ESP EC-1000 Deluxe

I'll start by saying I pulled the specs straight from the ESP sight & pasted them underneath. With that out of the way I will give you some details where applicable.
1. The neck is like a simple tenant joint. There's a wee lip as it buts into the body. Looks well executed & seamless. We'll see in a few years. No screws... thank you god.
2. The wood in this guitar is beautiful. The Mahogany is rich & the maple matched perfectly. I chose one that had a maple top that had less patenation. I can't say if this is the reason the tone was better on the one I chose. Looks fantastic to say the least.
3. The locking tuners have a knurled knob at the back that you use to lock the string inside the stem of the tuning peg. You basically undo the nut to free the string, slip a new one thru & pull it tight. You then use the other hand to twist the knob to lock it then tune up. You don't need lots of winds. It works, really simple.
4. There is a lot of abalone on the Cherry Sunburst. I thought it looked amazing. Not everyone???s cup of tea but by god it is nice.
5. The neck is fantastic. Satin finished with clear lacer to show off that mahogany neck. The frets are pretty chunky too. The inlays & binding on the neck are 100% perfect. There is a little more space at the side of the neck that you wouldn't get on an unbound neck so it's great for vibrato.
6. No case.

The big question is tone. This thing is amazing. I tried out a bunch of Les Pauls & thought this thing was better. I had the cash & intent to buy a Les but chose this instead. It really is a bit of a mad man. Don't get me wrong, it is a great all round guitar but by god it can go that extra mile.
The tone is generally bright & warm. There is a real quality about it. There's a real solidness to the tone. You can play anything you like but there is this inescapable quality. It just seems to do what you want, or at least it will if it can be done. This may seem a strange thing to say but it has a modern sound about it. Maybe that's just me. I've been playing for 23 years now & I can't say I have played a new guitar that was any better.
You can play anything you like on this guitar. OK, not calssical but it is an electric. Total monster if your into rock

Action is nice & low. Took it home & I'm happy as can be.
One thing to be aware of though, the setup out of the box is a bit heavy on the bass. You could lower the pickup on the low E side to suit your own taste.
As for the finish, you won't get better from a factory build no matter the cost. Unless you have a guitar tech at your beckon call to make & tweak, this is as good as it gets. Maybe I got lucky or something but the finish is impeccable.
Inlays around the neck are flush & even.
Frets are perfect for intonation. No sharps or imperfections.
Fretboard & inlays seem like one.
Neck is flawless, no dead spots. Bright, crisp & full of sustain.
Scallop behind horn for easy access to 24th fret.
Body is perfect. Light with no machine marks showing through. There???s a scallop at the back of the guitar near the 3 way selector too. Comfy.
Pots sweep nicely. Very smooth & firm. Only gripe is you seem to loose a bit of volume when you dial the tone pot down. Not a big issue, just a symptom of the wiring setup.
Saddle & bridge have little allan retaining screws. Nice if you want to take all the strings off at once & not have the bridge & tailpiece fall on the floor.

Built like a brick ****house.
Bog standard strap buttons... I retrofitted Schaller strap locks.
Stay in tune like a dream & the string locking mechanism is a nice extra.
You could gig this thing & be the one that dies first.
Light, OMG is this thing light. When the guy in the store handed me it my arm went upwards about a foot! Total shock. I immediately thought it would be duff as a result. How wrong could I be.

No idea, sorry folks.

If there was anything I would add it those saddle fine tuners that you get from Gibson.
Been playing about 23 year. I have an Ebony 72 Les Paul that I have customised the crap out of. Played the poor thing to death. The Les Paul was getting old so I thought it was time to get something new. I got a Fender strat but hated it.
If the ESP Ltd were to be lost or stolen, well, I'd say that I'd have to get another one. I have been a big Gison fan but I must say I am so impressed with this guitar that I probably won't go that way ever again.
I've tried a lot of guitars & to be honest this thing has won hands down. It was just too good to be believed. I'm sure there are people out there that are like me & have Les Pauls & can't see past them but if you get the chance, try one. You may not agree or feel the same but I am sure you won't be too disapointed if you try on out.
In closing, I have to say this thing is amazing. It's a great all round guitar. Try no to look at the price for a second. If you are an intermediate player looking for that step up then this thing won't do you wrong. Lots on offer & very playable. You don't have to fight it either. If your an old hand you may just get a pleasant surprise too. Try one & remeber to have some fun too.

Don't know the year, LTD Model - made in Korea
24 frets
Laminated (you can see it at the edges of the volume knob cavities, ~1,5mm thick) flamed maple top, beautiful yellow-orange sunburst
Bridge vol, neck vol, tone (in that order), Gibson style selector bridge/both/neck
HH, Semyout Duncan JB Bridge / 59 Neck, both passive
Mahogany for body and neck (i think, it at least looks like mahogany)
Satin finish on body and neck, nearly no friction, wonderful feel
creme-orange binding (i guess it's supposed to look old, see "Action, Fit, Finish")
TOM Bridge, Locking tuners
24,75" Neck, Thick and Narrow, kinda like a very good and very expensive modern Gibson, plays like a dream
nothing included as i got it from ebay, got about 200??? off of the original price i think...

-1 for the laminated top, everything else is fine

I play everything between PopRock and not-so-hardcore Metal/Hardcore (get it?) and some melodic death metal, i like to combine all of those styles (or at least try to do so...), fits everything fine
i'm playing it through a POD 2.0, L6 UX1 - Spinal Puppet Model (for jamming/homerecording), or a Spider III (modeling is the future of guitar amps) through an Engl Standard 4x12 cab(Live/Rehearsal). No FX except very very little Reverb, some delay for solos, maybe some chorus for clean parts.
it's so incredibly quiet that i can play it through the higain models on my UX1 without using the noise gate. would work with my amp too (metal model), but we play so loud that it starts feeding back everytime you release the strings.
Very full sound, awesome definition, you can hear every string ring through. Actually it was way brighter than i expected it to be, but not uncomfortably sharp like some other guitars. Chords sing, single notes sustain forever, somebody at ESP did something VERY right, I think Korea is going to be the "next" Japan.
It does not sound like a Gibson, if you look for that tone without buying one, try the Dean LP models (dunno what they are called). The sound is a little more balanced - more brilliance, the pickups are hotter, the guitar can sustain way more gain and distortion without getting muddy, on crunch settings it sound similiar, bur still a little more like an ibanez/esp like shredding guitar.
I like the overall sound, especially when you play it for medium-heavy stuff: Amp set to a burning hot metal setting, selector in middle position, bridge pup on full, neck pup set so low that you get clean sound when you select it. The solo sounds are awesome if you then knock the switch into bridge position, by pulling it up you can get clean - everything on one channel. requires some tweaking on your EQ and your playing Style, but once you master this, you'll never be using anything else again if your into Breaking Benjamin Style riffage.
The SDs kill every damn sterile EMG (okok, i never tried the 18v mod, but i like to pick a guitar off the shelf without the need to modify it, i like it simple). They are hot, but still very nice, round and organic when you roll the volume back. Of course they are not as hot as the EMG81s but I don't need that, i usually keep the Gain on my amp on 7-8, that's enough for me, no need for a guitar that screams at you ALL the time.
-1 for the lack of this nice "owwww"-sound some mahogany guitars make when you hit single notes very hard. The EC1000 still has some of it, but it's more intense on most good Gibson LPs and - for some reason, it's not even mahogany - on my Ibanez RG.

Bought it online from Rockland-Music, a Gernab ebay shop. They set it up for me, don't know how it came from the factory, so all adjustments were just like I wanted them to be.
The top's match has 2 little flaws , nothing really ugly, the hardware is rock solid and perfectly installed.
The binding is actually white and was simply painted in the same color as the body, so it looks a little more creme-like. i actually like the color, even though (or maybe because?) it's not the standard creme color used for bindings. the only problem is that the paintjob on the binding wasn't done properly, so you can see the original color in some spots at the end of the fretboard.
The finish was fine, there was one ding next to the output jack, but i learned that it was an accident by one of the store's employees, so it's not ESPs fault. I got some money off the original price because of this and you can hardly see it, so i really don't care about it - all my guitars get (sometimes really ugly) scars from my playing, i'm a little clumsy.

-1 for the not perfect top
-1 for the paint flaws on the binding - and the fact that they didn't use colored binding in the first place

The guitar is rock solid, will withstand anything you do to it, doesn't get dings easily (i accidentially hit my mic stand a few times already and there are no traces, i'm totally impressend). The hardware can last forever, locking tuners make tuning a fast and totally painless procedure, strap buttons are ok, but i always get strap locks.
I'm absolutely sure i can depend on it, but i'd never play without a backup, because i tend to do extreme bends and break a string now and then. Restringing a guitar on stage?? Forget it, you'll never get it in tune before the end of your gig.

never dealt with them...

I've been playing for 9 years. i own a '02 ibanez RG prestige (don't know the model number, plays like a dream, the ibz/dimarzios sound awesome, i can't decide which guitar i like better), bought it as a more professsional replacement for an ibanez rg 350 and a squier strat. i played a fender bronco, Gibson LP Goldtop - one of those with the nice bluesy mini Humbuckers by Gibson, a Custom Made guitar (strat style, mahogany body, SD PAF/P90) and lately an Ibanez ICT700 (the '07 Iceman). Actually i bought the last one because it had the best sound you could get under 700???, I was short on cash and needed a good guitar for drop tunings - and it truly takes metal to another dimension. If it would have been just for the sound I'd just keep the ICT, but it's a little top heavy (which really hurts your shoulder after some time, especially with a guitar thats already that heavy), the neck becomes sticky and it looks horrible (although i'm into Death Metal, i think those exotic shapes are ridiculous - yes, Vs and Explorers are exotic to me, not even speaking of BC Rich axes).
I bought the EC as a replacement for the Explorer. It can handle the low tuning AND additionally sound a little more vintage-style when in standard tuning with an 8/s hardrock setting on your amp. I love that it's so lightweight, the shorter scale in combination with the 24 frets makes shredding a dream, the shape of the neck (actually it's pretty thick) fits my playing style better than my RG's Wizard Neck (which i considered the best in the world until i got my hands on the EC), it's finish does never get sticky.
I chose this guitar because of its versatility. I doesn't look too "vintage" to do a metal gig with it, but still not too "modern/heavy" for a moderated rock/metal band - in one word: it's simply beautiful. Its sound covers everything i always wanted (a friend of mine owned the ugly one with the tons of abalone in the binding, so i could test the sound before buying it). I compared the guitar to some Gibsons <1500??? (in fact each and every single one below 2700??? sucked - totally muddy, zero definition in complex chords) a few Ibanez's with and without Trem (most of them good, but I already own an awesome one, and i wanted a different, more rhythm-focused sound), a Jackson RR5 (almost the same awesome sound, but as i said: i don't like Vs), a jackson Dinky (green with EMGS, beautiful looks, totally lifeless sound, it only screamed uncontrollably).
The playability is unbeatable (maybe by my RG, but i wouldn't have to pick one). If the guitar were lost or stolen I'd get another one on the same day. I think I have mastered it to cover nearly any sound between sparkling strat like to 80s/vai-style shred (with my RG) and everything from ZZ Top and Led Zeppelin to smash-your-face-droptunes (with the EC) with just two guitars, and i'm absolutely happy I bought this guitar to complete my sound palette.

Sometimes i wish it had a coil tap, but on the other hand it's so wonderfully simple, a coil tap would destroy the simplicity of this axe.

10 - this guitar is killer!!!

This thing is just amazing and plays way better than any Gibson I've played (In my opinion). Many Gibsons (and Fenders) that I've played just had a lot of finishing problems, such as sharp fret edges, which is weird for a $1k-$4k guitar. This thing, however, has a perfect finish, super smooth neck and body, very smooth fret edges, and a great paint job. As far as features go the EC-1000 really stands out, Tonepros bridge, active EMGs, Locking tuners, mahogany body, maple top, huge frets, and an Earvana nut. What's not to love?

I have gone through many guitars and I have always heard "the thicker and heavier the body the bigger the sound and sustain", well this guitar has a very thin body and sounds just as huge and has just as much sustain as my 10.5 pound Epiphone Les Paul with Gibson hardware & internals. The sound is just amazing on this guitar and contrary to what you may hear it is actually very versatile. I do have to note that the sound does differ a lot between color choices. I have a black cherry flamed maple top EC-1000 and then I bought a vintage black one. For one the VB is feels quite a bit lighter, sounds a lot clearer, has better sustain, and the neck is also way smoother. I don't know if this is just a change ESP made in different years but it is pretty substantial I think, so choose wisely.

Both EC-1000 I own score perfect in this area, they both came set up great with very low action. As I mentioned before the finish on these guitars is just top notch right up there with the multi thousand dollar guitars. The wood was perfectly book matched, the fret/fingerboard job was extremely well done, inlays were beautiful and perfectly crafted, and the hardware is just unmatched, even the feel of the control knobs are silky smooth and super solid.

This guitar is very light but also super solid and is made to last. I have knocked the headstock into the wall countless times and when I slowly look to check the damage there is none! I have also had it lean on a chair and slide off with out any real damage. I use it live all the time and feel very comfortable with the reliability.

Have never dealt with them.

Overall I think there isn't a guitar with as much value as the EC-1000, I mean it plays and sounds better than guitars 2-3X the price! There really isn't a thing I don't like on this guitar it is simply superb!

made in korea, 24 frets tone-omatic-bridge, see through green, les paul body style, locking tuners,mahogany body, neck through body, very fast neck, EMG active 81 and 60 pickups.3 way switch at top, 2 volume, 1 tone knob.

Great heavy sound through randal amp at sam ash, still sounded killer at home with my fender princeton chorus 60 watts. Great clean sound for active pickups, compared to my fernandez with active pickups. No noise, I haven't turned my amp up real loud yet. pinched harmonics and tapping pick easy.

Set up perfect with strings low at sam ash, don't know about factory settings. No flaws. Beautiful see through green with pearl inlays around the body and on the neck.

Only had it 3 days, but it semms like it will last if you take care of it.

Bought it at sam ash so I didn't deal with ESP.

I have had a guitar since I was a baby and I rode it like a horse. Finally took it seriously the last year.This guitar is perfect for me except it doesn't have a tremolo. My favorite guitarists are George Lynch, Stsve Vai, White Lions' guitar player, Zakk Wylde, and Yngie Malmsteem, however you spell it. This guitar is just what I needed to stay motivated. One day I hope to be mentioned in the same breath as my heroes. I need a lot of practice and dedication, but with Gods' help you will see me on the cover of Total Guitar Magazine. Remember the name Zeddie Campbell.

2008, made in korea, 24 frets, volume, two tone knobs, 3 way selector, EMG 81/85s Active, the see thru blue finish, les paul style, locking tuners... amazing

Perfect for metal and harder styles which is to me, very fun to play, but the versatility of this thing is almost limitless, very rich/full sound, couldn't ask for more. Pinch harmonics are as easy as pie and i love pinch harmonics almost as much as i love playing guitar as a whole.

I have no dislikes for this piece of musical gratness

I got the LTD in the mail so it had to be set up, once that was done, the action was perfect, no buzzing or anything, possibly the most comfortable guitar to play. The blue finish is amazing, it shines like a gem and the trim just emphasizes the whole image of the guitar as well as the fret inlays.

No flaws whatsoever.

Well it hasnt failed me yet, never gigged but plan to soon. ESP and LTD usually make very sturdy guitars and the locking tuners keep the playing going with no pausing to retune a g string after a few pinch harmonics or bending.

don't know, guitar is flawless

2006 Ltd. EC-1000 Deluxe. Black Cherry finish. Sperzel locking tuners. EMG 81 B/ EMG 85 N. Not sure about the tailpiece and bridge. Made in Korea. 22 frets. Quilted top. 3-way with v/v/t pots. H/H setup. Maghogany body, flamed maple top, mahogany neck (thin U that is FANTASTIC). I must repeat, this is the BEST neck (frets not included) I have ever played. ESP and Ltd really created, in my opinion, the best feeling neck in the world. I used to rave about the wide-thin neck on my PRS, but this blows it away. The strings are so close together; it's a shredders dream and yes, I owened a Jackson Soloist once. Rosewood board w/ abaloney, flag inlays. Abaloney body, neck and headstock binding. Strap locks. Black hardware. Everything is nice, no flaws but the build quality does not reach the level of my PRS Custom 22, but hey, this is $900 guitar... This guitar isn't very heavy, but that's ok because once it's plugged in, it really rocks. I must repeat, it's a very good deal @ $900 new, $600ish used.

I play hard-rock/funk/latin/metal/blues and this guitar does this style very well. It'd be nice to coil tap, but I haven't even looked to see if the EMG's could do that. It's a really great guitar for hard rock and metal, but because of the EMG's, the funk/latin/blues sounds aren't as pronounced as my PRS. I traded in my old Ltd H-307 with EMG 707's and threw an additional $150 into the trade and I've very impressed with how this guitar compares in the metal department. It's much better. I'm partial to 6 strings, though. I tried out the 7 and was never happy with it. If you're looking for a pretty rockin guitar for the heavier stuff, you can't go wrong with dropping $900ish on this guitar. It is the nicest sounding Korean guitar I've evern played. You can thank the EMG's for providing that good crunch, harmonics and palm muting. If you have $900, this is the single cutaway for you. If you can find a used one for less, as I did, do it up!

The components are quite nice. The thin-U neck is amazing. I can't believe that after a few months I play this 3-1 over my PRS that was 3 times more!!! While the abalone is fake, it still looks really nice. The Sperzel tuners were extra, but WOW! Again, I find myself ragging on my PRS because these locking tuners BLOW AWAY the locking tuners on my Custom 22. I can really bang away on the strings and they'll be in tune 5 days later. I am very impressed by this build quality for the price. I WAS a PRS/Martin snob, but I just can't believe how well this guitar was built, especially from those Koreans. They really put together a solid guitar. My only complaint is with the 15-22 frets. They just seem to be lacking when I'm going crazy in that area of the neck. A good luthier will be able to shave them down to my liking, though. There is also some string buzz that does not carry over into the amp, but it is annoying when playing acoustically. Either way, I expected it. This is "only" a $900 guitar. I am also blown away by the quilting and finish. I did not expect such a pretty finsh and I am stunned by the way the matched the quilting on the top.

This guitar could hold it's own at a gig. I jam with my band and I've only broken 1 string. Never fly solo at a show, always being AT LEAST 1 backup. The strap button hole is stripped and I'm doing the ghetto toothpick trick. That is the main flaw of the guitar. I'm going to either re-drill a hole or have those talented folks @ C.B. Perkins in San Jose, CA work their magic on this stripped out button hole. I can see the finish fading where my arm touches the body, in a few years. It's expected, but that adds character. Am I wrong on that? I don't think so.

Never dealt with them. Don't know.

I've been playing 11 years. I have a Peavey 5150 that is wonderful. I have a PRS Custom 22, this solid player, Martin DC15E, Epiphone G400 with EMG 81's (backup) and an old school Mako TX-2 tradiational that runs EMG 81B/60N with an amazing custom paintjob my buddy did for me and I had some pretty bad guitars in the past, but that's when I was learning how to play. For the money, you really can't get something that competes as well as this guitar. I had an Ltd. H-307, never cared for it, tried to sell it multiple times, saw an add for this in on harmonycentral and owned it 2 days later. I am a guitar snob. I only got this so I could 86 the 7 string. I had no idea I'd be playing it as much as I do. I was planning on picking up another PRS in the near future, but I will be buying an ESP Will Adler Eclipse in a few months instead. I am so suprised at how much I like this guitar. My buddy went with me to pick it up and kept saying how great it was. I shrugged it off because I didn't want to admit that this is a truely nice guitar at a modest price. If you have some extra bucks I highly recommend buying the ESP Eclipse II, but for the money, this guitar is very nice on all levels. It is a great jumping off point into the realm of throwing way too much money into guitars. I was not happy with Ltd when I had my H-307. I am very happy with this guitar. I can only imagine how great the neck-through, 25.5" scale Will Adler Eclipse is going to be. I give it a 10 because of the price and performance. I would give my PRS a 9, but that's because it's so much money and I would have liked better tuners. This guitar is not very well rounded, but that's why it's so great. IT IS a Rocker's guitar. If you play hard rock and metal, you will get your desired sound. You should not consider this if you're looking for anything less than a well-built, affordable metal machine that doesn't break the bank. You will, in fact, love it. I am sold on ESP. I will not be buying a PRS Singlecut 250. I will be buying a ESP Will Adler Eclipse. If this is what Ltd can do with a Korean guitar, I am almost fearing the monster they can put out in Japan with ESP. I would not buy this guitar over a Les Paul Studio, though. If you have the choice for the same price, go with the Gibson. But, go with ESP over Gibson anyday. It's a shame ESP doesn't put more passive pickups in their guitars. They could really take more of the market away from Gibson, who hasn't put out a fantastic guitar since the company was sold a few years ago. Kudos, Ltd, you made a believe out of me.

Great guitar, parts are nice. Les paul body style, except sharper cut away. Tune-o-matic bridge, locking tuners- sperzel, 24 jumbo frets, volume, tone, tone controls, h/h i have the amber sunburst model that comes with the SD jb/59.

No problems with any of the parts, had to play with the bridge height because i was having some fret buzz, but nothing to worry about.

the parts are the best your going to find for the price. Great buy

The SDs have really nice clean sound and i can get the classic rock sound that i was going for. I run it through a boss overdrive/distortion pedal to a dunlop classic wah. Sounds amazing.

If you want a more heavy sound just go for the other models that come with the EMG actives.

It looks so much better in person than from the pictures. I didn't notice any dents or scratches which is pretty amazing since i had to ship it overseas. it is a well put together guitar. I don't see a reason to spend the extra money for the ESP version that is twice as expensive

No problems yet... looks really well built.

Bought it from Americanmusical.com

I always buy from there, never had any problems.

Great guitar for a great price. Highly reccomend

I'm not sure about all of the specs, but I will include what I know.

It was made in 2005 or 2006 in Korea.
The locking Sperzel tuners are really nice; I can change strings in <10 min.
The neck and body are mahogany with a rosewood fretboard.
Tune-o-matic bridge.
My guitar came with EMG 81s in both the bridge and neck positions.
The pickups have individual volume controls and a shared tone control.

It loses a point for having identical pickups and only one tone control.

The sound is very nice. EMG 81s are my favorite pickup, so it obviously suits me. However, both pickups sound exactly the same, despite the fact that they are in different positions, so it isn't really versatile.

That being said, it has a great sound for metal and similar genres. It's just that if you don't like that sound, you're out of luck. Current models come with an 81 and a 60, so they would be more versatile.

When I received the guitar, it was in pretty good playing condition. It hadn't been set up by the previous owner and was shipped across the country to me, so that's pretty good. I just had to tweak it a little.

My one complaint is the nut, which is cut too tight for even 10s. This makes tuning difficult and causes the strings to go out of tune if I bend them even a little. However, I don't bend, so it's kind of ok.

Other than that the finish was excellent.

I've had this guitar for about 6 months now and it is very dependable. I would have no fear using it live without a backup. If a string breaks I can easily replace it in a couple of minutes due to the locking tuners.

The only thing is the standard strap buttons had to be replaced with Schaller strap locks. Not that there was anything particularly bad about the standard buttons, but they just don't compare to strap locks.

The hardware works fine and feels pretty solid. I've never had the slightest problem with electronics.

I've been playing electric guitar for about 3 years now. Before that I played acoustic. I own an LTD EC-100QM in addition to my EC-1000 Deluxe. I also own and LTD F-254 bass.

If this guitar were stolen, I would probably buy another one due to how cheap it is for the quality. I would prefer to buy a high-end Jackson, buy they are quite a bit more expensive.

The only things I dislike about it are the pickup configuration and the scale length. I want to install an EMG 89 in the neck position in order to give myself more options with the sound. Part of that upgrade would be adding another tone control. My EC-100QM has an 81/89 configuration and is incredibly versatile. I simply prefer a 25.5" scale length to this guitar's 24.75".

Overall, this is an excellent guitar. Considering how cheap you can get one for, there is no reason to not buy one.

I have the Amber Sunburst Model with the Seymour Duncan JB and 59 pickups. It comes stock with Sperzel tuning machines, an Earvana compensated nut, a set-in neck, 24 frets, and a TonePro Locking bridge. One of the main things I considered before buying this guitar is how many genuine features is comes stock with. I was also considering an Ibanez SZ720 and a couple Schecter models. Schecter is getting good at providing great stock parts, but I couldn't find a dealer in my area. Ibanez guitars usually play nice, but they come stock with "Duncan designed" pickups, which means the design is good, but like all the other parts that Ibanez makes in-house, the quality isn't up there. I went with the EC-1000 because it's a great guitar that comes with all the upgrades I would give to any other guitar at an affordable price. The only thing I might change would be the pots, but I'm unsure of their rating. They sound good, however, which leads to...

I chose the Amber Sunburst Model because I don't like EMGs. I'd much rather add gain in my Pre Amp. However, even the JB seems to have a bit too much bite. It's appropriate fore me, however. My style runs between bluesy rock to thrash metal and hardcore. The JB offers a warm tone with a bit of distortion to give your cleans a vintage feel. The 59 isn't the greatest neck pick up in the world for blues or jazz, but like the 59, it falls in a middle ground that allows you to pass the guitar many styles.

It was set with 10-42 gauge strings from the factory. I use 10-52 gauge. Also, from the factory, the action was a bit high and the truss rod was a bit too tight for my liking. I lowered the action at the bridge and had to give the rod some relief (somewhere between a quarter and a half turn). Now it's perfect. Of course, if you don't know how to do these procedures, ESP provided a 40-page instruction manual, which goes into great detail about these and many other maintenance procedures. The TonePros are very easy to adjust, and ESP provides all the tools necessary to adjust these features with the guitar. I recommend trying to make these adjustments yourself (remember to give the truss rod a few hours to settle after you adjust it, and do it slowly, in small increments). However, most instrument stores will set up your guitar for you for free. I just prefer to do it myself, so I know it is done right.

As I said, the JB had a bit too much bite for me, so I just lowered it. Now it has a good sound.

Two complaints, though, which I don't know who's to blame. I noticed when I got it home there are some scratches in the finish just above the pickup selector. They seem superficial, and the finish did a nice job of protecting the guitar. Also, one of the TonePro locking screws was missing. I plan to take it back to the store this weekend to see if they can replace the missing part and touch up the finish. If not, I've heard great things about ESP's customer service, so I may contact them about the screw, as it seems to be custom made.

My last comments are about the body style. First, it's a Les Paul style, so I find sometimes a hit the pickup selector by accident when I'm strumming. This is actually a good thing for my technique, though, because you really shouldn't play that way anyway. Also, since it's a Les Paul style, some might be concerned about the weight. It's not as thick as a Les Paul. In my opinion, it doesn't affect the tone at all and only provides a lighter, more wieldable guitare. The last issue is the neck has 24 frets, but the cut isn't quite deep enough to make the 23rd and 24th frets useful except for the occasional high stab. This hasn't been a problem for me, however, because I haven't found an instance where I've thought, "Damn, I really wish I could shred at the 22nd and 24th fret." Those notes are almost too high to be used for anything other than the occasional stab.

I pound it pretty hard, and so far, the only problem is my E string sometimes slides off of the saddle. It's not entirely unexpected, though. I tune it to dropped C#, and even with such a high gauge string, the tension isn't where it should be. This is a limitation of the scaling. However, I believe over time, the string gauge will settle into the saddle, and the problem will correct itself. If not, I may take a file to it.

I already know, because of the scratches, the finish does it's job, and I've spilled a couple of drops of water on the body to test it. They bead up like it was Thompson's water seal or something. I would feel ok about leaving the body in the rain (if I took all the electronics out and the neck off). It's still new, so I've been careful about running into things with it, but I have banged it here and there. What? I'm clumsy! I still can't find any dings, though.

Heard good things, but haven't called them yet.

If you're planning to spend 700-1,000 dollars on a guitar, consider this one. My only deterrent originally was the ablone lining. I like it on the Sunburst model, but the Black Cherry and Black models (that come with the EMGs) are metal guitars, and the abelone isn't very metal. It adds a bit of flash, which complements the vintage feel of mine.

As I said, if you're considering a new guitar, look at the stock features. If you think you'll be upgrading as soon as you take a guitar home, you might as well pick an EC-1000 up.

Good range of features for the price. The locking tuners and earvana nut are great. However with a 24 fret neck and where it's joined to the body acces does get a bit tight. A Schecter style "ultra access" joint would be an improvement.

I play modern metal, influenced by killswitch, testament, pantera etc. I like a powerful tone with plently of growl but lots of clarity. This guitar delivers exaclty what I need. I'm using it with an Engl Powerball and an Engl Savage, both with a BBE Sonic Stomp. It sounds great. It is perfect for heavy rock and metal tones but don't expect a great blues or country tone. Its not a versitile guitar but it does very well for the market that its aimed.

Finish is fine, all the pots feel nice and the toggle switch has a smoth action.

I've done a few gigs with it now and not had any problems. I always take a few guitars just incase but usually just play this one.

Not delt with ESP

I've been playing for 10 years and I own and have owned lots of guitars. I'd say that for metal and hard rock this is a very good guitar. The only critisism is that neck joint, and it could do with being a bit heavier.