NGD!

MattBanshee

So, I have a try-out for a band on Tues, playing some riffy, grungy type stuff. I've got a Jazzmaster that would do the job, but it's really heavy and not especially suited for playing anything fast or technical (especially strung with 11s and a high action), so I've been lazily keeping an eye on ebay looking for something more 'rock'. Yesterday I noticed that one guitar had zero bids and no reserve in the last five mins, and was only half an hour away, so I chucked the starting bid down just to see...

And I won. An ESP LTD Viper 100, flametop trans red, in 9/10 condition, for £65!

http://i.imgur.com/rjnU5qG.jpg

I've never owned/played an SG type guitar before, but this'un has vibes of Kim Thayil's Guilds from the old Soundgarden videos. Haven't had a chance to plug it in yet though...

Nikko

Score!! My first ever electric was a Viper 50, and I currently have a Viper 256. I really like them.

A bargain at £65!

stickyfiddle

Noice!!  As long as the neck isn't wonky you can't go wrong for that price! 

MattBanshee

stickyfiddle said:

Noice!!  As long as the neck isn't wonky you can't go wrong for that price! 

Neck seems to be absolutely fine; it was the ebayer's teenage son's, who looks like he'd taken care of it. It was on a stand when I went round to collect, next to a shiny blue Epi LP standard, so maybe he was just selling because he'd upgraded with xmas money or whatever.

The intonation is a bit skewiff, but I'll fix that when I restring it, as the strings on there now feel like floppy 9s. Otherwise it seems to be fine.

impmann

Nice. Good price.

And everyone knows that the SG is the coolest guitar shape of all time. :-)

Nitefly

Helluva score for 65 notes - enjoy!

DLM

Zoings! Wow awarded. What a steal!

spark240

@HarrySeven wont be happy...

MattBanshee

Nikko said:

Score!! My first ever electric was a Viper 50, and I currently have a Viper 256. I really like them.

A bargain at £65!

Do you have a hard case for yours? Do you know if it'll fit in a 'standard' SG style case?

Nikko

No, I keep mine in a gig bag, but I did have a hard case when I had the Viper 50, and yes, it did fit in a standard case.

MattBanshee

Nikko said:

No, I keep mine in a gig bag, but I did have a hard case when I had the Viper 50, and yes, it did fit in a standard case.

Thanks!

DrJazzTap

Congratulations, that looks like a steal!

cruxiform

Happy NGD, you lucky get.

McToot

Just the Bigsby to get then...

Blackjack

Well done! Great bargain ! 

usedtobe

Nicely done!

HarrySeven

spark240 said:

@HarrySeven wont be happy...

Lol!

MattBanshee

Quickly stopped off at the local small guitar shop on the way home, picked up some lemon oil, Fast Fret and a set of Rotosound Blues strings (10-52). Never used Rotos on guitar before (plenty on bass) so will see how they do (though having sealed polythene packets with no envelopes is all very well and good,  but what am I supposed to do with the advertised free extra 1st string?). Took the old strings off, polished, oiled, tried to set the intonation (difficult on an angled T-O-M bridge where you can't adjust saddles with the strings on!) and restrung; plays so much better now - fast, but still with something to dig into.

I have just been getting everything prepped for the try-out, and whereas my normal home-practice amp is an Orange Micro Crush, I thought I'd take the opportunity to run it through the pedalboard into my Laney Lionheart 20W head and 1x12. Even with the amp on the lowest volume possible, the Viper absolutely screams through my Double Muff, and kicking in the Little Big Muff makes chords sound chunky as anything. Really pleased with it so far!

marktheharp

Well done. For 65 quid it's a great gigging guitar. Enjoy !