# Are LTD guitars good for blues and classic rock??



## antimage27 (Mar 16, 2008)

i hav about 950 bucks to spend....and i play mostly blues, rock, classic rock, metal...and i was recommended the LTD EC-1000 ...looks beautiful..but i havnt tried it yet...hopefully i get to try it this weekend...but before i do...are they even good for the stuff i play? theyre come with EMG 81 and 60


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## devnulljp (Mar 18, 2008)

antimage27 said:


> i hav about 950 bucks to spend....and i play mostly blues, rock, classic rock, metal...and i was recommended the LTD EC-1000 ...looks beautiful..but i havnt tried it yet...hopefully i get to try it this weekend...but before i do...are they even good for the stuff i play? theyre come with EMG 81 and 60


Not familiar with them -- they're ESP right? -- but (a) I wouldn't try to play blues with EMGs -- I know David Gilmour can do it so YMMV -- should be great for metal though, and (b) are you sure that's in your price range? I just googled it and the first one I saw was GBP800 =~CAD1600.

You asked, so for a grand and for blues/rock I'd try to find a used Heritage or an SG Standard. Or an 80s Ibanez ... but they're getting harder to find and can get quite expensive. I've seen the solid body Artists for for $500/600 though and they're really good guitars IMO.


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## suttree (Aug 17, 2007)

the LTD guitars are great, and they do also make them with seymour duncan pickups, which would be much more suited to blues.... if you like the brand (and i wouldn't blame you, they're excellent quality), you're probably better off looking at the "x-tone" series... with a bigsby and duncan JB/jazz setup and a case should come under a grand. 

i also feel the need to point out that your budget is just about enough to buy an american fender strat or tele... they're both well suited to playing the blues/rock/classic rock... for metal the EC-1000 would be better though..


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## KoskineN (Apr 19, 2007)

I got the EC-1000 Deluxe with the Seymour Duncan and it's a very versatile guitar. The ones with EMG's are good for metal, but I don't like how they sounds for everything else. I'm very pleased with it so far. I play all kind of stuff(blues, classic rock, metal), and it can handle everything, really! It got the Les Paul vibe without the thick body and neck(I call it a Racing Les Paul). I got the vintage honey burst finish and it look very classy too...ESP/LTD are most assiciated with metal in general but I think this one is more of a "rock" guitar! 

here's mine lofu


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## rockinbluesfan (Mar 3, 2008)

They are available at axemusic.com for under $1000 and you get a free esp tour jacket! I beleive they are in bc so it is in your neck of the woods!


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## Tarl (Feb 4, 2006)

Vey nice guitars, based on the few I have tried. I agree with the others that the SD PUs are the way to go for the tone you are after.


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## suttree (Aug 17, 2007)

rockinbluesfan said:


> They are available at axemusic.com for under $1000 and you get a free esp tour jacket! I beleive they are in bc so it is in your neck of the woods!


they're in calgary and edmonchuck, not in BC anymore. i think in vancouver, it'd be tom lee if anyone. although that store sucks arse, IMHO.


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## elindso (Aug 29, 2006)

Get the Les Paul Mahog from the other thread.:smile:

The KoskineN Les PauL from Quebec looks very nice, I'd find a grand a little steep for that though.

I played a 339 the other that blew me away. 50's neck I think. It sounded great and played better. $1800 though. Way to steep for me at this juncture.

You can play blues on anything. I'd think that amp is as important as the guitar soundwise. Turn down the gain and tone.

Find one you like the feel and sound right off the rack, buy it and have fun.


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## devnulljp (Mar 18, 2008)

suttree said:


> ...i think in vancouver, it'd be tom lee if anyone. although that store sucks arse, IMHO.


+1 Couldn't agree more.


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## antimage27 (Mar 16, 2008)

KoskineN said:


> I got the EC-1000 Deluxe with the Seymour Duncan and it's a very versatile guitar. The ones with EMG's are good for metal, but I don't like how they sounds for everything else. I'm very pleased with it so far. I play all kind of stuff(blues, classic rock, metal), and it can handle everything, really! It got the Les Paul vibe without the thick body and neck(I call it a Racing Les Paul). I got the vintage honey burst finish and it look very classy too...ESP/LTD are most assiciated with metal in general but I think this one is more of a "rock" guitar!
> 
> here's mine lofu


so EMG pickups are bad for blues and rock? right now i have an Ibanez RG2550e prestiege...and it has dimarzio pickups...i sorta wanna change it up a bit and try some EMG's but if theyre bad for blues and rock then screw it


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## elindso (Aug 29, 2006)

I don't see how they are bad for blues.

Adjust the tone on the guitar and the amp.

There ya go good tone.

The EMG's I've played sounded fine playing blues.

They were in a strat. They were quiet.


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## devnulljp (Mar 18, 2008)

elindso said:


> I don't see how they are bad for blues.
> Adjust the tone on the guitar and the amp.
> There ya go good tone.
> The EMG's I've played sounded fine playing blues.
> They were in a strat. They were quiet.


Yes, nice and quiet. I've always found them--active p/u in general--a bit clinical though? Precise sounding? Definitely too high tech sounding and a bit in your face for blues. A lot of the blues sound is harmonic around the note you're playing that you don't get with active p/u's (in my experience). They have their uses, and David Gilmour can certainly sound good with them.

I love EMGs in a bass though.

Personally, I'd buy the SD-loaded SG Special that's going in the emporium right now for $700 rather than the ESP (but I don't play metal). Hell, if I wasn't broke I'd buy it anyway.


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

EMG's will do blues. the man who gave me my amp has 81/85 in his gibbo LP classic, he gets a damn nice tone out of them and he's NOT a metalhead.

if your amp will get you a bluesy tone, then your guitar will get you a bluesy tone.

i say do it. i'd go passives myself (and throw a Custom 5/Jazz in there pronto!) and rawk out


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## KoskineN (Apr 19, 2007)

elindso said:


> I don't see how they are bad for blues.
> 
> Adjust the tone on the guitar and the amp.
> 
> ...


it's not that they are bad, just not my taste for that type of sound. I just find that pasive pickups are sounds warmer in general.


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## suttree (Aug 17, 2007)

yah EMG's aren't impossible to play blues on, nor country (vince gill).. really they're great pickups, well made and they deliver what they're advertised to deliver. 

you'll find they're unusual in blues though, because they tend to have a "hi-fi" sound that turns off many blues players who are largely looking to emulate the tones of players from the early 50's and 60's (before active pickups were around). 

you can also play metal on a telecaster. but not many people do.


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

suttree said:


> you can also play metal on a telecaster. but not many people do.


it's fun to put one in drop D and attempt some death metal in the store though haha


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