Question for ESP owners

[metalmike550]

ok guys. ive sold almost all my ibanez axes and now im looking towards other brands. ive taken a liking to the ESP LTD F series guitars. i played an f-50 at a local pawn shop. it wasn't bad but id like to know if the better ones are.... well... better. i mean compared to the early 90s and late 80s ibbys im used to. thanks.

 

[hypermagic]

Depends on how much you want to shell out. Higher end LTDs are nice if you can score a pre-2009 model, before they moved all their Korea line to Indonesia. It's entirely possible to get a good MII guitar, but MIJ and Korean guitars will be a bit better. But even then it's a crap shoot. Point being: Don't buy on name or factory location alone, try what you're looking for first.

 

[metalmike550]

well.... i was looking at the f series from this years catalog with natural finish, neck thru, and a floyd rose setup. it looks great. im gonna save a bit and be ready to "shell out" a healthy chunk. like around 600-800 bucks.

 

[omgmjgg]

My first 7 that I got was a mh 307, and I love that guitar. Really fast neck not to thick either. It fits in the hand good. I like Mahogany bodies, but it's really bassy especially if you put a 707 in it. That is my only bad thing I've gotta say about it.

 

[Kagami]

The 50 series is the lowest end line they make so all of their guitars are pretty much better than that unless you played one which had some really good wood.

I've played the F-2E before and I didn't really dig it, weighed a ton and didn't sound too great (reminded me of new les pauls)

 

[soliloquy]

well, their indonesian line isn't bad actually. i've played their LTD EC 256 or whatever that vintage worn looking guitar is. and it has to be one of the greatest guitars i've played under the 500 dollar point. obviously agiles are there, but this guitar was right up there. get rid of the electronics and you have an awesome guitar.

now, the person above said that their korean line is no more...can anyone confirm that?:O

 

[metalmike550]

ibanez did the same thing this year. is korea just too expensive or something?

 

[hypermagic]

Basically. Guitar companies are feeling the hurt big in this economic recession.

 

[maxident213]

I love my F-400, it's my favourite six-string. The build quality is noticeably higher than on the two LTD 207s I have. The 400 series was built in Korea while the 401 series is from Indonesia. The specs are the guitars are the same but I haven't played any 401s so I can't tell you if the feel is different. I can tell you that I love the F-400, the extra-thin U-neck contour is comfortable as hell, the heel is perfect and it's a very nice feeling guitar. It's the only sixer I have left, actually. As soon as I took it out of the box I knew it was for me.

I would LOVE to see an F-1000 or F-407 in the future. Something about the F-series & Forest shapes, I love 'em. I want 'em all.

btw - I have played the F-50 & F-250, as well as the MF-207, and the F-400 is WAY smoother, lighter, and more streamlined than those guitars, with a far better heel, and much nicer body. Seriously, the build quality is significantly better. I've never played a 300 series LTD so I can't comment on those, but I've read they are closer to the 400 series than the 200.

 

[adaman]

To be honest I have been less than impressed with just about every LTD I have ever played, and would easily take a mid 90's Ibby over one. The acutual ESP's on the other hand are amazing. I would strongly suggest saving up and get something MIJ just my two cents though.

 

[MaxOfMetal]

I'd have to agree with Adaman. The majority of the current LTD line, regardless of specs or aesthetics, is not too amazing. You certainly get what you pay for, but don't expect them to be on par with 90's MIJ Ibanez, especially where hardware is concerned (Lo-Pro/Original Edge vs. No-name LFR).

Now ESP on the other hand is top notch as far as production quality goes, but you certainly pay for it.

Don't get me wrong, if an LTD F-series floats your boat, by all means, then get it, they certainly aren't shit, or over priced.

 

[MaxOfMetal]

Double.

 

[Speedy]

I'd have to agree with Adaman. The majority of the current LTD line, regardless of specs or aesthetics, is not too amazing. You certainly get what you pay for, but don't expect them to be on par with 90's MIJ Ibanez, especially where hardware is concerned (Lo-Pro/Original Edge vs. No-name LFR).

Now ESP on the other hand is top notch as far as production quality goes, but you certainly pay for it.

Don't get me wrong, if an LTD F-series floats your boat, by all means, then get it, they certainly aren't shit, or over priced.

+1

And people should remember not to mix ESP LTD and ESP together. The quality difference is so big, and the two brands really don't have much incommon when it comes to guitars.

 

[Nightside]

you can score an edwards on ebay most of the time and those are MIJ under esp and damn near the same as a standard series esp. i had an edwards alexi model, exp model. esp standard series horizon nt2, m2 urban camo. custom shop kh4. and like a 97 or 98 ltd m200 that was badass as my 2nd guitar.

 

[22km Tombstone]

Meh, I'm a big LTD fan. I like Ibanez too but I can't get into them as much. They just don't excite me, really. I think the upper-end LTDs are great guitars for the cash.

It is true that they moved all the 400 series to Indonesia, but the artist sigs and 1000 (Deluxe) are still MIK.

I've yet to play an MII 400 series but for now I will reserve my judgment. From what I've read the QC seems to be pretty decent and the quality is on par with the MIK 400 series.

FWIW I have 2 LTDs, an Ibanez Bass and I'm planning on getting 2 more LTDs, one 7 string and one bari 6. I think they're great guitars. The Thin U neck is awesome.


Different strokes, I guess!

 

[Ultraworld]

In your price range Ibanez makes better stuff.