ESP E-II Horizon FR-II EMG TESB

ESP E-II Horizon FR-II EMG TESB: Technical Review

The ESP E-II Horizon FR-II EMG TESB is a solid-body electric guitar built around a mahogany body, a quilted maple top, a three-piece maple neck, and an ebony fingerboard. Its listed price is $3,150. ESP has offered this model since August 2022, and this version is made in Japan. The finish is Tiger Eye Sunburst, paired with black hardware.

The specification sheet identifies a neck-through construction, with the three-piece maple neck extending through the body. That design is a key structural feature of the instrument, distinct from a neck attached to the body with bolts or a set joint. The listed neck profile is thin U. ESP also specifies a 42 mm nut width, a 305 mm fingerboard radius, and a 648 mm scale length.

Neck, Fingerboard, and Hardware

The ebony fingerboard carries 24 extra-jumbo frets. The sheet does not provide fret material, fret dimensions, or setup measurements, so those details cannot be confirmed from the listed specifications. The 648 mm scale is a familiar full-length electric guitar scale, but the available data does not describe string feel or playing comfort. The thin U profile gives a clear outline of the neck shape, though it does not establish how the neck will feel in an individual player's hands.

An Original Floyd Rose vibrato is fitted at the bridge. Its presence defines the guitar's bridge system and distinguishes this model from versions with a fixed bridge. The provided details do not identify the exact Floyd Rose model or describe its setup, range of movement, or tuning performance. Those points would require inspection or a hands-on test. The guitar ships with Elixir Nanoweb Super Light strings in gauges.009,.011,.016,.024,.032, and.042.

EMG Pickup and Control Layout

The pickup configuration is two humbuckers. At the neck is a brushed Black Chrome EMG 66TW; at the bridge is a brushed Black Chrome EMG 57TW. Both pickup models include coil-splitting capability according to their product design, and ESP's control layout provides push-pull functions on both the volume and tone controls. A three-way pickup selector completes the listed electronics.

The specification sheet does not explain which push-pull control activates which pickup function, so the precise switching arrangement should be checked in the instrument documentation or on the guitar itself. Nor does the supplied information state whether the electronics are active or list battery requirements. Those omissions matter to buyers comparing wiring options, and should not be filled in by assumption.

What the Specification Indicates

The combination of a mahogany body, quilted maple top, maple neck, and ebony fingerboard identifies the principal materials, but it does not establish the guitar's measured weight, balance, or acoustic response. Likewise, the named EMG pickups provide specific hardware information, not a substitute for listening to the guitar through an amplifier. No customer reviews are available for this product, and there are no supplied play-test results. This assessment is therefore limited to the documented construction and components.

The model's most distinctive listed choices are its neck-through, three-piece maple construction, the paired EMG pickups with push-pull controls, and the Original Floyd Rose vibrato. Together, these features give the buyer a specific set of design choices to evaluate. The 24-fret layout, thin U neck, 42 mm nut, and 648 mm scale provide further dimensions for comparing it with other guitars. None of those specifications alone confirms setup quality or individual instrument condition.

Included Items and Buying Notes

ESP includes a case, while no gig bag is listed. The sales unit is one guitar, and the item number is 515564. Before purchase, buyers who need a particular switching configuration, exact bridge variant, instrument weight, or factory setup should request confirmation from the seller. The available product data does not provide those details.

At $3,150, the ESP E-II Horizon FR-II EMG TESB is a clearly specified Japanese-made instrument with premium named components and a case included. Its documented specification is substantial, but a buyer should treat the finish, woods, pickups, frets, controls, and bridge as the confirmed basis for comparison. Without customer feedback or a hands-on evaluation, claims about tone, tuning stability, comfort, and overall performance would go beyond the evidence provided.