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ESP LTD MH-200
Ibanez RG421
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Playability
77
Sound
75
Build
60
Value
76
Score
71
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Playability
75
Sound
66
Build
52
Value
74
Score
64
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LTD MH-200 vs Ibanez RG421

Reasons to Get
LTD MH-200 over Ibanez RG421

Frets Height
Taller vs Shorter
Easier to press down strings and bend them
Neck Profile
Thin U vs Wizard III
Comfortable neck with more grip
Nut Material
Locking vs Plastic
Best tuning stability for intense tremolo usage
Pickup Mods
Coil Split vs None
Splits humbuckers into single coil pickups
Neck Thickness at 1st Fret
0.787'' (20mm) vs 0.75'' (19.1mm)
More comfortable open chords for big hands
Neck Thickness at 12th Fret
0.866'' (22mm) vs 0.83'' (21.1mm)
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
Floyd Rose vs Fixed
Allows intense vibratos and techniques like Dive Bombs
Fretboard Radius
13.78'' (350mm) vs 16'' (406.4mm)
More curved fretboard helpful to play chords without muting strings
Value Score
76 vs 74
Better price/quality relationship

Reasons to Get
Ibanez RG421 over ESP LTD MH-200

Release Year
2020 vs 2013
From a more recent year
Neck Profile
Wizard III vs Thin U
Thin neck for playing fast
Switch Positions
5 vs 3
More tone options
Neck Thickness at 1st Fret
0.75'' (19.1mm) vs 0.787'' (20mm)
More comfortable open chords for small hands
Neck Thickness at 12th Fret
0.83'' (21.1mm) 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
Fixed vs Floyd Rose
Good sustain and needs no set-up
Fretboard Radius
16'' (406.4mm) vs 13.78'' (350mm)
Flatter fretboard makes it easier to play single notes and bend

Other Key Differences
LTD MH-200 vs Ibanez RG421

Bridge Pickup
ESP Designed LH-150B vs Quantum Humbucker
Different Bridge Pickup
Neck Pickup
ESP Designed LH-150N vs Quantum Humbucker
Different Neck Pickup
Body Wood
Mahogany vs Meranti
Different Body Wood
Nut Material
Locking vs Plastic
Different Nut Material

Shared Features
LTD MH-200 vs Ibanez RG421

Neck Wood
Maple
Same Neck Wood
Fretboard Wood
Jatoba
Same Fretboard Wood
Headstock
6
Same Headstock
Strings
6
Same playing style
Body Type
Solid Body
Feedback free
Volume Knobs
1
Same volume control
Tone Knobs
1
Same tone control
Pickups
HH
High output without hum
Number of Frets
24
Same maximum octave
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 Joint
Bolt-On
Allows you to detach and swap the neck
Type of Frets
XL Jumbo vs 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
  • Compound Radius Fretboard
  • From a High-Quality-Standards Country
  • Luminescent Sidedots
  • Strap Lock
  • Top Pickup Brand
  • 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 MH-200 is probably the better product overall with its final score of 71 compared to the Ibanez RG421's 64 score, although not by a lot.

The ESP LTD MH-200 wins when it comes to sound, playability, build quality, value for the money. This means that it wins over the Ibanez RG421 in every aspect.

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 4 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 LTD MH-200
  • Comfortable shape
  • Tall frets
  • Narrow nut
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Short scale
  • Locking tuners
  • Easy-to-use bridge

New Player Friendliness

Ibanez RG421
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Tall frets
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Narrow nut
  • Short scale
  • Locking tuners

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-200 Overview

  • From ESP LTD's 2013 MH series
  • Made in Indonesia
  • 6 strings
  • 25.5"'' scale
  • 13.78" Fretboard Radius
  • Mahogany body
  • Maple neck
  • Roasted Jatoba fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: ESP Designed LH-150B (Humbucker/Passive)
  • Neck pickup: ESP Designed LH-150N (Humbucker/Passive)
  • 1 volume and 1 tone Dome knobs
  • 3-way Switch
  • LTD by Floyd Rose bridge
  • Thin U Bolt-On neck
  • 24 XL Jumbo frets
  • LTD tuners
  • Compare Specs >

Ibanez RG421 Overview

  • From Ibanez's 2020 RG series
  • Made in Indonesia
  • 6 strings
  • 25.5"'' scale
  • 16" Fretboard Radius
  • Meranti body
  • Maple neck
  • Jatoba fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: Quantum Humbucker (Humbucker/Passive)
  • Neck pickup: Quantum Humbucker (Humbucker/Passive)
  • 1 volume and 1 tone Dome knobs
  • 5-way Switch
  • F106 bridge
  • Wizard III Bolt-On neck
  • 24 Jumbo frets
  • Ibanez 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
Jatoba wood pattern used for guitar building
Jatoba

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.

Jatoba is a hard and dense wood that emphasizes the mid-lows, giving a fuller, more round sound than, for example, Mahogany. However, it also has a lot of clarity in the top end. Find out more about Jatoba.

Woods Used in the ESP LTD MH-200

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 Ibanez RG421

Meranti wood pattern used for guitar building
Meranti

Meranti is an affordable wood used mainly for affordable electric guitars. It's generally lighter and softer than Mahogany. Find out more about Meranti.

Winner: ESP LTD MH-200.

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

None of these use a specialized pickup brand for their pickups. Some of the best guitars on the market come with pickups from brands like EMG, Seymour Duncan, DiMarzio, etc. You might want to replace your pickups eventually if you want to get the best sound out of any of these instruments.

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

The Ibanez RG421 gives you 5 switch options while the ESP LTD MH-200 gives you 3. This means that the Ibanez RG421 gives you more options to find the right pickup combination for the type of sound you want to achieve

Only the ESP LTD MH-200 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-200 pickups switch and push knobs diagram
ESP LTD MH-200's switch options
Ibanez RG421 pickups switch selector and push knobs diagram
Ibanez RG421'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-200.

Final Sound Quality Scores

ESP LTD MH-200
Pickups 55
Sustain 80
Versatility 79
Tuning Stability 85
Sound 75
Ibanez RG421
Pickups 55
Sustain 80
Versatility 62
Tuning Stability 65
Sound 66

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-200 compares to the Ibanez RG421.

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 MH-200 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 Ibanez RG421 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 MH-200.

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 MH-200'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 Ibanez RG421'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 MH-200.

Tuners

Both come with regular tuners. The ESP LTD MH-200's are LTD while the Ibanez RG421's are Ibanez

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 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 MH-200
  • Expensive Wood
  • Locking Nut
  • Coil Split Pickups
  • Tremolo
  • Retainer Bar
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • Made in Indonesia
  • No Top Brand Pickups
  • No Neck-Through Build
  • No Weight Relief
  • No Luminescent Inlay
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock
Strengths & Weaknesses
Ibanez RG421
  • 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

Final Build Quality Scores

ESP LTD MH-200
Quality of materials 41
Features 70
Quality Control 70
Build Quality 60
Ibanez RG421
Quality of materials 41
Features 50
Quality Control 65
Build Quality 52

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-200 Nut Width
ESP LTD MH-200 Nut Width
Ibanez RG421 Nut Width
Ibanez RG421 Nut Width

The nut width will affect the separation between strings at the nut. In this comparison, the Ibanez RG421 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 Ibanez RG421, 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 MH-200 and Ibanez RG421'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 MH-200 Neck Profile
ESP LTD MH-200's neck profile
Ibanez RG421 Neck Profile
Ibanez RG421'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.

In this case, both have different neck shapes:

The ESP LTD MH-200 has a U type of 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.

The Ibanez RG421, on the other hand, has a Wizard neck. This is thinner than most C-type necks. It won't get in your way if you want to play fast solos. It's not as slim as 'Super Wizard' necks, so it might fit you better if you don't like ultra-thin necks.

Fretboard Radius

ESP LTD MH-200 Fingerboard Radius
ESP LTD MH-200's Fingerboard radius
Ibanez RG421 Fingerboard Radius
Ibanez RG421'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-200's fingerboard radius is smaller, which means it's more curved than the Ibanez RG421'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 Ibanez RG421.

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 LTD MH-200:
Big Hands
Small Hands
Ibanez RG421:
Big Hands
Small Hands

Fret Size

ESP LTD MH-200 Frets Size
ESP LTD MH-200's Frets Size
Ibanez RG421 Frets Size
Ibanez RG421's Frets Size

The ESP LTD MH-200 has XL Jumbo frets, which should be taller than the Ibanez RG421's Jumbo frets.

Some people prefer taller frets because they result in more sustain since the strings get pressed cleanly without interference from the fretboard. However, if they're too tall—like Jumbo frets—, you might change the pitch of the strings accidentally if you press too hard because you won't be touching the fretboard with your fingers. This is also why some guitarists with a heavy grip prefer smaller frets. They like to feel the fingerboard to avoid pressing down too hard and getting out of pitch.

Final Playability Scores

ESP LTD MH-200
Bending & Vibrato Ease 80
Chord Playability 70
Solo Playability 80
Playability 77
Ibanez RG421
Bending & Vibrato Ease 85
Chord Playability 50
Solo Playability 90
Playability 75

Specs Side-by-Side

LTD MH-200 vs Ibanez RG421
General LTD MH-200 Ibanez RG421
Brand: ESP LTD Ibanez
Year: 2013 2020
Configuration: HH HH
Strings: 6 6
Made in: Indonesia Indonesia
Series: MH RG
Colors: Black Natural
Left-Handed Version: Yes No
Body
Type: Solid Body Solid Body
Body Material: Mahogany Meranti
Bridge: LTD by Floyd Rose F106
Neck
Neck Joint: Bolt-On Bolt-On
Tuners: LTD Ibanez
Fretboard: Roasted Jatoba Jatoba
Neck Material: Maple Maple
Decoration: Offset Blocks White Dot
Scale Size: 25.5" 25.5"
Shape: Thin U Wizard III
Thickness: 1st Fret: 0.787'' (20mm) - 12th Fret: 0.866'' (22mm) 1st Fret: 0.75'' (19.1mm) - 12th Fret: 0.83'' (21.1mm)
Frets: 24 XL Jumbo Nickel Silver 24 Jumbo Nickel Silver
Fretboard Radius: 13.78" 16"
Nut: Locking Plastic
Nut Width: 42mm (1.654'') 43mm (1.693'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickup: ESP Designed LH-150B (Humbucker / Passive) Quantum Humbucker (Humbucker / Passive)
Middle Pickup:
Neck Pickup: ESP Designed LH-150N (Humbucker / Passive) Quantum Humbucker (Humbucker / Passive)
Switch: 3 Way 5 Way
Knobs: Dome Dome
Pickup Mods: Coil Split None
Volume Controls: 1 1
Tone Controls: 1 1