LTD F-200 [2001-2003]

The purchase of my fabulous ESP-LTD F-200 Gun Metal Blue was an online purchase from Musicians Friend. I paid $449 for the guitar and $89.99 for the universal F-Series hardshell case.

I'm a Speed metal player, and I gotta admit that the look of this beast is what really pulled me in. After scoping out the outrageous body shape, I was suprised to find out it was only $449. For an ESP! Then I read The specs. I fell in love. 24 EX Jumbo frets-Shark Fin Inlays-Floyd Rose Liscensed Double Locking Floating Tremelo-ESP Tuning Machines to die for(They are so Precise!)-EMG HZ Pickups and once again, the body shape is sooooo cooool!

What I didnt like and what came as a total surprise was the fact that It comes with very limited tonal control. While it does have a three way toggle switch for tone control, The other two knobs are for volume and-surprise, not tone control- but a 20db gain boost. I guess it was designed to apply more output, so your guitar sounds louder if you want it to, when you pull on the knob. I find it clumsy to use and have sufficcient gain from my amplifier and would rather have more tonal control rather than extra gain. However thats not to say that the instrument is without tone! Through the right amp (mine is an Randall RG100SC), It is a beast with full range of tone.

I used to be an Ibanez player and enjoyed the fact that the instrument was so light , unlike a B.C. Rich or Gibson. Let me say that this ESP is not too light nor too heavy, It is a very comfortable and well balanced machine which helped make the transition to ESP a smooth one. The neck may be a bolt on -BUT- the heel(where the neck is bolted on to the insrument)is rounded so it makes shredding at the higher frets a breeze. The overall quality compared to price is acceptable.

While the radical design of the ESP LTD F-200 may not be for everyone, if every guitar were made with such quality for the money there would be no bad buys and every guitar purchaser would be happy. I beleive that I got what I paid for: A well balanced, great looking machine with the "x-tras" that make shredding so enjoyeable.

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

I got it from a friend who broke his hand and he didn't have much of a use for it for a long time so he loaned it to me

the body is awesome, cool design and nice tone. the neck is a bolt on but its nice and smooth. the pickups, EMG's baby! this is also the modle with the ass kicking afterburner so you get gain up and down the yin yang!

2 words: floyd rose. If you're a beginner don't EVER EVER get a guitar with a floyd rose bridge. you need 3 degrees in engineering to change the strings. also, i wish it was neck thru but thems the breaks.

great construction, the body is nice and tough as is the neck but watch out for that floyd rose!

if youre an experienced player, buy a bunch. one of the best guitars ever. if youre a beginner go for a lesser model like the f-100 or f-50

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

I had been looking for a good "metal" guitar for a while. I was tired of my old beat up Fender Strat, so I needed something new. Something with attitude. At first I considered a B.C. Rich Virgin, but it looked like I would probably end up poking someone's eye out with it. So I finally picked up this axe just a few months ago, and I haven't even thought about playing another guitar since! I acquired it from my Musician's Friend magazine for $499.

The things that stand out most about this are the EMGs(good humbuckers for their value), the body shape, and the ease of playability. True, the pickups are no 81s, but they can still aid in some quality shredding. While the body is a bit outrageous, it doesn't scream "I PLAY br00tal DEATH METAAALL!!" like other ominously designed guitars. And the neck... wow...I love the neck on this thing. The XJ frets help you play notes quickly and accurately. Ideal for soloing and fast rhythms.

There are just a few downfalls of the F-200. My biggest annoyance is that the Floyd Rose is very picky about changing strings. If you get a different gauge, or even a different brand of strings it will give you the tuning blues. I basically had to get the tension in the springs equalled out with the tension in the strings everytime my preferences in strings changed. The only other thing that bothers me is the wood on the fingerboard. It gets a lot of visible dirt/gunk build-up almost immediately. Fret polish is a must with this axe. It should come packaged with it in my opinion.

Very professional looking. I got it in the Gunmetal Blue finish, and just like everyone else I immediately noticed that the color looked nothing like it was advertised. It's more of a sparkly dark green. Still a fitting color for the way it looks. I haven't had any problems with the quality yet. I've bumped it on a few things already and it still plays superbly. It seems built to last. Actually, I did have to return the first F-200 MF sent me because of a dysfunctional bridge pickup. I'm sure it was the type of error that's few and far between though.

I'd definitely buy this again if it was stolen. All my poor friends with $200 Squires come over and drool over it everyday. I recommend this guitar if you play anything from heavy metal to hard rock.

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

I bought this excellent instrument at Samash about 2 or 3 months ago. I only paid somewhere around 500 for it!

What's not to like!?! LOOK AT IT!!!!! Dear lord, can you ask for a cooler looking design!?!?! This sexy bitch is an INCREDIBLE metal guitar! But not only that! It's alos good for blues! It comes with a set of EMG HZ pickups which are just insane! The harmonics you can get are great, and I love the warm tones. I'm very big on soloing and i find this neck extremely fast. It's not too thin or too fat, just right. One of the only other necks that can beat this is that of the Ibanez JEM. But i doubt anyone with a normal income is gonna fork over 1500 for that when ya can get a guitar of simular quality for 800 or less.

What I don't like? Only two things. One, i have no tone knob which occationally (very rarely, the tone is excellent) i wish i had and my bridge sorta hates me and goes out of tune quicker than I would like. I tend to play extremely roughly and end up with a detuned G string after a lot of hard playing. No big thing though, tunning is easy.

Quality? GREAT! It has a bolt on neck (common ESP construction), two EMG pickups, a three way switch, a volume knob, a licenced floyd rose tremolo system and locking nut. My model has a gunmetal blue finish (very sexy) on the body and front of headstock. The back of the neck has a transparent finish which isn't sticky.

Bottom line: If you love metal and don't wanna pay 1500 for a top line model go with this guitar! The quality is great! the sound is great! This is an all around kick ass guitar!

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com