ESP LTD EC-1000

This is an updated review from the one I posted several months ago. The features can clearly be seen all over this page. I have th black LTD EC-1000. Made in Korea, 24 frets, EMG 81's, TonePros bridge, Sperzel tuners, abalone inlays, 3 way toggle switch with 2 independant volumes, but only one tone knob. This was my only grievance with it's features when I first received it. It'd be nice to have two tone knobs, but oh well no big.

Well this guitars sound kills. Active pickups, what more can you say? I am using this along with my Gibson Les Paul Studio and I am playing through a Mesa Boogie Triple Rectifier amp through a Mesa Boogie slanted 4x12 cab and I am also playing it through a Line 6 Flextone III amp. As you can expect I play harder stuff, and I must admit this guitar suits my style great. I did replace the neck pick up with an EMG 85 though, because the neck EMG 81 just wasn't doing it for me as far as cleans go and I wasn't into the sound coming from the neck pick up in general. I would highly suggest throwing an EMG 85 in the neck. This guitar is out to do some damage with an EMG 85 in neck.

The action was set pretty nice and low when I got it, but after a oouple days I noticed some buzzing coming from the G string so I raised the action a bit and haven't had any problems since as far as action goes. The finish was beautiful to this day I love the glossy black finish of this guitar. I haven't had any intonation problems so that is holding up pretty well. I did come across another problem about a month after I received this guitar. When I plugged it in, if I moved just a little bit it would cut out and do those annoying pops through my cab. If I stood still no problems, but moving was a problem. I sent it to a local repair shop and was told that when I was plugging into the guitar jack the plug wasn't completely receiving the active pickup signal because one of the parts wasn't tight enough(I forgot all the jargon exactly but this a summary of sorts of what he told me). So he tightened it and all was good. This guitar is pretty well built but as you can see above did not come flawless.

This guitar seems pretty solid now that I have had some work done on it, but in general it is a very dependable guitar. Most guitars come across some problems, but I don't anticipate worrying anytime about this guitar. I did put a Dimarzio screw-in strap system just to play it safe and because they are rock solid.

I haven't dealt with them, but I have heard a mixed bag of good and bad. I hope it never comes to me finding out.

I have been playing guitar for 4 and a 1/2 years now and the guitar gear I own is a Yamaha acoustic, a Gibson Les Paul studio, the LTD EC-1000, a Line 6 Flextone III amplifier, and a Mesa Boogie Triple Rectifier. If this guitar were lost or stolen I would definitely buy another one. I think this guitar is great for the price and ya gotta love the inclusion of active pick ups. Like I said the only features I wish it had was another tone knob and how about throwing an EMG 85 in the neck during production so we don't have to spend extra money. This guitar is great nonetheless.

a 24 fret quilt top cherry model... all the rest of the features are listed in other reviews...

this guitar rocks.... I play through a johnson millenium 150 with a cry baby wah.... thats it... I hear this guitar is built mainly for metal, but I have found that to be not true... this guitar can play ANYTHING and do it well... from creamy warm tones to kick you teeth in chops, it does it all... The emg 81 pickups are a little hot, so if your a sloppy player you will have to learn to clean up your riffs....I have played just about every guitar out there, and nothing comes close to this guitar for the price...

UNREAL....gorgous in every respect... the kind of craftsmanship on this guitar would cost you a couple grand on a gibson... all I can say is go check one out for yourself and you will fall in love....

this thing is built like a tank but definentally not as heavy as one... it can withstand just about anything you can throw at it...

never had to deal with them

I personally would take this guitar over a les paul anyday.... same craftmanship but at a price a normal person can afford....

Read below for the specifics. Mine's See-through-Cherry, and the quilt top is not bad. I've seen one's that are REALLY dark, but mine's a little brighter than what ESP shows on their website. As far as Les Paul knockoff's go, this has a lot of features you wouldn't find on a Paul, so I'm going high with my score on this.

I used to have EMG's in all my guitars back in the 80's, but I've gotten away from them for a while. It was refreshing hearing them again. I play mainly hard rock, and this works well in that regard. I was even suprised that it sounds very good clean too. The pickups are very sensitive, and tends to magnify hiss on high gain patches. I'm running mine through a Peavey Triple XXX half stack, and also through a Vamp Pro into my DAW for recording, and this guitar sounds rich, chunky, and pissed through both. I've owned Jacksons, Ibanez, and Les Pauls, and I must say that I'm more pleased with the sound of this guitar to all I've had before.

The action on this guitar is what sold me. When I had first seen this guitar I thought "oh great, just what the world needs, ANOTHER Les Paul copy", but when I picked it up, I noticed a few things. It's neck is longer and thinner than a Les Paul. I hate finished necks, but the more I played it, I really fell in love with the feel and playability of the neck! Strings felt looser and easy to bend. As far as finish, I'm relatively neutral. You should also know that I am EXTREMELY picky about workmanship, so take my opinion as you will. The binding is less than perfect, and in some areas it's easy to see where the stain was sprayed over it. The paint seems durable, but there are a few areas where dust is trapped in the paint. I'm not really crazy about the Abalone all over the guitar,(Although it's starting to grow on me) but it was applied well. Since it's a transparent color, I can see that the Mahogany isn't the highest grade, as you can see nicks and grain flaws that were cleared over. Either the truss cover was cut too long, or the screw hole was drilled a little off, since the cover is not flush with the neck, and is a little wedged against the nut, which leaves a gap. The hardware is top notch and seems very trustworthy. I really like the Shaller locking nuts. The nut was cut okay, but I'm going to need to cut the high E and B to make me a little happier. For the price, I can live with these little "character features".

I've always leaned towards Floyd Rose equipped guitars, so having a fixed bridge gives me a lot more confidence in it for live use. As stated above, ESP didn't skimp in the hardware department, so I think it should last a pretty fair amount of time. I haven't had a chance to run it through it's paces yet, but it seems like it's pretty trustworthy so far. My only beef, is that the battery compartment for the pickups is merely a small plate and 2 screws. It would have been nice for a drop-out battery box, but for the price I can live with it.

Wouln't know about their support. My dealer had no paperwork to give me for the guitar, as they take all new guitars out of the box and throw them up on the wall for display. Their site is a little vague about warranty info, but they do state "The ESP Limited Lifetime Warranty will cover defective parts ONLY within the first year from purchase date. Guitar must be purchased as NEW from an Authorized ESP Dealer and Warranty only applies to Original Owner. To receive Warranty Replacement parts, you must submit Proof of Purchase AND return your completed warranty card to ESP"

Hmmmm...How can you have a limited lifetime warranty that only lasts a year?

I really didn't want this guitar. I went to my local dealer to buy some recording stuff, and I picked the guitar up to mess around with until my salesman was done with his customer. After a few minutes with it I was having bad thoughts of walking out of the store with in fact, I DID leave the store without it, but I drove around the block and went back for it 5 minutes later! I've been playing for about 18 years now, and I have owned just about everything ever made. I've been on the "Ultimate axe" quest for the last 5 years, but I've been dissapointed with what's available. I should also mention that I've never been a big fan of the LTD line. Their stuff always seemed...cheap...somehow. I guess since I knew it was ESP's Korean line, I never gave them a chance. For the money, I feel relatively pleased with this guitar. Great hardware, good pickups, and an awesome neck. It's nice to see manufacturers throwing quality hardware on their guitars at a decent price point. If I had spent over $1500 on this guitar, I would have issues. The fact is, I paid half of that, and got something leauges better than the $2500 priced Gibsons that share similar flaws in quality. For rock, metal or jazz, this gets the job done well.

Read below for the specifics. Mine's See-through-Cherry, and the quilt top is not bad. I've seen one's that are REALLY dark, but mine's a little brighter than what ESP shows on their website. As far as Les Paul knockoff's go, this has a lot of features you wouldn't find on a Paul, so I'm going high with my score on this.

I used to have EMG's in all my guitars back in the 80's, but I've gotten away from them for a while. It was refreshing hearing them again. I play mainly hard rock, and this works well in that regard. I was even suprised that it sounds very good clean too. The pickups are very sensitive, and tends to magnify hiss on high gain patches. I'm running mine through a Peavey Triple XXX half stack, and also through a Vamp Pro into my DAW for recording, and this guitar sounds rich, chunky, and pissed through both. I've owned Jacksons, Ibanez, and Les Pauls, and I must say that I'm more pleased with the sound of this guitar to all I've had before.

The action on this guitar is what sold me. When I had first seen this guitar I thought "oh great, just what the world needs, ANOTHER Les Paul copy", but when I picked it up, I noticed a few things. It's neck is longer and thinner than a Les Paul. I hate finished necks, but the more I played it, I really fell in love with the feel and playability of the neck! Strings felt looser and easy to bend. As far as finish, I'm relatively neutral. You should also know that I am EXTREMELY picky about workmanship, so take my opinion as you will. The binding is less than perfect, and in some areas it's easy to see where the stain was sprayed over it. The paint seems durable, but there are a few areas where dust is trapped in the paint. I'm not really crazy about the Abalone all over the guitar,(Although it's starting to grow on me) but it was applied well. Since it's a transparent color, I can see that the Mahogany isn't the highest grade, as you can see nicks and grain flaws that were cleared over. Either the truss cover was cut too long, or the screw hole was drilled a little off, since the cover is not flush with the neck, and is a little wedged against the nut, which leaves a gap. The hardware is top notch and seems very trustworthy. I really like the Shaller locking nuts. The nut was cut okay, but I'm going to need to cut the high E and B to make me a little happier. For the price, I can live with these little "character features".

I've always leaned towards Floyd Rose equipped guitars, so having a fixed bridge gives me a lot more confidence in it for live use. As stated above, ESP didn't skimp in the hardware department, so I think it should last a pretty fair amount of time. I haven't had a chance to run it through it's paces yet, but it seems like it's pretty trustworthy so far.

Wouln't know about their support. My dealer had no paperwork to give me for the guitar, as they take all new guitars out of the box and throw them up on the wall for display. Their site is a little vague about warranty info, but they do state "The ESP Limited Lifetime Warranty will cover defective parts ONLY within the first year from purchase date. Guitar must be purchased as NEW from an Authorized ESP Dealer and Warranty only applies to Original Owner. To receive Warranty Replacement parts, you must submit Proof of Purchase AND return your completed warranty card to ESP"

Hmmmm...How can you have a limited lifetime warranty that only lasts a year?

I`ve had my EC-1000 for about 2 yrs. so this review has some get to know you time behind it.Rundown of features is as follows:

*Mahogany single cut(Les Paul type)body w/quilted maple veneer top.
*Mahogany 3-piece set neck w/rosewood fretboard.
*24 Xtra jumbo frets, 24.75" scale length.
*Tone Pros locking tune-o-matic bridge and tailpiece, sperzel locking tuners.
*Dual EMG 81 pickups w/dual volume and single tone control, 3-way pickup selector.
*Multi-layer white, black and abalone binding on body, neck and headstock. Abalone flag inlays on fretboard.
*See through black cherry finish w/black hardware.
*quick access pop-up battery compartment for EMG`s

This catagory gets a 10 because there is no other manufacturer offering this level of features in this price range.

As far as sound, well with the EMG 81`s I think the guitar is geared more toward heavy music. This is not suprising, since ESP is considered by most to be metal guitars. EMG 81`s have a decidedly bright EQ curve to them. This makes them "the" choice in a bridge pup. High output without getting muddy and loosing string definition. Pinch harmonics leap out and scream with high gain amps. You have to be on your toes with technique because every little scrape and squeak gets picked up.
I was suprised to find the neck position 81 also suited this guitar. I would have thought it would be too bright for a good woman tone. Not so, just roll the tone back and play on.
The Tone Pros bridge and tailpiece also help lend a solidness and sustain to the guitar`s voice. The locking bridge and tailpiece in conjuction with the set neck construction make this one of the most solid playing guitars I`ve ever picked up. Sustain goes on and on.
I was origionaly playing this ax through a Marshall Valvestate stack and was very impressed. Since then I`ve moved up to a Peavey 5150 II and now the guitar really shines. The two seem to be made for each other. Ultra thick, heavy tones abound. I`m going through a Dimebag custom wah to the 5150 II. With Digitech X-series delay, flange and chorus through the amps effects loop. All coming out through two Marshall valvestate 4x12 cabs. The EMG pickups make all my rig sound better. The effects are quiet and seem to have a broader range of sound. Like the difference between a transister radio and a 5.1 digital surround system.
If you want heavy clear tones then this guitar will not dissapoint.

O`k now for fit and finish. This was my second EC-1000. The first one I recieved had numerous small cosmetic faults. No big deal except for one major problem. The nut was not well done. There was a large gap under the base of the nut. You could slide two buisness cards between the nut and the neck. A major no-no in a new instrument. So here I go calling ESP`s customer service #. I talked to their warranty manager who proceeded to tell me that this defect would not affect the guitar. After informing this individual that I was not a 16 yr. old kid who didn`t know his ass from a hole in the ground, he agreed to replace the guitar. He even sent me a UPS shipping voucher and guitar box to return ship it. Things where looking up. The replacement I recieved was perfect as could be expected. No flaws at all. Good for me. The guitar was even set up for me with my string gauge and tuning.
I got the impression that most if not all of the faults where from the initial production run and the rush to supply demand for this model.
After nearly two yrs. I`ve not had any trouble out of the guitar. I didn`t even have any string buzz until this winter set in. That`s pretty damn good.

I would give this guitar a 8 or 9 in this catagory except for having to go through two guitars to get a good one. So 5 is what it gets.

This is one of the most solid guitars I`ve ever played. The finish is thick and seems tough although I am pretty carefull with mine `cause it`s too beautifull to scratch. The hardware is top shelf and I don`t expect any trouble out of it. The strap buttons where large and solid but I replaced them immediatly with strap locks. No use pushing things. Just like any guitar it can break at any given time. Even if it`s only a string breaking. Never gig without a backup.

The only long term problem I see is with fret wear. I notice that the fret wire seems pretty soft and cuts easily. Especially under the wound strings. This is really no big deal. I`ll just play it till the frets get too bad then have it refretted with some premium wire. Even with a refret I`ll only have about $1,000.00 in this guitar including hardshell case. That`s pretty damn good for this level of features/performance.
Although this guitar deserves a 10, I`ll remember the fret wear and give it a 7.

As I said above there was some trouble with my first EC-1000.The worst part was the condescending way the ESP rep. acted toward me. A gap under the nut is a major problem. To try and convince me otherwise was wrong. I am convinced that the old adage of the customer being right is gone and dead in american buisness.Too bad.
Since ESP/LTD did replace my guitar with no cost to me, I`ll be generous and give a 5 in this catagory.

I`ve been playing for more than 20 years and have owned my share of equipment. I`ve not played everything out there but have sampled most of what`s offered. The LTD EC-1000 is the best deal out right now. If you want a high end modern take on the venerable Les Paul then this ax is the one to get. The best of hardware and electronics, superb fit and finish with great ooh and ahh factor and a killer aggresive sound with equally impressive playability.

This guitar makes everything in my rig sound better. Hell it even makes me sound better. I like everything about this guitar. Even after the trouble I had with my first one I was so impressed that I went and bought another LTD deluxe series guitar this year. This time I got a Viper 1000 and it`s just as good a guitar. Another awesome deal. The fact that I bought another LTD after havig trouble out of my first one says it all.

Do yourself a favor. Go out and try one of these guitars or one of the other LTD deluxe series guitars. They are all superb guitars and you will not be dissapointed. If anyone needs any info on this guitar or the Viper 1000 you can contact me at the email address below.

2003 Korea. 24 frets. Solid top. black finish with abalone/white binding and abalone flag inlays. EMG 81 set, You know the rest...

Love the sound... The EMG 81's provide lots of low end for metal. I'm not using any effects with it as of yet. Not noisy. Full sounding. Some people say the cleans are too harsh but i like them. very good tone. This guitar is mostly for the heavier areas of music... ie. Metal, Hardcore... if thats what style you play you will LOVE this guitar.

the set up was good. But one minor flaw in the finish; the abalone inlays were not cut very well, and there is more filler than there should be. Its not enough to make it an eyesoar but its something they [factory and inspection] should be more careful on. Theres no excuse for sloppyness on any guitar in this price range. However, overall the quality of the finish is good. nice gold hardware, nobs are tight and sturdy. Some slight fret buzz, but thats not a concern to me.

This guitar looks and feels sturdy enough...

never dealt withem

Been playing 4 years, i also own a yamaha pacifica which sounds like crap compared to this beast. Wish i had taken a closer look at the red one before deciding on black. If it were lost or stolen i'd probly get a new one. I love the low 24.75 scale and slim neck for fast playing, and the sound. Finish looks beautiful... Wish they had done a better job on the inlays though. I compared it to jacksons' other ESP's, ibanez, this came out on top. Great guitar, period.

This EC1000 came with the ASB finish (antique sunburst). the pickups
are Duncan '59neck + JBbridge. this guitar is a freshly made Korean import year 2003 model. LP body styling with refinements that are mucho appreciated! mine has a three piece mahogany body in equal measurements(center piece + two wings ...very Fender in build)along with a three piece mahogany neck (very Hamer in build). two volumes and one master tone plus typical LP three way switch. Refinements: thinner body thickness, tummy cut, underside horn bevel, venetian cut-a-way ..... resulting in way less weight and way more comfort. Glitz: abalone fret markers - neck and body trimmed and bound with abalam - two piece center seamed flame maple top - tone pros II hardware + Sperzel locking tuners. Finish: poly-something or other resin based urethane-a-ma-bobber. Neck: 24 fret two octave scale over 24and 3/4 inches .....say what?

Sounds like ..... well, it's own thing really as all guitars have their own signature sound and as we all scramble to find the best out of a given crop or offering. Is it good or bad sounding ...? neither really .... but it's extremely well voiced and usable. i have many different guitars as do most dedicated and skilled guitarists - this is just one more tool to work with and it performs very well. My ONE GRIPE - is the thinner narrower neck profile. i know most players love thinnner necks - i don't .... gimme some meat and width to mine please. i bought this guitar to save wear/tear on my fave axe ...my PRS McCarty (the king of all neck shapes are found on these!) the EC1000 isn't anything like my McCarty but i wasn't expecting it to be either. i use my McCarty very sparingly to extend it's near mint condition and the fact that i spent a very long time acquiring one as superb as this one - a really good McCarty is easy to find - but the great ones like vintage LP's you have search out ..... i got lucky and found a featherweight with the biggest vowel like voice you'll ever hear and does this with razor thin action - the guitar resonates at will!

this EC1000 had no major let-downs as received from the factory. the intonation was correct - no fret buzzing - superb finish overall - no compromised hardware parts (everything fits nicely and works smoothly). no hums - snap,crakle or pops! all i had to do was to setup my choice of strings and action - that's it!

Reliability ...... way to premature to determine at this time beings this guitar is three days old to me. but, by the looks of things and having great qaulity guitars many years, i can spot trouble areas quickly ..... i didn't find any with this guitar anywhere!

No input.

I know gear and guitars in particular - it's been the biggest consuming free part of my life for the last 30yrs. i buy/sell collectibles for the most part. i have my keepers and they are all American made babies and do me proudly .....but, when i noticed the serial # with the word KOREA before the string on this EC1000 - i had to stop and think it over before buying it - it was that mental trap and bias that only American guitars with potential appreciation are worth the buying - and i had years of experience to confuse myself all the more! so, i put my bias aside and looked over the guitar extensively and came to the very sane conclusion that these have to be one of the better bang-for-your-buck guitars right now being offered. even though, the neck profile isn't what i personaly prefer i knew i had found a gem nontheless. i have been hunting for one of the Japanese Zemaitis LP copies which are very hard to come across right now - and then i found the EC1000 at my favorite dealer. simply stated: the ESP EC1000 LTD is a guitar that delivers and doesn't disappoint and gives some of the higher priced big name boys a real challenge. NOTE: this guitar will most likely not appreciate in value over time because of it being a Korean built guitar - but, as a tool for making and creating music it's a keeper!

This has already been rehashed over and over... The specs on mine are the same as all the previous reviews, except it has the Seymour Duncan JB/59 passive humbuckers and the antique sunburst finish on a flamed maple top and chrome hardware.

The nice hardware is surprising for a guitar in this price range. The TonePros bridge makes adjusting the action and intonation so simple an idiot could figure it out by himself. Why do they even make guitars without locking tuners any more? From start to finish, I can change an individual string in 15-20 seconds.

One thing I would have liked to see on it from the factory is strap lock hardware. My USA Strat came with the hardware and I've NEVER dropped it, but another guy in our band has no strap locks on his acoustic guitar and he's dropped it several times, once punching the 1/4 inch jack right through the wood. All guitars should have locking straps.

Well, seeing as the first words out of an avid guitarist's mouth, after hearing me play for about 30 seconds through a lowly Johnson J-Station and a PA system were "OH MY GOSH that is some freakin FAT TONE!!! IT'S BEAUTIFUL!!!" .....it's pretty dang good.

The SD JB/59's fit my style perfectly, which falls anywhere between straight-up classic rock and blues rock, to highly processed U2-like sounds.

Unfortunately, at the moment I have no amp and can only play through the J-Station. Next week I'm hoping to hook up on a friend's vintage Marshall half-stack (I don't know anything about what models the head and cabinet are). The tone reacts well to any effect I've thrown at it...delay, reverb, chorus, tremelo..etc...

The pickups are remarkably clear and clean, with no excess noise or humming. Next to the JB/59's, my '02 Strat sounds like the Indy 500.

I first played an EC-1000 with the EMG 81's and instantly decided that the sound was much too harsh and sterile. Granted, for some musical styles this is exactly what is wanted....but not mine. With the JB/59's I get a beautiful warm distortion, full of wonderful tone just waiting to be played with. The clean tones are very good. The first sound I ever got from the guitar was a clean tone from a (simulated) VOX AC30 with some compression and a little reverb...I instantly knew I was going to buy the guitar.

The quality of this guitar is absolutely amazing, ESPECIALLY considering the price. Everyone that has seen it has been stunned at its finish level. The flamed maple top is excellent quality, and the bookmatching is perfect. All the hardware feels very durable, the tuners are precise, the output jack is solid, but not too stiff. The body is solid as a brick wall, but doesn't weigh as much as one (need to learn a lesson here Gibson). All of the inlays are perfectly set and well-styled. Some think it is overdone, but I think it was done just right.

The setup from the factory wasn't bad at all. The action may be just a tad high at the bridge and the intonation is very little bit off, but then I'm also an obsessive perfectionist.

The one and only problem I found was that two of the strings were slightly damaged or deformed, having a few small kinks in them. However this was quickly resolved by the best sales rep I've ever met.

If you're into smashing guitars at concerts and stupid stuff like that, look elsewhere. I'm not altogether sure you would be able to break this one if you wanted to. Every joint is solid and every piece of hardware is set well. Finish seems quite solid, but only time will tell. The strap buttons are solid, but then I never trust strap buttons on ANYTHING. The first thing I do on any guitar I buy is install strap locks. As has been said over and over, you don't EVER gig without a backup...EVER... Lets just say that if I had to trust on one guitar to last me the rest of my life...this one would be my choice.

Haven't had to deal with support yet, hopefully never will. All I know is that I have the best sales rep in the world. The guy will break his back to get you exactly what you want. If you're in the San Antonio TX area, drop by Alamo Music on loop 410 and talk to Neal, he is THE MAN!

If it were lost or stolen, I would first hunt down and kill the person who stole it, and then go buy another one. As is quite obvious, my favorite feature about it is its sweet tone. There's nothing I hate about it. I compared it to a Les Paul Standard, but then did a reality check and came to the conclusion that Gibson and my bank account are not compatible terms. Now that I have the EC-1000, I wouldn't want a Les Paul anyway...much too muddy of a sound. If you can only buy one guitar right now, get this one, its quality and versatility make it unbeatable.

I think many of the other reviews cover the features, the fret board is a work of art! (had to say it sorry) Tone pro's -EMG's -Great tuners -Awsome Black Cherry Finish!

My Music style is mainly metal and hard rock original stuff, this guitar works great for that syle through my Mesa Dual Rec. I run a boss Noise Gate and it cleans out all fuzz and buzz (I love that pedal!)Very thick sound and the set neck makes it happen with the EMG's. I run EMG'85's through my other guitar's necks but the 81 works better than any no name most companies throw in there guitars. All in all this guitar sound like $1500 Not $800!!!

Set up was flawless on mine the guys at the shop set the neck just right for me -new strings and the binding and body were perfect (surprised) for the price! I am a freak for flaws and I am trying to find one but damn I just can't! I also own a PRS Tremonti and these guitars are similar to a point and both are perfect and set up just as good as the other for such a price difference! Hat's off to ESP good job on this one!

I am hard on my live stuff so I am hoping it will withstand the pressure it is so good looking I hope it is built like a tank! The Emg's should be great never had a prob. with those ever and the tone pro's bridge is a plus, should stay strong and in tune! The finish looks great the black cherry is the best of the three offered (in My Opinion)It looks very solid! I don't suggest playing w/o a back-up if you don't have to--- but this one might make it.

N/A Have not had to deal with them yet-- Lifetime warranty!!! I give that a 10!

I have been playing for a few years and this guitar is worth checking it out for under $1000.--Not a bad piece at all for a intermed. player or a pro check them out! I would compare it to the Prs Tremonti SE for body style and the way it feels on you, The ESP neck is a little better. For Looks it is right up there with some custom shop stuff can't say enough about the good work on mine very very surprised and pleased! Thanks

2003 Model Black, fitted with the stock EMG 81's. Kind of wish they offered to put an EMG 85 in the neck. Beautiful looking guitar.

Great distortion sounds, a little harsh on the clean sounds due to the 81's. May swith the neck to a EMG 85. Overall, can't beat it for the price. Fingers slide like butter over the frets.

One of the better looking guitars out there. Mine is with the black finish, but I really like the cherry as well. The guitar came set up a little to low with a little too much fret buzzing, but a little tweeking fixed that.

So far so good. The guitar just feels like it can take a beating without even scratching the finish.

I've been playing a Schecter Diamond series elite for the past year or so. I've been looking for something to replace it as my primary guitar, however I had trouble finding anything that matched up to Schecter. In my opinion, this guitar is the best guitar priced under $3000. Since I paid about $750 for mine, it feels like I saved a grand with this deal.

(Just a slight update to my previous post as my PRICE PAID did not show)
Made in Korea 2002 and have played it about 100 hours so far.
I paid a little more than some (by the looks of the reviews) but still feel it is worth that and more.
I sold my Les Paul Deluxe (WHY!! WHY!!!) and looked for another, until I saw this guitar. (Not to mention the price of a new Deluxe is about $3500 Canadian, and good luck finding a nice used one. If money were no object... BUT HELLO GIBSON, IT IS!).
The ESP is a mahogany body, capped with a quilted carved maple top, with abalone laminate ("ablam") on top, fingerboard, neck and headstock. It has a mahogany set-neck, and compared in some respects to my beautiful old Gibson at a fraction of the cost.
I would like to have seen an ebony fingerboard as well, but I guess you can't get all the goodies for this price.

Definitely very good bang for your buck though!
(Read other reviews for the rest).

I listen to and play many styles, but 95% of the time it's HEAVY IS AS HEAVY DOES!
Main amp is a BOOGIE 4-12" with a Carvin (450 watt) stereo power amp and Rexx 2 channel pre-amp. For practice a BOOGIE combo, straight in both, (if you can't get a good sound straight in you need a different amp)!
Mahogany sounds great for electrics and the set neck, fixed bridge and EMGs give loads of sustain.

Switching to 11-54s from the limp noodles they ship with was also a big improvement.
Ya' can't get no sustain out of a 9 guage!

I haven't heard or played a better pickup than EMG for high gain loud volume.
They feedback far less than non-active pickups and don't muddy up by covering a wide harmonic spectrum.

I probably would have preferred an 85 in the neck though for a fatter lead tone, but I'll change that myself and can't complain cause' the 81 is worth about $30 more.

Action from the factory was good... other than the fact it buzzed pretty much all over!
Unfortunately it was my only choice at the time and I didn't want to pass it up (and wait for another) so I grabbed it. Since I worked at Larrivee Guitars for many years (and have literally set up thousands, YES thousands) of guitars I was confident I could fixer' up.

They must have fretted this on a Friday afternoon long weekend after a liquid lunch though, because I had to recruit the expertise of Larrivee's old fretter to dress, reseat and glue down a number of high frets. No excuse for this level of carelessness on any instrument over $1000.
However, I doubt this is indicative of most.

This is one problem with ?ablam? though on the fingerboard since the frets (friction fit) can't always grab enough, but it should have been caught at the factory (or at least at the USA inspection point) as this was over and above what should be let go.
The nut was also a little high but an easy fix.

The quilt and cherry stain on the maple top is beautiful but could have been fit better, as there is a (glue) line in the center of the book-match.
Otherwise the inlay, joints, and paint are quite good (other than a slight buff-through on the headstock).

Have to giver' a 6.5 when I bought it but it's a 9 now.
In my books a 10 means perfect and nothing less so let's not overuse the 10 rating.

Quite a pretty guitar to risk cuts and bruises, but quality doesn't concern me. Still, I'll probably (try to) use my other workhorses out most of the time.

Without a backup? This question doesn't deserve an answer until they make non-breakable strings.

The warranty is "Limited Lifetime" (original owner) so what more do you want?
Yes I could have sent it for warranty repair on the frets but what for when I would rather tweak it to perfection myself, so I haven't dealt with them yet.

I don't anticipate any problems though. If you have a valid issue and treat people with respect the results are usually positive.

I have been playing about 20 years and owned Fender, Gibson, Ibanez, Kramer, Larrivee, etc. and swear by Boogie for amps.
I would have wet dreams of playing this guitar if it ever were burned in a fire or crushed in an earthquake.
IT WILL NOT BE STOLEN! I HAVE EYES IN THE BACK OF MY HEAD!

Overall if you want an excellent guitar with quality HW and nice features I personally can't justify spending more money for anything else, unless you are a collector.

This ones' a keeper!

Made in Korea 2002 and have played it about 100 hours so far.
I paid a little more than some (by the looks of the reveiws) but still feel it is worth that and more.
I sold my Les Paul Deluxe (WHY!! WHY!!!) and looked for another, until I saw this guitar. (Not to mention the price of a new Deluxe is about $3500 Canadian and good luck finding a nice used one. If money were no object...BUT HEY GIBSON, IT IS!).
The ESP is a mahogany body (and neck), set-neck, and compared in some respects to my beautiful old Gibson at a fraction of the cost.
I would have liked to see an ebony fingerboard but you can't get all the goodies for this price.
Definitely very good bang for your buck though!

(Read other reviews for the other details).

I love and play many styles but 95% of the time it's HEAVY IS AS HEAVY DOES!
Gear is a BOOGIE combo and a BOOGIE 4-12" with a Carvin (450 watt) stereo power amp and Rexx 2 channel pre-amp straight in both. (if you can't get a good sound sraight in you need a different amp)!
Mahogany sounds great for electrics and the set neck, fixed bridge and EMGs gives loads of sustain.
I haven't heard or played a better pickup than EMG for high gain loud volume.
They feedback far less than non-active pickups and don't muddy up by covering a wide harmonic spectrum.
I probably would have preferred an 85 in the neck though for a fatter lead tone, but I'll change that myself and can't complain cause' the 81 is worth about $30 more.

The action from the factory was good... other than the fact it buzzed pretty much all over!
Unfortunately it was my only choice at the time and I didn't want to pass it up (or wait) so I grabbed it, and since I worked for Larrivee Guitars for many years (and have litteraly set up thousands, YES thousands) of guitars I was confident I could fix er' up.
They must have fretted this on a Friday long weekend after a liquid lunch though because I had to recruit the expertise of Larrivee's old fretter to reseat and glue down a number of high frets. No excuse for this level of carelessness on any instrument over $1000 but I doubt this is indicitive of most.
This is one problem with ablam though on the fingerboard since the friction fit can't always grab enough, but it should have been caught at the factory (or at least at the USA inspection point).
The nut was also a little high but an easy fix.
The quilt on the maple top is beautiful but could have been fit better, as there is a (glue) line in the center of the bookmatch.
Otherwise the inlay joints and paint are quite good.
Have to giver' a 6.5 when I bought it but it's a 9 now.
In my books a 10 means perfect and nothing less so let's not overuse the 10 rating.

It's a pretty guitar to risk cuts and bruises so I'll probably use my other workhorses most of the time.
With out a backup? This question doesn't deserve an answer until they make non-breakable strings.

The warranty is "Limited Lifetime" (original owner) so what more do you want?
Yes I could have sent it for a warranty repair on the frets but what for when I knew I could tweak it to perfection myself, so I haven't dealt with them yet.
I don't anticipate any problems though. If you have a valid issue and treat people with respect the outcome is usually positive.

I have been playing about 20 years and owned Fender, Gibson, Ibanez, Larrivee, etc. and swear by Boogie for amps.
I would have wet dreams of playing this guitar if it ever were burned in a fire or crushed in an earthquake.
IT WILL NOT BE STOLEN! I HAVE EYES IN THE BACK OF MY HEAD!
Overall if you want an excellent guitar with quality HW and nice features I personally can't justify spending more money for anything else, unless you are a collector.
This ones' a keeper!

This is a 2003 Delux ESP/LTD EC-1000.......this guitar freaking rocks. It was made in korea, has 24 gloriously jumbo frets, solid mohogany body with quilted maple top, 2 volume, 1 tone control (great for the one cancelled humbucker effect), three way pickup selector, 2 EMG 81's!!! Wow, these 'buckers rock. Some people think that they're too heavy for some styles, but I think that they clean up too-thick distortion, and add wonderful amounts of low-end to any set-up. Great active pickups. All maple neck with rosewood fretboard ( not the best rosewood, though. real grainy). Finished in a real deep black cherry (looks awesome with the quilted maple top.) Has abalone inlay all along the body, neck and headstock. Very eye-catching. Also has abalone flag inlays. Sort of a Les-paul body style, but with more severe curves, and a lighter body. comes with the very nice tone-pro's locking bridge system ( like a tune-o-matic, but bolted to itself) and sperzel locking tuners all finished in black.

I like to play many different styles and this guitar can cover them all. I will say in particular that it is unbelievable for the hard rock/metal style of playing because of it's fast neck and great active pickups. here's the chain that I put it through. One Boss MD-2 Mega Distortion, a digitech multivoice chorus stompbox (awesome chorus sound!!) and my Bedrock 50-watt tube amp combo. Turning the volume back, I can get some twangy, almost fender-ish sounds from the bridge 'bucker, and real blues from the neck. turn up the volume and it's peel-the-paint-off-the-walls ballsy tone. sometimes distorts clean channels when volume is up high (depends on the amp, doesn't happen as much with tube amps). sound can get a little too raunchy sometimes, but I like it like that!!

right from the store ( no set up from a pro, nothing) the action was pretty darn good ( about 3/16ths or so) although the intonation really needed to be set. after I got it set up, there was absolutely no problem at all. perfect action, GREAT intonation. Love those sperzels. pickups were what I thought was a little high at first, but that's just because I had my other ones more than a full inch away from the strings.....duh. great top ( put together very nicely) quilted maple looks flawless. bridge is tight against the wood, so we get crazy sustain. all the controls are quiet and smooth. the nut, however, could have been filed a little lower ( and a little cleaner). the only wood that doesn't look all that hot is the fretboard. the rosewood looks a little low-grade. And so much abalone inlay can get a little superfluous.

this guitar is GREAT. I'm pretty sure it could withstand about anything (unless you're curt kobain). all the hardware is stout, the finish looks and feels very reliable, the strap buttons are very different from gibson and fender-style. they are wider, and look like they would hold up better. ( but I'm not gigging it untill I install some straplocks!!!) this guitar is dependable, but I would NEVER gig without a backup if I could help it. Hopefully I'd have another one of these. You have to remember to change the preamp battery ( for the 81's) before a show, just in case. ( -1 for having to remember to change the battery)

wouldn't know, never had to deal with them.

I've been playing for a little over three years, but trust me, I have been methodical and ravenous about playing different guitars and choosing the right one for the money. I also own an epiphone les paul standard, and a cort starfire (surprisingly not bad). Before I traded it in for this guitar, I also owned a Fender Showmaster Scorpion HH. I really love having this guitar, it suits me and it was SOOO worth the money. You won't find a better guitar for the price, guaranteed. You can do just as well with one of the new fenders that just came out, but not better. If this guitar was stolen, I would f@#$ing freak out and chase down the thief, ripping out his vital organs with a dull salad fork. It is worth it.

Made in Korea, 24 frets, les paul shape, mahogony body, neck blah blah look on www.espguitars.com for features or other reviews. Gets a 10 for its features due to price and what you get. This bad boy doesn't weigh that much either.

AMAZING SOUND! I remeber plugging in at the store and totally loved it! Bought it right there, prefered it over the Gibson Les Paul Custom's sound and defintely the weight. I play Black/Death Metal/Thrash and this suits very well. Show No Mercy sound dead on! I can also get that detuned sound like on Blasphemy's Fallen Angel of Doom or Conquerer, HAIL METAL!

Set up nice. No buzz or anything, pickups adjusted fine etc. I looked the baby over plenty of times, no flaws in site. Gets a 10.

This bad boy will last a long ass time. The hardware is great, the wood is great, I can depend on this beast and I don't need a stinkin backup!

Haven't dealt with them. Has a pretty good warranty so I will give an 8.

I have been playing for couple years. I also own an Ibanez RG 560 and BC RICH NJ NECK-THRU WARLOCK and this is defintely the best out of the two! I would buy this again if it was stolen. I compared this guitar to a Gibson Faded SG and a Gibson Les Paul Custom, I liked this more.

Email me for more questions or catch me on the harmony-central board!

I bought two, a black one and a see through black cherry. They are both 24 frets. two volume, one tone. beautiful finishes. these guitars are trully beautiful. the both come with emg 81 pups and they are both les paul style. a dream guitar fro metal fans. the tunners are sperzal locking. they came witha harshell case a cheap cable and a sticker.

Metal Rules !! It suits my style perfectly. I love metal, all types, progressive, power, death, black, hard whatever. Im running the guitars through a line 6 amp or a marshall. The sound is bright. The black one sounds darker than the cherry one which sounds brighter.
The guitars are defenitly suited for metal and hard rock. Although you can defenitely play anything on them. Me band plays anything from Aerosmith to Metallica so they work great.
The finish is trully beautiful. Makes me very conserned when I play live with them because thay are so beatiful that I dont want anyone near them. There are loits of drunken idiots at rock concerts who have no respect for others people stuff.

The action on both guitars came to low for me. I raise the bridge and now they are fine. I ordered the black one from Musiciansfriend (terrible costumer service) and the cherry from MUSIC123.com (excellent service, the guitar shipped the same day I ordered it, payde via western union so no credit card hassel). The pickups had to be raised a little and the toggle switch cap on the cherry one came broken. No big deal I had another on hand. This was factory sealed so its no MUSIC123.com fault.

They seem to be very realible. Like I said the guitars are so beautiful that I dont think Ill gig musch with them. I have road warrior sg with emgs thats greta for the stage and takes a beating real well. The hardwear is tonespro and it seems durable. I would use it without backup if I had to, but since i own like 14 guitars I always have back up. ESP LTD aim their products more for a metal player, but these guitars can handle any type of music.

I havent dealt with them, although I hear that they dont have good custumer support. Well see.

Ive been playing for over 15 yeras and ive owned lots guitars from peaveys to gibson and fenders. Now I basically only play gibson and esp. I think that for the price esp guitars are better. A $1000.00 Esp comes with better features than a $1000.00 Gibson. You always have to replace the sucky gibson pickups. I like Emg pickups anyways. Thats another review. Currently I own one fender strat, two yamaha guitars, three ltd and three epiphones and four gibsons, plus two flamenco acoustics, im always on the lookout for good guitars. Oh, Im in the process of loading all of my electrics with emgs. Hands down they are unbeatable. These lts ec-1000 are trully beutiful and you wont find a better guitar under $1000.00

u all know the features!

sounds like a dream, i've always loved the emg pickups, but i changed the neck 81 to a 60 cuz the 81 isn't so good for clean. it sustains forever and ever and ever it's great for rock/hard rock and UP and with the 60 it makes the cleans, CLEAN!

setup was alright, low action but there was some fret buzz so i just raised it a bit and now it's fine. the finish is amazing, it's so beautiful....it makes me wanna look at the guitar more than play it. haven't noticed any flaws.

I've been playing for 3 years this is my 2nd esp ltd guitar and it's just as good as my other one (ex 351d). They're doin one hell of a job. The finish is great but i want a black one now....lol. if it were stolen i wouldn't have enuf $$ to get another one, so i'd have to kill that guy, take his $$ and get a black one. over all this thing is a dream les paul for metal fans.

made in korea, 24 fret 3-piece mahogany neck set into mahogany body, rosewood fretboard, abalone binding everywhere and in the fret board inlays. 2 volume, 1 tone knob. 2 emg 81 active buckers w/3-way switch. gorgeous black cherry quilted maple top. les paul copy with sperzel tuners and tone pros stop bar tailpiece. nice hard case. came with chord and truss wrench. basically a hard tail version of the kirk hammet signature model for about half the price, and better looking too.

i run it into a vox 847 wah-ts9 tube screamer-boss compression-marshall jcm 200 dsl 100 head into carvin legacy 412 cab loaded with celsetion vintage 30's. good for all kinds of distorted music, classic rock-metal, it covers them all well. i hear people say that there's no tone in metal, but i beg to differ, this axe has a sweet crunchy tone, perfect for metal, but also sounds good lightly overdriven. i have a gibson les paul and korina flying v, the crunch of this guitar blows them both away, great sustain, no unwanted noises, the clean sound of the paul is way better than on this guitar though, the emg's just don't get that warm punchy clean. but this guitar is made to rock and it does it well.

action was nice and low, no buzzing. neck and frets play very quick, you could make EVH cry with this axe if that was the style you were into. no finish flaws i can see, beautiful guitar, you won't find this nice of a guitar in this price range. good balance, good weight. no complaints here.

seems sturdy, no problems yet, quality hardware. very dependable, but like we all know, never gig without a backup.

no idea

it does what it's intended to do very well. nice playability, good crunch, it rocks. if it were swiped i'd hunt the person down and kill them, if i couldn't find them then i guess i'd buy another. i own this, and a gibson les paul and korina flying v, this is probably my favorite for distortion, which i use a lot of, but they all shine in their own ways, i recomend any of them. if you want to rock hard than this stick is a must.

Bought NEW in 2002. Les Paul-style mahoghany body. VERY AWSOME quilted maple top(with see-thru black cherry finish). Rosewood Fretboard. Abalone Flag inlays, model name at the 12th fret(motherofpearl). Sperzel locking tuners. Tonepros II locking bridge with stopbar tailpiece. Two EMG-81 active humbuckers. One tone, two volume. Three-way toggle switch. White and abalone binding on the body, neck, and headstock. Black hardware. 24 extra jumbo frets and a nice case.

I have been playing for about 15 years now. I have owned many guitars from Sears JUNK all the way up to my LesPaul Custom and my American Fat Strat, TRUST ME...this awsome axe holds its own and then some. I play MANY types of music. Classic Rock, top 40, metal, alternative and even some (RRRRRRR) country. This guitar excels in ALL categories, put in particular METAL and ALTERNATIVE. The two EMG-81's are beautiful pickups. I run through a Peavey Transfex Pro 212 with the built in Midi FX processor. Their is NO sound I cannot reproduce. The sustain in this weapon is UNREAL. WOW..can I hold that note or what.

When I got the guitar I had one MINOR string buzz. I rigured it was the low end strings that come standard. I put a nice set of GHS boomers and problem solved. NOW .... the finish !! Of course the #1 factor in an instrument is the sound and playability, HOWEVER, looks is also very important. The EC-1000 does NOT disapoint. This BY FAR is the absolute most georgeous guitar I have ever layed my eyes on. I know some of the other reviews said that the finish is not like on the ESP site. Well it is not.. IT IS MUCH BETTER. The quilting on my LTD (STBC) is far better looking then the one on the site. The craftsmanship in the inlays, and the binding is top notch. As for the fit, like I said, I own a LP Custom plus with a AAA carved top. It is a GREAT guitar, but now I ask myself, was it worth the $3500 canadian I payed. And after playing this little jem, my answer is NO !! Gibson is a fantastic guitar, but WAY TO MUCH $$$ FOR WHAT YOU GET. The LTD is much lighter, much more comfortable, much better looking, much better sounding and much more FUN to play. My back won't be killing me by the 3rd set anymore. To be honest, I will probably sell my LP.

Would I use it on a gig without a backup .. DUHH .. that would be stupid. If GOD himself built me a guitar I would still have a backup. BUT, if some guy had a gun to my head and said i could only use one axe during a gig..the EC-1000 would be it. The clear coating on the finish, I am sure, will last just as long if not longer than the higher prices LP's and PRS guitars. This guitar is ROCK SOLID.

N/A. Never had to deal with ESP.

Overall, this guitar is fantastic. If something had happened to it, without a doubt, I'd replace it with another. This guitar may not be AMERICAN...but who CARES. I like to buy quality and reliability..not a sticker on the back saying "MADE IN THE USA". This guitar is way under priced for what you actually get. If I could change one SMALL thing it would be the case. Don't get me wrong, the case is very nice, (it looks like the rectangular fender cases) but the case with my LesPaul is far nicer. But I can always buy an aftermarket case. And the the money you pay for the LP, you should get a TOP NOTCH case. But like a said, this is a SMALL INSIGNIFICANT detail. TRUST ME..if you buy this WEAPON OF A GUITAR..you WILL NOT be one bit disapointed. This will for sure be my NUMBER ONE noise maker.

Les Paul-style mahoghany body. Quilted maple top(with see-thru black cherry finish). Rosewood Fretboard. Abalone Flag inlays, model name at the 12th fret(motherofpearl). Sperzel locking tuners. Tonepros II locking bridge with stopbar tailpiece. Two EMG-81 active humbuckers. One tone, two volume. Three-way toggle switch. White and abalone binding on the body, neck, and headstock. Black hardware. 24 extra jumbo frets

I play metal, metal, and occasionally some metal. I absolutely love this guitar! It is so damn gorgeous! When I first looked at it on the ESP website I was concerned that it might be too pretty for me. But when it showed up on my doorstep, oh baby! This guitar plays very nicely. It has any and all after market extras you could possibly want. The EMG-81s are some fat sounding pickups. They do well with clean settings, but they really shine when you kick in the distortion. Really chunky even with the bridge pickup selected. I am using this guitar through a Marshall AVT150H with a matching cab. Effects: Boss Metal Zone, Snarling Dogs BLUES BAWLS wah and thats it, very simple but very gut wrenching. Just a sweet hardrock/metal guitar!

It came set up nearly perfectly from the factory. But I had to adjust the action once I got the guitar tuned down to where I play.(Dropped-D down one whole step). There were zero flaws on this guitar. The Black cherry finish is beautiful. This has been said about this guitar before but I will say it again: If you are expecting the highly figured quilted maple that is shown on the ESP website, you may be dissapointed. Mine turned out to be more of a highly figured flame maple than a quilt, but I would not trade it for the one on the site.

Now here is where I am probably going to make a lot of people mad. But realize that this is only my opinion: Although this guitar is Korean made, it plays just as well if not better than many American made guitars. It is much better looking than any Gibson Les Paul, and it comes with way more features that come standard. Now I realize that the Les Paul is an American Rock Icon, but I feel that they are overrated and overpriced. And anyone reading this that thinks that I don't know what I am talking about, you are wrong: I've played nearly every Gibson Les Paul made, new and vintage and this guitar plays and sounds just as well. And I realize that this guitar is a Les Paul "copy" but there are a few subtle differences that made me choose this guitar over a Les Paul, and price was last on the list!

This guitar seems like it will last for the long run. very tough instrument.

This beast comes with a lifetime warranty. I haven't had to deal with ESP yet, but I'm sure I won't have any problems

I really really like this guitar! Nuff said!

Because it's made in Korea, this guitar is (even at $900) a lot cheaper than it should be. 24 fret bound 3 piece mahogany neck is set into the bound mahogany solid-body with a quilted maple top. 2 volumes, 1 tone and a three way switch gives great control over the dual EMG 81's. Shaped very similarly to a Les Paul and comes in either a beautiful see-through black cherry (mine) or black finish (without the maple top. Tonepros System 2 locking bridge and tailpiece. Rosewood fingerboard. Black Hardware. Abalone flag inlays and abalone binding. Price includes a nice case. What else could you possibly want? (Besides strap-locks)

The mahogany body sings. I play hard rock/metal. But I like bands with skill, not just show. I play Dreamtheater, Tool, Pantera, Metallica, Van Halen, and Megadeth plus some original stuff. I play on a Marshall AVT-150 head with a 1960 slanted cab. I love it. You can get a lot more sounds out with this guitar than I thought possible. Can easily duplicate my favorite bands. Nicest sounds I've ever heard, and I've played Les Paul's, Strat's, Jackson's, Ibanez's, and even quite a few ESP's. This is amazing.

The guitar was set up very nicely. Very easy to play. No buzzing on the frets or the pickups. Everything perfect. Maybe some ten gauge strings would be nice though.

Let's see, I've had it for a month now, no problems at all. The finish is staying on and rarely does tuning change. But, the fact of the matter is that you have to be a dumbass to gig without a backup.

I've never had to deal with the company even though I've played ESP for about two and a half years. Never had to get either repaired. Has a limited lifetime warranty. Nice.

I've been playing for five years. I currently own three guitars. My shitty Squier Affinity Strat (Hey, it got me started), an ESP KH-502 with EMG 85/81 and the Eclipse 1000. This things has blown all other guitars away. Specifically, I was also looking at a Jackson Kelly 2, Randy Rhoads 5, a Washburn pop-top, and a Gibson Gothic Explorer. This guitar was cheaper, sounds better and I even had to drive an extra two hours to get one. But, man, this is my dream guitar. I won't let anything get within 10 feet of this one. I've I could change it, I would put in gold hardware, strap-locks, and ten gauge strings. Nothing else. Go buy it. NOW! You won't regret it. What are you still doing here. GO! Don't make me come over there.

my ec-1000 was made in 2002. it is an archtop les paul shaped guitar. The controls on it are vol,vol, tone. But what is strange is that the first volume is for the bridge. i dont know if this was a mistake made in the factory but i will find out. eighther way it will be changed to the regular formation that everyone else uses. the active emg 81 s are really good pichups. i can get a good clean sound from them although it is nothing like a strat or my gibson. not as good eighther, but that is just my opinion.the distorted sounds and espeasialy huge hi gain sounds are the best i have ever heard. the distorted sounds are tight and are defined and the harmonics are very pleasant. this guitar was built to be big on sustain. every component and piece of material used on this guitar equals sustain. I can hold a note infinitly it seems , with the right amp seting withoput feed back. the top 6 frets are small due to the scale lenghth and 24 frets. i hace to bring my thumb out to play them. the case looks nice but compared to my gibson case its seems a little bit cheap. the lid flexes around to much for me.

I play many styles of music and this guitar can fit into them all. the jazz tone is ok but i prefer my gibson (howard Roberts Fusion)but i prefer my gibson. Rock Fusion Metal and anything that needs good overdrive this guitar is wicked.The tone knob on this guitar is very useful. and a 3 way selector ofers a variety of sounds. I LIKE this guitar but it is not a gibson and thats ok.

The EC-1000 came strung with 10's the intonation was ok but needed some small adjustments. The action was fine. today i will change the setup to acomodate 8's . i really like useing 8-40 gauge string but some guitars dont accept them well, sounding weak or breaking easily. i hope it works out well.I looked closly and found a couple of small flaws. There was no scratches or bents or anything it was virtually perfect. Perhaps the Bridge and the neck pickup being in strange spots was a flaw. and when i looked iside the wiring cavity i noticed two wires were taped together. Apart from these observations this guitar is great. YOU WILL NOT FIND A BETTER LOOKING GUITAR FOR THIS PRICE. If this guitar had the gibson name on it you would be paying 4 times as much. The binding and abalone inlay is spectacular. gold hardware and black paint this guitar is very flashy. I decided nott to go for the flamed maple top because that is a little too flashy.

This guitar is the most solid guitar i have ever played. This eqauls magor sustain. the gold hardware on my 97 gibson has worn off in the places when i rest my hand when playing. aperently this is just something that happens. i hope the gold satin on the hardware doesnt wear but it probably will just like that scatches that it will get over the years. oh well. The stap buttons were great but i replaced them with locking shallers and put a planet waves stap on it. would i use this guitar on a gig without a backup? what a dumb question.strings break on all guitars.

I have dealt with esp before because this is my second esp ltd. i had a problem with my f-207 and they have sent out the part for it to be fixed. so i would say the support was good . i will be inquiring about the volume knobs problem and maybe they can help me with that. i always follow up my reviews latter on.the warenty is a lifetime on all the stuff that they know wont go wrong and 1 year on everything else.

I have been playing for 13 years and have been pro for 3 years. My other gear is ltd f-207 7 string, Gibson howard robert fusion semi hollowbody.cort curbow 5 bass. asorted acoustics. keyboards drums ect. My main amp is a 1 12 tube combo made by roland called the bolt 100. and i have a pair of kustonm kga65's. rp 2000 multi effects. I looked at nearly every other guitar on the market and this is the oly one i really wanted and could afford. too expensive are the godin hollowbodies and the cort coryell. my overall rating is 10. if this guitar was stolen i would eventualy buy another although i would certainly put out the time and effort to retrieve the guitar, find the theif and tie him up in my friends backyard with his great dane.

2002 ESP LTD DELUXE EC-1000 (see thru dark cherry). This guitar was made in Korea, has 24 frets with abalone binding from top to bottom includeing abalone flag fret markers. This guitar is equiped with dual EMG-81's that just rock your brains out, 2 volume 1 tone and a 3 way toggle. It comes with two colors...black or see thru dark cherry on a quilted top. Sperzel locking tuners, tone pros bride, black hardware all around.

THIS GUITAR ROCKS!!!!!!!!

actions ok, could be slightly lower for my taste, the guitar feels good in your hands. the only thing i care to discuss is the "quilted maple top". first off, for any unexpecting buys, do not go with the picture esp has on the website, that is the best wood they could find...add in some special lighting and make everyone think thats what they are getting...ok...first off, the color isnt bright red, its dark cherry, the guitar is somewhat darker in person but with light shineing on it, it looks brighter. secondly, i looked at one before i bought it, the quilted top could be better, but i ordered one anyway, and it came in with more of a flamed top, more of a ripple effect, in the middle of quilted and flamed...and im happy that happened because it looks alot better than the one i seen in person. if anybody elses turned out like that...let me know

this one is going to last a long time, no doubt about it!

never delt with them

Overall, I happy with what this guitar offers

This is a 2002 guitar made in korea, although it might as well have been made in the states, 24 frets , maple cap, 2 vol 1 tone , 3 way selector, 2 emg 81 humbuckers, mahogany body and neck, quilted maple with see through black cherry, les paul style, with nicer lines, excellent tone pros II tune o matic bridge/tailpiece, and fantastic sperzel locking tuners, it has a 24 3/4 scale with a medium neck and jumbo frets(nice for bending strings!) and a quite nice esp hardcase.
it basically came with all the extras id put on it anyway and my other guitars will soon be upgraded to this spec.

my kinda music is metal and punk , i play in a punk band and its almost perfect for what i play , only thing is its quite hard to get a clean tone out of it, its really crunchy, but i have other guitars for my clean sound. this guitar just rocks out on distorted tones i couldnt ask for better sound. a really full sound that just kick ass.
i use it through a line 6 flextone 2 running through a marshall slash 4x12. and it sounds incredible.

everything on the guitar was spot on no problems here,

ive used this live and in the studio and it just kills every other guitar. finish seems good not sure about it yet.best strap buttons ive seen come standard on a guitar and i would most definitely trust my life with this guitar live, but i wouldnt gig without a backup. thats just plain crazy and i need 2 guitars live anyway.

havent had to deal with esp but the shop were i bought it are great . help u out with any problems

im playing about ten years and i have a gibson sg, gibson explorer , ibanes rg and a shecter c1.if it were stolen id go on a violent rampage till i got it back or id get another one. i love the look of it and also the feel of the body way nicer than a les paul. i sold my les paul to buy this. although it was a bit on the expensive side over here due to currency and stuff

This guitar was made in 2002, and made in Korea I think...the cool thing about this guitar is all the features...it has all the aftermarket stuff that you would buy...a Tone Pros II bridge, EMG 81's, Sperzel Tuners, etc...The body is mahogany and has a quilted maple top...the see-thru black cherry is absolutely beautiful...gorgeous...and case is included...(nice case too, by the way)

the sound of the guitar is tremendous...I play mainly rock, metal, and a lot of classic rock...it suits it all perfect...there is absolutely no noise from the EMG 81's...I love EMG's by the way...and you can feel the guitar resonate...it has a full acoustic-like clean sound, but the overdrive screams!!! I have absolutely no complaints about the sound...it's perfect!!

this was the best part of the guitar...it was setup perfect...and I mean perfect...the intonation is spot on...this guitar easily has the best craftsmanship I have ever seen, especially for a guitar this price...everything about the guitar is beautiful...it has abalone inlays around the entire guitar and neck, and has flags inlaid in the frets...the quilted top was perfect...this thing stays in tune great too...I couldn't find a flaw!

I've only had it for a while but it seems sturdy to me...the strap buttons are great and all the hardware is top of the line...there is a lifetime warranty on this guitar, so there's no worries...

haven't had to deal with them, so I'm not quite sure...

I've been playing for 7 years or so...I've played lots of guitars; Gibsons, Fenders, Ibanez's, etc, but nothing that I've ever played comes close the this with regards to the looks...obviously a Les Paul Custom would sound just as good, but no Gibson could ever look the way this guitar do...I'm 110% satisfied with this guitar...it's a unique guitar that suits me to a tee...couldn't ask for better!

2002 ESP EC-1000 STBC, 24 Frets, 2 vol, 1 tone, Twin EMG-81 active
humbuckers, rosewood fretboard and mahogany body, sperzel locking
tuners, tonepros system II bridge, includes hardshell case :)

The EC-1000 blew me away. I used to play old gibsons which just
wouldn't cut the mustard, however, I got this guitar and the 81's
on it scream. I play a very wide variety of music and it seems
to keep up with every one of them. I love this guitar very much (I
guess I should for 899.99, exactly how much I paid). Very quiet
pickups with my Marshall G50R solid state amplifier.

Action is almost perfect, however the low E string buzzes a little bit (maybe it is because I was tuning too low?). I only had one
problem with the neck pickup fading out. I noticed that if I push
on the humbucker it would fade back in and out. I took the guitar
apart and plugged back in the wire. ESP doesn't leave enough slack
in the wire for the humbucker to be lowered, maybe this is just in
my experience.

Other than that little setback, the guitar is great. LOOKS OUTSTANDING, looks almost exactly like the picture on their website which is very SWEEEEET. See-thru black cherry is a very nice color.

Very sturdy guitar, I am going to take it wherever I go. The only
thing I would bring with me is an extra 9V for the EMG-81's, the battery always seems to die when you need it most :)

I called once about the pickups, they were pretty nice considering
the nasty notes I hear about their customer support. I was going
to get it repaired under warranty but the only choices I had for
doing that is sending it to ESP or sending it to music123 where I
bought it. I decided after waiting 4 months for the guitar, to attempt to fix it myself, which was a success... According to the
card I got with the guitar, this guitar has a lifetime warranty, excluding finish problems (paint and chipping), any aftermarket hardware (pus, etc).

I've been playing for three years now so I think my ear is getting better. However, don't get me wrong, I'm no experienced guitarest. I own several acoustic guitars including 5 twelve-string guitars (I just love those sounds) and three electric guitars including a Fender Stratocaster, Hamer Slammer, and a Washburn POS.

I was looking at several guitars to buy, something about ESP just drew me to this guitar. I looked at several gibsons and played them at the store. Don't get me wrong, they are SWEET guitars, however, for their price they should be. This guitar, however, has very nice looks, a very nice sound, and a very nice price.