Quality Would you consider this product to be made well? How dependable? Let me start this review by saying I have played probably hundreds of guitars in my life. My main guitar used to be a 1980's era Gibson Les Paul Custom and in terms of construction and quality control, the ESP blows it out of the water. I'm not joking. Right out of the beautiful hardshell case this axe was set up flawlessy; the ebony fingerboard is dark yet shines in the light, the frets are perfectly set up and feel pristine, and the hardware is all put together without any adjusment needed. Just simply perfect worksmanship. I'll be going over every aspect of the guitar in this review, from tone to ease of use/string changing to what seperates this brand from the mighty LTD brands. Overall, it's my new favorite; which is a hard title to achieve. Reliability How has it stood up over time? I've only recently purchased this guitar (had it for about a week now) but it's built so sturdy and well that I'll have it for a lifetime. It feels solid as a rock and every part on it makes it feel stable and tough. Overall Your general opinion of this product. Overall, you know what I'm going to say and have heard of ESP if you're checking out this review. This guitar is pricey, however it plays and feels better than any guitar I've owned/played at prices double of what ESP sells it for. 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 the important part because some of you reading this will probably wonder "Why not just buy an LTD, they sound just as nice?" You are right. Partially. I have played LTD guitars, and they were recommended to me by a friend who uses them. Once I picked up his $900.00 LTD Deluxe EC-1000 and it played just as well as well my $5000.00 Gibson, I realized it was time for a change. I immediately started reviewing and looking into LTD guitars and was wondering what makes an ESP so much more different. Let me tell you, there is a huge difference. You will not really understand unless you're holding one, but it ultimately comes down to playability, versatility, neck navigation, finish, tone, and crafstmanship. The ESP line of guitars is simply a work of art. The neck is ridiculously easy to move around as opposed to LTD guitars; you can perform bends, solos, and MUCH better chords on the neck of an ESP. The neck is smooth and perfect, I have never played one better on any guitar. Tone Bright and snappy? Dark and smooth? Were the pickups hot, mellow, thick, thin? Truly, this is what sold me. I play all kinds of music, from blues to pop punk to classics to progressive metal. The clean smooth creamy tones from the EMG 60 in the neck with the mohagony body is balanced and wonderfully easy to color to your liking. However, most of you reading this, I know what you want to hear. The metal sounds from the EMG 81 are insane. I play off-timing palm mutes frequently, with fast licks and arpeggios to follow and the the bottom end not only shakes shakes everything around you, but the transition from low to high happens so fast and so seamless with such a great tone. Few other guitars get that sound, with such a light body. But what would you expect with a skillfully handcrafted guitar? THAT is what seperates an ESP from an LTD. Finish How did the stain or paint job look? The paint is impeccable. Not one flaw, and I'm ocd about paint. I went up and down the whole guitar inspecting it and Action How was the action out of the box? Another huge selling point of an ESP. When I got the guitar, I had to change the strings. The Gotoh locking tuners, by the way, are a bit difficult to get at first, but once you get the hang of them they are awesome and fast to swap strings with. They stay in tune too, even after a lot of bends and hard playing. So after I put heavier string gauge one the guitar as a preference, I expected to have to adjust the action somewhat. Guess I was wrong, it was still just as flawless as before. The strings on the neck rest great above the frets, and there was no buzzing, just as if you purchased a guitar double the price.

Quality Would you consider this product to be made well? How dependable? This guitar is impeccably made. The finish is incredible, the instrument is very resonant and punchy. All the hardware is the highest quality. Reliability How has it stood up over time? I have owned mine since September of 2008 (it's November 2012 as I write this). I have never had a problem with the guitar. Overall Your general opinion of this product. This guitar is unbeatable. I have owned several ltd's and this slays all of them. I have played a few les paul customs, and this holds it's own against them no problem (even surpassing in some areas, like the neck shape). The attention to detail is excellent, no file marks or overspray anywhere on the guitar. The ebony fretboard has a very tight grain and consistent color. They put the battery inside the control cavity rather than routing another cavity (which I find preferable). Playability and Feel How does it feel, Heavy, Fast, Chunky? How was the neck? Are the controls easy to get to while playing? The Vintage Black paint feels fast and worn-in from day 1. I don't have any problems with my hand sticking to the neck. The action is very close (I typically keep the action under 2mm at the 22nd fret on both sides). Tone Bright and snappy? Dark and smooth? Were the pickups hot, mellow, thick, thin? The combination of the EMG pickups and choice mohagany (with a maple top, which the LTD's do not have), gives this guitar a lot of punch and sustain. Finish How did the stain or paint job look? The finish is incredible. The paint is flawless. Action How was the action out of the box? the action was great when I got it. Still is 4 years later.

Quality Would you consider this product to be made well? How dependable? Very well made. Have never seen a Gibson with this quality. And the price difference is astounding. Reliability How has it stood up over time? The guitar holds up very well. I have had it for about two weeks, one week without a case and it withstood everything. ESP has won me over from Gibson. Overall Your general opinion of this product. This guitar is made to show that no one has to buy a 4000 dollar guitar for a beautiful and very well made product. Playability and Feel How does it feel, Heavy, Fast, Chunky? How was the neck? Are the controls easy to get to while playing? Lighter than a Les Paul, but solid as a rock and the neck is amazingly fast. The controls are of course in the same area as a Gibson Les Paul, so no problem there. Tone Bright and snappy? Dark and smooth? Were the pickups hot, mellow, thick, thin? Already told you, AMAZING! Finish How did the stain or paint job look? I got the see-thru black cherry version and the wood and finish are superb quality. I will come back for more of these soon! Action How was the action out of the box? Action was perfect for me. Solos and lead with no problem.

Quality Would you consider this product to be made well? How dependable? Top notch, comparable to any USA made gibson, even customs. Before I bought this guitar I purchased the Epiphone Prophecy EX at around $800..I knew it was Korean made, but I figured, hey, they're owned by Gibson now, and it's one of the highest priced epiphones that they sell -- so the quality HAS to be good, right? Wrong. It was TERRIBLE..so much so that I shot an email to Gibson saying how dissatisfied I was. The Eclipse is expensive, but it's worth it in the long run. Reliability How has it stood up over time? I'm sure it will, have only owned it a few days now. Overall Your general opinion of this product. It's expensive, but it's worth every penny. Playability and Feel How does it feel, Heavy, Fast, Chunky? How was the neck? Are the controls easy to get to while playing? It's a light guitar (weight wise), and I honestly wish that the "Full Thickness" (FT) version was sold in the USA (I haven't seen any on ANY websites or in any stores, but I see them on ebay and forum \ trading sites every once in a great while, maybe they're imports?), but it does NOT affect the tone AT ALL. So overall, it's super easy to play. The belly carve on the back and the neck profile are perfect. The neck is fatter than my Ibanez but not too thick -- I think it's right in the middle which should be really easy to get used to for anyone right from the start. Tone Bright and snappy? Dark and smooth? Were the pickups hot, mellow, thick, thin? Oh man, tone is A++++ top notch PERFECT..both metal rythm and leads, and clean. Finish How did the stain or paint job look? Perfect..I went with snow white to match my 7 string Ibanez RG1527M (it's "Galaxy White") Action How was the action out of the box? I've purchased 5 guitars brand new and this was the only one that came set up perfect out of the box...the action is right where I like it..low, but with no buzzing and no dead notes. You can tell that ESP Japan knows what they are doing, that's for damned sure.

Quality Would you consider this product to be made well? How dependable? Very well and very well made. Have'nt had it long, but it feels solid as I said before, and like I said before, This guitar arrived to me in flawless condition. Reliability How has it stood up over time? Just arrived today, so Im still taking extra care with it, but it feels very well built. Checked around the binding and all around the guitar and it is just perfect, could not find a single flaw anywhere on the instrument. Havent had to retune it yet, and the tuners secure the strings very well. Overall Your general opinion of this product. Stunning in all ways. I am a big fan of the LTD series, and was really just bought this guitar on a whim. Glad I did, the feel of this guitar ans it's body shape is superb. Playability and Feel How does it feel, Heavy, Fast, Chunky? How was the neck? Are the controls easy to get to while playing? Feels and plays like a dream. super fast neck. The neck fits my hand perfectly. Tone Bright and snappy? Dark and smooth? Were the pickups hot, mellow, thick, thin? The bridge pup is smooth, while the bridge pup just screams. Both are bright and have yet to come accross a sound I havent been able to get. Finish How did the stain or paint job look? Absolutley flawless! Action How was the action out of the box? The action out of the box was much better than my LTD H100 (after getting it set up by a proffessional). Took it to my guitar shop and they tweaked it, and now its just incredible. No fret buzz, and the action is just perfect.