LTD or E-II

Updated
LTD or E-II

It's time for me to get a new guitar and I've decided on getting another ESP. After a couple weeks of research and trying out a few models, I have determined that a Horizon is the best model for me. The only question is if I should get a LTD H-1001 or save up a few more months and get an E-II Horizon NT. What are your guys' thoughts on the two guitars?

Pushead

The only real way to know if to play them both to see if you'll notice the difference in quality between the LTD and the E-II. The 1000 level LTD guitars are really nice guitars. I notice a difference between the LTD and the E-II models, but not everyone does.

 

One thing to consider, the LTD may not have a full maple cap under the veneer. The lower level LTD guitars (400 level and below) just have a maple veneer over the mahogany body. I'm not positive if this is the case on the 1000 level guitars. I've never heard an official ruling on this.

The E-II guitar will have a full maple cap with a figured maple veneer over top.

Vance

The problem is there aren't any shops nearby that have E-IIs that I can try. I've looked in other close by cities and they don't either.

Pushead

That's usually the problem. What guitar(s) are you using now?

Are you set on buying new, or would you be open to buying a used one from Reverb or eBay?

Vance

I currently have a beat up Epiphone SG and an ESP LTD EC-1000. I got the eclipse from reverb so it is an option I consider but I would much rather get a new one.

Paulo Q. S.

I'm also curious about this. I have an LTD EC-1000 Deluxe and I was contemplating selling it to get an E-II Eclipse. I just don't know what I'd be gaining. All my other guitars are made in USA, except for a Godin that I think was assembled in the US with parts built in Canada. My LTD keeps up with my other guitars for sure, so I don't see a lot of room for improvement with a more expensive model. I'd strongly suspect that I'd be facing diminishing returns in anything "nicer" than the 1000 series. Regarding the top, it's really hard to tell if it has a wood veneer top or a full famed maple top. I can definitely see some level 3D-ness of the top, but I'm not sure if it's as deep as my other guitars with flamed maple tops. Checking the pickup cavity didn't help much, because if the black isolation applied to the pickup cavities. 

Pushead

Again, I'd say it's something you'd need to play to see if you notice the difference and if any difference you feel is worth the additional cost.

Since playing a new one is likely out of the question, perhaps finding a low-cost one on ebay or reverb with the idea of trying one. If you don't like it, re-sell it. If you do, but you want a different color or a brand-new one, re-sell it. If you dig it, keep it.

I notice a difference between the E-II and the LTD, but not everyone does. I think they're worth the additional cost, but not everyone does. I think they're both fantastic guitars in their respective price ranges.

Paulo Q. S.

What is it that you are able to notice? Spec wise, I notice: molded nut vs bone nut; LTD locking tuners vs Gotoh locking tuners (I liked the LTD tuners more than I expected); nickel hardware vs chrome hardware; uncovered pickups vs covered pickups (for models with passive SD pickups); regular strap button vs Schaller locking strap button; Tonepro locking ToM vs Gotoh ToM; 3 piece neck vs 1 piece neck; Pau Ferro fretboard vs Rosewood; 24 XJ frets vs 22 XJ; cheap plastic control knobs vs chrome knobs; and case not included vs case included. I also noticed a different neck heel joint in some models. If I had to nit pick, the two things that I notice on LTD 1000 Deluxe series models, is 1) the cheap plastic knobs is one give away of a more “affordable” guitar; and 2) the thick poly finish on gloss finish models is a dead giveaway that it is not a top shelf model. Correct me if I’m wrong, but my understanding was that ESP didn’t use nitro. Is it the case that the poly finish in the E-II is thiner relative to their LTD 1000 Deluxe counterparts?

Pushead

You are correct, neither the LTD nor the E-II models are nitro. The EC-1000 I have the most experience with was a satin finish, so I don't know that I can give an informed answer about the finish thickness. I will say that the E-II models still have a bit of the "plastic" feeling in the clear coat vs a Gibson or something nitro finished. That's an unfortunate side effect of using poly.

The hardware is pretty top-notch on the E-II. More so than even my ESP Standard guitars (which are all older.) But the hardware choices for the 1000 series LTDs are all pretty good. In terms of spec, I like the 22 frets on an Eclipse (which makes up the majority of what I have.) I also prefer ebony for the fingerboard, and my experience with rosewood on the E-II was mixed. It feels, plays and sounds good, but I wish it was darker. I suspect they went to a different species of rosewood sometime during the early 2010s.

If you care to read my review on my E-II when I got it, you can read it at: https://www.espguitars.com/forums/1963244/posts/2129116-hands-on-review-e-ii-eclipse-vs-esp-standard-eclipse

Reading it a few years later, it makes me feel like I've been ultra-picky and looking for things to critique, but I still feel like it's an honest review.

Paulo Q. S.

Thank you so much for such a well thought reply. I think it’s inportant to be a bit picky when writing reviews, as some things that seem insignificant to some people, might mean a world to others. I think you contributed immensely with your review. Thank you for pointing it out to me. 

 

Regarding poly, I’ve played some amazing sounding guitars with poly, so I don’t prescribe to the nitro is the only way to go. It more of the plastic feeling, especially on the neck, that I associated more with affordable guitars, which is kind of unfair. The added benefits of poly are durability, the knowledge of a more environmentally friendly process, and the ability to save on something that don’t have a major impact on sound and playability, albeit it’s impact on feel, to apply those savings towards something that might be of greater value, like better QC, pickups, hardware, wood, etc. That’s not to say I prefer poly to nitro, but I can understand why they went with it and it doesn’t take away from a great guitar. The V12 PRS use in a lot of their MiA stuff is a good middle ground, though I still prefer the feel of nitro. This is all me being picky, though.

 

I was wondering if you played other E-II’s or maybe added some more E-II’s to your collection since writing your review. If so, were your findings pretty similar. It’s interesting what you mentioned about the nut, as one of the things I noticed about the molded nut on my EC-1000 was how perfect it is. It’s better than what I’ve experienced  with Gibson, Fender or similarly priced PRS SE guitars. 

 

I don’t know if it’s a new thing with the 2018 Deluxe models, but I found the hardware to be top notch on my LTD. Of course, Nickel will age, losing some of its shine especially in places that often get in contact with my skin when playing. I don’t mind that at all and in some ways a rather like it. I see it as trophies that remind me how much practice I put in. Looking very closely, the one thing that felt a bit more on the affordable side was the ring that keeps the 3-way pickup selector in place. I don’t know what it is about it, but to me it just feels like a more affordable part, though the switching mechanism itself feel very sturdy and of good quality. Finally like I mentioned before, the control knobs feel cheap. 

 

Pushead

I don't have a ton of experience with other E-II guitars. I've played one or two, but not for long periods. I'd say that they feel similar to mine.

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