Yesterday i dropped into the Pawn shop that i occasionally haunt looking for guitar pedals to modify and low and behold there was a brand new looking LTD M400.(made in Korea)
It was in perfect shape with little or no dings, chips, no fretware.It looked like the guy had never really played it and even had the plastic protection and US inspection tag's on it.

I have been wanting to buy a guitar with a Flod Rose locking trem to learn how to use and muck around with.so i bought it for $400 CDN the regular list is $895.But i dont know much about the ESP or LTD line of guitars, are there any other players on here that have had ESP's Or Ltd's that can fill me in on how good or not good they are?.

here's the spec's and picture of it.

M-400

Set-Thru
25.5” Scale

Alder Body

Maple Neck
Rosewood Fingerboard

Locking Nut
43mm Neck Width

Extra Thin U Neck Contour

24 XJ Frets

Black Nickel Hardware

Grover Tuners

Double-Locking Bridge

EMG 81 (B&N) Active p.u.

Finish: BLK

I have been wanting to buy a guitar with a Flod Rose locking trem to learn how to use and muck around with.so i bought it for $400 CDN the regular list is $895.But i dont know much about the ESP or LTD line of guitars, are there any other players on here that have had ESP's Or Ltd's that can fill me in on how good or not good they are?.


Dude,..that's a beauty man! I don't own one,..but I hear they are great guitars! You got a real good deal man and good luck with it. It's badass....
:bowdown:
Johnny

you got a gr8 deal there stunning guitar with 2 X EMG 81's...for 400 CDN....nice find mate

they are lovely guitars and the pups will be scorching:) :boobies:

you got a gr8 deal there stunning guitar with 2 X EMG 81's...for 400 CDN....nice find mate

they are lovely guitars and the pups will be scorching:) :boobies:

Thanks Macman:)
I am not sure about the EMG 81's...have not used EMG's since 1986.Are the 81's pretty good pup's?.The neck sure feels nice on this guitar very fast and thin, the frets are not too wide and have good vintage style Dunlop height.What supprized me was the finish quality really well done and attention to binding and detail.

park

I remember a guy I used to jam with had an LTD (no idea what model) and it played and sounded really good, I couldn't do it justice but made it scream!

One VERY important thing to keep in mind when it's time for a string change is to replace each string one at a time, my buddy used to just cut all of his off and then spend hours trying to get the floating bridge to sit correctly again.

One VERY important thing to keep in mind when it's time for a string change is to replace each string one at a time, my buddy used to just cut all of his off and then spend hours trying to get the floating bridge to sit correctly again.


He's right man,..one at a time!

Johnny

I had a LTD FM 200 Viper (SG) I thought it was a quality guitar. It had the EMG HZ's (passive) humbuckers. Matter of fact there's some videos in the video section here of axegrindinlefty playin a LTD Viper 400 model. check it out. When changin strings on the floyds I just wedge a regular pencil under the back of the bridge then remove the strings. when I restring it and tune it I can slide the pencil right out. works like a charm. One string at a time isnt a bad idea either. I just find it harder to clean the fretboard and such doing it one at a time.:tard:

I had a LTD FM 200 Viper (SG) I thought it was a quality guitar. It had the EMG HZ's (passive) humbuckers. Matter of fact there's some videos in the video section here of axegrindinlefty playin a LTD Viper 400 model. check it out. When changin strings on the floyds I just wedge a regular pencil under the back of the bridge then remove the strings. when I restring it and tune it I can slide the pencil right out. works like a charm. One string at a time isnt a bad idea either. I just find it harder to clean the fretboard and such doing it one at a time.:tard:


Thanks for the Tip's Mainline.
I changed the strings 2 at a time due to the locking nut, but the damm thing wont stay in tune after i fine tune it to pitch:maddance: .Now i know why i have avoided these contraptions all my playing life.Its FN driving me crazy.

I have tried to get this thing in tune 3 times now and changed all the strings as well.Then i see videos of guys holding their guitars by the trem arm and shaking them and their guitar is still in tune.....but i do one dive bomb and my guitar sounds like a heard of mongoloid elephants with turrets syndrome singing Boogie With Stu.

I will give my guitar tech a call and have him work on it then if it still does not hold tune.......Chopstick's

Thanks again for the tips
Parker

I will give my guitar tech a call and have him work on it then if it still does not hold tune.......Chopstick's

Thanks again for the tips
Parker[/QUOTE]


Parker, before you turn that nice guitar into chopsticks spare a thought for all the less fortunate who would like to own it. i.e me!. Id give it a good home, never dive bomb it, polish it every day and make it stay in tune by never using the trem at all (it would be just for show). A guitar is for life not just for christmas! (hee hee). :lol:

Seriously nice looking guitar mate. Sorry i cant help in the tuning problem, i wouldnt know one of those bar/ trem things if someone threw one at me in disgust. Hope it works out for you!!

This lad uses the ESP LTD Viper, if they're good enough for him they're good enough for anyone. :thumb:

You know you should always "tune up" when tuning a Floyd. If you over tune by going sharp you have to detune all the string and start again.

I do it this way :

Starting with all strings slack and lock nut is off
Fine tuners should be 1/3 of the way down in their screws
Springs at the back is crucial. Trem plate should be level (horizontal) with the body once it's tuned up. So tune it first, if it's low or high, then adjust the springs in the back. Then detune all strings, and start again in this order...
:-

Tune up Top E (High E)
Tune up B, then Top E
Tune up G, B then Top E
Tune up D, G, B, Then Top E
Tune up A, D, G, B, Then Top E
Tune up E, A,D, G, B then Top E

This lad uses the ESP LTD Viper, if they're good enough for him they're good enough for anyone. :thumb:

Thanks Unraveled this made me feel much better about my purchase:tard:
Now i see what open tuning does to a person....it reverts them back to caveman status.Well i guess it worked fo megadeath and metalica.


ok so where do i get the standard issue Neanderthal suit, if thats what it takes to use a ESP/LTD i'm in!


Park

You know you should always "tune up" when tuning a Floyd. If you over tune by going sharp you have to detune all the string and start again.

I do it this way :

Starting with all strings slack and lock nut is off
Fine tuners should be 1/3 of the way down in their screws
Springs at the back is crucial. Trem plate should be level (horizontal) with the body once it's tuned up. So tune it first, if it's low or high, then adjust the springs in the back. Then detune all strings, and start again in this order...
:-

Tune up Top E (High E)
Tune up B, then Top E
Tune up G, B then Top E
Tune up D, G, B, Then Top E
Tune up A, D, G, B, Then Top E
Tune up E, A,D, G, B then Top E



Hello Hanz

I dont want to sound like a neophyte but.....why is it necessary to tune in the order that you suggeted.
I am interested because when i tunned to pitch then locked it off ,i found i had to keep fine tunning to the point that the small fine tunners where almost screwed completly down?.then once that happened i still had to retune because it was out but found i couldn't tune further because the tuners would not go down any more....does this any sense what i have just said?.

These FN Floyds are confusing:maddance:

P.S thanks again for the funny B day post and the Cake.

Parkie

When I tune my floyds I always tune them a little flat then when the nut is locked it sharpens everything. Then you can use the fine tuners. hope that makes sense and helps.:wtf:

Hello Hanz

I dont want to sound like a neophyte but.....why is it necessary to tune in the order that you suggeted.
I am interested because when i tunned to pitch then locked it off ,i found i had to keep fine tunning to the point that the small fine tunners where almost screwed completly down?.then once that happened i still had to retune because it was out but found i couldn't tune further because the tuners would not go down any more....does this any sense what i have just said?.

These FN Floyds are confusing:maddance:

P.S thanks again for the funny B day post and the Cake.

Parkie

Parker .... don't use the fine tuners, or clamp the strings at the nut until you're already as close as possible to being perfectly in tune from using the headstock tuners. If your strings go sharp (or even flat as mine do sometimes???!!!) when you clamp the nut, then unclamp again and make an appropriate adjustment to the pitch with the headstock tuners before you re-clamp again (and check all the other strings once more before you do clamp again). Keep the fine tuners for making only the smallest adjustments immediately after clamping - if necessary - and for any other, subsequent small adjustments when the pitch wanders during playing.

Any adjustment you make to a string's tension in a floating system has a knock on effect on all the other strings ... they're all inter-dependent and inter-linked ... so try to make sure you're as close to target pitch as is humanly possible before you start clamping.

Did anyone mention stretching the strings before you clamp?

Make sure they're well-stretched along their entire length before you try to get anything like near your target pitch.

I used to just repeatedly pull each string away from the fingerboard above the 12th fret, until the engineer/producer in Fairview Studios, UK, showed me a different way, which turned out to be much more effective (this guy recorded and engineered Def Leppard's first ever EP ... way, WAY back)

What I do now ... thanks to Roy Neave (above) ... is to stretch each string along it's entire length by placing my thumb and forefinger (backed up by the middle finger) on opposite sides of the string and about 1" apart. Then I simultaneously push away with my thumb and pull with my other fingers to stretch the 1" length of string between, moving progressively all along the string from bridge to nut (and also between nut and tuning peg.

Yeah, it hurts your fingertips when you get to the plain, un-wound strings ... and I've had a few high 'E' strings part on me at the tuning peg from time to time (and that hurts in other ways too ... both in the pocket ... and in frustration when you don't have a spare handy) ... but it sure works too!

Don't give up m8! and Happy B'day again! :thumb:

Parker .... don't use the fine tuners, or clamp the strings at the nut until you're already as close as possible to being perfectly in tune from using the headstock tuners. If your strings go sharp (or even flat as mine do sometimes???!!!) when you clamp the nut, then unclamp again and make an appropriate adjustment to the pitch with the headstock tuners before you re-clamp again (and check all the other strings once more before you do clamp again). Keep the fine tuners for making only the smallest adjustments immediately after clamping - if necessary - and for any other, subsequent small adjustments when the pitch wanders during playing.

Any adjustment you make to a string's tension in a floating system has a knock on effect on all the other strings ... they're all inter-dependent and inter-linked ... so try to make sure you're as close to target pitch as is humanly possible before you start clamping.

Did anyone mention stretching the strings before you clamp?

Make sure they're well-stretched along their entire length before you try to get anything like near your target pitch.

I used to just repeatedly pull each string away from the fingerboard above the 12th fret, until the engineer/producer in Fairview Studios, UK, showed me a different way, which turned out to be much more effective (this guy recorded and engineered Def Leppard's first ever EP ... way, WAY back)

What I do now ... thanks to Roy Neave (above) ... is to stretch each string along it's entire length by placing my thumb and forefinger (backed up by the middle finger) on opposite sides of the string and about 1" apart. Then I simultaneously push away with my thumb and pull with my other fingers to stretch the 1" length of string between, moving progressively all along the string from bridge to nut (and also between nut and tuning peg.

Yeah, it hurts your fingertips when you get to the plain, un-wound strings ... and I've had a few high 'E' strings part on me at the tuning peg from time to time (and that hurts in other ways too ... both in the pocket ... and in frustration when you don't have a spare handy) ... but it sure works too!

Don't give up m8! and Happy B'day again! :thumb:


Thanks Captain
what you and others said on here makes sense and gives me a better understanding of this intricate piece of equipment.
The string stretching tip is a great one thanks!!.I have heard of this method but no one every took time to explain it's procedure in detail and how to apply it in real world terms.Much better than the old up/down method i was using before.

Do you find that you use your Floyd often?.or is it mainly for small fill's and accents.

Parker,..this is why I sent mine back,..I got so pissed off trying to keep it in tune that I wanted to smash the thing! Even my buddie has a top of the line Jackson,..and he's always messin with it,..to keep it in tune! Anyway,..I hope ya have luck with it. If ya don't,..you can always block it man!

Johnny

Parker,..this is why I sent mine back,..I got so pissed off trying to keep it in tune that I wanted to smash the thing! Even my buddie has a top of the line Jackson,..and he's always messin with it,..to keep it in tune! Anyway,..I hope ya have luck with it. If ya don't,..you can always block it man!

Johnny

Ya i think your right Johhny.There was always a part of me that thought i was missing something by not "getting with the times" and having and playing a Floyd Rose.But now i can definatley see that the old K.i.S.S adage is correct(Keep It Simple stupid)

One other thing i found out when i used the Floyd was that i had arleady developed a style of bending in my regular playing that compensated for the lack of a trem, and if i now start using the trem i will loose that style.

with the advice i got here from mainline, Captain, and Hanz and yourself i will give it one more go before i pull a Pete Townsend and use it as a fly swatter!!

Park

We got Shannon's Ibanez cheap as the second hand shop did not realise what they had, and assumed as the 3 remaining strings were flat to the fingerboard the guitar had a serious fault. I did explain .... after I had bought it :D Getting it set up very nearly drove me insane, eventually resorted to the local pro, who fitted another spring which sorted the angle of the trem, which was too high when I did it. Can manage now, but I dread changing her strings!!!!! Dont like playing it much either, I dont use the trem, but it makes it hard bending to pitch as I have to push a little bit further,or maybe thats just me? Think I will stick to the good old tunematic :)

Ya i think your right Johhny.There was always a part of me that thought i was missing something by not "getting with the times" and having and playing a Floyd Rose.But now i can definatley see that the old K.i.S.S adage is correct(Keep It Simple stupid)

One other thing i found out when i used the Floyd was that i had arleady developed a style of bending in my regular playing that compensated for the lack of a trem, and if i now start using the trem i will loose that style.

with the advice i got here from mainline, Captain, and Hanz and yourself i will give it one more go before i pull a Pete Townsend and use it as a fly swatter!!

Park

Dude,..you'll be happy blocking it up! When I got the new Hellraiser that had the Floyd rose on it,..after messing with it for an hour or so,..I got to stay in tune (sorta) but I noticed even bending the strings,..I could hear the other ones go flat. So I took it back and got this sent from Schecter yesterday! It took 3 weeks to get but now it's mine and I'm happier than a pig in shit! This guitar rips man. It has an extremely fast neck and 24 frets. The pickups are amazing and both have coil taps and are active. I paid a good penny for it,..but what the heck. I needed it for the current band I'm in. We play alot of hard shit that needed humbuckers. The other band I play in,..I use my trusty Strat with Kinman noiseless pickups...The best pickups for a strat out there!

Anyway,..no matter what you do to that beauty of a guitar you got there,... It's yours man,.. so make it rip! It's worth it. I really like the look of it,.. and I'm sure it plays well. They are nice guitars man! I wish I had one and for that price,..it's worth every penny ya spent!

Thats it this FN guitar is going onto Ebay..,.:dammit:

I have had enough of the fine tunners and floyd rose to last me a lifetime:maddance: Its just not worth the hastle of constantly fidleling with the tunners.(even my tech said fuck it)

Now i know why all my bridges are blocked!!! Give me a Strat with the old fashioned vibrato trem arm anyday.

here is what i think of Floyd and his gadget:moon: :finger:

Thats it this FN guitar is going onto Ebay..,.

I have had enough of the fine tunners and floyd rose to last me a lifetime Its just not worth the hastle of constantly fidleling with the tunners.(even my tech said fuck it)

Now i know why all my bridges are blocked!!! Give me a Strat with the old fashioned vibrato trem arm anyday.

here is what i think of Floyd and his gadget

Sorry it hasn't worked out for you Park'. :bigcry: I guess you either get F/R ... or you don't ...

Still ... nothing ventured ...?

Good luck with the next acquisition then. :thumb:

Sorry it hasn't worked out for you Park'. :bigcry: I guess you either get F/R ... or you don't ...

Still ... nothing ventured ...?

Good luck with the next acquisition then. :thumb:

Hey Thanks Captain.
and dont think i didnt apreciate your efforts and Hanzholz in helping me understand the Floyd system, and for taking time out to give great instructions.:)

I must have just got a bad one.In all fairness my buddy has a Floyd and never had a stitch of problems and loves the system....just like you and Hanz.
guess it was not to be for me but was glad to try it out and see for myself.I have already moved on to a new company called Campbell American and really like their stuff.

Park