ltd viper
a moderately priced electric guitar with two passive emg hz pickups, black hardware, and an all mahogany, set neck construction
http://www.espguitars.com/guitars_viper.htm
the viper series starts with a $300 dollar model (viper 50) with non emg passive pickups and a bolt on maple neck all the way up to an esp custom shop $3000+ model which can be made any way you order it including real abolone inlay and active emg 81 pickups
my model is the discontinued viper 301 and has the body of the viper 400 series and the electronics of the viper 200 series and cost me $519.00 dollars ($649.00 list price) at the time in 2001
if money were no object, i would buy two gibson PAF dual creme humbuckers from a vintage dealer and have the esp custom shop build the viper guitar from honduras mahogany with a brazilian rosewood fingerboard...the total cost would easily exceed $5000 dollars and it would be a dream guitar
oddly enough though, it probably wouldn't play any different than a standard viper for much less and its sound would only be subtlely different than the $300.00 viper with passive, non emg pickups
a great vintage or collectable guitar is like an old vintage rolex...it may not work as good/accurately as a cheaper quartz watch, but its rarity and uniqueness add an aura of value to it that perhaps very few people understand...and if you are one of the people who understand it, then it makes it all worth it
i notice a lot of players here, and prolly everywhere, use fender stratocasters...if i had a few thousand, i would love to have fender's custom shop build me a one of a kind stratocaster
I'll have to post pics of my guitars tomorrow when I can get my camera, but I'd love to see yours
