I Tried The Cheapest ESP/LTD Guitar..

𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐂𝐈𝐀𝐋 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐊𝐒 𝐓𝐎 𝐌𝐘 𝐀𝐖𝐄𝐒𝐎𝐌𝐄 𝐏𝐀𝐓𝐑𝐎𝐍𝐒!

Barry Prosser
David L
Ronny Webster
Apoplexia
Failusekilltake
Ian Lambert
Royce
Alex Ferrin
Irvin Smith
Luedinski
Stuart Howlette
Joseph Howell
Ethan Carpenter
Raph Hieber
Jacob Boyett
David Steele
Britzi
Eric Allen
It's Me Djoom
ElectricEye
Walter Dasilva
TillerOG
Steven E
Robert Pira
TheDailyPlanetGoesTo11
Joeli0sis
Swarbs74
Tim Shipp
Stephan Kinney
Marsyas
Sheepydeepy
Bryan Bishop
Hellstrings
Petter Karlstad
Roberto B
Shane Degroat
Aeitch
Na-T
Dylan Gadwa
James Colley
Anthony Tria
Geert-Jan
Chris
Dominic Shaw
Delack Attack
Terry
Omri Zer
Christian Hansen
Brian Cecrle
Leon Lopez Cuervo
Donát Lőkös
K C
Blackout
Erik Cooper
Daniel Carey
Adam Layman
Joey Steele
Richard Druham
Orrin
Chapati Takahoy
Jeff Hirshberg
Weaselbuddy17
Michael Newman
Your Mom

𝗦𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗠𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗮

** My videos may or may not contain products that were given to me with the expressed intent for me to make an unbiased review. I may also receive products at a discount in return for making a video on these products. In such cases, the opinions expressed are my own, and not the opinions of the companies providing the equipment. I try to mention this when relevant.

Links in the description may be affiliate, and I receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. **

0:00 ESP/LTD M200DX
1:15 M200DX Specs
3:28 LTD m-200 dx Setup
5:06 Guitar Demo
8:53 Pickups Clean Sounds and noise test
12:44 Playing the M200dx through a free plugin

[AWMJoeyjoejoe]

I have to say I really appreciate that you play the more affordable guitars through the Katana. It really winds me up when certain youtubers play a budget guitar through a $4000 amp. I mean, whats the point? Who will be in the market for a $200 guitar when they have a $4000 amp? So yeah, appreciate it.

[greevar]

Point of fact: A coil tap is when there is a tap in the coil that reduces the number of winds on the coil are being used. A coil split is when you bypass one of the coils on a humbucker.

[KainzMusic]

So in other words, a prettier pig doesn't produce better tasting bacon.

[greevar]

From my experience, the Goldilocks price for budget guitars is the $200 to $500 USD range. Any guitar with properly finished stainless steel frets for under $500 is a huge win in my opinion.

[byMRTNjournals]

I own a Korean made M50 with X2N clone, p90 voiced humbucker and a push/push knob. It's a phenomenal guitar that outshines many mid range guitars.

Ltd took a big hit to quality when they moved to Indonesia.

[mafiashpagety]

I have a 34 year old Ibanez rg550. It wasn't expensive when I bought it and it still works like it did the first day. I only changed his magnets. Those Japanese really know how to make a good guitar.

[Thearcherfl]

Love that you are playing entry level guitars.

One that isn’t shown often is the Censtar HH tele on Amazon for $169. It’s got a roasted neck, stainless frets and coil split humbucker.

At that price I thought it wasn’t a roasted neck. So I sanded the finish off of the heal of the neck. Yup. Definitely roasted.

Frets are not tall, but playable. But needed slots cut deeper. No shim needed on neck. Pickups were decent and are not microphonic. Adjustable truss wheel on the front of neck is a plus. Great if you want a guitar to play at slam shows where the crowd might come in contact with you.

Oh. There was one paint drop on the back. But it was buffed flat so you can only see it at a specific angle.

Thanks for your video. Great to see budget gear becoming so well made for the price. The only ones I stay away from are the super cheap Floyd Rose guitars. They usually have a terrible locking nut and the springs rarely are strong enough for anything above 10s.

[Pkees]

I purchased a ec256 black and gold made in Indonesia from Sweetwater. It’s a step up from the Chinese ec200 and it’s well worth the $100 extra bucks! Indonesia makes great guitars for the money!

[Rdbudd]

They need to up their game when you see what Firefly, Censtar and Harley Benton have to offer in the $200 area. SS ball end frets and locking tuners for that price and the LTD's still need good setups.

[rickbrunet]

Love the body look. Pickups sound pretty good.

[sxnthwave]

The fretwork thing is why I tend to lean towards Schecter for the mid-budget range. I've never gotten a Schecter that didn't play well. I did get one with a bad (working, but bad) output jack, but that was an easy fix and it was a display model from sweetwater so it could have just been w&t.

[gearhead]

Just got the js22 from jackson, needed some tlc but its great now, i love the jumbo frets and the pickups are screamin!

[rhinvirus]

They used to have the 10 series but I'm not sure if it's in production anymore. My first guitar was an LTD M-10 retailing at around $175 at the time I believe, and it still rips after about 8 years. The quality also went down unfortunately once they switched from Vietnam to China.

[karlblanchette]

I looked at this guitar. In Canada, it's 599. They make a version with one pickup, one volume, all black called the m-201. It's 799. It make absolutely no sense.

[crazeyjoe]

*As far as budget guitar that plays well "out of the box, " I recently purchased a Harley Benton Baritone-7 SBK. It is a 7 string neck-through body guitar with a 27" scale length. It has locking tuners and a graph tech nut. The price is only $233.00/ I can't recommend this enough!*

[Matt-fcms]

I just bought this exact one a few weeks ago to be my first guitar so I can start learning finally. I hope I didn't make a mistake! 😬

[Swallow_The_Moon]

I have a LTD M 200 with a Floyd Rose, the guitar is the most crooked I've ever seen, the neck pocket was covered in paint, I had to straighten it myself so that the neck would fit properly. The pickup holes are crooked and the guitar can't be made without plastic rings, even the name of the country of manufacture was written with a mistake - NDONESIA instead of INDONESIA lol, but as soon as I set everything up, I fell in love with this cheapie! I have a Hetfield ESP, I have a Dean ML, I have a Fender, an Alexi ESP, in short, I have something to compare it with.
Maybe because I tuned it myself, but there's something in it, and the sound is good.

[Shadowfdath]

For a little more you could get a used 400 series or 50% more you can get a 1000 series if you hunt around enough and they're studio and touring quality instruments with set necks, premium pickups, etc...i just bought a brand new B stock H1001 FR model for under 550 shipped

[Sheepleton]

I bought a tobacco burst EC-256 Les Paul style LTD years ago used for like $200. Man it's been a joy to own and play. I don't know if the previous owner had a set up done but she's perfect.

[edwinstovall]

I have to agree with you on several things here. I agree, for instance, that ESP/LTD may not have targeted the right price point for that axe. A couple of weeks ago, I took delivery of a guitar from one of those Amazon cheap guitar sellers -- my second from that company, which should tell you something. This thing came in with such high quality that I have yet even to remove the stock strings! When I do, I'm going to put the string that came with it on -- yes, it included a set of strings. It's a super Strat in the mold of the Fender American Ultra Strat: HSS pickups, gold anodized pickguard, alder body, maple neck and fretboard -- both coated, probably with polyurethane at its sub-$300 price point. Yeah, I know -- glossy neck bad, but I myself have always been rather agnostic about the friction of a glossy neck. My original guitar had this same arrangement, so the new one felt like an old friend immediately. When I started playing, though, I got a pleasant surprise, as the axe was eminently playable, despite being strung with 10s and played by a guy who got used to 9s DECADES ago! That a REALLY good setup, I'd say. I straightened the neck a bit and the playability improved! This axe kicks azz for relatively low money!

As to that Jackson JS11 you got, I'd say you got lucky on the frets and fretboard, because my experience with my JS22 was much different. The fret job on that puppy was killer, but the fret ends were the worst I've seen to this day. Jackson should probably age or roast their fretboard woods so as to cut down on the amount of fret sprout that happens. Either that or ditch the amaranth and go with something like jatoba or laurel. Even maple would work -- and I'm mostly a dark fretboard wood guy. Anyhow, I hope my exposition here found favor with you. Peace!