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ESP LTD EC-256FM Electric Guitar, Cobalt Blue

  • Based on 480 reviews
Condition: New
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$499.00 Why this price?
Holiday Deal · 12% off was $570.00

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Availability: Only 5 left in stock, order soon!
Fulfilled by FocusProAudio

Arrives Dec 27 – Dec 31
Order within 12 hours and 50 minutes
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Color: Cobalt Blue


Features

  • An affordable and popular guitar with many similarites to some of the most highly-regarded guitars in history
  • Features a comfortable Mahogany body and 3 pc. neck, as well as roasted jatoba fingerboard and flamed maple top
  • Also features covered passive pickups, set-neck construction, and 22XJ frets
  • At home on blues, classic rock, hard rock, progressive rock, fusion, and much more

Description

The ESP LTD EC-256FM electric guitar gives you as much visual flair as it does sonic force. This axe features a dark and warm mahogany body cut into a stylish single-cutaway contour, a sturdy mahogany neck, a smooth rosewood fingerboard with 22 frets, ESP LH-150 bridge and neck humbuckers, a confident Tune-o-Matic bridge and tailpiece, nickel hardware, and a push/pull tone pot to give your output an edgier single-coil bite whenever you want it. Though this the EC-256FM shines as a rock or metal instrument, it yields a pretty dynamic and powerful sound to fit other genres and styles as well.

Specs & Other Info

SpecificationDetails
BrandESP GUITARS
FinishCobalt Blue
Top MaterialMaple Wood
Body & Back MaterialMahogany Wood
Neck MaterialMaple
Fretboard MaterialJatoba Wood
Pickup ConfigurationHumbucker
String MaterialAlloy Steel
Bridge SystemTune-O-Matic
Weight0.01 ounces
Dimensions42 x 4 x 17 inches
OriginChina
Model NumberLEC256CB
Launch DateFebruary 1, 2017
String GaugeLight
Number of Strings6

Frequently asked questions

The ESP LTD EC-256FM stands out for its stunning cobalt blue finish, flame maple top, and versatile sound capabilities. It's designed for versatility, offering a wide range of tones suitable for genres from rock to jazz, thanks to its dual humbucking pickups and coil-tap feature.

Absolutely. The ESP LTD EC-256FM is very capable of handling heavy metal music. Its dual humbucking pickups provide the powerful, high-output tones needed for metal, and the push-pull coil tap adds the flexibility to switch to cleaner, single-coil sounds for versatility.

Yes, the ESP LTD EC-256FM is a great choice for beginners due to its comfortable neck profile, easy playability, and versatile sound. It's also priced accessibly, making it a fantastic entry-level option for players looking to invest in a quality instrument that will grow with them.

The coil-tap feature on the ESP LTD EC-256FM works by pulling up on the tone knob, which splits the two humbucking pickups into single-coil pickups. This provides a brighter and more crisp sound, offering versatility and a wider range of tones from the same guitar, ideal for playing cleaner genres like blues, country, or classic rock.

Top Amazon Reviews

🚀 Abunda's Overview

This is our summary and key points to consider based on customer reviews.


The reviews overwhelmingly praise the LTD ESP guitar, highlighting its performance as far superior for its price range. Reviewers are particularly impressed by the guitar's quality build, beautiful finish, and excellent sound quality, including the stock pickups. Despite a few minor issues with packaging and picture accuracy, the consensus is that this guitar offers great value and rivals more expensive models in playability, and aesthetic.

Pros

  • 🎸 Great playability straight out of the box, with low action and accurate intonation.
  • 👀 Beautiful finish and build quality, often exceeding expectations.
  • 🔊 Excellent sound quality, even with stock pickups, suitable for various musical styles including metal.
  • 🛠 Good quality materials and components, including tuners and fret work.
  • 🎵 Coil split feature for versatile sound output.

Cons

  • 📦 Some issues with packaging, leading to potential damage during shipping.
  • 🖼 Picture accuracy may vary, as some guitars have much darker finishes than shown.

Should I Buy It?

If you're seeking a high-quality, versatile guitar that punches above its weight in terms of price to performance ratio, this LTD ESP model comes highly recommended. It's well-suited for both beginners and seasoned guitarists alike, offering excellent sound and playability across a range of styles. The minor cons noted are not deal-breakers by any means, especially when considering the substantial pros. Therefore, purchasing this guitar seems to be a sound investment for both practice and performance.


  • Great guitar for the money!
Color: Dark Brown Sunburst
Just received my new guitar today. Bottom line? I should have bought the LTD to begin with. I fell for the Youtube hype of some of the sub $300 chinese made LP clones being well made, sound great etc...and a bargain. I tried two different brands, and sent both back for bad fret work, one at my expense. I have another LTD, a H400 I bought new back in 2006 and it is a great guitar. I am glad I came to my senses and went back to LTD. My EC256FM is perfect out of the box. Action is low, just how I like it. Intonation was SPOT ON. The bridge pick up was a little close to the strings but an easy fix. Tuned it up, plugged it straight into my tube amp and it sounds great for OEM pick ups. Not as awesome as my H400 with Seymour Duncans, but quite acceptable for a $429 guitar. The finish is beautiful. No defects at all. Fret work is very good. No buzz or dead notes. Very well finished fret ends and fret tops are good too, but when I change strings I will polish them a bit more with very fine steel wool. Tuners seem to be OK but I cannot comment on how well it holds tune yet. The coil split is a nice feature, it will give you a thinner sound...but it doesn't sound Strat like to my ears. My H400 in positions 2 and 4 sounds better than my MIJ squire strat, but it has a 59/JB pup combo. All in all, the EC256 is simply a fantastic guitar. Well worth the money. Just a FYI for those wondering...my guitar was made in Indonesia. Also, the back, sides and neck of my guitar are almost black. I cannot see any wood grain the stain is so dark. So the pic of the back and neck on Amazon is not accurate in my case. I have also added hipshot 3 x 3 locking tuners for faster string changes. Super easy and useful upgrade for $60. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on June 10, 2021 by Ronald Yannone Ronald Yannone

  • Very Nice!
Color: Snow White
Excellent finish and set-up nicely right out of the box. Packaged well and arrived without any issues. Split coil works well and the guitar has it's own sound. Nice clean tones and good sustain when gain or effects added. I do not think the jumbo frets would be good for beginners though, easy to press down too hard and detune on chords if you were learning to play. Great value, great look, plays well! ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on May 5, 2024 by Keith

  • Absolutely a Fantastic Guitar!
Color: Black Satin
I needed a guitar with humbucking pickups capable of a producing a "heavy metal" sound for recording in order to compliment my other primary guitar which is a Strat, American Standard. I've always wanted a genuine Gibson Les Paul for the job but the prices for those are absurdly high and a result more of their legendary status than any actual qualitative differences from other less expensive Les Paul -style clones. After watching, listening to, and reading numerous reviews and recommendations from a variety of well-respected sources, this particular model of ESP was highly recommended and at the top of numerous "Best Guitars for Metal Under $500" Lists. When I saw this one listed for only $276 as an Amazon Warehouse Deal (which means someone returned it), I became very interested. Because I only intended to use it for recording, I didn't really care what it looked like, if it had a couple of dents or scratches, or whatever ... couldn't care less. My only concern was how it played and how it sounded. At that price, (and with my Amazon Prime free shipping), I figured it was definitely worth taking the risk. THE GUITAR IS FLAWLESS AND BEAUTIFUL! The box it came in was all beat up, but it was well packed and protected and there isn't a thing wrong with it. The fit and finish is impeccable, the frets are well-seated, the action is low and the intonation is incredibly accurate. The neck is straight as a razor. It's as if it's been expertly set up, right out of the box. It plays great and the tone is exactly what I was looking for. Even the stock pickups are better than I had any right to expect. When ordering it, I figured I might have to throw some Seymour Duncan pickups on it or something to get the sound I was after but, after recording with it a bit, I don't think I'll need to (although I still might want to, just to see if it could be even better). But I've played a number of "real" Les Pauls in my time and this guitar absolutely can hold its own against them. I couldn't be happier with this purchase. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on April 26, 2021 by ClockworkUniverse

  • ESP LTD 256
Color: Black Satin
Nice guitar, well made and played and sounded pretty good for the price. Gave it a try, but wasn’t enough for my playing style.
Reviewed in the United States on June 10, 2024 by Charlie

  • My husband LOVES it!
Color: Cobalt Blue
He absolutely loves this guitar. easy to play. Beautiful look and color
Reviewed in the United States on December 5, 2024 by thatgirl

  • Nice looking guitar but that's it!!!
Color: Black Satin
I was very excited to get this guitar after all the great reviews I read on Amazon and other places. This excitement was turned quickly to a disappointment. I could not get the guitar in tune. Almost there but not.....The nut is not cut correctly, plastic shavings, strings coming out of the groves. I am not a professional but the nut seems to be made out of a very cheap plastic. This is NOT a $500 guitar. Amazon excellent customer support offered me to keep the guitar for a partial refund but I decided to return it and look for something else. I have had much cheaper guitars that had much better quality. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on July 1, 2024 by Dori Dori

  • A beautiful and well-built instrument for veterans and beginners alike
Color: Black Satin
I'll try to keep this short and sweet: this a well-built and extremely beautiful guitar. The black satin finish is breathtaking, and pictures honestly do not do it justice. There is an elegance to this guitar, and the build quality matches its looks: this guitar feels premium and has a good weight while not being overly bulky or uncomfortable to play. As for the sound, this guitar sounds rich and warm, particularly when played through an amp. While it's not so warm that it sounds muddy, it is also not the brightest guitar out there, so if you record via a DAW (as I do), you'll have to tweak the sound to get it bright enough to cut through the mix. Overall, I would say the pickups are quite good at this price point, but of course, they cannot compete with Seymour Duncans and EMGs. This being my first ESP LTD guitar, I have to say, for $400, I am more than impressed. This guitar looks, feels, and sounds like a way more expensive instrument, and the build quality and weight make it so easy and comfortable to play sitting or standing. I can't recommend this guitar enough, and I will be buying more ESP LTD products going into the future. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on February 21, 2020 by Adrian Adrian

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