LTD Kamikazi

[Chester Nimitz]

https://www.guitarcenter.com/Used/ESP/LT ... ctads-adid^78244844802-device^c-plaid^139036345947-sku^112864080@ADL4GC-adType^PLA

For $349 its got to be a shitty guitar ...... yea or nay ?

 

[keennay]

Nay.

Buy my ESP version instead.

 

[Chester Nimitz]

Oh its nice, ive seen it but im a cheap bastid ...

Are these full size guitars like San Dimas or Dinkys ?

 

[paulyc]

I don't think it would be any shitty-er than the red Japanese Charvel Model 1 or 2 in your sig pic...just sayin'...

 

[Crunchtime]

I don't think it would be any shitty-er than the red Japanese Charvel Model 1 or 2 in your sig pic...just sayin'...

 

[Dave L]

A LTD with a 200 number is pretty low-rent but could of course be a decent guitar anyway.

The Kamikazes are more or less big dinkys, not quite full-size strats. It´s the same body that Kramer fans call "large soloist" to differentiate them from the dinkys.

 

[Chester Nimitz]

I don't think it would be any shitty-er than the red Japanese Charvel Model 1 or 2 in your sig pic...just sayin'...

Old school Basswood, Indian rosewood FB, compound radius board, original Floyd with Big Brass Block i would stack this guitar against anything Fender has made.

And way, way the Fuck better than Chinese LTD just sayin.

Besides its got a knob for the Tonez ...

 

[paulyc]

Have you spent ANY time with a USA Charvel ? Either production or CS ? You wouldn't say a Jap Charvel was equal if you had... and I'm NOT busting your chops here, I've owned a few Model series back in the day (still have one), and it is in NO WAY equal to my MIA San Dimas strat head or my CS start head. Nice guitar ? Sure, but not equal.

 

[paulyc]

Even an older pointy Ontario shop Jackson or Charvel is superior to a Model series...

 

[Chester Nimitz]

Les Pauls have more meaning than those guitars to me ...

The only way i would drop 3K on a Jackson is if it were the spawn of Randy Rhoads.

And i have had a Randy Rhoads Jackson, neck heavy & very uncomfortable to play.

I have had several Jacksons & several Charvels.

There is no resale when you want to sell them.

The Rhoads & King V's look cool as hell but they aren't really my bag anymore.

Mexican Charvels are just that Mexican.

No way im paying Fender/Charvel prices.

The LTD Kami in question is a perfect example of why you never get jack for resale.

This thread was about the LTD anyway.

I look at exotic tone wood stocks, where & who makes guitars and all kinds of things when it comes to buying a guitar.

Not just a re branded name.

I have 2 Fujigen made Les Pauls that sound better than my Gibsons and rival Gibson Custom shop.

My Gibson are nice but don't sound the same.

 

[paulyc]

I didn't speak of any MIM Charvel, I said MIA only...which is kind of my point, you take a shot at an LTD probably from Korea or Indonesia, then a swipe at Mexican, but give Japanese a pass... kind of pretzel logic to me.

MIA Charvel/Jackson is never going down...MIJ or MIM will for sure, no argument there.

For 349 that LTD Kami is probably as good as an 80s model series Charvel was back in the day...you could swap pickups and put on an OFR with a brass block and it might be every bit as good as your model series is now.

Bass wood does nothing for me tonally.

I love Les Pauls, I have 5. 2 Norlin Customs, a Norlin Standard, a Classic Premium plus top, and a Traditional pro. I also have an 81 Explorer, an 81 EDS1275, and a '61 ES345. People rail on Norlin Gibsons all the time...I love 'em.

 

[Chester Nimitz]

Thats what makes us all different man.

Good luck with the Jacksons.

Basswood & Alder typically don't do it for me either.

This one i have is different its got something going.

EVH's first Mighty Mite Strat was Basswood and had something going as well.


Many low cost guitars are shit.

I checked out a JEM Jr last fall, what a joke.

Had to do a 20 minute setup just to play, plug it into 2 different amps DOA ... not a sound.

The guitar felt like a toy made of drift wood. The GC sales puke followed me into the parkinlot trying to make the sale.

No thanks.

Epi guitars are Philippine Mahogany [which isn't real mahogany] with veneer tops, sides & back.

No thanks.

 

[Dave L]

A cheap guitar is a lot better these days than ever before. That random chinese LTD probably destroys anything cheap from yesteryear. Not that the Model Charvels were cheap, but you just don´t see anything as bad as, say, the Charvettes nowadays.

Has to be heaven to be a beginner or someone shopping in the lower end of the spectrum now.

 

[Mailman1971]

I exclusively play my Custom shop Kamikazie.
One of the LTD's on that GC used list is in my hometown. I was there and saw it. Picked it up. Played it (Not very long)
It was pretty good. Neck is more 'rounded' then the ESP version.
Graphics seemed cool enough.
If you want one grab it. Change out the Floyd and pickup later on.
Solid guitar.

 

[paulyc]

EVH's black/white (later black/white/red) was not basswood...it was northern hard ash. The EVH ART series are basswood and the new MIM EVH guitars are basswood...

 

[Aidanspaghetti]

I recently won a LTD Viper 401fm that was a really cool guitar. EMG 81/85 , set neck and made in Indonesia.
Not my bag but an incredibly well playing, sounding guitar.
Great great times to be buying in the lower end of the market.

Of course I sold it =)

 

[stratjacket]

To the original question, for $349, I'd say 'yes'. Go for it if you like the guitar. Probably fun as hell to play and customize/alter/whatever you can think of or always wanted to try.

For basswood, I know it gets shit on because it's budget material, influences the ears, but I really like it. I have an Ibanez PGM301 that I've had for years and will never give up. I think it sounds amazing and plays like a dream.

 

[Dave L]

Yeah, all basswood isn't created equal. Plenty of basswood Suhrs and Andersons out there that sound like a million bucks. Not your typical strat tone, though!

 

[riffermadness]

I didn't speak of any MIM Charvel, I said MIA only...which is kind of my point, you take a shot at an LTD probably from Korea or Indonesia, then a swipe at Mexican, but give Japanese a pass... kind of pretzel logic to me.

MIA Charvel/Jackson is never going down...MIJ or MIM will for sure, no argument there.

For 349 that LTD Kami is probably as good as an 80s model series Charvel was back in the day...you could swap pickups and put on an OFR with a brass block and it might be every bit as good as your model series is now.

Bass wood does nothing for me tonally.

I love Les Pauls, I have 5. 2 Norlin Customs, a Norlin Standard, a Classic Premium plus top, and a Traditional pro. I also have an 81 Explorer, an 81 EDS1275, and a '61 ES345. People rail on Norlin Gibsons all the time...I love 'em.

I have 3 of the 200 series LTD Lynchs, GL 200 MT Yellow tiger--Purple sunburst 200 sbt and the Kamikazee,just like said above,replace the Floyd Special out with a real Floyds,and I have put Seymour Duncans in all of them and changed out the always horrible LTD tuning keys for Schallers and now they are just outstanding playing and sounding guitars,sure I don't have mega $$ invested in them but they are my go to axes,even more than my USA Soloist HSS Floyd guitar..the ltds are a great value,thats all I'm saying!

 

[Chester Nimitz]

I didn't speak of any MIM Charvel, I said MIA only...which is kind of my point, you take a shot at an LTD probably from Korea or Indonesia, then a swipe at Mexican, but give Japanese a pass... kind of pretzel logic to me.

MIA Charvel/Jackson is never going down...MIJ or MIM will for sure, no argument there.

For 349 that LTD Kami is probably as good as an 80s model series Charvel was back in the day...you could swap pickups and put on an OFR with a brass block and it might be every bit as good as your model series is now.

Bass wood does nothing for me tonally.

I love Les Pauls, I have 5. 2 Norlin Customs, a Norlin Standard, a Classic Premium plus top, and a Traditional pro. I also have an 81 Explorer, an 81 EDS1275, and a '61 ES345. People rail on Norlin Gibsons all the time...I love 'em.

I have 3 of the 200 series LTD Lynchs, GL 200 MT Yellow tiger--Purple sunburst 200 sbt and the Kamikazee,just like said above,replace the Floyd Special out with a real Floyds,and I have put Seymour Duncans in all of them and changed out the always horrible LTD tuning keys for Schallers and now they are just outstanding playing and sounding guitars,sure I don't have mega $$ invested in them but they are my go to axes,even more than my USA Soloist HSS Floyd guitar..the ltds are a great value,thats all I'm saying!

How much did you pay for the guitar ?

How much to do all the change out ?