Swap
Swap
ESP LTD MH-1000 Baritone
ESP E-II Arrow
VS
Playability
82
Sound
76
Build
74
Value
77
Score
77
FIND IT ON:
Sweetwater logo
Playability
80
Sound
83
Build
79
Value
71
Score
81
FIND IT ON:
Sweetwater logo
Add more to comparison

LTD MH-1000 Baritone vs E-II Arrow

Reasons to Get
LTD MH-1000 Baritone over E-II Arrow

Fret Material
Stainless Steel vs Nickel Silver
Best fret material that will last forever
Release Year
2022 vs 2014
From a more recent year
Compound Radius
12" to 16" vs 12"
Balanced playability for chords and single-notes
Pickup Mods
Coil Split vs None
Splits humbuckers into single coil pickups
Tone Knobs
1 vs 0
More tone control
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
Bridge
Fixed vs Floyd Rose
Good sustain and needs no set-up
Scale Length
27'' (685.8mm) vs 25.5'' (647.7mm)
Lower action and brighter natural tone
Value Score
77 vs 71
Better price/quality relationship

Reasons to Get
ESP E-II Arrow over ESP LTD MH-1000 Baritone

Country of Manufacturing
Japan vs Indonesia
Built with higher quality standards
Nut Material
Locking vs Plastic
Best tuning stability for intense tremolo usage
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
Strap Lock
Yes vs None
Protects your guitar from dropping by locking the strap
Bridge
Floyd Rose vs Fixed
Allows intense vibratos and techniques like Dive Bombs
Scale Length
25.5'' (647.7mm) vs 27'' (685.8mm)
Easier bending, shorter fret separation and warmer natural tone

Other Key Differences
LTD MH-1000 Baritone vs E-II Arrow

Neck Pickup
EMG 60TW-R vs EMG 85
Different Neck Pickup
Body Wood
Mahogany vs Alder
Different Body Wood
Nut Material
Plastic vs Locking
Different Nut Material

Shared Features
LTD MH-1000 Baritone vs E-II Arrow

Bridge Pickup
EMG 81
Same Bridge Pickup
Neck Wood
Maple
Same Neck Wood
Fretboard Wood
Ebony
Same Fretboard Wood
Headstock
R6
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
Pickups
HH
High output without hum
Number of Frets
24
Same maximum octave
Nut Width
1.654'' (42mm)
Same string separation at the nut
Paint Finish
Poly
Resistant paint that ages well
Pickups Power
Active
More output
Neck Profile Type
U
Comfortable neck with more grip
Neck Joint
Neck-Through
Stronger neck and easier access to upper frets
Type of Frets
XL Jumbo
You won't feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings

Common Strengths

  • Neck-Through Build
  • Top Pickup Brand
  • Expensive Wood

Common Weaknesses

  • Weight Relief
  • Stays in Tune (Evertune)
  • Compound Radius Fretboard
  • Luminescent Sidedots
  • 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • Active/Passive Preamp

Table of Contents

Price History Comparison

SET PRICE ALERT
SET PRICE ALERT

These are affiliate links. We may earn a fee if you purchase after clicking. These prices are prone to error. Make sure you're buying the right product after clicking on a link from our site. We are not liable if you buy the wrong product after following these links. As an Amazon Associate site we earn from qualifying purchases.

Which One is Better Overall?

After going through our comparison algorithm, the results show that the ESP E-II Arrow is probably the better product overall with its final score of 81 compared to the ESP LTD MH-1000 Baritone's 77 score, although not by a lot.

The ESP E-II Arrow wins when it comes to sound, build quality. On the other hand, the ESP LTD MH-1000 Baritone 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 LTD MH-1000 Baritone is the better choice.

The ESP LTD MH-1000 Baritone meets 7 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness, while the ESP E-II Arrow meets only 4. 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 MH-1000 Baritone
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Locking tuners
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Tall frets
  • Narrow nut
  • Comfortable neck
  • Short scale

New Player Friendliness

ESP E-II Arrow
  • Locking tuners
  • Tall frets
  • Narrow nut
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable shape
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Short scale
  • Easy-to-use bridge

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 MH-1000 Baritone Overview

  • From ESP LTD's 2022 MH series
  • Made in Indonesia
  • 6 strings
  • 27"'' scale
  • 12" to 16" Fretboard Radius
  • Mahogany / Maple Cap body
  • 3pc Maple neck
  • Macassar Ebony fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: EMG 81 (Humbucker/Active)
  • Neck pickup: EMG 60TW-R (Humbucker/Active)
  • 1 volume and 1 tone Dome knobs
  • 3-way Switch
  • Tonepros Locking TOM w/ String Thru bridge
  • Extra Thin U Neck-Through neck
  • 24 XL Jumbo Stainless Steel frets
  • LTD Locking tuners
  • Compare Specs >

ESP E-II Arrow Overview

  • From ESP E-II's 2014 Arrow series
  • Made in Japan
  • 6 strings
  • 25.5"'' scale
  • 12" Fretboard Radius
  • Alder body
  • 3pc Maple neck
  • Ebony 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 Original bridge
  • Thin U Neck-Through neck
  • 24 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
Ebony wood pattern used for guitar building
Ebony

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.

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.

Woods Used in the ESP LTD MH-1000 Baritone

Mahogany wood pattern used for guitar building
Mahogany

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 E-II Arrow

Alder wood pattern used for guitar building
Alder

Alder is the most popular wood that Fender uses in most of their guitars nowadays. Even though they say it's because of its balanced tone with an emphasis in the upper midrange, it probably is because it isn't too expensive, and it's also pretty lightweight—more than Mahogany. Find out more about Alder.

Winner: ESP LTD MH-1000 Baritone.

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 E-II Arrow 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 MH-1000 Baritone's and use them on any guitar:

We found the same or similar pickups to the ESP E-II Arrow's online:

Both use Active pickups. These pickups use an additional 9v battery to be able to increase their output for high gain tones. This is why they're popular among heavy metal guitarists. Their disadvantage is that you need batteries for the pickups, so you'll need to spend money on batteries and time swapping them. Also, the clean tones aren't as clean as other pickups because they'll have really hot output.

Winner: ESP E-II Arrow.

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 MH-1000 Baritone comes with some kind of pickup modification: 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.

ESP LTD MH-1000 Baritone pickups switch and push knobs diagram
ESP LTD MH-1000 Baritone's switch options
ESP E-II Arrow pickups switch and push knobs diagram
ESP E-II Arrow'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 MH-1000 Baritone.

Final Sound Quality Scores

ESP LTD MH-1000 Baritone
Pickups 85
Sustain 85
Versatility 59
Tuning Stability 75
Sound 76
ESP E-II Arrow
Pickups 95
Sustain 85
Versatility 57
Tuning Stability 95
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 MH-1000 Baritone compares to the ESP E-II Arrow.

Country of Origin

The manufacturing country can tell a lot about the build quality of an instrument. The ESP LTD MH-1000 Baritone is built in Indonesia while the ESP E-II Arrow 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 E-II Arrow

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 MH-1000 Baritone 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 E-II Arrow comes with 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.

Winner: ESP E-II Arrow.

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 MH-1000 Baritone 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 MH-1000 Baritone.

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 MH-1000 Baritone'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 E-II Arrow's 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.

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 E-II Arrow.

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 Neck-Through neck joint. This neck is a lot more resistant and lets builders give the neck joint a more comfortable shape for soloing at the upper frets. The disadvantage is that they're more expensive and that if you damage your neck, you can't simply replace it like with bolt-on necks.

Winner: Tie.

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

Strengths & Weaknesses
ESP LTD MH-1000 Baritone
  • Stainless Steel Frets
  • Locking Tuners
  • Expensive Wood
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Neck-Through Build
  • Coil Split Pickups
  • Compound Radius Fretboard
  • Made in Indonesia
  • No High-Quality Nut
  • No Weight Relief
  • No Luminescent Inlay
  • No Tremolo
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock
Strengths & Weaknesses
ESP E-II Arrow
  • Locking Tuners
  • Made in Japan
  • Expensive Wood
  • Locking Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Neck-Through Build
  • Tremolo
  • Retainer Bar
  • Strap Lock
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Push Knob or Extra Switch Option
  • No Weight Relief
  • No Luminescent Inlay
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio

Final Build Quality Scores

ESP LTD MH-1000 Baritone
Quality of materials 61
Features 85
Quality Control 75
Build Quality 74
ESP E-II Arrow
Quality of materials 51
Features 90
Quality Control 95
Build Quality 79

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 MH-1000 Baritone 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 MH-1000 Baritone's Scale Length
ESP LTD MH-1000 Baritone's Scale Length
ESP E-II Arrow's Scale Length
ESP E-II Arrow'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 MH-1000 Baritone has the longest scale: 27". The ESP E-II Arrow is only 25.5" long. This is a 1.5'' (38.1mm) 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 MH-1000 Baritone Neck Profile
ESP LTD MH-1000 Baritone's neck profile
ESP E-II Arrow Neck Profile
ESP E-II Arrow'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 MH-1000 Baritone and the ESP E-II Arrow 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 MH-1000 Baritone Fretboard Compound Radius
ESP LTD MH-1000 Baritone's Compound Fretboard Radius
ESP E-II Arrow Fingerboard Radius
ESP E-II Arrow'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 LTD MH-1000 Baritone 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 MH-1000 Baritone:
Big Hands
Small Hands
ESP E-II Arrow:
Big Hands
Small Hands

Fret Size

ESP LTD MH-1000 Baritone and ESP E-II Arrow 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 MH-1000 Baritone
Bending & Vibrato Ease 75
Chord Playability 80
Solo Playability 90
Playability 82
ESP E-II Arrow
Bending & Vibrato Ease 80
Chord Playability 70
Solo Playability 90
Playability 80

Specs Side-by-Side

LTD MH-1000 Baritone vs E-II Arrow
General LTD MH-1000 Baritone E-II Arrow
Brand: ESP LTD ESP E-II
Year: 2022 2014
Configuration: HH HH
Strings: 6 6
Made in: Indonesia Japan
Series: MH Arrow
Colors: Black White, Black, Gray
Left-Handed Version: Yes No
Body
Type: Solid Body Solid Body
Body Material: Mahogany / Maple Cap Alder
Bridge: Tonepros Locking TOM w/ String Thru Floyd Rose Original
Neck
Neck Joint: Neck-Through Neck-Through
Tuners: LTD Locking Gotoh Locking
Fretboard: Macassar Ebony Ebony
Neck Material: 3pc Maple 3pc Maple
Decoration: Offset white pearloid block Shark Fin
Scale Size: 27" 25.5"
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 Stainless Steel 24 XL Jumbo Nickel Silver
Fretboard Radius: 12" to 16" 12"
Nut: Plastic Locking
Nut Width: 42mm (1.654'') 42mm (1.654'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickup: EMG 81 (Humbucker / Active) EMG 81 (Humbucker / Active)
Middle Pickup:
Neck Pickup: EMG 60TW-R (Humbucker / Active) EMG 85 (Humbucker / Active)
Switch: 3 Way 3 Way
Knobs: Dome Dome
Pickup Mods: Coil Split None
Volume Controls: 1 1
Tone Controls: 1 0