# ESP LTD V-307



## allseeingeye (May 17, 2012)

Hey everyone! 

Been lurking around the forum for a few weeks now and decided to register now that I have ordered my first 7 string. I've been addicted to guitar playing for 24 years (parents bought me my first guitar at 11 years old, it was a Peavey Predator strat copy and Peavey Renown 212 amp.) 

I just ordered the ESP LTD V-307 and am a little surprised at the lack of info online about this guitar and was wondering if anyone had any experience with it?


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## Knyas (May 17, 2012)

Lack of info? What info exactly? All the specs are out there on display, I assume you mean craftsmanship and how it plays?


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## AliceLG (May 18, 2012)

I played one when I was looking around for my first 7-string. I liked it a lot but found it a bit uncomfortable as normally I practice sitting down and, well, it's a V. The only reason I didn't buy it was because it would've been my first 7 AND my first V, so I thought that there would be too much of a learning curve on that one. It's a great guitar in my opinion, I still have it in my list of future purchases. Don't get worried too much, just enjoy your new guitar 

Also, don't forget to post an excessive amount of pics and maybe a video if you can, for us the guitarporn addicts


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## allseeingeye (May 18, 2012)

Knyas said:


> Lack of info? What info exactly? All the specs are out there on display, I assume you mean craftsmanship and how it plays?



Precisely. Apologies for not being more clear on the matter. Truth be known, I was playing Diablo 3 at the time and wasn't putting as much effort into the post as I should have. 

By lack of information, I really mean actual owners pictures and comments regarding the fit and finish, playability, etc. I have scoured the web and can only really find stock photos of the guitar. I'm surprised that as nice as ESP's website is, they only have frontal pictures of all of their guitars. NO close up details or any other view. So really I was hoping to find pictures of it from an end user perspective. 

It arrives today, and worry not, I'll be posting a shit ton of pictures and video and hopefully some decent recordings once I figure out how to sync video with Mixcraft 6. 

On a side note, my main 6 string is an older Jackson Rhoads Standard I bought back in 1993. I love it so the thought of playing a V only seems natural!


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## allseeingeye (May 18, 2012)

More to come soon. I am surprised at how light this guitar is. It plays wonderfully, btw.


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## Michael T (May 18, 2012)

Very cool. Star Wars FTW !!! 


Oh, Nice guitar also


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## AkiraSpectrum (May 18, 2012)

StarWars = YES!

Looks great! Not a V guy myself but still looks killer awesome  congrats.


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## allseeingeye (May 20, 2012)

Thanks! The more I play this guitar the more I love it. I'm so glad I didn't settle for an RGA7 like I had planned to for quite some time now. Really it was a last minute spontaneous decision to get the ESP. More pics incoming.


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## Deathell (May 20, 2012)

I'm sort of in a decision with this guitar in mind too, could you please take a few pictures on the back of the guitar and around the neck joint? Does it have a battery compartment?


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## allseeingeye (May 20, 2012)

Here you go, Deathell.


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## thealexkelley (May 20, 2012)

looks sick dude hngd!


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## Robrecht (Jun 22, 2012)

Thanks for the pictures! Having had it for little over a month, what are your impressions so far? I'm thinking about ordering a V-307 but I'd be ordering blind, since I don't know of any shops in my vicinity where I could try one.

I currently own a BC Rich Warlock P7, which I bought second hand a couple of years ago (here's me playing it). It's not the greatest instrument in the world but I didn't want to spend too much as it was my first foray into seven string territory.

One thing I do like about the Warlock though is that the neck is quite thin for a 7-string (I think, as I don't have much to compare it to). That's why I'm especially curious about the thickness of the V-307's neck.

Another thing I'd like to know is if it's possible to get a good clean tone from those active EMG's.


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Jun 22, 2012)

Robrecht said:


> Another thing I'd like to know is if it's possible to get a good clean tone from those active EMG's.



Some of the best clean tones I've heard come from Emgs. Pretty much anything Metallica has done clean has been Emgs, and even some of AAL's clean parts were done with 808X's.


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## Robrecht (Jun 22, 2012)

Thanks, those are some very cool and enlightening recordings! The clean stuff sounds pretty clear and defined to me.


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## Kozuki (Jun 23, 2012)

Does this guitar has the EMG quick connect system installed?


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## The Only Factor (Jun 24, 2012)

Kozuki said:


> Does this guitar has the EMG quick connect system installed?



It'll have everything hardwired - meaning all the connections will be soldered. BUT the pickups will still have and use the quick connects on them. So if you were thinking about trying/using different pickups, you could swap them out with no problem.

My EC407 came the same way. I was going to keep the 81-7 and 707 in it, but I wound up putting the 707TW set in it. I would have re-wired the 2 volume controls to be independent (because it was wired where either volume control was a master volume...) but wound up doing that when I swapped the TW's in their places.


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## AkiraSpectrum (Jun 24, 2012)

great pics really make the guitar look super sexy :-D


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## Mega-Mads (Jun 24, 2012)

How does it sound unplugged? My old ESP S7 was "dead" unplugged. I've heard alot of people saying the same thing about their sc's etc..


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## 7stringDemon (Jun 24, 2012)

There's something about the last 12 frets that just makes you want to play them. They just LOOK playable!


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## Kozuki (Jun 24, 2012)

The Only Factor said:


> It'll have everything hardwired - meaning all the connections will be soldered. BUT the pickups will still have and use the quick connects on them. So if you were thinking about trying/using different pickups, you could swap them out with no problem.
> 
> My EC407 came the same way. I was going to keep the 81-7 and 707 in it, but I wound up putting the 707TW set in it. I would have re-wired the 2 volume controls to be independent (because it was wired where either volume control was a master volume...) but wound up doing that when I swapped the TW's in their places.



Thanks for the informative answer! I might be getting this one + new pickups so this means only good, hah! I'm not a good soldering user..


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## refusetofall87 (Jun 25, 2012)

Quick neck, good action


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## refusetofall87 (Jun 25, 2012)

Quick neck, nice action. This is a must have


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## Robrecht (Jun 25, 2012)

Thanks guys. This forum (i.e. you) rocks.

Here's a subjective question for those who own or have played the guitar in question. Would you describe its sound -- either distorted or clean -- as "warm"? I'm in a melodic doom death band and apart from heavy chugging/soloing, we do a lot of sweet melodic harmonies and clean/atmospheric stuff. I'm hoping the mahogany will bring a dark warmth to the sound, but having no experience with active pickups, I don't know what their effect will be.

I'm playing through a Peavey 5150II, with the treble on the overdrive channel turned fairly low.


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## Kozuki (Jun 26, 2012)

Robrecht said:


> Thanks guys. This forum (i.e. you) rocks.
> 
> Here's a subjective question for those who own or have played the guitar in question. Would you describe its sound -- either distorted or clean -- as "warm"? I'm in a melodic doom death band and apart from heavy chugging/soloing, we do a lot of sweet melodic harmonies and clean/atmospheric stuff. I'm hoping the mahogany will bring a dark warmth to the sound, but having no experience with active pickups, I don't know what their effect will be.
> 
> I'm playing through a Peavey 5150II, with the treble on the overdrive channel turned fairly low.



I double this! I want to know what does the clean sound like too!


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## Robrecht (Jun 28, 2012)

I didn't see anything in the forum rules against bumping threads, so I thought I might give this one a little nudge.

Is there anyone who can comment on the sound of the aforementioned instrument? Specifically, does it fit the description 'warm' or 'dark' in any way? Would it be a good choice for melodic doom/death metal?


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## fps (Jun 28, 2012)

Haven't played one, but, EMGs, less wood than other guitar shapes, I doubt it'll be warm?


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## Robrecht (Jul 2, 2012)

fps said:


> Haven't played one, but, EMGs, less wood than other guitar shapes, I doubt it'll be warm?


Hm, good points. I guess I'll just have to wait and see cause I ordered me one.  I'm sure I'll be able to get a good tone (I'll experiment with some before and/or after preamp equalising if necessary).


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## allseeingeye (Jan 8, 2013)

Robrecht said:


> Thanks for the pictures! Having had it for little over a month, what are your impressions so far? I'm thinking about ordering a V-307 but I'd be ordering blind, since I don't know of any shops in my vicinity where I could try one.
> 
> I currently own a BC Rich Warlock P7, which I bought second hand a couple of years ago (here's me playing it). It's not the greatest instrument in the world but I didn't want to spend too much as it was my first foray into seven string territory.
> 
> ...



Apologies for the huge delay...
The neck of the 307 feels great, in my opinion. It seems very sleek and not bulky at all. Then again I have large hands. The clean tones from the EMGs are totally suitable. 

Fear not to order blindly. That's what I did and the guitar far surpassed my expectations.

The Ibanez RGA8 I received in the mail today, however...


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## Robrecht (Jan 8, 2013)

allseeingeye said:


> Apologies for the huge delay...
> The neck of the 307 feels great, in my opinion. It seems very sleek and not bulky at all. Then again I have large hands. The clean tones from the EMGs are totally suitable.
> 
> Fear not to order blindly. That's what I did and the guitar far surpassed my expectations.
> ...



Thanks for your reply, despite the delay!  I went ahead and ordered my Ltd V-307 last summer, blindly (but aided, among others, by this thread and your pictures), and got it in July, and I absolutely love it. The neck's perfect for me. It feels sleek, indeed, but not flat like that of my Ibanez (a Xiphos707fx, which I also like, but I prefer the Ltd).

I ended up swapping the EMGs for Seymour Duncan Blackouts because I wanted it to sound a bit fuller, but it plays like a dream.

Incidentally, I also got an 8-string recently, an extremely cheap model that's sold through German online dealer Thomann. I'm quite liking it though, for what it is. Sorry to hear your RGA8 isn't really what you hoped for...


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## Robrecht (Jan 8, 2013)

I just noticed yours says 'China' on the back of the headstock. Mine's made in Indonesia! Other than that, I don't see any differences.


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## allseeingeye (Jan 8, 2013)

Do you post on youtube? I am shocked at the utter lack of info on the V307 and would love to see what other actual owners are up to with theirs. 

It's not that the RGA8 is bad. It's not. I'm having quite a lot of fun with it today so far. The stock pick ups are total shit, but I knew that going in. I'm just comping at the bit to order the Blackouts for it. How are you like the Blackouts for your 307?


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## Robrecht (Jan 8, 2013)

I don't have any video's of me playing it yet. If I ever make one, I'll post it here. I recently found out ss.o user ghstofperdition bought one too. We should start a V-307 club! 

I love the Blackouts. The EMGs are more focused, I guess, but to me they sounded a bit too narrow. The Blackouts are very full sounding; I actually run them through an EQ to accentuate the mids a bit, but they're still a lot warmer (clean) and thicker (distorted) than the EMGs, and not muddy at all.

I've just uploaded a couple of recordings I made a while ago. I'm afraid my recording skills aren't great, and I may have oversaturated the clean sound a bit, but I hope it gives you an idea.
https://soundcloud.com/robrechtv/tancredi-clorinda
https://soundcloud.com/robrechtv/tancredi-morte

And these short experiments show off the distorted sound:
https://soundcloud.com/robrechtv/leidensch-ftlich
https://soundcloud.com/robrechtv/fragment (neck pickup for lead, bridge for riff)


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## allseeingeye (Jan 8, 2013)

Here is a poor quality pic of the new RGA8 done with my new Droid DNA. I was hoping the quality would be better than this.

Also, a quick family shot of all my stringed instruments, as well as my drums which are horribly dusty. Sheesh where is the maid when you need her?


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## Robrecht (Jan 8, 2013)

allseeingeye said:


> Here is a poor quality pic of the new RGA8 done with my new Droid DNA. I was hoping the quality would be better than this.
> 
> Also, a quick family shot of all my stringed instruments, as well as my drums which are horribly dusty. Sheesh where is the maid when you need her?



Wow -- nice setup!


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## allseeingeye (Jan 8, 2013)

Here is a short sample of a new song I am working on. I took out the bass tracks so you could hear the V-307 on it's own. 

Signal Chain:
ESP LTD V-307 > Shure SM57 > Bugera 333XL > Behringer XENYX 2442USB > Mixcraft 6 with minor compression. Two guitar tracks, panned hard right and hard left. 

https://soundcloud.com/troy-leblanc/untitled-song-esp-ltd-v-307

Here is a very short sampling of the RGA8 I did today as soon as I unboxed her. 
Again, no bass, just guitars and drums. Same signal chain as above only with the RGA8 obviously. 
https://soundcloud.com/troy-leblanc/new-rga8


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## Kozuki (Jan 9, 2013)

Hello everyone,
since this thread is now active, I wish to put my question here, which is in here - http://www.sevenstring.org/forum/sevenstring-guitars/223047-case-ltd-v-307-a.htmlhttp://
If someone could answer me, I would thank you very much!


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## Robrecht (Jan 10, 2013)

allseeingeye said:


> Here is a short sample of a new song I am working on. I took out the bass tracks so you could hear the V-307 on it's own.
> 
> Signal Chain:
> ESP LTD V-307 > Shure SM57 > Bugera 333XL > Behringer XENYX 2442USB > Mixcraft 6 with minor compression. Two guitar tracks, panned hard right and hard left.
> ...



Cool, did you play the drums yourself too? Wish I could do that...



Kozuki said:


> Hello everyone,
> since this thread is now active, I wish to put my question here, which is in here - http://www.sevenstring.org/forum/sevenstring-guitars/223047-case-ltd-v-307-a.htmlhttp://
> If someone could answer me, I would thank you very much!



Glad you got an answer in the other thread in the meantime!  So you're going through with the V-307, yay! Join the club!


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## Kozuki (Jan 10, 2013)

Robrecht said:


> Glad you got an answer in the other thread in the meantime!  So you're going through with the V-307, yay! Join the club!


Yup, i'm going for it in late March, and i'm confident that I couldn't get any better guitar for this price and i'm not scared of it's shape at all. Of course I would love to get a RAN 7 crusher, but I need to save some money for other things, so that's in my plans, I guess


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## Moltar (Jan 10, 2013)

I wonder if they are still made in Indonesia... Because I would buy one from there.


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## Sephiroth952 (Jan 10, 2013)

*kanye* Yo thats a cool guitar and ima let you finish dog, but The empire strikes back was the best star wars.

Hngd, look badass! love the jam space.


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## allseeingeye (Jan 10, 2013)

Robrecht said:


> Cool, did you play the drums yourself too? Wish I could do that...



Yes, I've been a drummer for nearly as long as I've been a guitarist, which is 25 years now. 

I decided to do more proper recording of that RGA8 today. Tell me what you think:
https://soundcloud.com/troy-leblanc/jan10-guitars-bass-drums

Same signal chain as before, only I have added some bass guitar and even out the mix a bit better. There are a few mess ups in this one but I'll blame it on the flu that I've had all week long.


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## Robrecht (Jan 10, 2013)

Pretty cool man. Great riffs, and I like the guitar sound on this one. And those toms sound heavy as fuck!!

I just finished recording something a little... different. Kinda surprised myself there. Even though I obviously bought that Harley Benton 8-string for death metal, I decided to take it on a trip down memory lane to the song that first got me interested in playing guitar, long before I got my first Deicide record and my musical tastes branched off in a whole other direction. 

Every guitar part, including the bass, was recorded using the Harley Benton:

https://soundcloud.com/robrechtv/sultans-of-8-string-swing



Moltar said:


> I wonder if they are still made in Indonesia... Because I would buy one from there.



I bought mine from ProMusicTools.com, who specialize in ESP/Ltd. Maybe you could ask them?


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## allseeingeye (Jan 10, 2013)

I'm digging the Dire Straights cover! Mark Knopfler has always been a great guitarist and songwriter, in my opinion, and Sultans of Swing is my favorite song from him. Good job!


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## Robrecht (Jan 10, 2013)

allseeingeye said:


> I'm digging the Dire Straights cover! Mark Knopfler has always been a great guitarist and songwriter, in my opinion, and Sultans of Swing is my favorite song from him. Good job!



Thanks! Yeah, I still like him a lot, just haven't listened to Dire Straits in ages...


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## Harleymonster930 (Apr 4, 2013)

Dude where is the imput jack is it the top wing of it? or bottom cause i hate chords getting in the way so i want a guitar thats pretty convient


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## Robrecht (Apr 4, 2013)

Harleymonster930 said:


> Dude where is the imput jack is it the top wing of it? or bottom cause i hate chords getting in the way so i want a guitar thats pretty convient



It's in the top wing, just above the strap button, recessed and kind of pointing upwards in the direction along the wing. Honestly it's never gotten in the way for me.

Lots of pics here, if you're interested (follow the link in the first post):
http://www.sevenstring.org/forum/se...gd-esp-ltd-v-307-pointy-picture-overload.html


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## heavenhand (Jan 17, 2016)

Hi, newbie here on SS.

I recently purchased a new LTD V-307 from Vermont and got it shipped home overseas. 

I have a terrible problem with the size of this guitar. Not that it bothers me while playing, but its case is bigger than a coffin and it's a nightmare going to gigs with it. 
I have been searching for a suitable gig bag for quite a while now and can't find anything because of this guitar's massive wingspan.

Do you guys have any ideas where I could buy a reasonably priced gig bag? Having it custom made would take it too long as I need it before the upcoming tour and I think the price would be too high.

Thank you for your help.


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## Michael Decker (Sep 24, 2018)

I have had mine for 5 years already, I love it! The one issue I had is I had to upgrade the bridge and I am changing the stock tuners to locking, the originals seem to stick and do not glide well. The guitar is really comfortable to play live, no sore shoulder. I tune to Drop G. I used 13-74 but switched to 11-65/70. Same gauge setup as jake bowman, as my JBM27 is setup that way. I wish they also made is as a 27 or 26.5. I find the 25.5 scale a little shirt for low dropped tunings. 

You can hear the way it sounds on my bandcamp page. My band is BornBroken 

I can’t add links yet.


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