I've owned all 3 brands so I'll list a few like and dislikes. This is MHO of course of higher end models.
Ibby's,other than the S series I don't care for the body shapes. The middle pups seem to be in the way. The necks are waaaay to thin for me. My forearm just aches thinking about playing a wizard neck. They do have a good pups. They also make a decent trem. I would never buy a low end Ibby,close to junk as you can get.
Jackson,I love'm but I only own 1 these days. They were my main guitars for a long time. They too have that rough arm rest that is one of my main complaints with the ibby's. I just don't like the edge of the guitar cutting into my arm. Good pups,solid trems,and a lot of options. Really great guitars that give me GAS but when ever I play one I just feel...meh,whatever. Lower end models provide a lot of bang for the buck.
ESP,out of the 3 if I would walk into a store and buy a new guitar it would be a ESP,a Horizon to be precise. I still own 3 ESP's and they are some of my best and most comfortable players. Not to thin necks,comfy lazy feel,and top notch materials. You can buy a production guitar that feels like a hand made custom. Something the other two brands lack IMHO. Something about ESP's that I notice is that even the cavities are just beautiful,just goes to show the love put into the whole guitar. Lower end LTD's vary so much. One is a killer guitar the next a hunk of junk.
When it comes to top end models I like ESP's. The reason though is what I consider a comfortable player. I feel ESP has better QC too. I'll tell you what I tell everyone when they are considering spending REAL money on a fine guitar. Spend some time with them,real time not just 30 minutes in a store. Find someone that will let you play their guitar for a couple hours. I bought a Ibby years ago that I regretted buying because it was so uncomfortable to play for extended periods of time. Don't do like I did and drop a grand on a guitar that was "cool" and end up hating it.
You'll know when you find "the one".
Good Luck
