# ESP Custom Shop? Is it real?



## starfoxhound (Jul 29, 2009)

Hi. I'm interested on buying this ESP Custom Shop model, it's color black and the seller claims its original, althought he's not the original owner and he did not make the order from ESP.
Its color black with color stripes like metallic stripes or something.
He says it has original Floyd Rose (see pics below) and Seymour Duncan PU's, tuninng pegs are not labeled, ESP CUSTOM SHOP logo does not appear, and he claims that guitar was built 8-9 years ago (about 2000-2001) nd was ordered at Los Angeles dealer.

Its rusted because the original owner lived near the sea, where everything gets rusted.
He has no certificate, ticket, manuals, tags or anything.
Does ESP Custom Shop provides any of the above?
How can I spot if this guitar is a fake or real?

I wanted to post this question at ESP forums but for now I have to wait until a mod activates my account so I can make a new thread.

Hope you can help me.

Pics:


























































*UPDATE ON THIS GUITAR:*

Hey, new update about this guitar, seller just send me this pic about neck pickup cavity:






The cavity seems to have holes or something, can this be a determining thing to detect if its really a custom shop or a fake? 
Thanks


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## djpharoah (Jul 29, 2009)

Looks like it very well could be a really old (80's) ESP Custom based on the headstock design. But a part of me is saying would you really want it considering all the hardware is rusted on it??

I'd hold out till someone with more knowledge on old ESPs chimes in. Try the ESP forum if you really need to.

Oh and moved to the correct forum.


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## MTech (Jul 29, 2009)

The paintjob looks very 80's so I dunno about his claim of 8-9 years old...also it could just be a "custom" as in the model not a custom shop. The custom shop guitars come with a certificate and copy of the specs they're ordered with along with having a certain serial number and stamp...the back of the headstock photo isn't loading to see any of that.
The pic of the back loaded is that number just on a white sticker??? It could mean it just came out of the old LA Shop after they moved from New York.

Newer ESP's work like this - ESP began the standard series line in the US in 2003 and hence began the "Standard Series" logo. The same year anything that was made in the custom shop had the "Custom Shop" logo, including all ESP signature guitars. The signature line logo then changed in 2006 to "Signature Series". There is a bit of confusion of what now is made in the custom shop and what is made in the signature series line. The easiest way to differentiate is if the serial number begins with "K", "T", "S", "N", they are custom shop. If the serial number begins with "SS", it was made at the signature/standard series line.

Before 2003, ESP in the US used the "Custom Guitars" logo for both standards and customs. Although confusing, just because a guitar has the "Custom Guitars" logo, does not necessarily mean it was custom shop made. According to Mod Pops, ESP used the logo to display their custom capabilities.
K = Kiso
T = Takada
S = Sado
TH = Technical House
CH = Craft House
CS = Osaka Custom Shop

I found a similar one that was in excellent condition and sold for $800 w/ case.


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## IDLE (Jul 29, 2009)

That seems pretty bizarre, I would ask on the esp forum. My gut tells me no though.


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## Scar Symmetry (Jul 29, 2009)

8-9 years old is bullshit. he may have owned it that long but that guitar is almost definitely from the late 80s/early 90s.

looks like a legit ESP Custom Shop though


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## sPliNtEr_777 (Jul 29, 2009)

I think it is real, I believe (if my memory serves) that that is the original "zorlac"(?) headstock design which was original in the 80's, the original KHs came with that but only a few were made so they are exceedingly rare. The paintjob looks a lot like somethings ESP were doing in the 80's, plus all the logos and hardware look official, all-in-all Id say it _is_ real, but check on the ESP forum first, then buy it.


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## ccc187307 (Jul 29, 2009)

Did i miss how much he wants for it? I'd give him what its worth without the hardware and consider the condition of the frets too.


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## jacksonplayer (Jul 29, 2009)

The body shape is a little like a Horizon, but there are significant differences. The headstock is definitely ESP, though, as is the rear control cavity shape. It could be an '80s ESP, though you can still get that headstock from ESP if you live in Japan.


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## starfoxhound (Jul 29, 2009)

Hi. Thanks to everyone's answers, I'm really learning about this guitar.

This guy's asking for the guitar with NON-original case $7000 Mexican Pesos (about  375 or USD $530).

I haven't found info about this model, I'll be looking for this model in Horizon series.

So you think this might be a ESP Horizon Custom Series and not a Custom Shop?

Ant tips to find out if its real?
Do you think it's expensive at that price?

I live in Mexico, and this guitar lived in Cancun for about 8-9 years (the time it's suposed to be old), so that's why it's rusted, plus the previous owner used it on stage, so that's why it seems to be pretty used.


Thanks again!


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## D-EJ915 (Jul 29, 2009)

it would be easier to tell with some half decent pics lol. that one looks _really_ old. it's kind of weird though because the old ESPs used their own trem vs OFRs and smoother heels than that. I'm not really sure  They never made LTDs with the jackson headstock and grassroots guitars had jackson-stocks but were all bolt on around that time, could be an ancient edwards with an ESP label slapped on it.

Either way looks kinda cool lol, if the price is right and it plays well then hey w/e.


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## starfoxhound (Jul 29, 2009)

D-EJ915 said:


> it would be easier to tell with some half decent pics lol. that one looks _really_ old. it's kind of weird though because the old ESPs used their own trem vs OFRs and smoother heels than that. I'm not really sure  They never made LTDs with the jackson headstock and grassroots guitars had jackson-stocks but were all bolt on around that time, could be an ancient edwards with an ESP label slapped on it.
> 
> Either way looks kinda cool lol, if the price is right and it plays well then hey w/e.



The problem is that seller at the moment does not have a decent camera, he told me he's going to get one and that today or tomorrow he'll give me more pics with better resolution and more light, once I have them I'll post them here. 


I just visited ESP|Edwards and there I saw this guitar (Grass Root) with same headstock style, it's the G-HR-52G. Maybe you're right.








So, it maybe a Edward with ESP logo on it, is there anyway to know if it's a Edwards and not an ESP?
Any trick to spot if it's a Edwards?

Thanks!


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## Scar Symmetry (Jul 29, 2009)

that's not the same headstock dude, I'm 99% sure from the pics your originally posted that it's a real ESP


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## starfoxhound (Jul 29, 2009)

Hey, new update about this guitar, seller just send me this pic about neck pickup cavity:






The cavity seems to have holes or something, can this be a determining thing to detect if its really a custom shop or a fake? 
Thanks


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## D-EJ915 (Jul 29, 2009)

damn that is fucked looking lol


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## starfoxhound (Jul 29, 2009)

D-EJ915 said:


> damn that is fucked looking lol



Sorry, I don't understand this. Does it means is good or bad?


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## D-EJ915 (Jul 29, 2009)

your pickup cavity should never look like that...it scares me


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## rvai (Jul 30, 2009)

que onda! 7000 es u buen precio hasta para una ltd, pero lo que si es que se ve mas vieja que 9 años, y al parecer si es real entonces tenis solo la pastilla del puente y algun novato le hizo la cavidad de la del brazo o algo asi, suerte! si la puedes ver en persona pues mucho mejor


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## Benzesp (Jul 30, 2009)

Custom ESP Job. 80's (the yellowed binding tells the age), with Jackson style headstock. Looks like the neck pup pocket was done with hand tools. This is not stock obviously. Horrible shape IMO, not worth more than maybe $150 in its current state. If its a custom there will or should be a serial # painted on the back of the headstock and cleared over. It was not unheard of for there not to be a "ESP Custom Guitars" logo on it as well. The Logo Looks kind of too close the edge of the headstock and a bit crooked. It might be fake. I'd pass on this, too many weird things going on with this.


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## tvelt17 (Jul 30, 2009)

Its junk, don't buy it.


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## jacksonplayer (Jul 30, 2009)

Benzesp said:


> Custom ESP Job. 80's (the yellowed binding tells the age), with Jackson style headstock. Looks like the neck pup pocket was done with hand tools. This is not stock obviously. Horrible shape IMO, not worth more than maybe $150 in its current state. If its a custom there will or should be a serial # painted on the back of the headstock and cleared over. It was not unheard of for there not to be a "ESP Custom Guitars" logo on it as well. The Logo Looks kind of too close the edge of the headstock and a bit crooked. It might be fake. I'd pass on this, too many weird things going on with this.



I agree with you 100% on this. I've never seen an ESP with this body shape before, so that tells me right there that it's unlikely to be an actual ESP. It looks more like something Jackson would have produced at the time, but the headstock is clearly an imitation of the period ESP one, not a Jackson one. I'm guessing it was home-made or done by a small builder and then had an ESP decal slapped on it. Either way, I wouldn't pay much for it unless it played and sounded great.


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