The ESP LTD EC 10 is an inexpensive guitar that not only looks cool but also plays great.
Now I know what you might be thinking- it’s a cheap Chinese metal guitar that sounds like crap. To be honest, I used to think the same way too.
In fact, it’s usually the case that cheap guitars are poorly built, have crap hardware, and sound bad. Is the ESP LT EC 10 a good investment, then?
Let’s find out in this ESP LTD EC 10 review!
Table of Contents
Overview of ESP LTD EC 10
ESP LTD EC-10 Electric Guitar
What We Like
- Satin finish on the neck
- Wide frets for easy playability
- Dual hum pickups
- Inexpensive
- Great value for price
Our Verdict
The ESP LTD EC 10 is a wonderful entry-level electric guitar for players who are just getting into metal. It captures the throbbing essence of aggressive metal music and lends a great overdriven tone along with excellent playability. It’s probably the cheapest metal guitar in the market worth its price.
ESP – The Brand
If you’ve read any of my reviews on UnboxGuitars, you know that I like to know what brand I’m getting when I am shopping for an instrument. And that’s because if it’s a cheap guitar and you’ve never heard of the brand before, it’s more than likely that it’s a shitty one.
Cheap guitars are not only built at sub-par standards but also need a thorough set up just to make them playable, and sometimes it can cost more than the guitar itself. See why brand matters?
Anyway, the ESP name is well-established within the guitar community as a trusted manufacturer of quality instruments and gears.
It’s got a wide array of shreddy guitars with thin necks and amazing frets paired with their signature EMG pickups. These guitars are more suited to overdriven metal than any other genre.
The brand has factories in the US as well as Asian countries like Japan and Korea. The ESP Original Series is a line of hand-crafted guitars with extremely high attention to detail, and hence, highly valued.
Not every guitarist can afford one of those custom guitars, so the mass-produced LTD series is favored by most players as they are pretty good overall.
The ESP LTD EC is probably one of the cheapest metal axes in the market. It does compromise on the build materials but offers wonderful playability and tone. In terms of value, I’d say it’s one of the very best for the price and only Ibanez comes somewhat close to it.
Aesthetics
The LTD EC 10 is a cool-looking guitar and it’s not hard to tell just from its looks that it was indeed meant to be used as a metal ax. The LTD EC electric guitar is a full-scale instrument that is not only excellent in terms of design but in terms of usability as well.
The lightweight body is thanks to the choice of basswood which brings the prices down as well as helps lower the stress on your shoulders. Some players do not prefer basswood on their guitars as they believe it has very little tonal characteristics but I find that, on an electric guitar, wood has a very little role if any, in how the sound is produced.
If you want to play comfortably while sitting down, the body cutaway makes it especially cozy to do so. It’s not just a design element; it’s got the functionality in mind, and that’s what I like about it.
I find the ESP LTD SC 10 body quite similar to that of a classic Les Paul and it’s got a deep cutaway on the bottom horn. If you’re a lead player like me, you’ll find that it helps with your access to the notes in higher voicings.
One of the things that I really like about the design of this guitar is that LTD EC 10 has contours where your body might make contact with the guitar. It makes holding the instrument easy and you won’t feel arm cramps soon.
Tuning
The tuners are standard LTD machine heads which are pretty fair. One thing to remember is that, unlike the ESP Original guitars, the LTD guitars are mass-produced and that may be a factor in the variable quality of tuners.
But overall, they’re decent and hold tune well. If you want, you can also swap them out for some decent tuning machines.
The tune-o-Matic bridge also helps with stability as well as easy string replacement and setup.
Neck
The bolt-on neck on the ESP LTD EC 10 is a well-constructed one, and while some vouch for glued necks, a bolt-on neck seems only reasonable in the price range. Most Epiphone as well as Fenders are bolt-on, so you don’t have to be worried about it at all.
It’s also got one of the thinnest necks on an electric guitar which is a U shape. The low action and slim design make playing barres a piece of cake!
The maple neck is a nice touch to the electric guitar. What I really like about it is that, unlike those cheap guitars that get sticky when you are playing, the satin finish offers smooth playability.
One thing that I find rather concerning about the neck is the choice of the fretboard. It’s not a solid wood fingerboard but rather a laminated wood. What that means is that, in order to keep the prices low, ESP opted for a cheaper alternative.
Am I against that? Absolutely not. I’m all for more affordable beginner metal guitars, and so, while I don’t think it’s great or the best, it’s certainly a decent option. In fact, I find the difference in playing hardly noticeable.
Also, the frets are slightly larger than medium-jumbo ones and there are 24 of those. I don’t think a beginner would make any use out of the extra two frets but I think it’s a good one to get used to.
Personally, I prefer medium jumbo frets but it’s super cool for somebody with larger hands. It’s overall easier to fret and helps with the playability.
Body
The ESP LTD EC 10 has a basswood body which is light on the shoulders and pretty cool-looking.
It’s got a slight cutaway on the lower horn for easy upper fret access as well as a tune-o-Matic bridge that you’d expect to find on Epiphone instruments.
The chrome bridge and control knobs add an elegant touch to the lovely black finish.
Pickups and Controls
On to the heart and soul of the LTD EC 10, the pickups! There are two hot passive humbuckers on this guitar.
Having a passive pickup means that the EC 10 doesn’t have a built-in pre-amp to amp up the signal picked by the pickups but it doesn’t mean that the guitar doesn’t pack a solid punch. In fact, these humbuckers are great for metal and pierce through the mix easily.
If you look closely, you can also see that the pickups have a raised frame housing. It’s not a bad thing per se, but I think it looks vintage and it’s just not up to my taste.
I like pickups with smooth covers over them, so I don’t feel that thrilled to see it.
It also doesn’t have a pickguard which adds to the thrasher metal vibe. In my opinion, this look suits the LTD EC 10 better than a pickguard like that on a Gretsch would. I’ve got nothing against those fantastic pickguards but I just feel like not having one here is a great idea.
Remember when I said this was a beginner’s metal guitar? It’s got a master volume and a master tone and that’s it. You can also choose between the pickups with a 3-way selector switch which is nice.
It’s very intuitive for a beginner to learn, and if you get a couple of pedals, you can have a lot of fun with it.
How It Sounds
One thing to remember is that since the EC LTD 10 is meant to be played over high gain, it doesn’t do great when played clean. That’s not to say you cannot use it for such, but frankly, you would want to use a guitar more suited for that purpose.
I would use it for playing metal, and it lends an aggressive tone for heavy metal and hard rock. Just hook it up to a PA with a decent overdrive pedal and you’ve got yourself a great tone!
It’s great for metal, yes, but it certainly can be used to play clean. It doesn’t have a fat-rich tone for fingerstyle but it does sounds decent.
It’s good for reggae and funk, as well as some jazzy ninths and thirteenth. If you don’t dial the tone all the way up, you can also get a dirty bluesy tone.
Who it’s For
The LTD ESP 10 is definitely for rock and metal beginners that are looking to shape their skills. It features a basswood body, humbucking pickups, decent tuners as well as hot electronics in the full-scale setup which is a total package.
That’s enough for any beginner just starting out. It even makes a good practice guitar for an intermediate player. For quiet or on-the-go practice, pairing this guitar with a portable mini amp can greatly enhance a beginner's experience.
The U shaped neck makes it super easy to learn to play barres, and for the low price yet cool aesthetics, any kid will be happy and ready to rock in no time.
Score
Bottom Line
At just 199.00$, I would say it’s well worth the price if not an excellent investment for yourself. Similarly, for those beginning their acoustic journey, the Yamaha FG830 review highlights another excellent value option. It’s also got more number of frets than a standard Strat if you’re into that, and the intuitive pickup selector is also super easy to use.
Beyond Metal: Versatile Guitar Options
While the ESP LTD EC 10 excels as an entry-level metal guitar, offering impressive tone and playability for its price point, musicians often explore instruments suited for a wider array of genres. For those seeking adaptable sound and elegant design, perhaps for jazz, blues, or classic rock, models like the Ibanez Artcore AM53 present an excellent alternative. Much like the EC 10 offers great value for metal, the AM53 demonstrates that high-quality, versatile hollow-body guitars are readily available and affordable for players looking to broaden their sonic horizons.
FAQ
What’s the fingerboard on the ESP LTD EC 10 made out of?
The fingerboard is made out of engineered hardwood which is very similar to the laminated top you’d expect to find on budget acoustic guitars. It consists of several layers of hardwood sandwiched together and doesn’t really affect the sound of an electric guitar at all.
Is the EC LTD 10 a good purchase?
It may be hard to think of the LTD EC 10 as a good instrument since it comes at a very low price, but it’s certainly a rock staple and offers solid features. It’s got good electronics and nice tones thanks to the humbucking pickups, so you can rest assured about the quality. For a beginner, it’s a great purchase well worth it’s price. For those exploring other affordable electric guitar options, models like the Ibanez RG421 also offer superb quality at a similar price point.