When I write a review it is not a comparison of other guitars. I don't rate this EC 1000T Snow White a 10 because it reminds of a Jimmy Page Signature Les Paul. My ratings are based on expectations. I was looking for a guitar that was beautiful, versatile, had great tone, with good features for it's price. I was looking at several guitars by Gibson, Schecter, and other ESP's but kept coming back to this one and I am ever so glad I did. It by far met all my expectations and then some. Pretty amazing considering I bought it sight unseen and never actually played one. Zzounds was great of course, shipping was early, free, and item didn't have a scratch on it.

Sound
Sounds great. It is not just for metal either. Roll the volume and play with the tone knob on these EMG's and I can get blues, jazz, classic rock, and of course... METAL. Great sound and reminds me a lot of my old 90's Gibson Les Paul Studio but with better appointments and a little less weight.

Features
Great features. EMG Actives 81 and 60 are a great feature but the tonepros bridge and locking tailpiece with those locking tuners are just as great to give you excellent sustain and tuning stability. It stays in tune for a long, long time. Ebony fretboard is like black glass smooth and frets don't have sharp edges. U Contour neck is also awesome and full fatness of the body gives you great tone. I plucked the low e string, sat the guitar against the wall,… read more went to the kitchen, made me a sandwich, ate, and when I returned the note was still ringing. I put my finger on the headstock... still resonating! Absolutely amazing! Are you kidding me? This thing is made in Korea for Petes sake.

Ease of Use
No learning curve on this. Just plug and play and use those knobs to dial in almost anything you want from clean, mean, to scream.

Quality
Some don't realize just how much can go wrong when building a guitar. Paint is perfect, pickups are set perfect, strings stay in tune (these are cleartone strings by the way and they last 5 times longer than regular strings). Frets are perfectly done. Ebony fretboard is perfect. I tried to find a defect but there were none to be found. Binding was also done perfectly. No problems with the knobs, switches, or electronics. This guitar made by ESP is top notch quality. I am really amazed. Never owned an ESP out of my 11 other guitar purchases over the years. Now I know why so many pros use them. Intonation was spot on, action was incredibly low with no fret buzz. Just tune up a couple of times and BAM!

Value
Competition in this price range is tough but I would've paid more to own this thing. Great, great, great features and playability. It is right up there with the other EC1000 deluxes and in my opinion offers most of the same features of an ESP Eclipse USA version. The Schecter blackjack neck is the most amazing neck I have ever played but this ESP was second. You get alot for the money but it is still not cheap.

Manufacturer Support
No problems to contact them about. Never had to deal with them.

The Wow Factor
Excellent appeal. Get lots of great compliments on this and the look inspires me to pick it up which means more playing time. Excellent guitar and trust me when I say... I am EXTREMELY picky. The snow white is beautiful. I will never buy anything else but ESP from now on. Never thought I would say that!

Musical Background:
Playing guitar for 24 years now. No professional experience but I love to jam at home and am always learning new stuff.

Musical Style:
Classic rock, Metal, Jazz, Blues, Blues rock, etc. read less