• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Anyone know if ESP is any good?

#2
i have the F254 (step up from that) and love it, good all around bass. Use it for metal, alternative, jazz, and fusion. just amazing. I knew a guy with the F104 that liked it as much as I like mine. I think for the price it is the best around.
 
#3
I can't help but think you're more interested in the looks of your bass than its tone and playability. Between this and your last thread about the BC Rich, it's just a vibe I got.

For your genre of music, a black/black P or J bass with a maple fretboard looks a lot more bad ass than silly basses with sharp corners and points, and both have tones that will leave these basses behind.
 
#4
Visirale said:
I can't help but think you're more interested in the looks of your bass than its tone and playability. Between this and your last thread about the BC Rich, it's just a vibe I got.
Click to expand...
Yeah, after I heard that bc rich didn't make good basses, I decieded to look for another one. Don't get me wrong, I'll always put tone before looks, but I do want a bass that looks the part in my metal band. When I go to get my lessons set up (;)) I'll take a look at some ESP's

Oh, and for the record, I own a black Squire Afiinity P-Bass with a maple neck if that's what you mean.
 
#5
Lasernoob1337 said:
Yeah, after I heard that bc rich didn't make good basses, I decieded to look for another one. Don't get me wrong, I'll always put tone before looks, but I do want a bass that looks the part in my metal band. When I go to get my lessons set up (;)) I'll take a look at some ESP's

Oh, and for the record, I own a black Squire Afiinity P-Bass with a maple neck if that's what you mean.
Click to expand...

Just put on a black pickguard and you'll be set for a while. Your next upgrade should be your amp, then save up for a really great bass.
 
#14
I'm with Visarale. Screw looks. If you need to impress people with a metal bass, your chops probably aren't up there. The best "metal" bass I've used was an old 80's Kramer with EMG PJ pickups and the Peavey Cirrus and Millennium series. They don't look demonic, but the action was low enough to be able to keep up with shredding guitarists.
 
#18
I have an ESP LTD B-404SM with EMG's and an EMG active circuit and I really like the tone I get. I'm working with 2 different groups that are doing prog/metal/hard rock originals and the ESP does a perfectly good job of letting me be heard in both contexts. I have no complaints at all and, more importantly, neither do the guys I'm working with.

Of course, mine is has a natural finish with a spalted maple top so it doesnt look like a classic "metal" bass, but for what I'm doing-it doesnt have to look that way.
 
#20
I had a B-404SM and loved it! It played, felted, and sounded great! Only problem it had bad electronics, so I had to return it, and they didn't have another one. F-104 is nice but agathis body isn't the best for bass. I would step up to something a little higher in their line. I actually saw a B-404SM on eBay last week for $400 and nobody bidded on it. IMO, I would definitely look into their B series
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back