The ESP Guitar Company

Just picked up a vintage black version of this guitar and I have to say I could not be happier. The guitar plays brilliantly and sounds fantastic, and it also is a beauty and inspires me to pick it up and give it a go every day.

The neck is a bit fatter than the thin neck I am used to on my Ibanez, but it plays fast and smooth. Upper fret access is good, even with smaller hands like mine. I love the fact that it has 24 frets.

The guitar also came set up well, though I did lower the action a bit to play faster.

The EMG pickups deliver clean, strong tone that sounds equally good playing clean as well as super distorted. Lead is an absolute joy to play — the notes sustain like a mofo!

Whoever recommended this guitar for anyone who wants a $1000 axe that plays and sounds like a $5000 axe is right on the money. 

This was my first ESP / LTD and certainly won’t be my last.

If you’re on the fence about getting this, do yourself a favor and just get it.

Had mine for about 3 years and is hands down the best guitar I have ever owned. Traded another LTD guitar at a music store for it and couldn't be happier. Very versatile, dependable and never looses tune unless changing environments with different humidity levels than my home. If you are looking for a guitar that plays like a $5000 guitar for $1000, I would definitely get one of these. Better than any Les Paul I have ever owned or played. Keep up the good work ESP. I own 3 of your guitars and they're hard to beat.

Got one of these a few months ago from my local shop. They had to special order it and it came in a few weeks later. They took the time to set it up and handed it over. There were quite a few flaws in the guitar. Rough frets, a chipped and filled inlay and uneven banding. Play wise it was much worse. Heavy buzzing everywhere on the fret board primarily on the A string, and the action was much higher than your usual esp. I took it back and they changed out the string and tweaked it again. Again still buzzing everywhere. I checked the frets for level and they were all over the place. Brought it back and they explained "that's just how it is" and tried to blame the buzz on my playing. I own 2 Korean made LTD's from early 2000'sthat play with much lower action and don't play like this.

They ended up refunding be because, in their words, couldn't make me happy. There is no reason a guitar of this price should have been in such poor playability at factory specs. This is one of my dream guitars, and the whole process was a nightmare. Quality seems to have really gone down with the ltd line now that they are in Indonesia.

I just recieved mine 3 days ago! It's an amazing quitar. Great build guality, great sound, perfect neck for fast playing...

But I have one guestion: Mine is made in Korea. There is no split coil pull switch  (!) . Why?

I've had this guitar for 10 years and it's still amazing to this day. Out of all my guitars this is my baby. I feel like this is one of the few guitars ESP has been producing the longest consecutively so its sucess is guaranteed (there are even two different pickup versions). That being said will you please make a version with a gold evertune bridge and a gold fishmans so you can take my money. Make a EC-1000VB ET please!