ESP LTD F-250 Guitar Review

For many intermediate level guitarists, the mid-range of guitars are a real pain to shop for. There are hundreds in the beginner range and even more in the high price ranges, but a good mid level at a decent price has become increasingly difficult to find. As a response to this, some guitar companies not as well known as the Fenders and Gibsons of the world have put a little more effort into this price level. One example is the ESP LTD F-250. In this article, I'll take a closer look at it to see what, if anything, makes it special.

Features: The body of the ESP LTD F-250, unlike most other ESP brand guitars, is made of agathis wood. Its shape is very reminiscent of a B.C. Rich Warlock, which is a very menacing look. There are two finishes available with it, including metallic silver and ebony. Both are relatively simplistic, helping to keep production cost down. The neck has an ESP specialized neck through body design, and is made of three separate jointed pieces of maple. It has a rosewood fretboard with twenty four extra jumbo frets and unique looking "arrowhead" inlays. The ESP LTD F-250's hardware is created for playing with distortion. It is all black nickel, and includes a locking nut (of course this isn't nickel), a double locking tremolo bridge, and ESP made tuning heads. Electronically, the ESP LTD F-250 has two ESP brand humbucker pickups with one volume and one tone control knob and a three way selector switch.

Playability: The ESP LTD F-250 has serious strength in this area. The neck through body design eliminates any joint at all, which makes high fret access easier on it than with any guitar with a neck that is set or bolted. Also, the neck has a very thin U profile to allow for fast playing up and down, and easier reaches for arpeggios and the like. Additionally, the agathis body is considerably light and well contoured, making it comfortable to play anywhere. The only common negative observation is that the overuse of the tremolo system often throws the guitar out of the tune. So, you'll have to be careful when handling it.

Sound: The ESP LTD F-250 is certainly designed to tailor for those rock and metal musicians of the world. It won't necessarily blow minds when playing on cleaner settings, though it can decently. Where the ESP LTD F-250 shines, though, is distorted playing. It can crunch on the low end and scream on the high end.

Overall: The ESP LTD F-250 hits a largely untapped market. The mid-range metal and hard rock musician will be pleasantly surprised by this affordable guitar. If you're one of those people, the ESP LTD F-250 is a great choice. You can find it in music stores for about $350.