Found an Edwards LPC with a beefier neck!

  • Thread starter Thread starter napalmdeath
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SoooRad said:
I ordered a white one friday night. I went with the ESP pickup model because I'm going to replace them anyways. I'll give the stock ones a whirl, but they certainly won't be long lived.
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The ESP LH200 pickups were good enough for Akira Takisaki back in the day, they’re not bad.
 
How do these compare to the older Navigators? I’ve not had the chance to play one of those.
 
rydia is hot said:
How do these compare to the older Navigators? I’ve not had the chance to play one of those.
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I’ve yet to play a Navigator, but my Edwards feels exactly like my buddy’s E-II. While they’re entirely different guitars spec-wise, the fit/finish/build quality feels the same with both guitars.

I’ve heard people say Edwards are basically LTD’s, all I can say to that is if LTD’s felt like this, I’d have a fucking fleet of them by now. I’ve never once played a single LTD that felt as well put together and finished like the Edwards.
 
RevDrucifer said:
I’ve yet to play a Navigator, but my Edwards feels exactly like my buddy’s E-II. While they’re entirely different guitars spec-wise, the fit/finish/build quality feels the same with both guitars.

I’ve heard people say Edwards are basically LTD’s, all I can say to that is if LTD’s felt like this, I’d have a fucking fleet of them by now. I’ve never once played a single LTD that felt as well put together and finished like the Edwards.
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Its my understanding the Edwards' are built in the same factory along side the E-II's. Atleast, they're assembled and finished there...
 
napalmdeath said:
Its my understanding the Edwards' are built in the same factory along side the E-II's. Atleast, they're assembled and finished there...
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Yeah, I did some digging when I ordered mine; materials are shipped out of Japan to Russia where they’re loaded up on a train and sent to China. ESP opened a small shop in China where they trained the staff to do things the ESP way. That has about 130 people in it and I want to say they just do the Edwards/E-II stuff there, but I’m not sure, but it’s only guitars under the ESP umbrella. Finish and setup gets done back in Japan.

If you Google around for it, you’ll eventually come across an email from an ESP employee discussing it. I’m not sure how accurate that info is, I think the post was about 10 years old and things could have changed. They can make the things in Siberia for all I care, as long as they still feel like they do!
 
I had a relic LP standard and it was awesome! as good as anything, should have kept it :<
 
RevDrucifer said:
Yeah, I did some digging when I ordered mine; materials are shipped out of Japan to Russia where they’re loaded up on a train and sent to China. ESP opened a small shop in China where they trained the staff to do things the ESP way. That has about 130 people in it and I want to say they just do the Edwards/E-II stuff there, but I’m not sure, but it’s only guitars under the ESP umbrella. Finish and setup gets done back in Japan.

If you Google around for it, you’ll eventually come across an email from an ESP employee discussing it. I’m not sure how accurate that info is, I think the post was about 10 years old and things could have changed. They can make the things in Siberia for all I care, as long as they still feel like they do!
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It's a complete mystery.. However, for the past several years, there's not been a single new Edwards I have seen with "Made In Japan" anywhere on it. You'd think if it was 100% built there, they'd want to display it. That leads me to believe there's still some Chinese hands on them at some point still.
 
What frets are they using? Hate the small frets on new Gibson’s.
 
RevDrucifer said:
Yeah, I did some digging when I ordered mine; materials are shipped out of Japan to Russia where they’re loaded up on a train and sent to China. ESP opened a small shop in China where they trained the staff to do things the ESP way. That has about 130 people in it and I want to say they just do the Edwards/E-II stuff there, but I’m not sure, but it’s only guitars under the ESP umbrella. Finish and setup gets done back in Japan.

If you Google around for it, you’ll eventually come across an email from an ESP employee discussing it. I’m not sure how accurate that info is, I think the post was about 10 years old and things could have changed. They can make the things in Siberia for all I care, as long as they still feel like they do!
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I know very little about logistics, but it’s still pretty wild to think that so much shuffling happens to build guitars at this price point. Interesting stuff.
 
I remember back in the very late 1970's/ early 1980's, Greco, Burny and Edwards guitars were selling for under $ 500.00 US Dollars and they were way way far better than Gibson LCPs .... heck, they are far better than today's Gibsons .
Repairmen, told me that those Japanese guitars were way above Gibson's, in any shape or form .
 
skoora said:
What frets are they using? Hate the small frets on new Gibson’s.
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Definitely not small frets, basing it off my Strat with med/jumbo, I'd have to say that's what they are.
 
rydia is hot said:
I know very little about logistics, but it’s still pretty wild to think that so much shuffling happens to build guitars at this price point. Interesting stuff.
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I thought the same thing; it seems like an awful lot of work just to have cheaper staffing do the brunt of the work, I have to assume it's a culmination of shipping cost, import fees and labor costs that still makes it cheaper than doing the whole thing in one country. I'd actually be really interested in seeing a breakdown of all of that.
 
RevDrucifer said:
I thought the same thing; it seems like an awful lot of work just to have cheaper staffing do the brunt of the work, I have to assume it's a culmination of shipping cost, import fees and labor costs that still makes it cheaper than doing the whole thing in one country. I'd actually be really interested in seeing a breakdown of all of that.
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I spoke to the seller, who's been selling these for nearly 20 years. He said they are still partially assembled and painted in China by a factory owned and operated by ESP. They're then shipped to Japan for electronics, final assembly, and fretwork. So, as suspected, half the guitar originates from China. But, Japan still plays the most crucial part, (IMO), final assembly and QC.
 
napalmdeath said:
I spoke to the seller, who's been selling these for nearly 20 years. He said they are still partially assembled and painted in China by a factory owned and operated by ESP. They're then shipped to Japan for electronics, final assembly, and fretwork. So, as suspected, half the guitar originates from China. But, Japan still plays the most crucial part, (IMO), final assembly and QC.
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Really, I couldn’t care about the country of origin. I’ve got Korean and Indo guitars that are killer, as long as it’s a great guitar, the last thing I’m concerned about is where it came from (unless it was stolen!)

That said, it’s pretty sick they have such killer quality coming out of China, in this case.
 
RevDrucifer said:
Really, I couldn’t care about the country of origin. I’ve got Korean and Indo guitars that are killer, as long as it’s a great guitar, the last thing I’m concerned about is where it came from (unless it was stolen!)

That said, it’s pretty sick they have such killer quality coming out of China, in this case.
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Agreed on all fronts.
 
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