ESP Edwards E-MII-CTM Smokey Black

ESP Edwards E-MII-CTM Smokey Black: A specification-based review

The ESP Edwards E-MII-CTM Smokey Black is a Japan-made, bolt-on electric guitar with an ash body, a flamed maple top, and an ebony fingerboard. Its listed specifications point to a straightforward two-pickup layout and a fixed bridge, with no tremolo. The guitar has been available since August 2025, carries item number 615513, and has a listed price of 1790. No currency is specified in the supplied information.

There are no customer reviews available for this model. This assessment therefore focuses on the published construction and hardware rather than reported playing impressions or reliability claims.

Body, top, and finish

The body is made from ash, topped with flamed maple, and finished in Smokey Black. The combination gives the instrument a layered material specification, while the dark finish and black hardware create a coordinated appearance. The supplied details do not specify the finish type, body contouring, body thickness, or the visual prominence of the maple figuring, so those aspects are best checked on the individual instrument.

Ash and maple identify the materials, but they do not establish how a particular guitar will sound. The pickups, setup, strings, amplifier, and playing technique all affect the result. Buyers should treat the wood descriptions as construction information rather than a guarantee of a specific tone or weight.

Neck and playing dimensions

The maple neck attaches to the body with a bolt-on joint. Its ebony fingerboard has 24 frets, and the scale length is 648 mm, also listed as 25.51 inches. Nut width is 42 mm, or 1.65 inches. These figures provide useful reference points for comparing the guitar with other instruments, but the supplied specifications do not state neck profile, fingerboard radius, fret size, or neck finish.

The 24-fret layout offers two more frets than a typical 22-fret design, although the exact upper-register access depends on the neck joint and body shape. Those details are not described. The scale length and nut width are clearly documented, but no string gauge or factory setup information is provided, so action and bending feel cannot be assessed from the specification sheet alone.

Pickups and controls

The guitar uses two ESP Custom Lab CL-P-H-3 pickups, one in the neck position and one at the bridge. The pickup configuration is HH, meaning a humbucker at each position. The control set consists of a master volume, a master tone, and a three-way pickup selector. This is a compact, familiar arrangement, with the selector providing access to the neck pickup, bridge pickup, or a combination of both.

ESP does not provide output measurements, magnet type, coil-splitting options, or a detailed description of the pickups' voicing in the supplied information. No coil-split control is listed. Buyers looking for a particular output level or clean-to-distorted response should seek a direct demonstration or verify further details with the seller rather than assume a sonic profile from the model names alone.

Bridge, tuners, and included bag

An ESP Custom Lab fixed bridge is specified, and the guitar has no tremolo. That makes the hardware layout simpler than a tremolo-equipped design, but the provided data does not describe the bridge's saddle adjustment range or string-loading method. The tuners are GOTOH SG360-07R MG-T machine heads. Black hardware matches the Smokey Black finish.

A gig bag is included. The listing explicitly says that a case is not included, so buyers should not expect a hard case in the package. The sales unit is one piece. The specifications do not identify the bag's padding, storage capacity, or level of protection.

What the specifications establish

The E-MII-CTM Smokey Black has a defined hardware and construction package: ash body, flamed maple top, maple bolt-on neck, ebony fingerboard, 24 frets, dual ESP Custom Lab pickups, a fixed bridge, and GOTOH locking machine heads. Its documented measurements include a 648 mm scale and 42 mm nut width. Made in Japan is also stated in the supplied product details.

The information does not cover weight, neck profile, fingerboard radius, fret dimensions, electronics circuitry beyond the listed controls, or setup condition. Those omissions matter when comparing instruments at this price, especially for players with specific preferences for neck shape, balance, or pickup response. With no customer feedback available, there is no basis here for claims about consistency, long-term durability, or factory playability.

Verdict

On paper, the ESP Edwards E-MII-CTM Smokey Black is a fixed-bridge, dual-humbucker guitar with a 24-fret ebony fingerboard and a flamed maple-topped ash body. The specifications are substantial enough to identify its main construction and control choices, while leaving several fit and feel details unanswered. The included gig bag is a practical package detail, but it is not a substitute for a case. Before buying, confirm the listed price and currency, inspect the neck profile and setup if possible, and ask the seller about any details not provided.