MusicRadar

• Related News
• Review

Although the look of the SA-2 is slightly removed from what players might expect an out and out rock guitar to be, the spec and feel is just what's required. The body, which offers a small yet perfectly accessible top cutaway and a lower cut that benefits from additional shaping, is fashioned from basswood and is complemented by a slinky, two-piece maple neck.

We had the opportunity to get to grips with Sambora's number one, Hofschneider-built original during Bon Jovi's last UK tour and the neck here is marginally flatter in feel, although both demonstrate a shallow U-profile.

The 22 nicely flat, extra-jumbo frets and low action again tick all the right rock boxes, and although the rosewood could have done with a dab of lemon oil, the SA-2 has a good feel out of the box. The neck is fixed to the body with a slightly offset four-screw join, and the headstock bears the man's name on a bespoke piece of three-ply pearloid scratchplate material.

"It certainly plays well, offering just the right amount of fight."

The age-old argument regarding the benefits of in-house rather than retrofit pickup brands is raised yet again by the provision of a pair of ESP LH-100 humbuckers. We'll assess how they perform in due course but we can't help feeling that the overall commercial appeal of the SA-2 would have been further enhanced if it boasted a set of matched Seymour Duncan PAF-style 'buckers.

Sounds

Here are clips of the SA-2 in action, starting with the bridge pickup, then the twin pickup mix, and finally the neck unit:

In a live setting Sambora uses a huge amount of gain, and the first thing you notice when using a similar sound through a tube amp is the zingy nature of the basswood. You'll need to make use of the tone controls to corral that trebly side, but for classic rock rhythms, the tone is just about there.

Proceedings tend to become less distinct as more gain is added, compressing the overall tone and leaving you with a wall of sound, rather than one that obviously comprises six strings. This certainly doesn't detract from its rock performance, but a full E chord complemented by an upstroke on the open high E and B strings doesn't have the effect you might hope for.

Bluesier styles seem best served by the middle position on the toggle, with the outputs from both pickups combining nicely, although clean, the guitar is rather flat and difficult to please. It certainly plays well, offering just the right amount of fight, and once set-up the Floyd works as efficiently as it always has.

This is a rather unusual addition to ESP's signature range and, more importantly, is priced well enough to put it within reach of almost anyone. Sure, in the long run, the overall performance could definitely benefit from some retrofit pickups, but there isn't much intrinsically wrong with the standard LH-100 humbuckers, aside from a rather staid clean workout.

The guitar can rock very easily, and offers everything a rock player would need, alongside a look that sets it slightly apart from the maddening crowd.