View other reviews for this product:
Hatsubai « Not a bad guitar »
Published on 05/26/11 at 18:22The MH400 is part of the MH series of LTD models that ESP makes. The 400ish series is an upgraded version of the 50 series, but the 400 is still priced at the budget model market. The guitar features a mahogany body with a quilted maple top (I think it's a veneer, but I'm not entirely sure), set maple neck with a rosewood fretboard, 24 extra jumbo frets, two EMG humbuckers, a licensed floyd rose bridge, small upper block inlays with a big inlay on the 12th fret, binding, one volume, one tone and a three way switch.
UTILIZATION
LTD did a pretty good job with this, considering the price. The fret ends aren't totally finished, and the frets aren't quite as level as the regular series, or even the 1000 series can be. However, it's still a very well put together guitar. The set neck also eliminates the tolerance issue that some of the lower end bolt-ons suffer from. I like that they're not using basswood like the 50 series, too. That's a big plus, especially since mahogany with a maple neck is one of my favorite combinations of wood. Binding isn't bad, but it seems somewhat cheap. However, it's to be expected on this kind of guitar.
SOUNDS
The sound is actually really good considering that these come with real EMGs. That's a huge plus, in my opinion. There were a few I played that sounded dull no matter what, but most sounded pretty good for the most part. The 81 in the bridge has an awesome bite, and works great for heavy metal. The 85 gives that super fat and powerful lead sound in the neck, so you can do some sick legato runs with ease. It's a bit "stuck" in the heavy metal realm, in my opinion. However, it's not an issue if you're playing a heavier style. I doubt most people who are going to be playing blues or country would look at this guitar to begin with.
OVERALL OPINION
Given the price and features of this guitar, it's actually pretty surprising. The fretwork isn't up to the Standards, but that's to be expected on a budget model. The EMGs, mahogany body, binding and whatnot all work to help make this guitar a really good buy for someone who wants a solid guitar without spending a ton of coin. The main thing I'd do would be to give it a nice fret level and replace the licensed floyd with an OFR.
UTILIZATION
LTD did a pretty good job with this, considering the price. The fret ends aren't totally finished, and the frets aren't quite as level as the regular series, or even the 1000 series can be. However, it's still a very well put together guitar. The set neck also eliminates the tolerance issue that some of the lower end bolt-ons suffer from. I like that they're not using basswood like the 50 series, too. That's a big plus, especially since mahogany with a maple neck is one of my favorite combinations of wood. Binding isn't bad, but it seems somewhat cheap. However, it's to be expected on this kind of guitar.
SOUNDS
The sound is actually really good considering that these come with real EMGs. That's a huge plus, in my opinion. There were a few I played that sounded dull no matter what, but most sounded pretty good for the most part. The 81 in the bridge has an awesome bite, and works great for heavy metal. The 85 gives that super fat and powerful lead sound in the neck, so you can do some sick legato runs with ease. It's a bit "stuck" in the heavy metal realm, in my opinion. However, it's not an issue if you're playing a heavier style. I doubt most people who are going to be playing blues or country would look at this guitar to begin with.
OVERALL OPINION
Given the price and features of this guitar, it's actually pretty surprising. The fretwork isn't up to the Standards, but that's to be expected on a budget model. The EMGs, mahogany body, binding and whatnot all work to help make this guitar a really good buy for someone who wants a solid guitar without spending a ton of coin. The main thing I'd do would be to give it a nice fret level and replace the licensed floyd with an OFR.