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Solar A2.6FRW
ESP LTD MH-200
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Playability
73
Sound
79
Build
57
Value
75
Score
70
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Playability
77
Sound
75
Build
60
Value
76
Score
71
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Solar A2.6FRW vs LTD MH-200

Reasons to Get
Solar A2.6FRW over LTD MH-200

Release Year
2019 vs 2013
From a more recent year
Neck Profile
Solar C Shape vs Thin U
Comfortable neck that works for most people
Pickups Brand
Duncan Solar vs None
Pickups from a renown brand
Switch Positions
5 vs 3
More tone options
Nut Width
1.693'' (43mm) vs 1.654'' (42mm)
Less likely to mute strings by accident and more space for fingerstyle

Reasons to Get
ESP LTD MH-200 over Solar A2.6FRW

Retainer Bar
Yes vs None
Assists you so tuning doesn't change when locking the nut
Neck Profile
Thin U vs Solar C Shape
Comfortable neck with more grip
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
Nut Width
1.654'' (42mm) vs 1.693'' (43mm)
Favors small hands, easier bar chords and other shapes
Value Score
76 vs 75
Better price/quality relationship

Other Key Differences
Solar A2.6FRW vs LTD MH-200

Bridge Pickup
Duncan Solar/Bridge vs ESP Designed LH-150B
Different Bridge Pickup
Neck Pickup
Duncan Solar vs ESP Designed LH-150N
Different Neck Pickup
Fretboard Wood
Ebony vs Jatoba
Different Fretboard Wood
Headstock
R6 vs 6
Different Headstock

Shared Features
Solar A2.6FRW vs LTD MH-200

Body Wood
Mahogany
Same Body Wood
Neck Wood
Maple
Same Neck Wood
Nut Material
Locking
Same Nut Material
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
Neck Thickness at 1st Fret
0.787'' (20mm)
Same neck comfortability
Neck Thickness at 12th Fret
0.866'' (22mm)
Same neck comfortability
Paint Finish
Poly
Resistant paint that ages well
Bridge
Floyd Rose
Allows intense vibratos and techniques like Dive Bombs
Scale Length
25.5'' (647.7mm)
Same string tension and fret separation
Fretboard Radius
13.78'' (350mm)
Same fretboard comfortability
Pickups Power
Passive
Cleaner sound and no battery needed
Type of Frets
XL Jumbo
You won't feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings

Common Strengths

  • High-Quality Nut
  • 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
  • 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 Solar A2.6FRW's 70 score, although not by a lot.

The ESP LTD MH-200 wins when it comes to playability, build quality, value for the money. On the other hand, the Solar A2.6FRW has the upper hand when it comes to sound.

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 MH-200 is the better choice.

The ESP LTD MH-200 meets 4 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness, while the Solar A2.6FRW 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

Solar A2.6FRW
  • Comfortable shape
  • Tall frets
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Narrow nut
  • Short scale
  • Locking tuners
  • Easy-to-use bridge

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

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.

Solar A2.6FRW Overview

  • From Solar's 2019 Type A series
  • Made in Indonesia
  • 6 strings
  • 25.5"'' scale
  • 13.78" Fretboard Radius
  • Mahogany body
  • Maple neck
  • Ebony fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: Duncan Solar/Bridge (Humbucker/Passive)
  • Neck pickup: Duncan Solar (Humbucker/Passive)
  • 1 volume and 1 tone Dome knobs
  • 5-way Switch
  • Floyd Rose Special bridge
  • Solar C Shape Set neck
  • 24 XL Jumbo frets
  • Solar 18:1 tuners
  • Compare Specs >

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 >

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 Solar A2.6FRW

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 MH-200

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: Solar A2.6FRW.

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

The Solar A2.6FRW has pickups from a more specialized brand than the ESP LTD MH-200. Its pickups should simply give you a better, fuller sound, although it all depends on what type of music you're going to play. We recommend these pickups for Hard Rock and similar genres.

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: Solar A2.6FRW.

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 Solar A2.6FRW gives you 5 switch options while the ESP LTD MH-200 gives you 3. This means that the Solar A2.6FRW 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.

Solar A2.6FRW pickups switch selector and push knobs diagram
Solar A2.6FRW's switch options
ESP LTD MH-200 pickups switch and push knobs diagram
ESP LTD MH-200'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

Solar A2.6FRW
Pickups 85
Sustain 80
Versatility 67
Tuning Stability 85
Sound 79
ESP LTD MH-200
Pickups 55
Sustain 80
Versatility 79
Tuning Stability 85
Sound 75

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 Solar A2.6FRW compares to the ESP LTD MH-200.

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.

In this case, both have Locking nuts. 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.

However, only the ESP LTD MH-200 has a retainer bar for the locking nut, which is a helpful addition. Without it, the Solar A2.6FRW's strings will change pitch once you lock down the nut, so you'll have to make more micro-adjustments at the bridge to tune it correctly.

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.

Both come with a similar bridge: 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: Tie.

Tuners

Both come with regular tuners. The Solar A2.6FRW's are Solar 18:1 while the ESP LTD MH-200'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.

The Solar A2.6FRW 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-200 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-200.

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

Strengths & Weaknesses
Solar A2.6FRW
  • Expensive Wood
  • Locking Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Tremolo
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • Made in Indonesia
  • No Neck-Through Build
  • No Push Knob or Extra Switch Option
  • No Weight Relief
  • No Luminescent Inlay
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Retainer Bar
  • No Strap Lock
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

Final Build Quality Scores

Solar A2.6FRW
Quality of materials 41
Features 60
Quality Control 70
Build Quality 57
ESP LTD MH-200
Quality of materials 41
Features 70
Quality Control 70
Build Quality 60

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

Solar A2.6FRW Nut Width
Solar A2.6FRW Nut Width
ESP LTD MH-200 Nut Width
ESP LTD MH-200 Nut Width

The nut width will affect the separation between strings at the nut. In this comparison, the Solar A2.6FRW 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 Solar A2.6FRW, especially closer to the nut. However, it's also easier to play without muting strings accidently. This favors people with big hands.

Scale Length

Solar A2.6FRW and ESP LTD MH-200'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

Solar A2.6FRW Neck Profile
Solar A2.6FRW's neck profile
ESP LTD MH-200 Neck Profile
ESP LTD MH-200'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 Solar A2.6FRW has a C type of neck. This is what you'll find in most modern guitars. Most people feel like the thickness of a C neck is simply the less intrusive one for playing fast, while at the same time allowing you to grab the neck easily for resting if you want to.

The ESP LTD MH-200, on the other hand, has a U 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

Solar A2.6FRW 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 Solar A2.6FRW and the ESP LTD MH-200 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 .

Solar A2.6FRW:
Big Hands
Small Hands
ESP LTD MH-200:
Big Hands
Small Hands

Fret Size

Solar A2.6FRW and ESP LTD MH-200 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

Solar A2.6FRW
Bending & Vibrato Ease 80
Chord Playability 50
Solo Playability 90
Playability 73
ESP LTD MH-200
Bending & Vibrato Ease 80
Chord Playability 70
Solo Playability 80
Playability 77

Specs Side-by-Side

Solar A2.6FRW vs LTD MH-200
General Solar A2.6FRW LTD MH-200
Brand: Solar ESP LTD
Year: 2019 2013
Configuration: HH HH
Strings: 6 6
Made in: Indonesia Indonesia
Series: Type A MH
Colors: White Matte Black
Left-Handed Version: No Yes
Body
Type: Solid Body Solid Body
Body Material: Mahogany Mahogany
Bridge: Floyd Rose Special LTD by Floyd Rose
Neck
Neck Joint: Set Bolt-On
Tuners: Solar 18:1 LTD
Fretboard: Ebony Roasted Jatoba
Neck Material: Maple Maple
Decoration: Solar Logo on 12th Fret Offset Blocks
Scale Size: 25.5" 25.5"
Shape: Solar C Shape 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: Locking Locking
Nut Width: 43mm (1.693'') 42mm (1.654'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickup: Duncan Solar/Bridge (Humbucker / Passive) ESP Designed LH-150B (Humbucker / Passive)
Middle Pickup:
Neck Pickup: Duncan Solar (Humbucker / Passive) ESP Designed LH-150N (Humbucker / Passive)
Switch: 5 Way 3 Way
Knobs: Dome Dome
Pickup Mods: None Coil Split
Volume Controls: 1 1
Tone Controls: 1 1