ESP Ron Wood signature, fiesta red, made in Japan 2001. You might've heard of a little band called The Rolling Stones, no? ESP have been making a signature model for ol' Ronnie from the Stones since the mid eighties, and you can still get a new one to this very day. This one dates to 2001, so it's a whisker over two decades old. As soon as I had this in my hands, it was obvious that it's a very, very well made instrument. The soft-V shaped neck is carved for a gorgeous tightly grained piece of maple, finished in slick satin and still arrow-straight and sturdy after all these years. It's got rolled fretboard edges and even little wood filler caps covering the end of the frets... the attention to detail is outrageous. The alder body produces plenty of unplugged volume and has that tight, punchy natural resonance you can hear straight away. The neck pickup is pretty dark in tone, but with a convincing plump attack and a singing clarity. The bridge pickup slices through assertively, but it's rich and complex through the midrange and never sounds harsh. The middle position is a gooey, balanced diet of saucy satisfaction. The combination of the vibrant fiesta red, double cream binding and the bold stencil logo makes for a classy twist on the classic shape, it looks stadium-worthy for sure. Onya Ron.

Model: ESP Ron Wood Signature
Made: Japan, neck date 23 Jan 2001 (serial 60296)
Finish: black, gloss poly
Body: alder
Neck: 1-piece maple, maple board, soft-V shape, jumbo frets, 9.5" radius, 25.5" scale
Weight: 3.810kg
Mods: none
Pickups: ESP LH-200 humbucker, TS-120 single coil
Case: basic non-original hard case

Cosmetic condition notes: minor finish wear. The headstock some dimples on the end and bottom edge. The neck is clean and smooth in the hands, there's a little dent on the back behind the third fret and some minor dimples and rub wear on the back but it feels great. There's a bit of rub wear on the fretboard too. The back has widespread minor surface scratches around the whole body but no major marks. The sides have some dimples in the elbow area and near the jack, no major marks. The front has some light dimples in the elbow area, some light scuffs around the bridge and control plate, as well as some standard play wear on the guard and horns. Overall: very good condition (8/10).

Playing condition notes: Action is low, neck is straight, intonation is good. All electronics tested and working properly. The frets have some normal wear but appear to have been recently dressed and are pretty even, 6/10 for fret life left. Wearing fresh 10/46 Moonshiners strings.