Rudolf
Hallo everyone,
My girlfriend's fallen in love with the look of the ESP F-100FM guitar but I can't find much on these bad boys on the net? She like me doesn't want to drop too much into a first guitar but this one she's absolutely hooked on. We haven't played the guitar or anything, just saw it hanging on the wall in the shop and I gagged slightly at the price but that's as far as it goes. It's certainly a funky looking guitar but is it still good to go for a nooby?
I'm a little concerned with the what looks like double humbucker setup also? Dunno if it'll be a very versatile guitar to own and that can't be good for a first guitar can it?
The link:
http://www.espguitars.com/guitars_f.html
Any comments?
MikeM
Show her as much else as you can ?
Maybe a hello kitty? ? Lol
I've never played one so I can really comment, but check the Corts. Dual humbucker but with a coil tap option, so effectively it's like a single coil ?
Cheers
Mike
Rudolf
Hehehe, the kitty was the first one that jumped to mind when she said we're going shopping. I just got the look though. :-[
MikeM
Lol, I think it's an awesome guitar!
IanB
+1 to the Corts, they are very good value and dont look to bad either. Tell your girlfriend that she should learn so something a little more easy to play on(and cheaper!). I cant comment on the ESP's sound, but it looks a little uncomfortable to play with(very pionty). What was the price btw?
AlanRatcliffe
ESPs are generally decent value for money. I also don't have a problem with someone spending more for a first guitar - as long as they are fairly sure playing is something that they are going to stick to. Then it actually makes sense, because they are less likely to need to upgrade later, so in the long run it works out cheaper. As long as you stay away from complications like double-locking trems for a beginner (which the F-100 doesn't have), you are fine.
I've also no problem with a two humbucker guitar, especially when it's a 24 fret neck - anything else is too crowded and ends up with a lot more limitations in the tonal variety than you would expect. What dictates the variety of the tones is choice in pickups - a pair of humbuckers with coil cuts and series/parallel options gives you a total of 24 sounds (I have a two humbucker guitar wired for 15 different sounds, and it's my most versatile sounding guitar). Specialised humbucking pickups like Seymour Duncan P-Rails can also give you a huge range of tones, from single-coil to P90 to vintage or high powered humbucker tones.
Having said that, I think that given what the guitar is designed for (pretty obviously heavier rock/metal), it is probably going to be a little one-dimensional. But that will be more from the choice of pickups they have stuck in there, and is easily changed later.
I also quite like the look. The F2E is one I could easily see myself playing if it didn't have the double-locking trem on.
Explorerlover
Alan has pretty much covered it....As far a playability goes, it's not uncomfortable at all to play. I played the ESP 7 String version and there can't be that much difference in the body contours of the 7 and the normal 6's . You might even look at a F50...not fancy flamed maple etc etc, but much cheaper than the 100's.
Martyr
i don't really have a problem with someone spending more on a new guitar,because alan says,the less you'll need to spend later...i do however have a problem with some getting a &*(^ GIBSON les paul as their first guitar >☹,but alan made me feel better about that one,said: The best part about people like that buying expensive guitars is they sell it off cheap to real musicians when they quit ?...
ok that had nothing to do with the ESP,not for the ESP
ESP are really nice guitars,i prefer their more "classic shapes" than that shape(don't like guitars that are "overdone"),comes with EMG pick ups,which are better for metal BUT that config could do a broad rage of genres,i think...i wouldn't get her the one with the crazy looking design on the frett board,she will need frett markers,they will help her alot and help you alot when you teach her(i know from experience)
hardware on it looks good,grover tuners are amazing,24fretts is also pretty sweet(i have 22 ☹)
i prefer heavy guitars,this one is probably light(am i right?),but i guess light will be better for a girl and for a beginner...if you really don't wanna fork out a lot for a guitar,try get her to like an Ibanez,apparently you get the rare one that plays nicely *ducks*...but if she is SURE she won't quit and she really loves the guitar and you REALLY love her? then i'd get the guitar ?
Explorerlover
So true with those inlays....Dots for beginners.
Rudolf
Thanks for all the inputs guys, I'm forever thankfull. Showed the better half what you all had to say last night and she agreed maybe we should just go there open minded, the F's look good and she's in love with the shape but obviously we have to be reasonable and objective especially as she's going to have to be happy with her first choice of Axe for a wee while to come. She reckons if this bad boy's just slightly off from what we want bugger it, we'll look at a Yamaha like mine as we already know it can play almost anything half decent and it's easy to use all round with fair quality, "cheap" too boot!
I phoned Oosthaven's this morning to find out what's in the shop (No we're not set on only buying there but she's with me on the fact that the boys there have been super helpfull so there's a little loyalty for sure). I got a quick idea of what we're looking at so we can crunch numbers ahead of the time and this what I got over the phone, it's definitely gonna help prepare for the big day:
ESP LTD F-100 = R3895 (It's a pricey little bugger, especially if we still need a cable/stand/Amp/bag etc)
ESP LTD F-50 = R3095 (Yeah chuck the fancy paintjob and you cut R800?!? WT? Hehehe. This one's red though, if it was the black it stood a fighting chance. She won't go for the red, I don't think.)
Fender Mexican Strat (I had to ask, me wants) = R8000 +/- (DRAT)
Yamaha (Like mine RAG-21 or something) = R1495
Ibanez GRX20 = R2195 (This one sounds good too, will check it out)
Ibanez RG(somefin) = R4000
I figured if she really gets hung up on the F-100 knowing our budget we won't make it. I'll make a plan to maybe get her an Amp for x-mas or something. That's if she gets me a good Acoustic with electric pickups (Mwhuahahahaha......just kidding). You guys going on about the dots like this? Those things actually have a purpose? ? ..I can only find 5th and 12th fret in good time, luckily neither of the ESP's we're looking at has anything but the Model number on 12th, dotted otherwise thankfully.
Rudolf
i prefer heavy guitars,this one is probably light(am i right?),but i guess light will be better for a girl and for a beginner...if you really don't wanna fork out a lot for a guitar,try get her to like an Ibanez,apparently you get the rare one that plays nicely *ducks*...but if she is SURE she won't quit and she really loves the guitar and you REALLY love her? then i'd get the guitar
Oof no idea on this one's weight no I'm afraid? I suspect you're right though that a lighter guitar would be better for the ladies. Even my little Yamaha gets heavy after it's been resting an hour or so on my skinny legs. But also I think if the sucker's got a little weight it makes you appreciate it more when you pick it up. Call me crazy, I don't mind.
AlanRatcliffe
Rudolf wrote:
(Yeah chuck the fancy paintjob and you cut R800?!? WT? Hehehe. This one's red though, if it was the black it stood a fighting chance. She won't go for the red, I don't think.)
It's more than just paint - it's a figured maple top too, which adds quite a bit of cost on to any guitar over a plain basswood body.
You guys going on about the dots like this? Those things actually have a purpose?
Yup. They help you find your way around the board a bit. Not essential IMO - you get used to whatever you learn on. Classic guitarists don't need 'em. ?
Rudolf
It's more than just paint - it's a figured maple top too, which adds quite a bit of cost on to any guitar over a plain basswood body.
Oof. Just shows you how little I know about these things. If the specs told me the one was made out of fiberglass and the other carbon I would have been a little more informed. ?
Rudolf
Heya everyone!
Great day for guitar shopping, terrible day for the credit card(s). We spent a good 4 hours hunting down equipment all shapes and sizes, I drooled over a Fender USA strat of course (Don't think we'll see that one in the x-mas stocking too soon...pricey little bugger). We checked out the F-series guitars but after what the exchange rate's done to the prices of the amps and stuff it became a bit of a "Is it really worth it" affair considering it's a first axe. Luckily for us Oosthaven's had this bad boy in the bunch, the looks caught the girlfriend and my eyes immediatly and of course she needed something that looked good. Luckily for us this one didn't sound bad either and the price was right to boot! We got a really good deal on the guitar and the package in general so SOLD it was. :D From what I read here the Cort's are good guitars so we're fortunate to have found something in the right price range that not only looks good but certainly sounds great also. It was a good day.
So here she is. Cort's new series "XCort X-2". Website: http://www.cort.co.kr/english/products/common/view.asp?product_id=132#
AlanRatcliffe
Happy new (girlfriend's) guitar day. Great beginners guitars those. I notice you have "his & hers" amps too! Very 8)
Martyr
and matching pick holders with picks,so cute :-[
reason everyone says dot inlays are important is so that she can find her way around the frett board,it's easier for you to show her where to place her fingers when you teach her and it's easier for you to see what she's doing ?
but it's not a train smash to not have 'em,all guitars have the dots at the top on the neck anyway for her to see....
glad you found the equipment you were looking for ?
Rudolf
Oh sometimes we even wear matching shirts! ? ? Heheee. We also got matching straps, matching strap locks, stands! Only things different is I got a gizmo foot stand thingy and of course Rudolf's xmas present to self...Line 6 floor pod! Yay!
Alan: Love the little Line 6 Spiders, loud enough for what we need yes and the built in effects are handy for noobies. She didn't even look at anything else, simply because we "know" it works. ?
Wezz: Correct on the dots on the side of the neck, I checked and even the F-50 and F-100M has the little tiny dots on the side. I wish they would have been a little more deliberate on the dots though, heck give the frets numbers for all I care. Still have a dreadfull time sometimes quickly finding the 8th fret for instance.
