Build Quality:4.9 out of 5 stars
Hardware:4.8 out of 5 stars
Electronics:4.8 out of 5 stars
Sound:4.9 out of 5 stars
Value:4.9 out of 5 stars
Average:4.9 out of 5 stars

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ESP LTD M100FM

Pros:

  • Looks Cool
  • Clean, Powerful Sound
  • Great Tuning Stability

Cons:

  • A little Generic
  • Not exciting for an advanced player

Let us get real for a second over here guys. There are a lot of affordable guitars out there and most of them, the absolute majority of them I mean, are not much differentiated from each other. A lot of them have things that are so similar that it is hard to choose why one is better than the other. The most differentiation most of these guitars get is the design they have. Let us take a look at one ESP LTD M100FM and see what makes it so different from the others.

Body Quality

First and foremost let’s get talking about the design of the guitar, the part that stands out the most when you first see it. The ESP LTD M100FM follows in the tradition of so many affordable guitars choosing to go with. It imitates the ever famous, ever loved Stratocaster design. While the design is so often imitated across the board of affordable guitars, I, just like the average joe byer, do not have anything against a good Stratocaster design. I would love some innovation and something new to be brought on the market but at the same time, I get so excited to see the Stratocaster over and over again. The coloring of the guitar is rather traditional. The flamed maple top, combined with the black coloring results in a guitar that could be easily loved by many.

The body of the guitar is built out of basswood. This tonewood is known for many things, one of the most famous being the fact that it is incredibly cheap to grow and build a guitar out of. The second thing it is known for is the pretty awesome effect it has on the sound of the guitar. The resonance with the deep tones of the guitar is definitely a highly appreciated aspect of basswood. Basswood is rather lightweight, which is a nice feature not always available in so many other, more expensive hardwoods. The hardwood is also known to not be particularly hard, with the softness of the guitar making it prone to dents and scratches. At least the flamed maple top adds a little bit of sturdiness to the front of the guitar, but not much in terms of tone.

The neck of the guitar is built out of maple, as is usual among all guitars nowadays. This is a pretty standard industry choice for any guitar. Adds the nice amount of sturdiness that is definitely a good thing to have. The neck is bolt-on, an affordable solution that is both standard and optimal in terms of price. The fretboard is made of rosewood, which is the eternal companion of a guitar’s neck.

Hardware

The guitar comes with a nice Floyd Rose Special bridge, a nice addition to be honest. The bridge is well designed, and provides good string stability and some nice action. It also looks rather familiar and very comfortable among so many choices on the market.

The nut of the guitar is probably the most unique part about it. It is a locking nut, a move away from the traditional. It provides nice string stability, mitigates most of the string noise and is a little more tedious to restring.

The tuning machine of the guitar is unremarkable. It provides a nice tuning stability and works well with the design of a guitar. And while maybe a little more string stability would be nice, overall the tuning machine does a great job of keeping the tuning around.

Electronics

The guitar comes with a set of nice stock pickups The LH-150(a) and the LH-(150b) are definitely workable. They provide the guitar with some power and some tone, and while not something an intermediate player will go crazy for, it will be more than enough for the beginner. The stock pickups are some of the nicer ones on the market and will last long enough that you won’t get to thinking about custom pickups until you’ve gotten better at guitar.

The controls are simple with the standard two knobs and a lever combination. You get the ability to control volume tone and the pickup configuration. Fun times!

LTD M100FM Sound

The guitar sound just better than any other in its price range. The guitar certainly has the ability to provide more power and tonally speaking it does about as well, if not a little better, than most guitars of the same price on the market. A sound that is solid if you are looking for a guitar to start playing with, which might last you a little longer just because it is something so familiar and comfortable.

Conclusion

There is nothing outright amazing about the guitar, and yet overall it is a very nice instrument. It is the perfect representation of the manufacturer’s ability to produce a great guitar. Definitely recommended if you want the basics covered, while looking cool.

Click here to find out more about LTD M100FM.
Click here to view more from Best Beginners Electric Guitar.

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