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ESP LTD Ron Wood
ESP LTD MSV-1
VS
Playability
72
Sound
75
Build
59
Value
74
Score
69
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Playability
85
Sound
78
Build
75
Value
74
Score
79
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LTD Ron Wood vs MSV-1

Reasons to Get
LTD Ron Wood over MSV-1

Switch Positions
3 vs 0
More tone options
Tone Knobs
1 vs 0
More tone control
Pickups
SH vs H
Very bright bridge tone and a very warm neck pickup
Bridge
Fixed vs Floyd Rose
Good sustain and needs no set-up
Scale Length
25.5'' (647.7mm) vs 24.75'' (628.7mm)
Lower action and brighter natural tone
Fretboard Radius
9.843'' (250mm) vs 13.78'' (350mm)
More curved fretboard helpful to play chords without muting strings
Pickups Power
Passive vs Active
Cleaner sound and no battery needed

Reasons to Get
ESP LTD MSV-1 over Ron Wood

Fret Material
Stainless Steel vs Nickel Silver
Best fret material that will last forever
Release Year
2021 vs 2014
From a more recent year
Frets Height
Taller vs Shorter
Easier to press down strings and bend them
Neck Joint
Neck-Through vs Bolt-On
Stronger neck and easier access to upper frets
Pickups
H vs SH
Hum-free with more right hand freedom and sustain
Number of Frets
24 vs 22
Allows to reach higher notes
Bridge
Floyd Rose vs Fixed
Allows intense vibratos and techniques like Dive Bombs
Scale Length
24.75'' (628.7mm) vs 25.5'' (647.7mm)
Easier bending, shorter fret separation and warmer natural tone
Fretboard Radius
13.78'' (350mm) vs 9.843'' (250mm)
Flatter fretboard makes it easier to play single notes and bend
Pickups Power
Active vs Passive
More output

Other Key Differences
LTD Ron Wood vs MSV-1

Bridge Pickup
Seymour Duncan Hot Tele vs EMG JH James Hetfield
Different Bridge Pickup
Body Wood
Alder vs Mahogany
Different Body Wood
Neck Wood
Maple vs Mahogany
Different Neck Wood
Fretboard Wood
Maple vs Ebony
Different Fretboard Wood
Headstock
6 vs R6
Different Headstock
Nut Material
Bone vs Locking
Different Nut Material

Shared Features
LTD Ron Wood vs MSV-1

Strings
6
Same playing style
Body Type
Solid Body
Feedback free
Volume Knobs
1
Same volume control
Nut Width
1.654'' (42mm)
Same string separation at the nut
Paint Finish
Poly
Resistant paint that ages well
Neck Profile Type
U
Comfortable neck with more grip
Type of Frets
Jumbo vs XL Jumbo
You won't feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings

Common Strengths

  • High-Quality Nut
  • High-Quality Frets
  • Top Pickup Brand

Common Weaknesses

  • Pickup Alter Switch/Knob
  • 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 MSV-1 is probably the better product overall with its final score of 79 compared to the ESP LTD Ron Wood's 69 score, which is a significant difference.

The ESP LTD MSV-1 wins when it comes to sound, playability, build quality. On the other hand, the ESP LTD Ron Wood has the upper hand when it comes to.

If you got small hands, you'll probably feel more comfortable playing the ESP LTD MSV-1.

Which One is Better for Beginners?

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

The ESP LTD Ron Wood meets 6 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness, while the ESP LTD MSV-1 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 Ron Wood
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Tall frets
  • Narrow nut
  • Comfortable neck
  • Short scale
  • Locking tuners

New Player Friendliness

ESP LTD MSV-1
  • Tall frets
  • Narrow nut
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable shape
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Short scale
  • Locking tuners
  • 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 Ron Wood Overview

  • From ESP LTD's 2014 Signature series
  • Ron Wood Signature
  • Made in Indonesia
  • 6 strings
  • 25.5"'' scale
  • 9.843" Fretboard Radius
  • Alder body
  • Maple neck
  • Maple fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: Seymour Duncan Hot Tele (Single Coil/Passive)
  • Neck pickup: Seymour Duncan '59 SH-1N (Humbucker/Passive)
  • 1 volume and 1 tone Dome knobs
  • 3-way Switch
  • LTD Fixed bridge
  • Custom U Bolt-On neck
  • 22 Jumbo frets
  • LTD Vintage tuners
  • Compare Specs >

ESP LTD MSV-1 Overview

  • From ESP LTD's 2021 Signature series
  • Mike Schleibaum 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: EMG JH James Hetfield (Humbucker/Active)
  • 1 volume and 0 tone Bell knobs
  • Floyd Rose 1000 bridge
  • Thin U Neck-Through neck
  • 24 XL Jumbo Stainless Steel frets
  • Grover tuners
  • Weight between 7.3lbs (3.3kgs) and 7.7lbs (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 the ESP LTD Ron Wood

Maple wood pattern used for guitar building
Maple
Alder wood pattern used for guitar building
Alder

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.

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.

Woods Used in the ESP LTD MSV-1

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: ESP LTD MSV-1.

Pickup Configuration

The ESP LTD Ron Wood has an SH configuration while the ESP LTD MSV-1 has H pickups.

SH is a more versatile version of the classic telecaster (SS) configuration. The bridge pickup usually produces a bright and twangy tone, while the neck Humbucker gives you the warmer tone you'll need for more Jazzy/Bluish solos and chords.

On the other hand, A single H pickup gives you the advantage of having a little longer sustain (all other things being equal) because there will be less magnetic fields from other pickups affecting the strings' vibration. However, they also give you the least versatility because you won't have other pickups at different distances from the bridge to create different tones. A single humbucking pickup is used for noiseless high output, which is used mainly for Hard Rock genres.

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 MSV-1 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 Ron Wood's and use them on any guitar:

We found the same or similar pickups to the ESP LTD MSV-1's online:

The ESP LTD Ron Wood's pickups are Passive while the ESP LTD MSV-1's are Active.

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 MSV-1.

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 LTD Ron Wood gives you 3 switch options while the ESP LTD MSV-1 gives you 0. This means that the ESP LTD Ron Wood gives you more options to find the right pickup combination for the type of sound you want to achieve

Neither of them come with some kind of coil split or pickup mod option. This makes both lacking in terms of versatility.

ESP LTD Ron Wood pickups switch and push knobs diagram
ESP LTD Ron Wood's switch options

The ESP LTD MSV-1 doesn't come with pickup switching 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 Ron Wood.

Final Sound Quality Scores

ESP LTD Ron Wood
Pickups 90
Sustain 85
Versatility 54
Tuning Stability 70
Sound 75
ESP LTD MSV-1
Pickups 95
Sustain 85
Versatility 47
Tuning Stability 85
Sound 78

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 Ron Wood compares to the ESP LTD MSV-1.

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 Ron Wood has 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.

On the other hand, the ESP LTD MSV-1 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: Tie.

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 MSV-1 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 MSV-1.

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 Ron Wood'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 LTD MSV-1'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 LTD MSV-1.

Tuners

Both come with regular tuners. The ESP LTD Ron Wood's are LTD Vintage while the ESP LTD MSV-1's are Grover

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.

The ESP LTD Ron Wood 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 MSV-1 comes with 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: ESP LTD MSV-1.

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

Strengths & Weaknesses
ESP LTD Ron Wood
  • Bone Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • Made in Indonesia
  • No Expensive Woods
  • 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 LTD MSV-1
  • Stainless Steel Frets
  • Expensive Wood
  • Locking Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Neck-Through Build
  • Tremolo
  • Retainer Bar
  • No Locking Tuners
  • Made in Indonesia
  • 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

Final Build Quality Scores

ESP LTD Ron Wood
Quality of materials 56
Features 50
Quality Control 70
Build Quality 59
ESP LTD MSV-1
Quality of materials 71
Features 75
Quality Control 80
Build Quality 75

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 Ron Wood 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 Ron Wood's Scale Length
ESP LTD Ron Wood's Scale Length
ESP LTD MSV-1's Scale Length
ESP LTD MSV-1'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 Ron Wood has the longest scale: 25.5". The ESP LTD MSV-1 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 Ron Wood Neck Profile
ESP LTD Ron Wood's neck profile
ESP LTD MSV-1 Neck Profile
ESP LTD MSV-1'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 Ron Wood and the ESP LTD MSV-1 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 Ron Wood Fingerboard Radius
ESP LTD Ron Wood's Fingerboard radius
ESP LTD MSV-1 Fingerboard Radius
ESP LTD MSV-1'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 Ron Wood's fingerboard radius is smaller, which means it's more curved than the ESP LTD MSV-1'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 MSV-1.

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 Ron Wood favors large hands more than the ESP LTD MSV-1.

ESP LTD Ron Wood:
Big Hands
Small Hands
ESP LTD MSV-1:
Big Hands
Small Hands

Fret Size

ESP LTD Ron Wood Frets Size
ESP LTD Ron Wood's Frets Size
ESP LTD MSV-1 Frets Size
ESP LTD MSV-1's Frets Size

The ESP LTD MSV-1 has XL Jumbo frets, which should be taller than the ESP LTD Ron Wood'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 Ron Wood
Bending & Vibrato Ease 75
Chord Playability 80
Solo Playability 60
Playability 72
ESP LTD MSV-1
Bending & Vibrato Ease 90
Chord Playability 75
Solo Playability 90
Playability 85

Specs Side-by-Side

LTD Ron Wood vs MSV-1
General LTD Ron Wood MSV-1
Brand: ESP LTD ESP LTD
Year: 2014 2021
Configuration: SH H
Strings: 6 6
Made in: Indonesia Indonesia
Series: Signature Signature
Colors: Black White
Left-Handed Version: No No
Body
Type: Solid Body Solid Body
Body Material: Alder Mahogany w/ Maple Cap
Bridge: LTD Fixed Floyd Rose 1000
Neck
Neck Joint: Bolt-On Neck-Through
Tuners: LTD Vintage Grover
Fretboard: Maple Macassar Ebony
Neck Material: Maple 3Pc Mahogany
Decoration: Dots Blocks
Scale Size: 25.5" 24.75"
Shape: Custom U Thin U
Frets: 22 Jumbo Nickel Silver 24 XL Jumbo Stainless Steel
Fretboard Radius: 9.843" 13.78"
Nut: Bone Locking
Nut Width: 42mm (1.654'') 42mm (1.654'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickup: Seymour Duncan Hot Tele (Single Coil / Passive) EMG JH James Hetfield (Humbucker / Active)
Middle Pickup:
Neck Pickup: Seymour Duncan '59 SH-1N (Humbucker / Passive)
Switch: 3 Way 0 Way
Knobs: Dome Bell
Pickup Mods: None None
Volume Controls: 1 1
Tone Controls: 1 0