Esp Ltd Ec 401 Electric Guitar For Sale (2024 Update)

Overall: Where to even start with this beautiful top quality instrument? Right out of the box, it's worth noting just how black it really is. It almost reminds me of the old grey monotone Les Paul just, black. The macassar ebony isn't true ebony but it's still pretty in its own way. My fretboard is dark enough though so don't worry about it not being traditional ebony. The neck shape is not a thin U shape. The EC1000 is a thin U. While the build quality certainly is the same as the EC1000, the Black Metal's neck is more of a D shape. Trust me, I don't hate it, it's actually a good different, nice and comfortable. The tuning I play in is A# F A# D# G C with 13-56 gauge strings and this guitar took that extremely well without much adjustment. The Black Winter Duncan is very hot. Handles high gain death metal very well. Sounds nice and wet, perfect pickup for this guitar. If even for a second you've contemplated getting a this guitar but didnt, just do it. I too was on the fence about it since it was teased like a year ago but I'm definitely glad I got it. The I only thing I'm still trying to get used to is not having the pickup ring to anchor onto when I'm picking. Other than that, buy it. Also, the clean tones are a bit cleaner than I had expected. Really let's you dig in to your tubes for some crunch when you want it.Max

Fell in love with this guitar 5 minutes in. Perhaps the most comfortable guitar I've ever played. Neck is slim and fast, action came pretty low on the guitar with almost zero feet buzz. Weighty enough but not super light. The Black Winter pickup is pretty brutal but also super clear at high gain. However, I replaced mine with a Dimarzio X2N and now I have a pseudo-Chuck Schuldiner guitar.El Mariachi

Just unboxed this little beast and played a few hours, and ok, Wow! I was looking for a slimmer neck in an LP style cuz I have smaller hands, and this plays and sounds as nice as LPs I've gigged with for 1/3 the cost (full disclosure, I got it from the Friend on sale) but even at sticker price I'd highly recommend this for any level of player. Very well appointed, fit and finish are top notch. Pickups are dead quiet until played, great tone.JB

I work at a GC, and when this guitar came in, it sort of kept catching my eye. It was one of the first prototypes to bit the market early. It had a strangely comfortable neck profile, shaved all the way to the body. Slim, satin, smooth. It had active pickups, my first time really handling that. And it looked killer in red. It had double ply binding, Grover tuners, a solid Tune-O-Matic, hardware in tough to order Black Nickel, and was $100 cheaper than the 2016 Gibson 50s Tribute Standard which is also a very nice guitar. But, the 81/60 EMG combo slayed for every single style. I play in a covers band, which is fun for the money, but since we cover every style from Lady Gaga to GNR, I needed a very versatile guitar that could handle multiple genres of music. This guitar can pretty much do anything, and it sounds clear as a bell. The 60 Neck cleans up amazingly well, and I already play with a pretty mean Orange Dark Terror that is fairly over driven on stage. The guitar doesn't muddy up, and with added chorus yes, you will hit those clean, almost sterile clean tones Metallica is known for. This one is a different slice of pie, as I had never delved into active pickups. It's louder, it can get aggressive quick, cuts right through the mix even on wimpy iPhone footage. When you are tearing up a solo people hear it if your sound guy doesn't blow. And it's very sturdy. Get it set up to how you like it, buy a really good case for it, and this lady will keep on giving. I'm dead serious considering buying another one and having a live axe, and one for home use as well. Never felt so good about a guitar purchase until I bought this guitar. If you are looking at buying something for anything from jazz rock, to pop, to blues, to yes… metal lol… you won't be sorry you bought this. This one will out play some of the Deluxes we carry on the wall. Seriously, get this in red or black and thank yourself on stage or at home!Josh

I received the guitar without a working jack. I could not plug into it. I was able to open it up and bend the jack receiver back into place to where I could plug in. Then, just 2 weeks later, the guitar doesn't work at all. I plug into my amp just to get a choppy connection. I really wish guitar center would test the guitar to make sure it actually works before shipping it off. Very disappointing experience.Trey

Captains log, earth-date Jan 2021. ‘Ding-dong’. I opened the front door to see the courier standing there po-faced and shivering, holding an oblong cardboard box with Anderton’s printed on the side. Trying my best not to show my excitement, I said “thanks” in a cool James Dean-esque manner – casually took the box and closed the door. I carried out the obligatory air fist-pump with a simultaneous squeal like a prepubescent boy. This was followed up by a gruff Jeremy Clarkson voice, “The Eagle has Landed.” Due to the cold weather and transit, it was hard to resist putting my grubby mitts all over it but I resisted and left it to acclimatise to room temp for 24hrs. Out of the box, it did need a setup. There was a lot of relief in the neck and needed adjusting. Also the string height and intonation needed tweaking to my liking. Upon setup and firing on all cylinders, it feels absolutely superb and worth every penny of her majesty’s coinage. I’m still getting used to ESP’s XJ frets – I think they’re equivalent to Dunlop 6100 fret wire or very similar, but that’s just a personal thing. I did some reading up on ESP guitars before I purchased, and according to ESP, the MH-1000 is a marriage of the M (Mirage) series and the H (Horizon) series. ESP and LTD are the same company with the ESP range being the premium line and the LTD being the affordable line. Saying that, some of the LTD series have premium attributes of the ESP series like this guitar has – ‘Set-Thru’ neck and premium hardware. There’s a lot to like about this guitar. The obvious eye-catching cherry-fade on top of a slightly arched ‘figured’ quilted maple top. Construction is sublime and very good fret finishing. Hardware-wise, it has coil-splitting via a push-pull on the tone knob. The Floyd Rose 1000SE, for all intents and purposes, is almost identical to the Original Floyd Rose albeit uses zinc for a few less important parts and has a smaller 34mm zinc tremolo block. It holds tune perfect even after the most extreme use of the whammy bar. Do I have any gripes? If I was being really picky, I found one tiny blemish on the top finishing. It’s underneath the poly and you’d have to be sharp-eyed to spot it. Personal tweaks – I’ve replaced the screw-type tremolo arm for a push-in type. In the future I may swap the zinc 34mm tremolo block for a bigger brass one like I have in my other guitars.Reviewed by Andertons Music Co.

Overall: In a YouTube review of this guitar, there was one guy that said he didn't understand why any experienced and knowledgable guitar player would want THIS guitar over something more high-end (i.e., a "real" Eclipse), because of the differing body design features. I, myself, am not anything of a virtuoso player, nor do I have the fattest wallet at the moment, which is why I settled on something more in the midrange for my first relatively decent guitar. I've been playing for years, writing songs on "piece of crap" guitars, and it didn't matter to me that my instrument was nothing to show off when that's all that I was using it for (i.e., to write songs). Before I am an instrumentalist, I am a vocalist and songwriter… but I digress. Anyhow, coming from someone that has a limited span of what truly "decent" is in this department, I, personally, found this guitar to be worth the price. I am not the most knowledgable about guitars, no, but I know what feels right to me as a player. This one is pretty nice. The body is lightweight and thin without feeling or looking cheap or flimsy, and the playability is fantastic. There is little strain on your fingering hand due to how easy it is to press the strings down, unlike on cheaper guitars. Had I learned to play on this one, I would have been totally spoiled! Maybe like that guy with the YouTube review. Haha. The sound is nice and crisp… and the color is beautiful. I went with the Cobalt Blue, because it matches with my room. I have no complaints about it, under the circumstances. It is everything that I needed it to be. The available payment plan was the cherry on top. Just two more payments! Thanks, zZounds!Note: I was required to rate "Manufacturer Support" when I submitted this review, even though I never made any direct contact with the manufacturer. I couldn't give it less than 5 stars when there was never a problem with it. *shrug*Emha

I've been playing rock and metal guitar for 35 years. As a longtime superstrat player, I found the neck profile thinner than those of other popular sub-$1,000 LP-style guitars, and I took to it immediately. The 13.75" fretboard radius makes it easy for me to play barre chords. The guitar's 24.75" scale length lets the strings be more "slinky," enabling extreme bending of notes. The other standout features are light weight (7.2 lbs.) and the contoured "belly cut" on the back that lets the body rest comfortably against your waist instead of a 90-degree hard edge digging into you. Off the rack, the intonation was spot on and the neck relief was just right; for an optimal setup, I only needed to lower the bridge about 1mm on the bass side and 0.5mm on the treble side. Intonation remained intact! I've barely had the guitar home for 36 hours, and I can't stop looking at it. The fit and finish is on par with guitars costing twice as much! Everything is tight, the finish is flawless, and the electronics are great–I don't feel the need to swap out the pickups at all. The frets are glassy smooth. The only complaint I have is that the jatoba fretboard has visible traces of what I suspect is dried fret polish, which I plan to remove with F-One Oil when I change strings. (BTW, the strings feel great. They remind me of my preferred strings, Ernie Ball Slinkies.) I look forward to using this guitar for alternate tunings in my alt-rock cover band. Its aggressive styling looks the part, but it's still classy and timeless enough to look at home playing classic rock, blues, or country.Identity Crisis Tim

Sound: The 'Blackened' Black Winter pickup is very bright. Not shrill, but definitely will cut through a mix. It's incredibly clear, and touch sensitive. Very high output, which is appropriate for a guitar called the Black Metal! Features: This guitar has an alder body, which is amazing for almost all tonal aims. The raised LTD logo on the headstock is an incredibly nice touch! The Grovers are smooth, and stable, and the OFR is also stable and reliable. Ease of Use: This is where this, and just about every other LTD I've purchased shines. The fretwork is immaculate. I have the action at .75mm, and it doesn't buzz, for those who aren't familiarwith action measurements, this is incredibly low. The pickup height was perfect right out of the box. The only thing I needed to adjust was the truss rod, it had a bit too much relief. But once that was done, it plays like butter and sounds brutal! Quality: This guitar has absolutely no quality control issues, and feels extremely well made. As stated above, it has all high end appointments, such as a Seymour Duncan pickup, OFR, and grover tuners. It functions amazingly. Value: Absolutely. I'm a Jackson fanboy 90% of the time, but I can say (and zZounds can verify) I've had to return multiple Jackson products and never a single LTD. The Jacksons cost more, and have less. Manufacturer Support: I haven't needed to deal with ESP, as I've never had an issue with their products. The Wow Factor: When you're playing this guitar, if feels metal. The guitar is so easy to play, and sounds so brutal. I can't recommend it enough if you like to play extreme genres of music. Overall: LTD never disappoints. This guitar is metal as it gets, and plays fantastically.Matheau

I have had this guitar for about a month now. From the first day, I have absolutely loved this guitar. The included Seymour Duncan pick ups sounds amazing and the push/pull function gives you a nice range of voices. Everything about the build of this guitar feels amazing. The neck and the frets are smooth and well cared for, the quality of the hardware is top shelf. If you want a Les Paul, just forget about Gibson. This is what you want, of course there are many versions of this guitar, Any one of the EC-1000's are great, but the finish on this one is pretty outstanding in person.Logan C

I got the natural black color. Its a really nice looking guitar. With a different name on the head stock it would cost thousands. Sounds great, you can play any type music on it. Perfect out of the box . No setup at all needed to be done. I saved almost 200.00 with a blemish model model that was basically perfect.Ltd

Sound: A sign of a good electric guitar is how well it sounds unplugged. This 1000BV is loud, full, and sustains very well before it's even plugged in. I bought the 1000BV with EMG pickups. Most people associate EMG with metal, and yes it goes a long way in that genre but they are equally adept and great sounding for blues, jazz, rock, and clean tones. I am very happy with the tonal versatility of this guitar. Cleans are clear and full, heavy drive has the chunk you want, and in between they just growl like they should. Features: I appreciate the locking tuners and Tone Pros bridge. The tuners are ESP branded but are smooth and seem to stay in tune quite well. The TOM bridge was easy to adjust and lock back into place.Active pickups are a matter of taste. I chose EMG because I like the sound they give, and I already have another guitar with the Duncan JB's. Ease of Use: The guitar came out of the box set up perfectly to ESP specs. Having said that, ESP thinks low action is 2mm at the 12th fret for low E, and 1.5mm on the high. This is way too high for my tastes. Adjusting the truss rod, string height, and intonation was a breeze. In a world filled with Floyd Rose, you lose appreciation for how easy a TOM bridge is to work with!The neck is definitely thinner than a Les Paul, but not super thin like a Jackson or Ibanez neck. It is similar to the PRS Wide Thin carve. Very playable if shredding or legato is your thing, and equally comfortable with the thumb over style. The neck finish is matte and feels as smooth as an unpainted neck. Moving up and down the fretboard is comfortable and easy. Quality: The quality of this instrument is superb. I have gone over it with a fine tooth comb and cannot find even the slightest imperfection in fit and finish. If you were to hand this to me blindfolded, I would easily believe it to be a guitar costing twice the price. It was that good. Fret work was spectacular and on par with my American PRS CE-24. Rolled off edges, no burrs or sprouts, smooth all the way up and down the neck. Value: This guitar is a tremendous value. For a list price of $899 you get every penny worth and more. I would put this up against any American made instrument costing 2 or 3 times more. High quality name brand components installed on a beautifully constructed instrument are what this guitar is about. Manufacturer Support: I have not had to deal with ESP directly yet, but they did suspend my account from their support forum for no known reason lol That's why everyone has more than one email right 🙂 The Wow Factor: It's an unassuming looking guitar that would fit on stage playing metal or smooth jazz. It sounds amazing clean or dirty and is a great alternative for someone who loves the traditional look of a single cutaway guitar but desires a more playable neck and less heft. Overall: I had been eyeing this guitar for quite awhile. I admit that when I found out production of the 1000 series moved from Korea to Indonesia I was very disappointed. The internet is full of horror stories about instrument quality dropping after models start getting produced in different countries, especially after having a great reputation for quality at the previous factory. I wavered back and forth and had second thoughts even after ordering. Thankfully zZounds has a great return policy so I took a chance.I AM SO GLAD I DID!!!!!!!If you are looking for a solid body single cut guitar you HAVE to give the EC-1000 a look. For half the money of most other domestic single cutaways you get a great playing and great looking guitar that is just a joy to play. Build quality is absolutely top notch and on par with or better than some of the best domestic instruments I've owned over 4 decades of playing.Allan

Where do I start? I love everything about this guitar and it is my favorite that I own. If you’re looking for something that sounds very sweet and beautiful clean, this is not the guitar for you. That’s not to say that you can clean it up a bit with maybe some stereo chorus reverb or delay but as this guitar stands on its own, it truly suits one purpose for me , it is true metal madness euphoria. Not only do the pick up scream but this guitar is not only beautiful but constructed perfectly. It is the best most comfortable neck I’ve ever played and it is rocksolid!!! The satin finish on the back of the neck makes it effortless to slide up and down. I’m typically not a fan of gold on guitars but with the black matte finish it actually is pretty sharp and not too Goddy in my opinion. I am mediately replace the strings on this guitar with some nice thick ones for drop C tuning. Even with the 24.75 scale it Plays drop tuning nicely without string floppige. As long as you have the right strings on this exit is no problem. This current model has the EMG pick ups. I am seriously considering getting another EC 1000 with the Pegasus sentiment pick up combo. It’s a little heavier than I thought it would be but in a good way. This guitar is perfectly balanced and the body is definitely thinner than a Les Paul. That’s one thing I didn’t like about Les Pauls is it was thick bulky heavy and a baseball bat neck. I honestly couldn’t be more pleased with this guitar. Love the EC 1000 and the great service I always get at American musical supply. I’ll be honest, i’ve went through about half a dozen brand new guitars and returned every single one of them except for this one. I believe I am pickier than most, if I spend $1000 on a guitar I want to fall in love with it and not settle. If you like playing James Taylor and Crosby stills and Nash I suggest you look elsewhere. If you want to rip some faces off get this guitar!!!!Brett m

I bought this LTD EC-1000 after playing it at the shop for over an hour. This guitar delivers in spades the metal tone I was looking for. (I tried against Duncan Seymour version) With the right setup, it will CHUG! The chugs that is produced is so satisfying and inspirational to downstroke riffs like Papa Het for hours. Action is set at 2mm low E and 1.5mm at high E. A bit higher than I am used to but easy to get used to. This guitar is a beauty and plays and sounds great! You can't go wrong!Kalyan R.

I've had this guitar for about 10 months, and it's great! It's everything you'd come to expect from the ESP LTD line. But the big question is, "How's that bridge?" My motivation for buying this specific guitar was my unending frustration with the floating tremolo on my previous guitar. We started jumping back and forth between standard and dropped D in our set, and making that work with a FR was a nightmare. With that, I had set out on finding a non-FR or fixed bridge, since I rarely used the trem' anyway. I had always wanted an ESP and the idea of each saddle being independent of one another was compelling. It can take a little to get used to, though. Tuning is done at the bridge, and the tension on the strings is adjusted by the tuning pegs. Once the string has the right amount of tension, that saddle will be "activated" in what is referred to as "zone 2". Here, the springs will counter any additional tension applied to that string up to a given point. This means that you cannot do bends or change the pitch in any real or easy way. Some people may like this, but it feels very odd, and the people at Evertune know that most people don't play like this. So, to get the best of both worlds, you will need to apply enough tension on the saddle to bring it right up to the edge of zone 2 by turning the tuning pegs. What I found to be helpful here is to not just listen for the note to change, but to pull on the string and visually inspect movement in the saddle. Once this is set, it feels like a normal guitar with just a tad more tension on the strings. The guitar will come with 10-gauge strings. I gave that a shot for a while. Only recently did I switch them out for some 9s. I think it feels a lot better with a lighter gauge string, especially considering that tad bit of tension. A tip I learned regarding Dropped D was to tune the guitar down by default. Then tune up the low E, which puts that saddle into "zone 3". This is far easier than the reverse and stiJohn Q. GuitarPlayer

I've had this guitar for about 10 months, and it's great! It's everything you'd come to expect from the ESP LTD line. But the big question is, "How's that bridge?" My motivation for buying this specific guitar was my unending frustration with the floating tremolo on my previous guitar. We started jumping back and forth between standard and dropped D in our set, and making that work with a FR was a nightmare. With that, I had set out on finding a non-FR or fixed bridge, since I rarely used the trem' anyway. I had always wanted an ESP and the idea of each saddle being independent of one another was compelling. It can take a little to get used to, though. Tuning is done at the bridge, and the tension on the strings is adjusted by the tuning pegs. Once the string has the right amount of tension, that saddle will be "activated" in what is referred to as "zone 2". Here, the springs will counter any additional tension applied to that string up to a given point. This means that you cannot do bends or change the pitch in any real or easy way. Some people may like this, but it feels very odd, and the people at Evertune know that most people don't play like this. So, to get the best of both worlds, you will need to apply enough tension on the saddle to bring it right up to the edge of zone 2 by turning the tuning pegs. What I found to be helpful here is to not just listen for the note to change, but to pull on the string and visually inspect movement in the saddle. Once this is set, it feels like a normal guitar with just a tad more tension on the strings. The guitar will come with 10-gauge strings. I gave that a shot for a while. Only recently did I switch them out for some 9s. I think it feels a lot better with a lighter gauge string, especially considering that tad bit of tension. A tip I learned regarding Dropped D was to tune the guitar down by default. Then tune up the low E, which puts that saddle into "zone 3". This is far easier than the reverse and stiJohn Q. GuitarPlayer

I have had this guitar for about a month now. From the first day, I have absolutely loved this guitar. The included Seymour Duncan pick ups sounds amazing and the push/pull function gives you a nice range of voices. Everything about the build of this guitar feels amazing. The neck and the frets are smooth and well cared for, the quality of the hardware is top shelf. If you want a Les Paul, just forget about Gibson. This is what you want, of course there are many versions of this guitar, Any one of the EC-1000's are great, but the finish on this one is pretty outstanding in person.Logan C

I got the natural black color. Its a really nice looking guitar. With a different name on the head stock it would cost thousands. Sounds great, you can play any type music on it. Perfect out of the box . No setup at all needed to be done. I saved almost 200.00 with a blemish model model that was basically perfect.Ltd

I always wanted an ESP and after a lot of research I decided on this one as ideal for my needs. I mostly play at home but this sounds amazing through my Marshall. Pickups are great and it has a really nice shiny finish with the cream outlines. Feels nice to play, though the weighting makes it a bit difficult when sitting it is totally comfortable standing up. PMT next day delivery was really good, well packaged too.Lucie M.

I bought this guitar in 2010 and it has been my main rig since. I bought it as a backup guitar to my ESP Horizon, which is my prized possession, but this EC401 never felt like it lacked any of the charisma the Horizon has. Surely, it's not quite as well constructed, but take that as no indication of build quality. This is beautifully constructed actually, with no real areas of weakness. The Horizon is just faultless, being a custom Japanese model. The first time I held one i was sold. Great weight, great resonance, great sustain, great playabilty. This thing absolutely shreds. The only things I've done to it are satin finish the neck and locking tuners. I have never, and will never regret this purchase, nor will I ever sell it. I've had no issues at all. Nothing needs to be done to it. I've just modded nine to suit my playing a fraction more, but they weren't necessary modifications. After gigging with this live countless times, I can vouch that this thing will stand the test of time.Slam

Amazing guitar. Was thinking about getting the EC-1000 but decided to save some money with the EC-401. Happy I did this guitar is amazing! The EMGs are freaking amazing and the playability of this guitar, especially with the thin neck, is through the roof. Highly HIGHLY recommend to anyone looking into this guitar. I cannot say enough about how silky smooth this guitar is. Feels and plays like it belongs in a much higher price range for sure.K P

I have had this guitar for about a month now. From the first day, I have absolutely loved this guitar. The included Seymour Duncan pick ups sounds amazing and the push/pull function gives you a nice range of voices. Everything about the build of this guitar feels amazing. The neck and the frets are smooth and well cared for, the quality of the hardware is top shelf. If you want a Les Paul, just forget about Gibson. This is what you want, of course there are many versions of this guitar, Any one of the EC-1000's are great, but the finish on this one is pretty outstanding in person.Logan C

I got the natural black color. Its a really nice looking guitar. With a different name on the head stock it would cost thousands. Sounds great, you can play any type music on it. Perfect out of the box . No setup at all needed to be done. I saved almost 200.00 with a blemish model model that was basically perfect.Ltd

The ESP EC-1000 is one of the best sub $1000.00 guitars on the market. I have two of these and they do not disappoint. Both of the EC's that I have are "B" Stock guitars, however it was very hard to find anything wrong at all. The color scheme on this one is outstanding! They are very picky with their guitars. Everything about these guitars scream high quality. Fit, finish, selection of wood, and electronics. best of all for me, these are not made in China. I guess you can't stop it totally, but I made a commitment to reduce items that I purchase made from China. I will never buy a guitar made in China again. Thanks ESP!ovagibanez

This is my first guitar. I've been playing the ESP since May 2022 I learned on a Squier Tele, and had an old Baltimore to practice on until I was ready to buy my own. Out of the box this guitar needed very little setup. This guitar definitely has an aggressive sound, and is easy to play. Great sustain. The only drawback is that I run through batteries. Beautiful finish, black hardware completes the look. I get compliments everywhere I take it.Julio

I love the guitar but was charged full price for a floor model. Also, the guitar in the photo had abalone inlays on each side of the fretboard. The one I received did not. The strap button on the bottom of the guitar was pushed in (looks like it was dropped)…Love the guitar but did not receive what I ordered. Also, should not be paying full price for what was clearly a floor model. Strings were obviously well used too.KBart

I bought an LTD M10 about a year ago and love it so much that I bought an EC10 too, planning on slapping some humbucker-sized P90s in it for a different tone. Here's the details on how DIFFERENT these two guitars are, despite appearing more similar at first glance. – Headstock shape; just personal preference. I prefer the 3+3 design of the EC (functionally). – Scale length; the EC has a slightly shorter scale length (24.75" vs 25.5") than the M, making it somewhat easier to play, especially when performing wide stretches and chording. Bends are easier due to lower string tension. The longer scale of the M I believe contributes to superior tonal qualities. -The EC has a painted neck back to match the body. The M has a natural satin transparent finish. Personal preference, but I prefer the transparent finish for the more natural feel. -Both guitars have a 350mm (13.7") fretboard radius, which is somewhat flat, but not extremely so. -The EC has 24 frets, while the M has 22. -The M has slightly better upper fret access since the body shape is less restrictive of fretting hand thumb placement. -Both guitars have TOM bridges, but the M is strung through the body, whereas the EC has a stop tailpiece. String thru designs are lighter and arguably provide more resonance, but the tailpiece is adjustable, allowing you to raise or lower string tension. -Slightly different control layouts, particularly with the pickup selector; a blade on the M vs a toggle on the EC. -EC is slightly heavier. -Strap button placement affects strap retention and where the guitar hangs. The M retains a strap better and sits "closer" (further right) due to the horn, providing easier lower fret access. The EC has no horn so it sits "further" out (further left), naturally guiding the left hand towards the middle of the neck. -The EC sounds beefier, but muddier. The M has clearer but a BIT thinner tone. -The M is made in China and the EC is made in Indonesia. Hope this helps you decide between the two.Pazuzu

I did not buy mine from MF, but I had to put in my opinion. I bought my EC-10 from some guy who posted it on an app. He had not taken very good care of it and the body had a lot of dings and chipped paint. The neck was still good and the hardware was solid. I stripped off all the paint and sanded out most of the dings, stained it and put a coat of shiny finish on it. Topped it off with a new set of EMGs (just my preference the stock pups were actually pretty nice). Now it is one of my favorite guitars to play and I wouldn't give it up for anything. If my used and abused old EC-10 can be this good, I can only imagine what a brand new one could be like. May be buying a new one in the near future.Chris

I am just beginning to try and teach myself to play guitar. So I'm hesitant to give it any kind of star rating or say anything about the guitar in regards to quality of playability, electronics/pickups, tone or any of that important stuff, as I don't have the experience to fairly do so. I've played drums for about 20+ years in bands, so have been around plenty of guitar gear that I know was good. Vintage or custom Gibson and Fender guitars with high end or specialty pickups and hardware, running through half stack 100 watt Mesa Boogie triple rectifiers, 100 watt Marshall JCM 800s/900s, Vox AC 30s, Orange Rockerverbs, Sovteks, etc. Pretty much guitars and amps that sound amazing and are my only in person points of reference. However, It would be completey unfair to try and compare this sub-$200 guitar going through my little Blackstar HT5R combo to the guitars and rigs mentioned above that I'm used to drumming along with. My girlfriend was wonderful enough to buy this guitar for me and she took a good friend who's played for 20+ years and has a 1978 Les Paul himself and after checking out/playing a few lower budget guitars in the store, some in the used section that cost a little more, he recommended this one. Said it played good to him, didn't have the fret buzz that the guitar I wanted to replace had and happened to be the sweet satin black finish he remembered me saying I liked. To sum it up, I doubt this is a guitar any of the experienced players I know would have, but as a beginner still trying to figured out how to fret chord shapes, I'm very happy with this entry-level/budget guitar. Only minor complaint I have so far is that the low E (which I drop to C or D) string seems to need frequent tuning. I'm considering taking it to GC for a proper setup and have larger gauge strings put on, so hoping that might help. But for the price I'd say it's worth any beginner checking out. If only these entry level guitars would include some in-person lessons, lol.Marcus E.

I bought an LTD M10 about a year ago and love it so much that I bought an EC10 too, planning on slapping some humbucker-sized P90s in it for a different tone. Here's the details on how DIFFERENT these two guitars are, despite appearing more similar at first glance. – Headstock shape; just personal preference. I prefer the 3+3 design of the EC (functionally). – Scale length; the EC has a slightly shorter scale length (24.75" vs 25.5") than the M, making it somewhat easier to play, especially when performing wide stretches and chording. Bends are easier due to lower string tension. The longer scale of the M I believe contributes to superior tonal qualities. -The EC has a painted neck back to match the body. The M has a natural satin transparent finish. Personal preference, but I prefer the transparent finish for the more natural feel. -Both guitars have a 350mm (13.7") fretboard radius, which is somewhat flat, but not extremely so. -The EC has 24 frets, while the M has 22. -The M has slightly better upper fret access since the body shape is less restrictive of fretting hand thumb placement. -Both guitars have TOM bridges, but the M is strung through the body, whereas the EC has a stop tailpiece. String thru designs are lighter and arguably provide more resonance, but the tailpiece is adjustable, allowing you to raise or lower string tension. -Slightly different control layouts, particularly with the pickup selector; a blade on the M vs a toggle on the EC. -EC is slightly heavier. -Strap button placement affects strap retention and where the guitar hangs. The M retains a strap better and sits "closer" (further right) due to the horn, providing easier lower fret access. The EC has no horn so it sits "further" out (further left), naturally guiding the left hand towards the middle of the neck. -The EC sounds beefier, but muddier. The M has clearer but a BIT thinner tone. -The M is made in China and the EC is made in Indonesia. Hope this helps you decide between the two.Pazuzu

I did not buy mine from MF, but I had to put in my opinion. I bought my EC-10 from some guy who posted it on an app. He had not taken very good care of it and the body had a lot of dings and chipped paint. The neck was still good and the hardware was solid. I stripped off all the paint and sanded out most of the dings, stained it and put a coat of shiny finish on it. Topped it off with a new set of EMGs (just my preference the stock pups were actually pretty nice). Now it is one of my favorite guitars to play and I wouldn't give it up for anything. If my used and abused old EC-10 can be this good, I can only imagine what a brand new one could be like. May be buying a new one in the near future.Chris

I am just beginning to try and teach myself to play guitar. So I'm hesitant to give it any kind of star rating or say anything about the guitar in regards to quality of playability, electronics/pickups, tone or any of that important stuff, as I don't have the experience to fairly do so. I've played drums for about 20+ years in bands, so have been around plenty of guitar gear that I know was good. Vintage or custom Gibson and Fender guitars with high end or specialty pickups and hardware, running through half stack 100 watt Mesa Boogie triple rectifiers, 100 watt Marshall JCM 800s/900s, Vox AC 30s, Orange Rockerverbs, Sovteks, etc. Pretty much guitars and amps that sound amazing and are my only in person points of reference. However, It would be completey unfair to try and compare this sub-$200 guitar going through my little Blackstar HT5R combo to the guitars and rigs mentioned above that I'm used to drumming along with. My girlfriend was wonderful enough to buy this guitar for me and she took a good friend who's played for 20+ years and has a 1978 Les Paul himself and after checking out/playing a few lower budget guitars in the store, some in the used section that cost a little more, he recommended this one. Said it played good to him, didn't have the fret buzz that the guitar I wanted to replace had and happened to be the sweet satin black finish he remembered me saying I liked. To sum it up, I doubt this is a guitar any of the experienced players I know would have, but as a beginner still trying to figured out how to fret chord shapes, I'm very happy with this entry-level/budget guitar. Only minor complaint I have so far is that the low E (which I drop to C or D) string seems to need frequent tuning. I'm considering taking it to GC for a proper setup and have larger gauge strings put on, so hoping that might help. But for the price I'd say it's worth any beginner checking out. If only these entry level guitars would include some in-person lessons, lol.Marcus E.

First things first. The EC1000 series are NOT made in China as the listing states. They are now made in Indonesia and previously in Korea. I contacted ESP and they confirmed this prior to me purchasing. The Fit, finish and playability really stand out. I have a ESP Eclipse and this guitar is as good and even better in some aspects. The Fishman Pickups are great and one of the deciding factors on this model. I have had it for over 2 months and love it the same. The fingerboard and fret work is spot on. The balance is also good, the guitar is not "neck heavy" like others I have owned. It actually exceeded my expectations as Korean guitars are hard to beat. They guitar sounds very balanced and warm with the fishmans.Dave

ESP makes great guitars for the money. The ESP EC- series guitars have very comfortable necks, good set up and are well intonated. Excellent playability, this guitar makes you want to play it, a real shred-fest. Every time I've bought an ESP guitar I am pleasantly surprised at the high level of quality for the price. This purchase was an open box, and as usual, Musicians Friend delivered an instrument that was virtually brand new. Customer service was great. I've purchased countless items from Musicians Friend over the years and wouldn't shop anywhere else.Ken

Overall: I love this guitar. It stays in tune, sounds amazing, very light body and feel. I did get two damaged initially and had to return them for a third but it's flawless and has been an excellent addition to my guitars. Always been a fan of ESP wasn't really a fan of cheaper end LTD versions but this thing is great. No complaints. I did tweak the truss rod a quarter turn because I run 11/52s and drop tune to C# but with a few adjustments this is now my favorite guitar.Anthony

Awesome looks, light in weight Pick up with a push and pull knob changing from humbucker to a single coil.. a great guitar and mind blowing sound…Mike

the guitar is built really nice,the neck,fret work,is great,plays like a dream,just needed a setup,action was a bit high for my taste,overall build is great!!chris

Sound: The 'Blackened' Black Winter pickup is very bright. Not shrill, but definitely will cut through a mix. It's incredibly clear, and touch sensitive. Very high output, which is appropriate for a guitar called the Black Metal! Features: This guitar has an alder body, which is amazing for almost all tonal aims. The raised LTD logo on the headstock is an incredibly nice touch! The Grovers are smooth, and stable, and the OFR is also stable and reliable. Ease of Use: This is where this, and just about every other LTD I've purchased shines. The fretwork is immaculate. I have the action at .75mm, and it doesn't buzz, for those who aren't familiarwith action measurements, this is incredibly low. The pickup height was perfect right out of the box. The only thing I needed to adjust was the truss rod, it had a bit too much relief. But once that was done, it plays like butter and sounds brutal! Quality: This guitar has absolutely no quality control issues, and feels extremely well made. As stated above, it has all high end appointments, such as a Seymour Duncan pickup, OFR, and grover tuners. It functions amazingly. Value: Absolutely. I'm a Jackson fanboy 90% of the time, but I can say (and zZounds can verify) I've had to return multiple Jackson products and never a single LTD. The Jacksons cost more, and have less. Manufacturer Support: I haven't needed to deal with ESP, as I've never had an issue with their products. The Wow Factor: When you're playing this guitar, if feels metal. The guitar is so easy to play, and sounds so brutal. I can't recommend it enough if you like to play extreme genres of music. Overall: LTD never disappoints. This guitar is metal as it gets, and plays fantastically.Matheau

Overall: When my LTD EC-1000T CTM Tobacco Sunburst arrived, I immediately checked the country of manufacture. Mine was made in Indonesia. Initially I was bummed by this (I think we all want one from S. Korea) but after getting a feel for this guitar I can honestly say I have no QC issues or complaints with my specific guitar. I can't imagine there's any quality difference between mine and one made in Korea. That is to say, the quality and craftsmanship of this guitar are absolutely top notch!First off, this is a beautiful guitar. The color is dark, darker than most of the pictures show. This is a very good thing indeed, perfectly balancing a traditional design with modern flair and finesse. The flamed mahogany top has a decent amount of shimmer and "3D effect." The matte finish is gorgeous and feels great to handle. The full thickness body is well, thick! I love this chunky body style but if you're playing live a lot it may be too much. This is completely subjective though. Just know, it's thick! On top of that there's 7-ply binding front, back, and headstock…and it just blows me away how great it looks. 7-ply!The black hardware is nice, and complements the overall design and gives it a modern/brutal kinda look. The nut (molded plastic?) has some sharp corners that took me by surprise. They'll need to be filed down to prevent jabbing myself when returning to the first fret abruptly.But the rest of the neck/frets/fingerboard experience is absolutely glorious! Seriously this is my favorite thing about this guitar. It feels like a Les Paul, but the slightly thinner neck on this Eclipse is way more comfortable, but still has that "beefy" Les Paul feel. Hard to explain, but to me this is perfection. I do not experience wrist pain playing this guitar (every Gibson LP I owned gave me wrist pain). The ebony fingerboard and stainless steel frets simply feel wonderful, a complete joy to play this guitar with the added bonus of knowing you won't need a fret job for a very, very, long time (if ever).The Open Core Classic pups are pretty nice too, different than I'm used to, but it's not hard to pull very good and useable tones out of them. The push/pull tone pot switches between Modern and PAF sounds. While I can kind of see that, it's more of a frequency response shift that actually is quite useful. I find it more useful than switching between the neck and bridge pickups. Modern gives me crystal clear definition for distored metal runs, and I can pull the pot for the PAF sound that adds just the right amount of "hair." I haven't messed with the single-coil voice, so I won't comment on it other than it's cool that it's there.Overall this a serious guitar. I purchased this with the intention of keeping it around the home studio and I have no doubt after spending some time with it I will have this guitar for a very long time to come.Eric

Sound: The 'Blackened' Black Winter pickup is very bright. Not shrill, but definitely will cut through a mix. It's incredibly clear, and touch sensitive. Very high output, which is appropriate for a guitar called the Black Metal! Features: This guitar has an alder body, which is amazing for almost all tonal aims. The raised LTD logo on the headstock is an incredibly nice touch! The Grovers are smooth, and stable, and the OFR is also stable and reliable. Ease of Use: This is where this, and just about every other LTD I've purchased shines. The fretwork is immaculate. I have the action at .75mm, and it doesn't buzz, for those who aren't familiarwith action measurements, this is incredibly low. The pickup height was perfect right out of the box. The only thing I needed to adjust was the truss rod, it had a bit too much relief. But once that was done, it plays like butter and sounds brutal! Quality: This guitar has absolutely no quality control issues, and feels extremely well made. As stated above, it has all high end appointments, such as a Seymour Duncan pickup, OFR, and grover tuners. It functions amazingly. Value: Absolutely. I'm a Jackson fanboy 90% of the time, but I can say (and zZounds can verify) I've had to return multiple Jackson products and never a single LTD. The Jacksons cost more, and have less. Manufacturer Support: I haven't needed to deal with ESP, as I've never had an issue with their products. The Wow Factor: When you're playing this guitar, if feels metal. The guitar is so easy to play, and sounds so brutal. I can't recommend it enough if you like to play extreme genres of music. Overall: LTD never disappoints. This guitar is metal as it gets, and plays fantastically.Matheau

Overall: I have 2 of the ESP E2 M2 Urban Camo NT guitars and can't be happier. I got the third one back in March 2019 after my second one got stolen. I wanted to wait to write a review after I put the guitar through a few gigs and studio sessions. The guitars are total "machines", they perform above and beyond my expectations. I've got 2 of them and the old one (2016 model) hangs in there with the 2018 model I got back in March. I tune one in E standard and one in Eb tuning for different songs that we play, both guitars never go outta tune, they take all the punishment of the road and the studio, and they look cool on stage too. I wear camo on stage so they match me! The tone of these guitars through a Marshall Full Stack(tube)is legendary! Searing highs and moaning lows and everything in between, all the sounds a metal band would want! I get compliments on my tone from people and I tell them it's good equipment choices that I've made. The build quality of the guitars is perfect, their more like works of art with the paint jobs that they have and all of the cuts in the wood couldn't be more perfect. I would recommend these guitars to any pro who was looking for a shredder guitar for metal, death metal, hard rock, or prog cause that is exactly what they were built for, the sound, the lifestyle, the environment, everything! You don't have to modify nothing cause the guitars are already hot-rodded outta the box! With EMG 81's (Active), Floyd Rose locking bridge and nut, and Gotoh locking tuners(easy string changes). Just plug and play! If you get the black model or opt for the urban camo(my fav)ESP has built a shredding machine that is setup to make you play like a star. And ESP customer support was right there to answer any questions I had about the guitars, thanks to their website. Thanks ESP and Thanks zZounds!!!Jim

Overall: This guitar is awesome. Just received it yesterday. I used to own a esp mii standard series from 2010 and it is every bit as good as my eii mii and in some aspects better. The one I received has a dark rosewood fretboard and looks really high grade my old mii rosewood board was light in color in comparison. I keep looking the guitar over and I can’t find a single flaw. When I received the guitar the setup was flawless and it was even in tune. The fretwork is excellent. All hardware is top of the line. This guitar sounds so good for metal. It has a very quality sound and I play it through a evh 5150iii. It plays very good and effortlessly with no buzzing at all anywhere on the board. I am very impressed and can’t say enough things about it. I recommend anyone to buy this and not be hung up on the eii logo on the headstock vs. esp logo. It’s ever bit as good as my old standard and maybe better in ways. Don’t hesitate.Kelsey

My second favorite guitar of all times. I have many of good instruments but this one is woooow. My first favorite is Ibanez MTM1 if you were curious to ask. This esp is pushing you to play, cant play just for a couple minutes… every time you get stuck with it and dont feel time passing. So nice. I think I want to buy couple more ESPs. Nice work.Artem Bikin