LTD EC-1000FR [2009-2015]

This guitar is the exactly the same as the normal EC1000 model except it has a Floyd Rose. This guitar is only available in one finish it seems in contrast to the many finishes you can get the EC1000 in. The only finish you can get this guitar in is a transparent black finish. It has EMG pickups like most of the EC1000 models. It has an 81 in the bridge and a 60 in the neck. It has a thin mahogany body and neck with a flamed maple top. It has a dark rosewood fretboard with 24 jumbo frets on a 24.75 scale. It has large abalone binding all the way around the body, neck and headstock with abalone inlays. It has a locking nut for the Floyd Rose instead of the compensated nut that the hard tail model has. It has a volume knob for each pickup and a master tone knob. It has a 3 way toggle pickup selector on the upper horn and the cutaway is nice and deep.

UTILIZATION

With the locking nut for the Floyd Rose instead of the compensated nut the intonation will not be as perfect all the way up the neck as it is on the hard tail model but most people will not notice this. The Floyd Rose and locking nut provide great tuning stability. With the Floyd Rose it is more difficult to change tunings as you will have to adjust the spring tension so consider this when buying a guitar with a locking tremolo. The rosewood fretboard is nice but I would have preferred ebony. I do not like the binding and inlays. Abalone is pretty gaudy and they laid it on thick with this guitar. It is also easy to get flaws in Abalone so make sure you check around. The neck is pretty thin for a guitar like this so it is easy to play. The jumbo frets mean you can get a nice low action all the way up the neck and it helps with playability on the upper frets with the 24.75 scale. The pickups are active so remember you need a battery to operate them.

SOUNDS

EMG can make most any guitar sound good. With the EMG this guitar is great for metal. The EMG provide a crisp even tone at all times. The 81 is a classic bridge pickup for metal. It provides great crunch and clarity. The 81 in the bridge is pretty bright and searing. This means it will retain clarity through even the thickest gain and lowest tunings. The 60 in the neck is all right but I prefer the 85 in the neck position. The 60 is good for clean tones in the neck position. If you want to play high gain leads in the neck position I recommend using the 85 in that position. The 85 will give you a fatter sound. With EMG pickups you can do the 18v mod. With this mod your pickups are powered by two 9v batteries and it will give you more headroom and a more natural sound overall. Standard EMG pickups can sound kind of sterile.

OVERALL OPINION

Some people I know wont play a guitar unless it has a tremolo. I guess ESP didnt want these weirdos to feel left out of the EC series. This EC1000 is for them and has a great locking tremolo system. Every other part of the guitar is pretty much the same and this is good because the EC1000 was already a great guitar. If you want a metal single cut guitar with EMG's and a locking tremolo system this is one of the few guitars out that that has all that.