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ESP LTD SH-7 Evertune
ESP LTD MK-600
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Playability
77
Sound
81
Build
68
Value
70
Score
75
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Playability
85
Sound
81
Build
70
Value
74
Score
79
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LTD SH-7 Evertune vs MK-600

Reasons to Get
LTD SH-7 Evertune over MK-600

Decorative Top
Flamed Maple vs None
Finished with beautiful natural wood patterns
Release Year
2017 vs 2016
From a more recent year
Strings
7 vs 6
Allows you to play lower notes
Tone Knobs
1 vs 0
More tone control
Locking Tuners
Yes vs None
Easier to change strings
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
1.969'' (50mm) vs 1.654'' (42mm)
Less likely to mute strings by accident and more space for fingerstyle
Luminescent Sidedots
Yes vs None
Assists you when playing in dark environments
Bridge
Evertune vs Floyd Rose
Fixed bridge that will keep the guitar in tune forever
Scale Length
25.5'' (647.7mm) vs 24.75'' (628.7mm)
Lower action and brighter natural tone

Reasons to Get
ESP LTD MK-600 over SH-7 Evertune

Nut Material
Locking vs Plastic
Best tuning stability for intense tremolo usage
Strings
6 vs 7
Narrower neck and fewer strings to change
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 1.969'' (50mm)
Favors small hands, easier bar chords and other shapes
Bridge
Floyd Rose vs Evertune
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
Value Score
74 vs 70
Better price/quality relationship

Other Key Differences
LTD SH-7 Evertune vs MK-600

Body Wood
Maple vs Mahogany
Different Body Wood
Fretboard Wood
Ebony vs Pau Ferro
Different Fretboard Wood
Headstock
R7 vs R6
Different Headstock
Nut Material
Plastic vs Locking
Different Nut Material

Shared Features
LTD SH-7 Evertune vs MK-600

Bridge Pickup
Fishman Fluence Modern Ceramic
Same Bridge Pickup
Neck Pickup
Fishman Fluence Modern Alnico
Same Neck Pickup
Neck Wood
Maple
Same Neck Wood
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
Paint Finish
Poly
Resistant paint that ages well
Fretboard Radius
13.78'' (350mm)
Same fretboard comfortability
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
  • Pickup Alter Switch/Knob
  • Top Pickup Brand
  • Expensive Wood

Common Weaknesses

  • Weight Relief
  • High-Quality Frets
  • Compound Radius Fretboard
  • From a High-Quality-Standards Country
  • 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 MK-600 is probably the better product overall with its final score of 79 compared to the ESP LTD SH-7 Evertune's 75 score, although not by a lot.

The ESP LTD MK-600 wins when it comes to playability, build quality, value for the money. On the other hand, the ESP LTD SH-7 Evertune has the upper hand when it comes to.

If you got small hands, you'll probably feel more comfortable playing the ESP LTD MK-600.

Which One is Better for Beginners?

If you're looking for your first guitar to learn how to play, the ESP LTD SH-7 Evertune is the better choice.

The ESP LTD SH-7 Evertune meets 4 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness, while the ESP LTD MK-600 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 SH-7 Evertune
  • Comfortable shape
  • Locking tuners
  • Tall frets
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Narrow nut
  • Short scale
  • Easy-to-use bridge

New Player Friendliness

ESP LTD MK-600
  • 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 SH-7 Evertune Overview

  • From ESP LTD's 2017 Signature series
  • Brian (Head) Welch Signature
  • Made in Indonesia
  • 7 strings
  • 25.5"'' scale
  • 13.78" Fretboard Radius
  • Flamed Maple top
  • Basswood w/ Maple Cap body
  • 3pc Maple neck
  • Macassar Ebony fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: Fishman Fluence Modern Ceramic (Humbucker/Active)
  • Neck pickup: Fishman Fluence Modern Alnico (Humbucker/Active)
  • 1 volume and 1 tone Dome knobs
  • 3-way Switch
  • Evertune (F model) bridge
  • Extra Thin U Neck-Through neck
  • 24 XL Jumbo frets
  • LTD Locking tuners
  • Compare Specs >

ESP LTD MK-600 Overview

  • From ESP LTD's 2016 Signature series
  • Mille Petrozza Signature
  • Made in Indonesia
  • 6 strings
  • 24.75"'' scale
  • 13.78" Fretboard Radius
  • Mahogany body
  • 3pc Maple neck
  • Pau Ferro fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: Fishman Fluence Modern Ceramic (Humbucker/Active)
  • Neck pickup: Fishman Fluence Modern Alnico (Humbucker/Active)
  • 1 volume and 0 tone Dome knobs
  • 3-way Switch
  • Floyd Rose 1000 bridge
  • Thin U Neck-Through neck
  • 24 XL Jumbo frets
  • Grover 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 SH-7 Evertune

Ebony wood pattern used for guitar building
Ebony

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 MK-600

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.

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.

You can purchase similar pickups to the ESP LTD SH-7 Evertune's and use them on any guitar:

We found the same or similar pickups to the ESP LTD MK-600'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: 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

Both are equal when it comes to the pickup switching option.

Both offer you the same type of pickup mod: 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.

They both share the following switching options:

ESP LTD SH-7 Evertune and ESP LTD MK-600 pickups switch and push knobs diagram
ESP LTD SH-7 Evertune and ESP LTD MK-600'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 MK-600.

Final Sound Quality Scores

ESP LTD SH-7 Evertune
Pickups 85
Sustain 80
Versatility 59
Tuning Stability 100
Sound 81
ESP LTD MK-600
Pickups 85
Sustain 85
Versatility 67
Tuning Stability 85
Sound 81

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 SH-7 Evertune compares to the ESP LTD MK-600.

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 SH-7 Evertune 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 LTD MK-600 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 LTD MK-600.

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 SH-7 Evertune's brige is a Evertune. It will keep your guitar in tune and intonated until the next string swap. If you really like extremely subtle vibratos, this might not be the bridge for you because you won't be able to perform them as well. However, the fact that you won't need to tune your guitar is a huge advantage that many people will gladly pay the extra price for.

On the other hand, the ESP LTD MK-600'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 SH-7 Evertune.

Tuners

The ESP LTD SH-7 Evertune 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 MK-600 has a locking nut, so it should have even better tune stability and doesn't need locking tuners.

Winner: ESP LTD SH-7 Evertune.

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 SH-7 Evertune
  • Locking Tuners
  • Expensive Wood
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Neck-Through Build
  • Multi-Voicing Pickups
  • Stays in Tune (Evertune)
  • Luminescent Inlay
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • Made in Indonesia
  • No High-Quality Nut
  • No Weight Relief
  • No Tremolo
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock
Strengths & Weaknesses
ESP LTD MK-600
  • Expensive Wood
  • Locking Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Neck-Through Build
  • Multi-Voicing Pickups
  • Tremolo
  • Retainer Bar
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • Made in Indonesia
  • No Weight Relief
  • No Luminescent Inlay
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock

Final Build Quality Scores

ESP LTD SH-7 Evertune
Quality of materials 45
Features 80
Quality Control 80
Build Quality 68
ESP LTD MK-600
Quality of materials 51
Features 80
Quality Control 80
Build Quality 70

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 SH-7 Evertune Nut Width
ESP LTD SH-7 Evertune Nut Width
ESP LTD MK-600 Nut Width
ESP LTD MK-600 Nut Width

The nut width will affect the separation between strings at the nut. In this comparison, the ESP LTD SH-7 Evertune has the wider nut with 50mm (1.969'') vs 42mm (1.654''). This is a 8mm (0.315'') difference

This means that it will be more difficult to do bar chords on the ESP LTD SH-7 Evertune, 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 SH-7 Evertune's Scale Length
ESP LTD SH-7 Evertune's Scale Length
ESP LTD MK-600's Scale Length
ESP LTD MK-600'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 SH-7 Evertune has the longest scale: 25.5". The ESP LTD MK-600 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 SH-7 Evertune Neck Profile
ESP LTD SH-7 Evertune's neck profile
ESP LTD MK-600 Neck Profile
ESP LTD MK-600'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 SH-7 Evertune and the ESP LTD MK-600 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 SH-7 Evertune 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 SH-7 Evertune and the ESP LTD MK-600 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 SH-7 Evertune favors large hands more than the ESP LTD MK-600.

ESP LTD SH-7 Evertune:
Big Hands
Small Hands
ESP LTD MK-600:
Big Hands
Small Hands

Fret Size

ESP LTD SH-7 Evertune and ESP LTD MK-600 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 SH-7 Evertune
Bending & Vibrato Ease 80
Chord Playability 60
Solo Playability 90
Playability 77
ESP LTD MK-600
Bending & Vibrato Ease 90
Chord Playability 75
Solo Playability 90
Playability 85

Specs Side-by-Side

LTD SH-7 Evertune vs MK-600
General LTD SH-7 Evertune MK-600
Brand: ESP LTD ESP LTD
Year: 2017 2016
Configuration: HH HH
Strings: 7 6
Made in: Indonesia Indonesia
Series: Signature Signature
Colors: Purple Black
Left-Handed Version: No No
Body
Type: Solid Body Solid Body
Body Material: Basswood w/ Maple Cap Mahogany
Bridge: Evertune (F model) Floyd Rose 1000
Neck
Neck Joint: Neck-Through Neck-Through
Tuners: LTD Locking Grover
Fretboard: Macassar Ebony Pau Ferro
Neck Material: 3pc Maple 3pc Maple
Decoration: Offset Blocks Dots
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 Nickel Silver
Fretboard Radius: 13.78" 13.78"
Nut: Plastic Locking
Nut Width: 50mm (1.969'') 42mm (1.654'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickup: Fishman Fluence Modern Ceramic (Humbucker / Active) Fishman Fluence Modern Ceramic (Humbucker / Active)
Middle Pickup:
Neck Pickup: Fishman Fluence Modern Alnico (Humbucker / Active) Fishman Fluence Modern Alnico (Humbucker / Active)
Switch: 3 Way 3 Way
Knobs: Dome Dome
Pickup Mods: Multi-Voicing Multi-Voicing
Volume Controls: 1 1
Tone Controls: 1 0