ESP LTD EC-1000 vs Schecter Solo II: What are the differences?
EMG humbuckers, extra frets, aesthetics (quilted Maple), and a few other tweaks.
We like the finish, EMG humbuckers, inlays, and extra frets on the ESP LTD EC-1000. The Solo-II is a great guitar, and it's cheaper, but we think there's enough value in the EC-1000 to put up the extra money, and get high-end pickups with a better look. Coil splitting, neck joint, and fretboard radius are a few additional differences to take note of. In our minds, the EC-1000 is clearly the better option, though the Solo-II is still a decent guitar for what you pay.
ESP LTD EC-1000 QM
Schecter Solo-II Custom
| Feature | ESP LTD EC-1000 QM | Schecter Solo II |
|---|---|---|
| Body Shape | Eclipse | Solo II Custom |
| Body Finish | Gloss Polyurethane, Violet Shadow | Satin, Aged Black |
| Top Material | Quilted Maple | Solid Maple |
| Neck Material | 3-piece Mahogany | 3-piece Mahogany |
| Neck Shape | Thin U | Thin C |
| Fingerboard Material | Rosewood | Ebony |
| Fingerboard Inlays | Abalone Flags | Mother-of-Pearl Blocks |
| Frets | 24, Extra Jumbo, Stainless Steel | 22, Extra Jumbo |
| Scale Length | 24.75" | 24.75" |
| Nut Width | 1.653" | 1.653" |
| Bridge Type | Tonepros Locking TOM | TonePros T3BT Tune-O-Matic (minimal difference here) |
| Tuners | LTD Locking | Schecter Locking |
| Neck Pickup | EMG 60 Humbucker | Schecter USA Pasadena Humbucker |
| Bridge Pickup | EMG 81 Humbucker | Schecter USA Pasadena Plus Humbucker |
| Controls | 2 x volume, 1 x tone | 2 x volume, 1 x master tone (push/pull coil-split) |
| Pickup Switching | 3-way toggle | 3-way toggle |
| Strings | D'Addario, .009-.042 | Ernie Ball, .010-.046 |
| Case/Gig Bag | Sold Separately | Sold Separately |
Differences between the EC-1000 and Solo-II
- Body Shape and Finish: The EC-1000 has ESP's Eclipse body shape with a gloss polyurethane finish, whereas the Solo II uses Schecter's Custom shape (slightly different cutaway and curvature) with a Satin finish.
- Fingerboard Material: ESP LTD uses Rosewood with abalone fags inlays, while Schecter opts for Ebony with mother-of-pearl block inlays.
- Frets: The EC-1000 has 24 extra jumbo while the Solo II has 22 extra jumbo frets.
- Pickups: The EC-1000 is equipped with EMG 60 (neck) and EMG 81 (bridge) humbuckers, while the Solo-II uses Schecter USA Pasadena (neck) and Pasadena Plus (bridge) humbuckers. For what it's worth, we'd rather have the EMG humbuckers.
- Coil Splitting: The Solo-II has push/pull coil splitting while the EC-1000 does not.
- Additional Features: Schecter offers coil-splitting via a push-pull tone pot and an Ernie Ball compensated nut, which are not present in the ESP model.
- Neck Joint: The ESP EC-1000 has a neck-through construction, whereas Schecter's Solo-II has a set neck joint.
- Fingerboard Radius: ESP's is 13.77", while Schecter's is a compound radius of 12"-16".
- String Type and Gauge: ESP uses D'Addario strings (.009-.042), and Schecter uses Ernie Ball strings (.010-.046).
Similarities
- Both guitars have 6 strings and are designed for right-handed players.
- They feature solidbody designs with Mahogany tonewood for the body.
- Each guitar has a top material made of quilted maple (ESP) and solid maple (Schecter).
- The necks are made of 3-piece mahogany with similar thin profiles (Thin "U" for ESP and Thin "C" for Schecter).
- They have the same scale length at 24.75".
- Nut width is identical at 1.653".
- Each guitar is equipped with locking tuners for better tuning stability.
- Both models use humbucking pickups (though different brands as noted above) and have a 3-way toggle pickup switch with 2 volume controls and 1 tone control.
- The guitars are both sold without a case or gig bag.
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Written by Guitar Chalk on Electrics & Roundups
Written by Bobby Kittleberger on Electrics & Roundups
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