ESP Alexi Scythe

Alexi Laiho switched from his beloved Jackson guitars to ESP when his Jacksons were stolen and they couldnt make him replacements in time for his touring duties. ESP was able to make a similar guitar in a quick time so now he plays ESP's. These guitars are very similar to what his Jacksons were like but there are a few differences. When they first came out they were pretty basic and pretty much just copies of his old guitars in different colors. This guitar has an Alder body in the offset V RR shape. It has neck through construction with a maple neck and an ebony fretboard with 24 jumbo frets. The inlays are reverse saw tooth inlays that look a lot like Jackson reverse sharkfin inlays. This guitar is white with the large solid stripes on it similar to what the Jackson had. It has an original Floyd Rose like the old Jackson had also. The electronics are the same with a passive EMG H4 pickup with a single volume control.

UTILIZATION

I think the old Jacksons played slightly better than these newer ESP versions. The Jacksons had a slightly better shape and a compound radius fretboard. The shape on these ESP's is a bit too wide so it is a bit hard to reach the upper frets. The playability otherwise is pretty good. The neck is unfinished like a bolt on neck but since it is neck through you dont have a big block with bolts on it to get in your way. The fretboard is ebony which is great and it has jumbo frets which are also great. The locking nut and floyd rose keep everything in tune when you are going crazy as well.

SOUNDS

This guitar has a very 80s tone. It is a throwback to the days when guys had huge racks and needed a super bright over the top guitar tone for any part of the guitar sound to make it through all the effects. The Alexi signature has a bright tone like this. I guess he hates having a muddy sound. Well this guitar is not muddy at all it is super bright and there is no neck pickup to be found for smooth leads. This guitar with its maple neck and alder body really sig and when it say it sings it sings like a siren trying to blow your ears out. The passive EMG are pretty poor pickups. I wouldnt recommend anyone buy a guitar with these pickups in it and this is a full label ESP custom shop guitar and it has them. Alexi is one crazy guy if he likes a sound like this. I think he may be drinking too much.

OVERALL OPINION

If you get your guitar you are limiting yourself because there are better options out there. The ESP SV is pretty much this guitar with active pickups and a neck pickup. So that guitar has a better sound and is more usable with the neck pickup. You also can get the Jackson RR24 if you are looking at this guitar because you are an Alexi fan. The RR24 is pretty much exactly like what Alexi played before switching to ESP. Plus it has an active 81 and a compound radius fretboard so it plays really well. I can only recommend this guitar if you are a die hard Alexi fan and have to have what he is playing right now.

Children of Bodom have always kept a Grim Reaper motif around with them so it is only fitting that one of Alexi's signature models carry this motif. This guitar has Scythe inlays which make it special among his signature guitars. Alexi is the frontman of the popular band Children of Bodom. He was known for his custom Jackson RR guitars but when they were stolen he switched to ESP as they were able to meet his order very quickly. This guitar is a typical Alexi model apart from the inlays. It is white with the double black pinstripes down the side. It has an alder body in the offset V shape. It has a maple neck with neck through construction and an ebony fretboard. The fretboard has 24 jumbo frets with the cool Scythe inlays that carry on the Bodom theme. It has a locking nut up top and an Original Floyd Rose down at the bottom. The electronics are typical too. It has a single passive EMG H4 pickup with a single volume control.

UTILIZATION

The offset V is a classic shape ever since Randy Rhodes started playing them. The shape balances well and makes itself very comfortable when you play it. The back of the neck is unfinished so it feels nice like a bolt on guitar but since it is neck through it has no heel. This no heel helps a bit because the upper frets are kind of hard to reach. They are set pretty deep into the body because the V shape is pretty broad. The fretboard is ebony and this is the best wood for fretboards I think. It has a super smooth feel and this with the jumbo frets mean this guitar is very easy to play. The locking nut and the Floyd Rose are great and keep everything nice and in tune.

SOUNDS

Alexi uses a lot of high end in his sound. I have seen his amp settings and they are like 10 treble 10 mids 0 bass. This guitar fits into his desired tone well by providing a ton of high end on its own. The maple neck with the alder body are both pretty bright and neck through construction I find tends to have the brightest sound. This with the super brittle passive EMG completes the super bright sound. The H4 in this guitar is like a passive copy of an 81. They managed to capture the high end of this guitar but without the fullness that the 81 provides. So this guitar sounds really bright in most situations. This guitar is perfect if you think every guitar is too muddy.

OVERALL OPINION

You have options if you are looking for a guitar like this. ESP makes a non signature guitar just like this called the SV. It has fully active EMG pickups and a neck pickup as well. If you are a Bodom fan and want the single pickup sound Jackson now makes a guitar just like what Alexi was famous for playing. Its called the RR24 and has an EMG 81 in the bridge instead of the passive pickup this signature guitar has. It is pretty hard for me to recommend this guitar when you have two better choices out there. You can get the Jackson which is identical to what Alexi played for many years or the ESP SV which is a more versatile and usable version of this guitar.

- Made in Japan
- 24 frets / 1 micro-HZ-H4 EMG
- Original floyd rose
- 1 volume only and not micro slcteur seen that there is only one micro ^ ^
- NECK
- Key in bne
- Taken great style

For the rest of the site will plutt ESP (he know more than me)

UTILIZATION

The neck is super enjoyable (not too big nor too late). I went to a Jackson DK2 dinky one has the appropriate level so it just now.
Parcontre for access to the acute need to adapt it, if anyone has his short fingers may be a bit hard but it is quite feasible
So it's not a standard form or a Randy Rhoads King V (the peak of the bottom is slightly longer than a Randy Rhoads). I think a better as a Randy Rhoads is not very practical to play seated.

I put 9 for Access in acute ...

SOUNDS

The microphone is it (EMG-HZ-H4) is not so bad but it was missing when even a few potatoes so I'll quickly change it to an EMG 81.

This scraper is made for the mtal (see his mouth, as we know in advance) The sound is pretty accurate and saturated warm enough for parcontre clear sound you have to play with the volume knob to get his own good .

I put a 9 also because of microphones that are on it ...
By putting an EMG 81 is expected to rise to 10 ...

OVERALL OPINION

I am a big fan of Alexi Laiho c'tait therefore impossible to pass a cot of this skyscraper.
I ordered this guitar in June 2006 and I reu four months later as promised.

I love the most:
-Form, all CHARACTERISTICS, finishes. (In fact I love everything)

what I like least:
Just the EMG-HZ-H4

It costs around 3000. I have not tried many guitars at this price but I think that it disassemble everything.

Exprience with this choice I would do without hsitations!