ESP Kamikaze 1- who has played one?

  • Thread starter Thread starter mooncobra
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mooncobra

mooncobra

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Just curious on your thoughts? That maple body and thick ebony board, sounds pretty fat and defined. What do you think, played one or own one?

I have played some amazing ESP over the years, and can’t go wrong with their custom shop.
 
I used to own an S serial Kami 1. It was the best bolt-on guitar I've ever had in my hands for a number of reasons. Only sold it because I didn't play that wide neck very well. That guitar stock with the Screamin' Demon through my old Mark IIC++ and a Greenback cab was the best rock tone I've ever eeked out. The maple is heavy, but that guitar just works.

Now I have a S serial custom shop purple tiger with a normal neck width & alder body that is every bit as good, albeit different, and it's a permanent keeper.
 
Awe
GJgo said:
I used to own an S serial Kami 1. It was the best bolt-on guitar I've ever had in my hands for a number of reasons. Only sold it because I didn't play that wide neck very well. That guitar stock with the Screamin' Demon through my old Mark IIC++ and a Greenback cab was the best rock tone I've ever eeked out. The maple is heavy, but that guitar just works.

Now I have a S serial custom shop purple tiger with a normal neck width & alder body that is every bit as good, albeit different, and it's a permanent keeper.
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Awesome!! I bet that sounded great.
 
Heavy AF.
R5 -wide azz neck at nut. Take a while to get us to.
Sounds great though!
 
It is very wide, but it's thin which makes up for a lot. Lynch explained he wanted something that felt more like a classical guitar neck where your fingers have some space.
 
Dan the Male Man has my old one. Ask him to chime in
 
Bought one yrs ago cause I thought it'd be great to have a lynch guitar. Played and sounded decent and looked cool for a day or two. Then I started to realize how goofy/tacky it looked. Got rid of it as I knew I'd be embarrassed to play it live. Just my opinion. Many disagree
 


I have an ESP LTD Lynch Kami & Purple Tiger. Killer guitars for the money.
The CNC work is spot on.
No need for me to spend $3.5K for the Japan model.
 
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Why just the Kami 1 ? The others are the same (mostly) except for the paint. I have the desert camo Kami, a sunburst tiger, an M1 Tiger, and a skulls & snakes. They’re all pretty badass.
 
paulyc said:
Why just the Kami 1 ? The others are the same (mostly) except for the paint. I have the desert camo Kami, a sunburst tiger, an M1 Tiger, and a skulls & snakes. They’re all pretty badass.
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I have played most of them, not the Kami 1. The other were straight up, BAD ASS!! I love the maple body. Sounds tight and beefy.
 
I’ve not tried a kamikaze, but I had an older custom shop ESP horizon with a 1 piece all quilt maple body, flame maple neck, ebony board, Floyd rose made for Paul Pesco. I attached some pics. Similar specs it seems to the Kamikaze, but wasn’t too heavy actually (like 8.1-8.2 lbs). It was a great guitar in both sound and playability, but I liked even more my ‘86 Charvel San Dimas with all flame maple body, so I traded it. The Charvel is heavier than that ESP (just under 9 lbs) and has a rosewood board rather than ebony. I’ve had quite a few maple body guitars over the years, but only kept that charvel. To me maple has good snappiness, clarity, brightness, and density to the notes since it’s heavy but very much lacks lacks growl and tonal complexity of other tone woods like mahogany, so the Charvel will probably be the only one I keep for that specific flavor. I actually think in terms of just tightness, I’ve got mahogany and also Paduak body guitars that are the tightest of what I’ve tried. I think the brightness and snap of maple can make it come off a bit tighter than it is imo, but still tight for sure
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braintheory said:
I’ve not tried a kamikaze, but I had an older custom shop ESP horizon with a 1 piece all quilt maple body, flame maple neck, ebony board, Floyd rose made for Paul Pesco. I attached some pics. Similar specs it seems to the Kamikaze, but wasn’t too heavy actually (like 8.1-8.2 lbs). It was a great guitar in both sound and playability, but I liked even more my ‘86 Charvel San Dimas with all flame maple body, so I traded it. The Charvel is heavier than that ESP (just under 9 lbs) and has a rosewood board rather than ebony. I’ve had quite a few maple body guitars over the years, but only kept that charvel. To me maple has good snappiness, clarity, brightness, and density to the notes since it’s heavy but very much lacks lacks growl and tonal complexity of other tone woods like mahogany, so the Charvel will probably be the only one I keep for that specific flavor. I actually think in terms of just tightness, I’ve got mahogany and also Paduak body guitars that are the tightest of what I’ve tried. I think the brightness and snap of maple can make it come off a bit tighter than it is imo, but still tight for sure View attachment 80123View attachment 80126
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Wild thing i think i love you ...

Sometimes its easy to forget im playing the ESP 25.5 scale when im switching from Gibson Les Pauls 24.75 scale.
 
I had one of the original day-glow Kamikazes that I got back in '89 I think. Sounded fantastic, it came with an ESP version of a PAF (braided wire and all). It was just so heavy.
 
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