Guitar of the Month: Metaldaze’s ESP M-II
Alright, another guitar to feed my severe GAS for an ESP! From the man himself:
Take a look at me now!
Thanks everyone for voting this GOTM! It’s a special order M-II NTB that as far as I can tell is one of a kind. The special part of the order is the ebony fretboard (instead of rosewood) and a color other than black.
The color is called Oxidized Iron. I wasn’t sure what to expect when I placed the order. I figured it would either be really cool and pull off the metal-like appearance, or look totally lame. I’m glad to say it looks great in person!!! Also, M-II’s normally don’t have paint on the back of the neck, but painted necks have never bothered me and I’m glad they kept the paint scheme going.
Baby got back
The guitar is very METAL, especially with the dual EMG 81’s. And in case anyone is wondering….yes, they do sound different! The 81 in the neck is a little more searing than I’m used to, but I have other guitars with the 85 and 60 in the neck, so it’s nice to have something different.
A little head
At the end of 2012, ESP announced that it will no longer be taking special orders on standard models, which means the only way to get a guitar like this in the future is to go full custom. I feel lucky to have it and I expect it will remain part of my permanent collection.
Take a look at me now