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I bought the MH10001 instead of the MH1000 because this one doesn't have the obnoxious abalone on the fretboard, and I don't like dealing with a Floyd Rose. Apparently ESP listened to the complaints about the abalone which is great. Other than that, the MH1001 is essentially the same as the MH1000, down to the finish. Same mahogany superstrat body, maple neck, rosewood fretboard and EMG 81/85 active pickups. The body is on the thick side for superstrats and resonates beautifully. Playability is one of the best I've played. The active EMGs do exactly what they are supposed to, crunchy rhythm and sreaming pinch harmonics on the 81 and warm clean, smooth lead on the 85. I am aware there are more pickup options these days and the 81/85 combo is really dated now, however they still fit very well for me who plays mostly hard rock and some thrash metal. The string-thru bridge makes changing strings a breeze and the locking tuners hold tune very well - I rarely have to tune before playing. Overall I am very happy with this guitar. Unfortunately the current E-II line has nothing quite like this one, so I went with the LTD version. Don't let the LTD name fool you - this is the Deluxe series which is the best ESP has to offer in the $800-1000 price range and they deliver.