ESP LTD Alexi-200 Alexi Laiho Signature Guitar Review

Fans of popular heavy metal band Children of Bodom naturally know that its lead singer and guitarist, Alexi Laiho, plays a downright nasty looking and sounding V guitar. Most, however, look at Jackson brand or Gibson brand guitars when trying to emulate his style and sound. But his signature series of instruments is actually made by ESP. In this article, I'll take a look at the ESP LTD Alexi-200 Alexi Laiho signature guitar to see if it lives up to its namesake.

Features: The body of the ESP LTD Alexi-200 is made of basswood. This comes as a bit of a surprise, as most basswood guitars are relatively cheap. Despite this, though, the wood does provide deep tone and good sustain. The body shape is technically a V, though the top half is bigger making it look almost like a shark fin.There are two finishes available on the ESP LTD Alexi-200, including ebony and white. Both have a very clean look. The neck of the ESP LTD Alexi-200 is made of three separate pieces of maple wood, and is bolted onto the body. It has a rosewood fretboard with twenty four extra jumbo frets, an "sawteeth" shaped inlays. The neck, also, has white binding as an added aesthetic feature. The hardware, including the ESP brand tuning heads and double locking tremolo bridge, is all black nickel on both finishes. Electronically, the ESP LTD Alexi-200 has one single ESP brand humbucker pickup and one volume control knob.

Playability: As one could tell by the above features on the ESP LTD Alexi-200, it has a very clean and simple design. This does well to ensure good playability. The neck has a very thin u shape, which combined with the jumbo frets makes fingering as user friendly as possible. Also, the fact that there are few bells and whistles, and the body is basswood, make the ESP LTD Alexi-200 nice and light - a quality that younger guitarists will especially appreciate.

Sound: The sound of the ESP LTD Alexi-200 is certainly geared to mimic the work of Alexi Laiho and Children of Bodom. The only pickup is located in the bridge position, which makes deeper tones unattainable. The sharp, "trebly" solos and power chords, however, are absolutely excellent.

Overall: The ESP LTD Alexi-200 is designed specifically for those who want to play music similar to that of Alexi Laiho. If you're looking for a versatile instrument, it may be best to look elsewhere. But for those aforementioned sharp sounding tones, good playability, and clean looks, the ESP LTD Alexi-200 is a good choice. You can find this guitar in music stores for about $470.