# ESP FM-418.



## twiztedchild (Jan 15, 2009)

Nothing changed really about it. So I guess who ever said tht the 1 in the FM-418 being a new place they are made was right. also same for the Viper 7 string Nothng really different.

The ESP Guitar Company :: LTD Standard Guitars - FM-408


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## Johann (Jan 15, 2009)

i think that the 408 had binding... this one doesn't.


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## MFB (Jan 15, 2009)

Woo-hoo! Another ESP that has :

Gloss black finish
25.5" scale
EMG 808's

Way to spice things up ESP!


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## twiztedchild (Jan 15, 2009)

Johann said:


> i think that the 408 had binding... this one doesn't.



your right.

LTD 2008 FM-408 Black Std. Scale 8-String Electric Guitar

had white binding around the Neck and the Headstock. to to me the 418 looks like it has Black binding around the Headstock now


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## D-EJ915 (Jan 15, 2009)

oooh the new site's up? fucking awesome


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## twiztedchild (Jan 15, 2009)

what about the damn Viper 7 string? its the EXACT same as the old one


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## Stitch (Jan 15, 2009)

Has the scale length been increased on the Viper?


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## D-EJ915 (Jan 15, 2009)

no it's the same, same goes with the baritones


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## Johann (Jan 15, 2009)

then why this number exchange?


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## twiztedchild (Jan 15, 2009)

Johann said:


> then why this number exchange?



thats what I am trying to figure out. I think it might just be saying that it is being made somewhere else now


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## Johann (Jan 15, 2009)

kind of lame, if you ask me.


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## That_One_Person (Jan 15, 2009)

twiztedchild said:


> thats what I am trying to figure out. I think it might just be saying that it is being made somewhere else now


 
Indonesia my friends...


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## twiztedchild (Jan 15, 2009)

That_One_Person said:


> Indonesia my friends...



does that mean that the price might go down at least??


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## D-EJ915 (Jan 15, 2009)

twiztedchild said:


> does that mean that the price might go down at least??


nope they actually raised the prices


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## mat091285 (Jan 15, 2009)

F .... not another INDO made .. and it is an 8 string .... WTF!!!! ESP


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## twiztedchild (Jan 15, 2009)

D-EJ915 said:


> nope they actually raised the prices



soe one needs to get spaled at esp


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## D-EJ915 (Jan 15, 2009)

twiztedchild said:


> soe one needs to get spaled at esp


if you mean fuck ESP USA then yes I agree


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## twiztedchild (Jan 15, 2009)

D-EJ915 said:


> if you mean fuck ESP USA then yes I agree



yes. lol and My computer is pissing me. but Yeah, I was trying to type "Someone should get slapped" lol


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## CrushingAnvil (Jan 15, 2009)

twiztedchild said:


> Nothing changed really about it. So I guess *who ever said tht the 1 in the FM-418 being a new place they are made was right*. also same for the Viper 7 string Nothng really different.
> 
> The ESP Guitar Company :: LTD Standard Guitars - FM-408



I do believe I mentioned that once but I dont have the balls to claim the recognition... it looks terrible imo.


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## twiztedchild (Jan 15, 2009)

CrushingAnvil said:


> I do believe I mentioned that once but I dont have the balls to claim the recognition... it looks terrible imo.



I know. that isnt much different then the 408 but for somereason I just didnt like this one


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## troyguitar (Jan 15, 2009)

WTF? I guess I'm not getting an 8-string unless I find a used/NOS FM-408...


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## Dusty201087 (Jan 16, 2009)

Yeah, this happened last year IIRC. They switch the numbers when the change one little tiny thing about the guitar. 

I ranted about Edwards doing this with the RV awhile back. I wanted one terribly then they were "discontinuing them", so I seriously was thinking about selling just about EVERYTHING I had to get in on the last run of (incredibly over-priced) one's. Long story short, a month later ESP came out with the RV-148, and you know what the difference was? The RV-138 was 138,000 yen, the 148 was 148,000 yen.


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## CrashRG (Jan 16, 2009)

I realize that some of you guys don't like ESP/LTD's color choices of "Any Color You Want As Long As It's Black", and don't like the 25.5 scale. But why the hate on the LTD's for being made in Indonesia? I have a Viper 200FM and an SC207, both INDO's and they are two of the best playing guitars I've ever owned, and that's even comparing it to my USA Strat and my Gibson SG, (both of which have been sold) The frets are well done, no sharp edges, stays in tune beautifully, GREAT red flame finish on the Viper, great to look at as well I think. I can find no complaints in either guitar other than they could both use some active pickups (both are equiped with ESP301 pickups for the viper and ESP307s for the SC) but i fix that with some amp eq and my boss GE-7 7 band eq, and i get pretty decent sound.


So why the INDO hate?


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## Dusty201087 (Jan 16, 2009)

CrashRG said:


> I realize that some of you guys don't like ESP/LTD's color choices of "Any Color You Want As Long As It's Black", and don't like the 25.5 scale. But why the hate on the LTD's for being made in Indonesia? I have a Viper 200FM and an SC207, both INDO's and they are two of the best playing guitars I've ever owned, and that's even comparing it to my USA Strat and my Gibson SG, (both of which have been sold) The frets are well done, no sharp edges, stays in tune beautifully, GREAT red flame finish on the Viper, I can find no complaints in either guitar.
> 
> 
> So why the INDO hate?



It's not that there's a whole bunch of evidence against INDO guitars. I think guitarists in general just have a prejudice against things that aren't made in either:

A. USA
B. Japan
C. Korea

It's not that they're DEFINITELY bad guitars. People just don't want to risk the QC crapping out on them and getting a shit guitar - which will happen everywhere once in awhile anyway.


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## awesomeaustin (Jan 16, 2009)

CrushingAnvil said:


> I do believe I mentioned that once but I dont have the balls to claim the recognition... it looks terrible imo.



I think I did in my thread announcing all the new models. not sure tho


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## twiztedchild (Jan 16, 2009)

Dusty201087 said:


> It's not that there's a whole bunch of evidence against INDO guitars. I think guitarists in general just have a prejudice against things that aren't made in either:
> 
> *A. Japan
> B. USA*
> ...



Fixed.  but to me it seems that there is more people willing to buy a Japanese made guitar over a USA made guitar. 

And I love ESP Ever since I started playing I wanted to get one but never had the Money or a place that sold them. untill now I got the H-207 and Love the thing. and it was made in Korea I think.


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## CrushingAnvil (Jan 16, 2009)

twiztedchild said:


> I know. that isnt much different then the 408 but for somereason I just didnt like this one



It looks too Melted.

If there were an ESP Standard Series Forrest-8 THEN I would be keen


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## troyguitar (Jan 16, 2009)

CrashRG said:


> So why the INDO hate?



I've not played the Korean OR Indonesian versions, but this is why I don't like it:

Producing the guitar in Indonesia is cheaper, yet the price to the consumer is not being reduced (someone in this thread said the price is actually going UP...). 

It seems to be a trend amongst all of the manufacturers. They're lowering their costs of production and raising their prices at the same time. It makes me sad.


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## twiztedchild (Jan 16, 2009)

CrushingAnvil said:


> It looks too Melted.
> 
> If there were an ESP Standard Series Forrest-8 THEN I would be keen



I gotta agree with the Forrest 8 string


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## bulletbass man (Jan 16, 2009)

Indo is beaten up on because well quite frankly they really don't make that good of stuff. Quality Control is very low. Sure great guitars get made in Indonesia but at the same time many shit ones do.

It varies brand to brand non the less. both lowend Ibanez and low end LTD guitars pretty bad qc. Dean regardless of price have bad qc.

Though China is drastically improving when it comes to Quality control. I rather see more stuff built there. Korea is doing much better as well. Though USA and Japan typically have the best quality. (excluding Fender products and gibsons)


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## sevenstringj (Jan 17, 2009)

Dusty201087 said:


> It's not that there's a whole bunch of evidence against INDO guitars. I think guitarists in general just have a prejudice against things that aren't made in either:
> 
> A. USA
> B. Japan
> ...



Whoa, when did Korea make that list?!?!?! 

So what's the lemon-to-winner threshold for getting off the import guitars shit-list?



twiztedchild said:


> [The FM-408] had white binding around the Neck and the Headstock.



Damn, good eye! So I guess the "improvement over its predecessor" is that they can churn 'em out faster because they don't have to bother with binding.


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## twiztedchild (Jan 17, 2009)

sevenstringj said:


> Whoa, when did Korea make that list?!?!?!
> 
> So what's the lemon-to-winner threshold for getting off the import guitars shit-list?
> 
> ...



Korea mad the list because of all the Schecter love I think  and yah that is probabbly what it was lol also not having the binding on th neck


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## Harry (Jan 21, 2009)

A lot of Korean made guitars I've played were fucking solidly built
Nothing wrong with 'em.

However, I've played a few Indo made guitars that were dogs.


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## twiztedchild (Jan 21, 2009)

HughesJB4 said:


> A lot of Korean made guitars I've played were fucking solidly built
> Nothing wrong with 'em.
> 
> However, I've played a few Indo made guitars that were dogs.



 how ever I never really play an Indo I think. I have played the RG7321 but it wasnt a dog as you said 

Unless Dean has them made in Indo then yeah played alot of them that sucked


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## phaeded0ut (Jan 21, 2009)

On this note of location for where something is built, generally it is a lack-of-experience thing that will only get better over time... For a long while, many of the Korean Steinbergers (I know, no real extended range love here) were not very happening (lots of manufacturing mistakes), and then over time they began to get better and better. More likely than not, it's the same thing for Indonesia, Viet Nam, China and other countries who get into this business (this is also a valid statement for other hardware out there, especially hard disk drives). 

Wasn't too long ago that the same thing was said for Mexican (Fender) and Japanese (a bit longer ago) manufactured guitars. Sigh, ... rather miss Matsumoko's group of luthiers. Might be geezing a bit too much on this one. LOL!


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## twiztedchild (Jan 21, 2009)

phaeded0ut said:


> On this note of location for where something is built, generally it is a lack-of-experience thing that will only get better over time... For a long while, many of the Korean Steinbergers (I know, no real extended range love here) were not very happening (lots of manufacturing mistakes), and then over time they began to get better and better. More likely than not, it's the same thing for Indonesia, Viet Nam, China and other countries who get into this business (this is also a valid statement for other hardware out there, especially hard disk drives).
> 
> Wasn't too long ago that the same thing was said for Mexican (Fender) and Japanese (a bit longer ago) manufactured guitars. Sigh, ... rather miss Matsumoko's group of luthiers. Might be geezing a bit too much on this one. LOL!



Yeah I heard alot about Mexico having bad QC problems with the Mexi Strats and Squires, I know a guy that runs a store that tooa tour of the Mexican factory and the CA, USA one and he said that the workers in the Mexicn one were putting more "Heart and soul" into building the guitars and that they had better QC then the USA factory


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## Mich24Pibh (Feb 3, 2009)

*HOWEVER... IS IT TRUE THAT THE FM-408 HAS PRETTY MUCH BETTER QUALITY IN ALL THE WAYS THAN THE FM-418 RIGHT???


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## tr4c3 (Feb 3, 2009)

Well kind of off topic/sort of on topic but my ltd mh-250 is an indo made but it's like 5 years old at least (bought it brand new!), it's all mahogany and has the actual emg hz's, not the esp ones. My m-207 is korean made and it's a great guitar, just need to drop the duncan designed pickups for something a little tastier. I was actually looking at the fm-418 with my current toss up between getting another 7, or getting an 8, but I think for the price I'd rather grab an rg1527 for like same cost, go agile 8, or save up and just grab an rg2228.


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## guitarplayerone (Feb 3, 2009)

twiztedchild said:


> how ever I never really play an Indo I think. I have played the RG7321 but it wasnt a dog as you said
> 
> Unless Dean has them made in Indo then yeah played alot of them that sucked



i really really disliked the RG7321 I tried, it sounded and played much worse than the GiO-7 i borrowed. The GiO was alder, and chinese made (specs from jemsite). Also the schecter hellraiser I compared the 7321 against blew it out of the water, but the neck was far too thick for me.


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## I_infect (Feb 4, 2009)

bulletbass man said:


> Though China is drastically improving when it comes to Quality control. I rather see more stuff built there. Korea is doing much better as well. Though USA and Japan typically have the best quality. (excluding Fender products and gibsons)



I have to agree about China. I have a Schecter Omen 7 and 2 c-7's, along with the FM 408. The Schecters are China-made, and blow the Indo-made RG7321 I used to have outta the water. The China models I have or have played are on par with their Korean brothers.


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