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ESP LTD F-10
ESP Snapper CTM
VS
Playability
78
Sound
65
Build
52
Value
75
Score
65
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Playability
73
Sound
83
Build
82
Value
64
Score
79
FIND IT ON:
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LTD F-10 vs ESP Snapper CTM

Reasons to Get
LTD F-10 over ESP Snapper CTM

Pickups
HH vs HSS
High output without hum
Number of Frets
24 vs 22
Allows to reach higher notes
Bridge
Fixed vs Tremolo
Good sustain and needs no set-up
Value Score
75 vs 64
Better price/quality relationship

Reasons to Get
ESP Snapper CTM over ESP LTD F-10

Country of Manufacturing
Japan vs Indonesia
Built with higher quality standards
Decorative Top
Burled Poplar vs None
Finished with beautiful natural wood patterns
Release Year
2020 vs 2009
From a more recent year
Compound Radius
9.5" to 12" vs 13.78"
Balanced playability for chords and single-notes
Pickups Brand
Seymour Duncan vs None
Pickups from a renown brand
Nut Material
Bone vs Plastic
Good quality nut with rich tone
Pickup Mods
Multiple vs None
Switch Positions
5 vs 3
More tone options
Pickups
HSS vs HH
High output with beautiful cleans and tone versatility
Locking Tuners
Yes vs None
Easier to change strings
Bridge
Tremolo vs Fixed
Simple vibratos without too much maintenance

Other Key Differences
LTD F-10 vs ESP Snapper CTM

Bridge Pickup
ESP Designed LH-100B vs Seymour Duncan 59/Custom Hybrid
Different Bridge Pickup
Neck Pickup
ESP Designed LSH-100N vs Seymour Duncan Vintage Hot Stack Plus
Different Neck Pickup
Body Wood
Basswood vs Ash
Different Body Wood
Fretboard Wood
Engineered vs Maple
Different Fretboard Wood
Headstock
3-3 vs 6
Different Headstock
Nut Material
Plastic vs Bone
Different Nut Material

Shared Features
LTD F-10 vs ESP Snapper CTM

Neck Wood
Maple
Same Neck Wood
Strings
6
Same playing style
Body Type
Solid Body
Feedback free
Volume Knobs
1
Same volume control
Tone Knobs
1
Same tone control
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
Scale Length
25.5'' (647.7mm)
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
Bolt-On
Allows you to detach and swap the neck
Type of Frets
XL Jumbo
You won't feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings

Common Weaknesses

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

Table of Contents

Price History Comparison

ESP LTD F-10 Prices

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Which One is Better Overall?

After going through our comparison algorithm, the results show that the ESP Snapper CTM is probably the better product overall with its final score of 79 compared to the ESP LTD F-10's 65 score, which is a significant difference.

The ESP Snapper CTM wins when it comes to sound, build quality. On the other hand, the ESP LTD F-10 has the upper hand when it comes to playability, 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?

If you're looking for your first guitar to learn how to play, the ESP Snapper CTM is the better choice.

The ESP Snapper CTM meets 7 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness, while the ESP LTD F-10 meets only 5. 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.

New Player Friendliness

ESP LTD F-10
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Tall frets
  • Narrow nut
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Short scale
  • Locking tuners

New Player Friendliness

ESP Snapper CTM
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Locking tuners
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Tall frets
  • Narrow nut
  • Comfortable neck
  • 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 LTD F-10 Overview

  • From ESP LTD's 2009 F series
  • Made in Indonesia
  • 6 strings
  • 25.5"'' scale
  • 13.78" Fretboard Radius
  • Basswood body
  • Maple neck
  • Engineered Hardwood fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: ESP Designed LH-100B (Humbucker/Passive)
  • Neck pickup: ESP Designed LSH-100N (Humbucker/Passive)
  • 1 volume and 1 tone Dome knobs
  • 3-way Switch
  • TOM bridge
  • Thin U Bolt-On neck
  • 24 XL Jumbo frets
  • LTD tuners
  • Compare Specs >

ESP Snapper CTM Overview

  • From ESP's 2020 Snapper series
  • Made in Japan
  • 6 strings
  • 25.5"'' scale
  • 9.5" to 12" Fretboard Radius
  • Burled Poplar top
  • Swamp Ash body
  • Maple neck
  • Maple fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: Seymour Duncan 59/Custom Hybrid (Humbucker/Passive)
  • Middle pickup: Seymour Duncan Vintage Hot Stack Plus (Single Coil/Passive)
  • Neck pickup: Seymour Duncan Vintage Hot Stack Plus (Single Coil/Passive)
  • 1 volume and 1 tone Dome knobs
  • 5-way Switch
  • ESP Flicker-III bridge
  • Thin U Bolt-On neck
  • 22 XL Jumbo frets
  • Gotoh 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

Maple wood pattern used for guitar building
Maple

Maple is one of the most popular necks for good reasons. It is a strong wood that is relatively cheap to make and looks beautiful. The highest quality maple is the hardest that comes from North America. Find out more about Maple.

Woods Used in the ESP LTD F-10

Engineered wood pattern used for guitar building
Engineered
Basswood wood pattern used for guitar building
Basswood

Engineered wood is strong, stable, and cheaper than traditional wood. It's made by grounding wood and putting it back together to get more material out of less wood. It's a good material, but some people prefer traditional wood because of tradition, looks, and even tone.

Basswood is a lightweight type of wood that isn't as expensive as other popular choices for guitar building. It gives more power to the mid-range frequencies. Its color can vary from pale white to light brown. Find out more about Basswood.

Woods Used in the ESP Snapper CTM

Ash wood pattern used for guitar building
Ash

Ash is a type of wood that Fender used almost exclusively in the 50s, and it's still used by many brands. It's a dense wood with a light color that works well for a transparent, natural finish because of its beautiful patterns. In terms of sound, it's known for emphasizing the mid and high frequencies, but with strong low end. Find out more about Ash.

Winner: ESP Snapper CTM.

Pickup Configuration

The ESP LTD F-10 has an HH configuration while the ESP Snapper CTM has HSS pickups.

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.

On the other hand, HSS provides a great balance if you like to play with a lot of distortion, but also love to use clean tones. You'll get a lot of output at the bridge position, but you'll be able to play bright clean tones at the other positions.

Pickups Quality

The ESP Snapper CTM pickups from a more specialized brand than the ESP LTD F-10. Its pickups should give you a fuller, richer sound, although it all depends on what type of music you're going to play. We recommend these pickups for Hard Rock and similar genres.

We found the same or similar pickups to the ESP Snapper CTM'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: ESP Snapper CTM.

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

The ESP Snapper CTM gives you 5 switch options while the ESP LTD F-10 gives you 3. This means that the ESP Snapper CTM gives you more options to find the right pickup combination for the type of sound you want to achieve

Only the ESP Snapper CTM comes with some kind of pickup modification: Coil Split, Capacitance Selector.

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.

A Capacitor is what lets you change the tone of a guitar through the tone knob. With a capacitor selector, you'll be able to choose between multiple capacitors that can give you a warmer or brighter tone.

ESP LTD F-10 pickups switch and push knobs diagram
ESP LTD F-10's switch options
ESP Snapper CTM pickups switch selector and push knobs diagram
ESP Snapper CTM'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: ESP Snapper CTM.

Final Sound Quality Scores

ESP LTD F-10
Pickups 55
Sustain 80
Versatility 59
Tuning Stability 65
Sound 65
ESP Snapper CTM
Pickups 90
Sustain 80
Versatility 85
Tuning Stability 75
Sound 83

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 LTD F-10 compares to the ESP Snapper CTM.

Country of Origin

The manufacturing country can tell a lot about the build quality of an instrument. The ESP LTD F-10 is built in Indonesia while the ESP Snapper CTM is made in Japan.

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.

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.

Winner: ESP Snapper CTM

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 LTD F-10 has 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.

On the other hand, the ESP Snapper CTM comes with a Bone nut. It's a type of nut found in high-quality instruments. They sound similar to Ivory since they give a lot of sustain and a bright sound (at least when striking open strings). The only problem they can run into is that you may get a bone piece that simply doesn't sound as well as others because that's just how natural materials are.

Winner: ESP Snapper CTM.

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.

The ESP LTD F-10's brige is a 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.

On the other hand, the ESP Snapper CTM's is a Tremolo. Tremolo bridges give you more versatility than fixed bridges. They let you perform the intense vibrato effects that would be impossible with a fixed bridge. However, since the bridge floats and there's less contact with the body, the strings lose sustain slightly faster. They can also be a bit harder to restring and set up correctly than fixed bridges.

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

The ESP Snapper CTM has the best tuners of the two because they are 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: ESP Snapper CTM.

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 Bolt-On neck joint. This neck is joined to the body by 4 bolts that you can simply unscrew. This allows you to replace the neck or take it off for travel. It's the most common and cheapest way to build a guitar.

Winner: Tie.

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

Strengths & Weaknesses
ESP LTD F-10
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • Made in Indonesia
  • No Expensive Woods
  • No High-Quality Nut
  • No Top Brand Pickups
  • No Neck-Through Build
  • No Push Knob or Extra Switch Option
  • No Weight Relief
  • No Luminescent Inlay
  • No Tremolo
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock
Strengths & Weaknesses
ESP Snapper CTM
  • Locking Tuners
  • Made in Japan
  • Expensive Wood
  • Bone Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Coil Split, Capacitance Selector Pickups
  • Tremolo
  • Compound Radius Fretboard
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Neck-Through Build
  • No Weight Relief
  • No Luminescent Inlay
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock

Final Build Quality Scores

ESP LTD F-10
Quality of materials 41
Features 50
Quality Control 65
Build Quality 52
ESP Snapper CTM
Quality of materials 65
Features 80
Quality Control 100
Build Quality 82

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 LTD F-10 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 LTD F-10 and ESP Snapper CTM'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 25.5".

This is the scale used in most Stratocasters. It's slightly longer than the typical 24.75'' size found in Les Pauls, and it's one of the main reasons why Stratocasters have such a bright sound in general. A longer scale also means that the strings will have higher tension. This will help you get lower action without suffering fret buzz, which will also be helpful when playing in lower tunings without having to increase your string gauge.

However, this also means that there will be more separation between frets, which can make it more difficult to play. Also, bending the strings will require more strengths due to the increased tension, but remember that a tremolo guitar will offset this difficulty.

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 LTD F-10 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 LTD F-10 and the ESP Snapper CTM 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 LTD F-10 Fingerboard Radius
ESP LTD F-10's Fingerboard radius
ESP Snapper CTM Fretboard Compound Radius
ESP Snapper CTM's Compound Fretboard 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 Snapper CTM is the only one with a compound radius. This is a huge win because it will give you the best of both worlds: a more curved radius in the first few frets for chords, and flatter as you come closer to the body for soloing.

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 LTD F-10:
Big Hands
Small Hands
ESP Snapper CTM:
Big Hands
Small Hands

Fret Size

ESP LTD F-10 and ESP Snapper CTM 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 LTD F-10
Bending & Vibrato Ease 85
Chord Playability 70
Solo Playability 80
Playability 78
ESP Snapper CTM
Bending & Vibrato Ease 70
Chord Playability 80
Solo Playability 70
Playability 73

Specs Side-by-Side

LTD F-10 vs ESP Snapper CTM
General LTD F-10 ESP Snapper CTM
Brand: ESP LTD ESP
Year: 2009 2020
Configuration: HH HSS
Strings: 6 6
Made in: Indonesia Japan
Series: F Snapper
Colors: Black Blue Burst, Black Burst, Natural, Pink and Purple Burst, Blue Patterns, Brown Batterns, Purple Patterns
Left-Handed Version: No No
Body
Type: Solid Body Solid Body
Body Material: Basswood Swamp Ash
Bridge: TOM ESP Flicker-III
Neck
Neck Joint: Bolt-On Bolt-On
Tuners: LTD Gotoh Locking
Fretboard: Engineered Hardwood Maple
Neck Material: Maple Maple
Decoration: Dots Dots
Scale Size: 25.5" 25.5"
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: 24 XL Jumbo Nickel Silver 22 XL Jumbo Nickel Silver
Fretboard Radius: 13.78" 9.5" to 12"
Nut: Plastic Bone
Nut Width: 42mm (1.654'') 42mm (1.654'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickup: ESP Designed LH-100B (Humbucker / Passive) Seymour Duncan 59/Custom Hybrid (Humbucker / Passive)
Middle Pickup: Seymour Duncan Vintage Hot Stack Plus (Single Coil / Passive)
Neck Pickup: ESP Designed LSH-100N (Humbucker / Passive) Seymour Duncan Vintage Hot Stack Plus (Single Coil / Passive)
Switch: 3 Way 5 Way
Knobs: Dome Dome
Pickup Mods: None Coil Split, Capacitance Selector
Volume Controls: 1 1
Tone Controls: 1 1