I bought a M-1000 with Fishmans. Indo made. The pickups weren't soldered properly which made the bridgepickup dead, I returned it and bought a M-1000 with Fishmans. On that one the fretboard had some cracks, and the Floyd Rose was mounted crooked. Both pretty expensive guitars for me and I returned the M-1000. Ended up buying a Ibanez Prestige instead. I have played LTD for 20 years on and off and the first two I got was Korean made with Sperzel locking tuners and Earvana nuts, they were absolutely great. I'm done with Indonesian made guitars, I also had a couple of Solars... Same QC problems.
I understand completely. Back in the day LTD was awesome, I’ve had some bad ones these last two years. I’ve got a good Solar thankfully, but yeah I’m done with Indonesian guitars too. I’ll stick with my ESP.
The issue is a lot of young guys who weren’t there during the heyday of cheap and insanely good quality LTD guitars. They’re normalizing paying upwards of 1600 dollars for mid level guitars. There has been a marked decline in quality of LTD guitars since Covid. Now this has been seen across all brands HOWEVER, their prices have reached absurd levels and the quality isn’t anywhere near what it was 10 years ago. I am a massive ESP/LTD fanboy but I have stopped buying LTD guitars new and only buy them used. I just bought a 2021 LTD EC 1000 CTM T and it’s fantastic (paid around 675 USD). Earlier this year I bought a mid 2000s LTD PB-500 for $350 CAD and it’s phenomenal. Its gamble at this point but paying such absurd amounts of money for a guitar should never be a gamble.
This. Hell, I paid like 600 for an OG black TD STEF Tele 7 last year...imagine my regret when I sold it for 500 and haven't found another under 800-900 in my country ever since 😂. In hindsight that was such a sick beater 7 string. Solid as a rock, heavy as hell, and sounded massive.
I feel like we are seeing the consequences of the pandemic and how it affected craftsmanship. The companies were in a rush to produce as many instruments as possible which of course has an impact to the quality in some way. I also have the same guitar, plus another LTD Phoenix Silver Sunburst and an ESP Arrow. All three of them I bought this year and funnily enough the ESP is the one with the flaws in the nut peaking out of the neck. The two LTDs are Korean made and they are great so far. I personally, do not have a problem with them, but I also noticed a couple of other youtubers complaining about the quality lately. Especially, the crack on the fretboard that you mentioned.
Interesting. Sorry to hear about your Arrow, and I agree that QC has taken a backseat since 2020. Obviously LTD is going to have far more great guitars than bad ones, but the demand is so high with anything ESP people wait literal months for one. I just hope the issues get cleared up, and more great guitars are getting out there.
even before 2020, i bought an e-ii and it was riddled with issues, hardware on the bridge was stripped out, different colors, bridge was not centered with the neck, inlays had excess glue all around them, fretwork was good, everything else was tight, i dunno wtf happened to them
Man that’s strange. I’ve got two I can’t find an issue with, but literally every brand is gonna have problems. I mean I really think they’re so far behind on production that they let some things slip. It’s all 2024 I still haven’t seen a 2023 model with the upgrades yet.
I just subscribed to your channel; really like your honest reviews. I do have two LTD's, which I'm pretty happy with; however, I am having a little bit of trouble dialing in low action, without ending up with fret buzz....still work in progress. Based on another one of your reviews, I'm seriously considering getting a Solar guitar; it would be my first. Thanks again!
my only experience with ltd so far is a indonesian made m-50 that was made around 20 years ago i think. that thing plays great and only cost me 200 bucks. i was in the market for an upscale ltd, but this honestly made me reconsider. maybe the move is to get an actual esp used.
My 2019 LTD Korean made EC1000 has been fantastic. Absolutely no problems, and it holds its own against my Gibson Les Paul Standard. But i have heard that when they moved to Indonesia, the QC went down the toilet. I'm sorry to hear that guitar is a money pit bro, that sucks. The specs on paper sound totally badass.
Thanks bro, I appreciate it. It started out amazing, after the fretboard crack and repair it just went downhill. I’m sure there are some great ones out there, it’s a well spec’d guitar for sure.
Damn shame you have gone through what you have to date. I fortunately only own 1 LTD and is a super sweet guitar that I got off an ESP rep at a local GC in Asheville, NC. It was a NAMM guitar that they took to see if anyone would be interested and he told me it tanked. I LOVE IT. It's a Tele LTD but there is some special mojo in this guitar. These days, I use either Burny or Tokai's and they have never failed me. All full thickness Les Paul Custom thickness with some Dimarzio Fortitude pickups in them. Hope it get's better for you in 2024 my brotha. Keep the faith
I love Tokai guitars. I have one of their R9 replicas, and it’s as good as or better than anything coming out of the Gibson Custom Shop at one third the price. I paid $2000 for it shipped as a grey market import.
Dude feel for ya! Once ya loose that feel connection with a gat it typically stays in it case…. Thanks for pointing out some things about LTD builds I’m in the market for either LTD or Schecter so will keep this in mind. Here in NZ we have a saying when ya get a lemon (dud) we say it must have been a Friday afternoon build… workers rush the job because the weekends arrived 😂 Thanks for the vid and looking forward to seeing you new gear! 🤘😎🏴☠️
I have 7 LTD's currently, including a Korean made JM-II, All my guitars have been pretty much perfect out of the box, other than needing set up and strings changed to my preferred. Only hardware issue is the LTD locking tuners, they are dog shit and I change them out for gotoh on all my guitars
I have a mix of Ibanez RG and LTD guitars. I've never had a problem from any of my Ibanezes except for 1 I bought for $50 at a pawnshop. It crackeld on the volume and tone knobs. But it's a pawnshop guitar. So I had my sights set low to begin with. My LTDs are a different story. I got my first LTD back in 2002. It's an M-255. And that thing is a tank. It's been to hell and back. In 2004 the headstock was broken off length wise. We were able to get it fixed. And only issues its had were with the Floyd wearing out over time. In 2019 I got am Arrow 200. The problems I had there was the string saddles on the Floyd stripped out. So I got the ones for the Floyd Rose original. That fixed it. The the 3 way toggle took a shit. I got that fixed. I have an LTD blac kmetal baritone. No issues there. Then I have an EC10 which I bought as a project guitar, because why not. And that thing was a piece of shit the day I got it. The bridge wobbled on the G. The frets felt like a cheese grader, the tuning keys couldn't stay in tune. But I knew what I was getting myself into. And it was like $175. So I wasn't expecting quality in any sense of the word. I replaced the bridge. But some sperzal locking tuners on it. Sanded the frets. It's ok now. But I'm still messing with it. I see it as the guitar equivalent of a 4000 dollar Hi Point, or a Yeet Canon. It's ridiculous. But it's mine. 😉👍
bro i feel you and its pretty much every guitar manufacturer, ive had issues with QC schecter and gibson, fender, maybe its my bad luck but we gotta call them out regardless
Part of the problem with tuning on ltd's is the angle the tuners are at in relation to the nut. The top string cuts a weird angle from the nut and the bottom string cuts a sharp angle from the nut. Now with a good quality graphite nut and properly angled nuts slots can help a lot. You won't get those things with any ltd. E2 or Esp will 9 out of 10 times come with those problems solved.
I have had many older ESP LTD guitars, all bought used... no issues at all. I am down to just 2 ESP LTD guitars... they are nothing fancy but I love them. *I got into ESP because of Page Hamilton from HELMET.
@@jordansguitarchannel3809 Ha! The infamous pink Horizon! *I met Page recently after a show, I asked him if ESP stood for “Extremely Small Penis”… he looked at me and burst out laughing, “Hey I like that!” Such a cool dude
I mean just try out guitars before you buy them period. Anything shipped over seas is gonna have fret sprout sadly. Low price = lower quality usually tho!
I love the LTD I have. It's the only guitar I have with DiMarzio pickups and it sounds great. It's my most expensive guitar too. Even though I love it, I can't say I'd get any more of them just because I prefer PRS, Jackson, and Ibanez.
Exactly why I love 80's guitars! Yes, They don't have stainless frets or locking tunners but, I purchase guitars with lockdowns & fine tune knobs. I prefer to stay away from Floyde Rose do to lack of knowledge. I've only had one issue with the tremello even with 13 gauge strings. I prefer Japanese 80's/90's guitars. Yeah they are not the newest but, They work!
The problem is that ESP’s QC standards for the LTD stuff have gone way down. Not THAT many years ago, when even their Korean stuff was $500-$800 new, they were much more reliable than they have become as prices have skyrocketed. Even the Indonesian stuff CAN be great, but the more guitars they reject and the more time they spend on QC in those factories, the more it cuts into their profit margins. This goes for all the various brands that have products coming out of all these same factories. These guitars are all being made in the same places by the same people, but they’re having to churn out really large numbers of them to keep up with demand. It is definitely important these days to buy from businesses that have generous return policies or try it out in person first if you can.
Absolutely man. It kinda sucks to have to make videos like this. I had a couple of Korean 400 series in the early 2000s that punched far above their price. I really wish they’d focus on QC before moving forward with new models, they can be great guitars.
@@jordansguitarchannel3809 Yep I have bought many Korean import guitars over the years, and for a long time the LTD line was one of the ones you could feel pretty confident about - Korean LTD’s were likely to be very good guitars. My experiences with Korean Schecters has always been inconsistent in comparison. There have been some interviews with people from WMI Korea that have reiterated what we should all know already, that is how much time and money a brand is willing to spend on QC is really what determines how good their guitars are.
I've had quality problems with a LTD guitar before. I've bought two, both from Thomann, the biggest European retailer. The first one, a ~350€ M-330R if I recall correctly, was just beautiful... The inlays and neck binding were just amazing. But the active pickups did not work and the licensed FR had a defect that made the nut that jois the tremolo bar to the actual bridge made contact with the high E saddle, which would have scratched the finish away a lot over time creating a rust problem. Also, it would not stay in tune for the life of me. I mean, I was young and broke, and the FR Licensed is just trash. I returned it through Thomann with no problem, they gave me my money back within a day or so. Second one was a KH-202. I deffinetly payed a premium for it being a signature model, since the pickups were not even active, and the FR was still bad but not trash. Other than that, craftmanship was really good, and the tuning held up really well. I used it for my first gigs as a professional. I was still young but I thought that an almos 200€ difference would make an actual difference in quality, as my 600€ Epiphone was (And remains) amazing in quality and playability. I ended up letting it go and getting myself an ESP Horizon II FR, and it was the best decission I've ever made. Difference is just astonishing, impossible to even compare. I know those two LTD are in the lower range, and that many 1000s series made in Korea have nothing to envy to Japanese made instruments... But those two just made me kind of look down on LTD for the past 8 years. I will try some Eclipse EC-1000s and maybe get one, but man... Those were bad experiences.
@@jordansguitarchannel3809 actually, and this really reinforces my point, mine is not an E-II. It's branded ESP Horizon on the headstock as it is 19 years old! Still, a perfect all around instrument that feels amazing to play and has held up though the hands of several owners.
Oh I misread. No that’s awesome to hear, I have a 13 year old ESP Eclipse that’s the same way. Still plays like the day I got it, hands down my favorite guitar.
Yeah as with most budget line guitars they are always hit or miss and it really does not matter brand it is. I have two LTD - EC1MB and one LTD Viper 100 and all three of mine are good guitars. But I have had a few LTD's that had a few things wrong with them and eventually sold them for parts.
Yeah those are nice too, I have a mid 2000s LTD seven string that’s amazing. Seems to me once they switched to ss frets it went downhill. Just my opinion.
I've been lucky over the years with LTD 1000 series from Korea. I could tell the difference in quality with the ones made in Indonesia. But after getting an E-II, I sold all of my LTD's and been purchasing only E-II guitars. Big difference in quality. Amazing fret work. But I love the necks on the E-II so much more. The tone of the wood with the bone neck, they just feel much better when playing. It's like having a luxury car rental, and then have to get back in your regular car. LOL. There's no going back. But I dodged a lot of bullets with most of my LTD's. As long as the QC was good, and setup properly, they were great. Did have to send a 1 back to Sweetwater, but the replacement was solid.
I bought one last Christmas. I started to send it back to Sweetwater. Fret sprout terrible completely unplayable. I've finally gotten it where it will stay in tune and play decent
Still absolutely love my 2002 LTD F-200 guitar. Plays perfectly and the neck is thin but has a little bit of weight to it which is real nice. I'm sorry you had so many issues man, love Josh's signature model and I've heard nothing but great things about this guitar.
Thanks bro, I appreciate it. I really dig the older LTDs, I have an early 7 string in my collection that’s perfect. The guitar is great now, but it took a lot of work to get it there.
@@jordansguitarchannel3809 I'm not surprised as to why you're done with LTD's. Expectations are very high especially with a name like Josh Middleton attached to a guitar and also the ESP name just oozes quality and it's the same reason why bands like Metallica have been playing them for 40 years. Just because LTD's are mass produced and made outside of Japan, shouldn't really mean much in the way of quality. I've only ever owned old LTD's, but hearing shit like that just makes me real hesitant in buying a brand new guitar in 2024. Pretty sad that quality has gone to shit and I'd rather own an 80's Jackson or BC Rich out of the new stuff that's being produced. But yea I don't think a regular JM-2 model would typically come with so many faults. But it did and that's really shit on you.
Bro stay tuned to my channel man. I personally wouldn’t buy a new guitar unless it was an ESP or E-II, and even then I’m a bit hesitant. Honestly you can find some used E-II that are the same price yet better quality than LTD. I do this channel built on honesty man, I’m about to drop some shocking stuff.
I can relate, mate. I am a ESP LTD fanboy for most of my guitar playing life, I *love* these axes. They still make great guitars, but I think they have lost some of the consistency they have been to famous for. I had an EC-1000 earlier this year, and the routings for the fretboard inlays have been awful. There were literally holes in the board, it looked like swiss cheese. I returned this one. A few weeks ago then I got an EC-1000T, and finally this one was in very good condition. The setup had to be redone, but that I don't care for, I can do this myself.
Yikes. I’m sorry to hear man. Sadly there’s a lot of things going on like that. I hear about it just about everyday. Honestly setups are always gonna need to be done with just about any guitar, even some premium guitars as well.
Great review, I bought 2 LTD’s in my life and have send them both back within 5 minutes. They where both around 1200 Euro. Both head a neck dive. So I feel your disappointment.
I will say that I've been hitting my Ibanez RGs more than my ESP Horizon II Custom more these days, but it's probably more a function of having come up using Ibanez RGs in my teens and 20s and muscle memory working better with an Ibby RG than the ESP. Also, while the RG550 Genesis in a very solid Shiny New Sparkly, I would recommend holding out for a used RG655 Prestige. You can usually find them for less than the cost of a new RG550, plus they have everything the RG550 has plus a few advantages-- an AANJ, better pickups in the DiMarzio Tone Zone, True Velvet, and Air Norton, and a better build quality (the Prestige fret dressing). I say this owning both plus a couple of "vintage" MIJ RGs from the '90s.
Only issue I've had with this model was the strings popping off the saddles because of my Hybrid picking technique. But I have had same issues you've had with other Ltd and it sucks man.
When I first got this one it was awesome, but sadly all the issues came. I wish I had better luck with LTD, I love anything ESP related and I don’t make ESP money. Haha.
Hi Jordan. This vid came up in my feed, and I’m checking it out. The fretboard crack at the 5-7, I would have thought immediately that’s a weather issue right off the bat, maybe I’m wrong. I’ve owned Schecters basses made over in Indonesia and those outta the box were stellar. That being said. I love ESP/LTD, and I have been considering getting one, I’m not completely convinced at this stage (I’m a lefty and trying to get back to playing haha) that I wanna get one. If you have issues with a guitar or two, that’s bound to happen, and comparative to my hate for Gibson, this video was rather tame and decent. So I get it man. 🤘🏻
I’ve talked to several luthiers and techs about the issue, the consensus is that it coming from a subtropical climate could be the issue. It’s hit or miss in my opinion, I do have a Solar from there that is absolutely amazing. Stay tuned my friend, lots more is coming 🤘
@@jordansguitarchannel3809 yeah that makes a fair amount of sense. I live in the east coast of Canada and we always have guitar issues due to weather, which absolutely sucks but it is simple fixes. I’m actually watching that Solar video now 🤣🤣🤘🏻
@@jordansguitarchannel3809 Solar has had a well known problem with cracked fretboards. Back the in day (I've been playing since the early 80's) one of the reasons import guitars didn't use ebony on fretboards was that it is prone to cracking in temperature changes. Even in 2024 these guitars still travel by boat across the ocean from tropical climates to cold to less humid areas back to other humid areas, etc.. There are also no wood regulations in Asia and some things that qualify as a particular wood over there may not in the US. For all we know they use veneers or super thin fretboards. That being said, even ebony on guitars manufactured in the US are vulnerable to climate issues. It's one of the reasons why Sweetwater puts that sticker on the box that tells you to wait for the box to acclimate to the temperature in your house before opening it. I've seen $4k custom guitars with cracks in the ebony fretboard.
LTD had a .500 QA ratio in my experience buying many LTDs over the last few years. I consider it a failure when there are actual flaws: warped neck, unleveled frets, bad wiring or grounding, bad machine heads, etc. That’s horrible. I only buy Gibson or Ibanez now. A lot of people in comments, supporting LTD, aren’t experienced with LTD. Sure they’ve owned a couple, but they won the QA lottery. I’ve played about 100 of them and i never liked them. After owning a bunch myself i now know it wasn’t in my head.
I bought an E-II Eclipse II in Japan in 2015 and one of the frets was too high. I returned it and got an E-II Horizon III and 6 months in got a crack in the ebony board. I'm still an ESP fanboy, but now I just buy used LTDs.
@@jordansguitarchannel3809 because the price of guitars is bat sh*t crazy as you mentioned. If it’s a well-made LTD, it’s close enough in quality to E-IIs/Standard Series(to me).
Man I have a Phoenix deluxe and a purple sparkle xtone and both electronics crapped out within a couple weeks and the nut fell off the Phoenix. Fit n finish were both awful. Super unimpressed for almost 3 grand. Oh...and my Phoenix...it came w a bass gig bag lol
To be honest,my Viper is definitely a workhorse as well. When i got it,i noticed that the logo on the Seymour Duncan pickups was not put on properly. The logo is literally upside down and what little OCD i have keeps bugging me about it lol. It was the first guitar i got with direct mount pickups and the height took a bit for me to get used to. I'm also consodering a tuner swap since sometimes whenever im tuning the guitar which i have setup in Drop C# with ernie ball 11-54 guage strings,sometimes the string will get caught in the nut and it will jump while tuning it. These guitars really make you work for them sometimes and i see it now because an LTD EC-256 i also bought because i wanted a Les Paul standard like guitar,has the pickups,bridge and action way too high for my liking. I was considering a hardware swap on it anyway. I'm pretty disappointed on the JM-II because I'm considering getting it for drop B tuning. But then again im also considering some t style guitars so its got a long road ahead of it.
Good luck on it. I hope you find a really great one. I recommend the Graphtech Ratio Tuners for sure, a little expensive but they feel great. Yeah all the LTDs I’ve had even in the past needed some love to get them working right, maybe this one just needs a thousand hours of play time. Haha.
I got a Korean JM-II from Zzounds and it's flawless & shreds. I've had a Korean EC-1000 for a couple years & it's one of my best playing guitars. I don't do Indo. Sucks you got a lemon, man 🤘🏻
If you pay to have your ltds and schecters plekd, which i get it you shouldnt have to, but if you do, they are incredible. I jave a JM2 and a hellraiser hybrid. I think my hellraiser was made in Indo and its one of the best playing guitars ive ever touched.
I’ve heard this from a friend before, I’ve got this Jm playing very well now however the build quality is what gets me. I can’t keep this guitar out of its case without constant temp and humidity applied without the neck moving.
My $1400 LTD evertune 7 was trash. Horrible fretwork needing a full level, heel rise past the 12th fret on a set neck requiring insanely high action of 7/64" to get the notes past the 12th fret to work, evertune stud routing was botched and 1 of the studs blew right through to the cutout and you could see the factory tried to glue in shim pieces to mask it which also blew out- just really bad. Sold it for $600 just a handful of months after I bought it new. Never again.
Im curious if you have fishman pickups in other guitars? They are brighter than emgs to my ears and in all honesty i prefer them. I have a korea made snakebyte in white. It was perfectly fine in the shop. I got it home and within 24 hours i had a neck crack. 8 years later, i have done nothing to it. Its not needed any adjustments or fretwork etc. The crack has grown slightly. But to get it repaired coats the same as the guitar was new so i will live with it! In all honesty though, my cort 7 string is as good if bot better than the snakebyte and cost me £400 less!
I do have Fishmans in a Solar guitar and I can’t stand them, in the LTD I kinda like them. That’s interesting about your LTD, and the Cort. I’m pretty sure both are made in the same factory if that helps at all.
I just picked up a 2014 LTD MH-1001 in a trade and it's incredible. That said, two years ago I bought a 2021 EC-1000 and it felt like trash. I'd previously had an 2017 EC-1000 that was arguably the best guitar I'd ever owned up until the MH. I love ESP-LTD but I'm of the belief (as @pastilance1 states) that the pandemic screwed up their production standards.
When I saw this video pop up in my recommended, unfortunately it reminded me of my LTD. It is impossible to setup. I can't get a decent action on it or it will buzz on almost all the frets.
I got my JM-II right at release, and it's a great guitar. Unfortunately I did get a hairline crack in the neck pocket, but that's just a gamble you partake in with bolt-on guitars. I've owned and played many LTD's over the years, and up until this year I wouldn't think twice about recommending them to someone. However this last year, I bought one of the snow white E-II M-II's and it was a total fucking turd. Contaminants all over the paint job, pickup routing looked like it was done by a toddler and there were cracks in the fretboard by the locking nut. All on arrival from Sweetwater. That definitely pissed me off considering it was like $2700 altogether. They asked if I would settle for a few hundred dollars off, but I couldn't accept that. I took a few months to cool off and decided to get one of the snow white M-1000's, which was also a huge mistake. Same issue with a bad paint job and poor quality routes, but this time a chunk of the neck was missing upon arrival. Had to send that one back, too. My Sweetwater rep emailed me to see what they can improve on at the shop, and honestly I don't know if it's necessarily and issue on Sweetwater's end. It seems ESP has not figured out how to deliver the same quality in the post-pandemic world, but boy will they ask you to pay another $300-$500 compared to 5 years ago.
I’m sorry to hear, but glad you said that. I feel like they’ve never caught up, and they’re not taking enough time to put the quality in. I’m fortunate enough to have two E-II that are amazing, one being made this year. I did buy that from a smaller store that did an in house setup. I dunno, I feel like I’m having better luck not buying from the major online retailers. Just an observation.
@@jordansguitarchannel3809 I have an E-II Jeff Ling signature from like 2016 or 2017 and it's pretty good! The neck needs adjusted a little more frequently than I care for, but it happens. I ended up getting an ESP USA TE-II with a jawbreaker finish for an absolute steal. It's easily one of the best instruments I've owned, and I've gotten things from Kiesel, Mayones and Aristides. Definitely right up there with those guys.
I certainly believe that musicians that play LTD on stage just use a custom shop with an LTD logo painted on the headstock. Everytime I pick up my ESP‘s and compare them to LTDs i had or friends have it just feels like it’s another universe.
I am also done with LTD. Their wood, finish, and even aesthetic designs have declined in a lot of ways and the prices keep rising. Schecter has some problems with electronics at times but they are still cheaper and are for the most part of equal quality
Wow, I can’t believe all the comments of people like me. I appreciate your feedback, what problems do Schecter have? I’m curious because I had a super cheap one that had a crazy good setup but the electronics didn’t work.
Stays in tune well, never had an issue with the action. Very little neck dive and it's comfortable to sit with for a V. The Floyd doesn't give me any issues, once it's set it's good to go. I know people are moving towards Fishmans but I'm still an EMG guy, though they do make a model with Fishmans. If you absolutely need a tone knob then it won't be a good fit but I usually cut mine out. I have an old ex-400 that's still going strong after years of heavy playing too.
Cool man, I appreciate the feedback. I’m an EMG guy myself, I have Fishman stuff just don’t like it as much. I used to have some nicer older LTDs that were so solid, wish I’d have kept them.
I noticed people don't take pride in stuff anymore. My Ltd is almost 20 years old and it is flawless not a scratch on it only thing I don't like is right hand position it's an F series and my hand feels back to far but I'm used to my les Paul my old man guitar lol . Well God bless man and hope your Channel blows up you seem to be an honest young man .
I've pretty much exclusively played LTD guitars and I haven't had this issue ever. My workhorse is a 2004 MH1000 and that thing will last until the end of time, absolutely amazing, My 2020 m1007 is fantastic too, I also own a 2011 V401fm made in China and that thing holds up no problem to my 2 Korean models. I even own an Ormsby goliath, made in Korea too and that thing rips. So in saying that it seems its all down to the fact that Indonesian guitars are just not made properly and have very poor QC. None of those guitars are quite as good as my Japan Made Esp Horizon 3 but that's the jump in quality you want anyway. now in saying I really only am going to buy older pre 2015 korean LTDs and Japanese made ESPs as I know exactly what they are like and fail very rarely if at all
I hear you man, I have a 2010 made in China LTD 7 string that’s amazing and I owned early 2000s LTDs that were stunning. Unfortunately the ones I’ve had made in Indonesia have had major issues, it’s nothing new from that factory and sometimes just the luck of the draw in my personal experience. Having said that, I did fix this LTD and it is now quite stunning in playability but reliability is lacking. Personally I believe it’s down to build quality and companies are cutting corners to cut cost and get instruments out quicker to supply the demand. Unfortunately that often leaves more quality control issues.
LTDs from the WMI factory in Korea have had some of the best QC ive seen amongst major manufacturers, even the B stocks are ridiculous. I cant speak for the Indonesia builds, always been skeptical. Sorry youve had such bad luck man.
I really like LTDs, particularly the EC line. They just feel great in my hands, nut size, neck profile...perfect for me. I have 2. My Indo EC-1000 was perfect out of the box. Great fretwork. I liked it so much I decided to get a Korean EC-401. MIK is better, they say--not in this case! This turd had the worst fretwork I've ever encountered. Literally every other fret was high all the way up the neck. Most were not seated, some could not be seated. Ultimately I had to have it refretted by a top local luthier. He said the fret slots were cut very wide and not deep enough. He had to crimp the fret tangs. Oh, and when I replaced the tuners, the tuner holes were all chipped out--unacceptable. The guitar is good now but (to your point) too much time, money and effort to make it right. What a bummer.
LTD quality is unfortunately all over the place - you never know what you’re going to get. I purchased 5 LTD Black Metal guitars over the course of a year (some for backup, some for experimentation) and every single one had a different neck thickness, different bridge placement, and different location of knobs. Getting these guitars consistent on the basic things absolutely can’t be a hard thing. And they were from both Korea and Indonesia. I finally ended up with just one of them, whose frets didn’t sprout off the fretboard (another issue among these) but unfortunately the scale length is longer than 25.5, and it can be felt.
Wow man, that’s absolutely crazy. Thanks for sharing bro, it’s incredible what I keep hearing about these guitars. You keep hearing these brands made in certain factories are the same as, CNC machines have revolutionized manufacturing. Haha.
@@jordansguitarchannel3809 With the specs being all over the place for each guitar, it doesn’t seem like they’re using machines like they should be. The PRS SE line are made in Indonesia but seem to have very good, consistent quality, which to me shows that it’s not the country a guitar is made in that matters the most, but the standards imposed by the company itself.
That’s mostly true, the problem is that it’s so hit or miss. Sadly I’ve gotten a ton of comments, messages, etc about the same thing across multiple brands. Again it’s just comments and my own personal experience, I’ve had great success with Solar guitars made in the same factory while others don’t have the same experience.
I stopped with LTD years ago when they moved the Deluxe/1000 models to Indo. Their excuse was that to keep the prices the same, they had to move to Indo. Well...well...well...prices still went up and quality became more iffy (trust me yall, I know Indo guitars can be amazing). Same with Schecter. But what the heck, the whole industry has gone nuts. $1500 for MIC Epi's? Get outta here! lol
Man that sucks with havin to deal with all that on a guitar that cost that much man I got a ltd ec1000 that ive had no issues with plays and sounds great but definately want an esp in the future
I’m laughing at all the comments loving their LTD. I also love my my Korean made V-401 deluxe. You bought a “demo guitar”. I personally wouldn’t take that risk to save some money.
Esp standard now esp e-Ii are the best guitars for high quality and consistent reliable builds.you are better buying a used e-ii rather than a new Ltd.same goes with charvel buy the USA select over the Mexican models with one exception my charvel 2010 built in japan.
Bought a Chinese Epiphone Prophecy Extura (Explorer) and the fit and finish was way beyond my expectations. Frets are perfect, great action, and beautiful. That said, the Fishman Fluence moderns sucked ass. Absolutely hated them. Some mid spiked crap I couldn’t EQ out, sounded thin and lifeless, and plain bland. Made me never play the damn thing. Ended up changing the electronics out for Jim Root EMGs and instantly became my favorite guitar. I don’t understand the hype for Fishmans. My buddy’s Schecter SLS was the same. Great quality build with garbage pickups. Swapped out and now it’s a monster. As I was seriously considering an ESP LTD BB Evertune (Les Paul style with huge binding), now I’m second guessing it after hearing this.
It took me some time to like the Fishmans, an EQ pedal helped a lot. As far as LTD goes this is just my experience, some have similar and others have amazing ones. I’d definitely say if you have your heart set on one check one out in person.
Do yourself a favor and get an Edwards guitar. Amazing quality, made in Japan in the ESP factory, total shred machines for around the same price as LTD 🤘😎
There is literally no guitar in 40 years i bought for any price 300-4k that didn't have some ..thing wrong with it. I've bought 2 ltds from Sweetwater in the last decade. Their initial "50 point" inspection is a joke. Straight up. Both came tuned 1 step higher than 440 and super high action. Once i set it up, it was clearly because there was a high 21st fret or whatever. Luckily i like my action slightly higher so that unwanted harmonics, choke or buzz did not occur, for the most part. The second was a M1000LTD, set up high action, more than one high fret from 15 and above. The third guitar i bought from Sweetwater was a Schecter SS Exotic. Literally came the exact same way with the same exact issue. Now, they could have came from the factory set up that way. But all i'm saying is that there was clearly no, you know. Actual technical 50 point inspection going on, and or it isn't worth a sht. I'd still buy a guitar from them though. The main reason i have shopped with them, is that you do get decent images of the instrument, about as good as an idea of what you are getting as you can get online, and without holding it in your hands, ( though way back they clearly we're photoshopping their images in a sketchy way, and not knowing much about them, it didn't sit right for me ) But they changed that, and i respected that and so i gave them a shot. But i can honestly say 3 kinda fails in a way. Their inspection is. Nothing is loose or falling off, the neck isn't cracked and no dings. Other than that they rely on the manufacturer and you get what you get. I actually kinda wanted one of those since the day i saw it previewed other than the pup rings 3 way and Fishmans, though i get the appeal. Def a banger workhorse guitar if you get a good one.
I've paid around $1500 (price in Europe) for LTD M1000 and it had the worst QC I've seen, made in Korea which is supposed to be good but apparently not. My cheaper Chinese Jackson has way better quality. I'm waiting like a month for a replacement due to stock issues, hopefully the new one is ok... Also they censor negative reviews on ESP website so theres also that. So far im not impressed with them at all.
@@jordansguitarchannel3809 Yep they only go public once approved and I've only seen positive ones, when I tried posting my negative experience it never got approved. It was a normal review so not like I broke any rules etc, I just said the design is great but the quality control is sloppy and added pictures.
If I was gonna guess (and I am) I would say that the fretboard was glued onto the neck before the neck was ready for it, either not checked and trued out machining-wise wise or one of the two components was too full of moisture content. Bad quality control in any case. Sounds like they are rushing them out a bit.
It’s totally a guess, I spoke with a bunch of luthiers and techs all different answers. I would totally guess and assume they are rushing to play catch up. I’d gladly wait another month to have a quality axe.
I have 3 LTD's guitars and 1 Bass, and they are amazing for the money. Especially the evertune guitars, i go weeks without tuning those. Amazing guitars for the money. Sorry you got a lemon.
Oh wow. I thought current Jacksons were shit and LTD picked up the torch instead. Question! What’s the string muting clamp on the headstock called? I tried googling it but I keep getting results for the thick string wraps instead
Hey man if you ever get a chance try out Yamaha, got a bass recently that was supposed to be somewhat beginner level but man it’s punching way higher than its price range
@@jordansguitarchannel3809 yeah think that’s the Revstar it’s one of their best for a LP style guitar along with the Pacifica which is more super Strat like, I know Chris Buck is associated with those guitars 🎸
@@jordansguitarchannel3809 think you’ll like them because they say they try to make their super high end and their mid range the same spec range so you might find them more comparable vs the LTD/ESP quality ratio
This is awful, i agree though since 2020 QC has gone to shit. I have been with esp for the past 17 years but I'm considering going for a Japanese Ibanez prestige build....or a Balaguer custom build...so many manufacturers have dropped the ball with specific models it's almost like unless you're spending 4-5k you're getting a piece of firewood. Keep up the good work brotha, we're being forced to spend astronomical amounts of money for something that should be a fraction of the costs.
Hey I’m with you, I still love ESP but there’s custom shop models for way less and probably better quality because they’re not mass produced. I’m here to be real about anything guitar. Stay tuned, more is coming 🤘
Just played another Korean JM-II, the build was the worst I've ever seen. The pickup cavity on the bridge was crooked along with the bridge, really bad fret sprouting. I'm personally done with LTD....over spray in binding or finish flaws to me aren't that big a deal but when the pickups and bridge are crooked and it's them just trying to throw em out the door says quite about how that brand doesn't care any longer about it's players. Ibanez prestige aren't a bad alternative, you can also get a custom built Balaguer for around an E-II price or just slightly more.
Great review. Appreciate your no punches pulled honesty. I’ve had three ESPs (1 x ESP and 2 x LTD). I will say ESPs look really nice but aside from the looks, I don’t really like them and as a result they were the least played in my herd of guitars.
@@jordansguitarchannel3809 OMG I'm not very good at all playing, it's just a hobby for me, but this thing plays like butter and the build quality is impeccable
This is what ya get for over priced guitars. I got an LTD ESP AX 50 over 6 years ago I think it was only $300 or $350 bucks. I play it every day as my practice axe. Not a single damn problem with it. EVER. You putting up with a cracked neck is on you, not LTD. Issue's on a fret board or even a crack you send the guitar back! Nothing can be done for those problems no matter the brand. Buy low budget guitars, you can smash them on stage or even throw one in the audience once in a while. Tired of seeing video's of people buying expensive over priced guitars and sniveling about it on the internet... If you spend a ton on a damn custom you are a sucker especially if it is busted...
Brands and models mean little nowadays. Every guitar is different. To say that now you've decided all LTD's are garbage, is childish. If you expect to pay under $1500 for a guitar and get 2 years of free babysitting from Sweetwater with every purchase. Your gonna find fault with every guitar you buy. I know in about 15 min. whether I'm gonna keep a guitar or return it? My suggestion is to continue buying cheap under $500 dollar guitars and be happy. If you think spending more than that includes free babysitting? Your better off learning how to do more work on them yourself. LTD is gonna be just fine without your 2 cents. E-II's are one of the best bargains around. They're almost always perfect right outta the box. ESP has backed themselves into a corner, just like PRS. When the SE line and LTD's are 90% as good as the Core and ESP usa lines, your kinda screwing yourself. If you need perfection right outta the box, its gonna cost your dearly my boy.
Saying that LTDs have poor QC and construction quality these days is childish? Quality and craftsmanship should go up as you pay in price, as this is often the norm and many brands are marketed in such way. So for him to have a cracked board, poor tuners, finish issues, bad nut and a bad neck means he’s childish or expects to much??? If he gets a $500 and it’s good, then shouldn’t a $1300 be even better? If anything, he’s holding ESP accountable for their marketing and product line. And if anything, your entire comment is a complete logical fallacy, my boy.
@@reducedtoatoms3973 The point was not about the word I chose to describe his reaction to some sub par QC. It's that making it specifically about LTD is senseless. All guitar brands and models will have some percentage of QC misses. I can't imagine being his sales associate and trying to make him happy? Cheap pots, crackling switches and poorly installed or cut nuts are not deal breakers for me. If that's all it takes for you to return a guitar, great! I'm more inclined to do complete set ups on all new guitars, and if some electronics need upgrades, I just do it. If you want absolutely perfect everything for your specific set up and playing preferences, again, it'll cost you. Good luck!
If you're not a touring musician I don't see any reason at all to spend that much money on a guitar. Sounds to me like you just want sweetwater to hold your hand all the time. Learn how to work on your own stuff and stop being soft.
I have two LTD's, and they have been perfect right out of the box.
That’s awesome man, I tried four times for that sadly to no avail, but I’m really happy to hear about your experience.
I bought a M-1000 with Fishmans. Indo made. The pickups weren't soldered properly which made the bridgepickup dead, I returned it and bought a M-1000 with Fishmans. On that one the fretboard had some cracks, and the Floyd Rose was mounted crooked. Both pretty expensive guitars for me and I returned the M-1000. Ended up buying a Ibanez Prestige instead.
I have played LTD for 20 years on and off and the first two I got was Korean made with Sperzel locking tuners and Earvana nuts, they were absolutely great.
I'm done with Indonesian made guitars, I also had a couple of Solars... Same QC problems.
I understand completely. Back in the day LTD was awesome, I’ve had some bad ones these last two years. I’ve got a good Solar thankfully, but yeah I’m done with Indonesian guitars too. I’ll stick with my ESP.
I bought Korean M1000, worst finish job Ive ever seen, waiting for replacement...
Sorry to hear about your issues. My JM-II was perfect right out of the box. Has become my main recording guitars for heavy guitars.
Thanks bro, I appreciate it. I was able to fix the issues thankfully, I play it a lot now. It’s actually gonna be in the next video, stay tuned. 🤘
The issue is a lot of young guys who weren’t there during the heyday of cheap and insanely good quality LTD guitars. They’re normalizing paying upwards of 1600 dollars for mid level guitars.
There has been a marked decline in quality of LTD guitars since Covid. Now this has been seen across all brands HOWEVER, their prices have reached absurd levels and the quality isn’t anywhere near what it was 10 years ago.
I am a massive ESP/LTD fanboy but I have stopped buying LTD guitars new and only buy them used. I just bought a 2021 LTD EC 1000 CTM T and it’s fantastic (paid around 675 USD). Earlier this year I bought a mid 2000s LTD PB-500 for $350 CAD and it’s phenomenal. Its gamble at this point but paying such absurd amounts of money for a guitar should never be a gamble.
Absolutely. In my E-II Viper video I talk about a 2004 LTD Viper 400 that inspired me to get that one. It was such an amazing guitar.
My EC401vf that I bought in 2011 was amazing. It had Duncan's, Grover mini tuners, and the Earvana nut. I wish I hadn't let it go.
I understand that’s how my Viper was. I wish they were still made like that.
This. Hell, I paid like 600 for an OG black TD STEF Tele 7 last year...imagine my regret when I sold it for 500 and haven't found another under 800-900 in my country ever since 😂. In hindsight that was such a sick beater 7 string. Solid as a rock, heavy as hell, and sounded massive.
I feel like we are seeing the consequences of the pandemic and how it affected craftsmanship. The companies were in a rush to produce as many instruments as possible which of course has an impact to the quality in some way. I also have the same guitar, plus another LTD Phoenix Silver Sunburst and an ESP Arrow. All three of them I bought this year and funnily enough the ESP is the one with the flaws in the nut peaking out of the neck. The two LTDs are Korean made and they are great so far. I personally, do not have a problem with them, but I also noticed a couple of other youtubers complaining about the quality lately. Especially, the crack on the fretboard that you mentioned.
Interesting. Sorry to hear about your Arrow, and I agree that QC has taken a backseat since 2020. Obviously LTD is going to have far more great guitars than bad ones, but the demand is so high with anything ESP people wait literal months for one. I just hope the issues get cleared up, and more great guitars are getting out there.
even before 2020, i bought an e-ii and it was riddled with issues, hardware on the bridge was stripped out, different colors, bridge was not centered with the neck, inlays had excess glue all around them, fretwork was good, everything else was tight, i dunno wtf happened to them
Man that’s strange. I’ve got two I can’t find an issue with, but literally every brand is gonna have problems. I mean I really think they’re so far behind on production that they let some things slip. It’s all 2024 I still haven’t seen a 2023 model with the upgrades yet.
I just subscribed to your channel; really like your honest reviews. I do have two LTD's, which I'm pretty happy with; however, I am having a little bit of trouble dialing in low action, without ending up with fret buzz....still work in progress. Based on another one of your reviews, I'm seriously considering getting a Solar guitar; it would be my first. Thanks again!
Thanks for subscribing, keep me posted on the Solar. I’ve got some cool new stuff coming up soon! 🤘
my only experience with ltd so far is a indonesian made m-50 that was made around 20 years ago i think. that thing plays great and only cost me 200 bucks. i was in the market for an upscale ltd, but this honestly made me reconsider. maybe the move is to get an actual esp used.
Definitely look for a used ESP or E-II. I watch for them on Reverb every morning, snagged some crazy deals.
My 2019 LTD Korean made EC1000 has been fantastic. Absolutely no problems, and it holds its own against my Gibson Les Paul Standard. But i have heard that when they moved to Indonesia, the QC went down the toilet. I'm sorry to hear that guitar is a money pit bro, that sucks. The specs on paper sound totally badass.
Thanks bro, I appreciate it. It started out amazing, after the fretboard crack and repair it just went downhill. I’m sure there are some great ones out there, it’s a well spec’d guitar for sure.
Damn shame you have gone through what you have to date. I fortunately only own 1 LTD and is a super sweet guitar that I got off an ESP rep at a local GC in Asheville, NC. It was a NAMM guitar that they took to see if anyone would be interested and he told me it tanked. I LOVE IT. It's a Tele LTD but there is some special mojo in this guitar. These days, I use either Burny or Tokai's and they have never failed me. All full thickness Les Paul Custom thickness with some Dimarzio Fortitude pickups in them. Hope it get's better for you in 2024 my brotha. Keep the faith
Thanks my brother I absolutely will. Can’t go wrong with a Japanese guitar, my new E-II is treating me fantastic.
I love Tokai guitars. I have one of their R9 replicas, and it’s as good as or better than anything coming out of the Gibson Custom Shop at one third the price. I paid $2000 for it shipped as a grey market import.
Dude feel for ya! Once ya loose that feel connection with a gat it typically stays in it case…. Thanks for pointing out some things about LTD builds I’m in the market for either LTD or Schecter so will keep this in mind. Here in NZ we have a saying when ya get a lemon (dud) we say it must have been a Friday afternoon build… workers rush the job because the weekends arrived 😂 Thanks for the vid and looking forward to seeing you new gear! 🤘😎🏴☠️
Haha, thanks brother. Stay tuned it’s coming soon, tried of the bad.
I have 7 LTD's currently, including a Korean made JM-II, All my guitars have been pretty much perfect out of the box, other than needing set up and strings changed to my preferred. Only hardware issue is the LTD locking tuners, they are dog shit and I change them out for gotoh on all my guitars
Man that’s awesome. I wish I had the same experience, I agree with the Gotoh too. Those are my favorite, you use the magnums?
I have a mix of Ibanez RG and LTD guitars. I've never had a problem from any of my Ibanezes except for 1 I bought for $50 at a pawnshop. It crackeld on the volume and tone knobs. But it's a pawnshop guitar. So I had my sights set low to begin with.
My LTDs are a different story.
I got my first LTD back in 2002. It's an M-255. And that thing is a tank. It's been to hell and back. In 2004 the headstock was broken off length wise. We were able to get it fixed. And only issues its had were with the Floyd wearing out over time.
In 2019 I got am Arrow 200. The problems I had there was the string saddles on the Floyd stripped out. So I got the ones for the Floyd Rose original. That fixed it. The the 3 way toggle took a shit. I got that fixed.
I have an LTD blac kmetal baritone. No issues there.
Then I have an EC10 which I bought as a project guitar, because why not. And that thing was a piece of shit the day I got it. The bridge wobbled on the G. The frets felt like a cheese grader, the tuning keys couldn't stay in tune. But I knew what I was getting myself into. And it was like $175. So I wasn't expecting quality in any sense of the word.
I replaced the bridge. But some sperzal locking tuners on it. Sanded the frets. It's ok now. But I'm still messing with it.
I see it as the guitar equivalent of a 4000 dollar Hi Point, or a Yeet Canon. It's ridiculous. But it's mine.
😉👍
Haha, I understand it my brother. Whatever works for you. Keep rocking 🤘
bro i feel you and its pretty much every guitar manufacturer, ive had issues with QC schecter and gibson, fender, maybe its my bad luck but we gotta call them out regardless
Amen, spot on.
Part of the problem with tuning on ltd's is the angle the tuners are at in relation to the nut. The top string cuts a weird angle from the nut and the bottom string cuts a sharp angle from the nut. Now with a good quality graphite nut and properly angled nuts slots can help a lot. You won't get those things with any ltd. E2 or Esp will 9 out of 10 times come with those problems solved.
Absolutely. My E-I I stay rock solid tuning
I have had many older ESP LTD guitars, all bought used... no issues at all. I am down to just 2 ESP LTD guitars... they are nothing fancy but I love them. *I got into ESP because of Page Hamilton from HELMET.
Nice man, I’m glad yours are doing well. Yeah Helmet and James got me into them. Still want that pink Horizon, one day right?
@@jordansguitarchannel3809 Ha! The infamous pink Horizon! *I met Page recently after a show, I asked him if ESP stood for “Extremely Small Penis”… he looked at me and burst out laughing, “Hey I like that!” Such a cool dude
These guitar companies try to brainwash us that, these Indonesia made mid range guitars are good quality.
🙌
I mean just try out guitars before you buy them period. Anything shipped over seas is gonna have fret sprout sadly. Low price = lower quality usually tho!
Mine is made in Korea and is just perfect
I think its more like the economy changed and they are trying to make money, its not like they just randomly pick numbers, its how money works
Guitar companies also try to brainwash us that more expensive guitars are the best too, when some of them are not, like Gibson for example.
I love the LTD I have. It's the only guitar I have with DiMarzio pickups and it sounds great. It's my most expensive guitar too. Even though I love it, I can't say I'd get any more of them just because I prefer PRS, Jackson, and Ibanez.
That’s a different point of view. Thanks for sharing man.
Exactly why I love 80's guitars! Yes, They don't have stainless frets or locking tunners but, I purchase guitars with lockdowns & fine tune knobs. I prefer to stay away from Floyde Rose do to lack of knowledge. I've only had one issue with the tremello even with 13 gauge strings. I prefer Japanese 80's/90's guitars. Yeah they are not the newest but, They work!
I agree man. I have a 90s Gibson that’s just a beast, I believe older guitars were just made better.
Agree.
The problem is that ESP’s QC standards for the LTD stuff have gone way down. Not THAT many years ago, when even their Korean stuff was $500-$800 new, they were much more reliable than they have become as prices have skyrocketed. Even the Indonesian stuff CAN be great, but the more guitars they reject and the more time they spend on QC in those factories, the more it cuts into their profit margins.
This goes for all the various brands that have products coming out of all these same factories. These guitars are all being made in the same places by the same people, but they’re having to churn out really large numbers of them to keep up with demand. It is definitely important these days to buy from businesses that have generous return policies or try it out in person first if you can.
Absolutely man. It kinda sucks to have to make videos like this. I had a couple of Korean 400 series in the early 2000s that punched far above their price. I really wish they’d focus on QC before moving forward with new models, they can be great guitars.
@@jordansguitarchannel3809 Yep I have bought many Korean import guitars over the years, and for a long time the LTD line was one of the ones you could feel pretty confident about - Korean LTD’s were likely to be very good guitars. My experiences with Korean Schecters has always been inconsistent in comparison.
There have been some interviews with people from WMI Korea that have reiterated what we should all know already, that is how much time and money a brand is willing to spend on QC is really what determines how good their guitars are.
Sadly that last part nails it. I’d love to see as many people playing guitar as possible, but I can’t recommend most of these instruments nowadays.
I've had quality problems with a LTD guitar before. I've bought two, both from Thomann, the biggest European retailer.
The first one, a ~350€ M-330R if I recall correctly, was just beautiful... The inlays and neck binding were just amazing. But the active pickups did not work and the licensed FR had a defect that made the nut that jois the tremolo bar to the actual bridge made contact with the high E saddle, which would have scratched the finish away a lot over time creating a rust problem. Also, it would not stay in tune for the life of me. I mean, I was young and broke, and the FR Licensed is just trash. I returned it through Thomann with no problem, they gave me my money back within a day or so.
Second one was a KH-202. I deffinetly payed a premium for it being a signature model, since the pickups were not even active, and the FR was still bad but not trash. Other than that, craftmanship was really good, and the tuning held up really well. I used it for my first gigs as a professional. I was still young but I thought that an almos 200€ difference would make an actual difference in quality, as my 600€ Epiphone was (And remains) amazing in quality and playability.
I ended up letting it go and getting myself an ESP Horizon II FR, and it was the best decission I've ever made. Difference is just astonishing, impossible to even compare. I know those two LTD are in the lower range, and that many 1000s series made in Korea have nothing to envy to Japanese made instruments... But those two just made me kind of look down on LTD for the past 8 years. I will try some Eclipse EC-1000s and maybe get one, but man... Those were bad experiences.
Thanks for sharing that with me, and I’m sorry to hear. I’m definitely glad to hear about your E-II doing well, they’re definitely hard to beat.
@@jordansguitarchannel3809 actually, and this really reinforces my point, mine is not an E-II. It's branded ESP Horizon on the headstock as it is 19 years old! Still, a perfect all around instrument that feels amazing to play and has held up though the hands of several owners.
Oh I misread. No that’s awesome to hear, I have a 13 year old ESP Eclipse that’s the same way. Still plays like the day I got it, hands down my favorite guitar.
Yeah as with most budget line guitars they are always hit or miss and it really does not matter brand it is. I have two LTD - EC1MB and one LTD Viper 100 and all three of mine are good guitars. But I have had a few LTD's that had a few things wrong with them and eventually sold them for parts.
Yeah sadly, I wish they were made like the early 2000s. Those were great guitars.
@@jordansguitarchannel3809 Yeah think all of mine are from mid 2000's bought all mine used from guitar center.
Yeah those are nice too, I have a mid 2000s LTD seven string that’s amazing. Seems to me once they switched to ss frets it went downhill. Just my opinion.
I've been lucky over the years with LTD 1000 series from Korea. I could tell the difference in quality with the ones made in Indonesia. But after getting an E-II, I sold all of my LTD's and been purchasing only E-II guitars. Big difference in quality. Amazing fret work. But I love the necks on the E-II so much more. The tone of the wood with the bone neck, they just feel much better when playing. It's like having a luxury car rental, and then have to get back in your regular car. LOL. There's no going back. But I dodged a lot of bullets with most of my LTD's. As long as the QC was good, and setup properly, they were great. Did have to send a 1 back to Sweetwater, but the replacement was solid.
Nice, yeah I’m sticking to E-II from now on. Just bought a Viper and it’s absolutely stunning. QC is off nowadays hopefully it’ll make a comeback
I've been purchasing the Horizon and Eclipse models. Hopefully they do get the QC levels back to the way it was before.@@jordansguitarchannel3809
Fingers crossed my brother
I bought one last Christmas. I started to send it back to Sweetwater. Fret sprout terrible completely unplayable. I've finally gotten it where it will stay in tune and play decent
I'd like to trade it even if I took a little loss
I understand that, it’s not fun having a guitar you’re constantly messing with to keep it playing right.
Still absolutely love my 2002 LTD F-200 guitar. Plays perfectly and the neck is thin but has a little bit of weight to it which is real nice. I'm sorry you had so many issues man, love Josh's signature model and I've heard nothing but great things about this guitar.
Thanks bro, I appreciate it. I really dig the older LTDs, I have an early 7 string in my collection that’s perfect. The guitar is great now, but it took a lot of work to get it there.
@@jordansguitarchannel3809 I'm not surprised as to why you're done with LTD's. Expectations are very high especially with a name like Josh Middleton attached to a guitar and also the ESP name just oozes quality and it's the same reason why bands like Metallica have been playing them for 40 years. Just because LTD's are mass produced and made outside of Japan, shouldn't really mean much in the way of quality. I've only ever owned old LTD's, but hearing shit like that just makes me real hesitant in buying a brand new guitar in 2024. Pretty sad that quality has gone to shit and I'd rather own an 80's Jackson or BC Rich out of the new stuff that's being produced. But yea I don't think a regular JM-2 model would typically come with so many faults. But it did and that's really shit on you.
Bro stay tuned to my channel man. I personally wouldn’t buy a new guitar unless it was an ESP or E-II, and even then I’m a bit hesitant. Honestly you can find some used E-II that are the same price yet better quality than LTD. I do this channel built on honesty man, I’m about to drop some shocking stuff.
I can relate, mate. I am a ESP LTD fanboy for most of my guitar playing life, I *love* these axes. They still make great guitars, but I think they have lost some of the consistency they have been to famous for. I had an EC-1000 earlier this year, and the routings for the fretboard inlays have been awful. There were literally holes in the board, it looked like swiss cheese. I returned this one. A few weeks ago then I got an EC-1000T, and finally this one was in very good condition. The setup had to be redone, but that I don't care for, I can do this myself.
Yikes. I’m sorry to hear man. Sadly there’s a lot of things going on like that. I hear about it just about everyday. Honestly setups are always gonna need to be done with just about any guitar, even some premium guitars as well.
Great review, I bought 2 LTD’s in my life and have send them both back within 5 minutes. They where both around 1200 Euro. Both head a neck dive. So I feel your disappointment.
Thanks man, I appreciate and sorry you had the same experience. I definitely recommend the E-II if you haven’t tried one.
esp peaked 13 years ago unfortunately.. i can see the ibanez rg550 quickly becoming the new go to for metal heads 1300 canadian and made in japan
Nice. I’m all about Japanese guitars, may have to add that to the list. Thanks for the suggestion!
The Ibanez RG 550 reissues are hands down the best deal on a quality Japanese made metal guitar.
I will say that I've been hitting my Ibanez RGs more than my ESP Horizon II Custom more these days, but it's probably more a function of having come up using Ibanez RGs in my teens and 20s and muscle memory working better with an Ibby RG than the ESP.
Also, while the RG550 Genesis in a very solid Shiny New Sparkly, I would recommend holding out for a used RG655 Prestige. You can usually find them for less than the cost of a new RG550, plus they have everything the RG550 has plus a few advantages-- an AANJ, better pickups in the DiMarzio Tone Zone, True Velvet, and Air Norton, and a better build quality (the Prestige fret dressing).
I say this owning both plus a couple of "vintage" MIJ RGs from the '90s.
Only issue I've had with this model was the strings popping off the saddles because of my Hybrid picking technique. But I have had same issues you've had with other Ltd and it sucks man.
When I first got this one it was awesome, but sadly all the issues came. I wish I had better luck with LTD, I love anything ESP related and I don’t make ESP money. Haha.
Hi Jordan. This vid came up in my feed, and I’m checking it out.
The fretboard crack at the 5-7, I would have thought immediately that’s a weather issue right off the bat, maybe I’m wrong. I’ve owned Schecters basses made over in Indonesia and those outta the box were stellar. That being said.
I love ESP/LTD, and I have been considering getting one, I’m not completely convinced at this stage (I’m a lefty and trying to get back to playing haha) that I wanna get one.
If you have issues with a guitar or two, that’s bound to happen, and comparative to my hate for Gibson, this video was rather tame and decent.
So I get it man. 🤘🏻
I’ve talked to several luthiers and techs about the issue, the consensus is that it coming from a subtropical climate could be the issue. It’s hit or miss in my opinion, I do have a Solar from there that is absolutely amazing. Stay tuned my friend, lots more is coming 🤘
@@jordansguitarchannel3809 yeah that makes a fair amount of sense. I live in the east coast of Canada and we always have guitar issues due to weather, which absolutely sucks but it is simple fixes. I’m actually watching that Solar video now 🤣🤣🤘🏻
Hell yeah brother. Let me know what you think 🤘
@@jordansguitarchannel3809 Solar has had a well known problem with cracked fretboards. Back the in day (I've been playing since the early 80's) one of the reasons import guitars didn't use ebony on fretboards was that it is prone to cracking in temperature changes. Even in 2024 these guitars still travel by boat across the ocean from tropical climates to cold to less humid areas back to other humid areas, etc.. There are also no wood regulations in Asia and some things that qualify as a particular wood over there may not in the US. For all we know they use veneers or super thin fretboards. That being said, even ebony on guitars manufactured in the US are vulnerable to climate issues. It's one of the reasons why Sweetwater puts that sticker on the box that tells you to wait for the box to acclimate to the temperature in your house before opening it. I've seen $4k custom guitars with cracks in the ebony fretboard.
LTD had a .500 QA ratio in my experience buying many LTDs over the last few years. I consider it a failure when there are actual flaws: warped neck, unleveled frets, bad wiring or grounding, bad machine heads, etc.
That’s horrible. I only buy Gibson or Ibanez now. A lot of people in comments, supporting LTD, aren’t experienced with LTD. Sure they’ve owned a couple, but they won the QA lottery. I’ve played about 100 of them and i never liked them. After owning a bunch myself i now know it wasn’t in my head.
Thanks for sharing your experience. I’ve personally found guitars really get good around the 2k mark, about the point where QC is taken seriously
@@jordansguitarchannel3809 makes sense - most of the ones i’ve played and owned were 400-1200
I bought an E-II Eclipse II in Japan in 2015 and one of the frets was too high. I returned it and got an E-II Horizon III and 6 months in got a crack in the ebony board. I'm still an ESP fanboy, but now I just buy used LTDs.
Interesting man, that’s a different view. Why used LTDs?
@@jordansguitarchannel3809 because the price of guitars is bat sh*t crazy as you mentioned. If it’s a well-made LTD, it’s close enough in quality to E-IIs/Standard Series(to me).
I understand that my friend. I’m trying not to do an old man rant about it. Haha
Man I have a Phoenix deluxe and a purple sparkle xtone and both electronics crapped out within a couple weeks and the nut fell off the Phoenix. Fit n finish were both awful. Super unimpressed for almost 3 grand. Oh...and my Phoenix...it came w a bass gig bag lol
Oh wow. I’m sorry to hear that, sadly this seems to be happening pretty frequently.
To be honest,my Viper is definitely a workhorse as well. When i got it,i noticed that the logo on the Seymour Duncan pickups was not put on properly. The logo is literally upside down and what little OCD i have keeps bugging me about it lol. It was the first guitar i got with direct mount pickups and the height took a bit for me to get used to. I'm also consodering a tuner swap since sometimes whenever im tuning the guitar which i have setup in Drop C# with ernie ball 11-54 guage strings,sometimes the string will get caught in the nut and it will jump while tuning it. These guitars really make you work for them sometimes and i see it now because an LTD EC-256 i also bought because i wanted a Les Paul standard like guitar,has the pickups,bridge and action way too high for my liking. I was considering a hardware swap on it anyway.
I'm pretty disappointed on the JM-II because I'm considering getting it for drop B tuning. But then again im also considering some t style guitars so its got a long road ahead of it.
Good luck on it. I hope you find a really great one. I recommend the Graphtech Ratio Tuners for sure, a little expensive but they feel great. Yeah all the LTDs I’ve had even in the past needed some love to get them working right, maybe this one just needs a thousand hours of play time. Haha.
@@jordansguitarchannel3809 hey thanks man. I wish you the best in those endeavors heh
Thanks my brother! 🤘
I got a Korean JM-II from Zzounds and it's flawless & shreds. I've had a Korean EC-1000 for a couple years & it's one of my best playing guitars. I don't do Indo. Sucks you got a lemon, man 🤘🏻
Yeah it does, glad to hear you got some good ones! 🤘
If you pay to have your ltds and schecters plekd, which i get it you shouldnt have to, but if you do, they are incredible. I jave a JM2 and a hellraiser hybrid. I think my hellraiser was made in Indo and its one of the best playing guitars ive ever touched.
I’ve heard this from a friend before, I’ve got this Jm playing very well now however the build quality is what gets me. I can’t keep this guitar out of its case without constant temp and humidity applied without the neck moving.
My $1400 LTD evertune 7 was trash. Horrible fretwork needing a full level, heel rise past the 12th fret on a set neck requiring insanely high action of 7/64" to get the notes past the 12th fret to work, evertune stud routing was botched and 1 of the studs blew right through to the cutout and you could see the factory tried to glue in shim pieces to mask it which also blew out- just really bad. Sold it for $600 just a handful of months after I bought it new. Never again.
Yep, I’ve been trying to warn people about the problems. Get a lot of hate and a death threat or two.
Im curious if you have fishman pickups in other guitars? They are brighter than emgs to my ears and in all honesty i prefer them.
I have a korea made snakebyte in white. It was perfectly fine in the shop. I got it home and within 24 hours i had a neck crack. 8 years later, i have done nothing to it. Its not needed any adjustments or fretwork etc. The crack has grown slightly. But to get it repaired coats the same as the guitar was new so i will live with it!
In all honesty though, my cort 7 string is as good if bot better than the snakebyte and cost me £400 less!
I do have Fishmans in a Solar guitar and I can’t stand them, in the LTD I kinda like them. That’s interesting about your LTD, and the Cort. I’m pretty sure both are made in the same factory if that helps at all.
I just picked up a 2014 LTD MH-1001 in a trade and it's incredible. That said, two years ago I bought a 2021 EC-1000 and it felt like trash. I'd previously had an 2017 EC-1000 that was arguably the best guitar I'd ever owned up until the MH. I love ESP-LTD but I'm of the belief (as @pastilance1 states) that the pandemic screwed up their production standards.
I keep getting this in the comments, and also a personal belief. Maybe this needs to be addressed.
When I saw this video pop up in my recommended, unfortunately it reminded me of my LTD. It is impossible to setup. I can't get a decent action on it or it will buzz on almost all the frets.
Same with this one, Sweetwater set it up where it’s not buzzing, but the action is too high and uncomfortable.
I got my JM-II right at release, and it's a great guitar. Unfortunately I did get a hairline crack in the neck pocket, but that's just a gamble you partake in with bolt-on guitars. I've owned and played many LTD's over the years, and up until this year I wouldn't think twice about recommending them to someone.
However this last year, I bought one of the snow white E-II M-II's and it was a total fucking turd. Contaminants all over the paint job, pickup routing looked like it was done by a toddler and there were cracks in the fretboard by the locking nut. All on arrival from Sweetwater. That definitely pissed me off considering it was like $2700 altogether. They asked if I would settle for a few hundred dollars off, but I couldn't accept that.
I took a few months to cool off and decided to get one of the snow white M-1000's, which was also a huge mistake. Same issue with a bad paint job and poor quality routes, but this time a chunk of the neck was missing upon arrival. Had to send that one back, too.
My Sweetwater rep emailed me to see what they can improve on at the shop, and honestly I don't know if it's necessarily and issue on Sweetwater's end. It seems ESP has not figured out how to deliver the same quality in the post-pandemic world, but boy will they ask you to pay another $300-$500 compared to 5 years ago.
I’m sorry to hear, but glad you said that. I feel like they’ve never caught up, and they’re not taking enough time to put the quality in. I’m fortunate enough to have two E-II that are amazing, one being made this year. I did buy that from a smaller store that did an in house setup. I dunno, I feel like I’m having better luck not buying from the major online retailers. Just an observation.
@@jordansguitarchannel3809 I have an E-II Jeff Ling signature from like 2016 or 2017 and it's pretty good! The neck needs adjusted a little more frequently than I care for, but it happens. I ended up getting an ESP USA TE-II with a jawbreaker finish for an absolute steal. It's easily one of the best instruments I've owned, and I've gotten things from Kiesel, Mayones and Aristides. Definitely right up there with those guys.
Nice. I’ve yet to try the USA models, but I’m dying too. They have the M-1 in some various finishes that look absolutely stunning.
I certainly believe that musicians that play LTD on stage just use a custom shop with an LTD logo painted on the headstock. Everytime I pick up my ESP‘s and compare them to LTDs i had or friends have it just feels like it’s another universe.
I can definitely speak to the ESP feeling and playing better. I have 3 and I need all of them. Haha.
@@jordansguitarchannel3809 💯, btw have you had the chance to check out the Jackson American virtuoso series?
Not yet, I really would like to try one. Have you?
I am also done with LTD. Their wood, finish, and even aesthetic designs have declined in a lot of ways and the prices keep rising. Schecter has some problems with electronics at times but they are still cheaper and are for the most part of equal quality
Wow, I can’t believe all the comments of people like me. I appreciate your feedback, what problems do Schecter have? I’m curious because I had a super cheap one that had a crazy good setup but the electronics didn’t work.
I have an ltd arrow 1000, best guitar I've owned by far.
Nice, I like the arrow body shape a lot. What it is about the guitar that’s so nice?
Stays in tune well, never had an issue with the action. Very little neck dive and it's comfortable to sit with for a V. The Floyd doesn't give me any issues, once it's set it's good to go. I know people are moving towards Fishmans but I'm still an EMG guy, though they do make a model with Fishmans. If you absolutely need a tone knob then it won't be a good fit but I usually cut mine out. I have an old ex-400 that's still going strong after years of heavy playing too.
Cool man, I appreciate the feedback. I’m an EMG guy myself, I have Fishman stuff just don’t like it as much. I used to have some nicer older LTDs that were so solid, wish I’d have kept them.
That sucks man I have an older Ltd 400 fm and I love it plays great its an 06 I believe but sucks you can't trust any of the guitar companies any more
Yeah man, the older ones were amazing. There’s still some good guitars coming out, it’s just not like it used to be.
I noticed people don't take pride in stuff anymore. My Ltd is almost 20 years old and it is flawless not a scratch on it only thing I don't like is right hand position it's an F series and my hand feels back to far but I'm used to my les Paul my old man guitar lol . Well God bless man and hope your Channel blows up you seem to be an honest young man .
Thanks so much, God bless you and enjoy that Les Paul.
Ive owned a few and they cant even put the volute in the right place. Like one was down to the 1st fret
Yeah, this one is wrong too. Can’t beat a Japanese ESP.
I've pretty much exclusively played LTD guitars and I haven't had this issue ever. My workhorse is a 2004 MH1000 and that thing will last until the end of time, absolutely amazing, My 2020 m1007 is fantastic too, I also own a 2011 V401fm made in China and that thing holds up no problem to my 2 Korean models. I even own an Ormsby goliath, made in Korea too and that thing rips. So in saying that it seems its all down to the fact that Indonesian guitars are just not made properly and have very poor QC. None of those guitars are quite as good as my Japan Made Esp Horizon 3 but that's the jump in quality you want anyway. now in saying I really only am going to buy older pre 2015 korean LTDs and Japanese made ESPs as I know exactly what they are like and fail very rarely if at all
I hear you man, I have a 2010 made in China LTD 7 string that’s amazing and I owned early 2000s LTDs that were stunning. Unfortunately the ones I’ve had made in Indonesia have had major issues, it’s nothing new from that factory and sometimes just the luck of the draw in my personal experience. Having said that, I did fix this LTD and it is now quite stunning in playability but reliability is lacking. Personally I believe it’s down to build quality and companies are cutting corners to cut cost and get instruments out quicker to supply the demand. Unfortunately that often leaves more quality control issues.
LTDs from the WMI factory in Korea have had some of the best QC ive seen amongst major manufacturers, even the B stocks are ridiculous. I cant speak for the Indonesia builds, always been skeptical. Sorry youve had such bad luck man.
I appreciate it man, and for the feedback. I’ve heard good things about that factory.
My Korean M1000 had terrible QC
I really like LTDs, particularly the EC line. They just feel great in my hands, nut size, neck profile...perfect for me. I have 2. My Indo EC-1000 was perfect out of the box. Great fretwork. I liked it so much I decided to get a Korean EC-401. MIK is better, they say--not in this case! This turd had the worst fretwork I've ever encountered. Literally every other fret was high all the way up the neck. Most were not seated, some could not be seated. Ultimately I had to have it refretted by a top local luthier. He said the fret slots were cut very wide and not deep enough. He had to crimp the fret tangs. Oh, and when I replaced the tuners, the tuner holes were all chipped out--unacceptable. The guitar is good now but (to your point) too much time, money and effort to make it right. What a bummer.
Exactly, this guitar is pretty good now after all the work. I just don’t trust it, and kinda expect it to have yet another issue.
Yeah mine M1000 made in Korea also had issues, these countries of manufacture are meaningless today
Were the other LTDs you purchased demos?
2 were, but described as perfect condition and one was brand new. Another I bought used and it’s perfect.
LTD quality is unfortunately all over the place - you never know what you’re going to get. I purchased 5 LTD Black Metal guitars over the course of a year (some for backup, some for experimentation) and every single one had a different neck thickness, different bridge placement, and different location of knobs. Getting these guitars consistent on the basic things absolutely can’t be a hard thing. And they were from both Korea and Indonesia. I finally ended up with just one of them, whose frets didn’t sprout off the fretboard (another issue among these) but unfortunately the scale length is longer than 25.5, and it can be felt.
Wow man, that’s absolutely crazy. Thanks for sharing bro, it’s incredible what I keep hearing about these guitars. You keep hearing these brands made in certain factories are the same as, CNC machines have revolutionized manufacturing. Haha.
@@jordansguitarchannel3809 With the specs being all over the place for each guitar, it doesn’t seem like they’re using machines like they should be. The PRS SE line are made in Indonesia but seem to have very good, consistent quality, which to me shows that it’s not the country a guitar is made in that matters the most, but the standards imposed by the company itself.
That’s mostly true, the problem is that it’s so hit or miss. Sadly I’ve gotten a ton of comments, messages, etc about the same thing across multiple brands. Again it’s just comments and my own personal experience, I’ve had great success with Solar guitars made in the same factory while others don’t have the same experience.
I stopped with LTD years ago when they moved the Deluxe/1000 models to Indo. Their excuse was that to keep the prices the same, they had to move to Indo. Well...well...well...prices still went up and quality became more iffy (trust me yall, I know Indo guitars can be amazing). Same with Schecter. But what the heck, the whole industry has gone nuts. $1500 for MIC Epi's? Get outta here! lol
For real. The early mik LTD were legit, and yeah prices are crazy now. You’re almost better off buying used.
I wouldn't expect LTD to have so much of a problem like that I thought those guitars were cool
I never expected it either, I hope they step it up.
Man that sucks with havin to deal with all that on a guitar that cost that much man I got a ltd ec1000 that ive had no issues with plays and sounds great but definately want an esp in the future
It’s a definite pain man, but it’s all good. ESP is such a great guitar, take your time and save up. It’s worth the wait man.
I’m laughing at all the comments loving their LTD. I also love my my Korean made V-401 deluxe. You bought a “demo guitar”. I personally wouldn’t take that risk to save some money.
Had to try and save some money for the channel. Lesson learned
In this price range, there no reason not to just go with a custom Kiesel build.
I’m actually working on a video expressing this and similar opinions. Especially after the NAMM announcements…
Esp standard now esp e-Ii are the best guitars for high quality and consistent reliable builds.you are better buying a used e-ii rather than a new Ltd.same goes with charvel buy the USA select over the Mexican models with one exception my charvel 2010 built in japan.
Absolutely agree. I’ve learned that lesson the hard way.
Bought a Chinese Epiphone Prophecy Extura (Explorer) and the fit and finish was way beyond my expectations. Frets are perfect, great action, and beautiful. That said, the Fishman Fluence moderns sucked ass. Absolutely hated them. Some mid spiked crap I couldn’t EQ out, sounded thin and lifeless, and plain bland. Made me never play the damn thing. Ended up changing the electronics out for Jim Root EMGs and instantly became my favorite guitar. I don’t understand the hype for Fishmans. My buddy’s Schecter SLS was the same. Great quality build with garbage pickups. Swapped out and now it’s a monster.
As I was seriously considering an ESP LTD BB Evertune (Les Paul style with huge binding), now I’m second guessing it after hearing this.
It took me some time to like the Fishmans, an EQ pedal helped a lot. As far as LTD goes this is just my experience, some have similar and others have amazing ones. I’d definitely say if you have your heart set on one check one out in person.
Do yourself a favor and get an Edwards guitar. Amazing quality, made in Japan in the ESP factory, total shred machines for around the same price as LTD 🤘😎
Thanks, I came so close to snagging an Edwards Explorer last month. I wish they were more common here.
There is literally no guitar in 40 years i bought for any price 300-4k that didn't have some ..thing wrong with it. I've bought 2 ltds from Sweetwater in the last decade. Their initial "50 point" inspection is a joke. Straight up. Both came tuned 1 step higher than 440 and super high action. Once i set it up, it was clearly because there was a high 21st fret or whatever. Luckily i like my action slightly higher so that unwanted harmonics, choke or buzz did not occur, for the most part. The second was a M1000LTD, set up high action, more than one high fret from 15 and above. The third guitar i bought from Sweetwater was a Schecter SS Exotic. Literally came the exact same way with the same exact issue.
Now, they could have came from the factory set up that way. But all i'm saying is that there was clearly no, you know. Actual technical 50 point inspection going on, and or it isn't worth a sht. I'd still buy a guitar from them though. The main reason i have shopped with them, is that you do get decent images of the instrument, about as good as an idea of what you are getting as you can get online, and without holding it in your hands, ( though way back they clearly we're photoshopping their images in a sketchy way, and not knowing much about them, it didn't sit right for me ) But they changed that, and i respected that and so i gave them a shot. But i can honestly say 3 kinda fails in a way. Their inspection is. Nothing is loose or falling off, the neck isn't cracked and no dings. Other than that they rely on the manufacturer and you get what you get. I actually kinda wanted one of those since the day i saw it previewed other than the pup rings 3 way and Fishmans, though i get the appeal. Def a banger workhorse guitar if you get a good one.
You pretty well summed it all up.
E ii hands down better than LTD for not that much more. I have an E ii eclipse in natural black burst with EMG 57/66 TW pickups and it just slays
Nice bro. I just got a Viper with the same pickups, it’s absolutely perfect. Just brutal.
I've got a Korean made Hamer, with a liscenced Floyd rose. Had it since 1998. The thing has never been in tune. I hate that Damn thing
Haha. I had a Korean Dean I felt the same way about.
I've paid around $1500 (price in Europe) for LTD M1000 and it had the worst QC I've seen, made in Korea which is supposed to be good but apparently not. My cheaper Chinese Jackson has way better quality. I'm waiting like a month for a replacement due to stock issues, hopefully the new one is ok... Also they censor negative reviews on ESP website so theres also that. So far im not impressed with them at all.
Sorry to hear about your experience, but thank you for sharing. They censor negative reviews? Wow.
@@jordansguitarchannel3809 Yep they only go public once approved and I've only seen positive ones, when I tried posting my negative experience it never got approved. It was a normal review so not like I broke any rules etc, I just said the design is great but the quality control is sloppy and added pictures.
Oh wow. That’s crazy man, stay tuned I’m still working on this stuff.
If I was gonna guess (and I am) I would say that the fretboard was glued onto the neck before the neck was ready for it, either not checked and trued out machining-wise wise or one of the two components was too full of moisture content. Bad quality control in any case. Sounds like they are rushing them out a bit.
It’s totally a guess, I spoke with a bunch of luthiers and techs all different answers. I would totally guess and assume they are rushing to play catch up. I’d gladly wait another month to have a quality axe.
I have 3 LTD's guitars and 1 Bass, and they are amazing for the money. Especially the evertune guitars, i go weeks without tuning those. Amazing guitars for the money. Sorry you got a lemon.
Thanks man, I appreciate that. Glad to hear you’ve had good luck.
Mine was made in korea, i always gut my guitars and mod them. Its never stock. Wasnt sure if i heard right, but did u say it was a demo?
Yes this was one was a demo. It’s been overhauled now and after some work and months it’s actually a pretty nice axe.
@jordansguitarchannel3809 glad u got it resolved. The demos I got would always need some work. Have a nice day!
Thanks brother, you as well!
Got my ec1000 and it's perfect! I don't even need the tune my guitar but once every month if that
I’m very jealous of you
Bummer - had nothing but joy from my Vulture
Yeah it is, the first three weeks with this one was pure bliss. Sadly it turned out this way.
Oh wow. I thought current Jacksons were shit and LTD picked up the torch instead. Question! What’s the string muting clamp on the headstock called? I tried googling it but I keep getting results for the thick string wraps instead
QC is down across the board sadly, I’ve had some bad luck with gear this year. It’s called a Jimmy Clip, I can post a link if you need.
@@jordansguitarchannel3809 got it, thanks!
Hey man if you ever get a chance try out Yamaha, got a bass recently that was supposed to be somewhat beginner level but man it’s punching way higher than its price range
Not yet, they have one I wanna try. It’s like an exaggerated SG style, I’ve heard great things about it.
@@jordansguitarchannel3809 yeah think that’s the Revstar it’s one of their best for a LP style guitar along with the Pacifica which is more super Strat like, I know Chris Buck is associated with those guitars 🎸
@@jordansguitarchannel3809 think you’ll like them because they say they try to make their super high end and their mid range the same spec range so you might find them more comparable vs the LTD/ESP quality ratio
Yeah that’s the one and actually Chris is the player that got me interested in them. Next time I hit a guitar store I’ll check one out.
Wow dude. End of an era. Every LTD ive ever had was perfect. Thats just sad. Fucking LTDipsoned it
Hopefully they’ll get better. I do have a ton of people having great experiences with them still.
This is awful, i agree though since 2020 QC has gone to shit. I have been with esp for the past 17 years but I'm considering going for a Japanese Ibanez prestige build....or a Balaguer custom build...so many manufacturers have dropped the ball with specific models it's almost like unless you're spending 4-5k you're getting a piece of firewood. Keep up the good work brotha, we're being forced to spend astronomical amounts of money for something that should be a fraction of the costs.
Hey I’m with you, I still love ESP but there’s custom shop models for way less and probably better quality because they’re not mass produced. I’m here to be real about anything guitar. Stay tuned, more is coming 🤘
Ibanez Prestige models are excellent, especially for the money.
I’ve got my eye on one. Never owned one before.
Just played another Korean JM-II, the build was the worst I've ever seen. The pickup cavity on the bridge was crooked along with the bridge, really bad fret sprouting. I'm personally done with LTD....over spray in binding or finish flaws to me aren't that big a deal but when the pickups and bridge are crooked and it's them just trying to throw em out the door says quite about how that brand doesn't care any longer about it's players. Ibanez prestige aren't a bad alternative, you can also get a custom built Balaguer for around an E-II price or just slightly more.
Also my 2017 Indonesian Ltd after setup was incredibly amazing and comfortable. It's an amazing guitar.
are korean models ok ?
Tbh, I’m not sure. I’m told they are, haven’t picked one up in awhile personally.
yes i have 2 and both guitars a fantastic
i find the recorded sound to be bad because of the shitman flatulence pickups
Hahaha. That’s hilarious. 😂
My JM-II is flawless, you got some bad luck.
I guess so bro. Glad yours is nice man.
Great review. Appreciate your no punches pulled honesty. I’ve had three ESPs (1 x ESP and 2 x LTD). I will say ESPs look really nice but aside from the looks, I don’t really like them and as a result they were the least played in my herd of guitars.
Thanks I appreciate that, honesty is my policy. I’m just curious what about ESP don’t you like?
It's an Ltd not a esp less quality control that's y they are cheaper than esp.
True dat
It's still over $1000 for M1000, sloppy quality should not be acceptable
shit ill buy it off you lol
EDIT: my 800 dollar Indonesian MH-1001 plays and sounds better than my 2k gibson lol
Lol. I believe you man, I fixed the LTD finally. It plays great, but not as great as my 2k E-II. Haha
Buy a Japanese Ibanez, problem solved. You can buy one for a few hundred dollars more and no headaches
Good thinking. I snagged an E-II instead but aJapanese Ibanez is on my list.
I have a J. Custom I bought from Sweetwater@@jordansguitarchannel3809
Nice bro, I’ve always wanted to play one. I definitely need a super shredder in the collection.
@@jordansguitarchannel3809 OMG I'm not very good at all playing, it's just a hobby for me, but this thing plays like butter and the build quality is impeccable
It’s a fun hobby huh, especially with a nice guitar like that. Keeps you coming back.
luck of the draw man
There it is
This is what ya get for over priced guitars. I got an LTD ESP AX 50 over 6 years ago I think it was only $300 or $350 bucks. I play it every day as my practice axe.
Not a single damn problem with it. EVER.
You putting up with a cracked neck is on you, not LTD. Issue's on a fret board or even a crack you send the guitar back! Nothing can be done for those problems no matter the brand.
Buy low budget guitars, you can smash them on stage or even throw one in the audience once in a while. Tired of seeing video's of people buying expensive over priced guitars and sniveling about it on the internet... If you spend a ton on a damn custom you are a sucker especially if it is busted...
Another clown blaming the consumer for a shitty job done by a corporation.
Sounds like LTD is some trash.
I’m not impressed
Brands and models mean little nowadays. Every guitar is different. To say that now you've decided all LTD's are garbage, is childish. If you expect to pay under $1500 for a guitar and get 2 years of free babysitting from Sweetwater with every purchase. Your gonna find fault with every guitar you buy. I know in about 15 min. whether I'm gonna keep a guitar or return it? My suggestion is to continue buying cheap under $500 dollar guitars and be happy. If you think spending more than that includes free babysitting? Your better off learning how to do more work on them yourself. LTD is gonna be just fine without your 2 cents. E-II's are one of the best bargains around. They're almost always perfect right outta the box. ESP has backed themselves into a corner, just like PRS. When the SE line and LTD's are 90% as good as the Core and ESP usa lines, your kinda screwing yourself. If you need perfection right outta the box, its gonna cost your dearly my boy.
Awww someone got butt hurt. I have a suggestion don't put your ego into a guitar lmao. Pathetic do better be better.
Saying that LTDs have poor QC and construction quality these days is childish? Quality and craftsmanship should go up as you pay in price, as this is often the norm and many brands are marketed in such way. So for him to have a cracked board, poor tuners, finish issues, bad nut and a bad neck means he’s childish or expects to much??? If he gets a $500 and it’s good, then shouldn’t a $1300 be even better? If anything, he’s holding ESP accountable for their marketing and product line. And if anything, your entire comment is a complete logical fallacy, my boy.
@@reducedtoatoms3973 The point was not about the word I chose to describe his reaction to some sub par QC. It's that making it specifically about LTD is senseless. All guitar brands and models will have some percentage of QC misses. I can't imagine being his sales associate and trying to make him happy? Cheap pots, crackling switches and poorly installed or cut nuts are not deal breakers for me. If that's all it takes for you to return a guitar, great! I'm more inclined to do complete set ups on all new guitars, and if some electronics need upgrades, I just do it. If you want absolutely perfect everything for your specific set up and playing preferences, again, it'll cost you. Good luck!
@@andrewbecker3700 so you prefer to over pay and then pay again? Dude you are not a bright person.
The point of the video was to point out an issue I’ve personally had. Apparently tons of others have had the same.
If you're not a touring musician I don't see any reason at all to spend that much money on a guitar. Sounds to me like you just want sweetwater to hold your hand all the time. Learn how to work on your own stuff and stop being soft.
Cool thanks!
What an idiotic take...