Along with leather trousers from Prada and a nose ring from Tiffany, the luxurious LTD MH-401QM is the automatic choice of the executive metaller. If this guitar were any more expensive, it’d be an ESP.

LTD doesn’t mess about by pretending that all axes are created equal. Take a squizz at the website and you’ll find the MH-401QM at the head of the MH family, confirming its flagship status with a spec whose highlights include a set-thru maple neck, svelte mahogany body topped with quilted maple, active EMG 81/85 humbuckers (powered by a nine-volt battery for monster output) and a Floyd Rose Special bridge.

And the second indication of how seriously LTD takes this model? The hefty £829 asking price - a prohibitive figure confirming the great unwashed need not apply.

We’ve tried several MH models, but this is a different class. It doesn’t look overtly metal, but plays a blinder, with the ergonomic doublecut giving total freedom and the Floyd and speedy U-profile neck suggesting that if you can’t sound good on this guitar, give up.

Verdict

We all know about the malevolent grind of EMG’s 81 and 85, and here they sound even more dangerous, flavoured by the mahogany and the sustain of the neck format. What surprises is the edgy shimmer of the clean voice… like an iron fist in a velvet glove. Technically, it’s a great guitar. But at £829, it damn well should be.

4 Stars

Pros: Luxurious feel, glorious tone.
Cons: Too expensive for many.

BUY: ESP LTD MH-401QM currently available from Andertons Music Co. and PMT Online

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