You know that scene in "It Might Get Loud" when the Edge is talking about walking into that shop in New York and seeing that Gibson Explorer? And he says "it was calling me.."
Have you ever felt that way about a guitar?
Like you knew you had to have it the second you saw it?

Check this guitar out:
The ESP Guitar Company | 2011 USA Website

Second row, 8th from the bottom.


OMG!!!!
There IS a god!!!
Silverburst ESP Viper...
Emg-81 in the bridge...
singe-coil (Dimarzio?) in the neck!!

it will be mine, oh yes, it will be mine...

My guitars usually find me and the ones I keep speak to me. Make sure you play one rather than falling on love with a picture. And play the one you are going to buy. Even with QC every guitar is different.

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Stage Guitars: '80s Thin line LP Custom, '70 LP Standard, '83 Squier Black Headstock Strat w/ Dan Torres pickups, '59 Black Danelectro DC, sometimes others.

Pedal Board: Nady UHF 10 -> TU2 -> Rocktron Big Crush -> 70s MXR Phase 100 -> Cry Baby -> Bad Monkey -> Early '80s Rat -> Early '80s Ibanez CS 9 -> Ibanez DE 7 -> Behringer Dr 100 Stereo Reverb

Stage amps: '63 Blonde Tremolux w/ two original 2X10 cabinets with a '60 Ampeg Rocket/18 watt VTB Marshall clone/ Epi VJ into a Mashall 1965A

I agree with old dawg 100% about the keepers having some quality above what you expect or have felt from every other guitar in that model, brand, category. No two are exactly alike and some are miles above others. Having said that I have never been an ESP guy. Pointy metal guitars in general are usually not my thing. But that Silverburst SG looks drop dead gorgeous. It reminds of of a Guild s-100 but with all modern appointments, locking tuners, and that amazing looking stacked single coil. The part that does it for me though is the binding on the outside of the burst. That's just damn classy. The only thing I don't like is the 1-12 fret markers. They should have just done dots the whole way down the neck. But that's just me. Playability wise sometimes you just get lucky and the one you buy for looks ends up being "the grail". Sometimes it's not but you can always get some work done and if it isn't working out in the long run flip it. That is one mighty fine looking axe and I'd chance it if I couldn't find a store to try out a couple different ones.

I totally agree!!
Not a huge fan of the tear drop inlays.
As you said, dots would have been better, or maybe even the flag inlays
they put on most Vipers.

I have to say, I have been doing a frequent battle in my head in regards to the whole ESP vs LTD debate.

I've been playing the LTD line for ages, and a couple of years ago I forked up the cash to buy a "real" ESP Eclipse, and boy was I blown away.
However, often when I compare specs between ESP and LTD online, often they seem to have IDENTICAL specs (fretboard, pickups, body etc...)

I have to say after comparing both, I find the diffrence for me is really in the touch and not so much the sound (though there is a slight diffrence)

I own a "rare" ESP I searched four years for.... Only other person I've seen to have had it is the guitarist of the Black Dahlia Murder.... Dreams do come true. I bought it online out of a Guitar Center in Ohio about a year ago..... The Les Paul I have currently, I was looking for a Les Paul Studio, and a guy from Hollywood Boulevard pawned it for drug money or a plane ticket home.....

All my guitars are typically modded... I also know most of what it takes to get what I want from a guitar though too these days. Last mod was the ESP got a brass block, that even then, needed mods for my "dimabag squeels".....

Save your money, and call the custom shop, they'll do it, but you may not be happy with the results, you'd be better modding your own, or sanding down the finish on a Viper 400......

BTW, I think that's the Fernandez Single Coil Sustainer in the neck, would explain the switches on the guitar

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ESP Eclipse Limited (3/100) or Gibson Les Paul Standard (97) - Fulltone OCD - H.B.E. Detox EQ - Laney GH50L - 80's Ibanez AD-9 (in loop) - Randall XL 4x12
Tortex "The wedge" picks, Blue Steel strings, Line 6 Moble In, Charvel Model 6 modded to a Model 5FX.... Probly other stuff as well

Do you have any pics? Sounds pretty interesting.

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Crustaceo ergo sum

Yup. I love Teles and I don't particularly like Strats, but my (older) Strat speaks to me and my (newer) Tele doesn't. Out of all Teles in the store at the time it was the one that spoke best, but still my trusty ole Strat and I make one, no matter what I do to her--fretjob, new pickups, whatever. She just feels right.

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crew

Selling BOSS FW-3. I live in Brazil, mind you, so prepare yourself for $30-ish for shipping and waiting. Local pickup available, along with beautiful beaches and cheap bitches.

Wouldn't call it interesting, was one of the few single cut Les Paul style guitars I could find with a Floyd Rose..... Ebony board, it's a flat top, but plays well for what I'm going for. Funny they only made 100 of these, this is number 3, and they were only made in 1997.....

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ESP Eclipse Limited (3/100) or Gibson Les Paul Standard (97) - Fulltone OCD - H.B.E. Detox EQ - Laney GH50L - 80's Ibanez AD-9 (in loop) - Randall XL 4x12
Tortex "The wedge" picks, Blue Steel strings, Line 6 Moble In, Charvel Model 6 modded to a Model 5FX.... Probly other stuff as well

Nice one. Is that a bolt-on maple neck on that?
(Sorry, well and truly hijacked now!)

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Crustaceo ergo sum

Yes, it is a bolt on, with the grain of the wood going against the tension of the strings, according to the luthier I send my guitars to when I'm lazy. Checked with him today, it's called a quartersawn maple neck.... Apparently it's a quality custom shop guitar, but I don't know any better. Bolt on necks are so much easier with a Floyd Rose in my opinion. I honestly thought I was going to have to custom shop this, but well, one day, it popped up, was mad at my girlfriend of the time so I told her to screw off, I'm using money to buy this guitar!

And yes, truly hijacked, but we're still talking ESP guitars. I actually paid less then what I thought I would for this guitar.

To the OP, well, 3 grand is USD for that Viper, or just wait a year or two, and they'll come out with a silverburst viper for sure. Gibson made the SG in silverburst, might be an option as well.

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ESP Eclipse Limited (3/100) or Gibson Les Paul Standard (97) - Fulltone OCD - H.B.E. Detox EQ - Laney GH50L - 80's Ibanez AD-9 (in loop) - Randall XL 4x12
Tortex "The wedge" picks, Blue Steel strings, Line 6 Moble In, Charvel Model 6 modded to a Model 5FX.... Probly other stuff as well

I wouldn't say my main guitar 'called me', but I did see it advertised and bought it based on the listing (breaking a cardinal rule of mine that I'd never pay for an instrument I hadn't tried out first). The price was right, it was in good condition and I even liked the colour. When I plugged it in and played it, it was fortunate that it *felt right* but it wasn't until I'd done some minor setup adjustments and swapped the pickups that I'd call her 'perfect'.

tl;dr version: I'd be stretching the truth if I were to call it love at first sight but a little time, effort and expense on my part was invested in a good value-for-money purchase...that made it my prized possession.

FWIW, if I was into the heavier end of the spectrum, an ESP Viper would be on my 'to try' list. They're very nice-sounding guitars and, unlike most models intended for the heavy metal player, the design isn't too out-there or theatrical.

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Guitar rig: CIJ Fender Jazzmaster/CIJ Fender Mustang -> TU-3 -> RV-5 -> OD-3 -> custom IC Muff -> PS-2 -> DD-3 -> RE-20 -> LS-2 -> Fender '65 DRRI & Mesa/Boogie F-50

Bass rig: Fender MIM Jazz Bass -> TU-2 -> RAT 2 -> Sansamp BDDI -> RV-3

"...So now you know the true secret to great tone: all the espresso you can handle."

Yeah, purists would hate it but purists hate lots of cool stuff. Don't know if you remember but Scotti from Skid Row used to play a Spector guitar that had a double cut flat top Les Paul Jr style body with a bolt on maple neck and a Floyd. I always thought it was a really cool guitar and yours reminds me of an updated and more metal version of that same concept.

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Crustaceo ergo sum

I had a guitar that "spoke to me" and I wasn't even looking to buy. It was a Takamine acoustic- the 2nd guitar I ever bought. Love it. I even bought a Taylor a few years later and ended up selling the Taylor because I love my Takamine more. (even though the body has been busted and repaired). Its just my go-to acoustic.

However, I will say that it didn't speak to me until I got to play it. There was some fret buzz on the low E string and once they fixed that up I couldn't be happier. I've had MANY telecasters call out to me, yet every time I play a tele I hate the neck. Very disappointing. I've just had to accept that I'll never be a Tele guy no matter how bad I want to be.

On a side note I've seen Takamine guitars everywhere but never seen one like mine. Not sure if it was rare, but it was only like $600 brand new. Ahh... I love talking about guitars. *Nostalgia*

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Fender American Deluxe Strat/ Michael Kelly Deuce Phoenix (With WCR Betset)/Epi Les Paul (Pearly Gates)> Garmopat Mod TS9> ED Hoof Fuzz> Garmopat Mod Crybaby> MXR Dyna Comp> Ibanez FL9> BYOC Phase 90> Ernie Ball VP JR> MXR Carbon Copy> Fender Blues Deluxe

Yaks have good quality ccontrol. Great bang for the buck. Taylor isn't what it once was. I have a "law suit" Tak from the early 70s that has the Martin style headstock and logo. I sold my Martin.

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Stage Guitars: '80s Thin line LP Custom, '70 LP Standard, '83 Squier Black Headstock Strat w/ Dan Torres pickups, '59 Black Danelectro DC, sometimes others.

Pedal Board: Nady UHF 10 -> TU2 -> Rocktron Big Crush -> 70s MXR Phase 100 -> Cry Baby -> Bad Monkey -> Early '80s Rat -> Early '80s Ibanez CS 9 -> Ibanez DE 7 -> Behringer Dr 100 Stereo Reverb

Stage amps: '63 Blonde Tremolux w/ two original 2X10 cabinets with a '60 Ampeg Rocket/18 watt VTB Marshall clone/ Epi VJ into a Mashall 1965A

I found someone selling an ESP Viper and they are willing to give me a pretty decent price on it.
I already own an LTD viper, and I compared the 2 guitars back to back, and as far as the ESP site is concerned, the specs are identical!
But one is more than a 1000$ more expensive!
And when you pick up the ESP version, wow, do you ever feel a diffrence.

Does anyone have more info on the diffrence between the ESPs and LTDs?
is it just the cut of wood?