In search of a new guitar, care to help?

[KeeperOS]

Re: In search of a new guitar, care to help?

Well my ESP LTD EC-100QM is $300 with krappy ESP LH-100 pickups. Swap in the Hot Rodded combo and it sounds great. I can't honestly think of any reason for me to get rid of it, as so far it's never failed me. However, its body is made from agathis.

Right, I saw that too, but I've never heard of such a wood, what is it mostly like tonally?

I just saw the LTD MH-400. MSRP: $949. Here I can get it for about 942 euros list price, I'm guessing it would go for no less than 755 euros. A bit too tight here folks... But, it's got the EMG 81/85 combo so this means that I won't be changing any pickups.

Everything below it has an agathis body so...

All in all, dunno how it'd work out... Guess I'll have to check them.

 

[Robert Delahunt]

Re: In search of a new guitar, care to help?

Right, I saw that too, but I've never heard of such a wood, what is it mostly like tonally? I just saw the LTD MH-400. MSRP: $949. Here I can get it for about 942 euros list price, I'm guessing it would go for no less than 755 euros. A bit too tight here folks... But, it's got the EMG 81/85 combo so this means that I won't be changing any pickups. Everything below it has an agathis body so... All in all, dunno how it'd work out... Guess I'll have to check them.

Certain websites say that agathis is a Chinese "cheap man's Mahogany" wood. Me, I'm not sure, since I have no mahogany guitars to really compare it to. Tonally, it seems to have plenty of resonance in certain octaves, some not, but the pickups make up for it. It seems plenty resonant (more than a Squier guitar definitely).

However, something in the upper mids or highs makes the guitar sound almost "tangy". I can't compare it to a Telecaster because I don't own one. Also, I'm not sure if the neck is maple or agathis (with rosewood fretboard) on this ESP. However, I can imitate the lead guitar parts from Paul Baloche's album A Greater Song almost perfectly, especially the cleans. I heard the rumor that his lead guitarist uses a Nashville Telecaster, but I'm not sure.

Really, it's hard to pinpoint the tone of this guitar without having experienced Les Paul or Telecaster tone first-hand. However, on my ESP page I have some clips (raw guitar -> Boss ME-50 -> 1972 Fender Twin Reverb) and on my 1972 Fender Twin Reverb page I have some clips of me using it live in church (this ESP guitar with Hot Rodded combo -> ME-50 -> Twin Reverb mic'd with a Shure SM57). Please ignore any goof-ups I have on the clips: this was literally the first time doing these specific songs live, and most of it was improvised solos without much practice.

Anyways, tell me what you think Honestly if you don't have the money to immediately put the Hot Rodded combo into the guitars ESP LTD sells with ESP LH-100 pickups (like my EC-100QM), you're going to hate how they sound (unless you ONLY play death metal lol)

 

[KeeperOS]

Re: In search of a new guitar, care to help?

Hee, actually I don't care much for that thing, some In Flames are ok and a couple from Dark Tranquility but the more traditional rocky melodic kind is more to my liking and I'll definitely will want it to produce at least somewhat respectable cleans even if my Strat will still be my primary axe for them.

So I guess it shouldn't be half bad.
Only some serious testing will show.

Thanks!