ESP Eclipse vs Gibson Les Paul

[WezV]

i couldnt say for sure that its not MOP on the black one

If it is pearl its clearly a lower grade than the white one but it still looks very pearl like to me.  a bit dull, flat and milky rather than reflective, colourful and figured but still very much like pearl.

from the photo's it really could be either cheap pearl or good plastic!

I am just stating a project which has the aesthetics of that black guitar (satin black, with vintage tinte multiply), i love the vintage tinted binding and just wish they bothered to do something about the unpainted binding on the fretboard face.  oh, mine will definately be getting pearl blocks ;)

[noodleplugerine]

I'm quite sure the inlays are not plastic.

and I'm sure that is plastic
I'm VERY obsessed with that, and that's my biggest turnoff on ESP
Gibson is also using plastic for Standards and Studios for 20 years
apparently the new non-custom shop 2009 Customs have plastic too, but I never saw one like this
I think I've seen one or two custom shop ESP's with MOP, but I'm not sure
most of them are clearly perloid plastic

he had the same pickup configuration in them and they sounded virtually indistinguishable (EMG 60/81).

that says a lot :lol:

Wtf are you on about?

I own 2 ESPs and they are both without a shadow of a doubt MOP.

You'll also get locking tuners and a choice between rosewood and ebony fingerboards, with or without figured maple tops on the ESP.

[Alex]

examples:

this appears to be MOP


this is definitely not MOP


and they're both custom shops

And I'm pretty sure they are both MOP. The top one seems to be abalone. The lower one is a white type.


Anyway, modern LesPauls from Gibson have weight relief holes. You can bitch about a lot of minor details, but that is an element yu cannot change or rectify afterwards.

[WezV]

the top one isnt abalone, definately not.  it is white pearl but it is clearly quite a figured set of white MOP, i bet it shimmers really nicely

[Alex]

Some more pictures (this thread lacks pictures of guitars).


Look at the detail of the binding.


Proper brigde studs.

[ericsabbath]

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3642/3365761727_3b71f8919a_o.jpg
http://www.sevenstring.pl/g2/d/10210-4/ESP_nowe_12.jpg
http://guitarsatbmusic.com.au/esp/guitars/espstd/eclipse/hires/eclipse-i_ctm_ft_bmf_silb/eclipse-i_ctm_ft_bmf_silb_3.jpg

these looks like pearloid plastic to me, just like the ones used in Gibson standards
as I said, some of the custom shops have MOP, most of them don't
I've seen more convincent imitations of MOP in way cheaper guitars
there are several pearloid patterns
some are almost white, others look like marble, others are very mirror-like, others look like glitter

for example, this is acrylic:
http://www.gbase.com/files/store_images/gear/2179586/p3_uvmhvoalg_so.jpg

[WezV]

the second pic there does look more like plastic - the first one could be either, very hard to tell from photo's because real pearl varies a hell of a lot too

never seen a pearloid that could be mistaken for pearl in real life though, its the way it reflects light that you cant fake easily

tbh, i dont think it matters to much, although i always wonder why PRS use laminated shell (abalam) on very expensive guitars it certainly doesnt make them worse guitars

i dont think Les pauls are any worse for having pearloid, infact aged pearloid can look pretty special too

[dave_mc]

I would think that Edwards is superior because it is like the Navigator models. Some people like the esp and I am not one of them. Thats just my opinion

I haven't tried navigator, but I don't think that can be true, navigator are like 5x the cost of edwardses, and ESP are more expensive than edwardses too. Edwardses are very nice guitars, with excellent bang for buck, but they're not boutique/custom shop quality.

[Sifu Ben]

Why are you obsessing over something that even if you are right is irrelevant to the discussion as Gibson uses pearloid anyway?????

[mikey5]

Its up to you all I have played ESP eclipse guitars a whole lot in music stores and I never bought one. I always looked around for the older Gibson Les Pauls. Best one I ever played was a white les paul custom1990. From what I have read and heard here edwards is more the gibson vein am I correct? Also price is an issue its like comparing two different guitars. Gibson is way more expensive that an ESP eclipse unless of course you are going for their custom shop like calling and having them put it together at your request. I also hate their pickup choices.

[Alex]

Well the ESP is not a Gibson and the Gibson is not an ESP. There's a reason for that, namely that the companies have different target groups for starters. Gibson is much more aimed at an older, more vintage rock/blues based clientel. People who obsess about traditions. Just look at the pickups, Gibsons have gotten constantly more traditional PAF-like, while ESP loves the EMGs and the SD JB/59 combo.
The current Gibsons LesPauls are very nice IMO and well worth the money, the Gibson standard does sound quite "old" and vintagey IMO.

Of course what I am aiming at (probably towards the end of the year) is to add a Gibson LesPaul to my collection. The ESP however, IMO, is hands down the better guitar for me to use live because of the tuners, the EMGs (no risk of being electrocuted anymore), the volute which protects the neck/headstock joint from possible damage and - not to be forgotten - the WEIGHT.

[FELINEGUITARS]

We have F.Sardis's ESP in the shop at present and I have to confess it is one of the nicest LP type guitars I have ever played

His definitely has real MOP in it

Gibson ALWAYS had plastic on their LP standards and MOP in the LP Customs

[ericsabbath]

We have F.Sardis's ESP in the shop at present and I have to confess it is one of the nicest LP type guitars I have ever played

pics or it's a bugera!  :D :D :D

[Crazy_Joe]

I'd chose the ESP over the Gibson anyday.

The Eclipse is basically the Les Paul except with all the annoying flaws rectified, e.g. upper fret access, weight etc.

[Zaned]

Remember to check out the ESP Eclipse FT models. FT = Full Thickness. Closer to the Gibson tone..

-Zaned