If the words "Made in Korea" turns you off regarding a potential guitar purchase, it's time for you to think again. Sure, Korean-made guitars were once low quality, but those days are long gone. Many Korean-made musical instruments rival their Japanese and American made counterparts.
Features
The ESP features a mahogany body and neck with rosewood fretboard. The fretboard is outfitted with abalone inlays and 24 extra-jumbo frets. A 42mm Earvana Compensated Nut improves tuning, as does the TonePros locking tune-o-matic bridge. Pickups are genuine EMG 81/60 or Seymour Duncan JB/59. Locking tuners are standard equipment, and the hardware is either gold, black, or chrome, depending upon the model.
Performance
The ESP LTD Deluxe EC-1000 is proof positive that top-flight guitars are made in Korea. Why is that the case?
When you're looking at the quality of an import guitar, though, you have to pay special attention to the parts used. The ESP shines in this regard, because it uses some of the greatest hardware around. The guitar features EMG 81 pickups, Sperzel locking tuners, TonePros locking bridge, and an Earvana nut.
So, it's clear that ESP used the finest hardware they could find, as strong as instruments costing three times as much. Still, we have to ask the big questions. How does the instrument sound? How does it play?
We're in luck. The LTD Deluxe EC-1000 is a winner in the tone and action department as well. Put clearly, the action matches guitars costing twice the price. It's low and buzz-free. The fretboard (24 frets) is absolutely flawless.
The ESP is a metal or shred guitarist's dream. You can rip sweep arpeggios with pleasure and chug out drop-D power chords until you get arrested. The EMG 81 pickups are rather multifaceted, so if you do happen to get a country gig, you'll be able to pull it off, but it's in the metal and shred arena where this guitar really shines.
The tuning is spot on as well, thanks to the included Earvana nut. Chords were in tune from the first to the high frets, and the intonation was exact.
It's also a real good-looking guitar, and we loved the maple top/mahogany body combination. The rosewood fretboard is extremely attractive as well, as are the abalone inlays.
We tried and tried, but we simply couldn't find any troubles with the guitar's construction. Kudos to ESP! This is a guitar that could fulfill a lot of folks, given its pro-quality hardware and its color choices.
The Bottom Line
With a list price of less than $1000, the LTD Deluxe EC-1000 is a pro-quality instrument at a very inexpensive price. The Korea vs. USA debate may finally be a thing of the past.
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