For anyone interested there's a vid gone up on you tube about the new ESP sticks and bars.
Looks like a couple of bags aswell.

Nice one

Nothing ground breaking (no pun intended), but nice to see it's all machined in Oxford.

I like the way the alarms go on the buzz bars, but having to carry a tool to change them ruins it for me. They missed a trick making them quick release, or just using a thumb screw. I guess this keeps them cleaner, but it could have been hidden on the back.

I would like to be proved wrong, but I can't see what stops the alarms spinning in your bag. It's a grub screw up against a round surface? No matter how tight I can see that comming loose, unless I missed something?

In reply to Post #4
Shouldn't need to but it will be an easy fix to stop it undoing
Tighten up the grub screw so it makes a mark on the adaptor
Then take it all out and drill into the adaptor a little to make a decent depth indent and replace.
If you do it with the right size drill bit it will be a perfect fit.

In reply to Post #5
Seems like a good short term fix. Untill you unscrew and refit the alarm and its a few degrees out amd you need to somehow move that hole slightly 😅

Anyway, I'm being negative, im sure they've tested them. Just my experience with things with grub screws is they're a nightmare for comming lose.

In reply to Post #6
Mk11 will probably have a groove cut In it all the way around lol

In reply to Post #7
They could have just left out the grub screw, and make it so you just tighten the fitting up from the bottom untill it snugs the alarm against the bar. Maybe that will be mk12

In reply to Post #8
I got defiant sticks that already do that

In reply to Post #9
Have you got the defiant distance sticks?
if so, I have them as well but there is a bump at the top that
the line sticks on when reeling the line in..
is there a way of making the bump flush?

Pretty sure by the looks of it the ESP inserts has a small V joint around the middle I would imagine the grub screw is V cut to bite into this just my thoughts, I'm sure I'll cope with the small tool in my tackle box its not like its a 19mm ring spanner.

1.34 in for locking collar

I'm not sure how accurate these prices are there the only ones I can find atm

Buzz bars
£16.95 – £28.95

Bank-sticks
£19.95 – £34.95

Buzz bar bag
£19.95 - £29.95

I'll order a few bits for my lad when possible and have a look at them.
Heavy handed people stripping the grub screw and rounding off the Allen head were my first thoughts.over tightening.
I would have thought with 2 years of testing they d of looked at that.

I like the look of them it'll come down to weight,quality price etc

I like the look of them but not so much I need or want them.

Really like the quirky one piece but like others have said, missed a trick not making them QR for either alarm or stick. I think the 10 testers must have been the type to leave their alarms on the buzz bars, or leave the goal post set up, I used to do the same many moons ago.

I'm sure they will sell well and they do look good
And imo given the buzz bars are cnc'd they're a great price.

In reply to Post #10
I haven't
You should speak to Keith
It could be an easy solution.

In reply to Post #13
Like most items of tackle we buy. Is it normally a great improvement on what we already have. In most cases. No.

But us Carp anglers like new things. We spend so much time staring at it, we like to change it up from time to time.. And don't the tackle manufacturers know it..

I like ESP stuff. It looks well made. It will sell.

In reply to Post #15
yep that sums it up

Only 1 fundamental problem for me, anodised aluminium, no thanks
it won't scratch easily...yeah..and when it does they should be a sign of pride, no it looks tatty.
If it was machined from solid bar Titanium & QR, that would be something of beauty

In reply to Post #16
If it was machined from solid bar Titanium & QR, that would be something of beauty

I agree. You have the brilliant Ti stuff MPS do but you need to add the QR separately. MPE did an awesome solid Ti range with QR for a while (price was scary though and no longer available). Weston do Ti stuff and Wychwood dabbled in Ti for a while, but no QR for either.

A solid Ti range with integrated QR is just not out there at the mo.

Is titanium easy to machine/work with on that sort of scale?
Cost/profit etc aswell?

I don't know just asking.
It would be good.

In reply to Post #18
No, difficult and expensive. But worth the extra cost imo.


I'm surprised we haven't seen a forged carbon bar made yet. They would be really easy to make cheaply, light, strong, look good etc.

In reply to Post #19
True mate, but does the application need the extra strength of forged over standard carbon fibre? Not sure, but it looks good

In reply to Post #17
Agree, surprised really as you'd think there would be a custom set someone's had made.
I've the old Solar qrs fitted to my Ti Trident, and a lot of sticks, and my worldwide just to make it easier to transfer quickly depending what I'm doing....well that was the theory....just need to be doing the fishing to use it..lol.