ESP LTD Guitars

ESP LTD Guitars are instruments from the more affordable line of the Japanese brand ESP, built mainly for metal and hard rock. The range includes M, MH and SN superstrats, the Eclipse singlecut, pointed Arrow models, seven-string, eight-string and baritone guitars, electro-acoustic models, beginner packs and hard cases. Signature models bear the names of guitarists such as Kirk Hammett and James Hetfield of Metallica, Gary Holt or George Lynch. You can find your way around the series by the number in the model name, which tells you the spec level.

How do you read an ESP LTD model name: what do the numbers 10, 200 or 1000 tell you?

The number after the series letters shows how the guitar is equipped. That is why you will often find the same shape in several tiers, for example the Eclipse as EC-10, EC-256 and EC-1000. Further letters and digits in the name tell you the number of strings, the bridge type or whether it is a left-handed version.

Beginner packs such as the F-10 Kit or EC-10 Kit and the MT-130 sets include accessories besides the guitar, such as a gig bag, tuner, stand or cable; some sets also come with a guitar combo amp.

Eclipse, superstrat or Arrow: which ESP LTD guitar shape should you choose?

The Eclipse (EC series) is a singlecut with one cutaway, similar to a Les Paul, mostly with two humbuckers and a shorter scale length. A shorter scale means lower string tension, so the strings are easier to pull when bending. The M, MH, SN, Horizon and MT superstrats have two cutaways, a thin neck and mostly 24 frets, so playing in the high positions is comfortable. The MT-130, with a humbucker, single coil and humbucker pickup layout and a tremolo, is also available in Basic, Standard and Premium sets.

Striking shapes for the stage are the Arrow with its pointed V-style body, the Phoenix with a reversed shape similar to a Firebird, and James Hetfield's signature models Snakebyte and Vulture. The Viper is a doublecut with two sharp horns. Kirk Hammett's guitars have a superstrat body (KH-202, KH-602) or the pointed KH-V shape. For lower tunings there are seven-string and eight-string guitars and baritones, for example the EC-1000 Baritone or SN-1007 Baritone, whose longer scale keeps the strings taut even at very low tunings.

Active pickups, Fishman Fluence or passive?

Active pickups have a strong, clean signal with low noise, so the notes in chords stay distinct even under heavy distortion. They need power from a 9 V battery or a rechargeable battery pack. Fishman Fluence pickups often have two voices in one pickup, and you switch between them by pulling up the volume or tone knob. Passive pickups respond more sensitively to how hard you pick and also suit clean tones, blues and hard rock.

The TL-6 electro-acoustic models have a thin body and a Fishman preamp, so you can plug them into an amp or a mixer with less feedback than a large acoustic guitar. You will find a more detailed selection on the ESP LTD Electric Guitars and ESP LTD Electro-Acoustic Guitars pages. Shaped cases for the Viper, Snakebyte, Vulture or Eclipse are among the ESP LTD bags and cases.