A CHINESE COPY of a JAPANESE GUITAR ...it has a few quirks...
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 6 ก.ย. 2024
- At first glance, this is a rare Akira Takasaki (LOUDNESS) signature ESP Random Star model... with a Floyd Rose, double humbuckers, kill switch, and mirror top, it has all of the key features. But... this guitar is not what it seems. Is it a disaster or an unlikely triumph? Let's plug it in and find out.
Amp used in demo (Fender GTX100): amzn.to/3eI8MCG
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Rubric: -5 points for Danzig references. -5 points for not reading the description. -5 points for not watching far enough into the video to answer your own question. -5 points for misquoting me in your comment. 20 points possible. Everyone starts with an A!
![[Re:all TREASURE] EP.6 in 방콕ㅣ🚩 쩡캠의 방콕 투어 빵 마이 와이 👍](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/uyFw-nItA_s/mqdefault.jpg)
i saw loudness live in 1986 and was blown away
Hey! Awesome! Akira was a hero to us 'eighties teens. I saw Loudness with TNT and Stryper in Concord CA when I was but a wee lad. Amazing guitar playing (and singing... and drumming... and bass... even the keyboards) all night long.
I saw the same lineup in NYC(Felt Forum inside MSG) back in the day. My brother caught a Stryper bible! Good times...
Saw that same tour at Red Rocks! 🤣
All 3 bands were great! 🤘
That guitar is BADASS! And great playing Max! 🤘
I'm surprised you don't have one of these! Lol
@@MercyNoMore me too! I actually like the Killer model more. And they also have those on Aliexpress. Hmm....
Those pickups are.... well... "Angry Bees through a broken speaker" Hats off to you for making it sound ok - on this occasion the workman can most definitely blame their tools!
Heavy chains is my favorite loudness song. Akira is such a great guitarist. And your playing of his stuff was pretty badass. Ive always liked that guitars look. But i love most star shapes anyway. The ML's are my favorite. Just a Dean fan forever. Thanks for this video it was fun
Cool, thanks!
Thanks for pointing out that sometimes with Aliexpress, the photos are not photos of the actual guitar that will be sent to you, and there are cases where the guitars aren't even built. I'm happy you had an excellent experience with Aliexpress with this guitar. Thank you for another great demo, review, and video, Max. Please keep them coming!
I just finished my copy after many years after it fell off its stand. It's on my cover photo..... MZA!
I'm a huge fan of Loudness and all of Akira's work. Years ago I snagged an actual ESP Random Star, but mine had a red painted neck with a rosewood fretboard. I'm currently restoring it. Replacing some tarnished hardware and making the mirror pieces, which were missing from mine.
Akira and Loudness ROCK!!! Great Review! Guitar sounded great with you playing it!
Sweet good to see you back on your guitar videos max always one of my favorite parts of my weeks is seeing your videos man !!!
Pointy metal guitars are the cat's pajamas! Like Max mentioned, crazy-shaped guitars aren't really uncomfortable to play. Gots me a BC Rich Warlock and like playing it. (after swapping the bridge pickup for a GFS unit for twenty bones)
I had the actual ESP random star 🌟 from the 80s. It comes with the ESP LH200. Highly recommend you upgrade the pickups. I think I have a pair of LH200 set if u r interested
I remember those guys. Loudness were groundbreaking. I've always wondered about that guitar. Those pickups are el cheapos but it's OK for a beginner player. I'd put a set of EMGs in it.
Blasphemer!!! 🤣
I was fortunate enough to see them twice, for the first and second album tours and he used this guitar (his version) and the mirrors reflected the lights like dual lasers! And they defintiely live up to their name, they are LOUD! But, it was pristine audio and the bass seemed to alter my heartbeat a little. I'll never forget how high tech all of their front of house gear was at the time. Favorite song? 'Hungry Hunter' all the way!
Check out an ESP "Killers MKII" guitar. That is Takasaki's latest guitar and I love the shape and the neck on it.
I don't mind copying body and headstock shapes but it bothers me when they try pass it off as a legit esp. Since its sold on aliexpress nobody should expect it to be legit so whatev.
Reminds me a lot of the JTG of Nashville Infinity that I once owned. I loved that guitar more than any other guitar that I've ever owned. Sadly, I lost it after I had to pawn it when I was struggling financially, and it sold before I could reclaim it. The worst part of that story is that the manufacturer went under, so they are no longer being produced,😢 So I guess I'll never have another opportunity to own one... ever!😭 and I truly love, love, loved that guitar...
It looks like an Ibanez Star Destroyer from the 80's. I've only ever seen one of those guitars at a friends house. They are kind of rare. That body style is the same though.
Is the Ibanez a red dt 250 like Tina turners in the one of the living music vid?
@@workingorder2189 Yeah. The one that I saw was a DT 350. I remember it having some strange pickups. There was like a chrome solid line of metal instead of poles on the DT 350. The bodies look the same though
I have the actual mij esp model and honestly I wouldn't blame anyone for buying this instead. The esp has a top mount floyd, the body is alder, the neck doesn't have the skunk stripe and it is lacquered. The pickups are also not the best, which is absurd considering the price.
The neck profile of the esp is also a weird design that is either a love it or hate it affair. It's a very, VERY, chunky soft V profile. Chunky like a vintage fender telecaster, not something you would expect on the guitar of an 80s shredder at all. You better really like baseball bat necks if you're considering ordering one from Japan.
There's also some minor cosmetic things that jump out on the Chinese copy but honestly you wouldn't notice them unless you were really familiar with Akira's random star and you took a long moment to stare at it.
Interesting looking guitar. It is Max not the cheap instrument that sounds great.
Its the amp and pickups that makes it sound great. His skills are impressive.
Waffles waffles waffles
If you guys & gals want to get an Akira Takasaki ''Star'' guitar, without paying a fortune for an ESP, I would recommend to get the Edwards version of this model instead of this Chinese knockoff. Rhe Edwards model is not very expensive and you can find also used ones on reverb.
Better pickups/hardware and Edwards is an ESP subsidiary, which means they have better quality control and aren't scammy like these Chinese companies.
I wore that LOUDNESS tape out in 1980s. Some great songs on that album.
Name us 5 without looking.
@@s.corner8138 from Thunder in the East ? Crazy Nights, Like Hell, Heavy Chains, We could be together, Clockwork toy.
I love that you get your hands on such cool stuff!! Lucky!!
I've been playing my Kramer Voyager for the past week, and my Harley Benton Explorer copy for a few weeks before that. The V is pretty much an E with a notch cut out.
I got a Zakk Wylde Bullseye and put a real EMG '81 in it years ago. It weighed a ton, but played/sounded well. My buddy I sold it to got it autographed by Zakk when BLS played New Orleans last year. I also ended up buying a Warren deMartini "Crossed Swords" San Dimas copy that was all but unplayable. Same buddy bought it as a wall hanger, but ended up replacing pickup, getting a complete pro set up to finally be able to play it.
Both were cosmetically almost flawless, but the ChiCom stuff is always a crap shoot...
Love LOUDNESS!!!
Yeah, that was cool. 😆
I had a friend who had one of the killer branded guitars Akira played, he said he heard they were made by Ibanez.
Years later (and as of now almost 2 decades later) I did monitors for loudness at a venue I was working at, and Akira had a bunch of killers and a couple of the ones this is a copy of.
Killer is Akira's company and like George Lynch's Guitars, they are made by ESP.
*Kudos to Max for knowing who Akira Takasaki is.*
In addition to Akira Takasaki (Loudness), a serious guitarist should know these players as they are among the world's best.
Atsushi Yokozeki (ex-Bronx, ex-Lance of Thrill)
Isao Nakayama (Cerveteri)
Norifumi Shima (Concerto Moon)
Kouta (Thousand Eyes, Dragon Eyes, ex-Thousand Leaves)
Toru Noya (Thosuand Eyes, Tears of Tragedy)
Takayoshi Ohmura (solo, Marty Friedman, Baby Metal)
Katsu Ohta (Ark Storm)
Satoshi Katada (solo)
Hideaki Nakama (solo)
Hiroya Fukuda (Anthem)
Yuji "You" Adachi* (Dead End)
You should know these guys too:
Akihito Kinoshita (Saber Tiger)
Akira Kajiyama (Precious, Goldbrick)
Ejima Harushi (Polkadot Stingray)
Gentaro Satomura (solo,Naked Machine)
Hideshi Ueki (Rachel Mother Goose, Agnes, KREENAKOORIE)
Hiroyas "Iron" Chino (Iron Attack!, Lightning)
Issei Ambo ()
Kelly Simonz (solo)
Masahiko Kuroki (Wolf, Masahiko Kuroki Band)
Myu (Imy)
Niya (Unlucky Morpheus)
Syu (Galneryus)
Takeshi (uncrowned)
And likely you should know these female guitarists from Japan too:
Narumi / solo / Lonesome Blue, ex-Destrose, ex-Disqualia,
Hazuki / Nemophila
Saki / Nemophilia / ex-Mary's Blood
Li-sa-X / Li-sa-X Band
yuki / D_Drive
Yui / ex-TELECiDE
Kana / Letitout-lelia
Miyako Wanatabe / Lovebites
midori / Lovebites
Mitsuru Madaseka / ex-Bridear
Hanako / octaviagrace
Tomoko "TOMO-ZO" Midorikawa / Doll$BoXX, Gacharic Spin
Misato "Misa" Ono / ex-Bridear
EITA / ex-Gacharic Spin
Sakura Yoshida / Hagane
Rie aka Suzaku / solo
Omi / ex-ExistTrace
Haruka "Hal-Ca" Noma / Asterism
Ayumi / Bridear, ex-Astrovery
Misaki / Bridear
Mayto / Hagane
Moe / Bridear
Ayano / (ex-G∀lmet)
Ruki / (ex-G∀lmet)
Shoka / Allinone
Miki "Sun-go" Igarashi / Show-Ya
Kaho / fleufleu
Marin Miyazawa / ex-Lovendor
Toki / Aldious
Yoshi / Aldious
Yumiki Erino / ex-Kirinji
IKa / Ark Royal
Illumina / Ark Royal
Yui / ex-Cyntia
Also check out Randy Uchida! He was in the early GISM albums and the RUG band
Should check out Kazu Shirota and Toshiya Ran from Blizard!
And hideak nakama was in anthem and Hurry Scuary! Very amazing bands
@@Rian-rk3jt Thanks. On it!
@@johnp.johnson1541 anytime I have a playlist of some bands for ya th-cam.com/play/PLEqPEU_y3sKye36_qM9RdkB2sR0Lwa5dI.html&si=yEK_OspNYa9fSr4k as well I collect Japanese metal and find bands that are very very rare got a album the other day by the band called natsumetal the singer is from X ray and drummer is from Earthshaker which is cool!
Sorry about the edges. Why so vascular today?
Try a wax potting experiment with the pups. Could make a show.
It's a looker. Great color.. sounded great to me
Late gang in the house! That clean tone was just heavenly, tbh. But, if those pups are microphonic, they probs gotta go.
It sounded hot. That’s not bad! A little dirty is nice too. Definitely room to expand if you want to raise some hairs. Some love feedback - it’s dirty.
You could play around with the feedback and see what you discover before replacing the hums. 😀
I agree I thought it sounded great! Ugly headstock though..
If they have a LEFT HANDED version I’ll buy it regardless, even if just for the body and to put good hardware in it. Dying for a lefty version!!!!
I know how you feel dude I'm attended to
i think it sounded great.
Love the guitar! I just wish Ali Express were a little more *reliable and trust worthy to order from. Going on what you've said, I'd be terrified to risk my money not knowing what might get sent to me. Then not knowing how difficult it might be to *return. Thanks for the great demo!
I had an early Killer guitar. I wanted the KG Prime, but the importer, Rocktron, could only get me the cheaper model in the line, which looked the same but was not the greatest quality with a real Floyd but not the OFR. Killer still makes the KG Prime in Japan, but I think they are about 5,000 USD. At that price, I can’t justify it over a PRS Core and a CE24 at less than half the price is a no-brainer.
I've never heard of this gentleman before the video where you shared some of his secrets, but I'm well familiar with his Killer line of guitars and basses, my favourite bass player, a man named Taiji from X-Japan played a Killer bass and I'm like i want one, but i never knew where they originated from
Blind Guardian Nightfall in Middle Earth shirt. Max sure knows his classics.
Cool video. When is your new CD coming out, the one with the funding project?
I love this. I am not real big on signature models, but, if I had to choose one, it'd be Akira!
I like Loudness, I've got a real ESP PPJ signature bass of their bassist. This star guitar looks killer
I hate copies, but it is true that ESP Japan line stuff are kinda hard to get outside of Japan
Sounds like the guitar is overloading the input of the amp, might be good with a tube amp, powerful PU’s is my thing…..but
not so much digital (IE solid state) aggressive….but sounds odd? Microphonic? Dunno
I'd love to roll the dice on such a sick guitar @Guitar MAX. I couldn't find it on aliexpress if you could link me the one you bought I'd be very grateful thank you! And sick Shredding!
that thing is epic man I think, just needs a Bill Lawrence l500xl, and your set haha!
I'm building a kit from China. I've had new Pickups and Pots. The Floyd Rose ripoff Sucks Ass. I'll replace that too. I've watched you for Years. I havta to Say. Your Playing is So Fucking Great Now! Outstanding!!!!
Have you ever tried pickups from Dylan Talks Tone? You really should check them out.
I see they have a Dimebag version with the rebel flag of that guitar.
Honestly, I would purchase an Ali Express guitar knowing ahead of time that I will have to replace all the components. So, because of that, when I get Ali Epxress, I just order a finished body and neck. Also, I don't get a headstock logo so I don't have to deal with customs taking my guitar. I actually have a couple go to companies at Ali Express that will make custom guitar bodies and necks for me that use really good wood and craftsmanship. All I have to do is just install all the components and do minor work on the frets and the guitar is as good as any other guitar. I stand by that. Made in China has come a long way since copy guitars became a thing. I mean, in reality, a CNC machine doesn't care, nor does it know what country its in. Lots of great guitars being made in China, just replace all the hardware as I said before.
Tell me about it. I had a seller build me a 27 fret Kelly Star with a 3 piece roasted maple neck and the actual wood work was really good. Needs some attention to the frets and detail work, of course, but a very nice starting point.
Akira and Ronni Le Tekro are some guys I just started listening to. And holy shit those boys can play. Loudness is awesome as well as TNT Love the guitar btw
I just wonder if I’ve already bought one of these thinking it was real off a certain site if y’all know what I mean. And yes, I know we should look a serial numbers
I've thought about buying an aliexpress guitar many times, never did, yet.
Yes, I do hear what you mean about the pickups being too microphonic - that extra noise with such high gain took away from the sound of your playing. I guess its ok for some styles of hard rock but it's definitely not up for the challenge of Takasaki's style of playing.
I always wanted one of those but it was really cost prohibitive
It doesn't sound bad at all, although I couldn't tell that the pickups were microphonic. However, I don't condone counterfeiting. There are so many decent cheap guitars today that it makes no sense to buy a fake.
I'm a fan of loudness ! Akire tone is so tight and punchy type of tone 🤜🤜🤜🤘🤘😎. I also heard is it Eddie Van Halen . That's what influenced him. And Black Sabbath. From the documentary. I saw on here
Akira is a huge fan of Ritchie Blackmore. His band before Loudness, Lazy, was named after the Deep Purple song.
@@gpgpgpgp1000 oh I i didn’t know that! Thank you 🙏🏻 for the info
Same shape as my Ibanez dt350... But not as good lol.
Sounds better than my aliexpress guitar
Even if you play a Hello Kitty child guitar I know you will shred it the same way on an ESP E-II Horizon FR. LoL. I lived in Japan from 1991 to 1993 and I bought a Yamaha Bass and a Kramer Guitar (Made in USA) but lost the opportunity to buy a Killer Guitar. Don't know why. Maybe at that time I was more a Dead End (Yuji Adachi) / Gastunk (Tatsu) listener. But now I'm an 80s metal aficionado. “Once metalhead, always metalhead”.
The pickups sounded really unique and crunchy! I have some pickups I like that have some microphonic action that are cheap. I plan on doing a wax potting to them to test out if it works or not. You should do a video of if just for the sake of doing a video, wax pot them and see if it stops some squeal and microphonic crap
Those pickups are pure mud muffins
@@scottdunn2178 everybody plays in mud sometimes
Why Ltd doesn’t bring back the rs shape is beyond me? Esp release th sd-2 so there’s no excuse not to sell a Ltd Random Star.
Try ESP Crying Star, Max!
One thing they got wrong is that the Floyd is top mount, not recessed, I have the Edwardo's model and it's amazing, not ESP though
I would love that gutiar, but with a Fender style trem. I got a floyd rose, and its quite boring and even the worst fender style trems ive tried are fine.
been watching that in the background for a lot of vids and wondered if it was an akira guitar, you need to go find a kyoji yamaha copy now
Not bad for cheap guitar
How do you find this guitar on aliexpress? what name/type of guitar do you search for?
everthing i tried: loudness, akira, star, ESP star guitar... turns up blank
You have to search something generic, like custom guitar, or high quality electric guitar. And then just keep looking through the pages until you find it.
All of my AliExpress guitars are junk the only halfway decent one was my lynch Bengal tiger
It's a counterfeit. A copy with a different decal or no decal can be a custom guitar instead
the Floyd Rose 2 is the 90s equivalent of the Floyd Special. I'm surprised they used one of these on this one XD
It's a counterfeit model like u can find in Aliexpress. Chinese makes counterfeit Floyd rose, Kahler bridges and edge 3
@@rodolfomisao123 so it's even weirder that they chose to counterfeit a low end model from the 90s XD
Reminds me of the cool axes of the 80's. Those pickups SUCK, but those can be replaced.
I’d like it if it wasn’t pretending to be something else. The second I see a “legitimate” brand name on an “illegitimate” guitar, it’s automatically a no from me.
Looks good from a distance though.
YAARRRGGGG!!!!!!
Copying body shapes and headstock shapes is one thing but promoting out and out counterfeit products like this one is wrong. It crosses the line when they use the ESP name. Now I'm well aware of the implied irony of ESP being a copy-only guitar maker. In fact, this guitar body is a B.C. Rich Stealth. That said, we can debate copying but counterfeiting is out. It's a 100% non-starter and you should not be promoting them.
It's kind of cool except for the spatula head
I'm going to shred this guitar and make some scrambled eggs who's with me!
Awesome
Cool!
Wow I'm shocked to see that the guitar plays as well that it does. Upgrade the hardware and the pickups of course and you'll be good to go.
Takasaki will be amazed...
"LIKE HELL!"
Guitar Max - What has been your general experience with Ali Express?!
Slow shipping, decent products that sometimes don't live up to the advertising.
@@GuitarMAXMusic Thanks for the reply!
Guitarra top😃 som bonito 😃
MDS fizeram uma cópia da killer do Akira oloco
If you buy any Chinese knockoff. File the fret edges and swap the pickups right out of the box … and you got yourself a pretty decent guitar
Gotta be honest I was disappointed to see it was some china thing you had on the background on the Impellitteri interview video 😅
It sounds pretty good, but then again all of the guitars you play do. Starting to think it's not so much about the guitar 😊😊
How much did the guitar cost?🧐
The headstock is so hideous lol otherwise kind of cool. Pickups sound rough as others have stated, tho you made it sound decent
Last song of the night encore guitar that you smash on stage
Hate that this is a counterfit but I love the danelectro neck. Wish you could buy one like that on its own.
All fair game,worst idea of AMERICA was selling off our factories.i would buy it PLAY it and if it came with a fortune cookie I would eat it.i would be honest and tell peeps it was a fake.but I'm not telling the tree it was made from that.
copy or counterfeit?
A copy wouldn't say ESP.
Looks like Kayla's Kramer
It's literally a shredder because the mirrors will shred you arms when you play it.
LIKE HELL!
i thought it sounded awesome and i was saying to myself i bet these pickups are micro phonic. they have a raw in your face sound.
LOUDNESS
dood I'm not plugging, but check out my vid "why i call my guitar del scortcho" please, just so you can see how terribly wrong things can go buying some of these, I got the first round of these guys trying to make a Dime guitar, and man it plays good now, but looks horrible! it's a Washburn style body, painted horribly like a Dean from hell haha man it took work to make it work haha some are good though, my cross and bolt are awesome!
Looks weird and sounds horrendous,
I kinda like it! Lol
Blind Guardian Nightfall In Middle Earth 👍