 05:19 PM

I have a RW Ltd vintage. The following are strictly just my opinion/experience. The pups are not state of the art - seriously consider an upgrade. The 204 vintage seems solid and well built, and after a standard setup (lowering the strings ca 30Ft! Lol) and a set of DR Hi-beams, playes really nice. Fretboard, frets and neck works fine. More points for having no "balance" knob, but two separate vol controls per pup. At the price, the Ltd 204 competes with MIM Std's and some Asian passive basses. It's a really good PJ bass, and a real steal deal at 3475DKK. Definitely worth a pup upgrade!