LTD EC-1000 MGO

The EC1000 is ESP's jack of all traits Les Paul style guitar. It is made by LTD which is ESP guitars budget line of guitars. These guitars are much cheaper than ESP branded guitars because they are made outside of Japan. This guitar has the typical EC shape. It has a mahogany body which is much thinner than that of a normal Les Paul. The neck is mahogany with set neck construction. The fretboard is very dark rosewood and has 24 jumbo frets. The tuners up top are locking tuners. These newer ESP models have standard nuts instead of the compensated nuts that older models had. The bridge is a tonepros locking tune-o-matic. The pickups are another big difference with this newer model. It has a set of Seymour Duncan pickups. They are generic models but they are Duncans nontheless. The finish is a gold top with a big of a metallic hue. There is a 3 way toggle up top and two volumes with a master tone.

UTILIZATION

This guitar plays great like most ESP guitars. The EC models give you the shape and look of a typical Les Paul but with the playability of a super strat. THe body being much thinner than a Les Paul is nice and light and balances well. The fretboard has a nice flat radius with jumbo frets. This lets you get a nice low action on the guitar so you can rip up some speedy solos. Being 24 frets but having a 24.75 inch scale means the upper frets can get pretty crowded but the jumbo frets help out with this. I wonder why ESP is not putting Earvana nuts on these guitars any more. I guess it is to save money. The change is not noticable at first but if you have played a guitar with a compensated nut before you will know how good it sounds when you have perfect intonation. The locking tuners and locking bridge are great features. The locking bridge locks down your saddle settings and locks the bridge in place so it can fall off and get off setup. The locking tuners keep you in tune even if you knock the headstock around.

SOUNDS

The Duncans are a pretty big change from the EMG's most of the EC1000 guitars come with. I would recommend the EMG's over these pickups even if you are not a metal player. These pickups are basic generic Duncans. It is not the JB 59 or Jazz set you find in most Seymour Duncan equipped guitars. These are more basic Alnico magnet Duncans. They do fit the styling of this guitar well though. They have a very vintage voicing to them. They are great for classic rock and blues. They have a nice loose sound that matches up well with classic rock riffs.

OVERALL OPINION

This guitar is the answer for the people who want a great mid level guitar like the EC1000 but do not play metal and thus so do not find the active EMG pickups useful. This guitar coming with classic sounding Seymour Duncans gives this guitar a tone more suited to blues and classic rock. This matches well with the classy looks you get with this guitar that come from the rosewood fretboard and the gold top finish. If you want a nice mid level ESP guitar that looks more vintage and delivers more vintage tone this is your model.

Guitar made in Korea, with a body and mahogany set a very comfortable neck with 24 frets jumbo frets, two Seymour Duncan Alnico II (to the delight of Slash, Queens Of The Stone Age or Queensryche) with two potentiometers volume (one for each humbucker) and a tone. It adds a 3-position selector and it was a guitar that looks a lot like a very nice Les Paul, with its chrome hardware and golden table.

UTILIZATION

One would be in the hands a hybrid between a metalhead guitar so the handle is nice and fast and good blues rock guitar with two pickups sound very muffled. I have not had time to compare it with the Epiphone Slash but I think this one is lighter and access to acute is better, from my experience models with Epiphone Les Paul and Gibson. And the guitar well be mahogany, no one has the impression of having a low around the neck instead of a guitar (a frequent occurrence for our American friends).

SOUNDS

This guitar really fits everything I play, with its hushed her well in mid and bass positions, the particular timber I have always sought: the blues (. Pos bass), blues-rock (treb), jazz ( bass), funk (mid), rock (treb), metal (treb) ... Anything goes with honors! I plugged into a Fender Blues Junior and sound suits me perfectly.
October 2014: I changed the Seymour Duncan Alnico II which I blamed a lack of personality for pickups Seymour Duncan Phat Cat P90 Alnico 2 and it is a treat for jazz, blues, rock 70! My amp is now the Bugera V22 and it's tasty ...

OVERALL OPINION

I have 3 years after trying very good guitars such as Les Paul Custom Cherry Gibon, Godin Montreal, Epiphone Sheraton or Fender American Deluxe Stratocaster and have found no fault him or her, then, to be very demanding can -be, lack of piezo ... but for 850 euros, the value is unbeatable!
With experience, I would do this choice without any problems.

Guitar made in Korea, like Les Paul, mahogany body, maple table reported, handle 3 piece mahogany heel reinforcement under the saddle, rosewood fingerboard, 24 jumbo frets, mechanical lock, bridge tune-o-matic with stopbar. Two Seymour Duncan Alnico II Pro, two volumes and a tone common. It looks like a Les Paul, but the body is thinner about 4cm thick while big sister is rather 5cm! Stomach and cut at the horn for easier access to the latest boxes. Level finishing nothing to say, it is very well made, the binding handle and body are adjusted to the millimeter. If I wanted to nitpick, I would say that the wood of the body have on mine, two small spots visible on the back, for sure on the Korean models wood selection is not as severe as the ESP Japan models. But then there I really nitpick.

UTILIZATION

The guitar is lighter than its inspiration, it's good shoulders, the neck is thin and very nice, I think it was built for the hands of the Japanese, smaller than Ricans in general of course, I do not discriminate.
The guitar sounds great vacuum quickly plug in the ......

SOUNDS

This model, with passive pickups, perfectly suited to rock, blues, hard rock, stoner etc. ... They are clever at ESP-LTD, for those who like metal, there are the same model but with EMG active pickups.
Plugged into my Laney Lionheart on sounds immediately at rock, the neck pickup is a real treat, ideal for a good blues. I did not know Seymour Alnico II Pro is a good choice for this guitar, they have a lower output level than SH-4, for example, suddenly the sound is articulated notes stand out well . Without extraordinary sounds of this guitar are of very high quality.

OVERALL OPINION

Bought like that because I like the Gold Top finish, this is a guitar that really surprised me, beautiful quality finish, top fittings, everything is as Tonepro on ESP Japan. Getting Started pleasant sounds in line with the construction, we will immediately type in the Led Zep, the ZZ Top, AC-DC with this guitar. For less than € 1,000 is a guitar that will accompany you for years.
It is true that ESP-LTD has a picture of a tool for metalheads supplier of all kinds, whether the best-known and most talented provide the country of the rising sun, there must be a reason? The brand and model are not an alternative to neglecting those seeking a Les Paul type guitar.
I do not regret my choice and I already eyeing towards a model ESP .....