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By Far Worst Guitar
By: Patty G
Submitted: 3/28/2024
Product Rating
Product Review
Owned 1 2 years ago and sold it. That one was good, and having missed it I purchased another. This second one was nothing like the first, which is telling in terms of Schecter Diamond/LTD’s quality control (the actual manufacturing company of these ESP licenses is the same company that manufactures the Diamond Series).
Problem 1: Everything attached to the body needed replacing.
Tuners were stripped and loose.
The nut was poorly cut and caused the guitar to have virtually 0 tuning stability. Pairing that with the tuners, playing this thing as a useable guitar was a nightmare.
Pickups sounded dead compared to other guitars but that was expected.
Bridge might’ve been ok but I had intense buzzing sounds so i replaced it too.
I replaced everything; all wiring, pickups, controls, tuning machines, bridge and tail, and modified the nut.
It should be ok, except…
Problem 2: Nearly EVERY fret needs reworking or refilling. Despite having smooth and well dressed frets, they’re nowhere near even when checked carefully. I finally found this culprit to the horrible fret buzz that happened on EVERY fret (except the last fret). I had reset the neck relief and bridge height many many times, and even tried some extreme settings to get rid of the buzz. I couldn’t. I finally did what i knew i needed to do and checked for uneven frets and…. nearly every one is uneven. But not at the same location. Some are higher near the treble strings, and some near the bass strings. And they’re all mixed about.
So all i have left is to rework the frets.
And then ..
After another 400 dollars, this guitar will be playable.
Be cautious when other people say LTD (And Schecter Diamond) are good brands. They definitely have excellent products (by license), but their QA is absolutely unacceptable. I would’ve returned this if it weren’t for my stubborn personality.
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Amazing guitar for the money!
By: Rich W
Submitted: 3/25/2024
Product Review
This guitar looks stunning and plays just as well. Quite a value for the money. I’m looking to buy a couple more. It’s a good looking guitar that you won’t be afraid to gig with.
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Thinking About Triplets
By: Jake
Submitted: 3/14/2024
Product Review
I've had the Dark Brown Sunburst model of this for a couple of years now and I love it. All pros, no cons, no regrets.
When they price came down on this one I didn't hesitate to have twins. Same amazing fiddle, just in a different outfit. Now I'm here almost every day looking at the See Thru Cobalt Blue model, doing the math on how much food I actually need each month, lol.
Great guitar, great price, awesome fun.
Cheers!
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This guitar is incredible at this price point!
By: Rwalt70
Submitted: 2/26/2024
Product Review
I really enjoy this guitar. I love my Les Paul’s, but this is becoming a goto for a few reasons, but the key ones are the weight, the aggressive way the neck feels, and because I worry about it in clubs and bars much less than with my Gibson’s. Highly recommend!
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Great sounding guitar and for the price you really can't beat it.
By: Bobby
Submitted: 1/29/2024
1 person found this review helpful.
Product Review
Great sounding guitar and for the price you really can't beat it. AMS always does good to deliver on quality guitars at good prices.
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It is smooth playing guitar
By: Randy S
Submitted: 1/29/2024
Product Review
Plays well, light weight and sounds awesome even with basic pickups.
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Beautiful sound and beautiful in looks
By: Christie Myers
Submitted: 10/28/2023
1 person found this review helpful.
Product Review
This guitar is beautiful! The sound is amazing! Highly recommend.
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Very well made for a mid shelf guitar
By: Mike
Submitted: 8/25/2023
1 person found this review helpful.
Product Review
I am absolutely in love with this guitar. The tones I can get from this are quite diverse and since I play a few styles it absolutely delivers for me. The finish on this guitar is beautiful, and the payment plan through AMS made buying this guitar worth it.
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Had to wait an extra day, but what a guitar!
By: William Powell
Submitted: 7/27/2023
1 person found this review helpful.
Product Review
I had to wait 4 days for the guitar and an extra day for the stand after paying for 1 day shipping and overnight delivery, but it was well worth the wait! My only minor complaint about the ltd 256 is the push/pull knob sometimes slides off rather than locking out, but that's an easy fix.
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Monster for $
By: Tx
Submitted: 6/29/2023
1 person found this review helpful.
Product Review
I own 17 guitars ranging 500-2000 price point and have had many others over the years as well. Bought this specifically for the color but I gotta say I’m beyond impressed how much guitar you get for your money at this price point. Owned a few schecter, epiphone, and prs in this ballpark but this is by far the best I personally have played right out of the box. Neck is sleek no fret issues, body is well balanced as well. Only “complaint” is the tone isn’t quite what I like HOWEVER I drop Seymour’s in majority of my guitars so I do have a preference. Black winters will go in this one. No regrets about this purchase.
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Great features!
By: Alex S
Submitted: 4/5/2021
2 people found this review helpful.
Product Review
I got it in trans pure and am just in love with the finish. Used to own an epiphone les Paul special II and like the EC 256 better. I love how I have the ability to split the coil, it just gives me way more tone options to play with and not something I was expecting at this price point. Also really like how thin the neck feels, I like playing fast and this lets me get around the fretboard pretty easily. In my opinion this is a great first time guitar or just a great guitar to add to your collection. Sounds great clean and sounds great with distrortion.
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The Feel and playability of this guitar is amazing.
By: Keith Kyle
Submitted: 3/4/2021
5 people found this review helpful.
Product Review
The craftsmanship on the guitar for the price point is amazing. The tone and grit of the factory pickups are comparable to aftermarket pickups and smooth tone from the neck position. Use with my group and have picked it over my other guitars that I have had for years. ESP knocked it out of the park and Americal Musical Supply, thank you for offering a quality isntrument.
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High quality, and affordable!
By: Richard Johnson
Submitted: 12/29/2020
4 people found this review helpful.
Product Review
This guitar is much more than I hoped for. I’ve read many great reviews on the ec-256, wish I would’ve jumped on it sooner. The packaging from AMS was perfect. Box inside of box added good protection for shipping. Playable right out of the box (besides tuning). Trust me, you will not be disappointed or regret this purchase. I opted for translucent blue. Absolutely beautiful. Thanks, AMS!
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Great sound, amazing build.
By: David Hardy
Submitted: 12/9/2020
5 people found this review helpful.
Product Review
Bought a brand new ESP LTD 256FM from here and, I love it. Guitar Has a great build quality, amazing sound, wish the pickups were a little bit better, but that's my next purchase. Love the guitar, absolutely amazing.
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A beautiful piece. Amazing sound.
By: Zee
Submitted: 11/6/2020
13 people found this review helpful.
Product Review
An absolute stunner for the price! Expected Esp Quality. Great guitar, great looks, and sound. Worried? Don't be! Well worth the price!
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Very impressed
By: Chris
Submitted: 3/30/2020
3 people found this review helpful.
Product Review
Came set up nicely, decent frets, binding was nice, really good looking guitar, neck is awesome, for a budget or beginner guitar, it’s about as good as you’ll find.
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A lot of bang for the bucks !
By: Dave
Submitted: 2/18/2020
4 people found this review helpful.
Product Review
The guitar has a nice finish. The factory set up was perfect with nice action. Pickups sound great for this price. I would recommend this guitar.
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This guitar is awesome in all aspects.
By: SOLOSHOW
Submitted: 1/6/2020
1 person found this review helpful.
Product Review
Nice well made awesome instrument.
For the price you can’ Ask for a better deal
This gourgeos piece of art is worth it as the most expensive instrument on different brand.
Buy it and you never going to be regret of squiring this magnificent instrument.
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Love this guitar
By: John Woodard
Submitted: 5/8/2019
8 people found this review helpful.
Product Review
One of the best guitar purchases I have ever made! Sounds great right out of the box. Great product at an incredible price. No complaints!
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Solid!
By: Robert Buchta
Submitted: 4/6/2019
5 people found this review helpful.
Product Review
This is my second ESP guitar that I own. Very happy with it and it sounds great! Feels solid and stays in tune...can't say enough about this guitar. I highly recommend it!
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Not just a great guitar for the money....
By: Kevin
Submitted: 11/8/2018
3 people found this review helpful.
Product Review
...but simply a great guitar. It's playable right out of the box, sounds great unplugged, and is simply beautiful. I gave it four stars because the pickups leave quite a bit to be desired, but I had planned to switch them out when I bought it.
Best of all, it's less expensive than a similarly appointed Epiphone Les Paul.
Just buy it.
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Exceptional instrument for $400
By: Al Ventura
Submitted: 10/13/2018
3 people found this review helpful.
Product Review
if you want a weight relieved LP type guitar and you're working on a budget, get ya one of these. Bridge pickup is a little on the bright side as to my liking. Other than tjat, you won't hear complain about this guitar. By the way, it's real easy on THE shoulder
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Awesome guitar for the money
By: Shannon
Submitted: 9/27/2018
4 people found this review helpful.
Product Review
One of the best guitars I've ever owned it plays and sounds amazing I would recommend it to anyone if your just starting or been playing for years this guitar is great everything was set up right out of the box only thing I had to do was tune it
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Amazing guitar
By: Shane Tayner
Submitted: 9/21/2018
3 people found this review helpful.
Product Review
Got a blemished one, for cheap, I see literally no defect anywhere on this guitar. Plays like a dream though. Fantastic action, thinner neck than I expected and it feels great for me. If you're sleeping on this being a bit mid-range, take the leap and get it.
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This is an awesome guitar!
By: Scott Walker
Submitted: 9/10/2018
1 person found this review helpful.
Product Review
This guitar is beautiful! This thing rocks! Awesome sound, clean or dirty. Stays in tune. Well built with a beautiful quilt top. If you're looking for a great playing guitar then this is it! Great price!
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Love it, better than expected
By: Charles Bate
Submitted: 9/5/2018
6 people found this review helpful.
Product Review
Beautiful great feel sound quality fun to play
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Great guitar for the cost
By: Unfitchaos
Submitted: 7/12/2018
1 person found this review helpful.
Product Review
This guitar is exactly what I was hoping for. The pickups are tied among most I have heard in thus price point. The model I received had no frets sticking out. My only complaint is a preference. The next is pretty sticky. Not as bad as some Les Paul's I tried in this price bracket, but something to be aware of. I am glad I found such a nice guitar in purple.
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Love it
By: Dan VanAlstine
Submitted: 4/20/2018
1 person found this review helpful.
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It's nice yo
By: Michael campbell
Submitted: 11/4/2017
1 person found this review helpful.
Product Review
Plays kinda twangy
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Awesome Sauce
By: Maldy185
Submitted: 10/17/2017
3 people found this review helpful.
Product Review
Has been awesome so far exceeded expectations and AMS service is the cherry on top
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bad purchase
By: H.C.
Submitted: 7/30/2017
11 people found this review helpful.
Product Review
It had so many blemishes on it I quit counting and boxed it up to send back. I was embarrassed to show it to people, and every person who saw it pointed out a different blemish. Paint oversprayed over other colors, scuffed topcoat (very noticeable), two 1/4-1/2inch spots on the top with no color, paint, or stain. Smudged paint on the edges. I am very afraid of what the next guitar will look like. It looked nothing like the pictures at the ESP website.
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I bought mine for 256 with shipping. In see thru black. Im always trying to find the yellow one at
By: Tom
Submitted: 3/4/2017
1 person found this review helpful.
Product Review
Right out of box nice...
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Words cant describe how much I love this guitar.
By: Kevin Sutton from Pensacola, FL
Submitted: 8/21/2014
9 people found this review helpful.
Product Review
Best $400 I have ever spent on a guitar. Right out of the box with out changing a thing this guitar sounded like a million bucks. Plays smooth as silk and holds a note forever and a day. Couldn't be happier with the quality ESP has put into its LTD line. Cudos to AMS for super fast processing and shipping.
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Truly a Wonder to behold and to play
By: Gahoy
Submitted: 8/13/2014
4 people found this review helpful.
Product Review
My My! My Search is over! Sweet Tone! Lovely COlour (Black/Grey Flame).
High Quality. Perfect right out of the box.
Ridiculous ease of use and playability.
Amazing cross section of tone from bright to warm. Versatile like none of my other guitars.
Couldnt have been better. Perfect.
Yes Sir!! Few compare in the price range.
Perfect.
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I may only play LTDs for now on!
By: Damon Plastered
Submitted: 1/31/2014
5 people found this review helpful.
Product Review
This is a great guitar at an awesome price. It is way above any higher end Epiphone. Love this guitar.
Solid built. It should last a long time.
Great low action right out of the box. Super fast smooth neck.
The stock pickups are great as is. I play in a Punk Rock N ' Roll band and they compliment our sound very well.
Mine is in Cherry Sunburst and it is absolutely beautiful.
The best guitar I've played in its price range.
Low Acton with only slight fret buzz. Fixed that in 10 minutes though.
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my new go to guitar
By: richie k.
Submitted: 5/8/2013
5 people found this review helpful.
Your general opinion of this product.
I simply LOVE both guitars . i own both the worn in ice tea and beautifully finished cherry suburst models and love them equally ! I also own a stratocaster, SG, ibanez RG, and a many others . The EC 256 has re-energized my playing and has become my go to guitar of choice for ALL applications ! I have played the guitar for over 50 years and professionally since the 6th grade. I've owned just about all of them with many of them come and gone over the years. I am still stunned at what wonderful guitars these are , and just an UNBELIEVABLE BARGAIN for the money. I am amazed at how you do it !!!
These guitars are extremely well made - i was shocked at the attention to detail . The worn in finish on the ice is very comfortable , realistic , and very low maintainance as far as polishing and appearance. The cherry finish is just imaculate and totally flawlessly beautiful-incredible craftmanship and attention to detail is levels above my other guitars.
They both feel just fantastic- far better necks and fretjobs as compaired to ALL my other guitars.
I love all the variations of tone i can achieve with the coil splitting feature - THE perfect crossover instrument for me. Before this i was a lifetime strat fanatic . The pick ups are unique sounding and i wouldn't dream of changing them.
The action was very good out of the box, but i did lower it a bit for my personal preferance . That was easily achieved . I also naturally put on my favorite strings - but the factory strings were remarkably good .
The worn in distressed ice tea is very comfortable and does give it the feel of an old well broken in favorite- and again , requires just a quick wipe now and then. Nice to have a guitar i don't have to worry about banging around a little. The cherry finish rivals that of guitars costing thousands more and is just totally flawless. What a nice suprise i never expected for a guitar in this price range. The neck and body binding are expertly applied. Just beautiful !
I've have owned the ice tea for over a year and have had no problems whatsoever. The cherry i have owned for 6 months and also have derived nothing but total satisfaction and pleasure .Do yourself a favor a buy one (or two!) of these guitars - you will be SO surprised at the incredible value and quality .
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best ltd eclipse ever
By: andre from lessburg ,VA USA
Submitted: 4/7/2013
5 people found this review helpful.
the quality of this guitar is outstanding for its price.
it stays the same right when you get it.
Your general opinion of this product.
it is great for all types of music and it's comfortabillity is great for anyone.
it's in between a strat and les paul for feel and the playability is outstanding.
with the coil split feature it can make the tone bright or dark.
the statain finish is great for people who don't like finger prints on their guitars.
the action perfect, it's not to high, it's not to low, it's just right.