ESP E-II Horizon NT-II Tiger Eye Amber Fade Electric Guitar w/EMG Pickups & Original Hardshell Case

Expertly crafted in Tokyo, Japan where it all started, the E-II Series is a line of professional grade guitars made for musicians who need a boutique instrument at a factory price. The E-II Horizon is an iconic ESP model that offers the classic pairing of Quilted Maple over Mahogany in one of the most recognizable ESP shapes. With its PAF-voiced EMG active pickups and sleek 24-fret neck, the Horizon NT-II covers a remarkable range of sonic ground.

This ESP E-II Horizon NT-II features:

• Tiger Amber Fade finish, 8.4 pounds
• Mahogany body
• Quilted Maple Top
• 3-piece "Thin U" Maple neck - satin finish back
  
• Ebony Fingerboard
• 1.650" bone nut and 12" radius, 25.5" scale
• 24 Stainless XJ Frets
• EMG 66TW neck pickup
• EMG 57TW bridge pickup
• 3-position pickup switch
• (1) volume control and (1) tone control
  
• Pull volume to split neck pickup
• Pull tone to split bridge pickup
• Gotoh TOM bridge and Tailpiece
• Gotoh Locking tuners
• Hardshell Deluxe Case
• Made in Tokyo, Japan

This E-II Eclipse is made in Tokyo, Japan where the ESP brand was born. The E-II line serves as a bridge between the Korean/Indonesian LTD series and the premium USA and ESP Original Japanese models. The Japanese penchant for workmanship and attention to detail makes these the highest quality "production" ESP's, and put a true Japanese ESP within the reach of the serious enthusiast or pro player.

The Horizon is ESP's classic flat-bottom S-type shape that can be found on many models throughout the entire line. While the headstock and finish lends this guitar a racy look that implies that it's only for hard rockers, we found that looks don't always tell the whole story.

The pickups in the Horizon are the EMG 66/57 set with coil split option. When it comes to active pickups, these are some of most "traditionally" voiced out there and this set is designed to appeal to all players, including those who have not broken out of the passive mindset. They are constructed with Alnico V magnets combined with ceramic pole pieces for a classic PAF sound with enhanced attack and clarity. In a way, these are active pickups for "passive players". The 66 neck pickup is warm and chewy yet boasts exceptional headroom and clarity thanks to the active electronics. The 57 bridge pickup is vintage voiced for silky clean highs and tight, punchy low end. With active volume and tone controls that are completely effective throughout the range, these pickups have superb grind potential but clean up like the best of them. While slightly more "clinical" than true PAF's, the 66/57 set proves to be an impressive platform that can excel in just about any genre.

This Horizon also allows you individually split humbuckers into single coils using a push/pull function on the volume and tone controls. This is a really nice feature on any two humbucker guitar and we found that the strong, full sound of the active pickups split better than many of their passive peers. You're not going to mistake the tone for a Strat or Tele but it's a nice way of bumping up the chime and articulation out of either pickup. One of our favorite settings was splitting one coil and rocking the other humbucker full tilt. It worked nicely in both applications and really opens up the sonic territory on a guitar with typically "3 speeds".

The neck on the Eclipse is what they call their "Thin U" profile. It's naturally comfortable and provides good palm support while being thin enough to get a thumb around the neck when necessary. To our precision-calibrated hand it appears to be somewhere in-between a Slim 60's and '59 profile. The fret finish on the bound ebony neck is flawless, and if you like a guitar that sets up low and fast, you've found it. But it's not a wide-flat shred-only platform, and with a little higher setup it's perfectly at home for blues-inspired bends.

While many players know ESP it by its hard rock and predominantly heavy metal image, there are many facets to the ESP product lineup that address a wide range of player interests. With outstanding quality and a breadth of models, there is more to ESP than you think.