The ESP Guitar Company

When it comes to magazines about making music, few have the long-term prestige and respect as Guitar Player Magazine. They've just passed their 50th year of publication, and for decades, we at ESP have had a great relationship with the people who create the magazine. That having been said, it's still not easy to get our guitars and basses reviewed by them, and when we do, there's no guarantee that the review will be good. Our attitude is that each instrument has to stand on its own merits, and be impressive to the product reviewers regardless of any other factor.

That's why we're very proud that the LTD EC-1000 Piezo is the recipient of this month's Guitar Player's Editors' Pick award. As you probably know, the EC-1000 Piezo is the first EC Series guitar that offers both standard magnetic pickups and piezo pickups that can be used individually or blended, with two output jacks for extreme versatility in tone for live or studio use. Reviewer Michael Molenda recognized all of the factors that make the EC-1000 Piezo an excellent choice for a wide variety of players. Here are a few excerpts:

"I’ve always been a sucker for the EC’s modern twist on a vintage form—the sharp headstock angles, severe bout, and “waving banner” fretboard inlays—and the EC-1000P’s striped binding and stunning see-through black finish over a quilted-maple top is even more reason to fall in love with this gorgeous guitar. Construction is flawless, from the rounded fret ends to the quality hardware. The rear bevels—especially the super-comfy incline where the neck joins the body and the carving on the lower bout—make playing the EC-1000P a blissful experience. Nothing hinders riffing away in any position you choose, and, at times, it can almost feel as if you’re not actually holding a guitar."

"I found the ability to blend the humbucker and piezo tones to be even more rewarding. For shredders, being able to dial in a hint of shimmer and clarity to saturated lead tones is definitely a boon—especially if you dig blasting off with the neck humbucker. There are also innumerable and super-cool riff and rhythm sounds available with subtle tweaks of the magnetic/piezo balances. You can go all the way from emulating layered studio tracks to crafting tortured midrange attacks."

"The EC-1000 Piezo is, quite simply, a tone chef’s delight. It’s also one hell of a guitar."

Click here to read the entire review at guitarplayer.com.