The ESP E-II Alexi Ripped is a guitar built around the idea that perfection is overrated. The signature finish — Purple Fade Satin with ripped, irregular pinstripes that look like they've been clawed through — isn't trying to be flawless. It's trying to be unsettling. So when a B-Stock unit comes in at $2,599.20 (against a MAP of $3,249.00), the usual B-Stock question gets genuinely interesting: what does a cosmetic flaw even look like on a guitar that already looks intentionally wrecked?

View the ESP E-II Alexi Ripped Guitar in Purple Fade Satin with Ripped Pinstripes Product Page

That $649.80 gap is real money. Whether it makes sense for you depends on a few things worth thinking through carefully — starting with the finish itself.

The Finish: Designed Imperfection

Most guitars penalize you for a scratch or a ding because the finish is meant to be pristine. A deep gloss black or a perfect burst means any mar stands out immediately. The Alexi Ripped doesn't work that way. The pinstripes on this guitar are intentionally ragged — hand-applied with an aesthetic borrowed from the chaotic energy Alexi Laiho brought to Children of Bodom's visual identity. The Purple Fade Satin base isn't a mirror finish; it's matte, which diffuses light and makes surface irregularities far less visible than they'd be on a gloss top.

What that means practically: a small handling scuff or a shallow scratch on the body of this guitar has a reasonable chance of visually disappearing into the existing design language. That's not true of most instruments. It is, to an unusual degree, true of this one.

That said, check the listing photos. Not all B-Stock blemishes are created equal, and we'd rather you look at the specific unit than rely on a general principle. A ding at the headstock or a chip on the binding reads differently than a scuff mid-body — and the headstock on any guitar is the first thing people see when it's on a stand.

What You're Actually Getting for $2,599.20

The E-II Alexi Ripped is a neck-through construction guitar — not bolt-on, not set-neck. The center piece runs continuously from headstock to strap button, with alder wings joined to a 3-piece maple neck. Neck-through construction is more labor-intensive to build and more expensive to produce, and it matters tonally: sustain is longer and more even across the fretboard because there's no joint interrupting the wood mass.

The fingerboard is ebony — denser and smoother under the fingers than rosewood, with a tighter grain that holds up well under aggressive playing. The radius is 305mm (approximately 12"), which is flatter than most vintage-spec guitars and friendlier for lead work and bends at high positions. Nut width is 42mm (about 1-5/8"), which is on the narrower side and suits players who want fast, close string access.

Fret count is 24 extra-jumbo frets, and frets 19 through 24 are scalloped — a Laiho signature preference that allows the fretting hand to apply pressure without fingertip-to-wood contact, enabling faster articulation and more expressive vibrato in the upper register. If you've never played scalloped frets, there's a learning curve. If you have, you know exactly what you're getting.

The neck contour is a Thin U — comfortable for extended sessions without the chunky feel of a vintage-style C or D profile.

Hardware

• Bridge: Floyd Rose Original — not a licensed copy. The genuine Floyd Rose is the standard for double-locking trem systems and holds tune through aggressive dive bombs and pull-ups.
• Tuners: Gotoh Locking — pairs with the Floyd's locking nut for a fully locked system from nut to bridge.
• Nut: Locking
• Strap locks: ESP Strap Lock buttons included
• Hardware finish: Chrome

Pickups

• Neck: EMG HZ S2 (passive)
• Bridge: EMG HZ FH-2 (passive)
• Controls: Volume, toggle switch, and ESP MM-04 Active Boost switch

The HZ series pickups are EMG's passive line — they share the same form factor as EMG's active pickups (and therefore the same cavity routing), but they're wound conventionally and don't require battery power on their own. The MM-04 active boost switch adds a separate gain stage when engaged, giving you two distinct output levels without swapping pickups or using a boost pedal. It's a simple, effective circuit for players who want a clean rhythm tone and a hotter lead tone from the same guitar.

What's in the Box

• Elixir Nanoweb Super Light strings (.009/.011/.016/.024/.032/.042) — installed
• V-ALEXI GUITAR FORM FIT CASE — a contoured hard case specific to this body shape, included
• Certificate of Authenticity

The included case matters more than it might seem. The V-body shape doesn't fit generic cases well, and a form-fit hard case for this specific guitar would cost you meaningfully on the aftermarket. Getting it bundled at B-Stock pricing is a quiet win.

The Scale: 25.5" (648mm)

A 25.5" scale length — the same as a Fender Stratocaster — means slightly higher string tension compared to a 24.75" Gibson-scale instrument. On the Elixir Super Lights that come installed, that tension is comfortable and responsive for single-note lead work. Players coming from shorter-scale guitars will notice the feel but typically adapt quickly.

Who Should Skip the B-Stock Unit

We said it in the opening and we'll say it plainly here: if you're buying this guitar partly as a collector's piece — a Laiho tribute instrument in its original, unaltered condition — pay full MAP for a new-in-box unit. The Certificate of Authenticity is present on B-Stock, but a collector who cares about mint condition should buy mint condition.

Similarly, if the specific B-Stock blemish on the listed unit is structural rather than cosmetic — any crack in the neck joint area, any issue with the Floyd Rose claw or block, any electronics fault — that changes the calculus entirely. Check the listing description carefully. Cosmetic B-Stock and functional B-Stock are different things, and you're entitled to know which one you're looking at.

Who Should Seriously Consider It

If you're a player who wants this guitar to play — not to display — the B-Stock unit is a strong argument. The neck-through construction, genuine Floyd Rose, ebony board, scalloped upper frets, and form-fit case are all present and accounted for. You're getting the same instrument for $649.80 less, and on a finish that's designed to look like it's been through something, a cosmetic blemish is unlikely to read as damage at all.

The ESP MM-04 active boost and the passive HZ pickups are a well-thought-out system for high-gain playing. The Gotoh locking tuners and Floyd Rose Original lock from both ends. The scalloped frets reward the technique Laiho built his reputation on. None of that changes on a B-Stock unit.

View the ESP E-II Alexi Ripped Guitar in Purple Fade Satin with Ripped Pinstripes Product Page

Frequently Asked Questions

Does a B-Stock blemish void the warranty on the ESP E-II Alexi Ripped?

No. B-Stock designation refers to the cosmetic condition of the instrument, not its functional status. ESP's warranty covers manufacturing defects and applies to B-Stock units the same way it applies to new-in-box instruments. The blemish itself — typically a scuff, handling mark, or minor finish irregularity — is noted in the listing and is not a warranty issue.

What are the scalloped frets on this guitar, and do I need them?

Scalloped frets have a concave scoop between each fret wire, so your fingertip doesn't contact the fingerboard wood — only the string. This reduces friction and allows more precise pitch control, faster vibrato, and lighter touch at high positions. On the E-II Alexi Ripped, only frets 19 through 24 are scalloped, so the lower register feels like a normal guitar. If you're new to scalloped frets, the partial scallop is a reasonable entry point. If you actively dislike the feel, the lower 18 frets won't affect you.

Is the EMG HZ system in this guitar active or passive?

The HZ S2 (neck) and HZ FH-2 (bridge) pickups are passive — no battery required for the pickups themselves. The ESP MM-04 Active Boost is a separate onboard preamp circuit that engages via its own switch and does require a battery. So the guitar runs passive by default and switches to an active boost on demand. It's a clean setup: quiet passive tone when you want it, boosted output when you need it.

The Floyd Rose Original requires fine-tuning after string changes — is that a problem for regular use?

It's a workflow, not a problem, but it's worth knowing going in. A properly set-up Floyd Rose Original holds tune exceptionally well during playing — that's the whole point of a double-locking system. The trade-off is that changing strings requires unlocking the nut, rebalancing the bridge spring tension, and re-locking — a process that takes longer than a fixed-bridge string change until you've done it a few times. The Gotoh locking tuners help with the winding side of the job. If you change strings frequently mid-session, a non-tremolo guitar is more convenient. If you set up your guitar before a session and leave it, the Floyd's stability is a genuine advantage.