ESP S-500 Purple Burst 1993
ESP S-500, pink to purple burst, made in Japan 1993. Heck, that's a vibrant hue. ESP are a boutique guitar behemoth... it seems like a contradiction, but they've long managed to be both super specialised and a huge deal at the same time. In the early 1990s, the idea that you custom order an ESP to your preferred specs with a wild finish was a popular option. As such, this doesn't exactly match any of the catalog models, but that's not uncommon. The S-500 was a Strat-shaped model with a slightly more angular headstock, dot inlays, a six point trem, two knobs and no guard, so that seems to be the base recipe this delightful cake was baked from. First up, the neck rules. It's moderately slim, without being tiny, similar to many American Standard Strat style shapes from the time. It's carved from a piece of maple with incredibly tight, consistent grain, finished in satin and feels amazingly alive in the hands. The tone is bright: extremely clear and sweet with amazing dynamic response and a shimmering top end. It's chiming without being harsh or thin, and that's quite something... it will sit on top of a mix perfectly. The two point trem mod was an interesting choice, as it leaves a few extra holes visible, but heck, it works very well indeed. It's stable and reliable even under pretty heavy handed use. Now, that finish: by now you've already decided if you love it or hate it, and the correct response is to love it. It's unapologetic and would probably never have been made after 1996, but it's so fun and eye catching that it's hard to argue it's charms. I woke up one day to find myself an unexpected ESP convert... it could happen to you.
Model: ESP S-500 (likely a custom order, model number is a guide only)
Made: Japan, 1993
Serial: 11336
Finish: pink to purple burst, gloss poly
Body: alder, two piece centre join
Neck: maple, maple fretboard, 25.5" scale, 12" radius, slim C shape
Weight: 3.410kg
Mods: bridge replaced with two-point Gotoh VS100N model, holes filled
Pickups: ESP single coil x3, note the middle pickup is not reverse wound
Accessories: ESP gig bag
Cosmetic condition notes: minor finish wear. The headstock has some dents and scuffs on the end, scuffs on the bottom edge and a couple of dimples on the sides near the nut. The neck is clean and smooth in the hands, there's a small dent on the back behind the 9th fret on the treble side, a few other dimples on the back and some rub wear. It appears the back of the neck might have had some swelling/shrinkage of the skunk stripe that's been filled and finish-patched, but it's a subtle repair and it feels totally smooth. The back has widespread scuffs around the whole body, especially around the belly carve and cavity, some surface scratches on the back edge and dimples in the elbow area and near the neck join. The sides have scuffs on top horn and near the jack, dimples and scuffs in the elbow area and a dent showing the undercoat and some scuffs on the bottom horn. The front has visible filled holes from the removed six point trem, dimples in the elbow area, surface scratches along the back edge near the rear strap pin, dimples and scuffs near the knobs and some play wear on both horns.
Overall: good condition (7/10)
Playing condition notes: Action is low, neck is straight, intonation is good, truss rod works. All electronics tested and working properly. Wearing fresh 10/46 strings.
Fret life: 7/10, normal wear with some height gone, but playing evenly with no major buzz issues