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ESP LTD Xtone PC1FM Flame Maple Electric Guitar

Semi-hollow archtop. Seymour Duncan humbuckers.

User Ratings

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Sound
Features
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"Versatile guitar, outstanding value" submitted March 23, 2005

By a customer from ix.netcom.com
Overall
Sound
Features
Quality
Value
Manufacturer Support
The Wow Factor
Musical Background: Active musician, 37 years playing guitar.
Music Style: Jazz, rock, classical.
Back to Product Information
Sound: I bought this guitar because of the wide variety of sounds it can produce with a good amp. The solid center block gives it the sustain of a solid body, and the intelligent selection of pickups (SD Jazz on the neck and HB on the bridge) allows it to play very clean or very distorted. Feature: Good pickups, separate volume and tone for each, and a three-way toggle switch. Solid tuners, jumbo frets, and mother of pearl inlays on the rosewood fingerboard. Nice maple and mahogany in the body. Quality: Astounding value for the money. I only see two tiny construction flaws -- a couple of glue drops inside and a slight wobble where someone cut the curve in the pick guard by hand. The single thing I would change on this instrument would be the one-piece mahogany neck. A one-piece neck is very susceptible to changes in temperature and humidity; thus, someone who wants to keep the action low without fret buzzing will need to make fine adjustments in the neck and/or bridge pretty often. ESP could make this a fine instrument, instead of just a really good one, by adding a laminated neck with stringers. But it would cost more. Value: Outstanding value for the money. Manufacturer Support: I called ESP once for information about this guitar. A marketing guy answered the telephone and gave me accurate information. Haven't needed service. The Wow Factor: The PC-1 is shaping up to be a very versatile, useful instrument. Apart from the PC-1 I play a 1972 Gibson L-5S custom shop solid body, and a 1968 Gretsch Anniversary. Both very nice instruments, but I can get more sounds out of the PC-1 than from the Gibson or the Gretsch. Overall: I'll probably keep it awhile.
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"Versatile and well-built." submitted March 13, 2005

By a customer from ix.netcom.com
Overall
Sound
Features
Quality
Value
Musical Background: Active Musician
Music Style: Jazz, Rock
Back to Product Information
Sound: Amazing sustain for a semi-hollow guitar, due to the solid center block. It really sings. The SD Jazz/HB pickups offer a wide variety of tones, from clean to psychotic and everything in-between. Feature: The PC-1 isn't a feature-rich guitar. Standard tuners, volume and tone for each pickup, three-way selector switch. But what more would you want? (There is a Bigsby model, if you want that.) I don't know who manufactured the tuners (which have "ESP" engraved on the back), but they seem very solid. It's nice that ESP uses Seymore Duncan pickups. The jumbo frets help to make the neck very playable. Quality: I have mixed feelings here. The guitar is VERY well made -- nearly perfect. I own more expensive instruments (including a 1973 Gibson L5S, a pre-Baldwin Gretsch, and handmade classical guitars) and I was pretty surprised to how well the PC-1 compared. The ONLY cosmetic flaws were an imperfectly cut curve in the pickguard, and some spilled glue drops inside the guitar that someone didn't bother to clean up. These are pretty forgivable. Here I feel obliged to mention that the ESP case (sold separately) is not worth the money. It's too thin to be useful (pressboard? cardboard?). I returned it immediately and bought a Gator Extreme, a strong plywood case which is designed for Explorers, Flying V's, etc., but can easily be adapted for the asymmetrical and hard-to-fit PC-1. Value: The value for the money is very impressive. I don't think you could get a better built guitar for the price. Manufacturer Support: Haven't called ESP yet. Overall: I would say 9+ here. It's on the way to becoming a favorite, due to its versatile sound and excellent (post-setup) playability.
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