What model is my ESP guitar?
The serial number is stamped on the back of the headstock, punched on the neck plate or on (semi) acoustic guitars on the bottom inside the body. If you want to know the production year of your ESP guitar,you can decipher it with the serial number decoder, or find it in explanation about the dating system below.
Are all ESP guitars made in Japan?
Just as it’s always been, all E-II models are made in Japan at our ESP-owned factory as our ESP Standard guitars and basses were. Same factory, same people, new name. That’s all.
When did Gibson sue ESP?
In 1978, Elger/Hoshino USA settled out of court when Gibson’s parent company, Norlin Corp., sued over use of the Gibson headstock design and logo. Still, those models weren’t intended to be copies.
What is ESP Guitars?
The company, now better known as ESP, was founded in Japan in 1975 by Hisatake Shibuya to produce top-quality components for electric guitars and basses, as well as custom shop models for the guitar-obsessed Japanese market.
When did ESP start selling replacement parts?
In 1984, ESP decided to take its replacement parts business to New York. A company representative would fly from Tokyo to visit Music Row on Manhattan’s 48th Street and sell components to repair shops. During one of those trips, ESP formed a relationship with Kramer, which used ESP to “ghost build” necks and bodies.
What does ESP Stand for?
In 1975, Hisatake Shibuya opened a shop called Electric Sound Products ( ESP) in Tokyo, Japan, which provided custom replacement parts for guitars. At this time, ESP also began making guitars under the ESP and Navigator brand in the Japanese market.
Why did ESP stop making guitars?
In 1995, the LTD series was created to produce ESP’s high-quality products at a more affordable price. Soon after the introduction of the Korean and Indonesian-made LTD lines, ESP stopped selling the majority of its Japanese made flagship guitars in the United States, due to the high prices involved in exporting to the Americas.