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ESP LTD M-400
ESP LTD EC-1000 Piezo
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Playability
73
Sound
82
Build
62
Value
77
Score
72
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Playability
83
Sound
77
Build
68
Value
76
Score
76
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LTD M-400 vs EC-1000 Piezo

Reasons to Get
LTD M-400 over EC-1000 Piezo

Nut Material
Locking vs Plastic
Best tuning stability for intense tremolo usage
Neck Joint
Bolt-On vs Set
Allows you to detach and swap the neck
Neck Thickness at 1st Fret
0.748'' (19mm) vs 0.787'' (20mm)
More comfortable open chords for small hands
Neck Thickness at 12th Fret
0.827'' (21mm) vs 0.866'' (22mm)
More comfortable at higher frets for small hands
Nut Width
1.693'' (43mm) vs 1.654'' (42mm)
Less likely to mute strings by accident and more space for fingerstyle
Bridge
Floyd Rose vs Fixed
Allows intense vibratos and techniques like Dive Bombs
Scale Length
25.5'' (647.7mm) vs 24.75'' (628.7mm)
Lower action and brighter natural tone
Pickups Power
Active vs Passive
More output
Value Score
77 vs 76
Better price/quality relationship

Reasons to Get
ESP LTD EC-1000 Piezo over M-400

Decorative Top
Quilted Maple vs None
Finished with beautiful natural wood patterns
Fret Material
Stainless Steel vs Nickel Silver
Best fret material that will last forever
Pickup Mods
Multi-Voicing vs None
Changes the voice (tones or gain) of the pickups
Volume Knobs
2 vs 1
More volume control
Tone Knobs
1 vs 0
More tone control
Locking Tuners
Yes vs None
Easier to change strings
Neck Thickness at 1st Fret
0.787'' (20mm) vs 0.748'' (19mm)
More comfortable open chords for big hands
Neck Thickness at 12th Fret
0.866'' (22mm) vs 0.827'' (21mm)
More comfortable at higher frets for big hands
Nut Width
1.654'' (42mm) vs 1.693'' (43mm)
Favors small hands, easier bar chords and other shapes
Bridge
Fixed vs Floyd Rose
Good sustain and needs no set-up
Scale Length
24.75'' (628.7mm) vs 25.5'' (647.7mm)
Easier bending, shorter fret separation and warmer natural tone
Pickups Power
Passive vs Active
Cleaner sound and no battery needed

Other Key Differences
LTD M-400 vs EC-1000 Piezo

Bridge Pickup
EMG 81 vs Seymour Duncan JB SH-4
Different Bridge Pickup
Neck Pickup
EMG 85 vs Seymour Duncan '59 SH-1N
Different Neck Pickup
Neck Wood
Maple vs Mahogany
Different Neck Wood
Headstock
R6 vs 3-3
Different Headstock
Nut Material
Locking vs Plastic
Different Nut Material

Shared Features
LTD M-400 vs EC-1000 Piezo

Body Wood
Mahogany
Same Body Wood
Fretboard Wood
Pau Ferro
Same Fretboard Wood
Strings
6
Same playing style
Body Type
Solid Body
Feedback free
Switch Positions
3
Same pickups versatility
Pickups
HH
High output without hum
Number of Frets
24
Same maximum octave
Paint Finish
Poly
Resistant paint that ages well
Fretboard Radius
13.78'' (350mm)
Same fretboard comfortability
Neck Profile Type
U
Comfortable neck with more grip
Type of Frets
XL Jumbo
You won't feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings

Common Strengths

  • High-Quality Frets
  • Top Pickup Brand
  • Expensive Wood

Common Weaknesses

  • Weight Relief
  • Stays in Tune (Evertune)
  • Compound Radius Fretboard
  • From a High-Quality-Standards Country
  • Luminescent Sidedots
  • Strap Lock
  • 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 LTD EC-1000 Piezo is probably the better product overall with its final score of 76 compared to the ESP LTD M-400's 72 score, although not by a lot.

The ESP LTD EC-1000 Piezo wins when it comes to playability, build quality. On the other hand, the ESP LTD M-400 has the upper hand when it comes to sound, value for the money.

If you got small hands, you'll probably feel more comfortable playing the ESP LTD EC-1000 Piezo.

Which One is Better for Beginners?

If you're looking for your first guitar to learn how to play, the ESP LTD EC-1000 Piezo is the better choice.

The ESP LTD EC-1000 Piezo meets 6 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness, while the ESP LTD M-400 meets only 3. 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 M-400
  • Comfortable shape
  • Tall frets
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Narrow nut
  • Short scale
  • Locking tuners
  • Easy-to-use bridge

New Player Friendliness

ESP LTD EC-1000 Piezo
  • 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 LTD M-400 Overview

  • From ESP LTD's 2017 M series
  • Made in Indonesia
  • 6 strings
  • 25.5"'' scale
  • 13.78" Fretboard Radius
  • Mahogany body
  • 3pc Maple neck
  • Pau Ferro fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: EMG 81 (Humbucker/Active)
  • Neck pickup: EMG 85 (Humbucker/Active)
  • 1 volume and 0 tone Dome knobs
  • 3-way Switch
  • Floyd Rose Special bridge
  • Extra Thin U Bolt-On neck
  • 24 XL Jumbo frets
  • Grover tuners
  • Compare Specs >

ESP LTD EC-1000 Piezo Overview

  • From ESP LTD's 2017 EC series
  • Made in Indonesia
  • 6 strings
  • 24.75"'' scale
  • 13.78" Fretboard Radius
  • Quilted Maple top
  • Mahogany body
  • 3Pc Mahogany neck
  • Pau Ferro fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: Seymour Duncan JB SH-4 (Humbucker/Passive)
  • Neck pickup: Seymour Duncan '59 SH-1N (Humbucker/Passive)
  • 2 volume and 1 tone Dome knobs
  • 3-way Switch
  • Fishman Powerbridge TOM & Tailpiece bridge
  • Thin U Set neck
  • 24 XL Jumbo Stainless Steel frets
  • LTD Locking tuners
  • Weight between 7.3lbs (3.3kgs) and 7.75lbs (3.5kgs)
  • 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

Pau Ferro wood pattern used for guitar building
Pau Ferro
Mahogany wood pattern used for guitar building
Mahogany

Pau Ferro has a dark, chocolate-like color with straight dark grains that is being used as a replacement to Rosewood due to the regulations. It produces a warm tone that is somewhere between Mahogany and Rosewood. Find out more about Pau Ferro.

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.

Woods Used in the ESP LTD M-400

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.

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.

However, the ESP LTD M-400 has a slight sound quality advantage when taking into account other factors like the type of pickups, magnet, position, etc.

You can purchase similar pickups to the ESP LTD M-400's and use them on any guitar:

We found the same or similar pickups to the ESP LTD EC-1000 Piezo's online:

The ESP LTD M-400's pickups are Active while the ESP LTD EC-1000 Piezo's are Passive.

Passive pickups are what most guitars use. These have a normal output that works well for most genres. However, Active pickups are the preferred choice of heavy metal players because they offer extra output thanks to their 9v battery, which results in a heavier, more distorted sound. Bear in mind that achieving a completely clean tone with them won't be easy. So if you want to also use clean tones, you might want to avoid Active pickups.

Winner: ESP LTD M-400.

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.

Only the ESP LTD EC-1000 Piezo comes with some kind of pickup modification: Multi-Voicing.

Multi-Voicing means the pickups come with multiple ''voices'', which means they can change the tone and gain by a simple switch or knob. Piezo, Fishman and similar are considered multi-voicing pickups.

ESP LTD M-400 pickups switch and push knobs diagram
ESP LTD M-400's switch options
ESP LTD EC-1000 Piezo pickups switch and push knobs diagram
ESP LTD EC-1000 Piezo'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 LTD EC-1000 Piezo.

Final Sound Quality Scores

ESP LTD M-400
Pickups 95
Sustain 85
Versatility 62
Tuning Stability 85
Sound 82
ESP LTD EC-1000 Piezo
Pickups 85
Sustain 80
Versatility 66
Tuning Stability 75
Sound 77

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 M-400 compares to the ESP LTD EC-1000 Piezo.

Country of Origin

The manufacturing country can tell a lot about the build quality of an instrument. Both in this comparison where made in Indonesia.

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: Tie

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 M-400 has a Locking nut. Instead of a regular nut, this guitar has a locking system that will lock down the strings at the nut, preventing it from getting out of tune. It removes one of the disadvantages of tremolo bridges, tune stability.

On the other hand, the ESP LTD EC-1000 Piezo 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 LTD M-400.

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.

In this comparison, the ESP LTD EC-1000 Piezo is the only one that has stainless steel frets. These frets will basically last for the entire life of the guitar. They will never need polishing nor replacement. And not only that, but some people also notice that bending and vibratos are much easier to perform when they upgrade to stainless steel.

Winner: ESP LTD EC-1000 Piezo.

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 M-400's brige is a Floyd Rose. This is a double-locking bridge system that allows you to perform techniques like dive bombs and pinch harmonics. The locking nut allows your guitar to stay in tune even after the most intense tremolo usage. The disadvantage is that it takes more work to change the strings and set up everything correctly.

On the other hand, the ESP LTD EC-1000 Piezo's 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.

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: ESP LTD M-400.

Tuners

The ESP LTD EC-1000 Piezo 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.

Nevertheless, the ESP LTD M-400 has a locking nut, so it should have even better tune stability and doesn't need locking tuners.

Winner: ESP LTD EC-1000 Piezo.

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.

The ESP LTD M-400 has 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.

On the other hand, the ESP LTD EC-1000 Piezo comes with 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: ESP LTD M-400.

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

Strengths & Weaknesses
ESP LTD M-400
  • Expensive Wood
  • Locking Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Tremolo
  • Retainer Bar
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • Made in Indonesia
  • No Neck-Through Build
  • No Push Knob or Extra Switch Option
  • No Weight Relief
  • No Luminescent Inlay
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock
Strengths & Weaknesses
ESP LTD EC-1000 Piezo
  • Stainless Steel Frets
  • Locking Tuners
  • Expensive Wood
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Multi-Voicing Pickups
  • 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 LTD M-400
Quality of materials 51
Features 65
Quality Control 70
Build Quality 62
ESP LTD EC-1000 Piezo
Quality of materials 65
Features 65
Quality Control 75
Build Quality 68

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 M-400 Nut Width
ESP LTD M-400 Nut Width
ESP LTD EC-1000 Piezo Nut Width
ESP LTD EC-1000 Piezo Nut Width

The nut width will affect the separation between strings at the nut. In this comparison, the ESP LTD M-400 has the wider nut with 43mm (1.693'') vs 42mm (1.654''). This is a 1mm (0.039'') difference

This means that it will be more difficult to do bar chords on the ESP LTD M-400, especially closer to the nut. However, it's also easier to play without muting strings accidently. This favors people with big hands.

Scale Length

ESP LTD M-400's Scale Length
ESP LTD M-400's Scale Length
ESP LTD EC-1000 Piezo's Scale Length
ESP LTD EC-1000 Piezo's 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.

The ESP LTD M-400 has the longest scale: 25.5". The ESP LTD EC-1000 Piezo is only 24.75" long. This is a 0.75'' (19.1mm) scale length difference.

This longer scale means that the strings need more tension to get in tune. This is good if you want to avoid fret buzz, which can happen when the strings are too loose and touch the frets while vibrating. This is especially important when playing in lower tunings. This will also let you reduce the gap between fretboard and strings (low action) to make them easier to press down. However, this higher tension will also make it harder to perform bends and vibratos as the strings will feel stiffer.

This also means that the frets have a longer separation between each other, so this will make it harder for people with smaller hands when playing some chord positions.

Another characteristic of a longer scale is that it makes the guitar sound 'snappier' or brighter. This is due to the extra separation between harmonics and overtones produced by the tension. This influences tone more than any other factor (except the pickups).

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 M-400 Neck Profile
ESP LTD M-400's neck profile
ESP LTD EC-1000 Piezo Neck Profile
ESP LTD EC-1000 Piezo's 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 M-400 and the ESP LTD EC-1000 Piezo 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 M-400 Fingerboard Radius
Both Guitars Have The Same 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.

Both the ESP LTD M-400 and the ESP LTD EC-1000 Piezo have the same fretboard radius of 13.78". It's closer to the 12'' that most Les Paul guitars have, but it's a bit flatter. It'll make it easier to play single notes than chords, but it's still relatively comfortable for chords.

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.

And after taking into account the scale length, nut width, neck profile and fretboard radius, we can conclude that the ESP LTD M-400 favors large hands more than the ESP LTD EC-1000 Piezo.

ESP LTD M-400:
Big Hands
Small Hands
ESP LTD EC-1000 Piezo:
Big Hands
Small Hands

Fret Size

ESP LTD M-400 and ESP LTD EC-1000 Piezo 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 M-400
Bending & Vibrato Ease 80
Chord Playability 60
Solo Playability 80
Playability 73
ESP LTD EC-1000 Piezo
Bending & Vibrato Ease 95
Chord Playability 75
Solo Playability 80
Playability 83

Specs Side-by-Side

LTD M-400 vs EC-1000 Piezo
General LTD M-400 EC-1000 Piezo
Brand: ESP LTD ESP LTD
Year: 2017 2017
Configuration: HH HH
Strings: 6 6
Made in: Indonesia Indonesia
Series: M EC
Colors: Black Black, Blue
Left-Handed Version: Yes Yes
Body
Type: Solid Body Solid Body
Body Material: Mahogany Mahogany
Bridge: Floyd Rose Special Fishman Powerbridge TOM & Tailpiece
Neck
Neck Joint: Bolt-On Set
Tuners: Grover LTD Locking
Fretboard: Pau Ferro Pau Ferro
Neck Material: 3pc Maple 3Pc Mahogany
Decoration: Offset Dots Flag
Scale Size: 25.5" 24.75"
Shape: Extra Thin U Thin U
Thickness: 1st Fret: 0.748'' (19mm) - 12th Fret: 0.827'' (21mm) 1st Fret: 0.787'' (20mm) - 12th Fret: 0.866'' (22mm)
Frets: 24 XL Jumbo Nickel Silver 24 XL Jumbo Stainless Steel
Fretboard Radius: 13.78" 13.78"
Nut: Locking Plastic
Nut Width: 43mm (1.693'') 42mm (1.654'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickup: EMG 81 (Humbucker / Active) Seymour Duncan JB SH-4 (Humbucker / Passive)
Middle Pickup:
Neck Pickup: EMG 85 (Humbucker / Active) Seymour Duncan '59 SH-1N (Humbucker / Passive)
Switch: 3 Way 3 Way
Knobs: Dome Dome
Pickup Mods: None Multi-Voicing
Volume Controls: 1 2
Tone Controls: 0 1