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Official ESP club
- Thread starter funkmasterflex
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The neck since the one I got acts like it's made of rubber. Requires constant truss rod adjustment.
Still lovin' her but about a year after my purchase 3 of the fret markers came loose. (15, 16, 17) I wound up Gorilla Gluing them back in but was surprised that ESP's customer service was such a PITA. They were like "What did you do to it?!?" and wanted way too much info.
Off the shelf LTD B-204SM FL NS. New off eBay $330 shipped. I started playing 1/13/16 but that was on my acoustic.
I also got a bass amp after this pic
View attachment 832970
Another ESP lover here.
Is a PT-4,I have had this for about 3 months now and it has become my main rig, it still needs a good set up done on it but it is close enough for now.
The Aguilar pick ups are hot so getting distortion tone is easy and dials back to a very nice clean tone as well. Love this bass.
Is a PT-4,I have had this for about 3 months now and it has become my main rig, it still needs a good set up done on it but it is close enough for now.
The Aguilar pick ups are hot so getting distortion tone is easy and dials back to a very nice clean tone as well. Love this bass.
D
My LTD so far. All chrome is to be changed to black, but the supplier doesn't seem to cooperate:
Invalid Link Removed
Specs: basswood body - maple/rosewood neck/EMG40DCs/18V EMG BTS system
Strung with Ernie Ball Power Slinkies
next up: black hardware
Can I have a number if provided?
Invalid Link Removed
Specs: basswood body - maple/rosewood neck/EMG40DCs/18V EMG BTS system
Strung with Ernie Ball Power Slinkies
next up: black hardware
Can I have a number if provided?
My LTD so far. All chrome is to be changed to black, but the supplier doesn't seem to cooperate:
Invalid Link Removed
Specs: basswood body - maple/rosewood neck/EMG40DCs/18V EMG BTS system
Strung with Ernie Ball Power Slinkies
next up: black hardware
Can I have a number if provided?
She's beautiful.
I love my F series.
D
I too am an ESP LTD fan and currently own 5 models which all sound different from each other.
LTD F204:
I purchased this bass back around 2000 and it is my favorite. Its tone is very clean and piano like sounding while also very punchy. Well balanced as most LTD's are. Not too heavy and not too light. After 17 years it still looks in brand new condition and yes I do play it a lot, I just take care of my stuff.
LTD TA-204 FRX:
This is my newest bass being purchased last June. I love the look and feel of this bass and it is also the lightest bass I own. Don't ask how much it weighs cause I don't know. However once I plugged it in, I hated the tone. It is my only passive bass with 1 tone control knob and it just sound trebly and terrible. No bass whatsoever and yes I am an active guy. Rather than returning it, I purchased an EMG BTC Control preamp and now love this bass. This picture just doesn't do it any justice, but with it being all black, my phone camera just can't capture it properly so I'm posting a second picture of it up close. The carved sculpted look is stunning and also helps keep the weight down. And now that I'm looking at it with the flash, I just realized the plastic film is still on the pickups Lol.
LTD F-4E:
I purchased this one sometime around 2009 and it is the one with the clear coat on it. This one sounds pretty scooped with a major emphasis on the low end. I have tried the newer ones with the natural satin finish and those seem to have more midrange and sound grindy. I ended up changing the pickups to some EMG HZ-35's which helped a bit, but I may still change the preamp someday. For now it sounds pretty good and it is also 1 of the heaviest basses I own. Again don't ask me the weight. I don't go around weighing basses as the weight doesn't bother me, just throwing it out there for those that do.
LTD F-414FM:
Now this bass was also purchased around 2009 and the sound is very thick with a very hot output. It features 2 EMG 35DC (bridge and neck) active pickups with an EMG B64 3-Band Active EQ. I normally play 2 to 3 basses per night and I always have to keep the volume lowered on this one since it's output is really hot.
LTD B-4Z:
I think I purchased this one in 2015. The zebra wood pattern really caught my eye. Another bass where the picture really doesn't do it any justice. I would say this one sounds a little closer to the newer natural satin F-4E, but not as grindy and more articulate. A little more mid forward and a little louder than my other ESP's but nowhere near as loud as the F-414FM which is just a beast.
I hope I didn't bore you all with my pictures and descriptions.
LTD F204:
I purchased this bass back around 2000 and it is my favorite. Its tone is very clean and piano like sounding while also very punchy. Well balanced as most LTD's are. Not too heavy and not too light. After 17 years it still looks in brand new condition and yes I do play it a lot, I just take care of my stuff.
LTD TA-204 FRX:
This is my newest bass being purchased last June. I love the look and feel of this bass and it is also the lightest bass I own. Don't ask how much it weighs cause I don't know. However once I plugged it in, I hated the tone. It is my only passive bass with 1 tone control knob and it just sound trebly and terrible. No bass whatsoever and yes I am an active guy. Rather than returning it, I purchased an EMG BTC Control preamp and now love this bass. This picture just doesn't do it any justice, but with it being all black, my phone camera just can't capture it properly so I'm posting a second picture of it up close. The carved sculpted look is stunning and also helps keep the weight down. And now that I'm looking at it with the flash, I just realized the plastic film is still on the pickups Lol.
LTD F-4E:
I purchased this one sometime around 2009 and it is the one with the clear coat on it. This one sounds pretty scooped with a major emphasis on the low end. I have tried the newer ones with the natural satin finish and those seem to have more midrange and sound grindy. I ended up changing the pickups to some EMG HZ-35's which helped a bit, but I may still change the preamp someday. For now it sounds pretty good and it is also 1 of the heaviest basses I own. Again don't ask me the weight. I don't go around weighing basses as the weight doesn't bother me, just throwing it out there for those that do.
LTD F-414FM:
Now this bass was also purchased around 2009 and the sound is very thick with a very hot output. It features 2 EMG 35DC (bridge and neck) active pickups with an EMG B64 3-Band Active EQ. I normally play 2 to 3 basses per night and I always have to keep the volume lowered on this one since it's output is really hot.
LTD B-4Z:
I think I purchased this one in 2015. The zebra wood pattern really caught my eye. Another bass where the picture really doesn't do it any justice. I would say this one sounds a little closer to the newer natural satin F-4E, but not as grindy and more articulate. A little more mid forward and a little louder than my other ESP's but nowhere near as loud as the F-414FM which is just a beast.
I hope I didn't bore you all with my pictures and descriptions.
Update on my ESP collection, I have 5 (currently) and from left to right, what they are and their tuning and purposes. Fat left, the ESP ltd F-155dx tuned A standard for Korn and other metal (for sale), next, the F-104 tuned to A standard also. Middle, My esp ltd surveyor 5, tuned b standard, my primary axe that I play and learn on the most, my all purpose. Middle... right, my esp b-50, basically a p-j bass tuned e standard (for sale) and finally, an Ibanez sr400eqm tuned drop b at the moment, I've been using it for learning some limp bizkit as of late. (Also for sale) so there's my whole collection and their purposes.
My only bass at the moment, but a fantastic one:
LTD F-5E in Natural Satin. This thing is absolutely amazing, especially for what it costs.
I can get a very low action without buzz and the satin finish feels great. Only minor critique point are (or were) the pickups, they lack character. I put in some Seymour Duncan basslines, made a huge difference. Much more punch and a little more dirt now.
LTD F-5E in Natural Satin. This thing is absolutely amazing, especially for what it costs.
I can get a very low action without buzz and the satin finish feels great. Only minor critique point are (or were) the pickups, they lack character. I put in some Seymour Duncan basslines, made a huge difference. Much more punch and a little more dirt now.
Just wanted to revisit this thread to let you know that I rewired my 3 way switch. I ended up with outside coils/parallel/inside coils. The outside coils sound more growly and hollow than the stock SC wiring, it is a pretty deep scooped tone. The inside coils sound focused and aggressive. Honestly I could live with just the inside coils.
Doing this little mod basically removed all Jazz bass temptation from my life. I am still blown away by this bass.
songwriter21
I have an obsession for wood. The musical kind.
Interesting. I'm just leaving mine as-is. Mine, amazingly enough, has now become my backup, or "beater", to a new (used) US Cirrus that arrived last week. It's the angriest bass I've ever owned, which is suprising, because every Cirrus I've had, has been "polite". This is that, but with tons of growl from the walnut neck, possibly.
The two things I love most about the ESP, on the other hand, is the slap switch, which I managed to dial in perfectly for my slap tone, and I really dig that this bass has zero neck dive. I can't even push it down while sitting without a strap! So, even though it's probably 10.5 lbs, the weight is where it should be (the body).
The two things I love most about the ESP, on the other hand, is the slap switch, which I managed to dial in perfectly for my slap tone, and I really dig that this bass has zero neck dive. I can't even push it down while sitting without a strap! So, even though it's probably 10.5 lbs, the weight is where it should be (the body).
If you get bored do the switch mod! The inside coils of the ESP are more aggressive than any stock setting, especially when using the slap switch.
Mine is playing second fiddle as well, but to a (much) more polite and warm sounding Musicman Classic Sterling.
Mine is playing second fiddle as well, but to a (much) more polite and warm sounding Musicman Classic Sterling.
Maybe one of you guys can help me out, since I can't seem to get an answer in the pickups forum.
I'm thinking of getting a B-55, because I want a PJ bass, but the pickups are kinda weird.
From what info I could gather, the P-pickup is 4-string size, while the J-pickup is 5-string size.
Anybody have experience with upgrading the pups in that bass ?
I posted all the info I have in this thread: LTD-B55 pickup upgrade help ? / 5-string PJ Now with measurements !
I'm thinking of getting a B-55, because I want a PJ bass, but the pickups are kinda weird.
From what info I could gather, the P-pickup is 4-string size, while the J-pickup is 5-string size.
Anybody have experience with upgrading the pups in that bass ?
I posted all the info I have in this thread: LTD-B55 pickup upgrade help ? / 5-string PJ Now with measurements !
I just though I would re-post this as many people still list that when they buy ESP basses with active EMGs they have tone issues, here is my solution.
a little tip for anyone buying a bass in the LTD series that has the EMG soap bar style pickups and even some of the p/j I have seen. For some unknown reason ESP installs the EMG pickups in these basses with a 500k volume pot and a stacked 500k passive balanced pot. Users of emg's know that they need to use a 25k pot system or the pickups have a very harsh high-endy sound with little bottom. To fix these problem simply install the EMG ABC summing Pot system that gives you the proper 25k volume pot and a active balance pot so the gain does not go down when you put it in the center like the passive balance does. ($50)
One other thing I found. A lot of these basses come equipped with a EMG 35P4 in the neck and a EMG 35DC in the bridge. I find that the DC pickup out powers the P4 pickup (4.5 volts vs 6.0 volts thump) unless you lower it way down or turn the balance way towards the P pickup the output of the DC pickup if very over powering. Also the DC takes almost triple the power to run (80 vs 235 microamps)
a little tip for anyone buying a bass in the LTD series that has the EMG soap bar style pickups and even some of the p/j I have seen. For some unknown reason ESP installs the EMG pickups in these basses with a 500k volume pot and a stacked 500k passive balanced pot. Users of emg's know that they need to use a 25k pot system or the pickups have a very harsh high-endy sound with little bottom. To fix these problem simply install the EMG ABC summing Pot system that gives you the proper 25k volume pot and a active balance pot so the gain does not go down when you put it in the center like the passive balance does. ($50)One other thing I found. A lot of these basses come equipped with a EMG 35P4 in the neck and a EMG 35DC in the bridge. I find that the DC pickup out powers the P4 pickup (4.5 volts vs 6.0 volts thump) unless you lower it way down or turn the balance way towards the P pickup the output of the DC pickup if very over powering. Also the DC takes almost triple the power to run (80 vs 235 microamps)
So posted in here and have shown off my stable, and I would like to become a member of my 1st talkbass club. May I have a number please?
May I have a number please? 
I don't know what year it is but I bought this ESP used in the early 90's. It's a great bass that I just recently revived. I think the body is Koa and it weighs a ton with a really meaty Jazz neck.
