Do you know what’s better than a guitar that looks beautiful? A guitar that you can’t even see (terrible camouflage joke)! Today, we’ll be reviewing the E-II M-II, a camo-finished guitar with a fantastic knack for metal music.

We’ll start with the specs as usual:

Features:

  • Alder Body
  • Urban Camo Finish
  • Thin “U” Shape 3-Piece Maple Neck
  • Neck-Thru Design
  • Rosewood Fretboard with 12” Radius
  • 25.5″ Scale Length
  • 24 XJ Frets
  • Dot inlays with 12th Fret ESP Logo
  • Floyd Rose Original Bridge
  • Gotoh Locking Tuners
  • EMG 81/81 Pickups
  • 3-Way Toggle w/ Vol Knob

The M-Series are among some of the best, straight-forward metal guitars you could acquire these days. They stretch all the way from the higher-end ESP USA line, down to the affordable LTD line, such as the LTD M-1000 Koa.

As part of this series, the E-II M-II features the popular, double-cutaway body style with an ergonomic arm contour for comfortable picking, as well as a really nice cutaway for upper-fret access.

The aesthetic for this guitar is definitely…unique. It’s not for everyone as many people may find the Urban Camo to be a bit gaudy (myself included), but when you look closely at this instrument, you start to appreciate the quality of the finish work. The Camo looks really clean and sharp. It definitely looks like the luthiers at ESP spent some time to make sure this was executed perfectly.

ESP’s “Thin U” neck profile is found on a lot of their models. If you’re familiar with the Ibanez Prestige Wizard profile, it is just a tad thicker than that. While it’s not as thin as the Ibanez,  it’s still a shredder’s neck. 

The Floyd Rose Original needs no introduction, but if you want to read about it, be sure to check out our Floyd Rose Guide. It is smooth, stable, and offers a lot of movement without feeling like you are about to break the bridge.

E-II M-II

E-II M-II Back

Tone:

Now, you thought you hated the EMG 81/85 combo? Get ready for the EMG 81/81 combo!

In all seriousness, EMGs really aren’t that bad, they are just misunderstood. I urge you to read our “Are EMGs Terrible?” Article so you can see our full argument on the topic!

EMG 81s make this guitar basically a metal workhorse. They offer smooth sustain, a tight low-end, and a cut in the highs. The sound manages to be aggressive, yet crisp, but doesn’t perform as well in the mid-gain department.

Overall, This guitar pretty much kicks butt at metal, but not so much else.

Build Quality:

Like I said before, I am not the biggest fan of this guitar’s aesthetic. When I first saw it from a distance, I really didn’t think much of it, for it’s price. Upon getting close, it’s a real well-built instrument with a ton of attention to detail.

All of the hardware is well installed, the neck and fretboard feel particularly comfortable, and the finish/electronics are extremely clean. It’s pretty rare that I play a Japanese ESP and find myself to be disappointed in this category.

Final Verdict:

The ESP E-II M-II is a bit gaudy, sure, but that is exactly what it’s going for. The person who is considering buying this is looking for something a bit unique and maybe a little over-the-top. I’d say it was well-executed  in this case.

This guitar kicks butt at metal, and it looks the part as well.

7.5 10 8

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This article was written by Zac Buras, our editor located in Louisiana.

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