Guitar Center has a sweet deal up for grabs right now on the ESP LTD EC-256, currently down to just $299; that’s $99 off the list price. With two meaty humbuckers and a slimmer form factor than most other Les Paul-style electric guitars, the EC-256 is one of the best value rock guitars around.
It has some neat tricks of its own too, including coil tapping, which makes for an extremely versatile guitar that can handle almost any genre you can think of. This is, as you’d expect, a limited time deal so make the most of it before GC changes its mind and bumps the price back up…
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While the combination of single-cut mahogany body, twin humbuckers and faded cherry sunburst isn’t anything new, it is rare to find guitars at this price range that play and sound as good as the ESP LTD EC-256. While it may feel like a more natural choice to go for an Epiphone Les Paul, for us the smart money for players of heavier styles is to look towards the EC-256.
For a start, it’s geared more towards speedy riffs and licks thanks to the thinner body and lithe neck, which are perfect for building up speed in your playing. It’s versatile tonally too, thanks to the master tone control offering coil tapping so you can get those sparkling single-cut tones if you need them. The natural weight and depth you get from solid mahogany is also balanced out by the maple top, so you get a bit of extra brightness in your sound too.
The LTD EC-256 is ideal for beginners and intermediate players alike, and will make for a solid workhorse axe you can rely on.