Two new guitars! LTD content

[Rex_Rocker]

LTD EC-1000 and EX-401! I actually got the EX a couple months ago, but I hadn't gotten around to posting it.

The EC-1000 is a 2011 model. I don't know if it was kept in the sun for a while, but the binding has slightly yellowed, and it looks killer with the silverburst finish! I swapped out the worn black nickel hardware for a shiny chrome Schaller bridge and tailpiece, Grover locking tuners, and Ernie Ball straplocks (I think those may actually be nickel, but oh, well). It has the EMG 81/60 set in it, which are very familiar-sounding. I do want chrome pickups in it, though, so I'll be looking for a used chrome 81 since I already have a chrome 66 to drop in it. It's a fantastic guitar, but I only wished the back and sides were black, and not silver. I kinda feel it needs tulip-style tuner buttons too.

The EX-401 is a 2017 model. I actually bought this one new from a store that had it sitting for a while. I swapped out the hardware as well: Schaller bridge and locking tuners, Gotoh aluminum tailpiece, and Ernie Ball strap locks. The pickups too! These are Fishman Fluence Moderns which are probably my new favorite pickups. Still waiting on a set of plastic knobs for the tuners since the guitar is a tiny bit neck heavy, and I want to lay some weight off the headstock.

Love LTD's! Both are made in Korea, so you know what kind of quality to expect. Both have got the Thin U neck profile, but I feel the neck is a tad flatter/thinner/faster on the EX. A tiny bit, though. Bouth sound great, but I feel the EX is a little bit more lively acoustically, plus the Fluences really make it shine. The EC is no slouch, though. It sounds fat and familiar with the 81.

[Aceman]

Played an ESP E-II from Japan and an LTD EC-1000 sunburst 59/JB yesterday

LTD kicked serious @$$.

Sweet Silverburst!

[Rex_Rocker]

Thank you, Ace!

[PFDarkside]

Awesome. How do the necks feel?

[Rex_Rocker]

Awesome. How do the necks feel?

If you've ever tried a Gibson 60's, kinda like that but very slightly thinner and narrower and with bigger frets. The ESP Thin u is pretty middle-of-the-road as far as thickness goes. Not too thin, not too thick, but leaning a bit more towards thin than fat.

It's interesting how they feel slightly different, even if they're the same on paper. The EX feels slightly more D-shaped and slightly thinner. The EC feels slightly more C-shaped and slightly fatter. I actually traded an EC-401 for the 1000 which was sorta round too, but I could've sworn it was slightly thinner. Not night and day difference, though. Even if the EX is slightly flatter/thinner, it feels nothing like my RG570 with the Wizard 1 which is way thinner, flatter, and with bigger frets, even.

The Thin U is more like a modernized traditional feel rather than a super shredder, IMO.

[ArtieToo]

I love those EC-1000's. That color is sweet. Enjoy.

[Rex_Rocker]

Thank you!

[Mincer]

A dynamic duo for sure. How would you describe the differences in sound?

[weepingminotaur]

Love that EC-1000! Looks like a beaut.

[Rex_Rocker]

^ Thank you!

A dynamic duo for sure. How would you describe the differences in sound?

The EX is tighter and more snappy. It has a more prominent attack and a faster-tracking low-end. Not surprising since it has a maple neck.

The EC is fatter and smoother. It's not dark. It has some sparkle, and it's probably not as huge-sounding as a full-thickness singlecut, but its overall tone is more focused around the lower mids than the EX for sure.

The pickups add to that difference. I guess I know because the EX has had both the EMG's and the Fishmans at some point. The Fluence Modern Ceramic, while undoubtedly built around the prototypic 81 platform, is definitely slightly tighter and brighter than the actual 81. Downside? It's slightly thinner. Advantages? It's faster and clearer. But I want to keep an 81 in the EC and the Fluence in the EX. It's two slightly different shades of the same familiar flavor I love.

[Mincer]

Sounds like you have several different tones to choose from now. Congrats on 2 awesome guitars!

[Rex_Rocker]

Thank you!

[JB_From_Hell]

Nice! I haven't tried the Fishman Moderns, but the Tosin Abasi set is unreal.

[Hsb]

Congrats, LTDs are great value for what ya gettin.

[PoorMan]

Played an ESP E-II from Japan and an LTD EC-1000 sunburst 59/JB yesterday

LTD kicked serious @$$.

Sweet Silverburst!

How were the finishes in comparison between the E-II and EC-1000? I haven't played both and wonder if the E-II finish is nicer, thinner, less sticky than an EC-1000? A lot of MIJ guitars I have played are buried in Poly just as much as any other import.

Given the quality of EC-1000s, I'm having difficulty reconciling the extra (roughly) $1,000 for an E-II.