Yeah, it's supposed to be that way... and it's not just an LTD thing. Several of my hard tail 24.75" guitars are like that, as are most older Gibsons I believe.
Wow, I had no idea the bridge was SUPPOSED to be set like that. I have no idea why this guitar was marked as B stock when I bought it then! 🤔 Thanks for tuning in, let me know what you'd like to see next on the channel!! 👇
@@DarrenWaters75 nope, just a necessary design put into effect to allow better playability, i shouldn't assume, but I doubt Gibson has a patent on the use of angles to compensate for things like string pitch. lol
I bought one of these 2 months ago in transparent purple burst. I love the damn thing. For $500 it seems excellent. Mine has no tuning stability issues
@@fazzi4924 I ended up taking a chance on a black partscaster with a purple pickguard that turned out to be a 2004 fender made in mexico neck and a 2006 mim body with so.e seymour duncan single coil sized humbuckers and the original fender single coil in the middle. It has sperzel locking tuners as well. I paid 200 for a frankenstrat of fender and very high quality "body" parts and a hardshell roadrunner case. I couldn't be happier.
Tuning stability issues are almost always caused by friction at the nut, aggravated by the break angle strings make to reach the tuners (that's why the G string is the worst, being bent often). Filing the slots to the proper width and lubricating them solves almost everything. String trees, when present, are the second most frequent culprit. Locking tuners don't really do anything for stability. Keeping windings around the peg to a minimum and stretching them together with the rest of the strings by using the tuning keys to do so will eliminate that source of instability. In the end, all locking tuners really do is save a couple of minutes when restringing.
All very good points. One more thing that I do at setup is to file (and polish) a very small "side relief" widening of the nut slot at the headstock side of the nut where there is a "side break-angle" to the tuning posts, especially at the D and G string slots. I have found, over the years, that where the string exits the back side of the nut and forms a "side break angle" on the strings of most 3 x 3 headstock guitars, especially Gibson pattern instruments, that is where the most string binding actually occurs, along with the requisite issues caused by the string wanting to catch there. By relieving that area a small amount in the direction of the string post, and then judiciously polishing all of the nut slots with fine abrasive, that I have never had to use any type of lubricant to solve the dreaded "pinging" since I started cutting and finishing a nut in this manner. It takes a little extra time during the nut making or nut adjusting process, but I feel it is well worth it for me to do it this way, and it makes players that have had these issues very happy campers. Hope this helps someone out there in guitar tech land. ;-) Peace.
My (Made in Indonesia -2020) LTD EC-256 looks, feels and sounds incredible especially considering its price point. Mind you, I did upgrade the bridge humbucker to Seymour Duncan Invader. The neck PU remains original as I actually like the way it sounds. It inspires me to play more than any other guitar I have owned.
@@nuclearguitar779 It sounds pretty decent when split, but nothing special. I have since installed the Invader on my American Strat which unlike the LTD, has a 500K pot in the bridge and now the Invader truly shines. The difference is like night and day. I loved my LTD, but sold it in order to recoup some of the cash I spent on the Strat. ZERO regrets! It feels, sounds and plays like a wet dream.
I just got this 🎸 guitar in lemon drop and I can tell you it is better than ANY Epiphone or other Les Paul guitar!! Just way surpasses them ALL 👍 love this vid!
I just bought this guitar in Cobalt Blue after watching this review, I wanted a second guitar and this seems to tick a lot of boxes, I'm super excited to get it. I let my sons choose the colour so hopefully they'll want to start playing in the near future. Great review also
@@TaylorDanley ive had it now for 3 days and the quality of this guitar has amazed me, its even staying in tune for me, I'm finding it hard to find any faults with it, if I had to be super picky I'd say change the pick-ups but they're really not that bad for stock pick-ups, this guitar punches well above its weight
I own an all, matte black 256, with dark gray binding on the body and headstock. Also, the fretboard is super dark. Stock, it sounded just fine. I did swap out the bridge pickup for a Duncan custom. Which didn't really need to be done, but I like that pickup, so it made sense. And the tuning stability is fine. It's actually way more stable than my other guitars, that include a prs mcarty, a charvel pro mod, and a les Paul custom. And yes, my ltd 256 is the most stable. Lol. Best part is, I bought it used for $220. 😎😎😎
I have the same finish model that you have, the pickups in it are fine, but awhile back I threw a SD Invader in the bridge and I absolutely love this guitar! So smooth and sounds brutal
90% of all tuning stabillity issues on these budget L/P style guitars are caused by the nut. Usually it´s a cheap af plastic nut, which hasn´t been filed down properly. It´s an easy fix, get a Graphtech TUSQ nut, they´re relatively cheap and used on high-end guitars. It´s baffles me, that guitar companies are too cheap to use proper nuts on their budget guitars, as if the price would be driven too much up, by simply adding a 15-20 $ nut. Of course, mini-locking tuners do help with tuning stabillity. P.S. The bridge is supposed to be angled like this.
@@NoNoNoNopeNopeNopeNo people call everything that's under 1000 a budget products it's so fucking annoying. "Top 10 noob guitars!" Number 1. X guitar ONLY 749,99$
@@Ottophil That's how it always goes, mainstream bands and popular guitar players are lucky there able to go to any companies custom shop and have a guitar built exactly how they want it. the average person with a regular income doesn't have the luxury to be able to flop down cash for a custom shop all the time, so alot of times we have to take guitars as is because who's gonna tell the suits and ties to stop cutting corners. it's not the people that build the guitar is at fault, they only do whatever the Execs want, but ESP isn't the only one guilty of cheating the customer, Gibson, Fender, Ibanez, PRS, they all do that. whatever they think will keep the cost down, that's what they'll do and they get away with that, because in some ways we the public allows it. hell Gibson for example purposely cheaps out on there lower priced Gibson's, they do it alot. the Les Paul Studio used to be a really good guitar for the money, especially the late 90's and early 2000 models, but after awhile the quality started going down on them. now they really only focus on there core models, everything else just gets shuffled around.
Last week I purchased a brand new LTD EC407, the 7 string version of the one you reviewed but the 400s series. It is a sick guitar, I am really happy with it so far, time will say
Thank you! Great video. I also learned something new about my guitar. I purchased my used EC-256 about a year ago and never realized that the tone knob was also a coil tap/single coil switch. Definitely going to take advantage of it now. haha
I must have watched this video 100 times in the past few months but finally got my hands on a second hand one of these for £150. I think it's awesome and really nice to play. The tuning stability doesn't seem that great compared to my other guitars so i'm thinking about a nut replacement at some point. Awesome video man!
I've never had luck with off brand locking tuners on Amazon. I just bite the bullet now and spend for high quality tuning machines. I really like the thin U neck profile on eclipses. Put a tusq XL nut on that guitar to fix your tuning stability problem.
I can't find any for my Squire as my tuners aren't bad but not great either. They also like to snap my strings yet I find no sharp edges. The ones I am looking for are 10mm peg holes and look like this - i.imgur.com/ElaD6xU.png
@@generalawareness101 look into hipshot with their UMP mounting system. No extra holes and if you move on from the squire you can go back to stock and keep your tuners. Just making sure you measure your peg hole, some squires are not 10mm sized.
@@williamheitl8941 Yep, removed them and measured but hipshot is hideously expensive and I honestly think are over priced. I was hoping for something less expensive.
@@generalawareness101 I paid $51 for my latest set of hipshots. Expensive, but well worth the price. I recently bought some sperzels for my eclipse and they were around $55 as well. I have seen grovers on ebay for around $45 if that is tolerable. Good tuning machines are just pricey. I am a firm believer in good tuners and a tusq XL nut. All my guitars stay in tune. Think of the time and effort you have put into your tuner issue. I'm sure you can find some good used or new hipshot/grover/sperzel tuners on Reverb or eBay for a price your willing to pay.
@@williamheitl8941 I slapped a TusqXL on my axe and it was the best damn thing I have ever done. Have a link to Hipshot for $51 that would fit? I want to keep this guitar as original as I can so no drilling.
I have this guitar in the Lemon Drop color. The only upgrade I've made is to install a Graph Tech Tusq nut which really improved the tuning stability. I absolutely love the guitar and pick it up at least as often as my USA made Strats and my Japanese made Ibanez guitars.
the 256 are underrated guitars. i had one of the first gen vintage black ones. i swapped the pickups for emgs, and installed some hipshot tuners. it was an incredible guitar. i sold it and now have an ec1000 with evertune. i loved it. i am kicking myself for selling it.
@@TaylorDanley lol it's not even the one that got away. I just liked it a lot. I never played it though. I think I played for two shows and then it just sat in it's case in my studio.
I'm debating on the EC-1000 evertune or piezo or the fishman fluence. I just can't decide. The thing I don't like about the Evertune I'm looking at is it has Seymore Duncans but no Coil Tap. Yes I could swap out the pickups but I just want to buy and play. I don't want to spend extra money on putting pickups in a guitar. I just can't decide which EC-1000. 😅
I've had mine for almost 2 years. I'm a Lefty and after playing for 30 years, this is the first guitar that I ever bought online, without playing it first....I was super nervous. It's good!.....a solid guitar, with a huge variety of tones. I had the same issue with tuning stability, and I chalked it up to the sideways break angle of the strings through the nut. I figured this caused a difference in the string tension above and below the nut. I opened up the exit to the D and G, and I lube the nut with graphite when I change strings. So yeah, I've got a blue lefty, running through a pretty inexpensive Zoom G3Xn.....and it sounds great....for NOT a helluva lot of money!
I bought my ltd ec256 about 9-10 years ago. I have never had any issues with it at all. I figured out to do the set-up myself and dialed it in the way i feel it to be the most comfortable. It plays great, sounds great and only thing wrong with it now is thetoggle switch needs to be flipped a few times before it pick anything up. That Should be an easy fix
I’ve been wanting a singlecut for a while, and I’ve been eyeing this one the most because of the tonal options and the price, plus that guitar just looks sexy asf
I got the EC -257 and the Viper - 201B , both are good guitars and after you upgrade the nut, locking tuners and the pots these guitars are even greater with the stock pickups. Looking forward to get my hands on something off their 1000 series.
Those Eclipses are awesome guitars, especially for the price. I had a hard time deciding between that and my Wolf WLP 750 for a while, but ultimately went with the Wolf. I feel like I wouldn't have been disappointed with either choice. I think the thing that pushed me to get the Wolf was the inclusion of Grover tuners. The other cool thing is that All In One Guitars will email you when you order one asking for setup preferences, so they sent it to me set up, perfectly in tune and in the tuning I wanted along with the proper string gauge. Having my Wolf for roughly the same time you've had your EC 256, I'm really happy with my purchase and have found that the Wolf is a real work horse
Yeah, I had one of these guitars are almost gifts to me but took it home. It started messing with it, open the weather and and that's when I believes as soon as I touch a string to afraid it would go sharp if I put any pressure on the string at all. And I had it adjusted. By 4 pros in Orlando, Florida. To set the action up. And the internation. But still having all the same problems. Then I was talking to a really good friend. Of mine, the only guitar repair shop. And we got to talk to the monster cells though, really started checking out. The nut replaced with bone helped greatly
Darren Stroud of Power Tribe rocks this model like no other! This guitar is so much more comfortable than a Les Paul Standard, thanks to the belly cut.
I have this exact Guitar in cobalt blue and I will tell you I bought it as a beginner in guitarist in 2021 and only recently I’ve learned that the pots were wired backwards so I think the bridge knob is controlling the wrong pickup They both work great it’s not a problem, but it is a little goofy, but This thing is beautiful. It’s a great guitar
Sounds awesome dude, that plug in sounds great very surprised. Nice guitar, been using Using Esp Ltd guitars for years they are always good even the Chinese ones. Dig your channel man. Keep Shredding ...
I've had prs, gibson everything, best guitar, tone Ive ever had, coil split sounf like a strat, a b"d it with vintage v 100 and the ltd 256 blew it out of the water, now I just need the Ltd 256 to cover all the tones I've been looking for, gonna buy a gold top with p 90"s now
I too own this guitar. easy to play, i did have to set the intonation when it was new.yes the nut needs to be sanded a bit if its pinching strings, some graphite from a pencil helps too. the weak link is the pickups, but i have no plans to replace them, they are adequate but lack color.
Just picked up a used one this weekend for £200. 2019 Indo made. I reckon once I put a tusq nut and locking tuners on it, it'll be sweet. Might swap the 3 way switch as well as that feels a bit cheap.
I've had mine for about a year too! I need to file the nut slot specifically for D, G, and B. Right now I just make sure to keep the nut lubricated. My biggest dislike with this guitar is the glossy neck, but its a minor thing.
I bought one semi-unused for $200 and didn't expect much. Plugged it in and I have to admit...it ain't horrible. I opened up the nut slots as well. Its my couch guitar...although its only flaw is the "plastic" sound when I play acoustically!
I love my EC 256 but do have issues with it not being able to stay in tune and was considering up grading the tuning heads. Maybe I might try the fix you did to see if that helps.
@@benallmark9671 Still need to get my hands on some files. I tried with sandpaper and possibly it improved a little but didn't want to keep going with that as it wasn't going so well.
Adjusting the screws holding the tuner keys helps, little slot screws on the end (not into the wood) . . . not the greatest tuners but you can make them work. And, they are chromed steel, not cheap plastic like many expensive guitars . . . If you love the guitar, upgrade the tuners . . . why not?
Bought this guitar about 3 months ago. The first problem i noticed is death notes on 18 fret. After i set my guitar up, unfortunately, the problem didn't go. These death notes are not critical, cuz these notes do sound when you just push the string harder, but there is no way this string will sound when you have to shred, legato etc. The second problem is a nut. My strings just don't sit in the nut properly. This problem appeared after i changed the strings for the very first time on this guitar. Unfortunately, there is no guitar tech in my city to solve these problems, so i have to live with it. In general, the sound is good, the quality is good, it stays in tune well and those pick-ups are good for my needs.
Bought a 256 a few years back and I love it kinda using it as a custom project so far iv changed to pickups and knobs and I’m now looking to add a kill switch and some lock-in Grover tuners
I got one of these for 300 bucks new, replaced the nut and put a string butler and Babicz bridge on it. Totally a new machine but stock is still quite quite awesome.
I have 27 ESP/LTD guitars. Not a single one has tuning issues. I do stretch my new strings as I'm re-stringing a guitar. Also, if you are changing the tuning on a guitar (drop tuning/lower tuning) you need to reset the intonation.
I have a 2013 EC256. Stock it is an awesome guitar. I really like the pickups. I put a Seymour Duncan JB and 59 in it and changed out the tuners and it kicks the shit out of a Gibson. I also have two EC1000's and a GH200. All three guitars are awesome. Every guitar you purchase has issues from the factory. Once you get rid of those issues, you have a fine instrument. I'd rather purchase a lost cost guitar with issues over a guitar that costs you a ton of cash and still have those issues.
just look at his face. the man is telling you with a straight face that he is indeed alright with the guitar. no funny faces dude loves it. if he's alright with it, you'll probably love it too.
A tight nut will give you stability issues (pun intended) regardless of the hardware you're running. You should always tune up, because what happens is that if you tune down the nut might pinch the string and as you play the tension will release, making your notes flat. It's kind of understandable manufacturers cheap out on the nut, because that's easy to modify / replace.
I really wanted something like Jimmy Pages Les Paul burst top so I bought a cherry burst Esp Ltd 256. It was on sale from Guitar Center for like 250$ or something like that. I loved it as soon as I saw it. The beautiful figured wood grain and Cherry Burst finish were amazing looking. It was a great little guitar but the fact it wasnt a Gibson was just eating away at me. I wanted the "real deal" so I decided to get a Gibson Les Paul for around 1,000$. It was such a let down. Its frets were just super flat and tiny. Came with finish flaws even. It was cool looking but in the end... I sent the Gibson Les Paul back for a refund and kept the LTD 265. I love it and its one of my main guitars to mess around on. I dont feel guilty playing the heck out of it like some of my older or more expensive guitars. I think Im going to get some Guitar Fetish Alnico V PAF style humbuckers for it for like 60$. For the price this guitar cannot be beat.
Yea totally agree, i was gonna buy a LP, but could only afford a tribute Gibson.... I played a few then picked up a ec256 and like it more for 1/3 the price, so i bought it and swapped the pickups for alnico 2 pafs and am so happy i didn't overpay for poorly made gibson.
@TaylorDanley I have a doubt why ec256 white is having different pickups and the guitar you are playing is having different pickups. Even they are same models and I checked official website also they mentioned that in both the ec256 they used LH 150 pickups. But it looks different in both modes. Please help because I'm planning to buy this one 🙏🏻
Getting one of these secondhand for $160. Apparently there's a tiny scratch on it somewhere, couldn't tell from the picture. It'll be the steal of the century hopefully.
Any experience playing with fuzz? For this price it's def one im considering just curious if you or anyone seeing this has played some doom/stoner metal on it and how it sounded? The clean sound is incredible 👍 Great review, very thorough.
This one is Indonesia.. I have a viper 256 that is made in vietnam. Honestly, I've heard Indoensia is better, but I really don't think it matters because at the end of the day they are all going to go through the same QC process. If one origin country wasn't cutting it, I'm sure ESP/LTD would fix the problem or stop manufacturing there.
@@TaylorDanley I agree, overall I think these are great value for the price, especially if you find one on the used market in great shape (like the one you picked up)! Thanks for the feedback!
I had a 2009 LTD EC256 AHB it's the "road worn" and it's a great guitar. Wish I kept that thing to be honest but my 2005 LP Studio is still nice. Weighs a lot... but it's nice.
You sould try the String Butler to make the strings run straight from the nut to the tuners, this should solve the tuning issues. Plus, i think a darker paint on this rosewood fingerboard would look SICK!
Tuning stability almost always comes from a correctly cut nut. Locking tuners don’t actually affect tuning stability except in maybe dive bombing and, even then, the nut will contribute more in that situation. Great job on the review. If you can find an early 2000’s version of this guitar, grab it! 😁
These guitars are great. I just put a DiMarzio Super Distortion bridge and an Air Classic neck pickup on mine. The best locking tuners are the Schaller ones.
Got one from GC at $249 four years ago . . . no case . . . Indonesian made . . . the neck pickup was all askew, but only took a look inside and a sharp chisel to clean up the cavity and, BUENO . . . probably why it was priced, new, $200 off (or $300 off depending on finish). I am American-Made only . . . but I wanted to try the flat fret board and humbuckers . . . the first electric guitar I ever played on, borrowed, was a 60's Gold Top Les Paul, and it was incredible. It is very fine quality . . . mine is about 3 years older than yours so actually has the Rosewood fret board . . . yours, probably not. Not in the spec sheet anyway. People have mixed feelings about the humbuckers . . . personally, I'm a long way off from discerning base ESP's from the mixed bag from Gibson versus high dollar Pearly Gates . . . Those Indonesians are really making fine guitars . . . PRS, CORT, . . . the list goes on and on. Word is ESP opened up a luthier school in Japan, and all employees at their factories have to go there first before going on the production line.
I have two gibsons. One is a traditional and the other is the Bill Kelliher’s signature Halcyon and both have the worst tuning stability. The halcyon has quality of life upgrades like a chambered body and coil splitting but it’s not worth the cost. I’ve owned a LTD EC-1000 deluxe and it didn’t compare at all. Much better Les Paul than a Gibson will ever be. It’s what a les Paul today should be. I ended up trading it for an Orange head but would get another one if I had the opportunity. Honestly, today I’m trying to sell my Halcyon to fund a purchase of the Dustie Waring PRS. Don’t waste your money on a gibson. The one thing they ARE good at is resell value. Someone can always sell a gibson for the same price as they bought if they bought it used.
I own one for over 5 years now, the fret work is pretty mediocre the tuning stability/tuners are bad and I hated the stock pick ups. I upgraded the pick ups with dimarzio super distortion and now it sounds insane. Its by far the best sounding guitar I ever owned/played. I would not recommend anyone to get the guitar tho, I think you can get better for the money.
@@benallmark9671 kinda hard to recommend something, but my favorite guitar is in the same price range the ibanez RGRT421. Very different guitar but worth every penny
The bridge is supposed to be angled btw. Just for your future knowledge.
Yeah, I got really confused for a second: wait? What?!?!! Lol
Mine is straight, at 2cm . . . but as long as you can intonate not a problem.
@@leonarddaneman810 it might look straight but it's not. That's standard spec to be at a slight angle
@@AtTheSourceStudios Measured again and looked at a template . . . yep . . . about 1mm away further at the low E . . . 2 cm at the high E.
Yeah, it's supposed to be that way... and it's not just an LTD thing. Several of my hard tail 24.75" guitars are like that, as are most older Gibsons I believe.
Wow, I had no idea the bridge was SUPPOSED to be set like that. I have no idea why this guitar was marked as B stock when I bought it then! 🤔 Thanks for tuning in, let me know what you'd like to see next on the channel!! 👇
It threw me off when I got my EC black metal also. Probably one of those things they changed after that authentic law suit... lol.
@@DarrenWaters75 nope, just a necessary design put into effect to allow better playability, i shouldn't assume, but I doubt Gibson has a patent on the use of angles to compensate for things like string pitch. lol
The bridge is angled to provide a wider range for intonation.
I mean it's the same way on a les paul
@@kotymccallister5150 and SG
picked out about 5 guitars in the 500 range.....couldnt decide.....This guy is the winner. Bad ass six shooter. Thanks.
I bought one of these 2 months ago in transparent purple burst. I love the damn thing. For $500 it seems excellent. Mine has no tuning stability issues
I see one on craigslist for 250. I'm considering pulling the trigger on it.
@@thomasrevere1728 for $250 it's a steal assuming it's not damaged in some way.
@@fazzi4924 I ended up taking a chance on a black partscaster with a purple pickguard that turned out to be a 2004 fender made in mexico neck and a 2006 mim body with so.e seymour duncan single coil sized humbuckers and the original fender single coil in the middle. It has sperzel locking tuners as well. I paid 200 for a frankenstrat of fender and very high quality "body" parts and a hardshell roadrunner case. I couldn't be happier.
in australia they are $1100 new $790 0n sale
I just bought one last week. It's the black and grey burst finish, made in Vietnam. Such a solid axe. I'm very satisfied with it
Just got this guit as a gift from my incredible uncle. So grateful for both.. Cant wait to jam with the ol girl
Great video man, The bridge is angled specifically to help intonate the guitar, just like a Les Paul.
Thanks! I had no idea!
@@TaylorDanley The bridge is supposed to be angled
Tuning stability issues are almost always caused by friction at the nut, aggravated by the break angle strings make to reach the tuners (that's why the G string is the worst, being bent often). Filing the slots to the proper width and lubricating them solves almost everything.
String trees, when present, are the second most frequent culprit.
Locking tuners don't really do anything for stability. Keeping windings around the peg to a minimum and stretching them together with the rest of the strings by using the tuning keys to do so will eliminate that source of instability.
In the end, all locking tuners really do is save a couple of minutes when restringing.
True. All Les Pauls does seems to have this issue.
All very good points. One more thing that I do at setup is to file (and polish) a very small "side relief" widening of the nut slot at the headstock side of the nut where there is a "side break-angle" to the tuning posts, especially at the D and G string slots. I have found, over the years, that where the string exits the back side of the nut and forms a "side break angle" on the strings of most 3 x 3 headstock guitars, especially Gibson pattern instruments, that is where the most string binding actually occurs, along with the requisite issues caused by the string wanting to catch there. By relieving that area a small amount in the direction of the string post, and then judiciously polishing all of the nut slots with fine abrasive, that I have never had to use any type of lubricant to solve the dreaded "pinging" since I started cutting and finishing a nut in this manner. It takes a little extra time during the nut making or nut adjusting process, but I feel it is well worth it for me to do it this way, and it makes players that have had these issues very happy campers. Hope this helps someone out there in guitar tech land. ;-) Peace.
the set up was so metal, i got up and hit the tv screen
My (Made in Indonesia -2020) LTD EC-256 looks, feels and sounds incredible especially considering its price point. Mind you, I did upgrade the bridge humbucker to Seymour Duncan Invader. The neck PU remains original as I actually like the way it sounds. It inspires me to play more than any other guitar I have owned.
How does the push-pull coil tap sound on the invaders?
@@nuclearguitar779 It sounds pretty decent when split, but nothing special. I have since installed the Invader on my American Strat which unlike the LTD, has a 500K pot in the bridge and now the Invader truly shines. The difference is like night and day. I loved my LTD, but sold it in order to recoup some of the cash I spent on the Strat. ZERO regrets! It feels, sounds and plays like a wet dream.
Same here dude
I just got this 🎸 guitar in lemon drop and I can tell you it is better than ANY Epiphone or other Les Paul guitar!! Just way surpasses them ALL 👍 love this vid!
I got this guitar featured in the video and I almost got a lemon top, ltd.'s are the most underrated inexpensive guitar ever.
I just bought this guitar in Cobalt Blue after watching this review, I wanted a second guitar and this seems to tick a lot of boxes, I'm super excited to get it. I let my sons choose the colour so hopefully they'll want to start playing in the near future. Great review also
🙌 thanks! Enjoy.
@@TaylorDanley ive had it now for 3 days and the quality of this guitar has amazed me, its even staying in tune for me, I'm finding it hard to find any faults with it, if I had to be super picky I'd say change the pick-ups but they're really not that bad for stock pick-ups, this guitar punches well above its weight
even i bought the same guitar 🎸 cobalt blue 💙 beautiful guitar
@@linzgilbank1750 you dudes, bout to pull the trigger on the same one. What’s the 2 year update?? lol
I own an all, matte black 256, with dark gray binding on the body and headstock. Also, the fretboard is super dark. Stock, it sounded just fine. I did swap out the bridge pickup for a Duncan custom. Which didn't really need to be done, but I like that pickup, so it made sense. And the tuning stability is fine. It's actually way more stable than my other guitars, that include a prs mcarty, a charvel pro mod, and a les Paul custom. And yes, my ltd 256 is the most stable. Lol. Best part is, I bought it used for $220. 😎😎😎
I have the same finish model that you have, the pickups in it are fine, but awhile back I threw a SD Invader in the bridge and I absolutely love this guitar! So smooth and sounds brutal
Locking tuners don't improve tuning, they simply help restringing become easier (which is still a good thing)
I can't live without them
@@WildChildMcCloud amen brother, locking tuners or bust
90% of all tuning stabillity issues on these budget L/P style guitars are caused by the nut. Usually it´s a cheap af plastic nut, which hasn´t been filed down properly. It´s an easy fix, get a Graphtech TUSQ nut, they´re relatively cheap and used on high-end guitars. It´s baffles me, that guitar companies are too cheap to use proper nuts on their budget guitars, as if the price would be driven too much up, by simply adding a 15-20 $ nut.
Of course, mini-locking tuners do help with tuning stabillity.
P.S. The bridge is supposed to be angled like this.
Cutting corners is how the top executives get their bonus’s
So true TUSQ must be the standard.
>$590
>''budget'' guitar.
Guess you think gibson and fender make anything good.
@@NoNoNoNopeNopeNopeNo people call everything that's under 1000 a budget products it's so fucking annoying. "Top 10 noob guitars!" Number 1. X guitar ONLY 749,99$
@@Ottophil That's how it always goes, mainstream bands and popular guitar players are lucky there able to go to any companies custom shop and have a guitar built exactly how they want it. the average person with a regular income doesn't have the luxury to be able to flop down cash for a custom shop all the time, so alot of times we have to take guitars as is because who's gonna tell the suits and ties to stop cutting corners. it's not the people that build the guitar is at fault, they only do whatever the Execs want, but ESP isn't the only one guilty of cheating the customer, Gibson, Fender, Ibanez, PRS, they all do that. whatever they think will keep the cost down, that's what they'll do and they get away with that, because in some ways we the public allows it.
hell Gibson for example purposely cheaps out on there lower priced Gibson's, they do it alot. the Les Paul Studio used to be a really good guitar for the money, especially the late 90's and early 2000 models, but after awhile the quality started going down on them. now they really only focus on there core models, everything else just gets shuffled around.
I bought it 5 years back.. and this thing still rocks... one time fret job..
A small correction, fretboard in this one is jatoba not rosewood.
Last week I purchased a brand new LTD EC407, the 7 string version of the one you reviewed but the 400s series. It is a sick guitar, I am really happy with it so far, time will say
Thank you! Great video. I also learned something new about my guitar. I purchased my used EC-256 about a year ago and never realized that the tone knob was also a coil tap/single coil switch. Definitely going to take advantage of it now. haha
Glad it was helpful!
One year and you didn't noticed could split the humbucker!!??
That's crazy..
I must have watched this video 100 times in the past few months but finally got my hands on a second hand one of these for £150. I think it's awesome and really nice to play. The tuning stability doesn't seem that great compared to my other guitars so i'm thinking about a nut replacement at some point. Awesome video man!
Try nut sauce for the tuning stability issue before any upgrade and see if it helps, for me it made a huge difference.
This guitar is what a LP must be. Less weight, slim neck, big frets. Fantastic guitar.
I've never had luck with off brand locking tuners on Amazon. I just bite the bullet now and spend for high quality tuning machines. I really like the thin U neck profile on eclipses. Put a tusq XL nut on that guitar to fix your tuning stability problem.
I can't find any for my Squire as my tuners aren't bad but not great either. They also like to snap my strings yet I find no sharp edges. The ones I am looking for are 10mm peg holes and look like this - i.imgur.com/ElaD6xU.png
@@generalawareness101 look into hipshot with their UMP mounting system. No extra holes and if you move on from the squire you can go back to stock and keep your tuners. Just making sure you measure your peg hole, some squires are not 10mm sized.
@@williamheitl8941 Yep, removed them and measured but hipshot is hideously expensive and I honestly think are over priced. I was hoping for something less expensive.
@@generalawareness101 I paid $51 for my latest set of hipshots. Expensive, but well worth the price. I recently bought some sperzels for my eclipse and they were around $55 as well. I have seen grovers on ebay for around $45 if that is tolerable. Good tuning machines are just pricey. I am a firm believer in good tuners and a tusq XL nut. All my guitars stay in tune. Think of the time and effort you have put into your tuner issue. I'm sure you can find some good used or new hipshot/grover/sperzel tuners on Reverb or eBay for a price your willing to pay.
@@williamheitl8941 I slapped a TusqXL on my axe and it was the best damn thing I have ever done. Have a link to Hipshot for $51 that would fit? I want to keep this guitar as original as I can so no drilling.
I have this guitar in the Lemon Drop color. The only upgrade I've made is to install a Graph Tech Tusq nut which really improved the tuning stability. I absolutely love the guitar and pick it up at least as often as my USA made Strats and my Japanese made Ibanez guitars.
the 256 are underrated guitars. i had one of the first gen vintage black ones. i swapped the pickups for emgs, and installed some hipshot tuners. it was an incredible guitar. i sold it and now have an ec1000 with evertune. i loved it. i am kicking myself for selling it.
We all have those guitars that got away from us!
@@TaylorDanley lol it's not even the one that got away. I just liked it a lot. I never played it though. I think I played for two shows and then it just sat in it's case in my studio.
I'm debating on the EC-1000 evertune or piezo or the fishman fluence. I just can't decide. The thing I don't like about the Evertune I'm looking at is it has Seymore Duncans but no Coil Tap. Yes I could swap out the pickups but I just want to buy and play. I don't want to spend extra money on putting pickups in a guitar. I just can't decide which EC-1000. 😅
@@paulkline3011 i think it really depends on what youre looking for. i wanted to never go out of tune. lol.
I've had mine for almost 2 years. I'm a Lefty and after playing for 30 years, this is the first guitar that I ever bought online, without playing it first....I was super nervous.
It's good!.....a solid guitar, with a huge variety of tones. I had the same issue with tuning stability, and I chalked it up to the sideways break angle of the strings through the nut. I figured this caused a difference in the string tension above and below the nut. I opened up the exit to the D and G, and I lube the nut with graphite when I change strings.
So yeah, I've got a blue lefty, running through a pretty inexpensive Zoom G3Xn.....and it sounds great....for NOT a helluva lot of money!
just got the same lefty one 2 weeks ago, learned right handed and now switched, so far it's been great
I bought my ltd ec256 about 9-10 years ago. I have never had any issues with it at all. I figured out to do the set-up myself and dialed it in the way i feel it to be the most comfortable. It plays great, sounds great and only thing wrong with it now is thetoggle switch needs to be flipped a few times before it pick anything up. That Should be an easy fix
Honestly this is probably the best I've heard your tone sound. Should use it more!
I don't often play in E standard... or with the Plexi sim for that matter, but when I do this is the tone!
@@TaylorDanley oh dude just put the guitar in a lower tuning! :) Will sound great
I’ve been wanting a singlecut for a while, and I’ve been eyeing this one the most because of the tonal options and the price, plus that guitar just looks sexy asf
It's great! I enjoy mine a lot!
I got the EC -257 and the Viper - 201B , both are good guitars and after you upgrade the nut, locking tuners and the pots these guitars are even greater with the stock pickups. Looking forward to get my hands on something off their 1000 series.
Love the EC series so fast for my little hands
yep definitely expect to replace tuners, possibly nut on one of these or any cheap EC, 3+3 headstocks benefit from the string butler as well
I am buying one of these next week
Those Eclipses are awesome guitars, especially for the price. I had a hard time deciding between that and my Wolf WLP 750 for a while, but ultimately went with the Wolf. I feel like I wouldn't have been disappointed with either choice. I think the thing that pushed me to get the Wolf was the inclusion of Grover tuners. The other cool thing is that All In One Guitars will email you when you order one asking for setup preferences, so they sent it to me set up, perfectly in tune and in the tuning I wanted along with the proper string gauge. Having my Wolf for roughly the same time you've had your EC 256, I'm really happy with my purchase and have found that the Wolf is a real work horse
That's awesome they set it up for you!
Yeah, I had one of these guitars are almost gifts to me but took it home. It started messing with it, open the weather and and that's when I believes as soon as I touch a string to afraid it would go sharp if I put any pressure on the string at all. And I had it adjusted. By 4 pros in Orlando, Florida. To set the action up. And the internation. But still having all the same problems. Then I was talking to a really good friend. Of mine, the only guitar repair shop. And we got to talk to the monster cells though, really started checking out. The nut replaced with bone helped greatly
Darren Stroud of Power Tribe rocks this model like no other! This guitar is so much more comfortable than a Les Paul Standard, thanks to the belly cut.
I have this exact Guitar in cobalt blue and I will tell you I bought it as a beginner in guitarist in 2021 and only recently I’ve learned that the pots were wired backwards so I think the bridge knob is controlling the wrong pickup They both work great it’s not a problem, but it is a little goofy, but This thing is beautiful. It’s a great guitar
I have ordered one in Snow White color and I am very excited to get it.
Well , how is it ? Where did ya order it from and where are you from ??
Sounds awesome dude, that plug in sounds great very surprised. Nice guitar, been using Using Esp Ltd guitars for years they are always good even the Chinese ones. Dig your channel man. Keep Shredding ...
Thanks! Yeah, they pair really well together. Not my particular cup of tea, but they sound good!
@@TaylorDanley Cool, its good to try different gear. Metal Forever
I would highly suggest buying one of these guitars. Especially if u can catch it on sale like I did a few years back.
Had mine for two years no issues
I've had prs, gibson everything, best guitar, tone Ive ever had, coil split sounf like a strat, a b"d it with vintage v 100 and the ltd 256 blew it out of the water, now I just need the Ltd 256 to cover all the tones I've been looking for, gonna buy a gold top with p 90"s now
Thus guitar is sweet, it plays by itself even while its strings are getting changed.
I bought one last year, and I think for the money, it’s the best Les Paul shaped guitar you can get. Great price/quality point.
Agreed
I too own this guitar. easy to play, i did have to set the intonation when it was new.yes the nut needs to be sanded a bit if its pinching strings, some graphite from a pencil helps too. the weak link is the pickups, but i have no plans to replace them, they are adequate but lack color.
Fun thing, after 10 years of having single cut guitars I didn’t notice both of my guitars have an angled bridge... ha.
Just picked up a used one this weekend for £200. 2019 Indo made. I reckon once I put a tusq nut and locking tuners on it, it'll be sweet. Might swap the 3 way switch as well as that feels a bit cheap.
What size tusq nut did you get i need one🙏🏼🍻
I've had mine for about a year too! I need to file the nut slot specifically for D, G, and B. Right now I just make sure to keep the nut lubricated. My biggest dislike with this guitar is the glossy neck, but its a minor thing.
I bought one semi-unused for $200 and didn't expect much. Plugged it in and I have to admit...it ain't horrible. I opened up the nut slots as well. Its my couch guitar...although its only flaw is the "plastic" sound when I play acoustically!
Hey, why are the volume knobs backwards? Anyone else’s configured like his and mine?
I think that the fingerboard wood is actually baked Brazilian Cherry.🤘
I love my EC 256 but do have issues with it not being able to stay in tune and was considering up grading the tuning heads. Maybe I might try the fix you did to see if that helps.
How did ya make out ?
@@benallmark9671 Still need to get my hands on some files. I tried with sandpaper and possibly it improved a little but didn't want to keep going with that as it wasn't going so well.
Adjusting the screws holding the tuner keys helps, little slot screws on the end (not into the wood) . . . not the greatest tuners but you can make them work. And, they are chromed steel, not cheap plastic like many expensive guitars . . .
If you love the guitar, upgrade the tuners . . . why not?
Bought this guitar about 3 months ago.
The first problem i noticed is death notes on 18 fret. After i set my guitar up, unfortunately, the problem didn't go. These death notes are not critical, cuz these notes do sound when you just push the string harder, but there is no way this string will sound when you have to shred, legato etc.
The second problem is a nut. My strings just don't sit in the nut properly. This problem appeared after i changed the strings for the very first time on this guitar.
Unfortunately, there is no guitar tech in my city to solve these problems, so i have to live with it.
In general, the sound is good, the quality is good, it stays in tune well and those pick-ups are good for my needs.
Thanks for the review. I had a older model many years ago and have though about getting another one. I have been curious about the quality of 256.
🙌 It's not the 1000, but it's not too shabby either!
I got mine by accident and I love it, especially the price of it was just totally awesome.
Bought a 256 a few years back and I love it kinda using it as a custom project so far iv changed to pickups and knobs and I’m now looking to add a kill switch and some lock-in Grover tuners
This guy’s great. This is my first time watching. And I’m buying this guitar tomorrow. Education is always good 👍
I got one of these for 300 bucks new, replaced the nut and put a string butler and Babicz bridge on it. Totally a new machine but stock is still quite quite awesome.
Omg what is the song at 5:56 called?! Please tell me!
Just some random song I wrote for a demo
I have 27 ESP/LTD guitars. Not a single one has tuning issues. I do stretch my new strings as I'm re-stringing a guitar.
Also, if you are changing the tuning on a guitar (drop tuning/lower tuning) you need to reset the intonation.
I'm saving up for the ec-257
I have a 2013 EC256. Stock it is an awesome guitar. I really like the pickups. I put a Seymour Duncan JB and 59 in it and changed out the tuners and it kicks the shit out of a Gibson. I also have two EC1000's and a GH200. All three guitars are awesome. Every guitar you purchase has issues from the factory. Once you get rid of those issues, you have a fine instrument. I'd rather purchase a lost cost guitar with issues over a guitar that costs you a ton of cash and still have those issues.
just look at his face. the man is telling you with a straight face that he is indeed alright with the guitar. no funny faces dude loves it. if he's alright with it, you'll probably love it too.
A tight nut will give you stability issues (pun intended) regardless of the hardware you're running. You should always tune up, because what happens is that if you tune down the nut might pinch the string and as you play the tension will release, making your notes flat. It's kind of understandable manufacturers cheap out on the nut, because that's easy to modify / replace.
I’m in a silent shop bathroom here at work at just about 4 AM, and the noise at 3:51 scared the shit out of me, literally lol.
The most epic string change in history right chere!
Love mine! Have it in black satin
Nice!
Dude, love this video man. Do you have a video on the gear/software you have and are using in this video? Thanks in advance.
I wish the HX Plexis sounded that good. I gave up and went to the Revv Purple. Also, LH150’s are some of my favorite pickups. Stock or not.
That ML amp sim is re dic u lous!
I really wanted something like Jimmy Pages Les Paul burst top so I bought a cherry burst Esp Ltd 256. It was on sale from Guitar Center for like 250$ or something like that. I loved it as soon as I saw it. The beautiful figured wood grain and Cherry Burst finish were amazing looking. It was a great little guitar but the fact it wasnt a Gibson was just eating away at me. I wanted the "real deal" so I decided to get a Gibson Les Paul for around 1,000$. It was such a let down. Its frets were just super flat and tiny. Came with finish flaws even. It was cool looking but in the end... I sent the Gibson Les Paul back for a refund and kept the LTD 265. I love it and its one of my main guitars to mess around on. I dont feel guilty playing the heck out of it like some of my older or more expensive guitars. I think Im going to get some Guitar Fetish Alnico V PAF style humbuckers for it for like 60$. For the price this guitar cannot be beat.
Yea totally agree, i was gonna buy a LP, but could only afford a tribute Gibson.... I played a few then picked up a ec256 and like it more for 1/3 the price, so i bought it and swapped the pickups for alnico 2 pafs and am so happy i didn't overpay for poorly made gibson.
O have alot of single cuts including a couple LPs an my distressed black 256 with emg 81s an sperzels locking tuners is my most used guitar.
I threw a DiMarzio Tone Zone (like $75?) into my EC256 and man did it ever come to life.
I had one a few years ago that active pick ups, and I thought they sounded better than EMG pick ups. Definitely a Solid Guitar.
Well done!
I like the colour of this guitar. Do you know the colour of this exact guitar? Thanks!
@TaylorDanley I have a doubt why ec256 white is having different pickups and the guitar you are playing is having different pickups.
Even they are same models and I checked official website also they mentioned that in both the ec256 they used LH 150 pickups.
But it looks different in both modes.
Please help because I'm planning to buy this one 🙏🏻
non-lubricate nut always causes tuning- stability issue
You rock dude 🤘🏽
Getting one of these secondhand for $160. Apparently there's a tiny scratch on it somewhere, couldn't tell from the picture. It'll be the steal of the century hopefully.
Any experience playing with fuzz? For this price it's def one im considering just curious if you or anyone seeing this has played some doom/stoner metal on it and how it sounded? The clean sound is incredible 👍 Great review, very thorough.
I've seen 3 versions of this guitar (made in China, Indonesia, and Vietnam). Which one of those is yours and which do you think are better made?
This one is Indonesia.. I have a viper 256 that is made in vietnam. Honestly, I've heard Indoensia is better, but I really don't think it matters because at the end of the day they are all going to go through the same QC process. If one origin country wasn't cutting it, I'm sure ESP/LTD would fix the problem or stop manufacturing there.
@@TaylorDanley I agree, overall I think these are great value for the price, especially if you find one on the used market in great shape (like the one you picked up)! Thanks for the feedback!
@@TaylorDanley Bro, the color model is Dark brown sunburst?
Saving up for one ATM can't wait to get it!
I had a 2009 LTD EC256 AHB it's the "road worn" and it's a great guitar. Wish I kept that thing to be honest but my 2005 LP Studio is still nice. Weighs a lot... but it's nice.
The bridge is supposed to be at a slight angle for intonation.
You sould try the String Butler to make the strings run straight from the nut to the tuners, this should solve the tuning issues.
Plus, i think a darker paint on this rosewood fingerboard would look SICK!
Tuning stability almost always comes from a correctly cut nut. Locking tuners don’t actually affect tuning stability except in maybe dive bombing and, even then, the nut will contribute more in that situation.
Great job on the review. If you can find an early 2000’s version of this guitar, grab it! 😁
@MatthewDuminy
Bought a beautiful 2013ish lemon drop ec-256 made in Vietnam back 2020, absolutley killer axe for what I paid for it...
Would this be a reliable fiddle to run around with so I could keep my more expensive stuff at home? Great video!
Do you should getting this guitar or the Cort Cr250, which one has a better building's quality please?
It’s so beautiful
I scrolled through to find what it sounds like, but all I can hear is distortion. Is there a spot here where we can hear the guitar clean? Thanks!
The bridge is supposed to be angled
Great review. BTW do you have an LTD Viper-256 or 1000? I am looking forward to get one but wanted watch some honest reviews.
Thanks! I have a Viper 256, bought it because it reminded me of Black Sabbath LOL
These guitars are great. I just put a DiMarzio Super Distortion bridge and an Air Classic neck pickup on mine. The best locking tuners are the Schaller ones.
Got one from GC at $249 four years ago . . . no case . . . Indonesian made . . . the neck pickup was all askew, but only took a look inside and a sharp chisel to clean up the cavity and, BUENO . . . probably why it was priced, new, $200 off (or $300 off depending on finish).
I am American-Made only . . . but I wanted to try the flat fret board and humbuckers . . . the first electric guitar I ever played on, borrowed, was a 60's Gold Top Les Paul, and it was incredible.
It is very fine quality . . . mine is about 3 years older than yours so actually has the Rosewood fret board . . . yours, probably not. Not in the spec sheet anyway.
People have mixed feelings about the humbuckers . . . personally, I'm a long way off from discerning base ESP's from the mixed bag from Gibson versus high dollar Pearly Gates . . .
Those Indonesians are really making fine guitars . . . PRS, CORT, . . . the list goes on and on.
Word is ESP opened up a luthier school in Japan, and all employees at their factories have to go there first before going on the production line.
Hi! I found it for 180 eur! new how it cost?
For grunge music it will be right?
I have two gibsons. One is a traditional and the other is the Bill Kelliher’s signature Halcyon and both have the worst tuning stability. The halcyon has quality of life upgrades like a chambered body and coil splitting but it’s not worth the cost.
I’ve owned a LTD EC-1000 deluxe and it didn’t compare at all. Much better Les Paul than a Gibson will ever be. It’s what a les Paul today should be. I ended up trading it for an Orange head but would get another one if I had the opportunity.
Honestly, today I’m trying to sell my Halcyon to fund a purchase of the Dustie Waring PRS. Don’t waste your money on a gibson. The one thing they ARE good at is resell value. Someone can always sell a gibson for the same price as they bought if they bought it used.
Put a TUSQ on your 2 Gibsons.
Great review. Btw dont you mean coil split instead of coil tap at the beginning? Because theyre humbuckers?
Great Video Quality!
I love this guitar though :D 🤘🏻🖤💕
I have a 2k gretsch jet with bigsby and a floating bridge. Goes out every 10 minutes.
I own one for over 5 years now, the fret work is pretty mediocre the tuning stability/tuners are bad and I hated the stock pick ups. I upgraded the pick ups with dimarzio super distortion and now it sounds insane. Its by far the best sounding guitar I ever owned/played. I would not recommend anyone to get the guitar tho, I think you can get better for the money.
Suggestions ? I’m all 👂 ears
@@benallmark9671 kinda hard to recommend something, but my favorite guitar is in the same price range the ibanez RGRT421. Very different guitar but worth every penny
Ml sounds great