Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum

Forum Ringside => Guitars, Amps and Effects => Topic started by: Woogie on March 04, 2008, 09:26:28 PM

Title: ESP Viper
Post by: Woogie on March 04, 2008, 09:26:28 PM
Which ESP Viper is the Down guitarist 'Pepper' using? The red one that looks like it has had the neck pickup removed.
Title: ESP Viper
Post by: Adam.M on March 04, 2008, 09:35:58 PM
It's a custom i think.

Love Vipers, a shame about the Agathis on the cheaper ones.
Title: ESP Viper
Post by: Jonny on March 04, 2008, 09:52:14 PM
Quote from: Adam.M
It's a custom i think.

Love Vipers, a shame about the Agathis on the cheaper ones.

AGATHIS SHOULD BURN IN HELLL!!!!!!!!!

Come on ESP, at least Alder or Mahoghany.. please..
Title: ESP Viper
Post by: noodleplugerine on March 04, 2008, 11:24:01 PM
Only the cheapest of the LTD mdoels have agathis.

Everything about 400 has Mahogany I think.

But yes - ESP Viper. Amazing guitar.
Title: ESP Viper
Post by: Jonny on March 05, 2008, 07:32:55 AM
Quote from: noodleplugerine
Only the cheapest of the LTD mdoels have agathis.

Everything about 400 has Mahogany I think.

But yes - ESP Viper. Amazing guitar.

What model exactly is yours?
Title: ESP Viper
Post by: noodleplugerine on March 05, 2008, 07:52:06 AM
Quote from: Jonny
Quote from: noodleplugerine
Only the cheapest of the LTD mdoels have agathis.

Everything about 400 has Mahogany I think.

But yes - ESP Viper. Amazing guitar.

What model exactly is yours?


ESP Viper Standard Camo. I think its a 2004/5 model, but not certain.
Title: ESP Viper
Post by: Transcend on March 05, 2008, 02:36:26 PM
it annoys me how the ltd 50 & 100 series are basswood

then the next one up the 200 is agathis.

then 300+ is mahogany

shouldnt the bottom ones be the worse wood rather than the mid out of the lower end ones?
Title: ESP Viper
Post by: WezV on March 05, 2008, 03:49:58 PM
what a bunch of wood snobs :wink:

I am glad they are not using as much mahogany... now if only i can convince gibson as well there might be more for me :twisted:
Title: ESP Viper
Post by: Sifu Ben on March 05, 2008, 04:07:14 PM
Wood snobbery is a real issue with guitarists. Agathis must be much more expensive than Basswood, as it's rarer and more useful. Is it necessarily a worse tonewood than Mahogany, or is it just that no-one's heard a decent Agathis guitar because no manufacturer would dare to use anything other than mahogany on a decent guitar?
Title: ESP Viper
Post by: Jonny on March 05, 2008, 04:21:28 PM
Quote
I used an ESP M-200FM that was made of agathis and I did not like it. Even though the guitar was neck thru, the sustain was terrible! The wood had no vibrance at all! I mean, a 150 dollar Yamaha I started on has more sustain than that guitar! But, because of the pups, it sounded good for rhythm, but has terrible lead tone. Shrill, non sustaining, and just weak. I don't like passive EMG's, and combine those pups with the agathis and you get ass for tone.

Bottom line- if you don't want sustain, go with agathis.

From a little bit of searching on Google.
Title: ESP Viper
Post by: WezV on March 05, 2008, 04:27:53 PM
again, thats from 1 piece of agathis, 1 person experince of 1 guitar... i am sure there are some out there that sound good. .. even plywood surprises you occasionally  

Its not a wood i am interested in using but if you try an agathis guitar and it sounds good dont let the wood type put you off
Title: ESP Viper
Post by: Jonny on March 05, 2008, 04:40:06 PM
Quote from: WezV
again, thats from 1 piece of agathis, 1 person experince of 1 guitar... i am sure there are some out there that sound good. .. even plywood surprises you occasionally  

Its not a wood i am interested in using but if you try an agathis guitar and it sounds good dont let the wood type put you off

Yeah, but wouldn't it be better being in your saftey zone when you can't try the guitar out?
Title: ESP Viper
Post by: Sifu Ben on March 05, 2008, 04:59:00 PM
There are plenty of sucky guitars made from mahogany, ash, alder etc. It's the problem with wood, it's not consistent. Not to mention that the mahogany used today is a whole different species to that used on 59 Lesters.
Title: ESP Viper
Post by: Adam.M on March 05, 2008, 06:13:59 PM
Quote from: WezV
again, thats from 1 piece of agathis, 1 person experince of 1 guitar... i am sure there are some out there that sound good. .. even plywood surprises you occasionally  

Its not a wood i am interested in using but if you try an agathis guitar and it sounds good dont let the wood type put you off


I had an Agathis viper and it's exactly as he it was described, no sustain at all!
Title: ESP Viper
Post by: Adam.M on March 05, 2008, 06:14:55 PM
Quote from: Transcend
it annoys me how the ltd 50 & 100 series are basswood

then the next one up the 200 is agathis.

then 300+ is mahogany

shouldnt the bottom ones be the worse wood rather than the mid out of the lower end ones?


I thought all of the lower ESP's were agathis... glad to find out im wrong.

Heck the Viper-100FM has a flame maple top with basswood, looks real nice... i want a viper again!
Title: ESP Viper
Post by: noodleplugerine on March 05, 2008, 08:01:11 PM
Quote from: Adam.M
Quote from: Transcend
it annoys me how the ltd 50 & 100 series are basswood

then the next one up the 200 is agathis.

then 300+ is mahogany

shouldnt the bottom ones be the worse wood rather than the mid out of the lower end ones?


I thought all of the lower ESP's were agathis... glad to find out im wrong.

Heck the Viper-100FM has a flame maple top with basswood, looks real nice... i want a viper again!


I think only 1 or 2 models of each shape are Agathis - Of about 20...
Title: ESP Viper
Post by: Adam.M on March 05, 2008, 08:08:34 PM
Quote from: noodleplugerine

I think only 1 or 2 models of each shape are Agathis - Of about 20...


Yeah it is, suprising really...

Any chance you've tried the Viper 50 or 100FM? theres no where near me that has ESP's as far as i know, i really miss the viper i had, even if it was in ghastly silver. I wants a black one.
Title: ESP Viper
Post by: Woogie on March 05, 2008, 08:50:53 PM
Nicely derailed.

I`m gassin' for a viper but I`m gassin' for an SG junior in white more ;)
Title: ESP Viper
Post by: Adam.M on March 05, 2008, 09:58:57 PM
I told you it was custom :P

infact here it is, his signature model.

http://www.espguitars.com/guitars_matt.html

The only thing it has in common with the other vipers is the shape.

Different wood, scale length and just about everything else.
Title: ESP Viper
Post by: Will on March 05, 2008, 10:05:02 PM
I thought we were on about Pepper Keenan?
Title: ESP Viper
Post by: Adam.M on March 05, 2008, 11:06:45 PM
Oops, i just had in my head 'Single humbucker' and 'Viper shaped' and 'Down guitarist' lol!

My bad, still...!

Maybe it is a viper that had it's neck pickup ripped out?
Title: ESP Viper
Post by: Sifu Ben on March 06, 2008, 12:56:56 AM
They're actually pre-viper. Keenan told ESP he wanted a metal SG and they developed what would become the Viper for him.
Title: ESP Viper
Post by: Transcend on March 06, 2008, 11:33:57 AM
Quote from: noodleplugerine
Quote from: Adam.M
Quote from: Transcend
it annoys me how the ltd 50 & 100 series are basswood

then the next one up the 200 is agathis.

then 300+ is mahogany

shouldnt the bottom ones be the worse wood rather than the mid out of the lower end ones?


I thought all of the lower ESP's were agathis... glad to find out im wrong.

Heck the Viper-100FM has a flame maple top with basswood, looks real nice... i want a viper again!


Its only the 200 series such as the m200fm and viper 200fm and the old 260 series  everything else is basswood or mahogany

I think only 1 or 2 models of each shape are Agathis - Of about 20...
Title: ESP Viper
Post by: gwEm on March 06, 2008, 11:41:21 AM
theres a Hello Kitty strat + VH2 clip on youtube. The Hello Kitty body is agathis, and the clip sounds pretty fine to me!