ESP Ltd Surveyor '87 Black

Where do I start with this, first off I was assured this would arrive on a Saturday it did not. I specifically called and asked to see if it would be delivered on a Saturday or if there would be a delay for the holiday, I asked this several times. Have you guys ever seen the Seinfeld episode where Jerry's car gets stolen and he reserves a rental car and gets to the rental car place and they tell him they're out of cars,and he's like the whole point of making the reservation is so you reserve the car. Right, like the entire reason I called was to verify this would arrive on the specified date. I understand stuff happens, BUT this is in no way shape or form a $900 bass, the tuners feel like they're made out of plastic, the neck wasn't straight, the bridge wasn't set ... MoreWhere do I start with this, first off I was assured this would arrive on a Saturday it did not. I specifically called and asked to see if it would be delivered on a Saturday or if there would be a delay for the holiday, I asked this several times. Have you guys ever seen the Seinfeld episode where Jerry's car gets stolen and he reserves a rental car and gets to the rental car place and they tell him they're out of cars,and he's like the whole point of making the reservation is so you reserve the car. Right, like the entire reason I called was to verify this would arrive on the specified date. I understand stuff happens, BUT this is in no way shape or form a $900 bass, the tuners feel like they're made out of plastic, the neck wasn't straight, the bridge wasn't set up, the nut is chintzy,the frets are rough as f*ck and need to be filed down. And all of this would be fine if this was like a $300 project bass but again it has a $900 price tag. I had a $600 Dean Hilsboro that was higher quality than this. This feels like it should come as a bundle in a box with a tiny amp at your local music store for like $200. I cant even fathom where the $900 price tag comes from its not even made in Japan like the originals. I've played my fair share of bad guitars and this is right up there. Oh review guidelines lets go down that list, what features stand out? ok nice paint job, is it a $900 paint job, no. Next, what dont I dislike about the item. Moving on, how long have I had it, like 2 hours, I spent more time on the expressway stuck in traffic due to an accident on my way hometo get this thing and I enjoyed that more than I enjoyed playing this instrument. Does it meet my expectations....CLEARLY NOT

Set up perfectly out of the box. Low action and little to no buzz. Really like the pickups and electronics. Even with just a single tone control there are a lot of colors, from going full jazz to clanky distortion.

Was very impressed with the bass. It was ready to play out of the box and it looked as good as it did in the stock pictures. I got the all black version and The fretboard has a nice dark piece of ebony that compliments the finish really well. Very happy with the product

A mixed bag...

Overall:This bass is very polarizing to me. To start with the good, it's beautiful. The white has a slight sparkle to it that makes it drop dead gorgeous in person. Next, the neck is near perfect. It's a thin p-bass neck. So you get all the nice string spacing without having to grip a baseball bat. The fret work was also on point. It sounds amazing. The Seymour Duncan vintage pickups have an amazing tone and work exceptionally well with fuzz. The only downside is the p-bass pickup is micro-phonic. Some people like it but it's a bit of a turn off for me. Now for the bad, when this bass arrived it was filthy and did not include the tools. The lack of tools is an instant 10% restocking fee for zZounds due to a mistake made by ESP. Next, there were so many little ... MoreOverall:This bass is very polarizing to me. To start with the good, it's beautiful. The white has a slight sparkle to it that makes it drop dead gorgeous in person. Next, the neck is near perfect. It's a thin p-bass neck. So you get all the nice string spacing without having to grip a baseball bat. The fret work was also on point. It sounds amazing. The Seymour Duncan vintage pickups have an amazing tone and work exceptionally well with fuzz. The only downside is the p-bass pickup is micro-phonic. Some people like it but it's a bit of a turn off for me. Now for the bad, when this bass arrived it was filthy and did not include the tools. The lack of tools is an instant 10% restocking fee for zZounds due to a mistake made by ESP. Next, there were so many little details that should have been caught during inspection. Rough wood around the headstock and pickup screws were not screwed in (near string height) just to name a few. All of these issues above pail in comparison to the biggest issue, the tuners. Just judging by the shape they look like rebranded Wilkinson. Which makes the next bit all the more disappointing. When I received it, the E-string clover was falling off. To ESP's credit they are sending me a new one. However, there's still another issue. They slip all the time. When I leave it overnight, a few of the strings are nearly a semitone lower. I have to tune nearly every 15 minutes while playing. I'm still on the fence whether I will return this bass. I've emailed all these issues in to ESP and I hope they stand by their products and that this is just a lemon.

ESP 87 Surveyor Reissue Bass.

I have to say this is an excellent bass. Put Labella 760FS Flatwounds on it, sounds and plays great. Neck feels excellent in my hands. Balances excellent also. I'd recommend give one a try. As always, Sweetwater sales staff were great! Shout out to Nick Church. Thank you.

ESP LTD Surveyor '87

Absolutely superb bass, impressive straight out of the box & even better with a bit of a set-up. Very good looking (I got it as I really miss a 2004 black/rosewood Precision I sold a long time ago) and it ranks right up there. Hardware very solid, pickups superb (surprisingly bright & aggressive).Very much recommended, & not just for metallers!

Fantastic Bass

Overall:First and foremost; the stock photos of the white do not do it justice. There’s a slight iridescence to it, and it’s guaranteed to look even better under stage lighting. It’s got a nice weight to it: not too heavy and not too light. It feels sturdy without being back-breaking. Playability out of the box was pretty good. I lowered the action a hair at the bridge and it now plays beautifully. The fretwork is impeccable and the neck is comfortable. I’m usually not a thin neck kind of guy, but this one is very easy on the hands. The Seymour Duncan pickups are wildly versatile. The P pickup is a bit on the dark side, but it packs a massive punch. The J pickup is bright and articulate without being harsh. Blending the two is probably the best of the PJ sets I’ve ... MoreOverall:First and foremost; the stock photos of the white do not do it justice. There’s a slight iridescence to it, and it’s guaranteed to look even better under stage lighting. It’s got a nice weight to it: not too heavy and not too light. It feels sturdy without being back-breaking. Playability out of the box was pretty good. I lowered the action a hair at the bridge and it now plays beautifully. The fretwork is impeccable and the neck is comfortable. I’m usually not a thin neck kind of guy, but this one is very easy on the hands. The Seymour Duncan pickups are wildly versatile. The P pickup is a bit on the dark side, but it packs a massive punch. The J pickup is bright and articulate without being harsh. Blending the two is probably the best of the PJ sets I’ve heard. Normally they kind get wimpy sounding... but here, no. You get the articulation of the J and the power of the P. Just what you’d want!Fit and finish is fantastic. The tuners, like another reviewer posted, can leave a little to be desired... they’re kind of flimsy, which for a $900 bass is kind of disappointing. That being said, mine hasn’t exhibited any issues as far as stability goes or anything like that. Overall, very happy with this purchase.

Worth every penny

Overall:For me this was a tricky purchase as there was not a lot of reviews to watch. Let me tell you the black is gorgeous in person, the sound is tight and punchy. I typically play a lot of Fenders and this ESP 87 sounds just as good. Little on the heavy side. Out of the box it needed some adjustments, truss rod nut needed some oil, string height adjustments. It sounds great. If you're on the fence grab it. You won't be disappointed.