ESP EX-250

I think it was made in like 2000? exlporer shape body. it's got great action. the pick ups are duncans. mine has a green sparkle lookin finish i herd some thing about a blue finish but im content with the green one. i'd perfer emgs but i got the guitar and it put me flat broke.

sounds orgasmic for a metal guitar. good for punk rock to some how. i love to play atreyu and bullet for my valentine stuff on it. its basicly noiseless when i put it thorugh my spyder 3 head.

i got the scratch and dent special at Guitar center. but it still plays new.

havn't droped it. sure as hell don't want to see how durable it is but i've never had a problem.

nerver even had to opened it up.

over all a perfect guitar for a itermediat player.

The same as everyone else has already listed. Stock pickups are not the best, but since this guitar is so cheap, investing another 100 bucks in pick ups significantly makes it a lot better.

I've been playing guitar for about 5 years now, and have had the luxury of working at guitar center and being able to test a ton of different guitar types. I got this guitar used on ebay for 180 bucks, and I invested another 80 bucks in EMG 81s for the bridge. What a difference that made. With EMG 81s, this guitar screams. It sounds and plays better than some Jackson or Ibanez guitars that are listed in the 600-800 dollar range.

The action on this guitar is set very low. The playability is amazing on this guitar, and I can easy tremblo, sweep, and alternative pick on this guitar easily. I have a feeling that other users on this website that trashed this aspect are not seasoned guitar players, and have no idea what good action and playability are on a guitar. However, I must digress by saying that this aspect is one of the best traits on this instrument.

I have had this guitar for awhile, and it has always held up well. No complaints in this area.

I can honestly say that I have never had to deal with customer support with this guitar.

For its price, this guitar is just absolutely amazing. Buy it used so that you can save about 100 bucks, and invest that in EMG 81s, and you will have essentially an 800 dollar guitar for around 300 bucks. From my Guitar Center experience, ESP always makes the best quality guitars behind Gibson and Fender, respectively. Plus, I believe that unless your a professional guitarist, which most of us are not, that there is no need to spend thousands of dollars on products. They might sound slightly nicer, but is that slightly nicer sound worth the extra thousand dollars you have to spend? In my opinion, no! So just go buy this guitar and enjoy yourself like I have playing this guitar.

Made in Korea, Mahogany Body, Rosewood fingerboard, 2x Seymour Duncan Designed Humbuckers, 22 Extra Jumbo Frets, Tune-O-Matic Bridge, Bolt On Maple Neck (with a cool ESP plate at the back)

Very cool looking guitar... but....

it sounds heavy, the pick ups are pretty good,

but its doesnt stand out from all the other "metal" guitars you see in the shops.

Ill admit that i bought this guitar because i loved the look, and hadnt actually played one before hand (which i recommend you do not do as its the stupidest thing to do!)

I had faith in this guitar because i enjoy the other guitars ESP puts out, however this guitar, even though it was ok and does the job, just didnt scream "play me".

I give it a 6 because because its nothing special compared to what you can get with the money

neck was warped when i got it.

top heavy.... so uncomfortable that after one gig i never wanted to play it in public again.

excuse me for not knowing the terminology, but about a week after getting this guitar, the plastic brackets around the pick-ups cracked... and it continued to crack with time.

the bridge was great, and so where the tuning machines.

apart from the plastic brackets surrounding the the humbuckers (what are those things called?!), this guitar is solid!
i feel like a bomb wont dent it,

and it stayed in tune (which i think is a requirement for all guitars)

tried to get some question answered via phone, and it was a bit of a headache, but who cares... all call centres are like that.

Dissapointed with it.

take your money to another model, i recommend ESP's Eclipse series.

Made in Korea in 2000. 22-Frets. Solid-body. 2 duncan designed humbucking pickups(passive), 3-way selector switch, 1-tone knob 1-volume knob. It's an explorer style guitar with the curves reversed (the back curves in instead of out and the top curves up instead of being flat) this gives it dangerously sharp edges (nice touch). The body is Mahogany. The bolt-on neck is Mahogany also with a rosewood fingerboard. The finish is glossy black (you can see your reflection in it). It's got a tune-o-matic bridge. The tuners are LTD deluxe (non locking). It's got extra-jumbo frets.
The features it comes with are ok (great for the price) but I replaced the pickups with 2 EMG-81s and I'm considering a new neck or a fret job and also moving the strap knob on the tail end up about 2 inches (this axe is completely unbalanced, it takes nosedives and the neck seems to weigh a ton) but I think moving that piece up 2 or 3 inches (to where it is on, say, a jackson kelly) would fix that problem.

The axe looks and plays the part for my style (that being thrash metal) It's got a dark and dangerous look, and a sound that matches that look. Before I bought the guitar I had already planned on replacing the pickups with EMG-81s. The fact that the bridge pickup died on me within a week of purchasing the guitar helped speed that along. If I hadn't planned on replacing the pickups in the first place, I would have returned the axe, but I was actually glad, b/c I was going to replace them anyway and I now had a real reason for doing so (aside from the sound). The stock pickups are noisey anyway, but with the 81s, this baby screams like a deamon and growls like a wolf, it's sound is so perfect that I can't bring myself to get rid of it (even tho it's way off balance and quite a trick to play)

the guitar came setup pretty well. The action was to low, causing major fret buzz, but I quickly fixed that. The stock pickups, despite their aforementioned inadequacies, were well adjusted. The guitar came in very good condition. The p/u selector switch died a quick death, but that was completely my fault, I hit it way too hard.

This axe will definately withstand live playing. I know for a fact. I play live. The hardware (including the parts I added, the original electronics would not hold up) holds up very well. This axe has taken quite a beating and lived without even going out of tune. The strap buttons are solid (too solid, it was a pain to take off the one that I'm moving). I know I can depend on it (although, that is with my modifications, I wouldn't trust it that far in stock configuration).
I use it on gigs without a backup, mainly b/c the only other guitar I have is a cheap squier strat, which I'd be embarassed to use in public.

I dealt with the company when the pickups died. They told me they'd replace them for free. I declined b/c I was putting my own in anyway, I just wanted to know what they would do for me, so I called. It's got a lifetime warranty.

I've been playing with this axe since I got it in december of 2000. I've been playin guitar for about 3 years. If this guitar were stolen or lost I'd track down the theif and beat him to death with it...ain't nobody gonna steal my axe and live. But I can't say I'd buy it again, I'd probably get a similar axe, but it would be an ESP custom shop job. I love the look, I'd kill for this sound, I hate the balance (it's annoying as hell to have an axe that takes nose-dives). My favorite feature is the fact that I can change every part of this axe at will. I compared this axe to a gibson gothic explorer, an Ibanez destroyer, and a Jackson kelly (KE2). I chose this one over the gibson b/c I hate gibson and the GE is way overpriced, over the destroyer b/c it was similar but not as sturdy nor as good looking, and over the jackson b/c I didn't want a trem, and this one was much more affordable. I was looking for an axe that I could modify to my hearts content and not worry about screwin up cause I didn't pay too much for it. This seems to have turned out perfectly

This axe definityly fits my music style. If you like metallica and love heavy metal it will fit you too. I use a marshall head with an ampeg cab, with a boss equalizer pedal. The sound is all its own. Very original sound nothing is better then this. You can do anything you want with this. I like everything about it.

It was set up beautifully. The tuners are awsome. The guitar never goes out of tune. Even with the most brutal palm muting. The pickups were put in great. It looks exactly like the magizines if not better. NO FLAWS at all.

This guitar can withstand even the most brutal playing. This guitar will last forever. I can depend 100% on this beast and I would tour all around the world and only bring this guitar.

I got it at sam ash

read other reviews for features

It kicks alot of ass. It fits my aggressive style and you can definitly jump off of furniture with this axe. I use a kick ass marshall. This guitar has its own personality and can do anything. It has a beautiful sound, a sound that just can't be described. I absolutly would'nt give this guitar up for any other one. It's the best guitar i've ever played. The only weird thing is it's a tiny bit front heavy. but you will get used to it fast. I'd recommend this guitar to anyone who loves heavy metal and play RHYTHM GUITAR !!!!

It feels awsome and if the esp label was covered i'd think i'm playing a gibson. Only because of the neck. It feels really good. The pickups are duncan design and there pretty decent but for a better sound I'd get one semore duncan. The finish was great no flaws there. Another great thing is this guitar never goes out of tune.

This guitar can withstand any amount of abuse you can dish out for it. I think the hardware will last forever if you take care of it. The finish is really awsome. It looks just like the picture. A tip to keeping it chip free is to watch the body. Remember it's an explorer and if you've been playing on a regular strat body then the is something you need to get used to. It's easy to bang into things. So be carefull. This guitar is as reliable as it gets. I would'nt think twice on bringing it gigin without a backup guitar.

I never talk to anyone at the esp company.

I've been playing for almost two years. I use a marshall vavstate vs-100 amp, with a boss equalizer pedal. If it were stolen or lost i'd go out buy it all over again. With a smile. The only thing I hate is there is nothing I can complain about. I compared it to many guitars including ibanez, washburn, and many others and nothing came close except the rg 320. I wish it came with emg's. If you play rhythm guitar, heavy metal, and if you like good guitars then this is the guitar to buy. If you don't believe me go to you closest esp dealer and play one for yourself!!!!

Made in Korea, 2000. 22 frets. Knobs: 1 tone, 1 volume. Passive electronics. 3-way switch. 2 Duncan Designed humbuckers. Deluxe Gotoh tuners. Mahogany Body with maple bolt-on neck with rosewood fingerboard. Gloss black finish. Tune-o-matic bridge makes for easy tuning and string changes. Body style is somewhat akward; pointy explorer style. A bit heavy to one side...or light to the other I should say, 'cuz it's a light guitar. Tends to pull down on neck side. Case not included and needs to either be custom built for the shape or bought from ESP. I got the case from ESP, pretty darn nice. I'm basing my ratings in the review with regard to the low $400 price, which is a great deal for this guitar.

Sounds GREAT!!! I play mostly Metallica and some Pearl Jam. Other rock thrown in too. I just have a Marshall MGRCD15 amp for now, gettin' the 50 watt AVT later this summer though. Only effects used are Boss MT-2 pedal (great pedal) for distortion and overdrive. Sound is very thick and heavy. Clean is just barely clean, play too hard and it distorts when using the bridge pickup. I'd like to play it on a better amp, I think it would be very impressive.

I'm pretty new to all this so this is hard for me to judge. Being my first guitar, I just got used to the way it was set up by ESP. Upon getting more comfortable with my ability, I started playing harder and discovered like most other people that there is fret buzz and I need to adjust the bridge. Everything else seems good though.

I dropped this about 2 months ago from standing position when the strap slipped off and she crashed hard. It received several holes in the finish and a fairly decent sized gouge in the body. I needed to adjust the truss rod, which was amazingly easy to do. Easier than it should have been, from what people tell me about their experiences, so I'd say she's pretty tough. Sounds good now still. The strap screws loosened over time but were easy enough to tighten and haven't loosened again. I would always take a backup with me when I play a gig, but that's just me. Seems very durable.

Warranty...um...there was one but I forgot to fill out the card, so I dunno what it's good for. ESP seems fairly reasonable to deal with though. A little holed up maybe and shy, but not too bad

Been playin' about 9 months now...self taught, so I'm not too good yet. But this guitar is just great, especially for the price, which wasn't too high. Everyone that's seen my guitar has complimented it over and over and over, so I guess it really is pretty good. I'd rather it had the old explorer style body, but this one is pretty slick in it's own right. Overally, highly recommended.

made in korea 2000 22 frets 1 volume 1 tone 2 duncan designed passive humbuckers maple/rosewood neck, mahogany body

good sound for playing metal

too light, top heavy, hard to play standing up, fret buzz from factory

if it was stolen or lost, i'd get the set neck 351

Made in 2000, Korea. The "new" model Explorer from ESP after gibo sued ESp for having the similar design explorer as them, so the new exploere is pointier and has a new headstock, nothing major. The original Exp was more of a rythem guitar, the new EX is more of a lead/rythem. 1 tone, 1 volume, but i modified mine so its 2volume, 1 tone. It came with Duncan Design P/Us(passive), Mine were changed to the imfamous EMG 60 / EMG 81 (ala James Hetfield) which were active. The body is a light solid mahogany, the bolt on neck is maple and the 22 fret fret board is rosewood. The neck finish which was painted was a dissappointment to me, because it was considerable slower than satin or oiled necks, but i fixed that with sand paper. The black glossy finish on the body was flawless and beautiful. Tun-O-Matic bridge, stays in tune better than a Floyd Rose bridge and the strings are incredibly easy to load. Deluxe gotoh tuners, nothing out of the ordinary, doesn't lock, but does the job well. The neck is fast and somewhat thin compared to a LP neck, but is strong enough to suffice my playing style (fast, aggresive,etc) scale i belive is 25 1/2. i ordered it through americanmusical.com for 520 with a case,but im sure the price is much lower now.

It suits my style just fine. (metallica, slayer, maiden) My amps are a Marshall MG30CD, (soon) Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier with a Mesa 4x12 cab. Effects are not much use to me, but when i play through my 30 watt marshall, a marshall jackhammer gives me a better crunch. i also have a mister crybaby (the one that is a wah and a volume pedal) The tone control can be adjusted to your specific tase, thin and clear or fat and dark. dont turn the volume of the bridge p/u past 3/4 of the way when using a crunch amp (especially a Mesa) or else feedback may occur. on clean, the volume can be up to 1/2 if using a the neck p/u (i recommend the neck p/u for that warm sound) or else a low power/ low headroom amp's clean may get dirty. this guitar and any electric guitar can be used to play any style of music, doesnt depend on the guitar. it depends on the p/u and the amps/ effects.

The factory action was a bit too high for my taste, so i fixed it in a minute ( no biggie). the pick ups were ok, needed to be raised a bit for a good chunky palm muted sound. everything else was more or less perfect.

This guitar is very durable and will withstand live shows. the hard ware is just fune, some mundane details may need to be tweaked (pickup rings, covers, knobs, etc). the only problem is this: the guitar is very pointy and some of the corners' finish may be bumped off and chances are it will get dents at the corner, i use nail polish to cover most of that up. this is a heavy guitar compared to the stratocrappers that most people start off playing. if you have a shitty strap, it will take a nosedive and headstock is dent... or worse. so i recomment a leather strap and strap locks. I will depend on it and will probably play without a backup (dependin on how long my setlist is).

I havent really dealt with them ,but they have pretty slow response time product wise. i ordered a gig bag in sept and its has yet to be here. i didnt really get a repair, just a modfication and a setup. the warrent i think is 1 year.

I ve played 4 years, own a grassroots version of the KH2, EX250, Ibanez acoustic, Marshal MGR30CD , soon a Mesa Dual Rectifer, Marshal Jackhammer, Dunlop mister crybaby wah, and Dunlop .88mm tortex green picks. I use Ernie Ball Steel Slinkys 10-46. oh, and great guitar.

Brutal looking guitar made in Korea in 2000. 22 extra-jumbo frets, 3-way toggle switch, 2 knobs - 1 for volume, 1 tone. Comes stock with 2 Duncan Designed humbuckers(Generic Seymour Duncan's). Mahogany Body with maple bolt-on neck with rosewood fingerboard. Glossy gunmetal blue finish, New Explorer body (basically an Explorer with pointer corners), Tune-O-Matic Bridge, Black hardware.

From reading this is doesn't seem like a great configuration, but it's still quite a nice package. You have to see it in person and play it to appreciate what it has to offer.

This guitar suits my playing style perfectly. I play mostly metal and some blues, and this sucker cranks out distortion very effectly and has an ok clean sound. Good variety of sounds, but it definatley sounds best with lots of distortion and/or a nice chorus pedal. The clean sound isn't really clean without some sort of pedal, as the pick-ups really WANT to distort. The Duncan Designed stock pick-ups aren't the best, as they don'y push nearly enough volume, but they can easily be replaced by some EMG's. However, they do the job well if you can't afford more expensive pickups.

The over-all sound is great for crunchy metal and rock stuff, but I wouldn't use it for much else. You can get a lot of sounds out of it, but this thing is made for metal. For me, it's perfect.

The factory set action was not as good as I expected. I had to adjust the tune-o-matic bridge to get rid of the fret buzz and lower the action. After that the action was fast and nice. Pickups were fine, everything else was great. The only complaint I have here is that the paint job is pretty shoddy. I've only had it a month and it's already starting to chip (and I keep it a hardshell case when it's not used).

Everything seems solid and dependable except for the finsish (read above).

I have it under warranty for life and have set-ups for life at Sam Ash. I deal with them, not ESP.

For my needs, this guitar is incredible. Great for metal, and the best built guitar in its price range - nice and solid. Love the tune-o-matic bridge, the action, the overall sound and the looks. I hate the paint job and the stock pick-ups. If it were stolen, I'd save up for a standard series EX with a better paint job and EMG 81's.

LTD's are much better than other guitars in the $500-$800 price range. I'm surprised at how great the EX-250 was, it was definatley worth the price.

2000 Korean Explorer-style with pointy headstock. 22 fret solidbody with 1 master volume and 1 master tone control. Two Duncan-designed, exposed-coil humbuckers, passive electronics with 3-way toggle switch. Lightweight mahogany(?) body with bolt-on neck of undetermined wood, smooth gloss-black finish, and black chrome hardware. Tune-O-matic style hardtail bridge, with non-locking gotoh style tuners. Rosewood neck with pearl dot inlays and a beautiful 12th fret inlay bearing the model number. Nothing else included; needs a specially made case to accomodate the sharkfin-style design, but does not come with the guitar.

Distinct flavors of dark. The bridge pickup is dark and clear. The neck pickup is darker and round. When both pickups are combined, the guitar is beautifully dark. I run this through the COSM effects of a Roland VS-840EX, or play it through a Peavey 250 watt tube head and Marshall cabinet. Noiseless pickups, very suited to heavy metal/hard rock. Clean sound is relatively bland; playing clean yields good balance but not much excitement. When overdriven the guitar is meaty and powerful, like an SG but darker. It has more punch than a Les Paul, but is slightly less sweet. Because this is what the guitar is meant for, I have no qualms about giving it a 9. Just don't expect to sound like Larry Carlton or Barney Kessel. If you like Kirk Hammett though, you will be VERY pleased.

Factory action was on the low side, but easily corrected. A minor adjustment eliminated fret buzz. The intonation was close, but naturally needed to be adjusted since I changed the strings to .010s and tuned the guitar down a whole step to D-G-C-F-A-D tuning. In order to get the intonation right, I had to reverse the orientation of the saddle of one string so that it would extend to its fullest length. This was easily accomplished and the guitar now plays smoothly in tune. Good quality finish, hardware, frets, controls, and tuners make this feel solid to play. Its not a PRS, but it is close enough for a guitar that cost under $500.

Solid enough to withstand live playing. Should last. The strap buttons are huge and easily hold the guitar in place. Contrary to what someone else wrote, this guitar is extremely well-balanced. You can take both hands off it and it will stay perfectly in position. It is more comfortable to play standing up with a strap than it is to perch on your knee while sitting, but it plays comfortably either way. The light weight is a plus, and the access to the upper frets is the best I've ever played.

N/a. Don't know about the warranty, check the ESP web site first.

I've been playing 20+ years. I also own five Strats, one Les Paul, an SG, and an Ovation acoustic/electric. For amps, I have a Peavy MX Flite case 250 watt tube head with Marshall cabinet, a Sunn Alpha 112, and a Peavey Blazer. I record direct to hard drive through a Roland VS840EX into an HP computer. I wish I had asked if the ESP fits a standard guitar case, and if the volume control could be set to 0 for one pickup at a time. If it were stolen I'd buy it again. I love the upper access and the beautiful looks combined with the meaty power. I hate the fact that I need a custom-order case. Compared it to Jackson, BC Rich, Schecter, Gibson, and other humbucker-equipped models. Chose this one for price/quality and the excitement factor of the looks. It draws stares, even when its not plugged in. Its a striking guitar. I wish it had a vibrato arm, but the hardtail is functional and effective. This is a good guitar that gets the job done if you want to rock hard.

itsa a 2000 EXplorer 250...Shit! i didnt buy it yet but i tested this bad ass out and she screamZ!!!!! its got Seymour duncan humbuckers which sound pretty sweet...But uhh.,well ima die hard MetallicA fan and im gona throw in EMG 60 at da neck and 81 at the bridge. Jhetfield style...Also im gona replace the strings wit biger strings, maybe Ernie ball customs are Dean Markley BLue steel...i played it today and the look!!!!! dAMMMMMMM!!!!! if this axe wasa chick shed be Pamela Anderson...It was fukin hot! No tremlo cos it aint no Fender shit where its all soloing n crap

WOW!!!!! even tho the seymours are coming out, this thing is awesome!!!!!! Its gota killa sound for heavy metal....I play bout 40 sumtin songs from MetallicA anda other shit load from offspring creed and godsmack.......u guys gota test this out.....i use a Line6 flex and throw it on Modern High Gain or REctified and dam!!!!! she blasts, im usin an Ibanez GSA with my Lin6 and it sounds pretty cool but nutin compared to this thing....

When i tested it, it was Mint!! Not much to say bout it really, pickups were covered in plastic and the knobs had strophone on it.

If James Hetfield uses it live, why the fuck cant i?? Strap buttons....?? hmm i didnt check tho out......i dont need a backup wit this....Ive played
1) 1965 Ibanez SG *mine, past down*]
2) 2000 Ibanez GSA*also mine =)*
3) 1995 American Showster S/S Metal Load * was mine *
4) 1999 Fernandes Retrorocket ELite *strat*
5) 2000 ibanez RG170
6) 200 Ibanez RG 470
7) 2000 Ibanez GRX20 *was mine, but i sold cos its shit*
8) 1998 Epiphone Les Paul
9) 2000 ESP LTD M250
10)2000 ESP LTD EX-250 * shes mine as of December *

NA

This thing is real awesomE!!!!!! Its $450 from sam ash and iiittt issssssss unfuckinbelivable......I cant wait 2 bring it home and jus plug it into my boss then in my Line6 and crank up the vol...DAm its gona be phat......Im 15 and played for bout 2 years.....Yea i consider myself a very good judge for guitars cos its pretty much all i do....If ura tallica fan and play guitar and ur lookin for a guitar......WELLL....stop lookin and start testin this shit out.....The look man!!!!!! the god dam look!!!!! Its nuttin compared to the old ESP EXP.....ESP did a good ass job re-designing this axe.....Awesome finish too

y2k explorer made in korea. although the body is mahogany, it is surprisingly light. the painted neck is perfect and fast, with amazing sustain. the gunmetal blue was a disapointment to the black before seeing it, but love instantly ensued one viewed. the duncan hums went out the window and emg 81s went in with much improvement. plays like a dream, but is really unbalanced and tends to take a nose dive. can be corrected with a good strap. tuneo matic bridge stays in tune forever. didnt get a case, but will order one.