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Solar A2.7W
ESP LTD BUZ-7
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Playability
75
Sound
73
Build
54
Value
72
Score
67
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Playability
77
Sound
81
Build
72
Value
72
Score
77
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Solar A2.7W vs LTD BUZ-7

Reasons to Get
Solar A2.7W over LTD BUZ-7

Release Year
2018 vs 2013
From a more recent year
Neck Profile
Solar C Shape vs Extra Thin Flat
Comfortable neck that works for most people
Switch Positions
5 vs 3
More tone options
Tone Knobs
1 vs 0
More tone control
Neck Thickness at 1st Fret
0.787'' (20mm) vs 0.724'' (18.4mm)
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
Bridge
Fixed vs Floyd Rose
Good sustain and needs no set-up
Scale Length
26.5'' (673.1mm) vs 25.5'' (647.7mm)
Lower action and brighter natural tone
Pickups Power
Passive vs Active
Cleaner sound and no battery needed

Reasons to Get
ESP LTD BUZ-7 over Solar A2.7W

Decorative Top
Quilted Maple vs None
Finished with beautiful natural wood patterns
Neck Profile
Extra Thin Flat vs Solar C Shape
Thin and flat neck for playing fast
Nut Material
Locking vs Graphite
Best tuning stability for intense tremolo usage
Pickup Mods
Multi-Voicing vs None
Changes the voice (tones or gain) of the pickups
Neck Joint
Neck-Through vs Set
Stronger neck and easier access to upper frets
Neck Thickness at 1st Fret
0.724'' (18.4mm) 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
Bridge
Floyd Rose vs Fixed
Allows intense vibratos and techniques like Dive Bombs
Scale Length
25.5'' (647.7mm) vs 26.5'' (673.1mm)
Easier bending, shorter fret separation and warmer natural tone
Pickups Power
Active vs Passive
More output

Other Key Differences
Solar A2.7W vs LTD BUZ-7

Bridge Pickup
Duncan Solar/Bridge vs Fishman Fluence SRC Signature
Different Bridge Pickup
Neck Pickup
Duncan Solar vs Fishman Fluence SRC Signature
Different Neck Pickup
Body Wood
Mahogany vs Alder
Different Body Wood
Fretboard Wood
Maple vs Ebony
Different Fretboard Wood
Nut Material
Graphite vs Locking
Different Nut Material

Shared Features
Solar A2.7W vs LTD BUZ-7

Neck Wood
Maple
Same Neck Wood
Headstock
R7
Same Headstock
Strings
7
Same playing style
Body Type
Solid Body
Feedback free
Volume Knobs
1
Same volume control
Pickups
HH
High output without hum
Number of Frets
24
Same maximum octave
Nut Width
1.89'' (48mm)
Same string separation at the nut
Paint Finish
Poly
Resistant paint that ages well
Fretboard Radius
15.75'' (400.1mm)
Same fretboard comfortability
Type of Frets
XL Jumbo
You won't feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings

Common Strengths

  • Top Pickup Brand
  • 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

SET PRICE ALERT
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 BUZ-7 is probably the better product overall with its final score of 77 compared to the Solar A2.7W's 67 score, which is a significant difference.

The ESP LTD BUZ-7 wins when it comes to sound, playability, build quality. On the other hand, the Solar A2.7W has the upper hand when it comes to.

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 Solar A2.7W is the better choice.

The Solar A2.7W meets 4 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness, while the ESP LTD BUZ-7 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 A2.7W
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Tall frets
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Narrow nut
  • Short scale
  • Locking tuners

New Player Friendliness

ESP LTD BUZ-7
  • 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.

Solar A2.7W Overview

  • From Solar's 2018 Type A series
  • Made in Indonesia
  • 7 strings
  • 26.5"'' scale
  • 15.75" Fretboard Radius
  • Mahogany body
  • Maple neck
  • Maple fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: Duncan Solar/Bridge (Humbucker/Passive)
  • Neck pickup: Duncan Solar (Humbucker/Passive)
  • 1 volume and 1 tone Dome knobs
  • 5-way Switch
  • Fixed Bridge bridge
  • Solar C Shape Set neck
  • 24 XL Jumbo frets
  • Solar 18:1 tuners
  • Compare Specs >

ESP LTD BUZ-7 Overview

  • From ESP LTD's 2013 Signature series
  • Buz McGrath Signature
  • Made in Indonesia
  • 7 strings
  • 25.5"'' scale
  • 15.75" Fretboard Radius
  • Quilted Maple top
  • Alder body
  • 5pc Maple/Walnut neck
  • Macassar Ebony fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: Fishman Fluence SRC Signature (Humbucker/Active)
  • Neck pickup: Fishman Fluence SRC Signature (Humbucker/Active)
  • 1 volume and 0 tone Dome knobs
  • 3-way Switch
  • Floyd Rose 1000 bridge
  • Extra Thin Flat 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 Solar A2.7W

Mahogany wood pattern used for guitar building
Mahogany

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 BUZ-7

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: 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.

We found the same or similar pickups to the ESP LTD BUZ-7's online:

The Solar A2.7W's pickups are Passive while the ESP LTD BUZ-7'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: 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 Solar A2.7W gives you 5 switch options while the ESP LTD BUZ-7 gives you 3. This means that the Solar A2.7W gives you more options to find the right pickup combination for the type of sound you want to achieve

Only the ESP LTD BUZ-7 comes with some kind of pickup modification: 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.

Solar A2.7W pickups switch selector and push knobs diagram
Solar A2.7W's switch options
ESP LTD BUZ-7 pickups switch and push knobs diagram
ESP LTD BUZ-7'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 BUZ-7.

Final Sound Quality Scores

Solar A2.7W
Pickups 85
Sustain 80
Versatility 57
Tuning Stability 70
Sound 73
ESP LTD BUZ-7
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 Solar A2.7W compares to the ESP LTD BUZ-7.

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 Solar A2.7W has a Graphite nut. It's a self-lubricating material that will allow the strings to slide over the nut without a lot of friction. It's a good type of nut if you want to have better tuning stability than with plastic, although it's not as resistant as Bone or Tusq.

On the other hand, the ESP LTD BUZ-7 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 BUZ-7.

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 Solar A2.7W'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 BUZ-7'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 BUZ-7.

Tuners

Both come with regular tuners. The Solar A2.7W's are Solar 18:1 while the ESP LTD BUZ-7'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 Solar A2.7W 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 BUZ-7 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 BUZ-7.

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

Strengths & Weaknesses
Solar A2.7W
  • Expensive Wood
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • Made in Indonesia
  • No High-Quality Nut
  • 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 BUZ-7
  • 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

Solar A2.7W
Quality of materials 41
Features 50
Quality Control 70
Build Quality 54
ESP LTD BUZ-7
Quality of materials 55
Features 80
Quality Control 80
Build Quality 72

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 A2.7W 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 48mm (1.89'').

This is considered a wide width for a 7-string guitar. It gives your fingers the extra space you need to play without muting accidentally, but this also makes bar chords harder to perform, especially if you have small hands.

Scale Length

Solar A2.7W's Scale Length
Solar A2.7W's Scale Length
ESP LTD BUZ-7's Scale Length
ESP LTD BUZ-7'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 Solar A2.7W has the longest scale: 26.5". The ESP LTD BUZ-7 is only 25.5" long. This is a 1'' (25.4mm) 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

Solar A2.7W Neck Profile
Solar A2.7W's neck profile
ESP LTD BUZ-7 Neck Profile
ESP LTD BUZ-7'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 A2.7W 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 BUZ-7, on the other hand, has a D neck. This is a thin and flat neck that is made for playing fast. If you prefer a neck that doesn't get in your way when soloing, this is the shape you should use. Guitarists that prefer to have a bit more grip won't like this type of neck.

Fretboard Radius

Solar A2.7W 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 A2.7W and the ESP LTD BUZ-7 have the same fretboard radius of 15.75". It's a radius that makes playing single notes (and bending, vibrato, sliding, etc) easier than on a classic Les Paul guitar. However, it's still more curved than some baritone and 7+ strings guitars.

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 are balanced for most hand sizes.

Solar A2.7W:
Big Hands
Small Hands
ESP LTD BUZ-7:
Big Hands
Small Hands

Fret Size

Solar A2.7W and ESP LTD BUZ-7 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 A2.7W
Bending & Vibrato Ease 85
Chord Playability 50
Solo Playability 90
Playability 75
ESP LTD BUZ-7
Bending & Vibrato Ease 80
Chord Playability 50
Solo Playability 100
Playability 77

Specs Side-by-Side

Solar A2.7W vs LTD BUZ-7
General Solar A2.7W LTD BUZ-7
Brand: Solar ESP LTD
Year: 2018 2013
Configuration: HH HH
Strings: 7 7
Made in: Indonesia Indonesia
Series: Type A Signature
Colors: White Matte Black
Left-Handed Version: No No
Body
Type: Solid Body Solid Body
Body Material: Mahogany Alder
Bridge: Fixed Bridge Floyd Rose 1000
Neck
Neck Joint: Set Neck-Through
Tuners: Solar 18:1 Grover
Fretboard: Maple Macassar Ebony
Neck Material: Maple 5pc Maple/Walnut
Decoration: Solar Logo on 12th Fret Offset Dots
Scale Size: 26.5" 25.5"
Shape: Solar C Shape Extra Thin Flat
Thickness: 1st Fret: 0.787'' (20mm) - 12th Fret: 0.866'' (22mm) 1st Fret: 0.724'' (18.4mm) - 12th Fret: 0.827'' (21mm)
Frets: 24 XL Jumbo Nickel Silver 24 XL Jumbo Nickel Silver
Fretboard Radius: 15.75" 15.75"
Nut: Graphite Locking
Nut Width: 48mm (1.89'') 48mm (1.89'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickup: Duncan Solar/Bridge (Humbucker / Passive) Fishman Fluence SRC Signature (Humbucker / Active)
Middle Pickup:
Neck Pickup: Duncan Solar (Humbucker / Passive) Fishman Fluence SRC Signature (Humbucker / Active)
Switch: 5 Way 3 Way
Knobs: Dome Dome
Pickup Mods: None Multi-Voicing
Volume Controls: 1 1
Tone Controls: 1 0