ESP EC-1000

Satin sunburst style finish, 2 Seymour Duncan humbuckers, 2 volumes, 1 tone, locking tuners, TOM bridge, set neck, rosewood fretboard, 2007, 24 frets.
The volumes are inconvenient. There should be 1 volume and 2 tones, more like a strat.

The sound is excellent. You can play some serious metal on this or some screamin' blues. The pickups could be a little hotter like the higher end model (EMG's in that one) Of course most stock pickups are never as good as factory pickups.

I purchased this guitar used. Everything is where its supposed to be.

Very durable. However, I have a slight issue with some of the strings getting knocked out of tune even with the locking tuners. I dont know why guitars dont just come with straplocks!!!

Purchased used.

Ive had it for 6 months. For the $1,000 it sells for new in the store, this guitar is definitely not worth it. It should be a neck thru guitar and the strings should go thru the body. I'm more of a fan of locking tremolo's, but for a TOM guitar, this guitar seems to have gone high end on some aspects and then low end on others. Its too much of a copy of a Les Paul which is my opinion is overrated and overpriced. For $1,000 go get yourself a good Ibanez. This guitar should be priced around $500 new. I traded a $200 guitar for it, and its probably worth $200, to me.

I bought my Snow White 2007 ESP EC-1000 LTD about a year ago. It comes with 24XJ frets, EMG 81 (Active) and a EMG 60 in the bridge. It has two volume knobs a one tone. My favorite feature is the Sperzel locking tuners. My guitar can take about a week of playing before it goes out of tune. Its got a very light mohagany body that is awesome for playing shows and carrying around.

This guitar is built for metal. I can get some of the craziest pinch harmonics and the palm mutes could slay a walrus. (haha) But what i love most is even though this guitar is great for metal, it is one of the most versital guitars i've ever played. I actually perfer the clean sound on this guitar over playing an acoustic. It has a beautiful tone on the EMG-60 thats perfect for blues.

The set-up when i first bought it was almost perfect. I had to raise the strings a bit because there was a minor buzz on the E string. but other than that it plays great. The one thing i dont like about the action is that its already so low that if you tune it to drop C or anything lower the buzz gets really bad. But if you play in standard or drop D then you shouldnt have any problems. The guitar had very few flaws when i bought it.

I would replace the screws in the strap buttons as soon as you get the guitar. They will come out eventually. This is my main guitar i use, and i can say that it is a perfect live guitar. It is very dependable except for the strap buttons.

Never had to deal with them. (which is a good thing)

When i wanted to buy a new guitar i was going to go with either the Gibson Les Paul or this one. After playing both at the store i found the ESP a much better buy for the money. If i were to lose this guitar, i would definatley buy another one as soon as i got the money. I'd say the only thing better is the Eclipse II Custom...and it's not better by much.

This is about as solid set of features as you're ever going to find on a factory made guitar. The best feature in my opinion is the locking tuners. The next best feature is how light this instrument is, although I think that comes with a few trade-offs that I will explain further below.

I actually prefer the EMG 81/85 combo over the 81/60 combo on this guitar but still it has a pretty wide sonic palate. The sound is VERY bass heavy, due to the lightness of the body. This is not necessarily bad but you will definitely need to make amp adjustments when switching to/from other guitars.

Its a pretty instrument although I wish I would have held out and gotten the matte black finish instead of the gloss that I have. The matte was out of stock when I went to purchase mine and I couldn't wait. The binding and inlays are not quite hand-made quality but certainly not bad and don't look cheap at all. Action is fantastic, frets are finished smoothly and evenly.

Here's where I have a problem with this instrument. I've owned this guitar for about 2 years and while I'm still using it for frequent live gigs, it has a pretty bad history of durability related issues. ISSUE 1 (when the guitar was about 3 months old)- While playing a live 4 song audition the rear strap button completely ripped out of the body of the guitar. I was only playing 4 songs so I had taken a chance and not tuned my backup guitar. Since there was limited time to complete this audition we had to carry on with just one guitar and in turn did not get the gig. ISSUE 2 (app 4 months in) The front strap button rips out of the body just as the other had. I suspect the reason is a combination of the low density wood used and a small diameter screw that holds the pegs in. I've since replaced both with some big *** screws and haven't had any problems. ISSUE 3- Pickup selector switch loose. I have to constantly tighten the nut around the pickup switch because it gets loose and spins which could easily disconnect the wiring inside. ISSUE 4- The bridge piece no longer holds the low E string securely in place. For some reason the bridge has been allowing my low E string to slip completely out of the groove which obviously throws you massively out of tune. I'm using Ernie Ball Slinky strings (.46 gauge low string) so it's not a matter of using too large of a diameter of a string.
I will not ever again use this guitar without a backup.

I probably should have tried to get in touch with someone about the strap pegs at least but I didn't so I can't provide an opinion.

Sounds and looks pretty good but doesn't give me the reliability I'd expect from an $800 guitar. Oddly, my other gigging guitar is the less expensive LTD Viper-500 which has had exactly zero issues. Just goes to show you that any factory can turn out a range of quality across a total run of a product.
If it were stolen I would not be happy but I think I would buy something else. I would probably spring for the real deal ESP Eclipse II or try to find a reasonably priced Les Paul on eBay

This is a 2006 EC-1000 VHB, which has the satin finish and a Duncan 59 at the neck and JB at the bridge. 24 jumbo, well-dressed frets, which I love, SOLID maple top with mahogany neck and body (both made of multiple pieces of wood). I really like the feel of the satin finish. The pros say that it helps the tone, and I'm sure they're right. But, I won't sit here and say that I can actually hear the difference. I purchased this for the features, which include Sperzel locking tuners and a TonePros locking bridge and tail, not to mention my favorite pickup combo of all time. The Earvana nut is first-rate as well, and well-seated. The neck is pretty slim. If you like fat necks, not for you! As for the feel, it's more of a rough, natural grain feel, which I really like. I hate the super-slick satin finishes (see: new Fenders), as I like to have a bit of traction. Either that, or super thick poly, for the stickiness. Anyway, I like it a lot. Didn't come with a case, but most of us have one of those lying around somewhere.

PROBLEMS: First, I don't know what's up with the tuners. I don't know if they're second run, an inferior design, or what, but I don't like them at all. I really doubt these are made in Germany. They're not smooth at all, and tuning is a very awkward procedure, even for fine adjustments. Please not that this problem is not unique to my guitar. Since I purchased this one, I've played several others of this same line, and ALL of them had this problem. Also, I think that the TP bridge and tail are not actually TPs, but some Korean proprietary equivalent. They do the job, but I don't think that these are the parts that you're dropping mad cash on as an aftermarket part. But for these issues, I'd give it a 10. But, I'm taking off a point for each.

LOADED with features for a guitar in this range, but they should be of higher quality.

This guitar sounds almost as good as my PRS, and it has much better sustain. I can't believe that a Korean guitar with a multi-piece neck and body can have more sustain than a very well made, one-piece neck and body PRS. Of course, the TonePros bridge and tail certainly help that cause. You probably know what a 59 and JB sound like, and I can say that this guitar is a nice delivery vehicle for those tones. I can't tell you how happy I am with the sound on clean and OD. I hate giving 10's, but I have to give one here, especially when you look at the price tag.

FINISH: Here's the trouble in paradise. The finish is terrible. First, the way they do the color for the binding doesn't make any sense. It looks like they took a white or cream binding, then sprayed an orange goop over top of it to make it look old. The goop ran onto the fretboard, which I had to scrape off. Plus, they don't cover the entire white binding, leaving the neck binding looking white if you look straight on, and the rest a weird-looking orange (think spray tan). Also, the body finish ran over onto the binding, making an already weird looking situation even worse. The finish itself isn't a nice honeyburst (as I know it), but more a muted, kind of ugly orange. To me, it looks much different, and worse, in person than on the photos on various websites. Also, and this drives me CRAZY, the bookmatching wasn't even close. I've never worked in a guitar factory. I'm not a luthier. But, I don't understand how this seemingly simple operation gets screwed up so badly by almost every manufactuer at almost every price point. It seems so simple to me. But, this one wasn't even close.

ACTION: The action is pretty darn good. The giant frets help. There's some buzz on the low E, but it doesn't come through the amp. It's low enough that playing is easy, and it's high enough for easy bends, pull offs, etc. I'm really pleased with this aspect. For that reason, I wish that these 2 issues had their own categories to rate them.

OK, I'm taking the average. FINISH gets a 5, ACTION gets a 9, so the category gets a 7.

Despite the aesthetic problems that my guitar had, and every other guitar in this line that I've seen, it seems very solid. I haven't had the guitar long, so I can't speak to longevity. It's a satin nitro finish, so it's going to show signs of wear more quickly than one encased in poly. For me, that's just fine, as I don't mind a well-worn guitar, so long as playability isn't affected. I would not gig without a backup, just because of broken strings, but that's a personal preference that won't be affected by the quality of this guitar. I won't take off points for the tuners, bridge, and tail again, but they are suspect. Because this category reflects finish degradation over time, I'll take off one for the nitro, even though I personally prefer that as a finish.

N/A

For me, value is everything. I don't mind paying $2000 for a guitar, as long as it's really worth it. It takes more than a name to make a great guitar (see: Gibson). I'm amazed at the overall quality of guitars that have been coming out of S. Korea for the last several years. Other than really strange aesthetic and finishing problems, this is not an exception. I would probably rate the build quality at just below a Korean-made Schecter Exotic (the older, satin finish models), but I would rate the features, especially the pickups, higher. If I had a dealer in my area, and had been able to see the guitar prior to buying it, I'm not sure that I would have bought it. But, this is all a matter of personal taste. However, I'm really happy with the guitar, and I'm glad that I bought it. I think that I will eventually replace the tuners. I would call the company and ask for replacements, but I think that I would get the exact same problems over and over, since I've noticed the same thing on every guitar I've played in this line.

I don't plan on losing the guitar, not sure how that would happen, but I would try to replace it if something happened. That will get increasingly harder, as this model is not made anymore. I would not buy another in this line, as the ridiculous abalone binding on most models is an absolute joke, and I would like like a clown playing one. The vintage black model looks pretty cool, but I don't like a mahogany body without the maple cap, as those get too muddy for me.

Anyway, I hope this review has been of some help. Despite the finish flaws (which were on every guitar I've seen in this line and the EC-400 line which were even worse), I would highly recommend this guitar for those that can look past aesthetic issues which do not affect tone in any way. It plays well, sounds REALLY good, and has a nice, solid feel. Plus, it's a light guitar, unlike the EC-400 line which are heavy like boat anchors, weighing in at 7.5 pounds. If you don't care about the weird finishing quirks, go buy one! For the price, it's tough to beat.

Vintage Black finish (like an ebony les paul custom), les paul shape, tonepros locking tune-o-matic bridge, locking Sprezel tuners I think, Ebony 24 3/4 neck, got a free hard case but that was from shop, Made in Korea 2005 or 2006, 24 frets, solid top, 2 Vol 1 tone and three way switch, 2 Active EMG Humbuckers (81 bridge, 60 Neck), Mahogany body and neck. Gold binding on top, neck and headstock.

For Metal, you couldnt get a better guitar. Looking at it you may think it'll have a thick, bluesy les paul neck, but no. This is a thin neck, and the ebony fretboard is a dream to play on. I use it on a marshall AVT100 but on my friends small roland it still put out some serious crunch. The 81 gives a great metal bright distortion, while the 60 gives a lower output thicker sound perfect for sliding blues solos. This is a les paul to riff and shred with.
People critisize the EMGs for having a poor clean sound, this is true and false. For clean metal passages (a la cemetery gates, master of puppets) their perfect, but if your looking for something that'll bust out indie tunes, looking elsewhere would be your best bet. It doesnt suit the fuzzed up dist of punk either.

The guitar is perfect apart froma few scratches on the back (from people in the shop not talking off their zip jackets...) but the front is perfect and is an extremly solid top finish. If your looking for a guitar to shine out during a gig though (e.g if you play glam rock, if any ones does anymore) this may be to subtle a finish for you, but when you get up and look at it, it's breathtaking.

I've played live with it 4 times without fault, only once with a backup (first time). The hardware is solid enough to last many years, no blotching anywhere on it. Strap buttons were a little shakey but a quick tightning their were perfect.

Year warranty, never dealt with customer support.

I've been playing 4 years and own this, a jackson ke3, and a gibson les paul standard from my dad, and a gibson sg special. This guitar stands up to both the gibsons, even more so, packing more punch and more features into a cheaper budget (I bought this guitar for ??712, less than the ??1300 of the LP standard and ??850 of the sg). The Jackson is much more a guitar for pointless note blurring, while this is a machine you can riff on, shred on, and strum on, to all the best effect. If your a metalhead (perhaps a rhythm player breaking out into more lead based guitar work) and don't want to deal with all the flashing lights and bells most metal guitars deliver nowadays (e.g floyd roses etc) then this may be the guitar for you. Blues and punk boys, tho, look elsewhere.

I purchased one of the new for 2007 Snow White EC-1000s.

It has an archtop mahogany body with mother of pearl binding, a locking TonePros bridge and locking Schaller tuners.

It's got a 37.75 scale set mahogany neck with a 42mm nut, 24 extra jumbo frets, mother of pearl binding and inlays and a beautiful Indian rosewood fretboard (which is a rich reddish-purplish wood, not dull like it looks on their website).

It comes with an active EMG 81/60 set up, a 3 way p/u selector, seperate volume knobs and a master tone knob.

Unfortunatly, it also comes with a massive heel on the back of the neck (but that's the price you have to pay for getting a les paul style guitar). The top 2 frets are really tough to play on, but most guitars only have 22 anyway, so I just view those as bonus.

It would be cool if it had seperate tone knobs as well, but I prefer it all the way clockwise (bright) on both pickups so, personally, I don't have a problem with it.

I purchased a guitar with EMGs because I wanted high output, and the EC-1000 delivered!

I play through a Vox AD50VT 2X12. The EMGs drive my amp harder AND clean up better than passives.

I didn't expect it to be as versatile as it is because the volume knobs on active pickups aren't supposed to do much, but they're much more responsive on this guitar than on my passive pickup equipped ones.

The EMG 81 in the bridge sounds great for any level of overdrive and gives a nice bright sound. I usually keep the volume on this one up all the way because it drives my amp so well, and it doesn't clean up as nicely as the neck pickup.

The EMG 60 in the neck sounds awkward by itself when using overdrive, but cleans up very nicely. I usually keep this one between 20 and 40% volume so I can use it for both cleans and taming the 81. It has a thick beefy sound that is warmer and darker than the 81 and has more sustain and less harshness on high notes. I wouldn't swap it for an 85, but it would be an easy switch if you want the ZW set up.

The actives definetly give more feedback, and may require some taming, but overall I feel much more in control of my sound than I did with passives.

My action is at about 1mm. There is a little fret buzz when I strum too hard, but for 1mm it's amazing.

There are a few not-so-good looking spots on the binding, like what looks like a touch-up where the body meets the neck. I also noticed a couple tiny black specs on the side and a shallow ding on the side of the neck, but the instrument I recieved was a returned (and listed as new) item from Musician's Friend. Nothing is very noticeable unless pointed out.

I would give this guitar a perfect 10 for durability, except that the pot of my bridge volume knob came loose just a couple months after purchasing it. I hadn't even taken it out of my room yet. It was an easy fix that I could do myself at least. I don't know what it has been through before it got to me, but nevertheless I'd like the pots to be rock solid.

There is a "limited lifetime warranty of one year" so either they're assuming the guitar/player will only last a year, or the warranty sucks and they have poor English. Either way I got a kick out of it.

They'll take their time to respond if they feel you are worthy of a response and if you make any modification of the guitar or take it to a non-ESP dealer to have anything done to it they won't talk to you.

They also want their warranty card in within 10 days of purchase with the reciept and if anything does go wrong you have to pay for shipping if they deem you worthy of sending it to them - and them alone - so they can take their time fixing it themselves.

If it were stolen I would definetly replace it.

I know people with some really expensive gear (Gibsons, PRSs, Mesas, Marshalls) but my ESP EC-1000 and Vox AD50VT 2X12 can hold their own easily in terms of tone and looks.

I am very happy with my purchases and have made plenty of fellow players both jealous and annoyed. Jealous because it looks and sounds so good and I paid so much less than they did, and annoyed because they're tired of me ranting about it.

the finish on mine was mind blowing. i have the see through black cherry finish and the flamed maple on the mahogany body really pops. it looks sooo sexy! but yet still bad ass enough to fight your mom! this beast will truly take NOTHING from NO-ONE! this is a no-nonsense, rocking machine!

the sound as we all know on this beast is out of control sweeeettt!!!!!! i don't kave to tell you all about the best pickups EVER MADE right!?...EMGs BABY!!!! they withstand ANY tone or sound you want and so much more. if you want to know what it sounds like, PLAY ONE!!! picture what kind of guitar the angels in heaven might have...that's this.

the action is tighter, smoother than ANY Gibsin i've ever played, and im not just saying that to be bias. my freind has the black one for like 2 years now and i always told him how nice it was.. so i saved up, bought my own and now i see the light.

you want to talk about reliability...this rock of a guitar can take the most seriouse of beatings and laugh in your face! i'm willing to bet that it can double as a car jack..it's that strong.(don't try that of course....you might hurt your car's feelings)no backups needed here. if you WANT to swap this thing out for a different axe..it better be like a PRS custom 22 or something, cause that's about the only thing worth putting this diamond down.

never used it.

ive been playing for almost 10 years now and i own 4 ESPs and 5 other guitars. this is by far the best one. although i must say, for those of you out there that love SG's, go out and play the ESP viper 400 with actives...you'll change your mind about how a real SG should shred! i have it in vintage sunburst..simply rediculous..awesome axe. but anyways, the ec1000 is the LAST guitar you'll ever need. yes i said it..it is.

24 Fret
Mahoghany body/neck
Flag abalone inlays
Sperzel locking tuners
2 volume/1 tone
3 way selector (you really only need a two way since the 81 and 60 are so different)
Jumbo frets
Quilted maple top is beautiful
EMG 81-60 setup. (Same as Hetfield, highly recommended for all styles of metal, only if you plan on having cleans, otherwise get 81/81 or 81/85).
Make sure to get an esp hardshell case, got mine off ebay for 60$. (110$ value).
I bought this guitar used, it was only like a year old at the time.
9 on features since its missing a tone knob for each pickup.

I play this guitar through a Mesa Boogie Mark IIC+. The guitar is clearly a metal style guitar as mine came with EMG81/60. The 81 presents more attack than the standard pickup, the distortion comes out much nicer than normal. The Emg60 has one of the nicest tones I have ever heard, and I have this pickup setup in several of my guitars. So overall, go to the store and try this through a powerful tube amp, I played my Ec-1000 in comparison to the Eclipse customs. In my opinion, mine sounded better and played nicer. Ltd guitars are not pieces of junk, unless you get the low affordable models. The deluxe series is truly amazing and very affordable.

Guitar was set up great. The finish is amazing (See thru-black cherry). The inlays I also found to look, ancient like, which is very sweet. Every one of these guitars looks different, based on the piece off wood they stained. The Sperzel locking tuners are really good at keeping in tune while you play, though every time I travel my guitar ends up 1/4 step up. Which isn't bad after being driven around town. The only flaw I can think of, is the binding on the neck. It could have been a thicker coat of white. Other than that, A+ gorgeous guitar.

This guitar has withstood live playing. The hardware still feels great. I have never used stock strap button, "always put locking ones on day of purchase." Backup? please. Other than a string breaking you need no other backup. I have several guitars and I use them primarily to show them off. This guitar plays through 5 hour practices almost every night. String change once a week. The guitar has recieved some minor dents and dings. I still give it a 10 because its still 5 pds lighter than a gibson les paul. It's also more metal than one. (Emgs).

I have never had to deal with them. I have called them one time to date my guitar, and they were friendly on the phone. I give them no rating because I havn't had a problem after 5 years of owning this guitar.

I have been playing 7 years. I own 2 other LTDs and an RGX. The only real problem about this guitar is the 23-24 fret reach, it's tuff. It can be done with practice but I would still prefer it to be closer. But since the ESP version of it only has 22 frets, I will just consider these extra 2 a bonus. This guitar easily compares to guitars that cost triple its price. If it were stolen, someone would be dying. I love the 81 on distortion, and the 60 on clean really draws attention. I only wish ESP made versions of this with an original floyd rose. I also have a M-350 with emg81/60, and a V-350 with emg 81/60. These guitars are all mahoghany, set neck or neck through, and play/sound GREAT. The neck on this EC is perfect, not to think, not oversized, I recommend trying this guitar before making your purchase on any thing else. For the money, this is the best out there.

earvana locking nuts, 24 frets, mahogany, emg 81/60 (2003 model), 2 volumes 1 tone, everyones favorite in my collection.
Only flaw, could use another tone knob, but it makes up for it in its performance. oh and its seethrublackcherry.

I play 80's metallica sounding stuff, megadeth, ect. this is definently the guitar for you if you like distortion, the pickups are made for it. if your aiming for a bluesier guitar, get the sunburst finish with the seymour duncans. the sounds is supperb, great for palm muting, cutting solos, the emg 81 really pushes it from beginer to pro. for under 1000$ best metal guitar out there.

the neck has such a great feel to it, everything works great, i have not had any noise problems with volume/tone knobs.

this guitar will withstand live playing. it holds its tune rather well, i occasionlly have to retune the G string though.
This guitar will last a lifetime if you take care of it.

Have not had to deal with them. So I guess thats a good thing.

I play this through a Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier, and soon to be later today, a Legacy Cab, with those three things, I'll probably be set for life.

This is an UPDATE to another review of mine below. That was for the sunburst model with the Duncan JB/59 pickups. I did Duncan's "Spin-A-Split" mod so I can have single coil tones on the axe. I liked it so much that I was going to buy the black EC-1000 with EMG's and swap those out for Duncans.

I didn't do it! When I got the black one, I like the active EMG's so much that I decided to keep them in there. They are AWESOME! I didn't think I'd feel that way, because though I play rock/metal all week long, I make my money on the weekends by playing country/rock. Well, the EMG's sound pretty dang good at country as well. There's just something about active pickups that brings them to life. Kind of like a tube amp having a quality that digital/analog doesn't. Speaking of that, I bought a Hughes & Kettner Triamp last summer and the EC-1000's sound even better through that than my Line 6 Duoverb.

The black EC-1000 is every bit as top notch as the sunburst, if not better. I don't like the fact that black shows scratches more easily than sunburst, but that's life. This guitar is PUUUURTY! And the action is every bit as awesome as the pair of PRS's I used to own.

So far so good. Both ESP's survived a summer of heavy gigging without a hickup.

Still never had to deal with them. Hope I don't.

Made in Korea (I'm pretty sure it was South)Antique Sunburst with Seymour Duncan JB/59 setup, Unbelievable finish, Sperzel locking tuners, Abalone binding on body, neck and headstock. The neck has 24 frets but you can't really play the last 2. I would've bought anyone if it had just 22 frets. The mahogany body is so light you can play for hours.

The two different pickups was one of the main reasons I got this guitar. Plus they're Seymour Duncan's. You can't go wrong. I play through a Vox Valvetronix, Boss ME-30 with a Dunlop Wah and turbo tube screamer. I get nice rich harmonics through the JB and great bluesy sounds with the 59. I mostly play U2 songs and was looking for a Les Paul style guitar to compliment my Gibson Explorer and Fender Strat. Only one tone knob but I control my sound more through my effects than my tone knobs.

Set up was perfect out of the case. I ordered it from Sam Ash Music store in Phoenix after playing the Black EC-1000. When it came in all the salesman came over to look at it. They couldn't believe it was only $735. One of them said "we have to order more of these". There were no flaws what so ever.

I don't play out anymore so this is pretty much a stay at home guitar to jam with friends. I would imagine it would be fine though. There's not a locking strap button but it's bigger than the average so my strap fit's like a glove on it. The finish looks so good I can't imagine it wearing off anytime soon.

Having dealt with ESP but I've been on their website and it seems very professional. Warranty is for one year.

I wish it came with a case but luckily I had one left over after selling my Epiphone Les Paul Custom. This guitar to me is perfect. My friend who just bought a Gibson Les Paul Standard for $1800 came over to check it out. He brought his Gibson and so we switched and jammed a little bit. He was very impressed with it. He said "it's so light, the neck is fast and yet it's got great sustain". It doesn't sound exactly like a Gibson but for under $1000 it's a steal. He ended up taking his Gibson back to Guitar Center and ordering the same guitar. I've always wanted a Les Paul but could never afford it. Now after playing my friends Gibson and seeing his reaction I know I've made the right choice. It's so light but yet cranks out the sound I need. Who says you need a 10lb guitar to get great sustain. Buy this guitar with the Seymours if you not a heavy metal rocker. You won't regret it. I've been playing for 20 years and this has been an excellent addition to my guitar collection.

ESP/LTD EC-1000 Black. Brand new, 2005, about a month old. Has the EMG 81 in the bridge, and an EMG 60 in the neck. Korean made. You know the gear, tone pros, earvana, sperzel locking........

I'm giving this a 10 because it's loaded. EMG's, Sperzels, Tone Pros, come on! The only lack is another tone control. It has 2 volume pots and 1 tone.

This sounds incredible! Metal and Hardcore will love it. You can also get a decent blues tone too from the neck pickup.

I use a Flextone III XL, so I can get whatever tone I'm looking for. The bridge pickup needs some tone coloring via the tone pot for clean sounds, but it sounds nice.

OK, here's where it gets scary. The FIRST guitar I received from Musician's Friend was a disater. There were dings all over the body, scratches on the pickup covers, a paint blob under the neck pickup that was ready to peel off, dings down to the wood in the binding, and the fret position markers on the side of the neck looked like they were done with magic marker, all smeared.

And, there were scratches in the neck binding from the 24th fret to the 9th fret. Needless to say, I was angry. I waited 2 months for this guitar to get in stock, and received a hunk of crap - oh, I forgot, the pickup selector switch did not function either. In the middle position, only the bridge pickup operated.

Yes, I sent this back, and yes, I still got another one. I've seen this type of review for this item also. It was summed up by saying, "Nice guitar if you can get one worth keeping. ESP's Korean quality control must be garbage." I agreed with that.

The second guitar is one worth keeping.........I'd rate the second one an 8, there are still some blems that I believe are unacceptable on a brand new instrument.

Built solid, the gold hardware (saddle, bridge) seems prone to pitting and tarnishing. Keep it clean......

Ok, these guys are good. I called with my guitar problem, and they took care of me. They even sent me some "freebies" for the first crappy guitar and the inconvenience.

I actually spoke with a guy in charge and not some operator with an accent from Istanbul that you can't understand........Top notch!!

I've been playing for over 20 years. I love this guitar. I would buy another one for sure. The only thing I don't care for is the close pickup spacing. There is not a lot of room between the pickups, but I'll get used to that. The 24.75 scale combined with the 24 jumbo frets is new to me. I do love this guitar though - if you're thinking about one, play one, you'll buy it.

I'm assuming that this guitar is a 2004 model made in Korea. I own the black model with EMG's loaded. You know the rest of the equipement already.The locking tuners are incredable. The guitarjust amazes me as to how it stays in tune after beating on it. I just have to say this guitar is worth every cent it cost me.

I play mostly Alternative Hardrock, and this guitar suits me very well. The EMG 81's are on the Hot side but very clean....

This is where this guitar excels over the over priced Gibson/PRS LP's. This guitar came to me absolutley perfect. This model has a lot of detailed work on it and like I said every detail is perfect. I own a Gibson SG Standard that I love very much but it came from Gibson with alot of flaws and defects in finish and detail. I paid more for my SG than I did for this guitar. Way to go ESP....

Seems to be very reliable but I'm not sure about how long the 9v battery will last me that powers the pickups... This will be the only reliability issue for me, but just bring a spare 9v and a phillips screw driver to longer gigs and your set.

????

I can give this guitar a 10... I have played many PRS/Gibson guitars over the past 20 yrs and I have to say this guitar beats them in value, and craftsmanship...

2005 Esp EC-1000 Seethru black Cherry With earvana Nut and sperzel locking tuners. This guitar has 3 knobs, one for bridge, one for Neck and a master tone. The tone on this guitar is well rounded and smooth. I only wish it had an additional tone control so It gets a 9.
Oh yeah, and it doesn't come with a case :(

The sound is amazing!!!!!!!
I play hard rock and Hardcore and this guitar is perfect. I use a Ts9 tube screamer->Ns2 Noise supressor->Marshall 100w 6100LM head. In the effects loop I use a MXR Phase 90->line6 DL4 delay->Holy Grail verb-> amp.
This guitar's smooth tone maintains a strong, touchy signal into the amp and through the effetcs loop when compared to my Les Paul studio with duncans or my Goth SG with stock pickups. It sounds stronger and each not has a bit more clarity. I have found that The natural distortion from the emgs eliminates the need for my TS9 on the clean channel selections.

I ought this from American Musical new, and too my suprise The actio adn intonation were perfect. Maybe I was lucky but I am really happy that it was ready to play.

The only flaw here was that the volume pots are a little noisy. I play to upgrade them anyway with switchcraft or dimarzio.

The finish is flawless. The only backup I would bring for this is a 9V battery for the active pickups.

I have played for 11 years and I am more happy with this than when I bought my Gothic Sg new. For the money, I doubt you will get a better playing and better looking guitar. I would replace it if it were stolen and intend to get the black one so I have a pair. My fav feature is it's full tone to light weight ratio.

Made in 2003, Amber Sunburst, Seymour Duncan 59/JB (passive) combination, Sperzel locking tuners, Earvana nut, TonePros bridge, and the rest of the stuff previously listed. The Amber Sunburst is the only model that has the passive pickups, and I prefered the control over the clean tones to the active.

I play classic rock, country, pop, you name it. I am not into post-modern punk, nu-metal, or death metal, so this guitar suits me perfectly. The highs are keen, and I can shatter glass with the right clean tones. The pickups have the right punch and a healthy amount of scream. I play in standard tuning, and I like getting the Les Paul round tunes without the anchor around the neck feeling.

I can't find a flaw in the finish. It came well set up, but in typical guitar store fashion, someone had tuned it down an step-and-a-half. After tuning it to standard, the guitar was in near perfect intonation. The guitar shop owner did a quick adjustment, and the intonation was back on track.

I have gigged, practiced, and just played around with this guitar, and it's been great. It stays in tune after long tribs, and I enjoy it a lot. I've had it for over a year now, and it still sounds as great as the day that I bought it. I replaced the strap buttons the day I bought it for straplocks, so I can't say anything about the originals.

I have played guitar for nearly 30 years, and this is a fine addition to my collection. It's the best guitar that I own for less than $1000, and I enjoy playing it. If it were lost or stolen, I would likely replace it quickly; as I've grown accustomed to its solid performance, bluesy tones, and relatively light weight.

Made in Korea. This guitar has 24 frets although playing past the 22nd is a joke and is not possible. It also has 2 EMG 81 pickups and mine has the see thru red cherry finish..

This guitar is tailor made for hard rock and heavy metal. The EMG 81 in the bridge position screams and is perfect for loud harmonics and palm muting. It gets a ton of treble clarity even with a scooped EQ that makes each note seperable with ungodly amounts of distortion. Clean settings in the brige sound great too and very clear. However the EMG 81 in the neck position is a mistake in my mind. It doesn't sound good clear and is only decent for soloing when distorted.

The action and finish are great. The only flaw is it is impossible to play past the 22nd fret. It basically has 24 frets for show because the neck is too hard to get through past the 22nd.

So far so good.

NA

I have played for 15 years and always wanted a Les Paul style guitar. This guitar is perfect for me because I love metal and I play directly into my Boss GT-6 plugged into my pc. I get some very heavy tones that are near professional quality. I also have a Kramer modified with a Seymour Duncan Invader in the Bridge position. That guitar sounds good too, but the EMG 81s are better. The invade is too basy and too loud and I used to love it until I played my EC-1000.

I am assuming this is a 2004 model from Korea, but I could be wrong. I bought it used from a friend (gave me the case, and a guitar stand all for $650!!!) and I don't even think he had touched the thing hardly. This guitar features an all mahogany body and neck, with a neck through design. The fretboard is made of rosewood and has 24 frets. This guitar was modified and has a EMG 81 for treble and an EMG 60 for rythym. There is a 3-way pickup selector, a volume control knob for each pickup, and only ONE tone control knob (what a rip). It comes with sperzel locking tuners, earvana self adjusting nut, and a locking bridge and tailpiece. The binding IS PHENOMENAL. Its REAL abalone! Having only one tone control knob really kind of kills some of the versatility. However if you look at all the killer hardware this thing comes with, you won't care. This guitar features many things that you would typically only find on a custom piece!

I play alot of hard rock and metal, but I do dwell in blues/jazz improvisation. I am using this with the Behringer LX1200 Vampire 120 Watt digital modeling amp going through a JCM-800 4x12 Cab. At first I thought the guitar sounded like total ass (lots of muddy sloppy distortion) but I changed the battery and then I had to adjust a setting on the amp (the signal was clipping because of the high output EMGs). After this slight change of settings, the true sound of the guitar REALLY came out and I was pleasantly suprised. The sustain and tone of this guitar is truly incredible. I have played on $3000.00 gibsons and I am here to tell you that this guitar sounds and plays better (and even looks better for that matter, who the hell pays $2000-$3000 for a guitar with plastic tuners?!). The EMGs give this guitar a really nasty "old school metallica" like tone and if you play heavy music you will be in for a treat. Compared to the sound of a les paul however, I think these things sound much more "trebly", and do not have the same crunch or bass that a les paul does. Maybe this has to do more with my pickups I am not sure, but compared to my 1973 Guild S-100, this guitar sounded very trebly and I had some difficulties getting a lower, warmer, les paul-like tone. This guitar has MUCH less wood than a Les Paul (and your back will thank you for it too!) so this is probably why it has a brighter sound to it. Setting the pickup selector to the bridge (rythym) pickup and turning the tone knob all the way down resulted in a nice warm sound, but still much brighter than any Les Paul in my opinion. I'm not here to say that this is a bad thing however. This guitar's tone and sound is AWESOME, and is more versatile than a Les Paul. Think of the sound as being somewhere between a Fender and Gibson. However, if your looking for guitar with LOTS of bass, this might not be what your looking for. I find that it suites my taste perfectly! It would probably sound a whole lot better through a real tube amp, but I'll soon see about that...

I really can't say how the guitar was setup from the factory since I bought it from a friend, and who the hell knows what he did with it. The finish was flawless. The maple top is absolutely gorgeous, and the abalone binding is stunning. I find frequently find myself just staring at this guitar. Cosmetically it compares to PRSs worth 3-4 times more! The action on this guitar is actually what caught my attention. Even with light strings (low tension) I can lower the strings extremely low and still have NO fret buzz whatsoever at any fret. With higher gauge strings I could probably lower the action even more. I could not find ANYTHING wrong with this guitar AT ALL. The neck is straight as an arrow, and the intonation is perfect.

I cannot answer this since I am basing this review off the first week of playing it. I really, really, REALLY try not to beat this guitar up. Its so damn beautiful I find myself babying it, so I really wouldn't be able to say if it can stand up to a beating or not. I don't have the heart to put it through any type of punishment yet...

I've personally never contacted ESP for anything...but I have heard that they are great.

I've been playing for about 9 years. I have own and played on quite a few expensive guitars. For the money, I would have to say this is probably one of the best guitars in existance today (for those who play metal or hard rock). Examining this guitar closely will reveal the great craftsmanship that went into its construction. There is nothing that I dislike about this guitar except maybe it could have another tone knob...it would also probably have more versatility with Seymour Duncan humbuckers than EMGs, although the sound of the EMGs is perfect for harder music. I never give out perfect 10s. But I cannot find ANYTHING substantial to complain about. This guitar is a very, very, serious instrument.

Mine is a 2003 Model, this is the first year they put the Earvana compensation nut on them. 24 frets, quilted black cherry finish(GORGEOUS), Tone-pro locking bridge, Dual EMG 81's, 3 control knobs (two vol. 1 tone) Abalone enlayed around the ENTIRE guitar, matching quilted headstock, Earvana nut, sperzel locking tuners, 3 way pickup selector, set neck, Mahogany body,

I love the sound of this guitar, ive gigged it for jazz and rock. The sustain is sweet, the lows are chunky. It isnt noisy, neither is there fret noise. To enhance an already amazing guitar, i installed an EMG-89 w\ a coil tap switch, An EMG-afterburner to boost my output for solos (also a very noticible boost in the cleans as well. Both of these are easily installed, and replace your normal volume pots with a push/pull knob, when you pull the knob up it activates the afterburner, or the single coil tap, and when you push is back down, you can still adjust your volume and tone. Now my guitar sounds amazing. The tone is great for any style that you want to play. I picked this guitar over all the gibsons and fenders that i tried out.

The action from factory is great, low action, the neck is very comfortable and gives you a feel of control, pretty decent pickup height (i adjusted them a little bit for my own personal taste). The finish was flawless and the most beautiful thing ive ever seen. The battery compartment is easy to use, the only thing i would change is that the compartment pops up instead of having to unscrew it, but thats a very minor setback. Great quality wood and hardware, the sperzel tuners are great. This guitar feels very sturdy, but is not bulky and heavy like a Les Paul. I chose this over the les paul because it is much more comfortable, has better pickups, and is a just as well made guitar. FOR HALF THE PRICE OF A LES PAUL. If there is anyone out there thinking about this guitar, I urge you to buy one, or atleast pick one up and test drive it. Feels great, sounds great, looks great, is great. The one thing i'd change about this guitar is the fretboard, id want it to be ebony or winge (mostly because im so used to playing the wenge fingerboard of my Ibanez sr3000 Bass) Hence the 9, instead of 10.

The hardware, the finish, everything, seems like it will hold up, this guitar is built solid as a tank, but it deosnt feel like your playing a huge log (like Gibson and Epiphone lp's) Ive accidentally knocked this guitar into things before without any scratches or dings. Its made very well. The strap buttons are solid, The only reason i'd have to gig this with a backup is incase a string breaks. otherwise, i have no worries about this baby letting me down.

Customer support is pretty good, it took a little while to get this guitar in when i ordered it, but that was due to the time of year, and the NAMM. They email you back very quickly and are helpful and friendly.

Ive been playing for about 5 years, i currently own 3 guitars, (Godin flat 5, This one, And classical acoustic guitar) and one bass (ibanez sr3000E) It it were stolen or lost, i would hunt down whoever stole it and burn theyre eyes out with a magnifying glass. Then deficate upon them... IF it were lost i'd buy a new one, without a second thought. I compared this to several other guitars, ibanez, gibson, epiphone, fender, jackson, and chose this for its great looks, tone, feel, and quality. I love this guitar. You cant find a better deal out there. Especially for the price. Dont pass this one over becasue its not one of those heavy names like gibson.

I can't really add much to what's been said... except to say "WOW!". I bought my sunburst EC-1000 with the Duncan zebra's a few weeks ago. I am amazed at this much guitar for the price. I have owned many guitars, including many Fender Strats and Teles, Les Pauls, and two PRS Custom 24's (with "10" tops and bird inlays). This guitar is easily the most beautiful because of the striking flame top, and especially the abalone inlays. The greens and purples glow under the light in an almost irredescent manner. It's HARD to believe that this guitar was made in Korea. Obviously, Korea is becomming the "new Japan". The hardware is top notch. I once spent a bunch of money putting this same hardware on a sunburst Les Paul that I had and it still wasn't near as nice of a package.

This guitar, being an LP-clone is obviously more suited to rock than country. However, I play both. And I like this guitar so much that I won't wanna put it down to pick up a Tele or Strat for the country, so I downloaded the "Spin-A-Split" wiring diagram from the Seymor Duncan website and proceeded to mod the EC-1000. I converted it to a single volume control (cause I've always hated separate volume controls), with the other two pots controlling whether each pickup is in humbucking or single coil mode. Honestly, I don't know why ALL LP and humbucker style instruments don't come this way (or at least with a coil split switch). The Stratty sound that I get when the pickup selector switch in in center position, with both split knobs dialed off to single coil mode, is simply BEAUTIFUL. The PRS Customs did an okay job of this with that goofy rotary selector, but this is BETTER! I recommend that anyone who wants glassy cleans on this guitar, do this mod. I plan on buying another EC-1000 in black, and I will tear-out the EMG's, replacing them with the zebra's and doing this mod on it as well. Anyways... the sound is great. Admittedly, it's a hair less "fat" and full than a real Les Paul when the neck pickup is selected. But I can live with that as I only rarely use that sound. How many times are you going to use the same sound from the intro lick to "Sweet Child 'O Mine"?

As I have already stated, this guitar is top notch all-around. I see VERY FEW flaws in it. Just a few visible seams on the plastic body binding. That's one thing that Gibson and the LP clone makers could learn from PRS. Just make the top a full maple cap and use the wood's natural look for the "binding". None of this plastic crap. But of course, that would mean that they'd have to actually use a decent peice of maple... do you hear me Gibson? Another plus for this guitar is that I really love the sharp cutaway on the horn, over Gibson's rounded one. This guitar looks like much better of a Les Paul than a real Les Paul. No one should be buying Les Pauls once they've played this guitar. I loved me PRS's, but for what I paid for each of them, I could have had THREE of these and a couple hundred $$$ left over. The neck on this guitar is just right for my hands. It's not as fat as many LP's and Strat's that I've owned. But it's not the smallest either. I'd say that it's about the same profile as the wide-thin necks on the PRS Custom 24's.

Dunno yet. Just got it a couple of weeks ago. Will be gigging it this weekend. I don't anticipate any problems with it.

Haven't had to deal with the company. Hopefully I never will.

I have been playing for 20 years. Most of it proffesionally. Have played metal, rock, country, blues, jazz, classical, and country. Have owned just about every peice of gear there is (except a really nice, expensive boutique tube amp -- my next purchase, hopefully a Bogner Shiva or Extasy). I would buy another EC-1000 in a heartbeat if it were stolen. I love everything about it. I don't give 10's very easily in the individual categories, but overall, this thing is a definite TEN. I have never owned a better value than this guitar. Highly recommended.

This is the sunburst model with the Duncan '59 and JB. Sperzel tuners, mahogany body and neck (I'm assuming the body is laminated), rosewood fretboard with flag inlays, ( and the goofy looking model number 12th fret inlay. ) two volumes, one tone and a 3 way toggle switch. I've had mine for about a year and a half, it has a standard nut, but I think the new ones have the Earvana compensated nut. This axe is decked out and absolutely beautiful, ( it took me a while to get over the "L.T.D." on the headstock, but I'm kind of a superficial poseur!). I give it a 9 out of 10 only because they should equip this thing with strap locks.

I've been playing for 20+ years and either own or have owned guitars from tons of manufacturers including Gibson, Fender and Ibanez ( I been had!), and this is THE BEST GUITAR I've ever owned!!! I picked this guitar up to use as a backup to my Les Paul for a big gig my band had, and after 1 practice and about a week and a half of practice I decided that the Les Paul was going to be the back up to this axe, and itcost less than half of what the Gibson did!!
I mainly play hard rock and metal ( Priest, Rainbow, Saxon, Crue, blah, blah , blah...) but also play country, blues, folk, almost anything and while this guitar can do it all it is at it's best when playing heavy, hard drivig rock n roll. ( like a Les paul!)
There is no other pickup combination like the Seymour Duncan '59 in the neck and the JB in the bridge. The black and black cherry models are loaded with EMGs, but this is the one to go with for the pure tone! This guitar screams when you want it to, purrs when you want it to, and harmonics ring from it like no other.
I play this through a variety of amps, my main rig being an ENGL Ritchie Blackmore head through two Mesa 2x12s , but I also own amps by Soldano, Marshall, and Mesa Boogie and its sounds great and interacts perfectly with all of them!
Being a gearhead I currently own over 20 guitars, and this is hands down the best. I can't believe a mid priced guitar made in Korea can be this good. WHY DID I SPEND SO MUCH MONEY ON "HIGH END" GUITARS?!?!

I'm not much into looks, and I know how to set up a guitar to my liking, so this section will be short. The EC-1000 is stunningly beautiful, perfect finish, awesomne top, kick ass binding, blah, blah, blah...
It was zset up perfectly when I got it, and I haven't had to adjust it. Great action, and perfectly intonated. With my Les Paul I would have to tweak the truss rod every time the freakin' weather changed, but the L.T.D. hasn't asked me for nuthin' in aslmost 2 years!

Built like a brick shithouse, I'll take this bad boy on the road as my main guitar any time, BUT.....
the input jack kinda sucks. It works itself loose very easily and needs to be tightened every time I pick this thing up. I opened up the back to fix it proper, but they left so little slack in the wire that I decided it was more of a pain in the ass than it was worth, so I just make sure I check the jack every time I plug in. It's a minor problem, and if I wasn't so lazy I'd fix it, but they still lose a point.

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I don't know how the dickheads at Gibson can sleep at night knowing they charge three times as much for guitars with lesser features ( anybody got a Les Paul with Sperzels?), lesser electronics ( Duncans destroy the 498t crap!), and lesser finish qualities ( my Les paul has globs of finish running over the binding!) It doesn't matter if you're a seasoned pro or a novice, I highly reccomend this guitar. For the quality and value this mutha is hands down a 10 !!

made in korea (hard to believe when you play one..) quilted maple top with a mahogany body. see-thru black cherry finish... very striking. two volume controls, one tone control, three way toggle pickup selector. active emg 81 pickup set, tone pros locking stop tailpiece, 24 medium jumbo frets, sperzel locking tuners, beautiful abalone binding on body, neck and headstock. absolutely stunning looking guitar. this guitar is both ear and eye candy!!!

this is not the most versitile guitar, tone-wise. it does rock, hard rock, and metal really well. the emg 81 active pickups are very high output and have great definition and sustain. they are not the warmest pickups, but again, this guitar is a hard rock / metal machine as are most ESP made instruments. mine runs through a marshall jcm 2000 dsl 100 head into a 1960bv marshall cabinet with 30 watt vintage celestions. for effects, i loop my trusty old digitech dsp-21 legend through the effects loop for chorus, reverb, delay, eq effects. the distortion, of coarse, is all created by the gain stage of the marshall. i play 80's type metal... queensryche, metallica, deliverance, bride, metal church, armored saint, fates warning, megadeth, ect. this guitar provides great heavy rhythm and lead tones for this type of music. the sound is defined and clear with singing highs for those seering "rock star" solos and nice, tight bottom end for chunky rhythm work.

this guitar deserves a 10 in this category most of all. the overall construction of this guitar is superior to many american made fenders and gibsons i've owned. you will never believe how nice and playable this guitar is until you get your hands on one. i bought mine on ebay on the strenght of reviews i'd read and crossed my fingers. i couldn't be more pleased with this instrument. frets are nicely crowned and polished with no sharp edges, harware is solid, finish is top notch.

i've been fortunate to play this guitar for a few months now and i've come to depend on this guitar as my main instrument. for a back-up guitar i have an ESP LTD H-300 in see-thru black... it doesn't get much playing time as i can't put the EC-1000 down!!! it feels like a very solid ax and i can't imagine having any workmanship issues here.

the people at ESP are outstanding!!! they are quick to answer emails and even provided a special touch above and beyond any of my expectations.. thanks guys!! web site is informative, great so far!!

in 14 years of playing, i been through a LOT of guitars, both electric and acoustic. each one has had something i really liked about it, but i've continued to search for that elusive "dream guitar" for years. this guitar is the closest i've come. it combines the majority of the things i've liked about previous owned guitars. the only weakness is that, to my ear, this guitar doesn't do blues / jazz, or any really clean playing as well as a paul or strat, but it's not made for a "vintage" sound, it's made to rock... and that it does well! if you need a hard rockin' tone machine, this is your guitar!!

same as all of the above posts...

ooh man, where to start. even without an amp the guitar has a rich and full sound when strumming chordes. then in the amp the REAL seymore duncan pickups (jb/59, in the sunburst model) are so powerful sounding and crunchy and full, just thinking about it makes you wanna pick up ur guitar and dance. the earvana nut! another ingenious invention that only that late models have. you wil NEVER believe how nice it is to always be in tune.

perfect! the volume knob was a little scratchy but the people at teh store fized that before i took it home. (no problem)

everything yes yes yes. except i might replace the strap buttons, but no big deal.

never had to deal with the company.

ive been playing to about 5 years i have owned an epi les paul (which i ended up returning) and an ibanez. the pickups on this guitar blow me away. everytime i see this guitar i wanna play it. definately 10fastic.

Made in Korea, 2004 Model.
24 frets. Solid top. 2 volume 1 tone 3 way selector like les paul. EMG active 81 pick-ups. Solid Maple body with a rose wood fingerboard on a maple neck. Set -thru neck. Stop tail piece.
Sperzel locking tuners. Tone-pro's 2 bridge and tail piece.
Case was included with my pruchase price.
Loaded could not ask for anything else to be on this guitar short of strap locks

I play metal and this guitar is perfect for it.
I am using a peavey 5150 through a 5150 cab. Sonic maximizer 482i. No other effects needed.
Guitar has zero fret buzz very low action perfect setup. Sound is awesome no changes needed.

Action perfect pick ups set perfect not to low or to high. Bindings and finish on the guitar is perfect.

I have a few guitars a Hamer studio a Les Paul gothic an acoustic and another electric not worth mentioning. This guitar out shines the Les Paul completely. Weightless compared to the gibson sounds twice as good and loos beautiful. Before any spends 1500$+ on a gibson seriously consider the ESP competion

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I have been playing for about 15 years. I do alot of research on the equipment before I buy it. And this guitar is perfect under a grand and worth over 2g's easy.

This has the best hardware and extras of any guitar of this price range. Locking Sperzel tuners, tonepros bridge/tailpiece, REAL seymour duncan pickups(JB/59) on the Amber sunburst model. V/V/T, 24 frets, EARVANA NUT!!!!!!! I wish it had two vols/two tones.. Oh well.

Perfect pickup combination for overall music styles. I might swap the bridge out... Right now I'm planning to get a Soldano amp and might just keep the stock JB.

This thing kicks ass. The Earvana does make a huge difference. Anyone who has played with a regular tuned guitar will shit their pants. Keep in mind that the perfect tuning only works when you tune regular. Drop D or anything else it will revert back to regular nut tunings. My guitar arrived flawless. Keep in mind that only newer 2004 models of the EC-1000 have the earvana nut. What out for thoese liars on ebay. I saw two auctions already where they list theirs as having the earvana nut when the pictures obviously to me doesn't have it. If you don't know if yours has the earvana it's easy. The earvana is definately obvious from a regular nut. The nut has 'block' like cuts out of the nut in different degrees. If you get one and it looks nothing different that you're used to...then you got one without the earvana. If you buy from a respectable dealer ask them about it. The box they ship in have the model and exact date they are packed. If it's not 2004 don't buy there. As for the finish end I can't find a damn thing wrong with it. I expect one or two flaws! NONE on this bitch! The inlays are super! I can barely pick out any fill on the inlays. I, at first, dreaded the flag inlays. I think they look gay. However, the price and features of the guitar made me ignore the inlays. Besides my other favorite guitar was the Schecter C-1+ and I thought those inlays were gay too. What does it take to get a company to make these guitars with normal block or dot inlays? Maybe that's how they get people to order from their custom line??? Ok, but now that I told you that, they aren't as bad as you think. One last thing.. I like how the vol/tone controls are recessed. If you ever had a guitar that doesn't have them recessed the knobs are cockeyed and alot of times they are cockeyed in different directions. If they took their time you could get a decent slant to them. Keep in mind that ones they drill the hole you are stuck with whatever slant they give to it!

Didn't have it long. everything is solid.

Sometimes they are good, other times not. I had an issue with another ESP I got recently(paramount exreme). The nut was fitted too far to the right causing my high E to barely have any room on the fretboard. They of course ignored me. Fuck em. I sent it back! their loss. This EC-1000 is held to higher quality standard. ..Anyhow, I was pissed at them and still had faith in them to get this one. I'm glad I did.

Since I got a price match I only paid $620 for this bitch. It's definately worth it! Price run down on parts: earvana $30, locking tuners $60, locking bridge/tailpiece $115, JB/59 seymour duncans $70/$65. That's $340 right there! Add the abalone inlays and all that extra fancy shit, set neck, mahogany body and you got a damn nice guitar! YOU WILL NOT FIND A BETTER GUITAR THAN THIS IN ITS PRICE RANGE. I got the last one in stock. I always feared the last one as being a demo or return. I sweat it until I opened the box. All there guitars are taped, Music123 doesn't open and retape them assuring me that they are factory fresh. It's a great feeling.

Everyone knows the layout of this axe--suffice to say, it kicks ASS!!

I bought the sunburst model with Seymour Duncan's (I also have the Blk. Cherry Emg loaded on the way) and this thing kicks!! The extra jumbo frets are f****'n amazing. Hammer on pull-offs are a breeze!!

I bought this guitar slightly used but mint condition. Had to perform minor T-Rod adjustment. Top is NOT bookmatched, but nonetheless, is a gorgeous instrument.

100% confident with the girl. Guy I bought it from put locking Schaller strap locks on. I've played 25+ yrs and this thing is solid.

Never dealt with them.

I've been playing 25+ years and this has gotta be one of the best guitars I have ever owned. This guitar in my opinion is underpriced.
I own 9 other high grade guitars, and although the least expensive,it is probably the BEST!!! The Looks, Hardware And most importantly--Playability is First Class! No wonder there is a waiting period to buy one of these in the music stores. My suggestion,,, BUY one of these-- you can't go wrong.

made in 2003---y'know the whole deal (furnished in dark cherry,quilt arched top, EMG pickups, abalone inlays, et. al), so I'm not gonna bother--it is a STUNNING INSTRUMENT, nonetheless!!! Go to the ESP website if you're curious--

I play in an alternative/hard rock cover band, so this thing definitely delivers--from clean, shimmery sounds to major chugga-chugga, this thing does it!! I use a Mesa Dual Recto 3-channel for gigging and a Marshall V65R for practice--it sounds great thru both!!!

the action was perfect, the assembly good, HOWEVER, the top strap button was loose--well, to be safe, I replaced both w/ a better set of black strap buttons w/ bigger screws--HAH!! That did the trick!! I've noticed in other reviews that's been a re-occuring problem nowadays--overall, it's a well-crafted instrument!!!

I just got the guitar today, so I haven't tested it out in gigging situations--however, I got band practice Monday night, so it should be fine!!! Finish and hardware seems to be solid--read my above comments regarding the strap buttons---I always gig w/ 2 guitars, but it looks like this thing will be my main one to do damage with--heh heh heh!!!

haven't had to do so--ESP has a great reputation for their instruments, so I trust I don't have to call 'em ever, unless it's in pieces!!!

I've been playing for well over 27+ yrs. I've had Gibsons, Ibanezes, Jacksons,Kramers,Hamers,Yamahas,Guilds, Ovations---- Currently I have another LTD, a H301 w/ EMG 89/85s (that's been my main guitar the last 3 years), A Jackson USA Soloist w/ EMGS, a Fender Seluxe Strat Plus w/ Lace Sensors and a Takamine Acoustic/electric--I was goona get either a Schecter C1 Elite, an Ibanez Iceman IC300 or RG421T, or save up more for a Les Paul Studio or Explorer--timing is everything!!! I was at the right place, at the right time!! If stolen, I'll just smack the crap outta the thief and force him/her to buy me another one!!! I adore this thing--the perfect Les Paul alternative--I totally lucked out, 'cuz I was gonna swap out the pick-ups for EMGS if I had bought any one of those aforementioned guitars, but why buy something expensive that'll make you afraid to gig out with??? This is the best bang-for-the-buck in my book, and I couldn't be more happier!!!

im n0ot in the habit of buying foreign products if i can help it,however i was in the gibson shop last month and spotted the ec 1000 and did a definate double take and had to get it down off the shelf for a look i wasnt guitar shopping that day butthe abalone caught my eye and the seymour duncan pick ups inticed me to plug er in .my mouth dropped open when i started playing this axe and realized it was the finest guitar {electric guitar} ive ever played,i really dont know what to expect from the 81s but i know i do like the bite with the seymour duncan single coil humbuckers.i admit i wanted a flashy guitar and got a very good sounding guitar as well.ive got the sunburst model and ordered a e.s.p. case which is nice but will be going back due to flaws in the workmanship on the case.i will be going to look at gibson guitars with a new perspective sgs and l.p.s but i think ive found the guitar that i can afford and be happy with the qualityand appearance

i play country music and have been using a peavy k.b.4 amp with a digitec effects processor rack type,it produces great sound and ive decided to order a s.w.r. accoustic amp a.s.a.p.{california blonde}.i was very surprized when i unpacked it and had to turn my volume way down on my amp to accomidate the seymour duncans.rock solid guitar with the set neck just makes sence to me.i did notice the abalone doesnt have the same shimmer on the bindings as the neck.

the action seemed great and the only thing i did notice was the intonation wasnt set properly and have been having some difficulty with setting i think due to thextrajumbo frets.allthe hardware on the guitar was well fitted and tight.the headstock could have shown a little more tiger on it and the top is not bookmatched but all in all i was impressed with the axe and couldnot afford more money on a guitar at the time,but feel i made a good choice.and dont have any buyers remorse! i payed 699.00w/o case.and am happy.

ive only had this guitar for a couple weeks and it seems rock solid,i am wondering how well the sperzel tuners will hold up.probably not but im just the type to bring more than one anyway.only time will tell on many of these questions,ill be looking at other e.s.p. products if they dont get carried away and raise prices thru the roof!i did buy a d-28 martin and they arent too bashful in the pricing dept.itoo am selling some guitars as a result of buying this guitar.

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ive been playing for years but never really learned much till the last couple yrs.ive got a good p.a. system 1500 watt peavy g.p.s.amp and peavy fls e.q. and digitec effects in the rack.mackie mixer 12 channel just got a snake.black widow and scorpion speakers.i use sure sm 58s and got a couple sm57s i started doing karaoke gigs and am phasing all that out and and doing one man guitar shows in between karaoke gigs as my confidence increases ill get totally out of karaoke and go live performance,ive been asked to get in bands but preferr to go it alone.ic definately look at more esps and replace it.this guitar fits like a glove and is a pleasure to strap on. the bass response from this instrument is very impressive.

See though Black Cherry finish. Comes with EMG 81's in the bridge AND neck, 24 jumbo frets, quilted maple top on Mahogany body and neck, black hardware, TonePros locking bridge, Sperzel locking tuners, 24.75" scale (Same as a Les Paul.

Comes with nothing other than a small parts bag, warranty card, and ESP sticker (WOOO!) ;)

For the price and features, this thing is LOADED!

Ok...I've NEVER been an ESP, let alone LTD fan. I've mainly played Jackson Soloists and Les Pauls. I mainly play hard rock/ metal, and mess around with jazz on occasion. I've been using the guitar straight into my Boss BR1180 DAW and my Peavey 5150 combo. Through either I'm getting a tone uncomparable to my Les Paul or Soloist. Very deep, rich, and punchy. I was curious how the 81 would sound at the neck position, and it's surprisingly good. I would have preferred an 85, as the 81 does sound a bit thin for a neck pickup. As for my expectations, this is easily the best sounding guitar that I've owned!

I've always stayed far away from ANYTHING Korean made. (I know that sounds pretty narrow minded, but when I started playing back in the early 80's, the few guitars coming from Asia were absolutely horrible!) To my surprise, this guitar is darn near flawless. The action was set fairly decently, although I like it a bit lower, which I adjusted very easily. I'm SUPER picky about finish flaws, and there were very few to be found on mine. The binding appears to have been applied before the dye, and you can see some overlap of the dye on the binding. The abalone was done very nicely. (I originally hated the abalone, but it's starting to grow on me.) The quilt is fairly figured, but isn't as dimensional as other guitars I have. All of the hardware is top notch, and seems perfect. The only real concern I have is that there are a few frets that are less than perfect. The 14th fret appears to have been filed down quite a bit, and seems to be the only dead spot on the neck. Down the road I'll probably have the frets redone to fix this. Not a show-stopper, but a minor annoyance.

Due to the quality hardware this thing comes loaded with, I'm very confident it will last. Since it's a fixed bridge, breaking a string doesn't concern me nearly as much as it does with my Floyd equipped guitars. Time will tell...

I've never had to use them. My local dealer states they have problems contacting their rep, so I hope that's not indicative of their service. Since it has a lifetime warranty, I hope they'll be there if I need them!

Been playing for nearly 20 years now. I've still got my Jackson SL-2H, a Peavey Wolfgang, and a Les Paul Standard.

I should tell you that I bought this axe to be my "knockaround" axe that I could abuse and not feel bad about. After spending nearly a month with it, I've come to realize it's become my favorite axe! I'm a big fan of 'value', and this thing reeks of it! I've begun to seriously think of selling an axe or two, since I can't justify having seriously expensive guitars collecting dust while I play my EC. This guitar was a real revelation for me. I keep thinking that there has to be a catch with this thing. For the money, it seems that they could charge quite a bit more and still be justified.

Originally, I was looking for another Les Paul to use for recording, but I really have a problem with Gibson charging so much money for a guitar that's remained unchanged. What is Gibson doing to their guitars that makes them so damn expensive? If I bought a Les Paul standard, swapped out the pickups for EMG's, replaced the bridge and tuners, I'd be well over $2000!

Most importantly, this is the best playing axe I've ever played. The neck is just perfect for me. Not too thin, not too thick. Even playing it without being plugged in, notes and chords resonate throughout the body.

Dislikes? Well, I wish they offered a few other color choices. I dig the cherry, but there's only Amber Sunburst and black as the other two, and I'd snag another in a hearbeat if they made something else more interesting. Like I said, I'm not a big fan of abalone, so I wish they offered it with just plain white binding.

Other than that, I'm tickled with my purchase. For the money you really can't go wrong.

Smooth neck, lightning fast action, emg's and Hardshell case, Abalone binding with model name at the 12th fret. Perfect weight, not to heavy but built solid.

I play many styles of music and this guitar is appropriate for all of them. I must add that i have a Johnson Millenium amp which is a modeling and emulation amp. But this guitar has a very rounded tone, The EMG's make it especially suited for rock and heavy metal

Hands down, the most beautiful guitar i have seen. Abalone all the way around the body and up the neck with model name at 12th fret. Action is smooth and lightning fast.

I searched about 6 stores and checked out hundreds of guitars. There was a toss up between a couple guitars until i saw this one. Once i played and looked it over, it was in my car in about 15 minutes. It was that easy. Pictures on the net and in magazines do not do this guitar justice. Just go check one out and you will see what i mean. Expecially the one i got, (see thru black cherry finish) its gorgeous. Lightning fast action, slim neck. This guitar feels very comfortable strapped on.

so far so good, i have only had this for 7 months.

N?A

I have been playing about 18 years, own Jackson, gibson, fender and washburn guitars. Johnson Millenium amp and marshall cabinets. I would always want to have this guitar in my collection, so if something did happen to it, i would replace it

This is a 2002 korean made guitar. 24 frets. Gorgeus black finish. 2volume controls and 1 tone controll. dual emg 81active humbucking pickups. mahogany body and neck with rosewood fretboard. It's a singlecutaway. tune-o-matic bridge with a stop tailpeice. Locking tuners they are sperzel i believe. the neck is awesome a little thinner than a strat and it has jumbo frets. mine came with a hardshell case whigh is also very nice. the only difference i would'vesaidwas to make the battery compartment bigger becasue not all batteries will fit in it. so i give it a 9.

it suits my style perfectly i like metal and hard rock/alternative music.janes addiction,black sabbath,godsmack,guns and roses ect...I use a jcm 800 2205 combo with it and a dunlop crybaby from hell. it can get noisy but not usually doesn't feedback easily. very rich and thick sound can get kind of bright when you roll thevolume back. I would preffer it to be an emg 81+85 becasue the neck and bridge pickups sound the same.

it was setup great at the factory. perfect intonation and tuning. pickups where right on the button i adjusted the action a tiny tiny bit becasue i like it high. and it contained no flaws.

it will withstand years of liveplaying becasue since i've had it i have hit it on a chair in my bedroom twice and ti hasn't even scratched the paint. it seems like the finish will last though it smudges easily and i need to polish it a lot and the polish could wear throught the paint easy. the strapo buttons are solid no need for straplocks with the leather strap oi got. i would use it in a non paying gig without a backup but not a paying one.

i have never dealt with the company so i can't say.

i have been playing for about 3 years my other guitar is a modded squier strat i have a jcm 800 and a dunlop crybaby from hell and once i pay off the last of this guitar i'm buying a boss super overdrive and phaser. i wish it had an 85 though in the neck position becasue like i said earlier it sounds the same in briddge and neck. i compared it to a gibson sg special anda gibson les paul special faded and this one was the best.

This guitar sorely needs some reviews on this site so I am giving on. The features are great on this beauty. Three way toggle switch, sperzel tuners which are pretty rock solid, EMG-81's, Tune-o-matic bridge, and two volume knobs and one tone knob. I would actually like to have independant tone knobs for each volume but no big. 24 frets is nice and the abalone inlays are even nicer. Great guitar.

Action was nice and low. Set perfect. No weird noises. Bridge was set just right. No intonation issues at all. No chips in the finish nothing wrong to speak of.

The pickups are active pickups so in time a new battery will be needed which is a hassle but it's just parrt of having active pickups. I have the same deal with my Les Paul Studio. I replaced the strap system with a Dimarzio screw in strap lock system, which is rock solid. This right now is main guitar with my Les Paul Studio being fixed now. I have these two guitars set up exactly the same minus my Les Paul Studio having sperzel tuners. This guitar hasn't shown any fuss as of yet, but have to wait and see. If I was to a play gig somewhere this would be in heavy rotation, but ya always gotta have back guitar. So two guitars are always gonna be in rotation. Great guitar though.

Have yet to deal with them, but I have heard mixed bag of good and bad with them. Hopefully I'll never have to find out.

This guitar's look will turn heads and it's tone will break necks it's so good. Great guitar. For the money you are getting a HIGH Quality guitar.