LTD EC-1000 VHB

Mahogany body Mahogany neck
24-3/4" set neck
Thin U neck contour
Rosewood fretboard (ebony on vintage black)
Abalone flags plus the model name at the 12th fret
42mm standard nut
24 extra jumbo frets
TonePros locking Tune-o-matic bridge
Genuine EMG 81/60 pickups (Seymour Duncan JB/59 set on amber sunburst model)
ESP locking tuners
Black hardware (gold on black and vintage black, chrome on amber sunburst)

UTILIZATION

This is a great guitar. ESP has been making high quality guitars since the 1980s, and with their LTD line, they can offer more affordable versions of their high-end axes to the general public. This Eclipse Deluxe EC-1000 is a wonderful instrument - it is like a streamlined, more aggressive Les Paul. It is the Italian sportscar equivalent of the Gibson Les Paul - very sleek, very fast. The 24 frets are a must have for modern metal and shred styles, and the TonePros locking bridge and locking tuners add a higher level of sustain. Interestingly, this guitar is offered in EMG or Seymour Duncan pickups - I am reviewing the amber sunburst, so my guitar has the Duncans.

SOUNDS

Another Seymour Duncan JB/59 setup, another perfect 10. There is a reason that when many electric guitar manufacturers decide to use step-up pickups in their guitars, they decide on these exact pickups - because they're great! The JB and 59 combination is one that I have written about extensively on here, and it never gets old or tired. The attack is crisp, yet not too hot. The single notes soothe with their vintage warmth, and the dynamic range is excellent. One could play literally any style on this instrument.

OVERALL OPINION

What more can I say? This guitar is packed with attention to detail, and is sure to impress both vintage hounds and modern shredders alike, along with anyone else that might stumble onto it. The feature set is outstanding for the price, and the guitar is extremely easy to play. The sound is out of this world! I would recommend this highly to any guitarist to try out!

Lespaul type guitar made in Korea, affordable version of the ESP Eclipse
24 frets, jumbo frets, tune LesPaul
Seymour Duncan JB humbucker and 59 (SH1/SH4)
Gotoh fixed bridge type tun'o'matic, Earvana compensated nut, mechanical blockages
Three knobs: one volume and tone micro
Three-position selector type Les Paul
Body and mahogany neck (rosewood), maple veneer on the table
Build quality very correct

UTILIZATION

The handle too much "log" the varnish quickly allows a lot of acrobatics. Access to acute way is like any Les Paul. Lowering action, we can still consider the return and the decently sweeping.

The ergonomics of the guitar is good thanks to the presence of indentations in the stomach and for access to acute. Vintage Honey Burst finish is beautiful with its very soft satin.

The weight is not very high for mahogany (remains to be seen what kind of mahogany was fine), making the guitar comfortable to play.

The sound is very good thanks to sumptuous Seymour Duncan SH1/SH4. The tone knob is playing its role. The logarithmic volume knobs do not violoning well, too bad ...

The mechanical blockages can easily change the rope, that's super convenient!

SOUNDS

I was looking for a rock sound and it does. The sound of the EC1000 is excellent for heavy rock, marriage with a mahogany Seymour + tube amp gives a warm sound with a real presence. The clean sounds are rich and well fill the space, which is nice.

The Seymours are not as precise and sharp as EMG81 (ceramic) but not at all ridiculous as long as saturated fat.

The association + mahogany set neck + fixed bridge gives a nice sustain. It lacks a push-pull on the tone to take advantage of splittage of Seymour, a shame that this is not original.

OVERALL OPINION

The value for money is excellent. The EC1000 is well placed to nag even rhythm. The compensated nut and Gotoh mechanics must be for something ...

The LTD Deluxe are really very good guitars for a decent price. The sound of these guitars and playing comfort are worth much more expensive guitars.

Basically, I hesitated to buy a Gibson Lespaul studio is a bit more expensive but I've read too many negative opinions on the value price of this model since 2000. I also think that philosophy is very different between these two guitars.

Edit September 2010: the EC1000VHB has not moved a bit ... not I set up a split in the bridge pickup, which expands the sonic palette. Since the acquisition of a "real" LP, I would say that the LTD is more comfortable, more accurate, more modern but less warm.