ESP LTD Alexi-600 Alexi Laiho Signature Guitar Review

Alexi Laiho, singer and guitarist for the European metal band Children of Bodom, has very quickly become a heavily idolized figure in the metal world. His licks and playing is known for being fast, intense, and technically astounding. And, because of it, his music has become inspiration for millions of fans, including some who want to learn to play like him. Because of this, ESP offers the LTD Alexi-600 Alexi Laiho Signature guitar. Let's take a closer look to see if the instrument deserves the namesake.

Features: The body of the LTD Alexi-600 is made of alder wood. This helps to carve a sharp tone, and is lightweight. Its shape is based off the Gibson Flying V, except that the top half is bigger - making it look much like a shark fin. There are two finishes available with the LTD Alexi-600, which include white with black accents and black with yellow accents. The best way to describe their look is, well, very clean. The neck is constructed so that it goes through the body without a bulky joint, and it is made of maple wood. The fretboard, meanwhile, is ebony. It has twenty four extra jumbo frets, and very unique looking "sawtooth" inlays. The hardware on the ESP LTD Alexi-600, including the Grover tuning heads, Floyd Rose Bridge, and tremolo system, is made of black nickel. Electronically, the Alexi-600 has on Seymour Duncan Blackout brand humbucker and one volume control.

Playability: The neck through body design of the ESP LTD Alexi-600 provides a few big advantages in the playability department. First of all, the joint where the neck meets the body isn't genuinely there, which allows for previously unimaginable high fret access. Also, it improves sustain dramatically, allowing notes to ring out longer and clearer. The body, since it is thin and made of alder, is very light and comfortable to play. And the neck is built to Alexi Laiho's actual specifications - which, of course, are thin and fast.

Sound: This is the only area in which the ESP LTD Alexi-600 has limitation. It's built with one Seymour Duncan humbucker in the bridge position and only a volume control. It's perfect for playing high distortion rhythm and lead, but it's not well designed for anything else. The guitar's strength is certainly not versatility.

Overall: If you're willing to pay the hefty price tag to own Alexi Laiho's Signature ESP LTD Alexi-600, you must know what you're getting. It is, for what it's made, an excellent instrument. Big metal and COB enthusiasts will definitely not disappoint. But if you need a guitar that can expand beyond the metal genre, it might be better to look in a different direction.