ESP LTD Deluxe EC-1000 Review - Quality ESP Import?

By R. S. Rasnick

Some people are still under the erroneous assumption that having a "Made in Korea" sticker on a guitar means it's substandard. Those days are long gone. True, Korean-made instruments were once sub-quality, but that was the same for Japanese-made guitars once as well. That is, of course, until companies like Ibanez and Takamine came long.

The ESP LTD Deluxe EC-1000 is proof positive that first-class guitars are made in Korea. Why is that the case?

A guitar is only as nice as its parts, and the ESP LTD Deluxe EC-1000 contains the first hardware in the business. The ESP is equipped with EMG 81 pickups, TonePros System II locking bridge, Sperzel locking tuners, and an Earvana compensated nut.

Clearly, ESP didn't skimp on the details. This guitar contains world-class elements, but how does it play and sound?

As Luck Would Have It, the LTD Deluxe EC-1000 plays and sounds as good as its parts suggest. The action is as nice as any guitar we've ever played. The action is smooth, low, and silky, and the 24 fret fingerboard is impeccable.

We were especially impressed with the capacities of the LTD Deluxe EC-1000 as a serious metal or shred instrument. We ripped sweep picking licks and cranked out power chords alike with no problems. We really liked the EMG-81 pickups, which offer a lot of versatility, though the guitar does excel at high gain riffage.

The tuning is spot on as well, thanks to the included Earvana nut. Chords were in tune from the first to the high frets, and the intonation was exact.

It's also a really good-looking guitar, and we loved the maple top/mahogany body combination. The rosewood fretboard is really attractive as well, as are the abalone inlays.

We tried and tried, but we simply couldn't find any problems with the guitar's construction. Kudos to ESP! This is a guitar that could fulfill a lot of guitar players, given its pro-quality hardware and its color choices.

With a list price of less than $1000, the LTD Deluxe EC-1000 is a pro-quality instrument at a very inexpensive price. The Korea vs. USA debate may finally be a thing of the past. - 32370

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