LTD Viper-100 FM Review

The gorgeous flamed maple top on an agathis body provides edge and substance to the thick, gritty tone that comes blasting out of 2 ESP LH-100 humbuckers. Black hardware gives it a dark, sultry look, while the stopbar tailpiece and bolt-on maple neck lend miles of sustain.

Features:	8.7
Sound:	9
Action:	9.3
Reliability:	9.3
Impression:	8.7
Overall rating:	9
Users rating:	7.8
Comments:	27

overall: 8.6

Featured review by: Sameagleye, on september 11, 2006

Purchased from: Guitar City - Michigan

Features: in 2005 LTD introduced the Viper 100FM, a hard hitting sleek guitar that takes after a Gibson SG. This guitar is great for playing Metal as well as most other ESP/LTD guitars. It's only available in trasparent black but this thing sounds pretty damn good. It's not the best guitar you can buy, but it's worth a try. // 8

Sound: This Guitar is best suited for Metal or hard rock. It's kinda thick so you get pretty good sustain.So if you play a little on the heaveir side this guitar should make you happy (especially at the price). Right now I'm using the Viper 100fm with a Krank Krankensien (head and cab) on mostly the Dime channel, unless I'm using my DigiTech Death Metal Ditortion. I'm using mostly the bridge pickup on a high gain and low sound (H:3 M:3 L:7 Gain:10). It's got a real nice fit for that Pantea sound, or even BLS or Metallica styles. It's not that noisy, only a tad bit of feedback because of the high gain. The guitar dosn't have very much variety but the hard rock metal sound kicks ass! // 9

Action, Fit & Finish: The guitar came ready to f--kin' rock right outa the factory. Everything was aligned perfectly, the action on the neck was great for solo or rythm, the pickups were sraight and the finnish was amazing. Everything was already alighned perfect, all I had to do was go home and plug it in. // 10

Reliability & Durability: I think overall this guitar is pretty durable. You could probably play for quite some time without serious repair. Although it's no Gibson as far a durability, it should do quite well on stage. I've used it at a couple of gigs, and I was quite reliable. It will last a while. // 8

Impression: Iv'e been playing for only 2 years but, iv'e played Gibson, Fender, Dean, all the big ones. Yeah they're better, but for the price, it's a must. 300 bucks and you got a damn good guitar. I have a Gibson Les Paul Studio, a Charvel Randy Roahds V, an Epiphone SG, and a Dean ML as well as this and lately iv'e been stickin' with the LTD for metal puposes. If it were stolen I would gete it again, it's pretty cool, and it's only 300 bucks versus Gibsons 2000 bucks. So overall, if you're into heavier music, the LTD Viper 100FM is a good guitar worth checking out. // 8

overall: 9.2

Reviewed by: vanilla_ice2790, on april 14, 2009

Price paid: $ 240

Purchased from: Musician's Friend

Features: This ESP has a sleek, black with tiger stripes finish. It has a 24-fret maple neck, that is decently thin enough to move around freely and quickly. The body is a sicker looking Gibson SG, with a bit of a slant. This body has a good look to it, and even though it only comes in black, I don't think it could look better in any other color. It has a two control knobs, one for volume and another for tone control, as well as a 3-way pickup selector. The pickups are ESP made, so I wouldn't call them the best, but they definetly get the job done. Like most ESP's, they give you that amazing sound over distortion for heavier genres. // 8

Sound: I play a general metalcore, nu-metal, and a small amount of 80's hard rock on the side. This guitar suit's it perfect- I get exactly what I want out of it. I only use a Fender 15 watt Frontman 15R, but I've played on bigger amps and through multiple pedals and this guitar does not disappoint. Probably not the best guitar you could buy, but for this price, I would buy anything over it. A pickup change could probably do someone a good deal, but the ESP's it comes with do a fine job for me. // 9

Action, Fit & Finish: This guitar was ready to go as soon as I got it. The finish was shiney and still is, and everything was perfectly alligned. I did look at my friend's Viper-100 a few days ago, and the pickups were alligned differently, but mine were fine. The bridge, nut, finish, pickups, you name it, were all good. Ten out of ten from me. // 10

Reliability & Durability: I have never had any problems with this guitar. I've taken it on the road with me, I've put it through some serious playing sessions, and I don't even have a case for it. This body feels solid, and it most defintely is. Maybe if you burn it the finish will be ruined, but I don't intend to do so. // 10

Impression: This guitar is worth buying, No Doubt. I bought it for the major distortion handling that I heard it had, and I got just that. It will suit someone who plays things from GnR to Metallica, and then even to Killswitch Engage with the right distortion. If I had to pick something to change about this guitar, it would be the pickups. Other then that, the feel and sound are good. // 9

overall: 9.2

Reviewed by: LoW, on august 16, 2006

Price paid: $ 425.25

Features: Absolutely awesome, not-so-different-than-50-model, 24 fret 24/75" Scale guitar including ESP LH-100 humbuckers, this is sweet looking curvy guitar! It has Tone-O-Matic bride style, black hardware, maple neck, Active electronics and It has volume and tone controls/ 3-way toggle. I got a Case and a strap with it. Case is called Rockbag and it's made by Warwick. It has space for cables, notes, picks and for many more! Strap is by planet wawes, and it has good little tight pocket for a pick. Its body style is kinda same with Gibson's SG model, and it's finish is flamed top in top and agathis body. The best thing is, that it has xtra jumbo frets and it has thin bridge. // 10

Sound: I play a lot of heavy metal and '80s and '70s hard rock so humbuckers are best in that job. I use as my amp a 15 wat H&K blue edition amp. It's kinda noisy but not much, and it has very full sound and bright too. This is perfect for effects and sound making! You can depend on it! You can use it to play anything from Slipknot to Coldplay! // 9

Action, Fit & Finish: It had nothing when I bought it. Except that after 4 months its volume control dropped off bcause of its bolt but it was easy to get it back to it's place. And after 7 months its neck pickups bolt was too loose so I have to get it tight but otherwise it was in perfect shape. // 8

Reliability & Durability: I have played it many times with this live and it never fails me, specially in cover songs like 'Opeth: Grand Conjuration' and Stratovarius: Maniac Dance'. It's distortion is awesome and you an trust this guitar. And yes, I think it will last long enough! // 10

Impression: I have nothing else to say about this: it's great, you should buy it! Only thing in this could be better is the noise it makes specially when You use high lead. And if it would get stoled, I would buy maybe 200 serie guitar. I love the distortion and hate the difficulty of chancening of the strings. Really it's kinda hard to do it! // 9

Comments

[Weybl Himself]

LH-100s are passive, nothing active about this axe.

[ANGERisaGIFT]

The electronics are still active even if the pickups are passive.

[wmzbomgzors]

have you ever tried spellchecking your review? I don't know what it means to "get stoled", and I have no clue what chancening means. Also, it really isn't hard to change strings on Tune-O-Matic bridges.

[TTC]

^^Maybe english is not his native language?
He ment changing, and he still has to get used to changing strings on a ToM.

[Y00p]

To the guy above me, if the stopbar is a wrap-around it gets tedious, and eventhough the english in this article is very poor, it gets the message across and is still pretty obvious.

Go nit-pick your nose.

[AILD9919]

yeah you shit stain

[AILD9919]

by the way can someone explain what a compensating nut does?

[JakeM6381]

AILD, ask on the forums. Users first review, give him a break. Point was put across easily.

[invisible_mann]

not impressed by it

[frontman54]

have one. holds up nice. very few problems with it. just customized mine abit though

[jackson action]

it sucks for you. I got the 'tar' for 300. But it could be better

[wallyyfm]

who cares, these a the crap ESPs anyway, you've got a bolt on, alder body, esp pickups...it's, crap

[Welsh Guitar]

I'd like to know how the review writer gigs with a 15 watt lol. nice guitar!

[american-psycho]

tune-o-matic bridges are easy to change strings on

[METAL MILITIA1]

didnt hetfield use sumthin like tht at icon

[frontman54]

once i swapped the bridge pickup for an EMG-81, i couldn't be more satisfied for the price. $350 for guitar and EMG total. Played with original pickup for almost a year, and its decent, but i much prefer the 81.

[LoW]

Welsh Guitar wrote:

I'd like to know how the review writer gigs with a 15 watt lol. nice guitar!

I didn't use my ****in 15 w amp on stage... mutha****a do u think that i could use that? maybe in my room for 2 people but to 70 people lol

[LoW]

and yeah sorry about the spelling the ****in letters and words right... i was so ****in drunk so i didn't really now what to write... ´least it came from the heart lol i don't have a one

[confucius]

owww we just guessed you are english-non-native guy

[LoW]

Yeah... that's it DD orry if I were too agressive

[vanhalen984]

does this have a whammy bar, i cant tell if there is a spot for it.
Also does it come in any colors besides black?

-VH

[BozoKu]

Hi, I would like to buy this guitar (200$ price) but I don't want to pay 120$ for esp case.. for me it makes no sense to pay 1/2 of the guitar price for this cheep guitar. Is there any other guitar case that'll fit this one? THANKS

[A.U.S.T.I.N.]

this guitar is good, but you REALLY need to change the pickups. i put custum gibson ceramic pickups on mine, and it sounds awesome.

[filthylittleboy]

vanhalen984 wrote:

does this have a whammy bar, i cant tell if there is a spot for it.
Also does it come in any colors besides black?

nope, no tremolo, and it comes in that purply colour and black

-VH

[dantheman199421]

well said
[/quote]

[SamuraiLP]

I have this guitar

I dont know if it was shipping or the store but mine had the tune and volume nobs all ****ed up

and mine has a dark black finish so you can see the flamed maple aurora loooking effect

[yarzo]

Yup, the guitar is Ok for the price, very playable. I swapped the pickups in mine to the Seymour Duncan Livewire Mustaine actives. Much better tone. This guitar now slays! \m/ \m/