In the world of rock and roll guitars, there are a few standard names that crop up. ESP is a well-known heavy metal guitar company that specializes in the crafting of hard-edged guitars for seriously finicky players. They have a full line of customized guitars that were developed by some of heavy metal's royalty. Additionally, it is quite possible to find a great used ESP guitar for a substantially lower price.

The ESP Viper Custom is one of the finest guitars available today. This ESP electric guitar features a neck-through-body construction and full three-piece maple neck. It has EMG 81/85 active pickups for excellent crisp sound delivery and Sperzel locking tuners. The Custom series is at the top of the line, and these guitars have top-of-the-line price tags to match.

If you are looking for the same ESP quality with a slightly lower price tag, you might want to look into a used ESP guitar or the ESP Standard Series guitars. The ESP Eclipse II VTB, for example, is an ax that has a set-neck construction and a three-piece mahogany neck. The Eclipse II VTB comes with a Gotoh tune-o-matic bridge that has a stop tailpiece.

If you are looking for a little more of a 'hard edged' guitar, you might want to check out the ESP Horizon NT II. This ultra modern model has a neck-through-body construction, a quilted maple top, and a three-piece maple neck. It also features an ebony fingerboard and genuine Seymour Duncan JB/59 pickups. The Horizon comes in a beautiful dark-brown sunburst finish.