I highly prefer the ESP, but as a LP lover I do also think the Gibson sounds great. Gibson sounds more warm and muddy which I love because it has a classic and organic sound, but ESP is brighter and has more clarity which I also love because it has a more modern and digital sound. Honestly, I couldn't fault anyone for preferring one of the other; both guitars sound great to me.
That's a great perspective on these two guitars. I have both also: Les Paul Slash Anaconda Burst USA and ESP LTD Deluxe Black Cherry Quilted Maple. Both are beautiful and unique. Like having to choose which of your kids is your favorite... Depends on the day. Great video.
First time I can say I was first to like and comment haha! Great comparison! I can very clearly hear the differences. Both sound great but it depends on the sound you are going for. I personally love passive pick ups and specifically Gibson's so I would prefer the Les Paul if I was forced to pick one over the other although I have both myself. The Les Paul sounds warmer and more subdued where as the EMGs in the Eclipse have more of a bite...to my ear at least.
I will always go for the ESP. Better craftsmanship, fit and finish right out of the box. Pickups you can easily swap out if you don't like'm. Great comparison.
Great comparison! well done! I was waiting for a video like this one. Thank you! I like more the Gibson pick ups by the way. EMGs are a bit too cold. while gibson sound warmer
Both are fantastic guitars. ESP Eclipse E-II was my first guitar that I started learning guitar on several years ago and still great axe. It excels for metal and hard rock. I want a Les Paul custom and SG to complement it.
Too me, it’s not better or worse , they a two machines that look similar . Feel totally different . And both inspire slightly different ways of playing . The way the notes ring , and chime . Really good demo dude .
The E-II one feature the Custom does not have is the ability to coil split. I agree with the other comments below warm and silky or melt your face. I have both as well and choose my weapon based on material to be played.
to my untrained ear the Gibson is just a warmer/richer tone with more bottom/mids and the ESP sounds a little tighter with a mid/top boost in the cleans. The Gibson seems to maintain that tone through the dirty but picks up a bit more mid boost once the fuzz is added. I think they both sound great and would probably lean on the ESP more than the Gibson as my preference due to the music i play. It would be interesting if you swapped the pick ups between them to see if if the tonality shifted.
I would pick the ESP if I just wanted a reliable gigging guitar…but if I was just gigging occasionally and mostly playing at home, you can’t beat the tone of an LP. I’ve tried so many high end LP style guitars that play and stay in tune better than a Gibson, but they never sound as good lol regardless of pickups.
Great comparison, I'm currently hesitating a lot between both. How would you describe the neck shape of the Gibson? Is it really chunkier than the ESP?
So I just grabbed both a couple times specifically to respond here. I've got fairly big hands and I'm an intermediate player at best, but I find the difference very slight. The ESP being lighter, having a thinner body, and a satin finish are far more noticeable differences. Hope that helps!
There is a difference in sound but that's a given due to the different types of pickups. I'm curious about the difference in neck size and playability?
Great video. I have an LP and ESP EII (Mirage, not eclipse) so I came into this with no bias. Even with no bias, I 99% of the time pick a favorite. And I come out of this video in that 1% of the time without a favorite. They both sound great and unique and both are very beautiful to look at. Great playing by the way and thanks for the vid.
@@GeoffNelson The neck radius and EMG 81s really invoke my inner thrash metal kid from the '80s. Which is fun, but I can't seem to want to do anything but chug on it. It's a single volume knob thrasher, no tone knobs. and just a 3-way selector. After watching your video, I had to get an eclipse so I can get best of both Worlds. Just picked up a 2010 ESP Eclipse (distressed honeyburst) on reverb. Can't wait. Thanks for the motivation.
I had a 2001 gibson explorer than just had nothing but issues. My two E-II Eclipses have never had an issue and neither have my Ltds. Just can't go wrong with ESPs quality control
Would be nice to see a video of trying to recreate famous LP tones with both guitars. See how close to Slash, Young, Moore, Page and a few others you can get. See how they do or don't react to changes in volume. Do they both 'break up' the same? Then some discussion about the differences in playability.
Gotta be the Gibson, for some sentimental reasons. IMO the ESP is superior to the current Nashville Gibsons but my Custom Shop LP might be better. It's definitely cooler. Glad I have both!
It’s a hard choice. I’m a recent eclipse owner and I was about to buy a Les Paul classic. Wentand played the two and the playability alone made me go for the eclipse. To me they really nailed the neck shape. It’s fast but still has meat to it. The eclipse is spectacular instrument, and is exceptionally clear even at high gain. Part of that could be the pickups, but man esp really has something special with the eclipse.
@@GeoffNelson yes I got an e-ii. A nice little upgrade they did at the factory is make the pickups the 57/66 tw set instead of the em standard 57/66 set. So with the coil split, the eclipse is very versatile. I’m loving the thing.
Great video! I also own both. I think the source of the main sonic difference is the pickups. All of the other characteristics are much more nuanced sonically and harder to hear. Besides the “visual appeal” of a platform, I think it largely comes down to player preference. The mojo, finish, weight, playability are really different between the two. Thanks for making this! Rock on!
I suspect if you put the LP picks in the ESP, it too would have a very similar warmer and muddy sound. The Eclipse likely has EMGs in it, though I think you can get it with SD pickups also. I purchased my ESP Eclipse for playability and comfort compared to my Les Paul. Nothing sucks more than having the LP cut into your ribs while playing and I don't know anyone who enjoys playing the high frets on a Les Paul over most other guitars. It's like playing with a brick in the palm of your hand.
The differences is obvious in clean tone. But what causes the differences? Wood, build or pick up? If it is wood and build i will have to go for the gibson.
Both awesome. Would love a lp custom or supreme. I have an e-ii full thickness. I dont play it much. Prefer playing super strats but its a nice guitar.
@@GeoffNelson and , having and loving my LP traditional, reaching higher frets is a butthurt... playing seated you can utilise high frets...., standing and getting above fret 19 or 20 and still looking acceptable cool AND hitting the notes (thats where its at , no?)... I am wrestling with that neck joint :D
I really don`t like Active EMG pickups I traded my last guitar with that 8 years ago. But now I have an Epiphone Zakk Wylde with passive EMG pickups and it sounds surprisingly so good to me. It is Chinese but I like the beefy creamy original LP sound and you can play anything with it. I also have 2 ESP s with seymour duncan and they also sound warm and creamy. I think you and I are sharing similar taste :)
Thanks a lot for watching. I'm a bit of a snob, don't want anything made in China but I've heard good things about those Zakk models. It's fun to have options.
@@GeoffNelson Believe me doesn`t matter if it is Chinese for me it is an amazing guitar It is not as shiny as an ESP or Gibson but soundwise it is aweome.
@@GeoffNelsonThanks. I've just bought one & it's an amazingly built guitar. To me, feels better than the Gibson Custom. However, mine has the Fishman pups, and am struggling to bond with its tones. I think the EMGs mayve been a better choice, but I didn't have the option. These ESPs can be rare in Australia.
Both are great. It will depend on your needs. ESP sounds brighter in general. Gibson has an unbeatable bottom tone and punchy attack. I’d go for a mower modern sound with Eclipse and Classic with the Les Paul
@@thehaunted1 I feel really spoiled, but almost never play it. My go-to lately is my Music Man BFR Stingray. It's SO comfortable to play. The E-II is exquisite though. Here's a decent example of me playing it. ruclips.net/video/02h0z_cvdvQ/видео.html
I thought the Gibson sounded cleaner, more distinct between the lows and highs than the ESP however it was minute. Im going to guess the Gibson is at least three times more Shekels than the LTD. Ive had several LTD guitars amd all were very good, I still have the inexpensive SN200 and its well worth keeping! Thanks for sharing your beautiful guitars!
Thanks for watching. I bought the LP used and the Eclipse new. I think the prices were around $3200 and $1800 respectively. Both are far more guitar than my playing justifies but I love them.
@@GeoffNelson im finding used is the way to go, especially with priced guitars like the Gibson LP, great deals out there to be had. Thanks for sharing!
The Gibson sounded much better on this test. The ESP seems to be much more suited for high gain applications like metal rather than cleaner sounds (which it doesn't have). So the Gibson would be a much more versatile instrument here too whereas the ESP is super-specialized.
Both guitars sound great. The big difference really happens down the road. In 20 years the Gibson will probably be worth quite a bit more than the ESP. The Gibson is an heirloom. No way to really know what the ESP will be. But, an item is only worth the money that someone is willing to pay.
So true. I think the ESP will stand the test of time, although the satin finish is kind of untested. The LP Custom is probably the coolest guitar ever made.
That one is not, I have same model. Of the three finishes blue, satin white and natural black only the natural black is. In 2021 The tobacco and honey are full thickness as well.
Without even checking your video. Gibson will be muddier with more low end. On the other hand esp will be much brighter with less low end and much more mids compared to gibson. All this just cause of pickup difference - gibson has classic passive humbuckers while esp has active emgs which cut the low end and boost mids + have higher output and boost signal more. Now i'm gonna check the video if i am right 🤣🤣🤣
@@GeoffNelson now it would be really awesome to test and compare them with the same set of pickups. This would much more show the difference of the instrument itself more than the pickup difference.
@@BlackshardBand being the same scale length and made of just about the same tone woods, it's hard to imagine you could tell a difference at all if they had the same pickups. The difference would be look at and feel, fit and finish.
@@jimherleva4541 : there's a difference between muddy and warm. Btw, this Gibson is not muddy imo. Generally a muddy sound is where there is no note seperation in the midrange. A guitar can have a warm sound but the seperate notes in a chord can be still heard very well, a muddy guitar will pile it all together making it sound like mush, no matter the amp or settings. To me that's the difference between a well made guitar and a not so great guitar.
Totally different… Gibson is warm and it has personality Esp has an acid sound less personality but come out better in the mix. The Esp body is slim the Gibson is thick… the luthier is better in Esp. The Gibson is a classic the esp is a modern revisitation of Lp
I hate it that the Gibson sounds way better. I'll never buy a Gibson due to price and quality issues though. I own that exact ESP Eclipse and it plays amazing but except for metal sounds it is worthless...but I think that's more an issue with the pickups than the guitar.
After quite a bit of amateur research, and despite the fact that I've got a nice collection of pricey guitars I'm now convinced that a solid body guitar's sound is about 99% pickups and strings.
On second thought, That was a truly terrible sounding distortion effect you were using, but the ESP DID manage to get the thickness of the LP. I have noticed this, as well, on my E-2 M-1 ESP. I have played it through JCM410, SL-X, Vintage Modern and JCM DSL 100. Both through 1960a/b and 1960 av/bv. I don't understand how a 25.5 scale gets a 24.75 scale thickness unless it's something to do with the pre-amp. If I continue getting the gibson thivkness with some of the fender scale vocal musical sound, the ESP E-2 will become my number on guitar. It's a much better made guitar than my USA Gibson. As for the thick tone when distorted, It must be magic.
@@GeoffNelson yeah, I found that out. But, My esp e2 m1 is a 25.5. And yet, it's thick when distorted. No other 25.5 scale guitar I've ever had or heard can sound thick as a LP.
@@hevechvy I'm having a G&L ASAT Deluxe built, that I'm hoping will achieve that. It's a 25.5 scale but the tone woods, neck and fretboard will be the same as my LP Custom
@@GeoffNelson you have to pull the longer string tighter to get it to set up the same wave form of vibration. 25.5 inch string will always sound brighter than 24.75 because of the tension. tone woods are a hack to bullshit you into spending more money. the ESP has some trickery going on with the pre-amp. I think it's modeling like a Line 6 guitar models different guitar sounds.
The Les Paul sounds warmer and richer to me. The ESP sounds like an Ibanez, no soul. Hard to explain, as if it were empty. Could be the pick ups, I know ESP makes excellent guitars, in the USA custom shop and Japan series.
@@GeoffNelson Take a prescription of Pentatonic sequences in all 5 shapes. Learn 2-3 sequences and run them to the ground in all 5 boxes up and down the neck. You'll never need to worry about learning licks ever again. That will open the door and picking up new licks, regardless of difficulty, will be a matter of working on them for a couple days. Work on it for about 6 months SLOWLY with 8th notes and triplets and shoot for 110bpm triplets. Accent the triplets and then when you start getting chased by single mothers at the clubs..don't say I didn't warn you.
If that‘s not gatekeeping, I don‘t know what is. Do you know how many players on the stages of the world play EMG‘s? But sure, those aren‘t real players. James Hetfield, the bedroom musician.
@@flowryan5829 as I mentioned before they all have different aspects thats why metal players prefer emg then others it doesn’t mean they can’t play but when they play even sloppy emg make sound more clear then other pickups. They have cleared frequency and dynamic effects on strings try to compare emg and other passive pickups during same riffs you will understand what i am talking I didn’t say emg bad just make it easy somehow
@@MrDadyblues I actually think it’s opposite. Emgs are super sensitive, so if anything I think they make sloppy playing sound worse. They are eq’d in a totally different way so they are definitely clear and present, but I have to disagree about them making you sound better.
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I highly prefer the ESP, but as a LP lover I do also think the Gibson sounds great.
Gibson sounds more warm and muddy which I love because it has a classic and organic sound, but ESP is brighter and has more clarity which I also love because it has a more modern and digital sound.
Honestly, I couldn't fault anyone for preferring one of the other; both guitars sound great to me.
Agreed. It's a blessing to be able to have both. It'd be really tough to try and just pick one.
That's a great perspective on these two guitars. I have both also: Les Paul Slash Anaconda Burst USA and ESP LTD Deluxe Black Cherry Quilted Maple. Both are beautiful and unique. Like having to choose which of your kids is your favorite... Depends on the day. Great video.
First time I can say I was first to like and comment haha! Great comparison! I can very clearly hear the differences. Both sound great but it depends on the sound you are going for. I personally love passive pick ups and specifically Gibson's so I would prefer the Les Paul if I was forced to pick one over the other although I have both myself. The Les Paul sounds warmer and more subdued where as the EMGs in the Eclipse have more of a bite...to my ear at least.
I will always go for the ESP. Better craftsmanship, fit and finish right out of the box. Pickups you can easily swap out if you don't like'm. Great comparison.
Thanks much for watching
Great comparison! well done! I was waiting for a video like this one. Thank you! I like more the Gibson pick ups by the way. EMGs are a bit too cold. while gibson sound warmer
Thanks a lot. Before I made the video I wasn't sure what thought about the difference but looking back I think I completely agree.
Both are fantastic guitars. ESP Eclipse E-II was my first guitar that I started learning guitar on several years ago and still great axe. It excels for metal and hard rock. I want a Les Paul custom and SG to complement it.
You started with an E-II Eclipse? That’s fancy.
I don't know about better craftmanship.. However I prefer my Eclipse as it's lighter, thinner, and more comfortable to play than my LP.
Too me, it’s not better or worse , they a two machines that look similar . Feel totally different . And both inspire slightly different ways of playing . The way the notes ring , and chime . Really good demo dude .
Thanks so much!
The E-II one feature the Custom does not have is the ability to coil split. I agree with the other comments below warm and silky or melt your face. I have both as well and choose my weapon based on material to be played.
Good point
Great video! How is the tuning stability of the ESP compared to the gibson? Thank you
Thanks very much for watching. The tuning stability on both is great in my experience. Much better than my Gibson USA Les Pauls.
to my untrained ear the Gibson is just a warmer/richer tone with more bottom/mids and the ESP sounds a little tighter with a mid/top boost in the cleans. The Gibson seems to maintain that tone through the dirty but picks up a bit more mid boost once the fuzz is added. I think they both sound great and would probably lean on the ESP more than the Gibson as my preference due to the music i play. It would be interesting if you swapped the pick ups between them to see if if the tonality shifted.
I've never had an LTD But all of the ESPs I've had were PERFECT right from the start .
I have two E2 guitars and a Gibson Flying V I’m definitely going to buy a Gibson custom next. Thanks you for the review
Thanks for watching. It really doesn't get "cooler" than a LP Custom. So incredibly classic.
On the clean, the esp sounds to me less muddy, and brighter.!!
Absolutely agree. The LP is muddier, but it's also "creamier" which I love.
I would pick the ESP if I just wanted a reliable gigging guitar…but if I was just gigging occasionally and mostly playing at home, you can’t beat the tone of an LP. I’ve tried so many high end LP style guitars that play and stay in tune better than a Gibson, but they never sound as good lol regardless of pickups.
Great comparison, I'm currently hesitating a lot between both. How would you describe the neck shape of the Gibson? Is it really chunkier than the ESP?
So I just grabbed both a couple times specifically to respond here. I've got fairly big hands and I'm an intermediate player at best, but I find the difference very slight. The ESP being lighter, having a thinner body, and a satin finish are far more noticeable differences. Hope that helps!
@@GeoffNelson thanks a lot!
There is a difference in sound but that's a given due to the different types of pickups. I'm curious about the difference in neck size and playability?
Yeah, that nickel cover alone gives a lot of low end.
Both 👍,,I will have to admit that I have also have an assortment of LP and ESP, Both USA ESP,, E-II and even a few Edward's wich also kick ass ..
Great video. I have an LP and ESP EII (Mirage, not eclipse) so I came into this with no bias. Even with no bias, I 99% of the time pick a favorite.
And I come out of this video in that 1% of the time without a favorite. They both sound great and unique and both are very beautiful to look at.
Great playing by the way and thanks for the vid.
Thanks a bunch. Nice to hear really positive feedback. Cheers!
How do you like your Mirage?
@@GeoffNelson The neck radius and EMG 81s really invoke my inner thrash metal kid from the '80s. Which is fun, but I can't seem to want to do anything but chug on it. It's a single volume knob thrasher, no tone knobs. and just a 3-way selector.
After watching your video, I had to get an eclipse so I can get best of both Worlds. Just picked up a 2010 ESP Eclipse (distressed honeyburst) on reverb. Can't wait. Thanks for the motivation.
Great video
That's nice to hear. Thanks for watching!
@@GeoffNelson Well we do have the same last name so, you obviously do things great. 🙂
@@mattnelson8325 I thought you looked familiar
cool video man thanks
That's for watching. I appreciate it.
I had a 2001 gibson explorer than just had nothing but issues. My two E-II Eclipses have never had an issue and neither have my Ltds. Just can't go wrong with ESPs quality control
I'm just curious, what issues with the Explorer?
Can't really compare as ones active emgs other is passive humbucker. Gonna be completely differ t
yeah
Very true. I test all my humbucker guitars with the same electronics. My test pickups are Fralin PAF.
Would be nice to see a video of trying to recreate famous LP tones with both guitars. See how close to Slash, Young, Moore, Page and a few others you can get. See how they do or don't react to changes in volume. Do they both 'break up' the same? Then some discussion about the differences in playability.
I wish I could! That’s probably beyond my expertise. Great idea.
How different are the fretboards ? E2 looks narrower than the Gibson ?is the string spacing same ?
E-II is very slightly more narrow. My hands can't tell a difference.
My two favorite guitar makers. I own a Gibson but I want an E-II. Which is your favorite?
Gotta be the Gibson, for some sentimental reasons. IMO the ESP is superior to the current Nashville Gibsons but my Custom Shop LP might be better. It's definitely cooler. Glad I have both!
It’s a hard choice. I’m a recent eclipse owner and I was about to buy a Les Paul classic. Wentand played the two and the playability alone made me go for the eclipse. To me they really nailed the neck shape. It’s fast but still has meat to it. The eclipse is spectacular instrument, and is exceptionally clear even at high gain. Part of that could be the pickups, but man esp really has something special with the eclipse.
@@robbynaumann439 Did you get an E-II? IMO in recent years an E-II is a better value than an equivalent Nashville Gibson.
@@GeoffNelson yes I got an e-ii. A nice little upgrade they did at the factory is make the pickups the 57/66 tw set instead of the em standard 57/66 set. So with the coil split, the eclipse is very versatile. I’m loving the thing.
Great video!
I also own both. I think the source of the main sonic difference is the pickups. All of the other characteristics are much more nuanced sonically and harder to hear.
Besides the “visual appeal” of a platform, I think it largely comes down to player preference. The mojo, finish, weight, playability are really different between the two.
Thanks for making this! Rock on!
Neck shape definitely
Which neck is thinner? I have a CS LP and just got my 4th ESP but the neck is huge on it.
Awesome video! \,,/
Thanks very much for watching!
I suspect if you put the LP picks in the ESP, it too would have a very similar warmer and muddy sound. The Eclipse likely has EMGs in it, though I think you can get it with SD pickups also. I purchased my ESP Eclipse for playability and comfort compared to my Les Paul. Nothing sucks more than having the LP cut into your ribs while playing and I don't know anyone who enjoys playing the high frets on a Les Paul over most other guitars. It's like playing with a brick in the palm of your hand.
The ESP is definitely more ergonomic
@@GeoffNelson Curious if you have played a LP Custom "Axcess" and if so how does it compare ergonomically to the ESP?
@@keithclayton1271 until you asked I'd never heard of an Axcess. Thanks for introducing me.
You can keep the Gibson but I will gladly take the E-2 all day long. Thanks for the vid.
Where should I send it? ;)
Thanks for watching!
The differences is obvious in clean tone.
But what causes the differences? Wood, build or pick up?
If it is wood and build i will have to go for the gibson.
Agreed. Definitely more classic.
Beautiful sounds outta that Gibson! Hate the Emgs if not for Screaming Metal!
Thanks!
Both awesome. Would love a lp custom or supreme. I have an e-ii full thickness. I dont play it much. Prefer playing super strats but its a nice guitar.
I’m in a similar boat
What if... you put emg fat 55s in the esp 🤔? I image it becoming reallly close :)
I think you're probably right. After that I think the big difference would be look and feel.
@@GeoffNelson and , having and loving my LP traditional, reaching higher frets is a butthurt... playing seated you can utilise high frets...., standing and getting above fret 19 or 20 and still looking acceptable cool AND hitting the notes (thats where its at , no?)... I am wrestling with that neck joint :D
I really don`t like Active EMG pickups I traded my last guitar with that 8 years ago. But now I have an Epiphone Zakk Wylde with passive EMG pickups and it sounds surprisingly so good to me. It is Chinese but I like the beefy creamy original LP sound and you can play anything with it. I also have 2 ESP s with seymour duncan and they also sound warm and creamy. I think you and I are sharing similar taste :)
Thanks a lot for watching. I'm a bit of a snob, don't want anything made in China but I've heard good things about those Zakk models. It's fun to have options.
@@GeoffNelson Believe me doesn`t matter if it is Chinese for me it is an amazing guitar It is not as shiny as an ESP or Gibson but soundwise it is aweome.
@@wyldechild01 I can dig it
For me Electric Sounds Production wins !
Electric Sound Products. I never realized that's what ESP stood for.
What pickups are in this les Paul custom?
I'm pretty sure it's the 490/498 set. It's a 2011 Custom Shop.
Different. Both sound good in their own ways. Pickups on ESP? Fishmans or EMG?
The EMGs. They're active, I forget the model.
@@GeoffNelsonThanks. I've just bought one & it's an amazingly built guitar. To me, feels better than the Gibson Custom. However, mine has the Fishman pups, and am struggling to bond with its tones. I think the EMGs mayve been a better choice, but I didn't have the option. These ESPs can be rare in Australia.
@@leoolivero963 I've never played Fishmans but obviously heard good things. I put some Lollar PAFs in different guitar and I'm loving them.
Both are great. It will depend on your needs. ESP sounds brighter in general. Gibson has an unbeatable bottom tone and punchy attack. I’d go for a mower modern sound with Eclipse and Classic with the Les Paul
The Gibson sounds very flat IMP however, the ESP that is using the EMG set sounds twangy on the clean setting and more cleaner sounding.
I hear the E II has a more clear sound amd LP is clearly more muddy. Almost like it has old strings on it. Both sound great though
That's a good point. I should put new and same brand and gauge strings but I didn't. Thanks for watching.
@@GeoffNelson do you love the E II?
@@thehaunted1 I feel really spoiled, but almost never play it. My go-to lately is my Music Man BFR Stingray. It's SO comfortable to play. The E-II is exquisite though. Here's a decent example of me playing it.
ruclips.net/video/02h0z_cvdvQ/видео.html
Im thinking of getting one so thanks for the videos. Sounds killer! Great job!
@@thehaunted1 thanks a lot! You won't be disappointed. The fit and finish are incredible.
I thought the Gibson sounded cleaner, more distinct between the lows and highs than the ESP however it was minute. Im going to guess the Gibson is at least three times more Shekels than the LTD. Ive had several LTD guitars amd all were very good, I still have the inexpensive SN200 and its well worth keeping! Thanks for sharing your beautiful guitars!
Thanks for watching. I bought the LP used and the Eclipse new. I think the prices were around $3200 and $1800 respectively. Both are far more guitar than my playing justifies but I love them.
@@GeoffNelson im finding used is the way to go, especially with priced guitars like the Gibson LP, great deals out there to be had. Thanks for sharing!
@@GeoffNelson thank you, it was my pleasure.
ESP for me.
Eclipse is brighter, but I prefer the sound of the LP.
I agree
Duas máquinas da porra!
The Gibson sounded much better on this test. The ESP seems to be much more suited for high gain applications like metal rather than cleaner sounds (which it doesn't have). So the Gibson would be a much more versatile instrument here too whereas the ESP is super-specialized.
EMGs in the E2?
Yeah they're stock. Does that seem weird?
Both guitars sound great. The big difference really happens down the road. In 20 years the Gibson will probably be worth quite a bit more than the ESP. The Gibson is an heirloom. No way to really know what the ESP will be. But, an item is only worth the money that someone is willing to pay.
So true. I think the ESP will stand the test of time, although the satin finish is kind of untested. The LP Custom is probably the coolest guitar ever made.
Maybe. But my gibsons electronics went to shit in like a year and guitars besides very rare ones never exceed the rate of inflation with value
Gibson for love song , esp for hi gain sound🤘
They’re both fabulous instruments. I’m blessed to have them.
my god... he Gibson is heavenly.
Great guitar
I prefer Gibson's clean tone and ESP's distortion.
Why am I watching this? I already own an ESP EII Eclipse
is the Eclipse a full thickness?
Great question. No, it's a standard E-II Eclipse.
Yes, the E-II’s are. And from the LtD series so are the T models
@@Zorichai some E-II Eclipses are full thickness and some aren't, I believe. Mine isn't.
That one is not, I have same model. Of the three finishes blue, satin white and natural black only the natural black is. In 2021 The tobacco and honey are full thickness as well.
Gibson: warmer and deep rich tones
ESP: bright almost Fender Strat single coil sounding to me.
Both have advantages
fit and finish on each is excellent. You couldn't go wrong owning either IMO
I LOVE ALL MY E-II’S!!!
PLEASE SOMEONE BUYING OFF THE GIBSON FROM ME!!!
BECAUSE I NEVER WANNA TO DO ANYTHING WITH THIS GIBSON SCAM!!!
I like Esp :-)
It's an amazing guitar
always gonna go with Gibson. but that has more to do with a play style
Gibson sounds warmer and wider
That’s a good description
The Gibson Sounds more balanced an lower output. Eclipse midrange is pushed. I think that the Gibson sounds les muddy....
Agreed. Good take.
Without even checking your video. Gibson will be muddier with more low end. On the other hand esp will be much brighter with less low end and much more mids compared to gibson. All this just cause of pickup difference - gibson has classic passive humbuckers while esp has active emgs which cut the low end and boost mids + have higher output and boost signal more.
Now i'm gonna check the video if i am right 🤣🤣🤣
Spoiler alert
@@GeoffNelson now it would be really awesome to test and compare them with the same set of pickups. This would much more show the difference of the instrument itself more than the pickup difference.
@@BlackshardBand being the same scale length and made of just about the same tone woods, it's hard to imagine you could tell a difference at all if they had the same pickups. The difference would be look at and feel, fit and finish.
What you call “muddier”, I call warmer. What you call “brighter”, I call harsher.
@@jimherleva4541 : there's a difference between muddy and warm. Btw, this Gibson is not muddy imo. Generally a muddy sound is where there is no note seperation in the midrange. A guitar can have a warm sound but the seperate notes in a chord can be still heard very well, a muddy guitar will pile it all together making it sound like mush, no matter the amp or settings. To me that's the difference between a well made guitar and a not so great guitar.
Its clearly decision, ESP sounds better
E-II is a great guitar, but u will never get the “Brothers in arms” tone which has a bit more low and sweet mids…
Gibson sounds warmer, ESP sounds brighter and more articulate. Now do a drop test. Just them fall over. Let's see how that plays out...
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@@GeoffNelson ok fine, just push over the Gibson. I hear they are selling pretty cool headless designs now. PLAY AUTHENTIC, MAN! xD
@@MajorUpgrade hahaha
Totally different… Gibson is warm and it has personality Esp has an acid sound less personality but come out better in the mix. The Esp body is slim the Gibson is thick… the luthier is better in Esp.
The Gibson is a classic the esp is a modern revisitation of Lp
I hate it that the Gibson sounds way better. I'll never buy a Gibson due to price and quality issues though. I own that exact ESP Eclipse and it plays amazing but except for metal sounds it is worthless...but I think that's more an issue with the pickups than the guitar.
After quite a bit of amateur research, and despite the fact that I've got a nice collection of pricey guitars I'm now convinced that a solid body guitar's sound is about 99% pickups and strings.
There is a difference but is it worth it to the individual. A $1,000 guitar compared to a $4,000 guitar.
Price-wise it's closer than that. The ESP is an E-II Japanese made Eclipse. You can't buy them for $1000.
@@GeoffNelson Yes my mistake. The ESP E ll's are between $2,000 and $2800.00 The ESP LTD ec 1000 Are in the $1,000 range.
Even at $2800 it would still probably be cheaper then the Gibson
Bought a used 2014 e2 vintage honey burst in great shape for $850. I will never sell it.
Esp
Man, they sound totally different... The ESP has a lot of highs, not much of the body of the Les Paul.
well put
I wouldn't have used a fuzz, saturates the sound far too much
Good feedback. If I had it to do again I think I would have done something different.
On second thought, That was a truly terrible sounding distortion effect you were using, but the ESP DID manage to get the thickness of the LP. I have noticed this, as well, on my E-2 M-1 ESP. I have played it through JCM410, SL-X, Vintage Modern and JCM DSL 100. Both through 1960a/b and 1960 av/bv. I don't understand how a 25.5 scale gets a 24.75 scale thickness unless it's something to do with the pre-amp. If I continue getting the gibson thivkness with some of the fender scale vocal musical sound, the ESP E-2 will become my number on guitar. It's a much better made guitar than my USA Gibson. As for the thick tone when distorted, It must be magic.
Both are 24.75 scale.
@@GeoffNelson yeah, I found that out. But, My esp e2 m1 is a 25.5. And yet, it's thick when distorted. No other 25.5 scale guitar I've ever had or heard can sound thick as a LP.
@@hevechvy I'm having a G&L ASAT Deluxe built, that I'm hoping will achieve that. It's a 25.5 scale but the tone woods, neck and fretboard will be the same as my LP Custom
@@GeoffNelson you have to pull the longer string tighter to get it to set up the same wave form of vibration. 25.5 inch string will always sound brighter than 24.75 because of the tension. tone woods are a hack to bullshit you into spending more money. the ESP has some trickery going on with the pre-amp. I think it's modeling like a Line 6 guitar models different guitar sounds.
Not fond of fuzz, both sound really.!!
The pickups on the ESP are too bright for my liking.
I think it's time for you to buy a second hand Marshall MG 250DFX 2x 50W stereo Pffff
Sound alone, I am way more into the Gibson. The ESP sounds so lean.
Very true
the ESP can't hide it's 25.5 inch scale. It has a increased thinness and treble.
It's 24.75
Except the ESP doesn't have a 25.5 inch scale, it's 24.75 same as the Gibson. The brightness is mostly the thinner body = less mass.
The Les Paul sounds warmer and richer to me. The ESP sounds like an Ibanez, no soul. Hard to explain, as if it were empty. Could be the pick ups, I know ESP makes excellent guitars, in the USA custom shop and Japan series.
The fit and finish really is exquisite. The guitar might be beyond my skills to properly showcase.
@@GeoffNelson Take a prescription of Pentatonic sequences in all 5 shapes. Learn 2-3 sequences and run them to the ground in all 5 boxes up and down the neck. You'll never need to worry about learning licks ever again. That will open the door and picking up new licks, regardless of difficulty, will be a matter of working on them for a couple days. Work on it for about 6 months SLOWLY with 8th notes and triplets and shoot for 110bpm triplets. Accent the triplets and then when you start getting chased by single mothers at the clubs..don't say I didn't warn you.
I hate the fuzz… both sound like shit with fuzz
Gibson more organic, natural
ESP more steril and lifeless, more digital and direct
Gibson more like Rock Gain
ESP more like Heavy gain.
Good take. That seems to be the consensus. Thanks a lot for watching.
best comment
joder que asqueroso suena esa distorsión
Gibson all the way,, esp is to bright ,, gibson is warm, thick and full while esp is like razor blade
You need to buy a proper mic 🎙
I have a nice condenser mic but didn't use it for the introduction. Is that what you mean?
@@GeoffNelson just for your voice in the beginning of the vid. Absolutely love both of those guitars though
@@Blueesteel_ here's my talking on the good mic:
ruclips.net/video/hciEfyUi9pI/видео.html
Gibson LPC might be greatest guitar of all time.
EMGs sadly has that boxy/plasticy sound..
You're not wrong. Although I'm sure it would sound much better in other hands
ESP destroys Gibson
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Real players love gibson. Studio players and intermediate players can love more active pickups then gibson. Both have different aspects
If that‘s not gatekeeping, I don‘t know what is. Do you know how many players on the stages of the world play EMG‘s? But sure, those aren‘t real players. James Hetfield, the bedroom musician.
@@flowryan5829 as I mentioned before they all have different aspects thats why metal players prefer emg then others it doesn’t mean they can’t play but when they play even sloppy emg make sound more clear then other pickups. They have cleared frequency and dynamic effects on strings try to compare emg and other passive pickups during same riffs you will understand what i am talking I didn’t say emg bad just make it easy somehow
@@MrDadyblues I actually think it’s opposite. Emgs are super sensitive, so if anything I think they make sloppy playing sound worse. They are eq’d in a totally different way so they are definitely clear and present, but I have to disagree about them making you sound better.
So you’re not a real player if you don’t love Gibson? nice 👍