The sound is really good, played with chorus or even straight its very clean, but when you use distortion, it sounds heavy, even with the stock pickups

Doesn't really have a whole lot, it would be nice if it had a floyd rose, but you don't need it. It has one volume and one tone and a 3 way toggle switch, and thats all you need.

Just plug it in and play it, its simple enough to use, the playability is great and the neck is the perfect size to move quickly along the frets.

This thing is invinceible. One day I was playing it and the strap broke off, the guitar fell and landed on the concrete, the only thing that happened was a small chunk of paint fell off, i painted over it with black nail polish, and its not even noticeable, it still sounds and plays exactly the same.

The value for this guitar is amazing, for how well its build, the sound of the pickups, and the durabuility i could imagin paying well over $300 for the same guitar. I bought it in September for just $220, i found a gig bag for it, and even though i also have a Ibanez sa260m and a Epiphone Les Paul standard I still play it daily.

I've never needed the support

Look at it, the shape is great, for being just black or silver (mines in black) the guitar has an amazing color, the shine is increadable, you really have to see it to appreciate it.

Hobbyist, Bass Guitarist for band

Rock, Metal, Alternative, Rapcore, Grunge, Classical

depending on what type of cabinet and amp you have it will sound clean or a bit heavy.its is very responsive i recommend you play out the pickups before you switch them. I listen to metal and i got a long way to go before i can reach the big guys but it doesn't stop me from shredding and it does fit nicely with a deep heavy tone. I use a Line 6 POD HD and believe me when i say the distortion DOES NOT sound to bad with different settings like i said it all depends on what amp and cabinet your using. If it still sounds a bit too heavy for you then switching the pickups will be the best option but beware you will most likely spend $200+ or you can buy a POD HD and experiment for yourself like i did and you will be amazed.

everything on the guitar is pretty useful, everything on the guitar was used especially the tuning nobs. The stock pickups are a good for starters depending on the setting used you will get different results. It is extremely well made and im happy it was made with toughness in mind.

IF you tune it correctly it will catch on fire, yes it sounds that good !. It gets along pretty easy with what i have so far i haven't had any problems. If your starting out learn your fingering i only have 4-5 weeks of experience little by little im getting the hang of it once you have that you will be able to move to the next thing your speed. Once you hear the tone your not gonna be able to stop playing at all it will make you come back for more.

The product surpassed my expectations its made tough therefore its really reliable. For me it seems like it will last a really long time for the mechanicals only time will tell but its body is really tough.

You will get more than what you bargain for this for me is a great way to start.

i haven't dealt with them just yet.

Pictures only describe so little wait till you have it on your hands you will never let it go. It looks really aggressive and has an aggressive tone to go with it.

ive been playing for 4-5 weeks now.

Metal, Rock

it has a really good clean sound, very responsive and a pleasure to hear. the crunch channel sounds good for it too. the pickups are alot hotter than people on here described. not a typical under 300 dollar guitar sound.

not alotta extras, but for the money its alot better than say a squier strat. 1 vol one tone and a 3 way switch. what more do you need?

right outta the box it was setup and ready to go. tuned it and was playing instantly. controls felt good and everything was as it should be

pickups are way better than i expected, controls felt really solid, and the neck and finish was FANTASTIC. love it

i this guitar holds its value alot better than its competition. its alotta bang for your buck. this is one of the best lower priced guitars ive ever played and ive played everything from a jackson randy rhoads to a les paul, to a gibson explorer. i really like this instrument.

havent dealt with them

definately one of the sexiest guitars ive ever seen. if your a fan of the explorer, or funky shaped guitars in general, you gotta buy it.

14 years experience, guitar bass and drums. semi pro

classic rock, metal, thrash, alternative, nu metal ect ect

The LH 100 are really high gain for a stock pickup, but i put active EMG's in it

one volume, one tone, you dont need more than that

Again, all Ltd's come standard with great playability, but they also come with a GREAT apint job, no chipping, rarely dents, and doesnt show scratches much. And even though, your getting the lowest quality out of Ltd, your still getting the best for the price. And even the bottom end stuff is really great.

AWSOME value for all the quality, materials, electronics, hardware, and the best playability.Its all good

Their guitars are tough, durable, and long lasting. Havent needed to call support

Very "wantable" lol...JUST LOOK AT IT!!!!

Active and Pro Musician

Metal/Hardcore/Rock

In my opinion, it's pretty good overall. If you play hardcore you'll definitely want to go for an 81-60 or 81-89 set up, because the stock humbuckers aren't the best. It's kind of muddy when playing lower notes, and it sounds kind of hollow on the higher frets. I have EMG's on it, and it sounds a lot better. The muddy and hollow sounds disappeared. Overall the stock pickups aren't bad, because the guitar itself is very inexpensive.

It came with an ESP catalog, and a FREE GIFT (strings) from S.I.T. Strings, which I thought was cool. I wish that I had saved a little more money and got the more expensive set-neck version, because while playing shows, it'll get banged around a bit, and go slightly out of tune.

It's easy to get great sounds from this guitar. I put an EMG 81 on the bridge and it sounds great. It's very comfortable to play sitting or standing. It will feel kind of awkward at first, but give it a little bit, and you will see that it's actually very comfortable.

I think it could have been made better, and it was with the EX260 and the EX400, but if you play shows, then don't worry, it sounds good, plays good, stays in tune, and is quite easy to set-up. I use it for everything, because I don't want to use my more expensive guitars, to go play at a show.

I already recommended two people to this guitar, they bought it, and now they love it too. It's very inexpensive, it's a great price for the guitar in general

I haven't had to deal with them yet, so they must have done something right.

The first time I saw an ESP EX model guitar, I just wanted to steal it (I didn't steal it). It has a nice sharp body, and I recognized it, because of Gibson's version. The ESP version, I think is much better, because you look at and say, "Man, that thing is sick." It's not my best guitar, but I still love to show it off to my friends... They all ask how much it cost, expecting to here somewhere around $400, and are shocked when I tell them how far off they are.

Active Musician

Hardcore, Death Metal, Metal

the stock pickups are fine. sounds good to me. i would switch the pickups to a higher output pickupif i could, but its fine for now.

Very basic, but simple is good.

its as simple as plug in and play, well once you turn the amp on. the shape is not a problem at all. i think its more comfortable then a strat.

it is very strong. i dont have a case and i have banged the points on walls thousands of times, and just lost a chip of paint on one tip which you can hardly notice.

excellent value, a good second guitar.

not needed

I like this shape more than the classic explorer. the black is so nice and shiny, it gives off a reflection.

Melodic and Technical Death Metal, Black Metal

The sound is amazing. I myself im a HUGE metallica fan and its amazing playing youfavorite songs and sounding just like the recording.

I like the guitar but if i had the money i would put EMG or Seymour Duncan Pickups on it and maybe add a Floyd Rose Trem.

This was my first guitar and i have stuck by it for about a year now. I immediatly addapted to the shape because it proves very comfortable when doing the immense ammount of palm muting during many of my songs.

for the price i dont really think i could find a better guitar. It even beats my friends Epiphone SG and he payed 3 times more than i did... he kinda feels stupid now lol

Best quality for its price, but eventually you will feel its time for a change... but u will never have a normal shapped guitar again.

Whats Support?

It is the most amazing lookin guitar ever... James Hetfield may look better playing it tho.

Jam with friends

Metal/Hard Rock

The neck is very fast, the action is relatively low, pickups are very responsive (considering they are stock esp pickups), overall a fantastic sound. I do not see myself purchasing any guitars in the future (not unless this breaks). This guitar is a shred machine, a friend of mine (who plays a agile les paul model) picked this up and commented on how easy it was to shred on.

Basic guitar, no special pickups or anything but for the price that is totally understandable.

The only initial issues I had with this instrument was the weight. This particular model is VERY neckheavy and as a result always tends to droop. One solution to this problem I've found is to wear a strap that slides so you can freely maneuver the neck when performing without snagging your shirt. This is not a serious problem, though, not even really a problem at all but some people have preferences in regards to guitar weight. Of course the shape is a bit akward, but, for fans of explorers this is the way to go, especially for this price.

I've owned this guitar for almost a year now and have played it almost every day (changing the strings accordingly), and I have experienced no technical problems at all. After cleaning it looks like new and with new strings sounds it aswell.

Poenominal value, but this versus the more expensive versions, the only real difference is the wood(s) and pickups (and as far as pickups, its cheaper to buy the ones you want and have them installed than buying the more expensive model of the guitar)

I haven't even had to deal with the company!

You either like explorers or you don't, from an objective point of view its obvious that some people will not be drawn to this shape. I, however, am a very huge fan. I do not think I can go back to a standard shape after this. It's comfortable to play and beautiful to look at when onstage.

active musician/band member

black metal

the sound is awesome. especially if you're going for heavy metal and that kind of music.

overall awesome

the neck droops down REALLY low while you're playing standing up. thats the biggest problem.

the quality is amazing. what you expect from an ESP guitar.

what you can expect from an ESP guitar at $259

i havent dealt with support

very very desirable. from novice to pro, anyone would look like a rock god with this guitar.

Active Musician

Metallica and AC/DC style

the sound is great, pick up couldn't be better with the price.

wish it had a tremolo bridge and some evil inlays.

good

great value for the money.great design for those who play meeetttaaalll!

very appealling, i crave for it.

hobbyist

metal

the best guitar ever with the highest sound quality, but its major weakness point is that its a neck heavy guitar which causes the guitar to lean downwards while you're playing

high quality

its worth it

didnt get any

professional+band director+band member+guitar teacher

metal,rock,hard rock

the sound quality is awesome.. it is a great guitar if you want to play around or play a gig.

the most useful feature on the guitar was the toggle switch, it made it easy to switch the sounds of my heavy metal.

this was a very easy guitar to get used to, the neck was easy to slide up and down on so soloing wasn't a huge problem.

when I got the guitar, everything was in good shape except for my input jack. It was extremely loose and eventually fell off, I had to pay 300 dollars to fix the entire input jack which was connected to the electrical system inside the guitar. wasn't to happy about that. but it works now, and it plays great.

this guitar is a STEAL compared to what you can buy it for in my local music store.

The support was outstanding, I went on live-chat numerous times and was asking a lot of questions about the product and they answered every single question with a knowledge filled answer. The zZounds support is awesome.

this guitar is HOT, the metal body really makes it attractive.

active musician

Metal, hard rock, blues, classic rock, some jazz

has such a nice crunchy sound with distortion and im gonna buy it

nice and simple the way i like it

AWSOME!!

woth the money

np problems at all

i love it it looks so gnarley my mom hates its look tho but who cares shes old

in a band

rock

They aren't the greatest pickups, but for the money, it is excelent. No fret buzz and such, by far the best sound for a guitar around the price range, no doubt.

Just a volume and tone knob, nothign too special. Although they do work well.

Again for the money, it's top of the line. ESP makes nothing crappy, all quality products.

As stated earlier, best for the money. THere's no comparison.

I have heard the supports is great. Havn't actually had contact with them, because all of my ESP's function great.

It's an old explorer style. It's hella sexy. I got the green metallic finish, and everytime I play it, it gives me great pleasure. JK, but it's kickass.

hobbyist/band

rock

This has the best sound you can possibly afford for less than $300. The two humbuckers prevent any static at all from coming through my amp (Spider III) and it's probably the best sounding guitar i've ever played

The humbuckers...they're so sweet, but if you want some major punch in your sound get some seymour duncans

Very fast neck. No questions asked

I love the Xplorer shape, i feel like James Hetfield..lol

it is ABSOLUTELY DEFINETELY 100% worth the price

why would i need to contact them? this guitar is awesome!!!

Xploder shape blows all others away

hobbyist

rock- any music that branches off from rock and blues

I've owned this guitar for a little over two years now. Its been through good times, bad times, and writers block. Its pulled through it all. The overall sound quality of the guitar is great, when you add in the low price. Its a great value, however, unless you consider yourself a beginner of sorts then you may want to look for something with a bit more quality. You can get a fairly wide range, but the pickups are fairly low grade. They dont offer enough of a range in any extreme form of music. Its good enough that you wont make a fool of yourself but not particularly outstanding.

There isn't really much in the way of features. Just your basic stuff, but what do you expect for $225? Its fairly solid though and I've been able to rely on it whenever I've had need of it. Good luck finding a gig bag or a case to fit it though, unless your willing to spend almost half as much for a case ($119.95). The local music stores plainly told me I was out of luck with that one and this site here actually is the only I know of that offers a case to fit it.

I've dropped it, banged it, stepped on it, and even a baby had a go at it. Its tough and can take a licking. Mind you none of the incidents I've mentioned were intentional so dont go trying to create a problem with the instrument.

Other than the lack of transportation (the gig bag/case issue) there is nothing that I would mark this guitar down for. The price and the quality are excellent, it far exceeded my expectations for such a low price.

I've never actually tried to contact the support of the instrument, however I am an esp man so I will so no wrong of the company.

It definately has a very strong presence. No matter how fat, ugly, or stupid you may look, with this guitar in your hands your a god. It definatly stands out hanging on the wall with my other quitars, although it may not be the most expensive.

Active Musician

I hate clasifying music!

the sound is awesome, i would recommend changin out the humbuckers with seymour duncan dimebuckers though.

volume and tone knobs...all you really need. overall features are ok.

The quality is superb, paint doesnt chip, stays in tune, easy to play, really great guitar.

this is the cheapest explorer out there basically GREAT VALUE!

havent ever had to deal with em so dont know.

this guitar has one of the best shapes....really really sexy, so sharp it could be considered a deadly weapon.

active musician

metal

pickups are rather dull and muddy on highe gain setting

you get what your pay for but they haven't mentioned the contoured heel very comfortable if your used to the top heaviness.

again top heavey but not even something worth complaining about.

very nice then again I have changed a few things since i bought it a few years ago off this website as a matter of fact or right quality.....change the pickups and we are good.

worth the price i'd say but hey I said it not you.

yeah i'm to stubborn to call i'm still stuck in that whole "Naw I can fix it" stage so haven't bothered.

..........sex appeal? odd quuestion about wood......oh I get it

this guitar rocks.......in every single way. works for everything .. easy to play..sounds awesome, killer in drop-d

the stop tailpiece is handy.....the black hardware is very stylish

this guitar sounds good on any amp......

good guitar but make sure you get a case for it........otherwise hard to find

very good price

none

hobbyist

metal

Very good, especially with a good amplifier like line 6 or marshall. those are the best for this guitar. You might wanna get some emg pickups or just get some other guitar later, probably after 2 years of playing.

Humbuckers are beutiful.

One of the fastest necks ever. Regardless of a bolt-on neck. you can shred like kirk hammett!

it has a nice finish, but for me, it dings up pretty easily, and i keep it in a box. Also, i got it fresh from a factory, and there was a major scratch at a corner.

there is no other guitar better than this for the price. i will fight you if you disagree!

Never had to deal with them.

The shape is amazing. Feeling like james hetfield with this baby!

Active Musician

Metal, Rock, Classic Rock

I sounds amazing, probably the greatest humbuckers ive ever played on at the $200.00 price that this guitar offers.

I love the paint on the body, and the black chrome hardware is awesome. I kinda sparkles when you look at it in the light.

It has the BEST playability ever. its so easy to use and i sounds absolutlt amazing.

Really good quality... BECAUSE ITS AN ESP...

Its definnatly worth the price.

I ordered mine straight from ltd and got a great deal and i got my guitar quick, but zzounds still does better

Awesome body style with an awseome finish. what more could you ask for...

2 words heavy metal!!

not many features but if u have a nice amp and head it sounds awsome.

its very comfortable sitting down or standing.

it is made very well and i have played with some gibsons tht arnt as good as this.

it was worth every penny

i havnt needed any support. thts because ESP rocks!

Thrash Metal, Heavy Metal, Classic Metal

This thing sounds freaking good stock with the humbuckers! All you have to do is throw in two active EMG's and you have the same guitar as the guitarist for Atreyu. in the lipgloss and black video, he actually has an ex-50 with emgs. a very professional setup for a cheap as dirt price! but much better than dirt!

really simple, nothing fancy, just how i like it. I can;t stand guitars with more knobs than you have a use for. The only thing I'd add is a floyd rose trem.

It's an ESP, some of the best guitars EVER!

best value EVER! simply said, best buy for the money!

havent had to talk to them, but I'm sure if there support is newhere near as good as their products, its immaculate!

definately gunna be my next guitar!

active musician

metal, rock, alternative, speed metal

This sounds great. I play everything from Metallica to Napalm Death to Bach to Chet Atkins it does them all. Nice cruchy sound with the bridge pickup and a more beefy mellow sound with the neck. If you have the money i would suggest a floyd rosse tremolo, a dimarzio X2N for the bridge and a Dimarzio PAF PRO for the neck. Stock pickups are very good too.

This is one nice guitar. It may be sold for a cheap price but the materials they use to make it are excelent. I own an epihpone 1970 something scroll, a gibson 1953 hollobody (Its actually from 1953, my granpa gave it to me when he died.), and i have playd countless hours on my friends cheap squires and this beats them all. This guitar is also very sturdy. I have accidently hit the neck and headstock into the wall and table and cars and people countless times. Ive been asked if this gutar cost me lots of money and to their suprise it didnt.

Quality is very good. As all ESP are supreme in qality. Though i did accidently rip my volume knob off accidently. Oh and the screw that is near the neck ripped out when yanked on my guitar. Other than that it is a great product

Active musician, in a band( two bands)

I play everything from sepultura, Metallica, Fear Factory, Chet Atkins, Pantera, Death Angel, Bach, Lamb of god etc...

sloppy

bad sound, just loud

breaks

i dont know

service people were ok

BAD

the pickups arent bad they are very good for this price range...although i put some emg 81's in it

cant get a btter guitar for the price

havent dealt with em