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MGR/Kevin « LTD EC-500 »
Published on 05/26/06 at 15:00I was a dummer in a punk band for 5 years before my taste in music evolved to an appreciation for metal. Now a diehard fan, likely to never look back, I've taken up guitar. 2 years in and 4 axes later I've come across this gem of a guitar. This axe is a metal shredding demon.
I actually bought this guitar off Ebay for $600 after taxes, customs and shipping. The manufacturer's suggested retail price is $899. I bought it because I was looking for a solid intermediate guitar. As my skills evolve, so has my collection of guitars evolved to reflect that and to encourage continual skill development.
What's not to like? A low profile body, set neck, black hardware, an EMG81 in the bridge with an EMG60 in the neck. An Earvana compensated nut helps this baby stay intonated and finely tuned. The string-thru back and set neck help gives this guitar incredible sustain. The matte black finish is gorgeous to look at. The guitar hangs great and sits well. The neck feels so light, but it's definitely straight and durable. The guitar basically plays YOU as your fingers dance across the 24 fret, ebony fretboard.
The matte black body is very susceptible to scratching, it doesn't take much to put a fairly visible blemish. Even a light brush with some coarse fabric can leave its mark. I'm also not a huge fan of fretboard with no inlays. Granted, it does have dot inlays along the top of the neck binding, but having those extra markers on the fretboard is nice if your fingering is still coming along.
The construction is typical of ESP. Very very good. Crafted in Korea (Which would automatically deterr a lot of people) with a 1 piece mahogany body and a 3 piece neck, the guitar is very solid looking. Slightly heavier than some Les Pauls, slightly lighter than others, but way more balls than any stock Les Paul you can find that's even remotely close to the same price.
This is the first year of the ESP LTD EC-500 production. The first model was created in 2005 as an 30th anniversary edition, and production was supposed to end that same year. Due to popular demand the fine people at ESP incorporated the guitar into their regular LTD catalogue. This guitar is a prime piece of machinery at a very very reasonable price for the hardware included therein. If you're at the point where you're not quite ready to dump $2500 on an American Jackson or ESP guitar, this is an amazing stepping stone with similar features to those.
This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com
I actually bought this guitar off Ebay for $600 after taxes, customs and shipping. The manufacturer's suggested retail price is $899. I bought it because I was looking for a solid intermediate guitar. As my skills evolve, so has my collection of guitars evolved to reflect that and to encourage continual skill development.
What's not to like? A low profile body, set neck, black hardware, an EMG81 in the bridge with an EMG60 in the neck. An Earvana compensated nut helps this baby stay intonated and finely tuned. The string-thru back and set neck help gives this guitar incredible sustain. The matte black finish is gorgeous to look at. The guitar hangs great and sits well. The neck feels so light, but it's definitely straight and durable. The guitar basically plays YOU as your fingers dance across the 24 fret, ebony fretboard.
The matte black body is very susceptible to scratching, it doesn't take much to put a fairly visible blemish. Even a light brush with some coarse fabric can leave its mark. I'm also not a huge fan of fretboard with no inlays. Granted, it does have dot inlays along the top of the neck binding, but having those extra markers on the fretboard is nice if your fingering is still coming along.
The construction is typical of ESP. Very very good. Crafted in Korea (Which would automatically deterr a lot of people) with a 1 piece mahogany body and a 3 piece neck, the guitar is very solid looking. Slightly heavier than some Les Pauls, slightly lighter than others, but way more balls than any stock Les Paul you can find that's even remotely close to the same price.
This is the first year of the ESP LTD EC-500 production. The first model was created in 2005 as an 30th anniversary edition, and production was supposed to end that same year. Due to popular demand the fine people at ESP incorporated the guitar into their regular LTD catalogue. This guitar is a prime piece of machinery at a very very reasonable price for the hardware included therein. If you're at the point where you're not quite ready to dump $2500 on an American Jackson or ESP guitar, this is an amazing stepping stone with similar features to those.
This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com