ESP Navigator Esparto — White (acquired circa 2007)

I acquired this white Esparto around 2007.
At the time, it wasn’t a particularly sought-after model.
Large-headstock Strats were far less popular than their small-head counterparts, which likely explains the lack of attention.
To be honest, I didn’t fully understand what I had bought — it was more of an impulse purchase.
Perhaps the Navigator advertisements I saw in magazines during my junior high school days had subconsciously planted the idea that these were good guitars.

When I first obtained it, the instrument was in what collectors call “closet condition”:
the finish was still pure white, and the neck had that pale, unfinished look of fresh wood.
The photo from 2008 shows the guitar with its original bridge pickup, while the 2016 photo shows it after the swap.
Over those eight years, the once-white finish had aged into a creamy hue — a visible record of natural aging.

Four types of finishes have been identified on Esparto models:
Sunburst, Natural, See-through (translucent), and Opaque (solid).
Among these, the white opaque finish seen here is the only opaque example I’ve personally confirmed.

This guitar also stands out for its unusually thick neck — the only Esparto I’ve encountered with such a profile.
It is equipped with late-period Esparto pickups featuring 10.05 mm pole-piece spacing.
Their non-yellowing covers make them easy to distinguish from the earlier type.

At 3.78 kg (including strings), it’s on the heavier side, and the body appears to be three-piece construction.
According to the catalog, the body wood is ash.

(Updated August 25, 2016)