ESP Experts (USA Custom Content)

[Webb]

A couple years back I picked up a USA Custom ESP Eclipse off craigslist. How do the USA models compare with the Japanese? There's not a lot of info out there and this one is pretty unique...three EMG 81's, Floyd, trucker chick inlay.

Has anyone seen something similar before? Any thoughts/info/details would be appreciated. I emailed ESP a couple times searching for info but they never got back to me.

 

[King Guitar]

Cool guitar! Thats a older one, they used to make some ESP guitars in NYC and in Cali years ago. Looks like that might be one of them. Very nice custom guitar.

 

[Webb]

Thanks Brad. It's a great, well-made guitar that looks amazing. I don't play it that much though because I find the middle pickup really gets in the way of my picking hand. I guess I haven't vibed with it as much as others in my collection.

Are they similar in quality to the comparable Japanese models?

 

[King Guitar]

pm sent

 

[xzyryabx]

Mine was made in 2000 in the cali shop by John Gaudesi.....different than my Japanese custom shop horizon, but I would say equal in worksmanship.....one of my favorite guitars.

 

[tom_h]

Your guitar is a late 90's/early 2000's "Eclipse" guitar built in Hollywood, CA by John Gaudesi. ESP USA had him on staff for a few years, building the "USA Custom" line out of their HQ. (I think this was right around the time they moved to the old Vanowen St. location - which is a few doors down from where they are now).

John Gaudesi is now at Schecter.

 

[EXPcustom]

I got Jeff Hanneman's old ESP that was made at the USA custom shop around that same time frame.

 

[jlb32]

My USA ESP is one of the best ESP's I've owned. Bought it new in 2001 and still love it even though I'm not as much into trem guitars these days.

The build quality is every bit as good as ESP Japan if not better IMO. They did low volumes and built them amazingly. I think there was only about 15-20 of the model I own built in 2001.

 

[Sir Douglas T]

I was a HUGE George Lynch fan back in the early 90's and had 4 of his sig guitars. I saved up and had them make me a one off George Lynch Custom shop serpent in an aqua blue color. After waiting 18 months the guitar showed up at the dealership in a thin cardboard box with no case and a plastic bag covering the guitar. The thin cardboard was beat to death and I ordered a customshop hardcase to boot. in amazement the guitar was unscathed in it's long journey from japan. I sure wish I had Brad back then. Great guitars, one of my favorite builders of all time.

 

[Qweklain]

I have had my fair share of USA ESPs from the NY 48th Shop. The years for that shop (officially anyway) were 87-91. The reason ESP created a shop here was because of the endorsing of George Lynch sometime before that and wanted to be more accessible.

After that they moved to California and a few different areas around there. I think USA ESP production was finished in either 2001 or 2002. Yours is not just a USA "run" though, I have seen that one quite a few times. That one is one that was custom-made for someone.

There were also some one or two year runs of some cool USAs like the MX-II USA series. They had three colors that were real flashy and cool. I had one in the rarest color and sold it to someone in Europe. Kind of wish I still had it... it played phenomenally and sounded amazing.

The last generation USA production runs looked like this (different models were available of course).