ESP Stephen Carpenter 7 SC607B

I've had this guitar for about 2 months now, I felt I'd let my initial euphoria subside and then post a more level-headed review later, so here I am. I am motivated to write about this guitar, mainly because of how surprisingly excellent it is. I feel the need to get the word out. When I ordered my Rico Jr, I knew it would be world-class, I had dealt with Bernie Rico before and I liked his work. So it was like "wow this is amazing, but... well no shit". But with this ESP/LTD guitar, I really bought this as an experiment and it has been one of the most satisfying experiences I've had with guitars because it flat out is incredible.

Features: Neck-thru maple with maple wings. Arch top. 27" scale. 24 frets on a dark rosewood board. White binding on the neck & headstock. Tone Pros bridge. EMG 81-7 pickups. 1 Vol 1 Tone 3 way PU selector.

Playability: This is really where this guitar stands out. I was expecting a rather girthy neck like a Schecter Blackjack I had owned, I could not have been more wrong. The profile is extremely flat. It's wider than an old Ibanez, but the neck contour is very flat. It's a lot flatter than the Jackson COW or Carvin DC747 for example. Also this guitar balances better than any guitar I've ever owned, other than the Parker Fly. Standing up or sitting. Standing it lays completely even and does not dive or move at all. It's also rather light-weight. This guitar is just incredibly comfortable to play for long periods of time. The fretwork is flawless, no dead spots, the action is insanely low yet no buzzing. ESP USA does a great job setting these up.

Sound: Well, it has EMG 81-7s. As most of you may know, I'm not an EMG fan. These don't sound too bad though. They have a lot more bass and low mids than I thought. I'm starting to theorize that the 81-7 and 81 are not identical. It seems like the 81-7 has something special going on for the low B string, it sounds different than when I had 81 equipped 6'ers tuned down to B. There is plenty of attack, sustain, clarity, etc. It's not my favorite tone in the world, but it actually sounds really good through certain amps. With the ENGL & VHT? Sounds excellent. Through the Mesa? Not so much, the 707 sounds much better with the Mesa than this. I like the way this guitar sounds, but I still may swap out the EMGs for Duncans or DiMarzios sometime soon anyways.

Value: Well, I paid the new price for this. I expected to return it after a week or 2 regardless of whether I liked it, but I loved it -so- much that I just couldn't do it. I actually enjoy playing it more than all my other guitars, eventhough I know the other ones are "better". At $899 I can't say this is a great value, but it really does play and feel like world-class instrument. I like this guitar so much, I intend on aquiring a companion for it, the one Shannon had with the burst finish.

Summary: Basically this is just a phenominal guitar that really impresses me every time a pick it up. I am not a big korean guitar fan but this is the nicest example of one I have ever encountered. I also really enjoy the 27" scale. I can use my set of 10's tuned to A and it keeps it plenty tight. It doesn't hinder playing leads higher up on the neck either really, although obviously 25.5 is easier.

I love this guitar! The only things I'd change would be a blank ebony board and sperzels like the MIJ Carpenters. I feel for $899 they could include those. Otherwise no complaints. Feel free to insert jokes about how I'll sell it yada yada, but this isn't going ANYWHERE

FINAL SCORE: 4.5 out of 5.0 Cousin Larry's



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