LTD F-204 [1999-2003]

I purchased the F-204 (rather stupidly) online without trying it out, at the handy price of approx. $500, rrp $699. As well as this, with the extra money taken off for the USD to GBP conversion, the end price was about GBP£400. I purchased from http://www.worldmusicsupply.com, and the only problem with the bass was a relatively low action (soon fixed).

This bass is starting to get a little rare now. The F-204 has been replaced by the Neck-thru, Alder(?) body F-254. IMO, this bolt-on is much superior in tone and playability. The neck is very very smooth, and an even gliss is easy to pull off. The frets are even and well-polished, and the rosewood fretboard is of an excellent quality. The finish is easily smudged; however, this adds to the image of the bass as a dirty rock-stars bass. Not one person can look at this bass and say that its crap. The pickups are well matched with the mahogany body, and the B64 Eq. is very versatile. Almost any tone can be coaxed out of the bass, and I've managed to get a deep double-bass like sound out of it.

Not much in this area really. The factory set-up was a off-put slightly during transit, and the GHS Boomer strings that were stock on the bass got dirty very very quickly and lost their sound. Granted, I did use them for 8 months, but the dirt accumulated over about a month. I changed the strings to Rotosound Solo Bass .45-.105 and the tone has improved to an almost fretless, thick growl. There also seems to be a lack of sustain at the 7th-8th fret, but this may be due to my current set up (I use a relatively high action)

The neck join is a dream; although its bolt-on, you'd be forgiven for thinking its the newer F-254 which is neck-thru.
My only slight gripe at the construction is the quality of the cavity; it's not shielded properly, and the screws strip the threads with ease.

Sorry for any jargon I've added in here.
I would recommend this bass to intermediate level bassists; there are better basses, but this is excellent as an upgrade or live situation bass. Its reasonably cheap, and adds class to a bassists collection.

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

I was just checking out sites of different guitar brands. One day, I wandered into (thank heavens) ESP's website. I went into their LTD section and then clicked on this model. I was instantly awed by this beutiful bass. It was as if the screen was glowing. I then commenced my frantic quest for this bass. Unfortunately, this is a rather rare bass. I finally found it at www.marsmusic.com, and immediately bought it for $499, w/o tax. I suggest, however, www.music123.com, because they have better prices and more color options.



THIS BASS IS SEXY!! It is impossible for one to understand how it looks like before actually seeing it. It looks as if it had been carved in a madman's basement! It's jagged, and has awesome curves. It has a beutifully carved head, and is painted to match the body finish. The finish is also a marvel, perfect in every way. The black finish I have has a glassy quality to it and it highlights the many grooves in the bass. All my friends envy this piece of heaven. (or hell?^^) This is not only a showcase bass though, and it was built to last. It comes with 2 EMG humbucking pickups, bridge and neck. Add two volume controls, and an active 3-band EQ, you got a tone monster that can go from sweet ringing sound to earth shaking thumps. It also has 24 frets, the most in any guitar or bass, and has steep cutaways to make the access easier. The fingerboard is rosewood, and the inlays are mother of pearl, not the plastic on many basses. It also has the model name inscribed in the twelvth. What is particularly appealing is that the neck is an extended 35", which is VERY useful for the following reasons. 1)For playing metal, or the like, 2) so that you don't have to get a 5 string to get that extra bottom end, 3) even if you use standard tuning, it gives you nice tension that gives you a nice "feel". This bass is also extremely lightweight, despite the fact that it is made of mahogany. Great for jumping around onstage. =)



This bass, as magnificent as it is, does have a few defects. The string height is low, and although this allows quick licks, it creates buzz. Raising the string height does the job. Also, it's beutiful finish is, ironically, it's defect also. It smudges as soon as you touch it, so you have to clean it ALL the time! Other than that, i don't think there are any.



This bass is bolt-on, with 4 bolts. This bass was obviously built to last, and has great quality. It sounds really great at any volume on any amp.


A BASS YOU WILL LOVE FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE!! One of the best basses I have seen at this price range. I played a couple Yamaha's, Fenders and Ibanez's at this price range, and it doesn't even come close to this bass. A SOLID FIVE OUT OF FIVE!



This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com