2002 Elitist Purchase

[kessler11]

Hi folks, love to pole the collective MLP wisdom on a possible purchse of a 2002 Epi Elitist. Its in pretty good shape, Vintage Sunburst (not my fave color) upgraded pickups (seller has the originals) and comes with the Elitist case.

Asking price is $800. Seems to be on par with what they are going for on EBay. Anything I should look out for on the 2002 model year?

Thanks! And if I buy I'll be sure to post pics.

 

[SJM]

A 2002 would be called an Elite but it's still the same thing. I have one myself and and it's as good an LP as you'll find anywhere. There's nothing special to look for in a 2002 that you would not look for in any other guitar. At $800 I would expect it to be in tip top condition, no issues and have the original case which you say it does. The original P/U's being included would be a plus for me and add $100 to the overall value of the deal. Good luck on getting it.

 

[Barcham]

That's a fair price assuming everything works as it should and it has no more than normal signs of use, not major chips or cracks. I haven't had a 2002 in my hands but I have seen it mentioned here that the neck may be a bit smaller than the later models. That being said, as long as it feels good in your hands, plays well and sounds good, there is nothing to check for that is specific to that particular model.


EDOT: Curses! Beaten to the post again!!!

 

[Buzzin_Cousin]

I haven't had a 2002 in my hands but I have seen it mentioned here that the neck may be a bit smaller than the later models.


EDOT: Curses! Beaten to the post again!!!

SJM or someone with both an early 2000's elite and a later 2000's elitist can you confirm? I have a 2008 and while I really like it, I would have preferred the neck a bit smaller.

 

[Tanqueray]

I've played an 02, 04, 06, and an 07. The latter two had fatter necks than the first two.

 

[Mr Teeny]

You do find the MIJ's generally have the 60's style slimmer necks, I guess a lot of that may be down to local preferences and average sized Japanese hand being smaller than European/US averages. It kind of makes sense that the earlier MIJ's elites/elistist would have the smaller necks whereas the later ones, especially export models, may have beefed up the neck a little due to customer feedback.

The MIJ's aren't pencil necks just more of a 60's style than 50's and some do come with beefier necks, maybe due to historical accuracy of the model or the market it was aimed at. A millimeter here and there and the shape of the neck goes a long way to how beefy they feel.

 

[SJM]

I really had a hard time feeling the difference between my '02 Elite and '07 Elitist so I took some measurements with a cloth tape. Mine measure exactly the same at the 1st fret, about 2 & 3/8". However at the 12th fret, the '07 is about 3" where the '02 is 2 & 13/16" and at the 6th fret the '07 is about an 1/8" thicker. So there is a significant difference between the two. I can see where this could be a concern for someone with small hands. Mine are just big enough that I don't really notice this when I'm playing. I guess the bottom line is if you prefer smaller necks, look for an '02 or '03 Elite.

 

[Buzzin_Cousin]

I really had a hard time feeling the difference between my '02 Elite and '07 Elitist so I took some measurements with a cloth tape. Mine measure exactly the same at the 1st fret, about 2 & 3/8". However at the 12th fret, the '07 is about 3" where the '02 is 2 & 13/16" and at the 6th fret the '07 is about an 1/8" thicker. So there is a significant difference between the two. I can see where this could be a concern for someone with small hands. Mine are just big enough that I don't really notice this when I'm playing. I guess the bottom line is if you prefer smaller necks, look for an '02 or '03 Elite.

I'll pull mine out of the case and measure, and measure some of my favorite necks.

Mines probably the same as your 07.

Thanks for doing this SJM.

 

[Curmudgeon]

My '02 is definitely thinner than my '07. The '07 feels perfect to me.