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My ESP custom - Need help identifying, PHOTOS INSIDE

E

excane

Inactive
Aug 23, 2005
3,857
14
New York, NY
#1
Ok, here she is. I bought this beauty almost 10 years ago from a tiny used music shop near my house...paid $300
I love this bass.

I have never seen another like it. It looks like an ESP neck put on another body and a third EMG pickup was installed.

The controls are 3 separate volumes for each pickup and a stacked bass and treble control (active 9volt preamp) and a Schaller bridge.

I would love any help identifying this bass....any ESP experts out there?
I contacted ESP a few years ago and I believe they told me they had no record of the serial number.

esp1.jpg


esp2.jpg


esp3.jpg


esp4.jpg


esp5.jpg


esp6.jpg
 
#13
Oops, missed that line, sorry!

I'd have to imagine it's a neck put on another body and then just stained to match the headstock. I've never seen anything like it, either off the shelf or from the ESP custom shop. ESP's custom shop has pretty limited options, too- they don't let you do absolutely anything you want- and the neck pickup clearly didn't exist there before. I'd bet the body came later than the neck. But you should take the neck off the body and see if there is any information there or in the control cavity.
 
#14
what an interesting instrument. id say the neck was just slapped on, but the headstock matches too well.

weird that they would put a guitar pickup in there instead of another matching bass pickup.

ive never seen such a body style before. like you said, it looks LIKE a lot of things, but not exactly.
 
#15
the japanese ESP custom shop have and are still doing influences of other brand designs.

examples are:
zon legacy elite design copy.
vintage gibson sg slotted headstock copy on custom viper.
fender bass vi copy as 34" 4 string.
one of the newer ones are copy of lakland 55-94 with modified pickguard shape and 4+1 tuners.

i wouldn't be surprised if this bass was requested to be a copy design of a different bass
 
#17
Hello !
I remember seeing the same bass in a French magazine, 1992 or 1993 I guess...I have no clue about the model name ,sorry ! The bass was surrounded with other custom ESPs, and the body looked like walnut or Koa.
 

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