After a long wait, I finally received my new guitar. The package itself arrived in good condition, but upon opening the case, something felt off. The case was slightly dirty, the guitar had a layer of dust, and the ESP fretboard protector was noticeably marked. On closer inspection, I realized the guitar wasn’t in perfect shape — the neck appeared poorly glued to the body, and there was a scratch near the input jack. It was quite disappointing, especially considering the high expectations I had for a brand-new instrument. It felt more like a B-stock item than a fresh-from-the-factory guitar. Thankfully, Thomann’s customer support was excellent. I returned the guitar within a couple of days, and they promptly sent a replacement. The second guitar was flawless. ESP’s build quality truly shines when everything is as it should be — you can feel it the moment you start playing. While there’s no need to go into detail about the instrument itself (the web is full of reviews), I do hope Thomann considers implementing stricter quality control checks before shipping, particularly for high-end instruments where craftsmanship is paramount.
