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ESP Max Cavalera RPR
ESP LTD M-1 Custom '87
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Playability
83
Sound
71
Build
74
Value
61
Score
76
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Playability
77
Sound
79
Build
65
Value
74
Score
74
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ESP Max Cavalera RPR vs LTD M-1 Custom '87

Reasons to Get
ESP Max Cavalera RPR over LTD M-1 Custom '87

Country of Manufacturing
Japan vs Indonesia
Built with higher quality standards
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 1.693'' (43mm)
Favors small hands, easier bar chords and other shapes
Bridge
Fixed vs Floyd Rose
Good sustain and needs no set-up
Scale Length
24.75'' (628.7mm) vs 25.5'' (647.7mm)
Easier bending, shorter fret separation and warmer natural tone
Fretboard Radius
12'' (304.8mm) vs 13.78'' (350mm)
More curved fretboard helpful to play chords without muting strings

Reasons to Get
ESP LTD M-1 Custom '87 over ESP Max Cavalera RPR

Release Year
2020 vs 2017
From a more recent year
Pickup Mods
Multiple vs None
Number of Frets
24 vs 22
Allows to reach higher notes
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
1.693'' (43mm) vs 1.654'' (42mm)
Less likely to mute strings by accident and more space for fingerstyle
Bridge
Floyd Rose vs Fixed
Allows intense vibratos and techniques like Dive Bombs
Scale Length
25.5'' (647.7mm) vs 24.75'' (628.7mm)
Lower action and brighter natural tone
Fretboard Radius
13.78'' (350mm) vs 12'' (304.8mm)
Flatter fretboard makes it easier to play single notes and bend
Value Score
74 vs 61
Better price/quality relationship

Other Key Differences
ESP Max Cavalera RPR vs LTD M-1 Custom '87

Body Wood
Mahogany vs Alder
Different Body Wood
Fretboard Wood
Rosewood vs Ebony
Different Fretboard Wood
Nut Material
Bone vs Locking
Different Nut Material

Shared Features
ESP Max Cavalera RPR vs LTD M-1 Custom '87

Bridge Pickup
Seymour Duncan Distortion SH-6
Same Bridge Pickup
Neck Wood
Maple
Same Neck Wood
Headstock
6
Same Headstock
Strings
6
Same playing style
Body Type
Solid Body
Feedback free
Switch Positions
0
Same pickups versatility
Volume Knobs
1
Same volume control
Tone Knobs
0
Same tone control
Pickups
H
Hum-free with more right hand freedom and sustain
Paint Finish
Poly
Resistant paint that ages well
Pickups Power
Passive
Cleaner sound and no battery needed
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
  • High-Quality Nut
  • Top Pickup Brand
  • Expensive Wood

Common Weaknesses

  • Weight Relief
  • Stays in Tune (Evertune)
  • High-Quality Frets
  • Compound Radius Fretboard
  • Luminescent Sidedots
  • Strap Lock
  • 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • Active/Passive Preamp

Table of Contents

Price History Comparison

ESP Max Cavalera RPR Prices

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Which One is Better Overall?

After going through our comparison algorithm, the results show that the ESP Max Cavalera RPR is probably the better product overall with its final score of 76 compared to the ESP LTD M-1 Custom '87's 74 score, although not by a lot.

The ESP Max Cavalera RPR wins when it comes to playability, build quality. On the other hand, the ESP LTD M-1 Custom '87 has the upper hand when it comes to sound, value for the money.

If you got small hands, you'll probably feel more comfortable playing the ESP Max Cavalera RPR.

Which One is Better for Beginners?

If you're looking for your first guitar to learn how to play, the ESP Max Cavalera RPR is the better choice.

The ESP Max Cavalera RPR meets 4 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness, while the ESP LTD M-1 Custom '87 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 Max Cavalera RPR
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Tall frets
  • Narrow nut
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable shape
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Short scale
  • Locking tuners

New Player Friendliness

ESP LTD M-1 Custom '87
  • Comfortable shape
  • Tall frets
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Narrow nut
  • 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 Max Cavalera RPR Overview

  • From ESP's 2017 Signature series
  • Max Cavalera Signature
  • Made in Japan
  • 6 strings
  • 24.75"'' scale
  • 12" Fretboard Radius
  • Mahogany body
  • 3pc Maple neck
  • Rosewood fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: Seymour Duncan Distortion SH-6 (Humbucker/Passive)
  • 1 volume and 0 tone Dome knobs
  • Tonepros Locking TOM & Tailpiece bridge
  • Thin U Neck-Through neck
  • 22 XL Jumbo frets
  • Gotoh tuners
  • Compare Specs >

ESP LTD M-1 Custom '87 Overview

  • From ESP LTD's 2020 '87 Series Guitars series
  • Made in Indonesia
  • 6 strings
  • 25.5"'' scale
  • 13.78" Fretboard Radius
  • Alder body
  • 3pc Maple neck
  • Macassar Ebony fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: Seymour Duncan Distortion SH-6 (Humbucker/Passive)
  • 1 volume and 0 tone Dome knobs
  • Floyd Rose 1000 bridge
  • Extra Thin U Neck-Through neck
  • 24 XL Jumbo frets
  • LTD 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 Max Cavalera RPR

Rosewood wood pattern used for guitar building
Rosewood
Mahogany wood pattern used for guitar building
Mahogany

Rosewood is an almost purple-looking wood that is used mainly for fretboards since it's heavy, rare, and expensive. It's sometimes used on acoustic guitar bodies to create stronger warm tones. Find out more about Rosewood.

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 M-1 Custom '87

Ebony wood pattern used for guitar building
Ebony
Alder wood pattern used for guitar building
Alder

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.

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 Max Cavalera RPR.

Pickup Configuration

Both pickup configurations are H. 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 Max Cavalera RPR 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 Max Cavalera RPR's and use them on any guitar:

We found the same or similar pickups to the ESP LTD M-1 Custom '87's online:

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: ESP Max Cavalera RPR.

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 M-1 Custom '87 comes with some kind of pickup modification: Coil Split, Boost.

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.

A Boost will give your pickups more output, similar to an active pickup. It's great if you like to use a lot of output for heavy genres, but also like to use a cleaner tone often.

In this case, both of them lack pickup selector.

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 M-1 Custom '87.

Final Sound Quality Scores

ESP Max Cavalera RPR
Pickups 90
Sustain 85
Versatility 37
Tuning Stability 70
Sound 71
ESP LTD M-1 Custom '87
Pickups 85
Sustain 80
Versatility 67
Tuning Stability 85
Sound 79

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 Max Cavalera RPR compares to the ESP LTD M-1 Custom '87.

Country of Origin

The manufacturing country can tell a lot about the build quality of an instrument. The ESP Max Cavalera RPR is built in Japan while the ESP LTD M-1 Custom '87 is made in Indonesia.

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.

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: ESP Max Cavalera RPR

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 Max Cavalera RPR 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 M-1 Custom '87 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.

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 Max Cavalera RPR'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 M-1 Custom '87'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 M-1 Custom '87.

Tuners

Both come with regular tuners. The ESP Max Cavalera RPR's are Gotoh while the ESP LTD M-1 Custom '87's are 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.

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 Max Cavalera RPR
  • Made in Japan
  • Expensive Wood
  • Bone Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Neck-Through Build
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • 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 M-1 Custom '87
  • Expensive Wood
  • Locking Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Neck-Through Build
  • Coil Split, Boost 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 Max Cavalera RPR
Quality of materials 61
Features 60
Quality Control 100
Build Quality 74
ESP LTD M-1 Custom '87
Quality of materials 41
Features 80
Quality Control 75
Build Quality 65

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 Max Cavalera RPR Nut Width
ESP Max Cavalera RPR Nut Width
ESP LTD M-1 Custom '87 Nut Width
ESP LTD M-1 Custom '87 Nut Width

The nut width will affect the separation between strings at the nut. In this comparison, the ESP LTD M-1 Custom '87 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 ESP LTD M-1 Custom '87, 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 Max Cavalera RPR's Scale Length
ESP Max Cavalera RPR's Scale Length
ESP LTD M-1 Custom '87's Scale Length
ESP LTD M-1 Custom '87'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 M-1 Custom '87 has the longest scale: 25.5". The ESP Max Cavalera RPR 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 Max Cavalera RPR Neck Profile
ESP Max Cavalera RPR's neck profile
ESP LTD M-1 Custom '87 Neck Profile
ESP LTD M-1 Custom '87'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 Max Cavalera RPR and the ESP LTD M-1 Custom '87 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 Max Cavalera RPR Fingerboard Radius
ESP Max Cavalera RPR's Fingerboard radius
ESP LTD M-1 Custom '87 Fingerboard Radius
ESP LTD M-1 Custom '87'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 Max Cavalera RPR's fingerboard radius is smaller, which means it's more curved than the ESP LTD M-1 Custom '87'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 M-1 Custom '87.

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.

And after taking into account the scale length, nut width, neck profile and fretboard radius, we can conclude that the ESP LTD M-1 Custom '87 favors large hands more than the ESP Max Cavalera RPR.

ESP Max Cavalera RPR:
Big Hands
Small Hands
ESP LTD M-1 Custom '87:
Big Hands
Small Hands

Fret Size

ESP Max Cavalera RPR and ESP LTD M-1 Custom '87 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 Max Cavalera RPR
Bending & Vibrato Ease 95
Chord Playability 75
Solo Playability 80
Playability 83
ESP LTD M-1 Custom '87
Bending & Vibrato Ease 80
Chord Playability 60
Solo Playability 90
Playability 77

Specs Side-by-Side

ESP Max Cavalera RPR vs LTD M-1 Custom '87
General ESP Max Cavalera RPR LTD M-1 Custom '87
Brand: ESP ESP LTD
Year: 2017 2020
Configuration: H H
Strings: 6 6
Made in: Japan Indonesia
Series: Signature '87 Series Guitars
Colors: Black Black, Blue, Red
Left-Handed Version: No No
Body
Type: Solid Body Solid Body
Body Material: Mahogany Alder
Bridge: Tonepros Locking TOM & Tailpiece Floyd Rose 1000
Neck
Neck Joint: Neck-Through Neck-Through
Tuners: Gotoh LTD
Fretboard: Rosewood Macassar Ebony
Neck Material: 3pc Maple 3pc Maple
Decoration: Cavalera Inlays Offset Mini Blocks
Scale Size: 24.75" 25.5"
Shape: Thin U Extra Thin U
Thickness: 1st Fret: 0.787'' (20mm) - 12th Fret: 0.866'' (22mm) 1st Fret: 0.748'' (19mm) - 12th Fret: 0.827'' (21mm)
Frets: 22 XL Jumbo Nickel Silver 24 XL Jumbo Nickel Silver
Fretboard Radius: 12" 13.78"
Nut: Bone Locking
Nut Width: 42mm (1.654'') 43mm (1.693'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickup: Seymour Duncan Distortion SH-6 (Humbucker / Passive) Seymour Duncan Distortion SH-6 (Humbucker / Passive)
Middle Pickup:
Neck Pickup:
Switch: 0 Way 0 Way
Knobs: Dome Dome
Pickup Mods: None Coil Split, Boost
Volume Controls: 1 1
Tone Controls: 0 0