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ESP LTD Viper-201B
ESP LTD MH-203QM
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Playability
78
Sound
64
Build
54
Value
70
Score
65
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Playability
77
Sound
76
Build
62
Value
77
Score
72
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LTD Viper-201B vs MH-203QM

Reasons to Get
LTD Viper-201B over MH-203QM

Release Year
2010 vs 600
From a more recent year
Pickups
HH vs HSS
High output without hum
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

Reasons to Get
ESP LTD MH-203QM over Viper-201B

Decorative Top
Quilted Maple vs None
Finished with beautiful natural wood patterns
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 Joint
Bolt-On vs Set
Allows you to detach and swap the neck
Switch Positions
5 vs 3
More tone options
Pickups
HSS vs HH
High output with beautiful cleans and tone versatility
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
Value Score
77 vs 70
Better price/quality relationship

Other Key Differences
LTD Viper-201B vs MH-203QM

Neck Pickup
ESP Designed LH-150N vs ESP Designed LS-120N
Different Neck Pickup
Fretboard Wood
Jatoba vs Maple
Different Fretboard Wood
Headstock
3-3 vs 6
Different Headstock
Nut Material
Plastic vs Locking
Different Nut Material

Shared Features
LTD Viper-201B vs MH-203QM

Bridge Pickup
ESP Designed LH-150B
Same Bridge Pickup
Body Wood
Mahogany
Same Body Wood
Neck Wood
Maple
Same Neck Wood
Strings
6
Same playing style
Body Type
Solid Body
Feedback free
Volume Knobs
1
Same volume control
Tone Knobs
1
Same tone control
Number of Frets
24
Same maximum octave
Neck Thickness at 1st Fret
0.787'' (20mm)
Same neck comfortability
Neck Thickness at 12th Fret
0.866'' (22mm)
Same neck comfortability
Nut Width
1.654'' (42mm)
Same string separation at the nut
Paint Finish
Poly
Resistant paint that ages well
Fretboard Radius
13.78'' (350mm)
Same fretboard comfortability
Pickups Power
Passive
Cleaner sound and no battery needed
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

  • Expensive Wood

Common Weaknesses

  • 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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SET PRICE ALERT

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Which One is Better Overall?

After going through our comparison algorithm, the results show that the ESP LTD MH-203QM is probably the better product overall with its final score of 72 compared to the ESP LTD Viper-201B's 65 score, although not by a lot.

The ESP LTD MH-203QM wins when it comes to sound, build quality, value for the money. On the other hand, the ESP LTD Viper-201B has the upper hand when it comes to playability.

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 Viper-201B is the better choice.

The ESP LTD Viper-201B meets 5 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness, while the ESP LTD MH-203QM 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 Viper-201B
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Tall frets
  • Narrow nut
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Short scale
  • Locking tuners

New Player Friendliness

ESP LTD MH-203QM
  • Comfortable shape
  • Tall frets
  • Narrow nut
  • Comfortable neck
  • 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 Viper-201B Overview

  • From ESP LTD's 2010 Viper series
  • Made in Indonesia
  • 6 strings
  • 27"'' scale
  • 13.78" Fretboard Radius
  • Mahogany body
  • 3pc 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
  • TOM & Tailpiece bridge
  • Thin U Set neck
  • 24 XL Jumbo frets
  • LTD tuners
  • Compare Specs >

ESP LTD MH-203QM Overview

  • From ESP LTD's 600 MH series
  • Made in Indonesia
  • 6 strings
  • 25.5"'' scale
  • 13.78" Fretboard Radius
  • Quilted Maple top
  • Mahogany body
  • Maple neck
  • Maple fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: ESP Designed LH-150B (Humbucker/Passive)
  • Middle pickup: ESP Designed LS-120M (Single Coil/Passive)
  • Neck pickup: ESP Designed LS-120N (Single Coil/Passive)
  • 1 volume and 1 tone Dome knobs
  • 5-way Switch
  • LTD by Floyd Rose bridge
  • Thin U Bolt-On neck
  • 24 XL Jumbo frets
  • LTD tuners
  • Weight around 7.95lbs (3.6kgs)
  • 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
Mahogany wood pattern used for guitar building
Mahogany

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.

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 Viper-201B

Jatoba wood pattern used for guitar building
Jatoba

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.

Winner: Tie.

Pickup Configuration

The ESP LTD Viper-201B has an HH configuration while the ESP LTD MH-203QM has HSS pickups.

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.

On the other hand, HSS provides a great balance if you like to play with a lot of distortion, but also love to use clean tones. You'll get a lot of output at the bridge position, but you'll be able to play bright clean tones at the other positions.

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 ESP LTD MH-203QM gives you 5 switch options while the ESP LTD Viper-201B gives you 3. This means that the ESP LTD MH-203QM gives you more options to find the right pickup combination for the type of sound you want to achieve

Only the ESP LTD MH-203QM 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 Viper-201B pickups switch and push knobs diagram
ESP LTD Viper-201B's switch options
ESP LTD MH-203QM pickups switch selector and push knobs diagram
ESP LTD MH-203QM'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-203QM.

Final Sound Quality Scores

ESP LTD Viper-201B
Pickups 55
Sustain 80
Versatility 54
Tuning Stability 65
Sound 64
ESP LTD MH-203QM
Pickups 55
Sustain 80
Versatility 85
Tuning Stability 85
Sound 76

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 Viper-201B compares to the ESP LTD MH-203QM.

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 Viper-201B 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 MH-203QM 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 MH-203QM.

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 Viper-201B'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 MH-203QM'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 MH-203QM.

Tuners

Both come with regular tuners. Both come with LTD.

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 Viper-201B has a 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.

On the other hand, the ESP LTD MH-203QM comes with 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: ESP LTD MH-203QM.

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

Strengths & Weaknesses
ESP LTD Viper-201B
  • Expensive Wood
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • Made in Indonesia
  • 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
Strengths & Weaknesses
ESP LTD MH-203QM
  • 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

Final Build Quality Scores

ESP LTD Viper-201B
Quality of materials 41
Features 50
Quality Control 70
Build Quality 54
ESP LTD MH-203QM
Quality of materials 45
Features 70
Quality Control 70
Build Quality 62

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 Viper-201B 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 Viper-201B's Scale Length
ESP LTD Viper-201B's Scale Length
ESP LTD MH-203QM's Scale Length
ESP LTD MH-203QM'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 Viper-201B has the longest scale: 27". The ESP LTD MH-203QM 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 Viper-201B Neck Profile
Both guitars have the same 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 Viper-201B and the ESP LTD MH-203QM 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 Viper-201B 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 Viper-201B and the ESP LTD MH-203QM 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.

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 Viper-201B:
Big Hands
Small Hands
ESP LTD MH-203QM:
Big Hands
Small Hands

Fret Size

ESP LTD Viper-201B and ESP LTD MH-203QM 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 Viper-201B
Bending & Vibrato Ease 85
Chord Playability 70
Solo Playability 80
Playability 78
ESP LTD MH-203QM
Bending & Vibrato Ease 80
Chord Playability 70
Solo Playability 80
Playability 77

Specs Side-by-Side

LTD Viper-201B vs MH-203QM
General LTD Viper-201B MH-203QM
Brand: ESP LTD ESP LTD
Year: 2010 600
Configuration: HH HSS
Strings: 6 6
Made in: Indonesia Indonesia
Series: Viper MH
Colors: Black Blue
Left-Handed Version: No Yes
Body
Type: Solid Body Solid Body
Body Material: Mahogany Mahogany
Bridge: TOM & Tailpiece LTD by Floyd Rose
Neck
Neck Joint: Set Bolt-On
Tuners: LTD LTD
Fretboard: Roasted Jatoba Maple
Neck Material: 3pc Maple Maple
Decoration: Flags Offset Blocks
Scale Size: 27" 25.5"
Shape: Thin U Thin U
Thickness: 1st Fret: 0.787'' (20mm) - 12th Fret: 0.866'' (22mm) 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: 42mm (1.654'') 42mm (1.654'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickup: ESP Designed LH-150B (Humbucker / Passive) ESP Designed LH-150B (Humbucker / Passive)
Middle Pickup: ESP Designed LS-120M (Single Coil / Passive)
Neck Pickup: ESP Designed LH-150N (Humbucker / Passive) ESP Designed LS-120N (Single Coil / Passive)
Switch: 3 Way 5 Way
Knobs: Dome Dome
Pickup Mods: None Coil Split
Volume Controls: 1 1
Tone Controls: 1 1