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ESP Bill Kelliher Eclipse
ESP LTD Sparrowhawk
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Playability
80
Sound
77
Build
74
Value
62
Score
77
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Playability
80
Sound
76
Build
62
Value
73
Score
73
FIND IT ON:
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ESP Bill Kelliher Eclipse vs LTD Sparrowhawk

Reasons to Get
ESP Bill Kelliher Eclipse over LTD Sparrowhawk

Country of Manufacturing
Japan vs Indonesia
Built with higher quality standards
Nut Material
Graphite vs Plastic
Self-Lubricating nut for good tuning stability
Strap Lock
Yes vs None
Protects your guitar from dropping by locking the strap
Fretboard Radius
12'' (304.8mm) vs 13.78'' (350mm)
More curved fretboard helpful to play chords without muting strings

Reasons to Get
ESP LTD Sparrowhawk over ESP Bill Kelliher Eclipse

Release Year
2021 vs 2016
From a more recent year
Fretboard Radius
13.78'' (350mm) vs 12'' (304.8mm)
Flatter fretboard makes it easier to play single notes and bend
Value Score
73 vs 62
Better price/quality relationship

Other Key Differences
ESP Bill Kelliher Eclipse vs LTD Sparrowhawk

Nut Material
Graphite vs Plastic
Different Nut Material

Shared Features
ESP Bill Kelliher Eclipse vs LTD Sparrowhawk

Bridge Pickup
Seymour Duncan Distortion SH-6
Same Bridge Pickup
Neck Pickup
Seymour Duncan Distortion SH-6
Same Neck Pickup
Body Wood
Mahogany
Same Body Wood
Neck Wood
Mahogany
Same Neck Wood
Fretboard Wood
Ebony
Same Fretboard Wood
Headstock
3-3
Same Headstock
Strings
6
Same playing style
Body Type
Solid Body
Feedback free
Switch Positions
3
Same pickups versatility
Volume Knobs
1
Same volume control
Tone Knobs
1
Same tone control
Pickups
HH
High output without hum
Number of Frets
22
Same maximum octave
Neck Thickness at 1st Fret
0.787'' (20mm)
Same neck comfortability
Neck Thickness at 12th Fret
0.866'' (22mm)
Same neck comfortability
Nut Width
1.654'' (42mm)
Same string separation at the nut
Paint Finish
Poly
Resistant paint that ages well
Bridge
Fixed
Good sustain and needs no set-up
Scale Length
24.75'' (628.7mm)
Same string tension and fret separation
Pickups Power
Passive
Cleaner sound and no battery needed
Neck Profile Type
U
Comfortable neck with more grip
Neck Joint
Set
Neck is glued to the body
Type of Frets
XL Jumbo
You won't feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings

Common Strengths

  • Pickup Alter Switch/Knob
  • Locking Tuners
  • Top Pickup Brand
  • Expensive Wood

Common Weaknesses

  • Neck-Through Build
  • Weight Relief
  • Stays in Tune (Evertune)
  • High-Quality Frets
  • Compound Radius Fretboard
  • Luminescent Sidedots
  • 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • Active/Passive Preamp

Table of Contents

Price History Comparison

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Which One is Better Overall?

After going through our comparison algorithm, the results show that the ESP Bill Kelliher Eclipse is probably the better product overall with its final score of 77 compared to the ESP LTD Sparrowhawk's 73 score, although not by a lot.

The ESP Bill Kelliher Eclipse wins when it comes to sound, build quality. On the other hand, the ESP LTD Sparrowhawk has the upper hand when it comes to value for the money.

If you got small hands, none of these instruments will make a big difference when it comes to comfortability.

Which One is Better for Beginners?

Both meet 6 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness. This takes into account the type of frets, scale length, nut width, bridge type, fretboard radius, and neck profile to determine the easiest combination for new players. If you're looking for your first guitar to learn how to play, you can't go wrong with either of them.

New Player Friendliness

ESP Bill Kelliher Eclipse
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Locking tuners
  • Tall frets
  • Narrow nut
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Short scale

New Player Friendliness

ESP LTD Sparrowhawk
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Locking tuners
  • Tall frets
  • Narrow nut
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Short scale

Nevertheless, when it comes to choosing an instrument, you should pick the one more compatible with your personal style. Still, below we'll try you to give you our results as objectively as it's possible to help you decide.

ESP Bill Kelliher Eclipse Overview

  • From ESP's 2016 Signature series
  • Bill Kelliher Signature
  • Made in Japan
  • 6 strings
  • 24.75"'' scale
  • 12" Fretboard Radius
  • Mahogany w/ Maple Cap body
  • Mahogany neck
  • Ebony fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: Seymour Duncan Distortion SH-6 (Humbucker/Passive)
  • Neck pickup: Seymour Duncan Distortion SH-6 (Humbucker/Passive)
  • 1 volume and 1 tone Dome knobs
  • 3-way Switch
  • Tonepros Locking TOM Bridge & Tailpiece bridge
  • Thin U Set neck
  • 22 XL Jumbo frets
  • Sperzel Locking tuners
  • Compare Specs >

ESP LTD Sparrowhawk Overview

  • From ESP LTD's 2021 Signature series
  • Bill Kelliher Signature
  • Made in Indonesia
  • 6 strings
  • 24.75"'' scale
  • 13.78" Fretboard Radius
  • Mahogany w/ Maple Cap body
  • 3Pc Mahogany neck
  • Macassar Ebony fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: Seymour Duncan Distortion SH-6 (Humbucker/Passive)
  • Neck pickup: Seymour Duncan Distortion SH-6 (Humbucker/Passive)
  • 1 volume and 1 tone Dome knobs
  • 3-way Switch
  • Tonepros Locking TOM & Tailpiece bridge
  • Thin U Set neck
  • 22 XL Jumbo frets
  • LTD Locking tuners
  • Compare Specs >

Sound Quality Comparison

The wood used in an electric guitar or bass is not as important to determine the final tone. However, some people prefer specific wood types, so we'll take a look at those first. Then, we'll take a look at the electronics to determine the versatility and sound quality of each instrument.

Woods Used in Both

Mahogany wood pattern used for guitar building
Mahogany
Ebony wood pattern used for guitar building
Ebony

Mahogany is a fairly rare wood nowadays. It's used mostly for bodies due to its relatively lightweight. Gibson popularized it with their Les Paul guitars during their golden years, so this wood has a lot of good reputation behind it. The most expensive type comes from South America and it's still used by Gibson even today. Find out more about Mahogany.

Ebony is a high-end wood, so it is not cheap. It's only used for fretboards because it's also very heavy. It does an excellent job as a durable material while looking elegant. Find out more about Ebony.

Winner: Tie.

Pickup Configuration

Both pickup configurations are HH. Double Humbucker (HH) is the choice for people who want a fuller, more round sound with tons of mids and lows. Humbuckers also get rid of the hum noise that plague single-coil pickups. They can work out for almost any genre going from Djent to even Jazz.

Pickups Quality

Both come with very good pickups from at least one of the specialized brands in the market. With pickups like these, you probably won't need an upgrade anytime soon.

You can purchase similar pickups to the ESP Bill Kelliher Eclipse's and use them on any guitar:

We found the same or similar pickups to the ESP LTD Sparrowhawk's online:

Both use Passive pickups. This is what's used for most music genres. They have a regular output and will serve you for both high-gain and clean tones. The alternative (Active pickups) offer a higher output that is mostly used for heavy music.

Winner: Tie.

Versatility Comparison

Some instruments offer you more ways to explore your creativity than others. Below you'll find how both compare when it comes to versatility.

Switch Options

Both are equal when it comes to the pickup switching option.

Both offer you the same type of pickup mod: Coil Split.

Coil Split lets you disconnect one of the pickup coils. When used with humbuckers, it turns them into single-coil with lower output and cleaner tone.

They both share the following switching options:

ESP Bill Kelliher Eclipse and ESP LTD Sparrowhawk pickups switch and push knobs diagram
ESP Bill Kelliher Eclipse and ESP LTD Sparrowhawk's switch options

When evaluating versatility, we also take into consideration bridge and neck joint type, number of frets, switch options, amount of pickups and more.

Winner: Tie.

Final Sound Quality Scores

ESP Bill Kelliher Eclipse
Pickups 90
Sustain 80
Versatility 59
Tuning Stability 80
Sound 77
ESP LTD Sparrowhawk
Pickups 90
Sustain 80
Versatility 59
Tuning Stability 75
Sound 76

Build Quality Comparison

When it comes to build quality, we like to take into account everything used to build the instrument. This includes materials, hardware and the quality control expected depending on the country where it was built. Let's see how the ESP Bill Kelliher Eclipse compares to the ESP LTD Sparrowhawk.

Country of Origin

The manufacturing country can tell a lot about the build quality of an instrument. The ESP Bill Kelliher Eclipse is built in Japan while the ESP LTD Sparrowhawk is made in Indonesia.

Japan has a long history of high-quality guitar building. Little has changed in terms of their manufacturing and quality control over the years. Many guitars made in this country can be compared—and even beat—others made in the US.

Indonesia is becoming the most popular country for guitar building because they can make good instruments for a low price. Some people think that they're 'the new China' when it comes to build quality. But the truth is that Indonesian guitars are more consistent, although Chinese quality has improved a lot in the last few years.

Winner: ESP Bill Kelliher Eclipse

Nut Material

If you want your guitar to stay in tune and sound good, you need a well cut nut. Nut quality can be inconsistent even when comparing two copies of the same model. The best way to make sure you're nut will be well done is by getting a nut made by an expert company like TUSQ or Micarta.

The ESP Bill Kelliher Eclipse has a Graphite nut. It's a self-lubricating material that will allow the strings to slide over the nut without a lot of friction. It's a good type of nut if you want to have better tuning stability than with plastic, although it's not as resistant as Bone or Tusq.

On the other hand, the ESP LTD Sparrowhawk comes with a Plastic nut. This is a low-quality nut that you might want to consider upgrading soon. Bone and TUSQ nuts are the best for guitars with a fixed or simple tremolo bridge.

Winner: ESP Bill Kelliher Eclipse.

Fret Material

Most fret wire is made of nickel silver. This material eventually wears down after a lot of use and most instruments end up needing a complete fret replacement. However, some expensive models come with stainless steel frets. This is what you should aim for if you can afford it.

Unfortunately, none of them come with stainless steel frets.

Winner: Tie.

Bridge

The perfect bridge for you will depend on your playstyle because they all have advantages and disadvantages. However, some bridges are more expensive—like Floyd Roses and Evertunes—and thus add more value to a guitar.

Both come with a similar bridge: Fixed. It's a simple bridge that is very beginner-friendly since it doesn't require any set-up. You can swap strings easily. It might also give more sustain since it doesn't have complex moving parts that make the strings lose vibration. However, it doesn't have the same versatility as a tremolo bridge.

Since we need to be objective, the most expensive type of bridge will be the winner of this section. In the end, this doesn't matter if you're not going to use the bridge for its original purpose, so choose the bridge that fits your playing style better.

Winner: Tie.

Tuners

They both have locking tuners. They'll help to keep your guitar in tune because they allow you to tune it without wrapping the strings around the posts. This avoids variations in the tuning due to the strings changing position at the post after a bend. They come at the disadvantage of being slightly heavier than regular tuners. Also, it makes it a lot easier to restring.

Winner: Tie.

Neck Joint

Contrary to popular belief, the difference in sustain and tone that some neck joints give to a guitar is simply unperceivable—if they're all well built. However, some of them do have advantages over the others.

Both have a Set neck joint. This neck is tightly glued to the body. They give you the least versatility because you can't swap them for a neck that fits your hand better if you want to, unlike bolt-on necks. Some people think this gives more resonance and sustain, but there's no real difference if the bolt-on joint is well built.

Winner: Tie.

Here is the list of features that were considered when choosing the winner in the Features subcategory:

Strengths & Weaknesses
ESP Bill Kelliher Eclipse
  • Locking Tuners
  • Made in Japan
  • Expensive Wood
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Coil Split Pickups
  • Strap Lock
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No High-Quality Nut
  • No Neck-Through Build
  • No Weight Relief
  • No Luminescent Inlay
  • No Tremolo
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
Strengths & Weaknesses
ESP LTD Sparrowhawk
  • Locking Tuners
  • Expensive Wood
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Coil Split Pickups
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • Made in Indonesia
  • No High-Quality Nut
  • No Neck-Through Build
  • No Weight Relief
  • No Luminescent Inlay
  • No Tremolo
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock

Final Build Quality Scores

ESP Bill Kelliher Eclipse
Quality of materials 51
Features 70
Quality Control 100
Build Quality 74
ESP LTD Sparrowhawk
Quality of materials 46
Features 65
Quality Control 75
Build Quality 62

Playability Comparison

Let's now compare their playability. Bear in mind that the instrument will feel different depending on your hand size and play style. That's why you should always test before buying. But if you can't or want a second opinion on it, we can still take a look at each of the important measurements of the instrument for you. This way, we can predict how easy a guitar might be to play, or how different it will feel compared to the other.

Remember that, even though the difference might seem small, every inch counts when it comes to feeling of the instrument in your hands. Any variation can completely change how comfortable a guitar feels in your hands.

Nut Width

ESP Bill Kelliher Eclipse Nut Width
Both Guitars Have The Same Nut Width

The nut width will affect the separation between strings at the nut. In this comparison, both have a nut width of 42mm (1.654'').

This is considered a narrow width for a 6-string guitar. This means that this guitar will have a narrower string separation at the nut, which will affect your fretting hand.

If you are a player with big hands, you might find it difficult to play chords without muting strings. However, this is good for players who have smaller hands, as it will allow them to reach each string more easily at the nut.

Scale Length

ESP Bill Kelliher Eclipse and ESP LTD Sparrowhawk's Scale Length
Both have the same scale length

The scale length is one of the things that influences playability the most. This is the distance between the nut and the bridge and will affect everything from low action allowance, difficulty to perform bends, fret separation, and even tone.

In this case, both have a scale length of 24.75".

This is the scale length that Gibson uses for most of its Les Paul guitars. It's a smaller scale than the typical Stratocaster's 25.5''. Short scale lengths like this make it easier to bend the strings, which is pretty important if you have a fixed bridge. They also have a shorter fret separation, which makes it easier to change position fast at the fretboard.

On the other hand, a shorter scale like this one will make fret buzz more likely, which can affect you if you want to use thicker string gauges.

Lastly, remember that you can also affect the tension of the strings by changing your string gauge. You can use a thicker gauge for more tension and a lighter one for less tension.

Neck Profile

ESP Bill Kelliher Eclipse Neck Profile
Both guitars have the same neck profile

No single neck shape is better than others. However, most people tend to prefer a thinner necks because it doesn't get in their way when playing fast and most hand sizes can adapt to it pretty well. However, some people still prefer thicker necks for a better grip, especially if they have big hands.

Both the ESP Bill Kelliher Eclipse and the ESP LTD Sparrowhawk have a U-shaped neck. This is also referred to as ''baseball neck'' because of its shape. It's usually thick, which is why some people with big hands like it. However, they can also be thin, similar to a C shape, but with more shoulders for a better grip.

Fretboard Radius

ESP Bill Kelliher Eclipse Fingerboard Radius
ESP Bill Kelliher Eclipse's Fingerboard radius
ESP LTD Sparrowhawk Fingerboard Radius
ESP LTD Sparrowhawk's Fingerboard radius

Most guitar fretboards are not flat; they usually have a curve or arc across their width. A curved fretboard will make it easier to perform chords without muting strings, while a flatter one will make it easier to play single notes, which is good for bending and soloing in general. The best fretboards have a compound radius that varies across the fingerboard, but they're not common since they take a lot more work to build.

In this case, the ESP Bill Kelliher Eclipse's fingerboard radius is smaller, which means it's more curved than the ESP LTD Sparrowhawk's. This extra arc will make playing chords easier in this model. You won't be as likely to mute the strings, especially if you have big hands. However, playing single notes and bending will be easier on the ESP LTD Sparrowhawk.

Still, both tend to favor soloing over chords, so if you're looking for a guitar for playing rhythm, you might want something else with a radius closer to a Stratocaster's 9.5''.

Hand Size Comfortability

Everyone has a different hand size, and that's why it's recommended to try a guitar before buying, even if others tell you that it's comfortable to play. However, we can know whether a guitar favors small or large hands just by knowing its exact measurements.

After taking into account the scale length, nut width, neck profile and fretboard radius, we can conclude that both in this comparison favor small hands .

ESP Bill Kelliher Eclipse:
Big Hands
Small Hands
ESP LTD Sparrowhawk:
Big Hands
Small Hands

Fret Size

ESP Bill Kelliher Eclipse and ESP LTD Sparrowhawk Frets Size
Both have a similar XL Jumbo fret size

Both have a XL Jumbo fret size. These are really tall frets made like this so you don't meet any resistance when playing techniques like vibrato, bending, tapping, etc. They should make the guitar easier to play, but you have to be careful not to get the notes out of pitch by pressing down too hard, which might happen since the fretboard will be too low to stop your hand.

Final Playability Scores

ESP Bill Kelliher Eclipse
Bending & Vibrato Ease 95
Chord Playability 75
Solo Playability 70
Playability 80
ESP LTD Sparrowhawk
Bending & Vibrato Ease 95
Chord Playability 75
Solo Playability 70
Playability 80

Specs Side-by-Side

ESP Bill Kelliher Eclipse vs LTD Sparrowhawk
General ESP Bill Kelliher Eclipse LTD Sparrowhawk
Brand: ESP ESP LTD
Year: 2016 2021
Configuration: HH HH
Strings: 6 6
Made in: Japan Indonesia
Series: Signature Signature
Colors: Military Green Sunburst Satin Black
Left-Handed Version: No No
Body
Type: Solid Body Solid Body
Body Material: Mahogany w/ Maple Cap Mahogany w/ Maple Cap
Bridge: Tonepros Locking TOM Bridge & Tailpiece Tonepros Locking TOM & Tailpiece
Neck
Neck Joint: Set Set
Tuners: Sperzel Locking LTD Locking
Fretboard: Ebony Macassar Ebony
Neck Material: Mahogany 3Pc Mahogany
Decoration: Flags Blocks
Scale Size: 24.75" 24.75"
Shape: Thin U Thin U
Thickness: 1st Fret: 0.787'' (20mm) - 12th Fret: 0.866'' (22mm) 1st Fret: 0.787'' (20mm) - 12th Fret: 0.866'' (22mm)
Frets: 22 XL Jumbo Nickel Silver 22 XL Jumbo Nickel Silver
Fretboard Radius: 12" 13.78"
Nut: Graphite Plastic
Nut Width: 42mm (1.654'') 42mm (1.654'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickup: Seymour Duncan Distortion SH-6 (Humbucker / Passive) Seymour Duncan Distortion SH-6 (Humbucker / Passive)
Middle Pickup:
Neck Pickup: Seymour Duncan Distortion SH-6 (Humbucker / Passive) Seymour Duncan Distortion SH-6 (Humbucker / Passive)
Switch: 3 Way 3 Way
Knobs: Dome Dome
Pickup Mods: Coil Split Coil Split
Volume Controls: 1 1
Tone Controls: 1 1