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Hatsubai « One of my favorite ESPs »
Published on 05/30/11 at 14:38The ESP Horizon II FR is part of the Horizon series that ESP has had since the 80s. This guitar features a mahogany body with a quilted maple top, a maple neck-thru body with an ebony fretboard and 24 extra jumbo frets, small square inlays with a name on the 12th fret, binding, an original floyd rose, two humbuckers, one volume, one tone and a three way switch.
UTILIZATION
The fretwork on the ESP Standard series is usually pretty awesome. The frets are nicely leveled, have a good crown and aren't sharp at all. The neck itself is a fairly thin U shaped neck that's not quite as thin as the Ibanez Wizard neck, but it's fairly close. The binding is clean without any real flaws, the body feels awesome, and the finish is very stunning to look at thanks to its transparent red finish and quilted maple top. As always, these guitars sport an original floyd rose, which I happen to think is the best out of all the floyds out there.
SOUNDS
This guitar is an absolute metal machine. The EMGs in this thing just kill. The EMG 81 in the bridge creates this harmonically rich and bitey metal tone that can cut through the densest mix, and thanks to the mahogany wings, it helps thicken up what would otherwise be an overly bright guitar. The 85 in the neck gives a super huge, fat and powerful lead tone that sings for days. You can do crazy legato runs without any issues thanks to this pickup.
OVERALL OPINION
If you're in the market for a great metal great, definitely check this out. Some people may not like the arched top body compared to the M series, but I find it feels pretty nice. It gives it that almost Les Paul kinda feel at times. The biggest issue with these guitars is that they're fairly pricey. In fact, they're some of the most expensive in the Standard lineup. Because of that, I recommend trying to buy one used.
UTILIZATION
The fretwork on the ESP Standard series is usually pretty awesome. The frets are nicely leveled, have a good crown and aren't sharp at all. The neck itself is a fairly thin U shaped neck that's not quite as thin as the Ibanez Wizard neck, but it's fairly close. The binding is clean without any real flaws, the body feels awesome, and the finish is very stunning to look at thanks to its transparent red finish and quilted maple top. As always, these guitars sport an original floyd rose, which I happen to think is the best out of all the floyds out there.
SOUNDS
This guitar is an absolute metal machine. The EMGs in this thing just kill. The EMG 81 in the bridge creates this harmonically rich and bitey metal tone that can cut through the densest mix, and thanks to the mahogany wings, it helps thicken up what would otherwise be an overly bright guitar. The 85 in the neck gives a super huge, fat and powerful lead tone that sings for days. You can do crazy legato runs without any issues thanks to this pickup.
OVERALL OPINION
If you're in the market for a great metal great, definitely check this out. Some people may not like the arched top body compared to the M series, but I find it feels pretty nice. It gives it that almost Les Paul kinda feel at times. The biggest issue with these guitars is that they're fairly pricey. In fact, they're some of the most expensive in the Standard lineup. Because of that, I recommend trying to buy one used.