ESP LTD M-1004 - Overview and Best Prices

ESP LTD M-1004 Review
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  • 2 Prices - New from $1,299 >
  • From ESP LTD's 2022 M Basses series
  • Made in Indonesia
  • 4 strings
  • 35"'' scale
  • 15.748" Fretboard Radius
  • Alder body
  • 3pc Maple neck
  • Macassar Ebony fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: Fishman Fluence SB-1 (Humbucker/Active)
  • Neck pickup: Fishman Fluence SB-1 (Humbucker/Active)
  • 2 volume and 1 tone Dome knobs
  • Gotoh 201B-4 bridge
  • Bass Extra Thin U Neck-Through neck
  • 24 XL Jumbo Stainless Steel frets
  • Grover tuners
  • Weight between 9.438lbs (4.3kgs) and 9.813lbs (4.5kgs)
  • Side-By-Side Comparison
Show Specs
ESP LTD M-1004 Specifications
ESP LTD M-1004
General
Brand: ESP LTD
Year: 2022
Configuration: HH
Strings: 4
Made in: Indonesia
Series: M Basses
Colors: Black
Left-Handed Version: No
Body
Type: Solid Body
Body Material: Alder
Bridge: Gotoh 201B-4
Neck
Neck Joint: Neck-Through
Tuners: Grover
Fretboard: Macassar Ebony
Neck Material: 3pc Maple
Decoration: Pearloid Offset Dots
Scale Size: 35"
Shape: Bass Extra Thin U
Frets: 24 XL Jumbo Stainless Steel
Fretboard Radius: 15.748"
Nut: Plastic
Nut Width: 42mm (1.654'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickups: Fishman Fluence SB-1 (Humbucker / Active)
Neck Pickup: Fishman Fluence SB-1 (Humbucker / Active)
Switch: 0
Knobs: Dome
Pickup Mods: Coil Split
Volume Controls: 2
Tone Controls: 1
Hardware
Strap Lock: No
Hardware Color: Black

Our Scores and Tone Evaluation

Playability 82
Sound 82
Build quality 77
Value for money 80
Overall Score 80
Tone Evaluation
  • Heavy Metal
  • Hard Rock
  • Jazz
  • Blues
  • Funk
  • Country
Strengths & Weaknesses
ESP LTD M-1004
  • Stainless Steel Frets
  • Expensive Wood
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Neck-Through Build
  • Coil Split Pickups
  • No Locking Tuners
  • Made in Indonesia
  • No High-Quality Nut
  • No Weight Relief
  • No Luminescent Inlay
  • No Active Preamp
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Retainer Bar
  • No Strap Lock

Price Overview

Its average competitor's price is $550, which means that the ESP LTD M-1004 costs around 136% more than the competition. It might be due to it having additional features, but know that you can find cheaper similar alternatives. This takes into account all instruments of the same category in our database with 4 strings and Fixed bridge that are made in Indonesia.

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User Reviews & Feedback

Not all instruments are created equally. That's why it's important to have different opinions. Here's what our users who have played this instrument say. If you've played it before, help others by voting below!

Weight

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Tuning stability

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Neck speed (thickness)

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Neck access to high frets

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Neck profile shape

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Fret edges

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Pickups noise

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Pickups power

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Hand Size Comfortability

After taking into account the neck profile, scale size, fretboard radius, and nut width, we can conclude that the ESP LTD M-1004's construction favors people with relatively big hands.

Nevertheless, this comes down in the end to personal preference. Make sure you test this bass—or another one with similar characteristics—before buying.

Big Hands
Small Hands

Beginner Friendliness

The ESP LTD M-1004 meets 3 out of our 6 criteria items for beginner friendliness, which means that it's not bad for beginners, but it could be better. 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 to get used to.

New Player Friendliness

ESP LTD M-1004
  • Comfortable shape
  • Tall frets
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Narrow nut
  • Short scale

Videos

LTD Deluxe M-1004 Bass Demo | Dan Saltzman | ESP Guitars
Orbit Culture on the LTD Arrow-1007 Baritone EverTune & More | ESP Guitars
Mike Leon (Soulfly) on the LTD Signature Series MLB-4 | ESP Guitars
ESP LTD PHOENIX-1004 BASS - Badass punchy tones with a hefty amount of Kekkonen.
LTD Phoenix-1004 demo by Jamie Ryan | ESP Guitars
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ESP LTD B-1004 - Demo by Nathan Navarro
Leos Hellscream - Bass Stream (ESP LTD STREAM-1004 BLACK NATURAL BURST)
ESP Black Metal M-4 Bass Guitar Review
ESP LTD Deluxe Phoenix 1004 Bass - Unboxing with my Bullterrier 4K

How Lightweight is it?

We found that the ESP LTD M-1004 weighs between 9.438lbs (4.3kgs) and 9.813lbs (4.5kgs). This was recorded from some online retailers that publish the weight of the instruments they sell.

Playability

Scale Length

Scale length is the distance the strings will span between the bridge and the nut. It can tell you a lot about the overall playability and tone of the instrument. A longer scale length means longer distance between frets, brighter tone and more string tension—which means lower action, but more difficult bending of the strings.

Here's the ESP LTD M-1004's 35" scale length compared to other common sizes:

ESP LTD M-1004 Scale Length Comparison
ESP LTD M-1004's scale length (at the top) compared to other popular sizes

This is considered a long scale bass, and it's the most popular choice for several reasons. Even though it might be more difficult to play than short scale basses due to their increased string tension, their punchier low-end results in a clear and defined bass tone that can cut through in a mix, making them well-suited for genres like rock, metal, and funk.

Neck Profile

ESP LTD M-1004 Neck Profile
ESP LTD M-1004's neck profile

The neck profile tells you the thickness (neck depth) and shape in cross section. Every difference will completely change the feeling and comfortability of the neck. This is a highly subjective thing, but most players indeed prefer certain types of necks (like Cs and Ds) because they feel nice in most hands.

It has a U type neck. This shape usually has more 'shoulders' than a C neck. It's great for guitarists who love the feel of a vintage neck. Most of them are thick, which makes it better for people with big hands. However, some of them can be thin like a C neck but with more mass to the sides for a better grip.

Fretboard Radius

When it comes to fingerboard radius, personal preference will dictate which one is better for you. However, most people seem to agree that a more curved (lower) radius will make it easier to play chords while a less curved (higher) radius is better for soloing and bending.

The ESP LTD M-1004 has a 15.748" fingerboard radius.

Here's an image comparing this fretboard radius to other popular choices:

ESP LTD M-1004 Fretboard Radius Comparison with Fender Stratocaster and Gibson Les Paul
ESP LTD M-1004's fretboard radius compared to others

Compound radius fingerboards give the best of both worlds. Unfortunately, the ESP LTD M-1004 has the same radius across the board.

Playability compared to main competitors

ESP LTD M-1004
This model
35'' Scale Length
U Neck Profile
1.654'' Nut Width
15.748'' Fretboard Radius
35'' Scale Length
U Neck Profile
1.575'' Nut Width
15.748'' Fretboard Radius
35'' Scale Length
U Neck Profile
1.575'' Nut Width
15.748'' Fretboard Radius
35'' Scale Length
U Neck Profile
1.575'' Nut Width
15.748'' Fretboard Radius
35'' Scale Length
U Neck Profile
1.575'' Nut Width
15.748'' Fretboard Radius

Nut Width

ESP LTD M-1004 Nut Width
ESP LTD M-1004 Nut Width

The ESP LTD M-1004 has a nut width of 42mm (1.654''). This is considered a wide width for a 4-string bass. A wider nut provides more space between the strings, making it easier for players to execute techniques like slap bass and tapping, which require extra room for precision. However, players with smaller hands might find it challenging to comfortably reach across the wider fretboard, as it requires a wider stretch between the fingers.

Frets

The ESP LTD M-1004 has 24 frets. A lot of people mistakenly believe that having more frets will always be better because it gives you a higher octave. This is certainly an advantage, but there's also a disadvantage to this.

Since the fretboard will be longer, the neck pickup will need to be placed closer to the bridge. And as you may know, the further away the neck pickup is from the bridge, the warmer it sounds. This means you'll have a brighter-sounding neck pickup when using a 24-fret bass, even if you use the same pickup on a 22-fret bass.

Finally, these are stainless steel frets. They're the best fretwire available. This means you won't need to change your frets since they should last as long as your bass. Some people also feel easier bendings after swapping to stainless steel.

Fret Size

ESP LTD M-1004 Fret Size Comparison
ESP LTD M-1004's fret size (in orange) compared to other popular sizes

Finally, let's talk about fret size. Some people prefer tall frets because it's easier to press the strings and perform bends since there's less friction against the fretboard. On the other hand, some people like shorter frets because they like to touch the fretboard when playing, or because they got heavy hands and tend to press too much on the string and alter the of the note pitch accidently.

The ESP LTD M-1004's frets are XL Jumbo size. These are extra-large frets, which are perfect for people who truly want the least resistance for techniques like vibrato, bending, tapping, and just playing fast in general. You won't be able to feel the fretboard with these frets, so if you press too hard you'll get the notes out of pitch. It might take a while to get used to them because of this.

Playability Score

Bending & Vibrato Ease 85
Chord Playability 70
Solo Playability 90
Playability 82

Tone

Wood will have little influence in the final tone of an electric guitar or bass. Instead, the hardware, especially the pickups, will be the most important thing to look at. Bur first, let's see the quality of the wood.

Wood

Alder wood pattern used for guitar building
Alder Body
Maple wood pattern used for guitar building
Maple Neck
Ebony wood pattern used for guitar building
Ebony Fretboard

Alder Body: This is a lightweight type of wood that was popularized by Fender. According to them, it's a wood that offers a balanced tone but that favors the upper midrange slightly.

Maple Neck: This is one of the most popular types of wood used in all kinds of guitars. It's heavy, strong and compact, which makes it great for necks. However, it's also used for fretboards, bodies and tops due to its light color, resistance and beautiful patterns. When it comes to tone, it highlights the mid and high frequencies.

Ebony Fretboard: This is one of the most expensive woods there is, which is why it's mostly used for fretboards. It is dense, heavy, highly resistant and comes in a really dark color that gives any guitar a classy touch. Tone wise, it helps the high side of the spectrum and provides good sustain.

Pickups

This bass comes with pickups from one of the top brands: Fishman. So you can expect well built pickups with great sound that shouldn't need an upgrade anytime soon.

These are active pickups, so you can expect a lot of output with a highly compressed signal that will give your tones more distortion while retaining a clear, defined sound, which is what many Heavy Metal players need. However, they have the disadvantage of sometimes lacking a fully clean sound when playing without distortion.

Preamp

The preamp is an electronic circuit that serves as an intermediary between the bass's pickups and the amplifier. Its primary function is to boost and shape the bass's raw signal before it reaches the amplifier. This allows for greater control over the bass's tone, volume, and other sound characteristics. Preamps often include tone controls, equalization settings, and sometimes even onboard effects, enabling bassists to tailor their sound to their preferences and the musical context.

This bass has a Passive preamp. A bass with a passive preamp lacks an onboard electronic circuit for tone shaping and signal boosting. Instead, it relies solely on passive pickups and basic tone controls, typically consisting of volume and tone knobs. Passive preamps don't require an external power source like batteries, making them low-maintenance and dependable. While they offer a simpler and more straightforward tonal character, passive basses are appreciated for their warm and vintage sound, often favored in genres like classic rock, blues, and funk. They are an excellent choice for musicians who value the simplicity and timeless appeal of their instrument's tone without the need for active electronic components.

The ESP LTD M-1004's configuration is HH. With this pickup combination, you'll get warmer tones and more output than using single coils. Humbucker pickups cancel the noise that single-coil suffer from, which also results in a warmer tone. This pickup combination isn't only for high-gain music like Hard Rock or Heavy Metal. Their warmness is also popular for Jazz, Indie, R&B, Blues and more.

More with the same pickups

ESP LTD M-1004
This model
24 Frets
Fixed Bridge
Fishman Fluence SB-1 Bridge Pickup
Fishman Fluence SB-1 Neck Pickup
24 Frets
Fixed Bridge
Fishman Fluence SB-1 Bridge Pickup
Neck Pickup
21 Frets
Fixed Bridge
Fishman Fluence SB-1 Bridge Pickup
Fishman Fluence SB-1 Neck Pickup

Versatility

It has a Coil Split option. It allows you to 'split' or turn off pickup coils to get even more tones in combination with the pickup selector. When used with humbucker pickups, it'll reduce the output and increase their clarity, turning them essentially into single-coil pickups.

What music genre is it good for?

As a 4 strings, Solid Body bass with HH configuration and Active pickups, we'd recommend it for genres like Heavy Metal or similar. However, you can use almost any bass for any genre. This is just the typical type of music for this particular one.

Sound Score

Pickups 85
Sustain 85
Versatility 82
Tuning Stability 75
Sound 82

Build Quality

Country of Origin

Knowing where the instrument is produced is a good way to know how well it's built. Some manufacturing countries are known for having higher quality standards. For example, most expensive instruments are made in the US or Japan, but there are some exceptionally great countries—like South Korea—that are building a good reputation.

The ESP LTD M-1004 is made in Indonesia. Many people prefer the quality of an Indonesian guitar over a Chinese. Respectable brands like Epiphone, Ibanez and Schecter are building in this country because of the great quality and lower price. Some people like to compare them to the ones built in Japan during the 80s, when Japanese guitar makers made a name for themselves.

Bridge

Gotoh 201B-4: The advantage of fixed bridges is that they don't require any kind of set-up. This makes it extremely easy when changing strings because you don't need to adjust anything besides tuning the guitar. Also, the fact that the bridge is directly attached to the body will help to increase sustain. The disadvantage is the lack of versatility since you can't create the same vibrato effects as with tremolo bridges.

Nut Material

Another important thing to analyze is the nut material, as it's one of the most important aspects that can affect the sound and playability of your bass. A well-cut nut will make sure it stays in tune and will make it more comfortable to play.

In this case, the ESP LTD M-1004 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.

Neck Joint

The neck joint is the part where the neck of the bass meets the body. There are three main techniques to attach both parts together: Set-In, Bolt-On and Neck-Through. The latter two provide different advantages, although neck-throughs are the most expensive.

This bass has a Neck-Through neck joint. Many people believe a neck-through build delivers the best sustain because some of the vibrations from the neck aren't lost like with other neck joints. However, no one has been able to prove this. What we know is that a neck-through build is usually the most comfortable when playing the upper frets because there's nothing on your way at the neck-body joint.

Build Quality Score

Quality of materials 71
Features 85
Quality Control 75
Build Quality 77