ESP LTD Stephen Carpenter SC-607 Baritone - Purple Satin Review

High hopes…

This was my first ever 7-string guitar purchase. I also own the AW7B—another signature 7-string baritone. I have reviewed that guitar here as well if you're torn between the two like I was. ​​ ​​So—the good: This guitar is very aesthetically pleasing. With two black Fishman Fluence humbuckers with a thin white stripe sitting atop a matte purple finish with that classic… read more ESP pointy headstock make this an '80s metalhead dream come true. It'll make you wanna "Purple Reign in Blood." ​​ ​​The Fishman Fluences are HOT. Surprisingly, you can get a decent "fuzz" tone with the coil split. I'd say these pickups are an unopinionated direct facsimile of what you play without any "quirkiness" or "character" of a passive pickup (for good or bad depending on your preferences). If you're a control freak—these are the humbuckers for you—very reliable and consistent in tone through various applications (live or digital). ​​And now the bad: This isn't a very versatile guitar out of the box. Though I enjoyed it at first, in part because it was my first 7-string, it soon became glaringly obvious after some extended time with another 7-string that certain design decisions greatly inhibit the playability of this guitar. ​​ ​​The placement of the neck humbucker has a very negative impact on playability. If you palm mute, solo, or play anything other than big power chords you may find yourself fighting with this guitar to make it workable. ​​ ​​For example: while palm muting, the place where you'd normally place your pick has a huge, fat "bar of soap" of a humbucker right under the strings that your pick is going to constantly collide with. In most guitars, that humbucker is directly above this space giving you room between your strings and the guitar body to strum freely without touching anything other than the strings. ​​ ​​I question why the original design of this guitar (one humbucker in the bridge position) was abandoned. From a playability perspective—that was the far superior design. ​​ ​​The string through TOM bridge with active pickups this hot are also a bit problematic, making quieting the strings a difficult task even with a fret wrap. Tone knob and noise gate adjustments (or even tape under the bridge) may be necessary if you want to do some soloing or practice those arpeggios. ​​Though ESP is killing the game in their number of extended range guitar options, you could probably find a more practical 7-string guitar in their catalog if you're looking for versatility. ​​ ​​Overall, I think folks will enjoy having this on their wall more than playing it. It looks great, and is definitely a conversation starter. If you're a touring guitarist or looking for something immediately playable for recording, this guitar may not be for you. If you have to have it—I'd recommend making this your secondary guitar and not your primary. I'd also highly advise against this being a "first" 7-string purchase, there are too many quirky design decisions that might color your opinion on extended range guitars.

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Awesome

Got it a few days ago. Amazing guitar and thanks to josh and Sweetwater for the help.

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Fantastic

Really solid guitar for the price. The finish is beautiful, and the Fishman Fluence pickups really have a large wide sound to them. They don't particularly cut through the mix with a lot of definition, it's more that they fill up the mix with a really lush full big tone. The feel is perfect, love the neck and the scale length.

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My favorite 7 string

I've been playing ESP LTD guitars for over a decade, and this by far the best guitar I've owned since I began playing. I was worried about the pick-up placement on the body, but I actually find it having more playability than I anticipated. The neck is thin, but still has a U shape that allows for shredding and stretched chords. I had to get a setup when I first got it, but other… read more than that this guitar is fantastic. Craftsmanship is top notch!

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