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Dozer dog, thank you for the opinion. That was exactly the response I was searching for. My expression about the “pig” may have been a slight exaggeration in hindsight. It is difficult to get out and about to try these instruments physically, what with COVID and all, and my local music store and guitar center do not stock any ESP models which is bizarre IMO.
Anyway, I have done extensive study, research, opinion fishing, toiling and finally I took a shot. Ordered the 602, due to arrive tomorrow 1/5/21. I have yet to see or hear of a negative remark (other than being slightly more expensive than the “M- 1000” which is what this 602 looks to be based off of...idk) which is what helped suede the decision.
I am on the ESP bandwagon, nothing else even looks cool to me, there’s nothing like the feel of the ex thin U shape neck. I just have never owned anything above let’s say Arrow 401 in quality. That is why I opened myself up for comment.
I’m with you brother. I used to despise LTD after playing a lower end Viper. Billy K. plays ESP so I thought I’d give a mid grade model a shot. I will never play any brand ever again. I own the EC 1000 Deluxe, Sparrowhawk, and getting ready to buy the 602 right now. An EC II is in the works at the end of summer. ESP/LTD have changed my playing and my life.
Well thanks Carl N.
What do y’all think about the kh 202? Seems like ya give up a case, sum pups and neck thru, does that constitute the 700 jump in price?. Only neck thru guit-fiddle I ever owned was the Ltd V style like 400 something. Had deep bass like tone and I thought it was great for those high fret Hammet solos. But rather awkward and uncomfortable to wield in a “relaxed” position.
could the 202 give me that deep tone and power to play those solos up high with out sounding like a squealing pig, or must I spend the full 1,200.00 on the 602 to get there?
If I have to pay over a grand to get a decent guitar then I will expect a lot out of it. I see a lot of instances where these folks buy these and other Ltds and find that the insert for the bridge set screw is cracked and the paint flakes off, or there’s a ugly gap between where the neck mounts into the body or the nut has a sharp edge and you have to watch out when you reach to pick it up or you wind up bleeding from the place of your hand between your thumb and forefinger.
I know that Ltd is a “lesser” or “more affordable” name than their ESP counterparts but seriously! No one wants to spend 1k dollars on something that you just have to end up living with.
So would I end up with one of those “just live with its”, or an actual decent instrument?
Kh-202 or +700 more for kh 602?
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Owning a 202 and a 602 along with 2 newer LTD MH shredders, I can honestly say I've never experienced any QC issues whatsoever on any LTD or ESP instrument! The quality of each is "custom level" and ESP customer service would take care of the slightest imperfection if one were to exist. The KH-202 is an affordable bolt-on that's more than capable of reproducing anything Kurt Hammett related, provided you do your part, along with the use of quality audio & effects. The KH-202 is actually a loaded top tier instrument for it's class, especially when compared to the competitions entrants in the current bolt-on guitar pool, and even more so at it's given price point. As far as your decision, I'd say you really NEED to hear them both side-by-side, you might then consider stepping up to the 602 or maybe even one of the many other "neck through", "set-through" or "set-neck" ESP/LTD models, like an H, M or MH series, all of these fixed neck beauties offer a much fuller (thicker) tone, add to that much brighter crispier leads and far greater sustain options and it becomes pretty clear why they cost more than standard bolt-on models..As for real life sound differences between the bolt-on KH-202 and the neck-thru KH-602, the two most instantly recognizable things you'll hear from the 602 are it's fuller thicker tones and tons more sustain! The 202 with it's bolt-on neck and ESP pups cannot physically provide the same levels of sustain or tone "thickness" that the 602 does with it's neck-thru "sound column" design and EMG Bone Breaker pup set. Not saying one is necessarily better than the other for everything though, it's really more of a matter of personal preference for overall sound, tonal style and customization options. Neck thru constructed guitars are far more labor intensive which drives their costs much higher to build than bolt-on neck guitars. Even though the 202 is a bolt-on style, it's a quality bolt-on, I find it offers a powerful punch of explosive tone, crystal clear leads and an amazing action/playability which isn't exactly typical of a value priced bolt-on! Nonetheless, I can honestly & sincerely say that it cannot physically reach the sustain or the tonal thresholds of the 602 or other quality neck-through ESP/LTD guitars. Strangely enough, my 15y/o son actually prefers using his KH-202 over his KH-602 for his own jam sessions, he likes it's more raw sound better.. go figure..Personally I prefer my latest MH-350FR over both of these KH models, it offers active EMG's, a Floyd Rose and a "set-through" neck joint that provides a thick rich tone along with unobstructed upper fret access and sustain for days! They're all fantastic instruments but once again, it really all comes down to the personal preference thing. Best bet is to get to a dealer and check them out, depending on Covid regs in your area, you may be able to request a demo before you purchase, you might even find that you actually prefer the more raw jam of the lesser priced 202.. and you wouldn't be alone, others certainly do, like my son..(it doesn't sound at all like a squealing pig, I had to get that out there). There's plenty of cover videos online that utilize both models, you can at least get a good idea of what to expect from each one.
Late response, but for future reference: kh202 has the cheap floyd rose special that doesn't let you do anything crazy with the whammy bar since it uses cheap metal. Doing so will result in you tearing down the already soft metal, resulting in breaking a piece of the bridge or the string snapping. That, and it has the cheap crappy stock pickups that sound pretty subpar. If you know anything about Kirk Hammett and metallica, they're known for using Seymour Duncan Invaders and EMG 80/60.
Kh 602 comes with Floyd Rose 1000 which is simply a korean built Floyd Rose Original for the asian market since the german ones don't meet the heavy demands of the asian guitar industry; It'll do everything you'd expect the Floyd Rose system to do. Comes with the iconic EMG 80/60 set the band is reknown for, crucial for the distorted and the clean tones. Aside from that, the difference is minimal. Is it worth the price difference? Up to you and your budget. If you can afford it, I'd go for the 602 without a heartbeat.
Me too brother..
I really wish i can afford this kind of guitar..
Save for it brother! It is worth it.
Only negative thing I have to say that isn’t really a negative so to speak; the pickups, when the battery dies I find myself saying “WTF” then remembering “oh”! “9V”!
Just used to passives but this active I enjoy much more so.