Item Reviews for:
Subject
WHAT A RESONANT CHUNK"O"WOOD
B. Abbott from Baytown, TX. USA
Quality
Would you consider this product to be made well? How dependable?
In a nutshell this thing has unequaled quality across the board for an axe in this price range.Im quite astounded. Although Im not a big fan of chrome and had to change out some parts and hardware to be more to my liking,all of the origanal components are superb
Reliability
How has it stood up over time?
I havent had this baby very long but again my experience tells me in the long run i'll be proclaimin shes built like a brick **** house
Overall
Your general opinion of this product.
Fit and finish are absolutely amazing for a guitar in this price range.Absolutely flawless so far as I could tell.
Playability and Feel
How does it feel, Heavy, Fast, Chunky? How was the neck? Are the controls easy to get to while playing?
This ol bird wont win any weight contests,but as we all know cant get that classic LP sound w/o a slab of mahogany. And this my friends is a slab. On her other end though this is one slick and comfortable neck. Flawlessly dressed frets,and polished! I mean this babys will blind ya
Tone
Bright and snappy? Dark and smooth? Were the pickups hot, mellow, thick, thin?
As is you can definitely run the classic LP gamut in tone with these duncan buckers. You ask bright and snappy? dark and smooth? pups hot,mellow,thick,thin? I say all of thee above if you know how to dial it in.I tapped both pups with push/pulls and it really broadened out but as is if you dial her in you can peg whatever you want
Finish
How did the stain or paint job look?
The finish is fantastic. The binding is aged cream and really made the tobacco burst "pop"
Action
How was the action out of the box?
The action right ootb was pretty dang silky. I did change the bridge for structural and cosmetic reasons so therefore had to do some precise setting up. Standard TOM bridge 12" radius and this fretboard is closer to 14 so a few adjustments on my part but straight out of the box a newbie surely wouldnt be lost
Subject
Excellent Guitar!!
Jim R. from Boise, ID
Quality
Would you consider this product to be made well? How dependable?
Excellent quality! Partly because of the excellent hardware on the guitar, and because of the incredible fit and finish of the instrument. This is the first guitar that I have bought new that had POLISHED FRETS!
Reliability
How has it stood up over time?
So far, it stays in tune very well, and I like to bend the notes a lot!!!
Overall
Your general opinion of this product.
The quality of this guitar is outstanding! It has everything you want in a Les Paul style guitar, without the Les Paul price tag. It's an incredible bargain for the price.
Playability and Feel
How does it feel, Heavy, Fast, Chunky? How was the neck? Are the controls easy to get to while playing?
Perfect feel for me! The neck is fatter than the EC-256 that I have, and a little thinner then my Les Paul. Easily my favorite guitar to play!!
Tone
Bright and snappy? Dark and smooth? Were the pickups hot, mellow, thick, thin?
Warm, clean, thick and mellow!
Finish
How did the stain or paint job look?
Incredible!!! I love the flame maple!! Finish was flawless!!
Action
How was the action out of the box?
Out of the box, the action was perfect!!! All I had to do was tune it!
Subject
AWESOME AXE!
Tricky from Reno, NV
Quality
Would you consider this product to be made well? How dependable?
Excellent quality.
Reliability
How has it stood up over time?
Solid as a rock. Gig worthy for certain. I've owned this axe for over 2 years.
Overall
Your general opinion of this product.
Excellent guitar. I also own 2 ESP Standard Eclipse guitars and I prefer this over them both.
Playability and Feel
How does it feel, Heavy, Fast, Chunky? How was the neck? Are the controls easy to get to while playing?
This is a metal guitar. The Seymour Duncans are killer thru my Line 6.
Tone
Bright and snappy? Dark and smooth? Were the pickups hot, mellow, thick, thin?
Dark and moody!
Finish
How did the stain or paint job look?
Pictures don't do it justice. This guitar is beautiful in person.
Action
How was the action out of the box?
Needed adjustments.
Subject
Incredible Guitar--Incredible Price
Satisfied Line 6 customer from Northern California
Quality
Would you consider this product to be made well? How dependable?
The quality appears top notch. Not one single complaint. The Grover tuning keys are fantastic. The pick ups are the best. What more can you ask for? You can basically buy 5 of these guitars for the cost of a Les Paul Standard these days. Unbelievable.
Reliability
How has it stood up over time?
Have only owned it a short time but my other ESP's have lasted years. They are built to last, not some cheap foreign guitar that'll break down in a few years.
Overall
Your general opinion of this product.
This is one well built guitar. The tone is fantastic with the solid--I repeate--SOLID mahogany back with killer Flame Maple top. The Seymour Duncan's round out this beast. Awesome!
Playability and Feel
How does it feel, Heavy, Fast, Chunky? How was the neck? Are the controls easy to get to while playing?
This thing feels like a vintage Les Paul with the hefty weight. It's balanced perfectly. The neck is soooo comfortable. It's really a players guitar. This thing rocks. Chunk for days. Love it.
Tone
Bright and snappy? Dark and smooth? Were the pickups hot, mellow, thick, thin?
The tone is to die for. Very Les Paulish, very deep, resonant. The notes sustain for days. Awesome tone. The pickups are Seymour Duncan's. A JB in the Bridge and a '59 in the Neck. The perfect choice for this guitar.
Finish
How did the stain or paint job look?
The finish is awesome. Perfect amount of lacquer and it really, really shines. Flame Maple is beautiful.
Action
How was the action out of the box?
Action out of the box was perfect. Tuned it up and it is absolutely like butter. I can't believe how nice these ESP's come from the factory.
Subject
Les Paul Slayer!
Josh from Massachusetts
Quality
Would you consider this product to be made well? How dependable?
It feels solid, and I tend to be very particular when I check it over during string changes. The only actual maintenance I've had to do was to tighten one of the tuning machines when the washer under it was buzzing. Otherwise, it's just fine.
Reliability
How has it stood up over time?
I've only actually had it for about five months, but it plays just as well as (if not better than) the day I first tried it out in the store. First thing I did after I got it home was to install strap locks, so I can't comment on the stock strap buttons' reliability, but I'm sure they're fine. I'd recommend installing strap locks anyway, just to avoid drops.
Overall
Your general opinion of this product.
For the price, this guitar can't be outdone. I bought this guitar when I'd been playing for about a year and a half. Even without comparison to similar guitars in its price range (and way above it), its tone and playability are simply top-notch.
Playability and Feel
How does it feel, Heavy, Fast, Chunky? How was the neck? Are the controls easy to get to while playing?
The EC-401VF is basically ESP's mid-range offering for rock guitarists, comparable in price to an Epiphone LP. As a result, it has one of the thickest bodies in their entire catalog, which produces fantastic tone but will weigh you down a bit. I've never minded or even noticed the extra heft, particularly when I really rock out, but I do know it bothers some players.
The neck is really influenced by ESP's expertise in the death metal market; it's fairly thin with very large frets. It's very easy to play and requires a much lighter touch than most of the other guitars I've played. The result is an extremely fast neck that would satisfy a serious shredder on a guitar made for rock and blues. In my opinion, it’s the best of both worlds.
Tone
Bright and snappy? Dark and smooth? Were the pickups hot, mellow, thick, thin?
The JB in the bridge is very punchy and powerful. It handles distortion very well. It’s great for playing leads and metal riffs. The ’59 in the neck is warm and smooth clean, bassy and thick distorted. It’s not the hottest pickup you’ll find, but it isn’t meant to be. It’s reminiscent of the tone of a vintage LP (which makes sense, given the name of the pickup). In addition to being great for rhythm work, the ’59 produces the best blues tone I’ve ever heard, period. I A/Bed it with a 2009 Gibson Les Paul Standard and the LTD had a richer, fuller tone overall (I stand by that; bring on the flame wars). While the EC-401VF really shines in rock, classic rock and blues, the JB/’59 combination is versatile enough to handle almost everything.
Finish
How did the stain or paint job look?
Gorgeous! Pictures don't do it justice. I have the Cherry Sunburst model; the colors are much richer and a bit darker than they appear online. The only problem is that fingerprints and dust tend to show on the finish since it's so shiny.
Action
How was the action out of the box?
Action out of the box was a tad low for my taste, but perfect for a shredder. Understandable, as ESP tends to market toward the death and speed metal crowds. I tweaked the action up a bit and there's almost no fret buzz at all (some unplugged on the lower frets, but nothing you'll hear through your amp).