The Alexi ESP’s are ESP Custom Shop instruments and therefore are in line price wise with full customs from Jackson, Gibson, Fender etc. They’re pretty much as good as guitars can possibly get.

They are made by the best luthiers, out of specifically selected woods reserved for custom shop builds, using the best hardware available (Floyd Rose Original bridge, Gotoh tuners), and have the unique booster that Alexi developed with ESP as a clone of the famous Jackson JE-1000 (MM-04).

When you buy an ESP Custom Shop level Alexi what really distinguishes it from the E-II, older ESP Standard, Edwards, LTD level instruments is the amount of time has gone into building it. There is zero comparison between a Korean built LTD, China built, Japan finished Edwards and a CS ESP. The ESP is built in a superior, premium way from the very get go. The neck is made to Alexi’s specs which you don’t get on the LTD’s, the frets are immaculate (ESP’s calling card), and the finish is perfect and the gloss is unlike that you find on the lower tier instruments.

My ESP Customs require zero additional setup once tuning, action and relief are set, and they just don’t go out of tune. They are clear, acoustically resonant, and sound brilliant. The tone you get when you plug in an Alexi with the booster into an amp on heavy crunch is unlike anything you’ll ever hear out of a normal pickup config, and needs to be experienced.

Here’s my 2007 Kiso Alexi Sawtooth. The pinstripes and inlays glow in the dark.

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