ESP E-II Eclipse

15
December 2017 Gu itarist
D
esigned to “bridge the gap
between ESP’s premium and
more affordable LTD models,”
the relatively new E-II range features
high-spec Tokyo-built renderings of
the Japanese brand’s rock and metal-
flavoured favourites.
You shouldn’t need Lieutenant Columbo
to help you figure out what guitar our new
E-II Eclipse and Eclipse DB models take
inspiration from. The shadow cast by those
single-cutaway bodies is a big clue. Figure
in a mahogany back mated to a contoured
maple top and you’re in classic Les Paul
territory. Ditto, the anchored tune-o-matic
bridge and stop tailpiece (both sourced via
Gotoh) and the twin humbucker format.
The trail only begins to go cold when we
turn the guitar over. The Eclipse body is
thinner than that of the 50s icon, which is
reflected in its weight of just under eight
pounds – a non-weight relieved Les Paul
is usually 10 pounds or more. It’s like ESP
hot-rodded a Les Paul by stripping it of
Words Ed Mitchell Photography Joseph Branston
The latest pair of ESPs offer high spec versions of
its iconic models with options that will appeal to
those beyond its usual metal customers
Brothers
In Arms
first play
ESP E-II ECLIPSE
£1,769
WHAT IS IT? Japanese-made
modern single-cut with classic
Seymour Duncan pickup combo
ESP E-II ECLIPSE DB
£1,879
WHAT IS IT? Japanese-made
modern single-cut with made-for-
metal active EMG pickup set-up
VIDEO DEMO http://bit.ly/guitaristextra
GIT427.rev_esp.indd 15 11/2/17 11:08 AM