ESP Phoenix 1004 bass review

Has this Phoenix truly risen again?

ESP Phoenix 1004
(Image: © ESP)

Guitar World Verdict

A well-constructed, no-nonsense instrument that sounds as badass as it looks.

Pros

  • +

    Build quality.

  • +

    Price.

Cons

  • -

    None.

You can trust Guitar World Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing guitar products so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.

Founded in Tokyo by Hisatake Shibuya in 1975, Electric Sound Products (ESP) began as a small repair shop that made replacement parts for guitars. Rather than chase margins by making cheap replicas, ESP focused on improving quality and design, delivering high-end parts and instruments at competitive prices. 

By the mid-'80s, ESP had attracted a luminous roster of guitarists, including Ronnie Wood, George Lynch, Bruce Kulick (Kiss), and Vernon Reid (Living Colour), earning a reputation as a go-to brand for heavy music. It’s hardly a surprise, then, that its basses have followed suit, with ESP counting Tom Araya (Slayer), John Campbell (Lamb Of God), and Marco Mendoza (ex-Whitesnake) among its endorsements. 

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