ESP Guitars, ESP, and LTD Brand Confusion

I recently noticed there are multiple variations for some of the same brands on here, notably ESP Guitars, ESP, and many LTD instruments that seem to be overlapping? Would it be ideal to merge these brands and purge many of the duplicates? I understand LTD exists as a sub-brand, but still carries the ESP prefix.

ESP Guitars and ESP should be merged for sure, that's a straight up duplicate it seems. ✅

As far as LTD goes, I'm not as certain, I'll let others weigh in. If it's anything like Squier is to Fender then maybe it should remain separate? 🤔

I know recently every previously ESP branded guitar is either an LTD or ESP LTD.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jb9ntZZI_JQ

This video here explains it a little bit, but hardly clears up the confusion.

There are also duplicate brands for ESP Edwards and Edwards. Alvarez Yairi is another one I noticed, which is essentially their custom shop equivalent.

As far as LTD goes, I'm not as certain, I'll let others weigh in. If it's anything like Squier is to Fender then maybe it should remain separate? 🤔

LTD is ESP's squire... when I was a kid ESP was a custom shop and there were only a handful of off the shelf models, mainly signature models like the Metallica ones. They are separate brands. ESP stands for quality. LTD is the beginner brand. Do not merge. I appreciate that that ESP didn't spoil its name with cheap guitars like hamer, jackson, schecter, kramer etc did. They made a separate brand. You buy an LTD you get a serviceable far east student guitar (although early on the LtDs were cr@p)... it's just the same shape as an ESP though. Separate brands! Edwards was always the lawsuit guitar brand. They used to be nice but I haven't played one in awhile... I understand they have an upscale clone brand now called navigator. I don't think any of them should be merged. They use different shops. They're different enough. I would not trust some metalhead from youtube who plays with so much gain that you can'thear the differencebetween a strat and an SG. Go with what's on the headstock. I'm sure at this point even the most modest LTD is a great value though.

That's valid, I guess a lot of the ESP LTD's can be changed to just LTD. In my opinion at least the two Edwards brands, ESP Edwards + Edwards, and ESP + ESP Guitars should be combined.

Sure LTD should just be LTD in my book. Edwards should have the ESP dropped too if you ask me. And you did. But whatever. The guitars are such a mess on equipboard they're impossible to clean up. I tried to tidy up 20th century fender and marshall amps only to have all my work undone in a week or two, I hadn't even finished when the duplicates sprung back up 6 fold like an amplifier hydra... I'll never put that kind of effort in again unless I'm being paid. People want a confusing mess just so a single item is listed exactly the way they want on their profile or an artist page and who am I to fight them? Its user generated content. Let them generate the puzzling content they deserve. But the klons should be merged because having separate colors perpetuates the myth that they sound different.

Yeah, I've been trying to clean up the Marshall amps on here while I'm stuck at my computer. I also went through and tried to clean up Airline brand guitars a bit today. Maybe a new standardized naming convention for certain brands would help.

Ok 😵‍💫 help me distill down what needs to be done:

• ESP Guitars and ESP should be merged
• Edwards should drop the ESP prefix, but still remain separate from ESP
• LTD should remain separate from ESP, as it functions like Squier to Fender
• "ESP LTD" (or "LTD ESP") guitars should just be labeled LTD where applicable

Did I get that right?

Exactly, spot on!

The guitars are such a mess on equipboard they're impossible to clean up.

I hear you. Believe me we're trying. AI can help a lot here. We're in the process of "tokenizing" item names such that we can identify brand, model, color, year, and superfluous bullshit. That way on the backend we can have tools that recognize

• 1998 Fender Thinline Telecaster Butterscotch Blonde is functionally the same as
• 1999 Fender Thinline Telecaster Black which is the same as
• My Modded 1997 Fender Thinline Telecaster

Both posts are spot on. Yes to the brand merges. Yes to trying AI. This is what AI us good for.

Yeah, I've been trying to clean up the Marshall amps on here while I'm stuck at my computer. I also went through and tried to clean up Airline brand guitars a bit today. Maybe a new standardized naming convention for certain brands would help.

As a former montgonery ward era airline amp owner I feel your pain. Don't kill yourself over it. It'll all be undone within 30 days :(

The guitars are such a mess on equipboard they're impossible to clean up.

I hear you. Believe me we're trying. AI can help a lot here. We're in the process of "tokenizing" item names such that we can identify brand, model, color, year, and superfluous bullshit. That way on the backend we can have tools that recognize

• 1998 Fender Thinline Telecaster Butterscotch Blonde is functionally the same as
• 1999 Fender Thinline Telecaster Black which is the same as
• My Modded 1997 Fender Thinline Telecaster

OMG. I'm glad I was sitting down when I read this. I will weep with joy when this is rolled out.