The Snapper CTM is another version of the Snapper. However, this one has a quilted maple top instead of the regular pure alder body. It helps shift the high end and give the guitar some more detail in all frequencies. The guitar features an alder body with a maple top, a maple neck with a maple fretboard, 24 jumbo frets, dot inlays with a name on the 12th fret, a vintage style tremolo, HSS configuration, one volume, one tone, a coil split switch and a three way switch. UTILIZATION The first thing you notice is that this guitar absolutely pops. The quilted maple top on this just looks amazing, and it's finished perfectly. The frets on this were completely level. I didn't experience any issues with fretting out, even with super low action. The nut was also properly cut, so no issues there. The bridge on this is a vintage style tremolo, but they also have floyd versions for those of you who prefer the floyd rose models. It was really almost perfect in every way, although I actually prefer the floyd model. SOUNDS The guitar came with ESP Custom Lab pickups. These pickups are very high quality pickups, and they sound great. The bridge itself is like an organic JB clone. It had the clarity and sparkle the JB has, but it wasn't nearly as harsh as the JB tends to get. The middle and neck pickups were similar to the old school hot Seymour Duncan singles that I have in some of my other guitars. They get an awesome quack in the in-between positions, and the neck just screams when it's alone. The coil tap switch on this also adds some extra versatility to help make this one crazy guitar. OVERALL OPINION I prefer the CTM model to the normal Snapper, but they're both great. I'm just a sucker for those fancy tops, and I also like the top end that maple tends to bring to the table. It adds a bit more character than a normal body. The guitar is put together great, and if you happen to find one, I recommend buying it.
The Snapper is a very high quality 24 fret superstrat that ESP releases on the overseas market. For some reason, they don't bring it overseas, and I think it would be super popular over here if they'd release more in this configuration. The guitar features an alder body, a maple neck with a maple fretboard, 24 jumbo frets, dot inlays with a name on the 12th fret, a vintage style tremolo, HSS configuration, one volume, one tone, a coil split switch and a three way switch. UTILIZATION The Snapper is one of my favorite guitars. They are consistently at the top of the heap when it comes to great playing superstrat guitars. The nut on this was perfectly cut, and there weren't any tuning issues to speak of. Gibson tends to have a big problem with this, but they apparently don't know how to cut nuts consistently like ESP does. The bridge on this is very cool, and it stays in tune pretty good for what it is. I generally prefer the floyd models, but these are great for a different tone and different feel. If you're not doing huge dive bombs, this should suffice. SOUNDS This guitar has the ESP Crunch Lab pickups in it. They're kinda like Seymour Duncans, but they have a bit of their own flavor going on. The bridge pickup is similar to a JB, but it's a bit fatter. The JB can tend to be very bright in certain guitars, and they seemed to have fixed that issue with this guitar. It can do nearly any genre from country to death metal all in one guitar. You just have to choose the right amp for each genre. The middle and neck pickups got a great vowely sound, and the in-between positions got that great Hendrix quack going on. The coil split feature also added some extra versatility. OVERALL OPINION The Snapper is a cool guitar that most people don't seem to look at for whatever reason. They're great HSS super strats that really rip in a studio setting. They're not only versatile, but they're great looking as well. I prefer the floyd rose versions, but these old school bridge ones are very cool too.
