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LTD EX-50
List: $485
If your visual presence is rather diminished on stage, LTD’s EX-50 will help you propel your attendance, no doubt about that. However, if the manufacturer’s sole intent is all about visual attraction, then investing in this musical instrument is a big mistake. Surely, there must be more to it than meets the eye?
Construction/ fit/ finish
The EX-50 joins LTD’s series 50 offering as one of the most affordable guitars in the LTD hierarchy while not compromising playability & tone. Bargain hunters would do well to include this guitar in their acquisition list & not dismiss it for its outrageous looks. There are no faults & blemishes to report here, a mere visual reference is sufficient to convince inspecting buyers that LTD has taken care of matters pertaining to rigidity & tidiness over at the plant’s QC section; applause please.
Playability/ tone
The guitar’s neck is arguably the immediate love/ hate factor here- it’s a finished unit. For those of us who are accustomed to necks of such nature (Gibson/ Epiphone), the EX standard is comparable. While the feel isn’t too synthetic to the touch, it’s not exactly too organic either. More importantly, it forms a potent formula for playability, in combination with the well dressed frets on board. Should upper fret access be crucial to you, the EX’s Explorer-like design has sufficient cutaways on both the bass & treble sides, albeit featuring a blocky heel. Despite its thorny nature, the body’s plus point is its promotion of sitting down stability. However, the EX suffers from neck heaviness which, surprisingly, did not manifest itself when the guitar is strapped on.
Coming back to the neck, it’s a typical series 50 profile- rounded & substantially chunky but nothing excessive. Riff-mongers & shred proponents will equally feel at home with this guitar. So, how playable can a quasi-shuriken guitar outline be? Rather impressive, I must say…
Sensational looks aside, if it doesn’t sing, then it’s not a guitar. The default electronics here, if these are generic components fitted in all series 50 models, differentiate themselves by featuring a rather boomy set of humbuckers. We can attribute the excessive wood material behind the bridge’s tail end to account for that extra bottom end. You should not invest in this guitar for its clean tones because there are no sweet chimes to be heard, in fact, the EX’s pickups excel in very outgoing driven tones- the more drive you inject, the better.
Last say
Credit goes to LTD for their successful inclusion of another sensible model in its series 50 range. Critics will hold the protrusive design accountable for making this guitar less playable but if you handle this guitar in person, you’ll know that it’s a snobbish dissent. LTD can do better by including some elbow relief & rib-cage chamfer for extra playing comfort. If you are an aggressive player on stage, do handle this guitar very carefully, you wouldn’t want to end up stabbing your band-mate with it…
Likes:
• A simple guitar, plays well
• Good drive tones
• Smooth tuners
• Choke-free nut
Dislikes:
• A neck-heavy guitar
• No elbow relief/ rib-cage rear body contour
Worthy competitor:
• Epiphone Explorer
• Jackson Kelly
• BC Rich Ironbird (Body Art)
