Top positive review
5.0 out of 5 starsESP Winner*****
Reviewed in the United States on May 20, 2015
I have had the guitar for a few weeks now. I was waiting to be sure everything worked and that I still like playing this guitar. This is my second guitar after purchasing a Washburn. There is a big difference in sound and built quality.
The delivery was on time. The guitar came in three different box sizes. One very large about 5 ft. one inside of that, and then the final box, well wrapped and packaged. I was lucky I was home. I did not want that huge box sitting outside too long, or having the UPS guy throw it on my front door space, like they do.
First impression is that this acoustic/electric guitar is a bit heavier than I expected. Not a problem though. It can start to be heavy after an hour or so playing. The sound is crisp and clear once its plugged into a decent amp or PA system. I have two EV PA's, mixed through a Yamaha mixer, then plugged in to a Zoom H6 audio recorder.
The onboard tuner is large and easy to read. Just turn on the tuner, pluck the string, when the string is in tune the display changes to green. Its easier to remember to turn it off than the onboard Washburn which is very dim. The only issue like the Washburn is that the battery a 9 volt. does not last more than 10 days of every day playing. The real down side, is that the ESP LTL 6, has 9 volt battery which is screwed to the back of the guitar body and you need a small philips head screwdriver to undo the screws on the plate. So remember to pack a philips head screwdriver when you are at a gig. Without the battery there is no electric sound or even a tuner. I usually print the date on the 9 volt to measure how long the battery lasted. This part I do not like. Because it will run through several batteries per month. Its the same problem on the Washburn. But the Washburn has a pop up and out cover for the battery compartment, no screwdriver needed.
In terms of likes, the fret board is larger than most guitars. Its easy to find the fret markers when playing. I finger pick some times and the fret and sound are decent. There is no humming or sound distortion. Although I have a medium size male hand, the fret board is comfortable to use.
The overall sound is super nice. You can hear some parts that sound like a full electric guitar but most of the time its an amplified acoustic sound which is what I like the most.
My style of music has more focus on the vocals and lyrics than music which acts like an accompaniment. The black color goes with my Yamaha keyboard which I also play. I like the black color body and was looking for something that looked good on stage and had better sound of quality.
Overall the guitar meets my needs. I played it 99% of the time over my other guitars. AsI said I play both keyboards and guitar and want instruments that bring quality and professionalism to the stage. I also suggest a better guitar carrying case because it is heavier, so a cheap soft guitar cases are not going to protect your investment. Once you place it down, it going to hit the ground hard if you are not careful. Another suggestion is always place in a guitar stand when not in use, either on stage or at home. Just some suggestions from 21 years of playing on the road.
The downside again is the battery life. It seems to last only 7-10 days depending on much you play per day. Once that battery dies, you have only a tinny sound coming out of the body. I wish that were better, but again my Washburn does that too. I am not going to give it a lesser star-rating, for that. Currently thats the technology to have sound and a built in tuner. If anyone reading this has a better suggestion, go ahead and leave me a message.
Best of Luck!
