The well-documented Backstory:
I was recently browsing one of the popular online marketplaces and stumbled across a seller who was getting rid of multiple pieces of vintage guitar & sound gear. There were several different iterations of Marshall 2×12 amps, mixing boards, keyboards, PA system, stereo monitors, etc. – all of which were either for sale or sold WAY under what they should have been (evidence reference 001). My first thought was that this guy had inherited all of this gear and had no idea what it was worth. It was clear when we met that the seller knew nothing about the guitar that I was purchasing from him. After 34 years (as of 2026) of playing the guitar, there is one commonality with every guitarist I’ve ever met, we all love to talk about our gear, and for the most part, can intelligently discuss the history of our guitars, effects, amps, etc.. This person responded with a wordless sigh when I asked if he knew the history behind the guitar, which clearly told me that he wasn’t a guitar player or a musician of any type (evidence reference 002).
Among the listings was an ESP Custom Explorer with a minimal description…
What did I buy?
For a forever undisclosed price, I purchased a vintage ESP Custom Explorer; specifically, the “EET FUK” model with the middle finger inlays that is extremely rare and very sought after.
Here is what I know about it so far as of the writing of this article:
I am waiting to hear back from ESP regarding the Japanese (kanji) markings that are inside of the electronics compartment on the back (on an intentionally unpainted space near the center) and the markings under the neck pickup (evidence reference 003). I’d like to point out that James Hetfield’s ESP Explorer of this type do not have serial numbers. This was very common in the early days of ESP when a custom guitar was being made – no serial number – just kanji markings in “hidden” locations. Mine has no serial number (evidence reference 004). While inspecting and photographing the rear cavity, I also noticed several tell-tale things that point to the authenticity of this guitar. The ground wire is bare copper and larger than the usual thin grounds that I have seen in other guitars. The output wire has a blue jacket and the pickup wires have a yellow jacket. The solder joints are very neat and clean and the overall wire routing is absolutely perfect (evidence reference 005). While I’m talking about the internals, I’d like to point out that the wood routing for the pickups is very neat and clean (evidence reference 006). This guitar is definitely made of high quality Mahogany. Based on the 7.5 lb weight, I believe it is made of Honduran Mahogany which is known for its light weight and excellent tonality (evidence reference 007).
Evidence References:
001 – Anyone, and I mean ANYONE who owns vintage guitars and related gear who is a musician and/or lover of music would absolutely take the time to check the value of the items that they are selling. In this case, not only did this guy not know what he had (the guitar), but he also didn’t know anything about the other vintage items that he was selling. The point is that he wasn’t trying to sell me a fake and claiming that it was real, he just wanted it gone.
002 – Have any of you ever met a musician, especially a guitar player who didn’t like to talk about their gear? Me either.
003 – Everything that I have read thus far has stated that the fake ESP copies of this guitar do not have the kanji hand drawn inside of the pickup cavity and the electronics cavity on the back. I have searched for pictures of the internals of the copies and have not seen anything markings at all, much less a pair of similar markings that, based on what I’ve read, were used for several purposes at the ESP factory, one of which was to mate the body with the neck to ensure that when final assembly happened, the two correct parts were joined together. I’ve also read that it could be the name of the luthier or even the name of the person who ordered the guitar from ESP. There is so much information to wade through. The bottom line is that none of the fake copies have this level of detail.
004 – The custom shop ESPs did not all have serial numbers (James Hetfield’s certainly didn’t). Mine has no serial number, but as previously mentioned, it has kanji markings inside of the rear electronics cavity and inside of the neck pickup pocket.
005 – The output wire is blue jacketed, the pickup wires are yellow jacketed, and the ground wire is bare copper that is much larger than any other electric guitar that I’ve seen. The solder joints are perfectly executed and the wiring is very neat (not too long, not too short). I’ve been working as an Industrial Automation Engineer for 30 years – I know electronics and can solder very well. This guitar was assembled by a skilled artisan.
006 – The wood routing in this guitar is beautifully executed, but not performed by a CNC machine. The pickup pockets have a very smooth bell/curve shape to allow for plenty of meat for the attachment screws, but to also allow for the height adjustment screws to be able to function properly. The paint is lightly misted within the cavities and the bottoms are bare which is another sign of the professional build – this is done to allow the wood to dry out.
007 – This guitar weighs 7.5 lbs which is a tell-tale sign that it is made out of Honduran Mahogany (now banned from being sold from what I’ve read). It resonates extremely well which is exactly what a well built instrument from 30+ years ago should sound like. The copies are heavy and dense and weigh a ton – and they sound terrible unplugged.
