SeriesLTD Distressed

I already have the ST203 in the 3-Tone Sunburst Distressed finish and now have the Black Distressed finish model. This is a Made in Vietnam strat that has a great "broken in" feel and in contrast to the 3-Tone Sunburst finish the distressed finish is actually NOT underneath any clear coat or glossed-over. The Black Distressed model feels just as beat-up as it looks. Like its counterpart the Black Distressed ST203M has an aged maple neck with distressed maple fret board--it plays like a well-broken-in guitar that's been around for years, on and off the stage (possibly even dropped from the stage a few times), in and out of the studio, had beer spilled all over it, and just overall a true player instead of a case queen. The stock single coils are punchy and have are slightly more beefy than the ones in the 3-Tone model I received which leads me to believe there is a slight variance and they’re not just stamping out exact copies. These single-coils have a fatter and rounder sound and again does a great job of bridging the gap between single-coil and humbucker-equipped guitars. It embodies many of the great sonic qualities associated with Stratocasters yet takes it up a notch with a little more punch and cut. UTILIZATION The ESP LTD ST203M is a 22-fret guitar and access to the upper frets is achieved easily enough. The neck is a familiar C-shape with slightly more substance to it than similar guitars which makes it slightly easier and more comfortable to play. Part of the "distressed" finish includes cut-aways and parts of the guitar shaved or worn-down that actually make it easier and/or more comfortable to play. The guitar is well-balanced, not too heavy and not too light. The tuning keys are stable, not flimsy, and hold the tune and stability rather well. SOUNDS Most of what I play are Splawn and Jet City amplifiers, and mostly with a good amount of overdrive and right-hand energy. There are some songs where the clarity and staccato nature of single-coil pickups brought out the extreme punctuation in the songs but made the songs cleaner and brought out more of the characteristics that make the song great. The ST203M is the perfect guitar to get this particular job done. Of course, everything is upgradeable and the ST203M is so well-put-together that any upgrades are unbelievably easy and bring out the best qualities of the guitar. OVERALL OPINION As an entry-level guitar this is really the class of the field that I've found. This particular guitar required a minor truss rod adjustment to take some buzz out of the lower frets but I wouldn't dismiss this or any other guitar for that reason. For a relatively small amount of money you can get into a guitar that looks, plays, and sounds great for anything just short of full-force screaming metal, and this can be achieved easily enough with a simple pickup replacement. With the addition of a couple of minor upgrades this is a top-notch guitar that I would play on any stage.

LTD is made by the parent company ESP. You could say LTD is ESP's budget line, but don't let that fool you, they put out some cool guitars. I checked out my local music shop and saw this came in. My instant draw to the LTD was the Floyd Rose and the humbucker in the bridge. $399 was a great price, but I didn't buy it. I played it through a Fender Hot Rod Deville for about an hour. The satin neck gives it that worn in feel. As I climbed up the neck I felt like I had been there many times before. The Floyd Rose had a solid tension with great tuning. I was able to go nuts on the bar and the guitar didn't go flat. The pickups are a single, single and humbucker configuration. The bridge was a screamer, no need to upgrade it. The neck was warm and bell-like similar to a nice Strat. The distressed look is give or take. From 10' back this guitar actually looks naturally worn, but upon close inspection you can tell it is just factory roadworn. There is an LTD logo printed in the 12th fret. Another minor cosmetic setback that isn't a deal breaker, just isn't a plus. The body is alder and the neck is maple. Pickups are one LH-150 Humbucker in the bridge and two LH-120 single coil pickups in the middle and neck position. The Floyd Rose and tuners are not top shelf, but they aren't bargain bin gear either, you can rock out all evening on this and never stray far from some fine tuning. Finally an affordable relic'd guitar with plenty of personality both visually and tonally. I will warn you, once you pick it up it will be tough to put down, fits just like your favorite worn sweatshirt! This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

This is the Vintage 204 series from LTD by ESP. It is their take on a Precision bass copy and made it Distressed similiar to Fender's latest Road Worn Series. I think these came in 2 colors black and sunburst. The P-bass pickup in the neck and the Jazz bass pickup in the bridge offer you plenty of sounds with the Volume, Volume, Tone controls. I was in my local music shop looking for a fun gigging bass. I liked the worn in look that Fender and LTD were doing. What it came down to was the Fender was $1000 and the LTD was $349 plus it had the additional pickup. The Jazz pickup in the bridge is what sets this bass apart. It allows me to get the thump of a P-bass with the added presence of a Jazz. Very versatile bass. The neck is very comfortable as well. The headstock and LTD logo on the 12th fret kind of turn me off, but if I wanted a Fender I would have had to have coughed up 3 times the price. The aging look on the back of the fretboard is a bit over the top as well, but hey it is on the back and I'm not going to worry about it too much. Well built. Nice tight neck pocket, solid hardware which is rare on a cheaper bass. The bass feels like you've been playing it for 20 years! The finish is pretty cool, I would have gone a little less distressed myself, but it is much more believable than some instruments I have seen. Want the look, feel and sound of a vintage bass without the price tag? Check out the Vintage series by LTD. This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com