A GROWING NUMBER OF American guitar makers are designing and marketing models that are manufactured overseas, often in South Korea. ESP Guitars long recognized as a manufacturer of high-quality, American-made basses and guitars has expanded its line in that manner, introducing the Korean-made five-string LTD C-305 bass at last winter's NAMM show.
The bass's list price puts it in the upper end of the range for non-Japanese imports. However, outfitted with solid, user-friendly features and designed tastefully and ergonomically, it takes solid aim at many of the popular high-cost basses hanging on music store racks. I'm a stodgy old four-string early-Fender player, but when I used the LTD C-305 on a series of gigs, I found it comfortable, punchy, and precise in every way. I really liked the ringing, piano-like sustain, particularly on the B and E strings.
LOOKS COUNT
ESP gave the C-305 an open-ended design based on the company's old Horizon body shape. In the looks department, it's neither too metal nor too jazz-wimp just soothing wood tones and understated angles. It has a five-piece maple and walnut neck (which extends all the way through the body, allowing for more sustain) with a nice, gradual back shape. The body's sides are made of mahogany and a choice of exotic woods, including flame maple, bubinga, and quilted maple (the color of the review instrument). The standard finish is honey satin natural. An artistic, sculptured depression in the back gives the instrument an organic feel. The bass rides comfortably and balances perfectly; its soft body edges are easy on the forearm while you're playing.
The finish is top-grade the smooth joinings complement the wood grain. The review bass was set up nicely right out of the box with round-wounds (.45 to .125 gauge) and gold-satin tuners in a straight-pull configuration on the C-305's unique, curvy-arrow headstock. The bass has an LTD CB-05 bridge with aluminum saddles and open string-ball slots to ease string replacement. Its roomy hard-shell case ($140) has a large string/tool compartment and locking latches. The bass also fit nicely in several of my gig bags.
HAPPENING ON A LARGE SCALE
The C-305's sound is enhanced by its through-neck sustain and 35-inch length that's an inch longer than most bass guitars. That extra inch is a critical improvement for five- and six-string basses; it slightly lowers string tension at pitch, letting the low-B string come alive. The string spacing on the C-305 might be tight for some players: the bass measures a little more than 1 inches at the nut (a four-string is slightly less than 1 inches), but I quickly got used to it.
The two-octave rosewood fingerboard has 24 extra-jumbo frets marked with dot inlays. There's a block inlay with the model name on the 12th fret, and truss rod access at the headstock. The plastic nut had a sharp feel, bothersome during a quick slide to first position, but rounding off the edges with some fine sandpaper fixed it up in two minutes.
RUN SILENT, RUN DEEP
ESP uses a no-frills pickup/EQ system featuring two EMG 40-HZ-EP passive pickups with exposed double-pole pieces and an EMG B-30 3-band active EQ. The volume and pickup balance pots have heavy brass knobs; the three EQ pots have smaller brass knobs. Working bassists frequently have to cope with 60-cycle hum and electromagnetic interference coming from neon transformers. The C-305 was far quieter in rooms where I usually have to kill a lot of my high end to battle the buzz. In fact, there was no perceptible pickup buzz most of the time. A look inside the electronics cavity revealed a good shielding job and clean router work.
The only instance of sloppy assembly was that the screws on the access plate in back were poorly centered and wouldn't sit flat on the plastic cover. That could be an issue because changing the batteries requires you to occasionally open the cover, which might strip the holes. Another slight drawback is the location of the input jack. It's located so far back toward the endpin that it's impossible to lean your bass against your amp when using a straight-end cord. Even using a low-height guitar stand could be a problem. That minor flaw is easily corrected with an L-end cord.
A BORN PLAYER
The C-305 has a big, roomy feel and sound. Its most noticeable quality is its practically endless sustain the E string open or fretted near the headstock rings far longer than the same string on several of my bolt-on basses. The balance between the same note played on different strings is excellent; a B played on the E string's seventh fret sounds quite similar to the same note on the A string's second fret. The larger string has a slightly warmer low end, but the sound is certainly closer than it would be on most bolt-ons.
The bass's through-neck design and double-pole pickups really emphasize its harmonic characteristics; ringing open notes are fat with overtones. I played a variety of jobs on the C-305, and it always fit in. Funky slap players will appreciate the super-responsive electronics and low string action. The long sustain and woofy low end are especially effective for reggae and funk.
The LTD C-305 is a no-nonsense instrument with classy looks and rugged construction. This well-built bass will provide years of quality service, and sounds just as good as many American boutique five-strings costing three times as much.
San Francisco based musician and producer Ed Ivey plays string bass and tuba with the eclectic quartet Faraway Brothers. Contact him at
edivey@rocketmail.com.
LTD C-305 SPECS
Body mahogany sides with exotic wood
Construction neck-through-body
Neck 5-piece maple/walnut
Scale 35"
Nut Width 1.77"
Fingerboard rosewood
Frets (24) XJ
Inlays dots with model name at 12th fret
Bridge LTD CB-05
Pickups (2) EMG 40-HZ-EP
Electronics volume; pickup balance; EMG B-30 3-band active EQ
Hardware gold satin
Standard Colors honey satin natural with quilted maple, flame maple, or bubinga
Weight 9.5 lbs.
PRODUCT SUMMARY
ESP
LTD C-305
five-string bass
$949
Overall Rating (1 through 5): 4
PROS: Quiet electronics. Widely adjustable equalization and durable knobs. Beautifully balanced when on strap. Even string response; no significant dead spots. Excellent sustain. High-quality components for a Korean-made instrument.
CONS: Input jack location prevents leaning bass on amp or wall if using a straight-end cord. Screws poorly set on back access cover. Nut has sharp edges, bothersome at times in first position.
Contact:
ESP Guitar Company
tel. (800) 423-8388
Web www.espguitars.com
