ESP LTD Snakebyte Snow White James Hetfield Signature
Signature electric guitar with EMG
Metallica mastermind and chief riff-smith James Hetfield has been relying on guitars from ESP since 1988 and can look back on a series of successful signature instruments since then. The ESP LTD Snakebyte Snow White is an interpretation of the EX design created by James Hetfield, which catches the eye on every stage with its unique lines. Thanks to the combination of mahogany construction and active EMG pickups, this Signature electric guitar delivers the typical Hetfield sound.
The ESP LTD Snakebyte was designed by James Hetfield and delivers the typical Metallica sound.
Mahogany for a rich punch
With its mahogany body and glued mahogany neck, which carries a fingerboard made of Macassar ebony, the ESP LTD Snakebyte Snow White delivers a fat basic sound with a crisp punch that provides the perfect foundation for tight riffs. The neck has a comfortable "Thin U" profile so that these come out of the fingers easily, while the fretboard has a flat radius of 13.8" (350 mm).
EMG JH "Het" Set
The electric sound conversion on the ESP LTD Snakebyte Snow White is handled by the active pickups of the EMG JH Het Set, which was developed together with James Hetfield and combines the clear sound of active pickups with the open dynamics of passive pickups. Thanks to its precise Attack and present mids, the bridge humbucker delivers crisp riffs with high assertiveness even at the heaviest Distortion, while the neck pickup with its warm sound provides the perfect basis for singing solos and sparkling chords.
High-quality hardware
The features of the ESP LTD Snakebyte Snow White James Hetfield Signature are rounded off by high-quality hardware. The strings on the body are guided from the TonePros locking stopbar via the TonePros T3BT bridge, which can be locked on its locking pins and thus contributes to the perfect sound development of the ESP LTD Snakebyte. LTD Locking tuners on the headstock ensure high-tuning stability and easy string changes.
The ESP LTD Snakebyte Snow White James Hetfield Signature at a glance:
Signature electric guitar from the ESP LTD series
James Hetfield (Metallica) model
Mahogany body
Glued, three-piece mahogany neck
Fingerboard made of Macassar ebony with "Snakebyte" inlay in the 12th fret
"Thin U" neck profile
Active EMG JH "HET" Set pickups
TonePros Locking Tune-O-Matic
TonePros Locking Stopbar
LTD Locking Tuner
ESP guitar case included
Features:
Manufacturer:
ESP
Series:
LTD
Design:
Snakebyte
Body:
Mahogany
Neck:
3-ply, Mahogany
Neck Construction:
Set-in
Neck Profile:
Thin-'U'
Scale in mm:
628
Fretboard:
Macassar Ebony
Fretboard Radius in Inches:
13.8
Number of Frets:
24
Fret Format:
Extra Jumbo
Fretboard Inlays:
Snakebyte
Nut type:
Plastic
Nut width in mm:
42
Pickup:
HH
Manufacturer pickups:
EMG
Neck Pickup:
EMG "HET"-Set JH-N
Bridge Pickup:
EMG "HET"-Set JH-B
Active pickups:
Yes
Coil-splitting:
No
Piezo Pickup:
No
Switch:
3-Way
Control:
2x Vol
Bridge:
TonePros Locking TOM
Tailpiece:
TonePros Locking Stopbar
Tuners:
Locking
Strap Button:
Standard
Hardware:
Black
Colour:
Snow White
Finish:
High-Gloss
Number of Strings:
6
String Gauge:
.010 - .046
Factory Tuning:
Standard E
Gigbag included:
No
Case included:
Yes
Certificate:
No
ESP LTD Snakebyte Snow White James Hetfield Signature
Well, I'm fan of radical shape design. Also, I'm owner of Gibson Explorer and Dean ML for long years. For a long time I was looking for a model that is very similar to the described guitars, and I found it in the Snakebite model. As I was unable to find the white Explorer, this white Snakebite was a hit right in the middle! The guitar “sits” very nicely on my thighs as I sit and play, but it also behaves just fine as I stand and play, it’s nicely balanced. The finish is very good, not quite like the original Gibson, but the price is definitely lower. The aggressive shape of the guitar, as well as the look of the headstocks, encourages its owner to invent new riffs and roar chords from some hot "tubes". Compared to the original, it gives a slightly "smaller bite" and the sound is a bit darker, IMHO it is probably a matter of resonance due to the different quality of the wood, but that is not always so noticeable. Built-in Tonepros hardware is a guarantee that the tone will be transmitted to the pickups and amplifier. The switch is in a much better place than with the Explorer, and just two volume and tone controls are really enough for that kind of music. I know this guitar is meant more for rhythm guitar player than for lead players but maybe it would be good if the neck has 24 jumbo frets instead of 22, maybe some other model, though I doubt it (JH isn't a lead player). The price may not be for beginners and occasional non-commercial musicians, but I don't think it's worth buying some cheap guitars that will later stand in some dark corner of the room. Snakebite always invites you to take it in hand and try some riff, trust me.
This is by far the best instrument I have ever bought. This sounds so amazing and feels so light, it has amazing tone and sounds so like Metallica with the Het Set. The strings are so nice on the fingers and the frets are in pristine condition. The switch feels great and the even the one that does nothing ;) The finish is superb and looks really good (Binding, Inlay etc). The pickups came in good condition with a few finger marks on it and the covers on the new pickups had been taken off.
The guitar arrived here in the UK from Germany with no damage and no marks or scratches. Which is unusual because most of things I order from Germany are damaged or scratched. The guitar was well packaged with 2 boxes. and stuffed to stop it rattling around on the journey. The delivery was quick from Germany to UK literally a 2 day wait.
Overall I recommend this entirely as it's such a perfect guitar for metal and clean. It will support anything you want to play. I do recommend buying strap locks as I did as the strap holders are not that good if you have a cheap strap ;)
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(This review is from the same product in color Snow White)
This is a guitar for James Hetfield fans. Well not only them, but its distinct design is a fan status statement. The guitar has the build quality of the other LTD Eclipse guitars in this price range, and LTD makes very good quality instruments. The JH pickups sound great.. If you like active pickups to begin with. Price / performance is great if compared to the 1000 series, however I also own a 401 series Eclipse also korean made and I have to say there is no difference in craftsmanship between the two, and the 401 is 30% cheaper. Overall I am happy with this guitar.
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