LTD MH-401QM Review

The features are great and the Floyd Rose special is just as good as the original in my opinion.

Features:	8.7
Sound:	9.7
Action:	9.3
Reliability:	8.7
Impression:	9.7
Overall rating:	8.4
Reviewer rating:	9.2
Users rating:	7.5
Votes:	18

Reviewed by: unregistered, on november 15, 2012

Price paid: £ 499

Purchased from: Andertons Music

Features: Set-Thru
25.5� Scale
Mahogany Body
Quilted Maple Top
Maple Neck
Rosewood Fingerboard
Locking Nut
42mm Neck Width
Thin U Neck Contour
24 XJ Frets
Black Nickel Hardware
Grover Tuners
Floyd Rose Special Bridge
EMG 81 (B) / 85 (N) Active p.u.
Finish: See through Blue
made in 2009 in Indonesia and is now discontinued

The features are great and the Floyd Rose special is just as good as the original in my opinion. However I would of liked to have neck through construction as I like the look of it other then that its a great guitar. // 9

Sound: This is my first guitar with emgs and I'm shocked how nice it sounds of clean. It is warm in the neck and it gives a good RHCP sound in the bridge position. It plays metal and hard rock music very well, but that's what emgs are famous for. The harmonic over tones on this guitar are great my amp at the moment is a Peavey bandit this guitar is great without effects. My uncle has just recently bought a Les Paul Studio for £999 which is over double for what I paid for mine and this guitar can run rings around it; even he says he wish he got the MH-401 rather then the les paul. // 10

Action, Fit & Finish: I can't find any flaws in this guitar in the finish. The hardware was spotless when I got the guitar and still is great finish and all the routing is good. But I might of been lucky. The action was perfect to my taste the day I got it. But you will have to clean it often because this guitar shows every fingerprint the finish is like a mirror. // 10

Reliability & Durability: This guitar is sturdy and heavy and has survived gigging. The hardware is good quality and the strap buttons seem to be solid. I can depend on this guitar without a back up. // 9

Impression: I play all sorts of music really. What ever I feel like on the day, this guitar looks like a metal guitar but it is so versatile. I have only been playing for 7 years but in that time I have played a lot of guitars as I have lessons in my local music shop so I have played many makes of guitar and ESP is my favourite, I would say this is one of my favourite guitars its the closest thing you will get to a Horizon it even looks the same. // 10

overall: 8.6

Reviewed by: frax21, on november 15, 2012

Price paid: € 670

Purchased from: Guitar Store

Features: 24 XJ 25.5 in scale frets, mahogany body, superstrat body style with a Floyd Rose special bridge, EMG 81 (bridge) EMG 85 (neck) Active Pickups. One volume control and one tone control, 3 way selector, Grover tuners. This guitar is made of high quality parts that contribute to make this guitar a very special model. // 8

Sound: I mainly play metal and this guitar suits perfectly for this genre, and even when I play rock or blues stuff like RHCP, Led Zep, Blue Oyster Cult this guitar has an amazing full sound. I'm actually using a Peavey Envoy 110 amp and the Boss Metal Core Distortion and the sound that comes out of it is a really bright full sound, very brilliant and never boring. It's almost never noisy (even using a Boss pedal). It has a really wide range of sounds, fitting any rock-ish genre, also with its great clean sound. // 9

Action, Fit & Finish: I never had to work on this guitar, it came out well adjusted. The pickups are freakin awesome and the Bridge never gave me problems. The hardware is rock solid and so does the mahogany body. Really really solid. It's not noisy, even at high gaines, and it came out flawless. // 8

Reliability & Durability: I usually play this guitar at band practice and it never let me down. As I said the hardware is very reliable and solid, and I never had to replace any part (it's been now 4 years since I got it). The price is connected to the quality of this guitar so you can totally depend on it, for home playing, band practice and live gigs. // 9

Impression: I am very happy to have bought this guitar and I'm suggesting it to anyone that wants to get an high quality guitar at a reasonable price. I've playing since 7 years now and I own another LTD and a Schecter and this clearly the best guitar I own. I would totally kick the shit out of anyone who would try to steal this guitar to me because I really dig it and I would never replace it with another model in this price range. So don't be doubtful about it and go get it! You will not be disappointed! // 9

Reviewed by: unregistered, on november 15, 2012

Price paid: $ 425.00

Purchased from: Kens pro sounds

Features: I'm not exactly sure about the specifics of this guitar cause I bought it off the original user who gave it up cause he couldn't get past playing twinkle twinkle little star. I do know it is a 2008 model made in Indonesia it is a set-thru Design which for the price is perfect, Comes with all the usual ESP LTD doo dads. Like a 25.5 inch scale neck, 42mm nut, super slim you shaped neck, 24 XJ frets but this model came with some extra goodies some good one bad. Came with EMG's 81B/85N and a floyd rose special. Now the floyd rose I had trouble with but that will come later in the review. // 9

Sound: The sound was almost that exact of what would come off an Ozzy record or a Zakk Wylde record seeing that it has his pickup setup. Both pickups are a little trebley but with gain like this guitar is supposed to be used with lol it screams play me harder and faster. Even without being plugged in it makes a beautiful true noise. // 10

Action, Fit & Finish: Well when I got this guitar I noticed there was alot of fret rattle so the first thing I did once I got it set up and put into correct tune was I paid 125 for a full fret leveling and polish. After I got it back it was the fastest playing guitar I've ever played. The neck is so thin and narrow I missed notes somewhat but once I got it down I started learning songs that I simply thought were to fast. Well don't let anyone tell you its not your equipment cause I picked this up and had learned how to shred within 2 months. It helped thati had already been playing for about 7 years when I got it. The finish is see through blue with a quilted maple top. Absolutely beautiful guitar to go with its amazing playability and sound. // 10

Reliability & Durability: Ok heres where my first and only problem came into place with this guitar. Alot of ppl don't know that when you do get a guitar with a special or 1000 Floyd rose all of the metal is cast not billet so it is weaker. My first problem arose when I was changing strings and the G string saddle stripped out. Not long after that the low e saddle broke from the force holding the string in place. Solution? I bought an Original Floyd Rose and had it installed. No more problems. But other than that there has been absolutely no other problems. The finish is the typical epoxy based so its strong as all hell and I haven't gotten a single scratch or ding on it even after falling out of the gig-van. Oops. Thank the lord ESP makes some extremely reliable guitar. // 8

Impression: My overall impression about this guitar is the same as every other ESP LTD Guitar/Bass. Some of the best guitar ever made in my opinion. I've played from Gretsch to Les Pauls to a 45,000 PRS Dragon breath double necked and yes they may be amazing guitars but how do they play? I don't want an extraordinarily expensive guitar that is nothing more than a piece of art. I want to be able to make music with my pieces of art. // 10

Comments

[NHECOS]

How are the EMG's for clean sound??

[sewoo55]

ESP needs to equip their guitars with a wider variety of pickups... not just EMGs and the occasional Duncans

[TBFMVRA]

EMG's are really good cleans, I've got an MBM2 which has EMG 60/81 and they're amazing for cleans.

[ilovesyu]

Yeah I have a esp with EMG 60/81's and they are good on both clean and distortion. They really don't need to worry about the pickup choices because they have no issue selling guitars with them they are popular and good, high-end pickups. I still prefer passive pickups myself though. I really wanna check this guitar out.

[Good_Lord]

Emg 60's cleans are pretty nice in fact , way better than those on the duncans.

[Hells.Mascot]

Hooray for Anderton's!... mate.

[RyanMetalMatthe]

If ESP could simply make this in white with black hardware and a fixed bridge, I could have bought one instead of the Ibanez RG. I try to stick with ESP, but sometimes they make hard for me.

[saitenslayer]

TBFMVRA wrote:

EMG's are really good cleans, I've got an MBM2 which has EMG 60/81 and they're amazing for cleans.

na I have an LTD EC-1000 with the 60/81 and the clean still has a little grit too it when you have the volume on your guitar cracked, I gotta set the front pup to respond with the clean on my amp to get a nice clean tone, something I don't get with duncans

[SmittyMan90]

Lefty??

[andr3vv]

@ smitty man 90 ...yep http://www.musik-produktiv.co.uk/esp-ltd... tbl-lefthand.aspx

[MarkoakaNiggaK]

Come on ,are everyone here EMG fanboys? Yes EMG-s are good for giging cause they eliminate backround noise, but come on, do you realy wanna sound that generic cause of those pups?

[TheRiffGod]

Generic?! those things are killer. stick them in a good body (mahogany or suchlike), do the 18v mod and play away. the 18v EMGs are just like nothing I have ever heard before. They have passive depth, clarity and response, but with so much more output.