[U]ESP/LTD EC-100QM Eclipse (2006 model*)[/U]



Pricing Information: The ESP website no longer lists RRPS for its products, as far as I can tell. I got my guitar for $750 AUS. Musician's Friend and Sam Ash both sell it for $240 US.

I got this guitar on Boxing Day last year, and now, a month and a half later, I am posting a review. In the intervening time, I have spent hours upon hours each day with this little mofo, playing until my fingers ached, conducting and exhaustive search for any serious flaws that might send me in search of another axe. I am amazed and thoroughly delighted to say that I have found none (with the exception of the few minor kinks that are bound to come with almost any instrument short of a custom-shop model). Before this, I was playing a $150 AUS Strat knock-off that looked like a toy and sounded like a broken ukulele, which is why my review of a guitar of this quality might gush and rave a bit. I have, however, tried other guitars before, and even compared to those, this one is simply outstanding. Here's why I like the damn thing so much...

It's hot. Okay, it looks a bit ordinary compared to the higher-priced LTD Deluxe and ESP Standard series electrics, but the EC-100QM nonetheless looks like a guitar worth more than its modest price tag. The see-through cherry red finish shows up nicely on the quilted maple top. Whether your preference is for smooth-contoured Yamahas or horrendously pointy Deans, you will probably agree that this is a nice-looking axe. Consider that you could be paying a similar price for a much blander-looking Epiphone!

It's very playable. This guitar has a narrow (but not Ibanez-narrow) and round (but not PRS-round) "thin U"-shaped neck, with 24 extra jumbo frets and a contoured cutaway. For someone with average-sized fingers like mine, this makes for a very comfortable playing experience; chord changes are fluid and broad stretches are slightly easier than they are on a Strat, for example. Those with larger hands might find that this setup takes some adjusting to, however.
This axe is also much lighter than your average single-cutaway electric, like an Epiphone, Ibanez or Michael Kelly.

It sounds great. One of the most common criticisms of ESP guitars that I have heard is that they sound "wooden" or "artificial". Personally, I wouldn't use either of these adjectives to describe the sound of the EC-100QM: even through the most embarrassingly spartan of setups (going through a Digitech RP-80 into a 15-watt Samick amp), the guitar has a smooth and dark yet slightly punchy tone that sounds full-bodied whether cleaning up, driving distortion or saturated in effects. While the lighter construction and bolt-on neck probably rob it of some of the warmth and sustain you'd find in a Les Paul, this is compensated for by the surprisingly decent LH-150 stock humbuckers. The bridge pickup has a surprising amount of brightness and twang to it, without sacrificing the guitar's characteristic smoothness. It produced a classic "bright-clean" sound and offers superb definition for effects: the harmonics are a little bit raw, but this is still a decent pickup.
The neck pickup, however, is another story altogether. This thing is MAGIC. It produces a beatifully dark and throaty tone that is nonetheless laced with subtle harmonics, a characterful but also very versatile sound. Whether you're playing open chords and jazz lines or power-chords and leads, it thrushes, hums, booms and wails with distortion and effects or without. Those of you with the luxury of Duncans or DiMarzios might find this pickup to be quite bog-standard by comparison, but a player who's used to playing stock pickups will be delighted with the EC-100QM's neck pickup tone (the middle position is not bad either).

For all this, there is one niggling kink: the control setup. This guitar has a volume control for each pickup and a master tone knob; while this is ideal for Tom Morello/Pete Townshend-style toggle switch effects, it's a bit iffy when you're trying to further shape your sound after setting up the EQ on your amp or processor. I personally would much prefer to have individual tone controls and a master volume, or dedicated tone and volume controls, as you would find on a lot of other two-humbucker guitars. Still, I suppose this is only a matter of adjusting to, and it certainly pales when you consider the guitar's numerous good points.

In summary:

PROS: Simple but striking looks; beautiful neck pickup sound; stays in tune wonderfully; comfortable neck for small- and average-sized hands; light; value-for money.

CONS: Awkward control setup; may not be suitable for larger hands; my guitar came with one or two dodgy notes in the upper frets that choked off when bent too far.

VERDICT: Don't even bother with an Epiphone if there's an LTD Eclipse in the building! :D The EC-100QM probably has nothing on more expensive models like the Les Paul, but it certainly beats the hell out of other budget single-cutaways, IMO.

*The only difference I can discern between the 2006 and 2007 models of this guitar is that the latter's hardware is rendered in Black Nickel, rather than simply Black.