ESP E-II HORIZON NT-II in See Thru Black Sunburst

The Horizon E-II is a no-compromise, quality guitar built for effortless playing, bridging the gap between the extremely high-end premium range and the affordable ESP LTD models. The striking looks probably won't make it a vintage classic but the Horizon will last just as long as any thanks to exceptional woods and hardware.

Sound

ESP are famous for their high octane metal guitars but the Horizon can do so much more. The highlights of the guitar are the EMG 66 pickup in the neck and the 57 in the bridge. EMG are usually known for their high-output active pickups, such as the 81 and 85, which overload heavily on gain and can only realistically be used for metal. But the passives are more versatile and retain the clarity of each string even when played across large chords. This is still brilliant for rock or even progressive metal where precision is just as important as distortion. The 57 especially has a tight low-end and sharp attack and cut-off for staccato riffing.

Body and hardware

The Horizon has a Mahogany body with a large cutaway for comfort and a super thin Maple neck designed with fast playing in mind. The 305mm Ebony fretboard is silky smooth, especially when fitted with ESP's well-crafted 22 extra jumbo frets. This model sports a flamed maple top made of high-grade wood in a lovely gloss. The only 50/50 is the glossy neck as some players do prefer a satin finish, but this mostly comes down to preference, and the Ebony fretboard is so quick to play it becomes a non-issue when considering playing speed. 

Gotoh locking tuners adorn the headstock and a Gotoh tailpiece is fixed at the bridge, and make life so much easier for any player. It's tiresome to constantly tune up after big bends or vibratos but don't worry about pulling them off any longer, as the string is held tightly in place by the locks while the bridge will keep the guitar's intonation precise. Meanwhile, the volume knob is extremely close to the bridge which makes those super smooth volume swells a realistic possibility.   

Here's what ESP say about the E-II Horizon NT-II:

Created at the ESP facility in Tokyo, Japan, the ESP E-II Series is our highest-quality factory-produced instrument collection. The ESP E-II Horizon NT-II is a sustain-lover's dream, with neck-thru-body construction as well as a Gotoh TOM bridge with string-thru-body design. This guitar offers a mahogany body with quilted maple top, and a three-piece maple neck with ebony fingerboard and 24 extra-jumbo frets. You'll appreciate the feel of fine, detailed workmanship each time you pick up the E-II Horizon NT-II, which includes high-end components like a bone nut, Schaller straplocks, Gotoh locking tuners, and more. This guitar offers a set of outstanding active pickups, with EMG 66 (neck) and EMG 57 (bridge) in brushed chrome.

Specs

• CONSTRUCTION Neck-Thru
• SCALE 25.5"
• BODY Mahogany
• TOP Quilted Maple
• NECK 3Pc Maple
• FINGERBOARD Ebony
• FINGERBOARD RADIUS 305mm
• FINISH See Thru Black Sunburst
• NUT WIDTH 42mm
• NUT TYPE Bone
• NECK CONTOUR Thin U
• FRETS/TYPE 24 XJ
• HARDWARE COLOR Black
• STRAP BUTTON Schaller Straplock
• TUNERS Gotoh Locking
• BRIDGE Gotoh TOM
• NECK PU EMG 66 Brushed Black Chrome
• BRIDGE PU EMG 57 Brushed Black Chrome
• ELECTRONICS Active
• ELECTRONICS LAYOUT Vol/Tone/Toggle Switch
• CASE CMHFF
• CASE INCLUDED Y