Tom Araya ESP

its a great bass, played it at a clinic once, has a nice metal sound, great feeing too. and the controls are fantastic!

 

As far as I remember, there was about 3 or 4 different TA models in different price ranges starting from around $650ish and going to maybe around $1300 or more. I played a few of them. The cheaper ones didn't have the pentagram inlays and may have had the EMG HZ pickups with a more limited eq. I played one of the cheap ones and really wasn't very impressed. I also played one of the top of the line ones and it kicked ass. I think it had the EMG active DC pickups and it had a better eq if I remember correctly. ESP makes some nice basses. Especially if you play heavy music. That's not to say of course that they're only good for heavy music but they lend themselves well to the heavy genres.

 

And that is why ESP Signature models are overpriced

Id rather have a Custom Shop

 

That's an awesome bass, and Tom Araya is awesome, too, but man that thing is WAY overpriced

 

the fully priced ESP signatures are made at the custom shop, they just aren't your specs, they are the model's

 

nearly choked! how much! its a nice bass not that nice tho!

 

a note that the TA is 35" scale and not 34" Scale.

 

i'm not sure, i've never played 35 scale before, but what I have read is if it's a 5-string the low B string will have a better sound, and not clacky loose. I'm really not sure about the difference for 4-strings on 35 scale.

I just know that the TA is a 35 and not 34.

 

A longer scale will tighten up strings. If you tune down it's nice to have. If you're a real tone snob.. I mean aficionado , you'll notice that the longer scale can choke out notes. It's going to make a small tonal difference, but as soon as you add any other instruments that difference is negated. In a playing situation the only difference is going to be a tighter feel.

 

I have personally seen Immortal, Emperor, and Behemoth gigging with this bass. I have no personal experience with it. I have an F-series LTD, which is similar to this, and love it

 

I own and play ESP and i love my bases....The pentagram inlays, and his signature are a little cheesy but otherwise an awesome bass.

For the money though i would go with the F-404 very close to the TA model in design at around $800.00 while the TA600 is $1000.00 equipped almost exactly the same sans the pentagram fret markers, an extra body cut out, and a differnt wood for the body



ESP F-404 4-String Bass Features:

Neck-Thru-Body Construction
35" Scale
Mahogany Body
5-Piece Maple & Walnut Neck
Rosewood Fingerboard
Dot markers and model number engraved at 12th fret
EMG 35-Dc Active Pickups
Volume & Balance Controls
EMG B64 3-Band Active EQ
Black Chrome Hardware
Grover Tuners
ESP BB-604 Bridge
24 XJ Frets

The TA600



Model Name TA-600 Tom Araya Signature Model
Series Signature Series
Maple Body
3-Piece Maple Neck
Black Machine Heads
Rosewood Fingerboard w/pentagram inlays w/model name at 24th fret
24 XJ Frets
EMG 35-DC active pickups
EMG B64 3-Band Active EQ
ESP BB-604 bridge
Black Hardware
Scale Length 35"

 

I'd go F-404. I never was totally into the sound of that all-maple body.

Shape is sick, tho. The TA600 is an amazing bass, I just woudn't pay a grand for it.

 

Before I wanted to buy one, but never got the chance to try them out. I reacently saw one in a musik store in germany, but didn't have the time and mood to try it out. Also very recently I saw some boy going to a musik store with that bass, I didn't get to ask him about it. I must also admit that I lost interest in the bass.
The really good one costs $3000, and the rest are not the real thing. Well I don't know, it defnatly looks great...

Good luck in getting one, and if you do please write a review.

 

Is it my imagination or was that model already sold in Japan as a Dir En Grey signature model before the premiered the Tom Aray design?

 

Fairly sure you are correct in that assumption!