ESP E-II Arrow (with Fishman Fluence Moderns) Review and Full Mix Metal Demo
8ESP E-II Arrow (with Fishman Fluence Modern Pickups) unsponsored review and full mix demo. An excellent stage guitar, this instrument is ready to rock. Timestamps for specific parts of the review below.
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Intro and quick verdict
00:00 Intro
00:19 Quick verdict
Full mix demo
00:33 Bridge pickup rhythm w/ palm mutes
00:48 Bridge lead
01:00 Bridge steady thrash
01:07 Bridge palm mute lead
01:13 Bridge guitar solo
01:19 Bridge harmony
01:26 Neck clean arpeggio
01:28 Bridge song chorus
01:40 Bridge tremolo picking
01:47 Neck cleans
01:59 Bridge droning chords over neck cleans
02:12 Reprise
Comfort and playability
02:28 Body bevels
02:41 Painted neck
02:46 Painted vs. unpainted necks
03:01 Neck profile
03:10 Easy to pick up and play
03:22 Fretboard radius
03:33 Pick up and play for thrash or metal
03:44 Ebony fretboard and nickel silver frets
04:00 25.5 Scale length vs. 24.75
04:26 Neck joint
04:41 Rear strap button location
Sound
05:01 EMG 81 were stock
05:17 Fishman Fluence Modern
05:22 Neck position has been decent at best
Cons
05:36 Painted neck could be subjective
05:44 Locking nut popping sound
05:58 Guitar hasn’t let me down ft. cat tail
06:08 Pickup selector switch is small and difficult to hit quickly
06:13 Headstock and trem spring sympathetic vibrations
Verdict
06:35 Would I recommend this
06:51 Used might be best since new can be pricey
06:56 Tip if you’re not used to pointy guitars
07:17 Go for it
07:35 Like, comment, and subscribe!
One of the best things about this guitar is how easy it is to pick up and start playing without too much warming up. The fretboard radius isn't too thin and the neck isn't too thin or thick and fits into the hand nicely. That plus the striking presence that a flying V has make this an excellent choice for a stage guitar.
Unfortunately directly contradicting this is an issue that may only be with my own guitar. The locking nut makes an odd popping sound if you roughly use the Floyd. This hasn't affected tuning stability but is still not ideal to hear. If it weren't for this then I'd fully recommend this as a live show guitar as it's been consistently stable over the 8 years I've owned it.
The body has reasonably deep bevels on both front and back and is comfortable as far as Vs go. The neck is painted with the same gloss finish as the body, so this could be a deterrent if you prefer unfinished necks. Even though I prefer the unfinished feel, this hasn't been that big of a deal and the instrument is still fun to play.
The stock pickups it came with were two EMG 81s. The 81 sounds great in the bridge but awful in the neck. I replaced these with the Fishman Fluence modern set and they sound good. You can hear a comparison in the metal pickup shootout video on my channel here: https://youtu.be/gTLKv5atzLQ
When it comes to pickup selection, the 3 way switch is small and out of the way. I can't recommend this guitar if you do many fast pickup changes as the switch is just too small and oddly placed to be reliably found and toggled, especially in a live situation. This guitar was meant to be ripped full speed ahead on the bridge pickup.
The rear strap button is closer to the bridge than the newer models, where it's located a bit higher up the upper horn. I've tried the balance on both and they're identical. I noticed no difference. I don't notice the strap button on my leg while playing sitting down as well.
Overall this is an excellent choice if you’re looking for a flying V guitar. It has a good combination of looks, comfort, stability, and tone. New ones these days are on the expensive side so a used one could be the way to go granted it doesn’t have the same locking nut issue mine has developed.
Are there any points I missed? Do you have any more questions? Let me know in the comments down below!