ESP LTD EC-1000

I dont want to spend time on writing a bunch of specifications. All information can be found on ESP's homepage. But just to mention some, as theres some specifications to choose from. Mine have:

2 Humbuckers; EMG 81/60.
Vintage black finish.

Its hard to rate a guitar based on its features - When you buy a guitar you know what features you want. I am pretty much an "Ibanez-person" in general, and I am very much into their prestige models with tremolo bridges. So thats probably something that I might miss, but of course I knew that when buying this guitar.

I have always been somewhat "anti" EMG's active pickups. They sound good and give a hell of a "brutal" sound. They also work for cleaner sounds, but the variety and the "wideness" in these pickups (compared to others) are quite bad, I think. It does not sound crap, but I definitely get the feeling of that this is a guitar to use for "rough" and "dirty" music rather than the extremely clean.

Another quite annoying thing is that the pickups use a 9V battery... of course... thats the whole thing with active pickups, but anyway; Its another thing to have control of. The first thing that I had to do was to change the battery to get a better signal. And I would feel anxious about using this instrument live without changing to a new battery.

Everything was well adjusted from start. The guitar was used when I bought it though. So there where a couple of smal flaws. But this vintage black finish, as it is dull, seems to stand flaws much better than many of the clear finishes.

This guitar seems to work for a long time. The only bad things are the battery as well as it doesnt seem to hold the tuning as well as many other guitars, even though that it have lockable tuners.

A really good guitar. Its quite expensive when bought as new, but its definitely worth spending these ammounts of money instead of buying a "real" ESP, that costs a lot more but works exactly the same (according to my thoughts).

If you???re reading these reviews you should know what this guitar features. No need for me to tell you again. I went for the Vintage Black with EMGs 81/60. Has everything you need.

I got this guitar because I have an Ibanez with a floyd, so I wanted something I could tune down to Eb. For Guns n Roses and for all those songs tuned down that I couldn???t play. Mostly playing along to live songs when bands tune down. I have it set up with 10???s and the action low.

I???m using it with an ENGL Fireball, clean boosted with a TS9. Sounds amazing when using the clean channel with some chorus and reverb ??? very Metallica like.

It???s noiseless ??? the only noise I get is from the amp, which buzzes anyway.

This is my only reservation about this guitar ??? the sound. I love the rhythm sound, it???s great. Chunky and thick. As I said, cleans are really good. They???re obviously not Fender cleans, but they???re crystal clear and I like them. The only disappointment is when playing lead. It doesn???t scream as much as I had thought it would. I was thinking Zakk Wylde type leads but it can sound a bit weak. Not sure what this is down to???

This is where the guitar really shines. The playability. I was lucky that the guys at the shop set this guitar up really good. It plays like a dream. As I said, the action is a little lower than I???m used to, but this allows it to be played even faster.

The neck is a lot thinner than most Les Paul shaped guitars. Another great point is the weight. It is SO light. You can hardly tell you have it on when standing up.

It really is a beautiful guitar. The only problem I have is that the tuning can sometimes go out a bit, but for now I???m putting that down to new strings.

I don???t play live, but I???m sure it will withstand live playing. As I said, if the tuning problem persists then this could of course affect live performace.

The finish is great, but I have been told that eventually the Vintage Black will start to fade, where the picking arm rests on the guitar. I can deal with that. Not sure reselling it will be easy though.

N/A

I???ve been playing for 6 years now. This is the 4th guitar I???ve owned. I had an Epiphone Les Paul, sold that and this is now its replacement. Being left handed also limits what is on offer to me.

If it was stolen or lost, I???d definitely buy it again.
My favourite thing about this guitar is the playability and how light it is.

I didn???t directly compare this to other guitars. I wanted a Les Paul shaped guitar, but with a thinner neck and lighter body. I got what I wanted.

Overall I am happy with my purchase. It has the weight of a Fender, the playability of an Ibanez and the looks of a Gibson Les Paul. The perfect package.

This guitar is amazing. Active EMG PICKUPS sound amazing. with locking tuners and a tune o matic bridge with stop tailpiece....i think this was made in 2007 but dont quote me on this.The design is similar to a les paul, but thinner and much lighter. Although it is still not a very light guitar. made very well, fast neck feels very smooth and comfortable. The inlays look amazing, sometimes they distract me while playing because i just love looking at them.

This thing is a beast. If you play a lot of clean stuff this is not your animal. I know this will sound odd but, i play it through a fender deluxe tube amp with a digitech death metal pedal and a boss rc-10. this amp is obviously not made for metal but it still shreds like crazy. with the active pickups in this baby it really screams i dont think it would matter what kind of amp was being used.

The action is very low, intonation is perfect. I bought it from a store online however i think they set it up very poorly. but thats the stores fault not esp. i had to adjust a few things when i got it but it is amazing. Nothing was wrong with it electronically or cosmetically

the only regret i have is buying the glossy black. finger prints show up very well on it however that means nothing. the finish is solid and its not goin anywhere, this thing could hold its own at any venue. as far as dependability i think it would be right up there with gibson and fender.

Never dealt with company

I have had this guitar for about a month and im very happy with the purchase. i dont see myself getting rid of this anytime soon unless i decide to upgrade to the version with the floyd rose. but i dont think thats gonna happen either. GREAT BUY

Same as all the other but in see through blue finish (which looks great)
plenty of feautures good bridge set-up two strong active humbuckers, and all the tone and volume controls you could need, Maybe seperate pick-up volumes would be a good upgrade.

Really thick sound! Lots of sustain (like a cross between a PRS Custom 22 with EMG pick-ups)
On distortion -Chords come out full and full of bass with sum realy clear mid and treble cut, and single note play is really clear and full of sustain.

Clean sounds are great too, ecspecially on the neck pick-up really full and shiny

Good strong neck, Pick-ups a good hight as standard smooth rosewood fretboard.
the blue finish is great too,really nice and classy.

I've owned many many ESP LTD's and i've only ever had one that had problems but that was most likley the EMG pick ups.

N/A

A great looking guitar + great sounding- my only issue is the price point maybe should be a hundred or so cheaper then it would really be 10 out of 10.

ESP LTD EC1000 Deluxe - Gloss black with black hardware and EMG60 / 81 active pickups. Sperzel locking machineheads, earvana nut, 24 Frets, mother of pearl inlays / bindings etc. Korean made 2007.

Like a Jackson soloist is a superstrat, the ESP Eclipse / EC1000 is a superlespaul.

I bought this off eBay in February 2008 for $829 (around 420GBP). By the time shipping and customs charges were added it came to around 540GBP - the EC1000 deluxe retail in the UK for between ??699 to ??899 so this was a fantastic deal.Truly excellent - why bother with anything more expensive

It's lightweight (solid mahogany / maple), but strap it on crank up the amp, slam that powerchord and wow! - Sustain!!

This guitar kicks buttloads of thick, rich sound from ripping metal distortion to gentle clean bell like sounds. Sounds from this black beauty are amazing whatever your gig. You can play clean and do jazzy jingles etc but crank up the distortion on your amp and this becomes a metal monster. There is also no noise from the pickups so it's all good

This was set up by 'On The Fringe' music in Hopewell NY with 10-46 and it's the best set up guitar I've ever played.

Finish and everything is superb no complaints whatsoever

It's already got a couple of dings in it from me i.e. dropping it after I'd had a couple, but nothing serious. I reckon this baby will stand the test of time no problem - would gig without a back up. It's light but durable. As long as you don't use it as a cricket or baseball bat - it should last

I've been playing guitar seriously for 15 years and for the vast majority of that time (9.5 years) my squeeze has been my trusty Gibson Les Paul Classic - no other guitar that I've played has really come anywhere close to it - it's meaty and it rocks. It can however be quite heavy and even though the neck is a 60s slim taper - it's no match in term of speed for the EC1000. The neck on the ESP is just amazing and top fret access is much easier than on the Les Paul

I own the gloss black finish with hardware. it has schaller locking tuners which are awesome, quick n easy to re-string, keep guitar in tune. comes with TonePros locking bridge n tailpiece, these are excellent, they dont fall off when you take all the strings off n locks in string action settings so they never move. has the earvana compensated nut. also has the EMG 81 (bridge) and 60 (neck) active pickups, both have great tone, nice n phat sounding, perfect for heavy styles. The finish on the guitar is absolute *******, with the abalone binding and inlays, just cant get over how good it looks. the neck is nice to play, nice n fast and comfortable and the frets are great easy to play. i have to say ive improved my playing dramatically since i got this guitar.

this guitar suits perfectly what i play, i play in a band which plays heavy electo rock, i also play alot of metal in my own time as well, and the tone is just ********. i play it through a Marshall JCM 900 100w valve and run it through my boss compression sustain pedal, and its the most amazing sound, ****** ballsy phat sound, great sustain. the tone i get out of it i can match up to soilworks guitars or killswitch engage, clean and dirty channels.

no noise comes from this guitar, absolute clean, turning up the volume and down again on the guitar, perfectly clean.

when i first got the guitar the action and everything was great, brilliantly done, though they weren't to my settings, i took it to a guitar tech for an intial setup, cause i like heavy strings and a play in drop C. i use erinie ball Not Even Slinkys 56-12 i think, yeah it still plays so nice, it can handle the heavier strings. what i do recommend if u purchase the 56-12 gauge strings, purchase a 24 wound round stings extra, because the one that comes with the ernie balls is just way to thick to be a steal string n sounds like balls.

i think this guitar is entirely liable, and the way i play live is quite extreme i think it would hold out just fine. all the hardware is top quality, although it has shown some minor wearing of the black paint of the hardware, but nothing anyone would notice. other than that its built like a brick.

never called them

I bought this guitar from the states, im from Australia, bought it off ebay, for about 850USD, thats about 1000AUD, so basically got 1400 off buying it on ebay, they retail for about 2399 here is Aus. It came from the guitar store from hell, in newport. It is made in Korea, beautifully set up, arrived in factory box and everything, pulled it out looked great, played great, sounds great! i was seriously so stoked.

is were lost or stolen id probably definately by another one, if not the exact model but definetaly another ESP.

This review is of a See thru Blue 2006 model.
All the same as the others.
Bought on eBay for 511.00, in mint condition.

This guitar really shines as a lead player, for Santana tracks it works great!. I use it with a Blues Jr. and Fender Reverb and it is sweetness to my ears.

I have some buzzing on the low E string but I??m sure I can work that out easy.

Mine was not bought from the factory so the previous owner must have set it up pretty well before shipping cause it was nicely set. No adjustment done yet.

This guitar was supposedly used but the person that used it most have taken great care cause the finish is flawless and this is the kind of shinny finish that can scratch pretty easy.

Can??t say anything here cause I have??t had it for long-.

Haven??t called them-

The value you get with this guitar you won??t get on many others.

Made in Korea, set up in USA I think... Locking tuners (which are a necessity), perfect, fast neck, flawless fretwork, stunning finish (Matte Black with aged binding). Ordered through San Diego's only (I think) ESP Dealer, Guitar City. Overall was about $900 since I got a case. Order online and it would be plenty cheaper sans case and no tax, but the experience was great and WELL, WELL WELL worth it.

This is no joke, the best guitar I have ever played... I have owned two Gibson SG Standards, which until purchasing this guitar, was it for me... This, sorry to say, blows Gibson away... Blows everthing away. I still love playing Fenders for Fender Blues/Clean tones, but they're fender's and nothing can sound like a fender... But, if you're like me and prefer the Gibsonesque thickness, check out the LTD's, the 1000's, can't say much about the lower line LTD's but, I can't imagine the ESP $2000 models playing any better than these already do. I will never sell this guitar. About the pickups, never used Active before... They sound awesome (EMG 81's). What can I say, if they're good enough for Zakk Wylde and Kirk Hammett... I play with a Randall RG75 75watt combo with a single 12" celestion ($200 new on ebay) and run through a Digitech RP350 effects module ($100 Craigslist)... this guitar, through this inexpensive little rig I pieced together sounds better than most tube amps I've played through, and all for $300... I think the active pickups really make the difference when running through effects pedals... You can also get these with passive Seymore Duncan 59's which sound awesome as well if you wanna go passive.

Right out of the box, absolutely perfect. Theres a reason these aren't hanging on the walls by the hundreds at Guitar Center... they are done right. I know to each is own, but before you pick up an Ibanez or a Jackson or even a Gibson, and waste your money, try one of these out if you can, even if you take a chance on mail order, you can always send it back if you don't like it, but pretty sure you will love it.

this guitar is built like a gold plated tank, it's tough, but plays like a dream... I'm telling you, I love this guitar and will never get rid of it... If anything, I may pick up another one, passive, just to mix it up...

Supposably good, only dealt with the dealer who told me that they were easy to get a hold of... I'm sure it goes without saying that you would have better luck dealing with a company that sets their guitars up this finely as opposed to say, Jackson or Gibson.

I've been playing 10 years, if this were stolen I would cry like a *****... then I would scour Craigslist and eBay until it popped up, because whoever would steal a guitar like this would not be an artist worthy or even capable of playing such a riff-beast... I would find out who it was and go get my guitar back... and then, set their car on fire.

Gets a 10 because of the sheer quality of the hardware - the pick ups alone bought seperately would be a significant investment. Mine is the vintage honey blond model with Seymour Duncans and matt finish.

The locking tuners, lock down bridge, nut, pick ups etc etc are all the business!

I have always been a Fender guy (still am with 2 strats and 2 teles!) but wanted a Les Paul type guitar for that thicker richer sound. I guess I could have stretched to a Les Paul if I had really wanted to but for some reason I can't quite bring myself to go there - not quite sure why that is though.

In any event, this guitar does exactly what I want it to - it does "Classic Rock" in every sense. The Seymour Duncans are perfect to my ear!

I bought this guitar on a serious deal from an ebay dealer in Canada - no big deal except I live in the UK! On arrival the guitar played great out of the box although I did end up with a wiring problem (loose wire to the bridge pick up which needed re-soldering).

Not sure if it took a wack in transit or if it was a production fault.

Cosmetically the finish to the neck binding is not great in once place but that is just being picky - I am pretty happy with it over all.

I have gigged with this a few times now - still trying to work out the best way to blend the sounds with my Fenders (and the other guitar player in my band who always plays Gibson!)

No that the wiring problem is fixed I can't see anything else packing up - this is a quality guitar and I have no worries about using it live at all!

No contact so far so can't judge.

I have a slight problem here! These guitars sell for almost ??700 in the UK (that's $1350 at today's rate of currency exchange!) That is a high price for this guitar. However, I paid around ??425 ($800) including shipping to the UK and for that I got a great guitar for the money.

My rating is based against the price I paid!

I just picked up the ec-1000 with a shiney black finish, with a bunch of mother of pearl. It was a toss up between the vintage black and this one, but the more I look at it, the more I dig it. Of course it has all the goodies, the sperzels, emgs, tone pros bridge, and that compensation nut.

I play progressive rock type stuff, and this fits that style pretty well. I play out of a dual recto, and sometimes I gotta deal with some feed back. It's an easy fix though, just turn to volume down a bit. But with those emg's, it sounds pretty mean. I'm a big fan of semour duncan, but these sound good. Good artifical harmonics.

As far as set up from the factory, well, I play a half step down, so it obviously need adjusted. I think for those who play in the standard tuning, it should be set up well. ( I could always go for a lower action, that's kind of a personal preference thing. ) All and all fit and finish seem quite good.

All seems well except for that compensation nut. I've only had it for about 4 months at most, and I'm already experiencing the high E, B, and G buzzing, if ever so slightly. ( and it's coming from up at the nut. ) So, I'm gonna have that changed, and I'm sure all will be well.

I dig it. It looks good, plays good, it's light but yet has a big sound. Don't like having to replace the nut already but, whatcha gonna do? I also have a Ibanez SZ520, and a Jackson Performer, this guitar is a nice addition. Although, I do like the bridge in the Ibanez more. It is so nice for palm muting, it's perfectly smooth. One of the best that I've experienced. Once again though, I'm a big fan of this guitar, and I'd probably pick up another if need be.