ESP LTD EXP-200

Hey folks-- This an update to my other reviews that date back to 1998, no less; I figure that a long-term review may help someone to decide for themselves if an instrument is worthy of the hard-earned buck$ you're gonna throw at it, and if it will last. This concerns the ESP LTD EXP-200, two of which I bought back in '98. Still same config; H/H (replaced stock w/ EMG 81-bridge and 89-neck), Tune-O-Matic style bridge (swapped out in favor of Schaller Rollerbridge). Single master volume, single master tone, single pickup toggle (3-way). No frills, but you don't need 'em to destroy someone's eardrums. Given the fact that I replaced some of the hardware, I'd give the original guitar's features an 8, but with the above-mentioned mods (all easy to self-install, by the way), the guitar gets a 10.

My playing style hasn't changed (still do heavy metal in the styles of Metallica and Alice In Chains), and both guitars (a black one and an olympic white one; both the only colors the model in question came in in 1998) have endured the rigors of endless practicing (which in and of itself includes a lot of inner frustration releasing, which was ultimately taken out on the guitars) as well as several cross-country moves and gigs. The EMGs have constantly delivered the sound I expect, and the EXP's construction took the wear-and-tear like a pair of suicidal Marines.

No problems here, except that the pickup toggle switch occasionally gets a little static in it, causing some scratchiness in the sound when switching from one pickup to another. However, I believe that is the result of moving my gear around and playing in various areas that are susceptible to static build-up (like a carpet, for example). The problem is easily eliminated by getting a can of tuner cleaner spray from your local Radio Shack, removing the guitar's electronics' cover from the backside of the body, and giving the toggle switch a small and controlled burst of cleaner, followed by rocking the switch back and forth a few times. As far as the action, it remains impeccable, a mere 1.3 mm clearance at the 12th fret without so much as a buzz (if a strict .004-inch clearance is kept by the low E string at the 7th fret while pressing down on the string at the 1st and 17th fret with capos, using the string as a straight-edge). If the neck bows slightly back and forth, altering that clearance (and it will, with varying seasons, weather, temperature and humidity conditions), a simple 1/4 turn of the truss rod in the proper direction will set it back to where it should be. And if you wonder about the finish enduring the kind of shit I dish out on these weapons, check out recent pics of them at my website http://photos.yahoo.com/esp_freak and you'll see they still look as deadly as the first day I got them.

I said it before, and I can affirm it again; these guitars would provide adequate backup-- for a wrecking ball!! I did replace the stock strap buttons with black Schaller locking strap buttons, after a couple of times of almost having the guitar crash to the ground after the strap slid off the neck button, and they've performed flawlessly. Other than that, the guitars are built like brick shithouses, and unless you make it a habit of dragging your guitar behind your car down the interstate, it will undoubtedly last a long, long, LONG time.

Lifetime limited warranty, but never had to use it. Don't think I ever will, either. Never had to deal with the folks at ESP, and by that mere fact alone, the guitars rate another 10 right there.

See above. 'nuff said, these guitars are made to LAST. And for a fraction of the price you'd pay for a full-blooded ESP signature model, the LTD EXPs (at least from when I bought mine) were exceptional value. Add to the list price of $600, maybe about another $300 for a couple of EMGs, a bridge upgrade, and locking strap buttons, and you've got youself a total Hetfield weapon of mass destruction for a lot less than the $3,000+ MSRP, and the only difference you'll see is "LTD" on the headstock instead of "ESP". For a difference of about $2,000, that's a compromise I can live with.

Old style explorer, 22 frets (I think)
Volume,tone,3 way, H/H configuration with 2 duncan design pickups
All black (kind of like hetfield)
blah blah, READ below for etc.
although a graphite nut would be cool.

Well, I like to play guitar, Metal/rock is awesome
and I love blues, even some country leads from time to time
You know, anything under the sun and this guitar will handle it
I run it through a 2X10 SPIDER by line 6 Nice combination
It can squeal when I turn the volume up pretty high but.
I really like the bridge pickup, but the neck one really sucks in my opinion. maybe for clean but its a little too bassy and dull. For distortion this thing is a king though. I'll give it an 9 because it serves its purpose, which is generally a ROCK guitar

well I got this thing used.
The guy had pretty low action which at the time didn't bother me, But the last few months I raised that sucker. I need to raise it agian (better tone, and it makes you a better player in the long run)

But i do have some things to say.
Ok I get home, the first hour I want to put a strap on it. the strap wont fit over the buttons, Maybe this was a stupid move but I unscrewed the strap buttons to but them over the strap then screw it back on. (if that makes sense) But then its been reallly lose since then and the guitar's strap drill holes are a Tiny bit to big which causes the guitar to drop from the strap.

NO problem though, i fixed it with some hot glue, works like a charm and its never moved an inch..so problem 1 fixed

Problem 2, The nut fell out!...ok just hot glue it back in
problem 2 fixed.

Problem 3, This input jack plate broke. so the input jack was moving around, bought a new METAL one that won't break..15 bucks
Problem 3 fixed.
Thats about it so far....maybe im just rough with my guitar but oh well
Those aren't MAJOR problems so..

yeah its sturdy!
never got a scratch in it
Ill definitly depend on it..

I've been playing for 2 years (non-stop, so yeah my opinion does count!)
Besides this I own a aresenal of cheap crappy guitars, well there not horribly crappy, but this is my first real guitar.
I only regret this doesn't have a tremelo but then agian That could be a plus, it saves you time and trouble.
I WOULD definitly get this guitar agian, ITS AN EXPLORER
its the coolest looking guitar EVER! seriously. It sounds awesome and it looks awesome. I'd never ever sell or trade this. These are discontinued and hard to find. and they are so AWESOME
hang it low and beat on it like hetfield
Im in love with it and im going to get another ESP hopfully in the future. If you find one, GET IT

u all know the setup, just read the others, although they didnt give me a case. it was bought without proper testing coz i had the cash, but no time and my other guitar was fucked at the time

i play metal. this guitar is really not very good 4 anything. the stock pickups sound like cheap, weak, squealing single coils, but worse. ok if u have the cash for better ones, but i dont right now.

action-string height good, intonation way out.
pickups- are u kidding me? read above
tuning is awful, constantly out, always slipping and impossible to get right (also due to intonation)

played it live, always out of tune. bridge is ok. paint chips easily. not a chance in hell i would use it as a main at a gig in the first place!! it is my spare!! actually, id rather cancel then use it. i want to sell it.

discontinued, i cant even get a case apart from custom made for half the cost of the guitar

ive had it 4 about a year. my main is an ibanez rg270 with 12-56's on it. if it was stolen id thank them (as long as my insurance got me something useful). i hate this thing. i compared it to epiphone les pauls, an old fender tele deluxe (73 model, my cuz's), and my trusty old ibanez. i chose it over the epi's coz im an idiot. and they sucked worse. i wish it had better pickups as standard. and better tuners. and better everything else.

Older LTD EXP-200 that doesn't have the bar inlay on the 12th fret. Also has ESP covered pickups that sound great with my Randall RG150 half stack. 22 Frets, black gloss finish, regular tuners, tune o matic bridge. AWESOME GUITAR!!!!!

Plays perfectly for my style, this is the ultimate guitar for me! Only others I'll be buying are the new EX-350 and maybe a Jackson Kelly. Sounds awesome even with passive pickups, I'm debating whether or not to put in EMGs... Love the sound already though

Set up perfect for my style, I slightly adjusted the height of the pickups, but everything else was perfect for me.

All ESPs seem to be built like tanks, so I think I could count on this one.

never dealt with em...

I would cry if I lost this guitar cuz ESP can't make em anymore. Best guitar I've played

I have two, a white one and a black one. Both with 22 extra jumbo frets, Mahogany body with the rosewood fretboard...it came with two Seymour Duncan design humbuckers..I ripped those out and stuck in two EMG 81's...the Duncan's were good but EMG's are better. stopbar and tailpiece bridge, gotoh tuners and 1 volume knob and one tone knob.

suits my music perfectly! Metallica! that's all I'm about..i love it

it has nice low action and the finish is very nice and shiny...not heavy at all either..good for the back!

very durable, everything seems like it will last, I changed the strap buttons to straplocks for onstage shit...I've gigged plenty of times...great axe for shows and recording especially with Boss effects through a Mesa/Boogie amp

never had a problem

I've been playing for about 4 years..I own a Mesa/Boogie 50 Caliber+ combo amp, Boss CE-5 Chorus Ensemble, Dunlop Crybaby original, Ernie Ball Mono Volume Pedal, both explorers equipped with EMG pickups (white 81/81), black (60/81) and have Ernie Ball Custom Steel Strings (.10-.46)...I just love the tone and crunch I get out of my rig..the explorer is just a great heavy rock guitar

Made in 1996 Made in Korea 22 Extra Jumbo frets High gloss Laminated Top 1 volume 1 tone 3 way selector H/H From factory Duncan designed but I switched to EMGs hell Metallica uses them EMGs are active which means they will scream Solid Alder body with rosewood fingerboard finish is like a black mirror Tune O matic bridge with a stop tailpiece Non-locking tuners medium neck fat ass frets DELUXE hard shell case

This maybe the perfect guitar for metal besides the V's Only Marshall amps 8040 and New g100rcd w/1936 cab I use a Morley AutoWah and DOD stereo chorus and a Zoom 505 No noise when I switched to EMGs but the factory pickups were pretty good I only play this guitar with the volume all the way up The Sound is very full deep when clean or distorted not really that bright but I dont play Hanson This guitar can go from near Acoustic to ballistic in the click of a button but this guitar is made for growling I really love this guitar but I wish it had dual volume and tone controls other than that it does the job I want it to

The action was so low that I thought the strings were just laying on the frets but I never had any trouble with buzzing until I changed the pickups and changed string gauges With the EMGs they compliment this guitar very well the originals just don't fully express this guitars voice Everything was perfect when I received it there were no flaws what so ever The strap button worked fine on mine but I love this guitar that I switched to a DiMarzio Locking strap just in case The black chrome hardware has not the least bit of wearing off and I play it 2-3 hrs a day

This guitar would survive a Nuclear holocaust It would outlast cockroaches You could kill someone with this bitch Ive never had a problem w/ the hardware The finish is like a mirror clean but it is hard to keep black spot free when I took off all the strings I wasnt paying attention and the tailpiece slid back and put thin scratches in the paint but were easily buffed out The button straps were very solid but I never trust them my fender's always fell out

Never had to contact ESP and I dont think I ever will Ive had this guitar for 3 years and nothing has happened Lifetime warranty

Ive been playing 9 years and I also own a Marshall 40 watt and the new G100RCD and 1936 2x12s I use a Morley Auto wah and a Zoom 505 processor. If this guitar was stolen and I found out who did it I beat them with it cause I know it wont hurt the guitar. If I didnt I buy another in a second Its just the perfect compliment to hard rock and heavy metal music Charry rules!

First of all just look at it, if that isnt enough. I bought it from Popplers music in Grand Forks ND for $550, not bad but price is never a problem for me. I would have got the EXP but you can only get that in black and white. I chose Gun Metal blue (I love guns and hunting). I was surprised when I first got it, it actually looked green, and then at other angles it looked more black, the light has to be just perfect for you to notice that it is blue. I don't know why everyone complains about the strap buttons hell I can barely get my strap on them, they work excellent. And of course one volume and one tone knob.

Of course the reason I picked it out is because James plays one and also Andreas Keisser from Sepultura. It is pretty much designed just for metal, could you imagine Garth Brooks playing a guitar like that, and I doubt you will ever see on in BB kings hands. I am a peavey man I use a bandit 112 which kicks ass. For effects I use a Boss ME-8 multiple effects pedal. I will admit it, it did have fret buzz on the E-string but I took care of that right away. Rich, full, bright sounds, hell it does it all. 9 for the fret buzz, I fixed it but hey I'm a lazy person.

9 one run in the paint but very small.

Strap buttons are solid, I dont know what every one else was complaining about. I would use it on a gig without a backup, shit, I'd even take this thing to a fight.

Never had to deal with them and if anything would go wrong you could probably take care of it yourself.

I will probably get married to this guitar. That is all I have to say.

BAD-ASS EXPLORER MADE FROM THE GENIOUS MINDS AT ESP. THIS GUITAR HAS THE EXACT FEATURES (EXEPT FOR EMG'S) AS THE ESP MODEL (MUCH MORE EXPENSIVE) MAHOGANY BODY, MAPLE NECK (22 EXTRA JUMBO FRETS) WITH ROSEWOOD FINGERBOARD, GOTOH TUNERS, TUNE-O-MATIC BRIDGE WITH STOP TAILPIECE, THE WHOLE ENCHILADA. THE PICKUPS ARE DUNCAN DESIGNED, ONE VOLUME AND ONE TONE KNOB, THREE WAY SWICH, AND NICE MEDIUM NECK. PURCHASED MINE WITH THE LTD TOLEX COVERED CASE (NICE). THE COLOR IS OLYMPIC WHITE.

BEING A METAL PLAYER, IT SUITS MY STYLE TO A T. THE BAND I'M IN IS POWER-METAL, SO THE SUSTAIN IS NEEDED, AND I LOVE THE DUNCAN DESIGNED PICKUPS, (I LIKE TO BE DIFFERENT, SO NO EMG'S ARE GOING ON THIS THING, I DON'T WANT TO SOUND LIKE METALLICA, I WANT TO SOUND LIKE ME). THE PICKUPS ARE REAL QUIET (MY FRIEND HAS AN IBANEZ AND THE SOUND ISN'T COMPARABLE TO MINE). GREAT FOR DISTORTION (CHUNKY) OR CLEAN. GOOD BLUES SOUND, TOO. I REALLY LOVE THE BODY STYLE, I AM A BIG GUY (6-1, 290), SO THE GUITAR FITS ME REAL WELL. I AM CURRENTLY PLAYING IT THROUGH A CRATE G-212, AND IT SOUNDS GREAT.

THE GUITAR WAS SET-UP GREAT OTHER THAN A BUZZ ON THE LOW-E AND A STRINGS, WHICH I FIXED IN ABOUT 5 MINUTES WITH THE TUNE-O-MATIC. THE ACTION WAS GOOD, AND THE PICKUPS WERE ADJUSTED GOOD, TOO. THERE WAS ONLY ONE FLAW THAT I NOTICED (LITTLE NICK ON THE HEADSTOCK) BUT I'M NOT SURE IF I DID IT, OR IF IT WAS SENT THAT WAY. YOU CAN'T EVEN SEE IT FROM 6 INCHES AWAY. THE COLOR IS OLYMPIC WHITE, AND I LOVE THE FINISH WITH BLACK HARDWARE. LOOKS REAL SUBTILE, BUT EVIL AT THE SAME TIME.

WHEN I RECIEVED IT, THE FIRST THING I DID WAS STRAP IT ON. IT FELL ALMOST IMMEDIATELY. I BOUGHT SCHALLER STRAP LOCKS AND IT HASN'T SLIPPED YET. THE ONLY PROBLEM I HAVE WITH THE LOCKS IS THEY KEEP COMING UNSCREWED. THE BLACK HARDWARE HASN'T GIVEN ME ANY PROBLEMS YET, BUT MAY IN THE FUTURE. THE FINISH IS PAINTED ON WITH SEVERAL COATS, AND IS VERY THICK. I CAN'T WAIT TO PLAY THIS THING LIVE, AND SINCE IT IS MY ONLY GUITAR, I HAVE TO TRUST IT WITHOUT A BACK-UP. I'LL JUST HAVE SOME EXTRA STRINGS LAYING AROUND WHEN WE GIG. ONE MORE THING, THE STRING SADDLE ON THE LOW-E KEEPS SLIPPING HOPE THAT IS A FLUKE

I CALLED THE COMPANY WITH MY STRING BUZZ PROBLEM AND THEY GAVE ME A SOLUTION. WITHIN 5 MINUTES MY PROBLEM WAS SOLVED.(KIND OF TREATED ME LIKE I WAS AN IDIOT) THE GUITAR HAS A LIFETIME WARRANTY.

I HAVE BEEN PLAYING FOR 7 YEARS, OWNED JACKSON, FERNANDES, IBANEZ, AND GIBSON. THIS IS BY FAR THE GUITAR FOR ME. IF IT WERE STOLEN I WOULD BUY ANOTHER IN A HEARTBEAT(IF I GOT ANOTHER DEAL LIKE I DID). I LOVE THE LOOK (AND FEEL) OF THIS GUITAR IN THE STAND, AND STRAPPED ON.

Explorer body style. 22 jumbo frets, three way switch, two Duncan Designed Humbuckers, one volume, one tone pot, stop tailpiece, Gotoh locking tuners. I got the Black one and I've already put some really bad scratches in it. BE CAREFUL when cleaning this guitar. My output jack keeps coming loose and that's pissing me off. Black covered hardware which kinda sucks cause I've worn the paint off the string saddles. The action is pretty low and sometimes I get a LOT of string buzz. The neck is fairly thin... not super thin. Rosewood fretboard. I got a fitted hardshell case included with mine.

For me it's awesome. I play rhythm metal... ok I play Metallica. All the time. I love it. I'm gonna put an EMG 60 in the neck position of this guitar and my flying V and I think an 85 in the Explorer's bridge position and an 81 in the Flying V. Needs more definition but it's a blast to play.

Guitar was new with GHS 9's from the factory which I played for about 2 days before having the strings changed to Ernie Ball 10's. The Low E has buzzed from day one which pisses me off. Luckily the gain's usually up so loud you don't hear it. Fit and finish is pretty good except for a few small niggles. Some glue near the nut on the neck. The paint wearing off the saddles and that loose output jack.

This guitar's built like a brick shithouse. GET STRAP LOCKS. I dropped my guitar twice cause the front strap button came slipped out. Right on the Headstock, but the guitar's fine. Been bumped and banged and it's fine. Very dependable except for one problem. My damn A string keeps coming unraveled at the saddle. It's pissing me off. I don't think it's Ernie Ball's fault. I think the saddle's screwed up. I'll take it in and get it fixed.

N/A

Love this guitar. I'd like to have the next step up with the real ESP Explorer. That's next time.

Korean made LTD Explorer copy. Solid alder body, bolt-on maple neck, 22 fret rosewood fingerboard. 2 Duncan Designed humbuckers, tune-a-matic bridge and stop tailpiece, black hardware, Gotoh inline tuners

I play it through a Boss CH-1 and a Marshall Valvestate half stack. I play punk and metal and the pickups were definitely made for metal. But to tell you the truth, they really weren't all that great. They were recently switched to EMGs (89 at the neck, 81 at the bridge). The solid (and rather heavy) body promotes great sustain. Believe it or not, this guitar has a rather nice clean voice and sounds great for blues.

I bought this guitar used from a dealer and it came set up with nice action and 9's on it. I prefer 10's, but it still felt nice. The Gotoh tuners feel solid. The nut sucks. Cheap plastic. It pinches the 3rd and 2nd strings to the point that they clink when tuning and never stay in tune. The intonation was awful when I got it. I adjusted it, and now it's not so bad. The nut, tuners, and bridge may be replaced very soon (with a bone or graphite nut, Schaller roller bridge, and locking tuners). Other than that, the finish shows fingerprints well, but is nicely done (thick black paint followed by thick lacquer job). As for feel, look at it this way. I used to play an Epiphone G-400 (SG copy) and this was a HUGE transition. The weight, body shape, and dimensions are tough to get used to. The bolt-on neck joint is rather large and makes access to the upper frets difficult.

The guitar is a tank. It would definitely survive a gig. The hardware is showing signs of wear (bridge especially. Black paint wearing off). I was playing it for about 10 minutes and the upper strap button stripped itself from the wood, so I removed it and installed Schaller straplocks (the upper is now into the back of the body). Take a backup on ALL gigs (drunk bass player). If you had to, this guitar would take a lot of punishment.

I've never dealt directly with ESP, so I have no real opinion. I've heard good things about them, though.

I would not buy one of these again. Just too many things that I have to fix for the clunky feel of this guitar. I do like it, though, mainly for the sounds it can produce. The EMG pickups are the main reason for that. I'd much rather have a Gibson SG or a Fender Deluxe Strat Plus (or both) but beggars...

Update on my previous review. See other reviews for the features, except I replaced the pick-ups w/ an EMG-60 and 81, reversed the pick-up switch(When I use the rythm pick-up I usually have larger strum patterns and sometimes I inadvertantly switch the pick-ups so this rectified this problem)Gave it a 7 because it has a stop-bar tail piece.

This is a great guitar for metal and with the EMG-60 I have found it also works great for swing jazz and the 81 with a clean channel can be coaxed so sound dirty bluesy. Love the sound, but I admit it is not for everyone and can sound a little sloppy on low rythm work.

This guitar is good except for the frets. They are strait, there is no curve to them anywhere. I reccommend getting the fret recrowned or the neck be refreted. The neck was definetely out of wack when I got it but a loosening the screws and tapping it over fixed that. There is alot of space between the base of the neck and the body where they join so it can get misaligned easily, I check it every month to make sure it is properly on there and it is usually .25cm over to 1 side or another. And when I had the pick-ups replaced the volume pot fell off the guitar but I blame that on the local guitar shop(Melody Music in Sterling VA, don't go there, they are rude and it took them 3 times to get my pick-ups in the way I wanted them, you know like working.)It really is better than what I have explained but I want people to know everything befor buying it.

IT IS A TANK.

Called them when I got it about the neck, very helpful.

I have been playing since Jan. 1996 and this is a vast improvement over my Fender squire strat but a downgrade from my Gibson Les Paul 40th anniversary, but it is definetely worth the money and more for a live guitar, a guitar to really abuse and still sound good. I wish I have saved up for it's bigger brother, but it is almost as good for $1,000 less.If somebody stole it I might buy something better like a custom version with a floyd rose bridge and the pick-ups already in it.

This is an update of my review from about two months ago. This time around, you'll find information mainly about how the guitar feels after being broken in, as well as how killer it sounds with EMG's installed in it. See previous reviews for other features of this weapon. One extra point of interest: the way they've got the volume/tone knobs and the pickup toggle switch set up (far back from the downward picking motion area), none of them get in the of your right hand if you're in a downpicking frenzy; a real nice touch.

Yeeeesss, my pretties... Here comes the sonic onslaught!! The stock Duncan Designed humbuckers have been yanked in favor of two EMG's; an 81 in the bridge and an 89 in the neck (my favorite config, which I also have in another of my axes, a Jackson King V Pro). Like the addage goes (and like just about anybody this side of Saturn knows by now), the 81 is so hot that in order get more distortion you'll need to plug your chainsaw into your Marshall stack. Also, with the solid alder body of the Explorer, sustain time is indefinite; stay there for as long as you want to in front of your amp, and this baby (the 81) will sustain your E chord into beautiful shades of feedback for eons. As for the 89, it gives you the fullest clean sound you'll ever hear (in humbucking mode). In single-coil mode, clarity is the word. So crisp it cuts with surgeon-like precision, without any overdrive or scratchiness whatsoever. As others have stated, it is my belief that ESP designed these guitars for use with EMG pickups. You couldn't ask for a better sound, period.

The guitar was immaculate upon receipt. Two months and several jam sessions later, it still is. The finish on this thing is incredibly thick and shiny, and still does not have any scratches on it. As beatiful as the first day I got it, depite lots of very hard playing. Action, intonation, neck position were and remain perfect to this day. ESP is obviously in the business of building brick shithouses which are designed to last.

See above. There are two reasons you never see rock stars smashing an ESP guitar: 1) they love them too much to destroy them; 2) they probably couldn't destroy one even if they wanted to.

Never had to deal with 'em. Probably won't have to...ever. It's got a lifetime warrany.

Bottom line: (ESP LTD EXP-200) + (EMG 81 and 89) = total Hetfield weapon of mass tonal destruction, for a fraction of the price.

22 frets, 2 ducan designed humbuckers, vol. and tone pots, 3 position toggle, alder body, rosewood fret board, hard case, cool design.

This is an excellent metal guitar, but it also sounds like a jazz and/or blues guitar on the neck pick-up. Pick-ups are very quiet, no hum out of these babies and descent harmonics.

Action was set very low when I got it but the problem was the 6th string wasn't all on the finger board. I called up ESP and with-in a minute they told me how to fix it. The finish seems extremely thick and glossy. I can see me-self in it. Other than the little problem, it was set up beutifully except they put on 9 gague GHS strings.

This thing is a feaking tank. I changed the strap buttons to strap locks so this baby isn't falling off my shoulder. Harware is nice and I don't see the black crome comming off. Paint is thick at the least. I would use it with-out a back-up because although I have 2 other guitars, one I would not be caught dead playing live(Squier Piece of shit) and the other I am afraid it might get damaged(Gibson Les Paul Studio Limited edition w/classic P-90 pick-ups)

The people were nice and to the point. As I said in less that 2minutes I had the neck fixed.

I have been playing for 3 years now and I needed a performing guitar. I use this through my fender roc/pro 1000 for the crunch it is has and my Line 6 Flextone for really everything else. If this were stolen I would definetely buy it again. For $575 you can't help to wonder how ESP stays in business selling this type of guitar for under $1,000. This is an excellent guitar, not just an excellent guitar for the money, it is amazing.

This weapon is the economical version of its much more expensive bigger brother, the ESP Explorer. It features 22 extra-jumbo frets (dot inlays), black laminate top over alder body, black laminate over neck and headstock, rosewood fretboard. Controls are volume and tone pots, along with a 3-way pickup selector. Pickups are Duncan Designed, in a H-H configuration (both passive). Bridge is a Tune-O-Matic jobby with a fixed tailpiece. Hardware is all-black. Gold (with white shadow effect) "LTD" letters on headstock, with a black truss rod cover displaying a "by ESP" in white letters. Package comes complete with black hard-shell case (with 6-inch high "LTD" logo on lower left-hand side in gold letters), and a truss rod wrench as the single accessory... that's all you need; customize with strap of your choice. This guitar is evil incarnate, and looks like it could kill somebody for the mere pleasure of taking life. A damned fine piece of work; the people at ESP know what the hell they're doing.

I play mainly heavy metal, but this axe is also well suited for clean playing too. It is presently being used though an all-Boss pedal loop (compressor, Metal Zone, chorus, flanger, digital delay, and graphic EQ at the end of the line) and a Snarling Dogs Whine-O Wah, all fed into a Crate G-130-CXL twin (solid-state). The sound quality from the Duncan Designed humbuckers is pretty good, but not as responsive as I'd like them to be (although they are the quietest things I've ever heard). They'll probably be yanked sometime in the near future for a couple of EMG 81's. As for fullness and sustain (more associated to the guitar than the pickups), the Explorer rules. Since the pickups are not the best, I'll be giving an 8 rating, but that's *entirely* pickup-related, NOT guitar-related. If there were EMG's in there, on a scale of 1 to 10, I'd rate it about, say, 35 or so!

The action was slightly high, but that was remedied in about 10 seconds by adjusting the finger screws on the Tune-O-Matic (real easy with this type of bridge!). Intonation was right on cue. No flaws in the finish, hardware, frets, or anywhere else. Action on this thing is f-a-s-t!! The action is now set lower than any of my other guitars (real close to the fretboard; the thing practically plays itself), and incredibly, there's ZERO string buzz on the frets, unless I smack the strings really hard (which I shouldn't be doing in the first place anyway).

This guitar is kind of heavy due to its size, but the thing is built like a brick shithouse; this thing could probably serve as a backup...for a wrecking ball. The hardware looks like it could put up with all the abuse I could ever dish out, since it appears to be really solid (and simple too). If I didn't need to use a different tuning, I'd play this thing without a backup on a gig with no backup or worries. Due to its heftiness, however, it's wise to use a strap that you know will be comfy if you're gonna be jamming for a few hours. As with my other guitars, I've got this one equipped with a Planet Waves strap (wide and cushiony shoulder pad), and it's really comfortable.

Never had to deal with the folks at ESP. The Explorer has got a limited lifetime warranty on it; since it's built so solidly, I can see why they can offer this type of warranty.

In short, the EXP-200 rules. Yank the stock humbuckers in favor of a couple of EMG's and you've got yourself a total James Hetfield axe for a fraction of the price. If anyone has any further queries about it, drop me an e-line; I'll be glad to answer any questions about it.