@@EliseOfTheValley Can confirm. My MH-50 rips. The esp branded floyd stayed in tune great and now, like 10 years after buying it, still ripping with emg 81s in the neck and bridge.
I've never been disappointed by any LTD I've ever owned, or played. From their cheapest models, to the Deluxe series (which I've been playing for like, 20 years now). Always my go to.
I almost agree their guitars are well enough crafted fom 256 to 1000 series. I have like 8 of them and i have mixed feelings only with one of them. 7 are awesome just my satin black ec1000 sounds kinda dull and not well in the mix, although it has the same pickups and hardware as rest of the crew it lacks midrange and is really muddy.
I am an importer of guitars from japan and the wort guitar i have ever had was a LTD Truckster. It played horrible and no set up would cure it and it sounded awful. I have also had about 10 of the ESP edwards Hetfield explorers from the 90s and all of them are horrible guitars good only for wall hangers
Meanwhile I bought my first ltd and the finish QC was the sloppiest Ive seen, returned it. 1500$ ltd m-1000. They're not as great as everyone says apparently...
I just got back from Nashville and went by the Gibson Garage. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve played a lot of amazing Gibsons (mostly SGs and Explorers) but I was pretty shocked at how many $3k+ instruments had paint issues, buffing compound present, and tool marks all over the fretboards. In their own showroom.
My experience (your mileage may vary) is that the best Gibsons are the cheap ones, particularly the low-end faded ones made between 2005 and 2008. Beyond that? Fuck that shit; it's just diminishing returns. Get a Greco or an Orville instead if you want a "Gibson-style" instrument. I only paid more than $1k for a Gibson once, and that's because it was a 60's model that they don't make any more.
@@ErickC it really seems that way. I’ve played a few really great Les Pauls from the late 80s but I’ve also played a lot of really bad playing ones as well. We’re both ESP/LTD players in my band and I’m looking at grabbing an Edwards LP and Explorer sometime soon.
Damn dude i wonder what all the old country legends would say, back then getting a showroom gibson was the first stop off before the cadillac dealer then the cat house to celebrate the day. sounds more like a trip the the hardware store these days.
@@garyt3hsna1l82 I know. I went in there specifically because I wanted to see all the best stuff they had to offer. And while they did have many stunning guitars, there were still a lot with issues I was surprised by.
It's been kind of fun watching Glen slowly improve over the years when he demos a guitar. Not sure if the wah is masking a few things in this episode but he's definitely shown a lot of improvement lately.
There's so much money that you have saved me and probably thousands of others. Thank you Glenn for looking out for anyone of all ages and backgrounds coming into the audio engineering world it's genuinely such a valuable asset to have someone like you for us metal guys that goes against what is thought to be a way of achieving tone, etc. Also dude your skills of shredding just keep on getting better and better!
And ESP is better? The only guitars they sell under the ESP brand now are the 4000€ ones. Charging 1800€ for their budget brand is absolutely shameless.
@@WalnutWarrior7 They’re built better but everybody is nuts with these prices lately. 1800 for Chinese Epiphones left and right. I like my old sub-500 dollar Indonesian guitars. They do everything I need.
@@TylerJohnstonGuitar Yea you’re absolutely right, it’s unreal. Everyone and their dog is pushing 1500€ budget brand guitars now. Not a great time to be a guitarist unless you buy used
@@WalnutWarrior7 It's sad they made the decision to remove the ESP Standard line and now the E-IIs are even more expensive than before.. As for LTD, they even have a model that I bet will be very niche for $2500... But at least the high end LTDs for the same price of the $14-1500 china Epiphones are made in Korea, that's at least 2 steps up in country of origin, for roughly the same or ''just'' $400 more, which I'd gladly pay the premium for (also not supporting the ccp when buying china stuff)
I think the reason Kirk Hammet's guitar is more expensive than the regular one is due to Kirk's percentage as the signature model. For the rest, no sound difference, but it just seems to me that one is louder than the other
@@justaguy2365 they're back to $1799, staff said it was an error and a few workers I know said they had to deal with people buying them and reselling them
I actually like the black sparkle finish. It certainly is the best of the 3 options. And no, there is not a $400 price difference between the two guitars. I'm mainly interested in this model because it's the Alexi body shape without the Floyd.
@@thesaw239 no because 90% of Vs (and many metal oriented superstrats too) out there come stock with a double locking tremolo. It's nice to have some options for those that prefer a simpler instrument.
These Vs are based off of Kirk Hammets RR Black Jackson V from the 80s. Couldnt use Jackson inlays, But Kirk is a surfer, which why they are waves instead.
The whole song is a great exercise. All the down picking and the technically accessible leads. That David Bowie part Cliff added is wicked awesome. Your picking technique and stamina will jump lightyears from practicing that tune *end to end*
Judas kiss, all nightmare long, unforgiven III, that was just your life, broken, beat, and scarred. To be frank, Judas kiss is a monster of a song and all nightmare long is right there next to it. I remember buying that album and head-banging all the way home to learn those songs. I get that it's a meme to pick on post black album Metallica, but Glen should probably know better. He definitely isn't spending his free time practicing guitar. Least he could do is keep up to date with the genre he purports to love.
Hardwired and 72 Seasons are both excellent albums, the new album has really grown on me and I am happy to see them still playing and crushing it live too! If only Slayer hadn’t retired so early, wish they were doing the same and continuing to put out new material. I have mad respect for Metallica, they could just sit back and retire but instead they are putting themselves out there and touring the world.
72 seasons IS soooooo boring. Same drumparts, not so much interesting riffs. A lot of recycle things . It's time for them to stop. Slayer was right. They quit before being not relevant. That's exactly what's happening with grandpallica
@@jmasson3272 The thing is, as long as james, kirk and lars are alive, they will be relevant. There's just no denying that. They might not have put out a good album in 30 years but they're still the kings of metal and they'll fill stadiums till the day they die. That's how big their impact is and that's how good the first 5 albums were.
@@christianhildalgo they were the kings...now that's just an old hard rock band playing metallica covers withea drummer who's not able to play with the necessary energy
@@jmasson3272 Nah, lars is playing great live lately, especially for a 60 year old. James is still as good of a player as he was 30 years ago and his voice has matured nicely. Honestly their weakest link is Kirk. But they are great live, it's a really good experience seeing them.
GLENN! There live shows are still pretty fucking amazing. Sunday in Hamburg was just mind blowing. I just wish artists would sell signature plugins or amp&cab instead of stupid pickups, since that's where the tone is. Great video!
Believe it or not, Kirk DOES have a signature amp! Randall is Kirk’s brand of signature amps that come with Celstion 70-80s. Probably what they use nowadays.
$400 more for a nice case, lighter wood, locking tuners, plus the extra for an icon's signature/unique guitar. If I'm already spending $1,400, I might splurge for the KH sig.
Love your thoughts here! I REALLY considered getting one of these because I love Vs, Metallica, and sparkle finishes. But at $1.8k? Yeah, that one wasn't happening.... I hoped it'd come in at more like $1.4k - $1.5k like his KH-602's, which is still a little above my price range but close enough I could swallow the extra. But as cool as this is, I don't think I can swallow the price. Keep up the awesome content man! Always love watching.
Well, it isn't that bad when you consider that the price includes a hardshell case. The Arrow doesn't come with a case, so the extra cost for a case would be $300. So at that point, the Kirk Hammett is really only $100 more than the Arrow. I play in a band that gigs, so a hadshell case is a must have, but I know a lot of guitarists don't need one.
Once you said you wer going to play the Kirk Hammet and the standard Arrow back to back, I decided to look away and judge with my ears. You have taught me well Glenn!
Yeah, there really isn't a big difference worth paying a premium and I bet he could've had any other humbucker guitar running against the V and we wouldn't have noticed massive tonal difference either. Or at least not a difference that can't be neglected by tweak the amp settings.
I just felt that the arrow had a bit more gain but really not a massive difference, probably just because of the pickups being slightly more hotter but you will have the same result with putting more gain lmao
This is a perfect guitar review! This is the way everybody should review guitars and totally change the narrative by bashing the horrible lies in marketing that provide no information, only lies concerning useless wood and pickup details that dont really matter or affect the sound in a noticeable way, Congrats Glenn!
Goooooo Glen!!! You shredded that axe. It's much nicer than the old one with the skulls on the fretboard. I want to hear you learn muuuutah berrrrrreath!
Thank you for all the V reviews Glen. I just got this for $899 US! I tried it and it was amazing! I don’t think I would spend the full price on it, even if it’s worth it.
Guitar center blowing these out half off in store only. Bought one today. Same color as Glenn’s. Shocked to see it priced in showroom. Immediately bought it
1. No, it's not worth $1,800, but it is a nice axe. 2. Marketing and religion both love using vague, unverifiable claims that make their product sound great. 3. I can play Creeping Death at tempo with down-picking. Actually, I'm almost as fast at down-picking as I am with alternate-picking. The hard part is doing that WHILE singing. That's what made James the king of rapid-fire down-picking.
I gotta say I love the color choices on the model, all 3 are VERY Kirk! Personally I think V's need more color variety, so I really welcome the yellow one into the market
Two more limited edition Mustaine Vs were unveiled today by Kramer and Epiphone Glenn, we need you to have a look at them and save us from the shitty paint jobs!
I was watching this with a morning cup of BLACK coffee. This dude had me rolling...it's my first time checking this guy out.. he's hilarious... love it
My Dad has been playing his whole life. He has Gibsons, Fenders, all the big names. Washburn has always seemed to be his favorite. Got him a Schecter hard tail about 5 years ago, he's traditionally been a Floyd rose guy but fell in love with Schecter after that first one, he has 6 now. Got him a N4 swamp ash for Christmas a couple weeks ago and he can't put it down. He can afford to get what he wants, but all he really buts anymore are Schecter and Washburn. Esp id probably gonna be his next gift.
I really love that I can just pick up my LTD KH-V and play it, without retuning it, adjusting the truss rod etc. I also have a Gibson LP Studio and it sounds and plays amazing, but, during the hot summer months, the wood in the neck apparently gets bent and I have to adjust it again with the truss rod. Also, it keeps going out of tune, even after lubricating the nut with graphite.
The difference between the 2 guitars is so subtle that I honestly really could hardly tell. The new one did have a little more umff to it though. I love V guitars, and you reviewing them on your channel is awesome. Thanks
I can honestly say I’ve been appreciating the last 3 Metallica albums lately. I loved Death Magnetic off the bat (minus the god awful mastering job). But Hardwired took me some time. Once I listened to it with headphone I started getting into it much more. Same with the new one. I know we all want our favorite bands to keep doing the stuff we fell in love with them for but that’s not how artists operate. You have to try new things and new sounds or else you just get stuck in a rut. That’s my opinion of course and I’ll always love the classic 3 albums that changed my life. I still listen to the Master of Puppets and shake my head in awe at the genius on display. All that being said I’ll take the Arrow over the sig version in a heartbeat. The paint looks better and the extra $400 is all about the name. Thanks Glenn! 🤘
I just picked one up! For some reason it was $899 at my local guitar center. Still new. Only blemish was a tiny bit of finish wear on the v tip. (No damage just a bit foggy) It plays pretty amazingly.
Technically, the Kirk Hammett V is only $100 more than the Arrow because the KH-V comes with a hardshell case. That accounts for $300 of the price increase right there. If the buyer doesn't need a hardshell case, then I can see that being a nonstarter, but as a gigging musician, a hardshell case is a must have. I'd say the KH-V is pretty good value especially since you get a tone knob on the KH version of it.
Glenn, I’ve never been a V-guy. But after you reviewed the Arrow 1000, I fell in love with it. I ended up buying a arrow 401, which is basically the same thing, just older and discontinued. Thanks, you rock
I've gotta say, the depth, sustain, complex low-mid range and the snappy and brighter midrange is clearly audiable when going through the overdrive channel and a wah pedal.
I'm glad you jumped up and down without holding the guitar to see if you would get any neck dive. It drives me nuts when I'm doing jumping Jacks with my guitar strapped on and I get neck dive.
Dayum! Great down- stroke picking, brother! I think EVERYONE can hear how much you've been practicing. Keep it up... Extra 400 bucks: Hard case included - 200 Custom fruity finish - 100 Insignificant KH sig pickups - 100 Could that explain it maybe?
I have an old Jackson V made from Japan that I'm contemplating on trading in for the Kirk Hammett V, because it just looks like a very cool guitar. That and it looks well made too. It'll sit well next to my Dave Mustaine "United Abominations" Flying V too!
The asked massive tone shift between those two guitars might be the sound of dropping tears of the Gibson fanboys still trying to keep their LP in tune for any longer than five minutes... Thanks for the review and keep up the amazing work!
That Celestion g-12 you played to play their old stuff, sounded just like their old recorded stuff, but at the same time it sounded like nails on a chalkboard compared to the original speaker you used which on this guitar which was amazing!
This is the second time I've watched this video. Glenn, THIS FUDGING ROCKS! Thank you for what you do for your community. You really are the best peep :D
I was listening while cooking and was not watching the screen. When i heard you pose the challenge i raced into the room just in time to see the purple guitar. The purple one DEFINITELY sounded muddy. The first one sounded much brighter and more balanced.
I have an LTD EC--1000 CTW (thick body, no body cut like the regular EC/Eclipse) that I bought about 15 years ago. I love that guitar. The action is fantastic. I went with SD Alnico II passive pickups, and love them. I played Gibson SGs and Ibanez guitars in my playing days, and the LTD was a departure for me. I wish LTD existed when I was a young, struggling musician with tight budgets and no shortage of crappy instrument options. If I were 20 again and that guitar was an option, I'd have a suite of them for recording and touring.
For V-style guitar I'll always go with Arrows. Have one and it's amazing. Second would be Alexi signatures. They look great but are way more expensive for me.
To me (listening on studio monitors), the Kirk Hammet Signature hit mostly in the upper mids but still had some low mids, while the Arrow hit mostly in the low mids and had a scoop in the upper mids. Whether from the woods used or the pickups/preamps used, or a combination of the two, I think changing a little amp EQ, speakers, and micing could deliver similar results for either. I personally prefered the Kirk Hammet Sig because I think it would work better in a mix, but I also think there probably is another guitar in LTD's lineup that could do a similar job given a bit of modification
Regarding the sonic differences at 9:58 and 10:06, the korina guitar has slightly more punch and sharpness as opposed to the mahogany. However, assuming the guitar is played at a club, small theatre, or arena, I doubt that anyone in the audience would notice.
Got my alien tech green Kramer Mustaine in yesterday. Aside from needing a setup, it’s really good quality. The QC did a good job, and they use CTS pots and what looks like to me a decent solder job. No finish blemishes cracks or warping on mine at all. Really enjoying it so far. I’d like to see your take on one soon.
I've had my james hetfield iron cross ltd for over 8 years now. Still never adjusted it to this day because it still plays just as well as it did when i got it. LTD rules!
I want to love it, but UGH those finishes... Just a default black/white option would look killer. I know it would be similar to a Jackson Rhoads V, but I prefer ESP's V shape.
Tbh there was a slight tonal difference, the Ltd Arrow soudned a bit more scooped, but it's ever so slight it won't make a difference in amix. I recently got a Dunable DE guitar made by World Guitar Music and from the pictures it looks like these Hammett V are also built there. Fretwork reminds me a lot of my Dunable and it plays like a wet dream. Glen, maybe you should take a look at the Dunable stuff as well, I think The Northerner sells them in Canada.
I play both an ESP LTD EC-1000 with EMGs, and a PRS Custom with Fishman Fluence pickups. The difference that I notice is just that the Fishmans seem to have a nice response for more melodic parts and soloing. The EMGs seem to be a little better for keeping definition between chords when playing fast, palm-muted, bar chords (in drop C). I really like them both a lot, it just depends on what I'm doing in a particular song.
The extra $400 is hardly about the wood, or whatever. It's definitely about covering royalty expenses. Most signature products are slightly pricier than their standard counterparts because the artist makes a cut out of each sale. I would like to verify if there's a difference in tone for different woods in acoustic instruments. I suspect there might be a difference in resonance and sustain, depending on the density of the wood, provided the construction method is the same. That would be an awesome experiment!
Korina is Limba wood. There's "White Limba" which is light blond throughout (what Gibson used), and "Black Limba" which has grey and brown sometimes nearing black streaks and dramatic figuring, and as a guitar builder I like black Limba for it's looks, and also because it works easily and doesn't dull bits and blades as bad as some other woods.
@B WJ Actually, they used it as a feature of the early flying V's, and only used clear lacquer. Only years later did they make many in mahogany too, and since neither has any figuring or at least it's very rare, they are great for painting. Painting over flame maple is a crime! Translucent color and dies can make good figuring more dramatic. Black Limba can have very dramatic color variation, but Gibson didn't use it, they used white Limba. It's also hard to find sexy lumber, and when you do, have the means to pull the trigger and buy it, which can be like buying concert tickets!
the tone is definitely different. listen to how the midrange is distorting. emgs are all midrange focused, but the 81 in the arrow is more intensely focused than the bone breaker in the khv. when you distort them they sound almost like theres a boost/od or even a cocked wah being used when compared to passives. i hear a bit more of that in the arrow than the khv
GLEEEEEENNNNNNNN!!!!!!!!! I did some research when I was contemplating EMG’s for a kit guitar and was going to get the bone breakers. I then discovered through some of their own literature that they are just rebranded 81/60’s with Kirk’s Green Logo. This is part of the reason why they sounded the same aside from the usual reasons.
2:44 That Was Just Your Life, All Nightmare Long and The Unforgiven III Underrated album, held back by the shittiest mixing known to man (and a few compositional missteps)
Finally somebody that does a proper “Neck Dive” test. Seriously thank you. This should be done with most guitars and most definitely any “odd” shaped guitars!!!!
As a lover of V guitars I want to thank you for reviewing so many of this guitars.
same here , i love me some V guitars!!!!
I do love how they describe the properties of the wood as if it were an equalizer. Must be a real magical tree they took it from
Downright Tolkien-esque
😂😂😂😂😂 lmao
Most knuckle draggers can't read let alone be able to afford the thing
"I meant deth magnetic" gets compressed to hell and 10 times louder. perfect. 😂😂🤣🤣🤣🤣😂😂
I love Glenn's clean guitar tone segments. Such an angelic beautiful chord each time.
LTD been killing it for awhile
Last 2 guitars I purchased were lefty LTD's. Love em both H-1000QM and Metallic Red 1987
Even their like $300 guitars blow anything from Epiphone or Squier out of the water
@@EliseOfTheValley Can confirm. My MH-50 rips. The esp branded floyd stayed in tune great and now, like 10 years after buying it, still ripping with emg 81s in the neck and bridge.
They've been killing it for so long that I'm getting tired of helping them hide the bodies 😁
I love opening brand new toys. Ah, that "new" smell.
I've never been disappointed by any LTD I've ever owned, or played. From their cheapest models, to the Deluxe series (which I've been playing for like, 20 years now). Always my go to.
I almost agree their guitars are well enough crafted fom 256 to 1000 series. I have like 8 of them and i have mixed feelings only with one of them. 7 are awesome just my satin black ec1000 sounds kinda dull and not well in the mix, although it has the same pickups and hardware as rest of the crew it lacks midrange and is really muddy.
I am an importer of guitars from japan and the wort guitar i have ever had was a LTD Truckster. It played horrible and no set up would cure it and it sounded awful. I have also had about 10 of the ESP edwards Hetfield explorers from the 90s and all of them are horrible guitars good only for wall hangers
Meanwhile I bought my first ltd and the finish QC was the sloppiest Ive seen, returned it. 1500$ ltd m-1000. They're not as great as everyone says apparently...
I just got back from Nashville and went by the Gibson Garage.
Don’t get me wrong, I’ve played a lot of amazing Gibsons (mostly SGs and Explorers) but I was pretty shocked at how many $3k+ instruments had paint issues, buffing compound present, and tool marks all over the fretboards. In their own showroom.
My experience (your mileage may vary) is that the best Gibsons are the cheap ones, particularly the low-end faded ones made between 2005 and 2008. Beyond that? Fuck that shit; it's just diminishing returns. Get a Greco or an Orville instead if you want a "Gibson-style" instrument. I only paid more than $1k for a Gibson once, and that's because it was a 60's model that they don't make any more.
@@ErickC it really seems that way. I’ve played a few really great Les Pauls from the late 80s but I’ve also played a lot of really bad playing ones as well.
We’re both ESP/LTD players in my band and I’m looking at grabbing an Edwards LP and Explorer sometime soon.
Damn dude i wonder what all the old country legends would say, back then getting a showroom gibson was the first stop off before the cadillac dealer then the cat house to celebrate the day. sounds more like a trip the the hardware store these days.
@@garyt3hsna1l82 I know. I went in there specifically because I wanted to see all the best stuff they had to offer. And while they did have many stunning guitars, there were still a lot with issues I was surprised by.
If you want a guitar with a good finish go to the Epiphone side of the garage 😮
It's been kind of fun watching Glen slowly improve over the years when he demos a guitar. Not sure if the wah is masking a few things in this episode but he's definitely shown a lot of improvement lately.
Especially on his leads. I've always enjoyed his rhythm playing.
He sounded kickass with the wah
@@HabAnagarek yeah you can't play Kirk Hammett without a wah
Thanks Glen, it is a pleasure to serve to metal community! 🤘🏻
There's so much money that you have saved me and probably thousands of others. Thank you Glenn for looking out for anyone of all ages and backgrounds coming into the audio engineering world it's genuinely such a valuable asset to have someone like you for us metal guys that goes against what is thought to be a way of achieving tone, etc. Also dude your skills of shredding just keep on getting better and better!
Damn, i get fired up when you and the team post. Straight forward, informational and unapologetic. Thank you.
I kind of like the red sparkle. With the gold pickguard, it's got a little bit of a "classic hot rod" vibe...
Gibson is secretly an acronym for
Gee, I Bought Some Overpriced Nonsense
Edit: Could not hear a 400 dollar difference in the woods.
And ESP is better? The only guitars they sell under the ESP brand now are the 4000€ ones. Charging 1800€ for their budget brand is absolutely shameless.
@@WalnutWarrior7 They’re built better but everybody is nuts with these prices lately. 1800 for Chinese Epiphones left and right. I like my old sub-500 dollar Indonesian guitars. They do everything I need.
@@TylerJohnstonGuitar Yea you’re absolutely right, it’s unreal. Everyone and their dog is pushing 1500€ budget brand guitars now. Not a great time to be a guitarist unless you buy used
@@benburnett8109 He told us viewers to let him know if we could hear a difference in the video. I figured he already knew the answer, but he did ask.
@@WalnutWarrior7 It's sad they made the decision to remove the ESP Standard line and now the E-IIs are even more expensive than before..
As for LTD, they even have a model that I bet will be very niche for $2500... But at least the high end LTDs for the same price of the $14-1500 china Epiphones are made in Korea, that's at least 2 steps up in country of origin, for roughly the same or ''just'' $400 more, which I'd gladly pay the premium for (also not supporting the ccp when buying china stuff)
I think the reason Kirk Hammet's guitar is more expensive than the regular one is due to Kirk's percentage as the signature model. For the rest, no sound difference, but it just seems to me that one is louder than the other
1800 for a LTD? You must be nuts.....
That’s what I thought!
Too bad he didn't hold off. They're $799 at guitar center now
@@justaguy2365 they're back to $1799, staff said it was an error and a few workers I know said they had to deal with people buying them and reselling them
I actually like the black sparkle finish. It certainly is the best of the 3 options.
And no, there is not a $400 price difference between the two guitars.
I'm mainly interested in this model because it's the Alexi body shape without the Floyd.
Wouldnt it be better if it had a floyd?
@thesaw239 i gotta say its a matter of preference, floyds are hella fun but its a hassle imo
The sparkle should reflect the stage lights and make your guitar change color a little throughout the show!
@@thesaw239 no because 90% of Vs (and many metal oriented superstrats too) out there come stock with a double locking tremolo. It's nice to have some options for those that prefer a simpler instrument.
These Vs are based off of Kirk Hammets RR Black Jackson V from the 80s. Couldnt use Jackson inlays, But Kirk is a surfer, which why they are waves instead.
MONEY GOOD! Napster BAD! I miss those old Camp Chaos shorts lol
Those & Homestar Runner were some of the best pre-RUclips content!!
MetallicaR died with Napster?
The whole song is a great exercise. All the down picking and the technically accessible leads. That David Bowie part Cliff added is wicked awesome. Your picking technique and stamina will jump lightyears from practicing that tune *end to end*
Lol which one he plays many songs in this video. Creeping death?
@@johnjohnson7259 Master of Puppets. Glen uses the motif as an exercise.
mOrE pIaNo LoWs FrOm FiXeD bRiDgE
MoAR LOwes than home Depot
Piano lows?
@@sexyguitarboy69 a reference to a viewers comment from a previous vc episode.
@@joeb3590 made me chuckle
@@marcuslangford4679which episode was that?
Judas kiss, all nightmare long, unforgiven III, that was just your life, broken, beat, and scarred. To be frank, Judas kiss is a monster of a song and all nightmare long is right there next to it. I remember buying that album and head-banging all the way home to learn those songs.
I get that it's a meme to pick on post black album Metallica, but Glen should probably know better. He definitely isn't spending his free time practicing guitar. Least he could do is keep up to date with the genre he purports to love.
That CD didn't leave my car CD player for weeks. Absolutely dope album.
Mustaine just announced the Epiphone and Kramer versions of his signature V so...maybe another fearless gear review is incoming?
great idea!!
Hardwired and 72 Seasons are both excellent albums, the new album has really grown on me and I am happy to see them still playing and crushing it live too! If only Slayer hadn’t retired so early, wish they were doing the same and continuing to put out new material. I have mad respect for Metallica, they could just sit back and retire but instead they are putting themselves out there and touring the world.
Hell naw, I’d rather slayer end on a high note like they did than stick around and pump out mediocre sludge every 10 years
72 seasons IS soooooo boring. Same drumparts, not so much interesting riffs. A lot of recycle things . It's time for them to stop. Slayer was right. They quit before being not relevant. That's exactly what's happening with grandpallica
@@jmasson3272 The thing is, as long as james, kirk and lars are alive, they will be relevant. There's just no denying that. They might not have put out a good album in 30 years but they're still the kings of metal and they'll fill stadiums till the day they die. That's how big their impact is and that's how good the first 5 albums were.
@@christianhildalgo they were the kings...now that's just an old hard rock band playing metallica covers withea drummer who's not able to play with the necessary energy
@@jmasson3272 Nah, lars is playing great live lately, especially for a 60 year old. James is still as good of a player as he was 30 years ago and his voice has matured nicely. Honestly their weakest link is Kirk. But they are great live, it's a really good experience seeing them.
GLENN! There live shows are still pretty fucking amazing. Sunday in Hamburg was just mind blowing. I just wish artists would sell signature plugins or amp&cab instead of stupid pickups, since that's where the tone is. Great video!
Believe it or not, Kirk DOES have a signature amp! Randall is Kirk’s brand of signature amps that come with Celstion 70-80s. Probably what they use nowadays.
$400 more for a nice case, lighter wood, locking tuners, plus the extra for an icon's signature/unique guitar. If I'm already spending $1,400, I might splurge for the KH sig.
Thanks for the reminder that LuLu exists
You’re welcome!
I think the Arrow sounded a bit muddier and KH-V clearer. Maybe the difference comes from difference between EMG-81 vs Bonebreaker.
Love your thoughts here! I REALLY considered getting one of these because I love Vs, Metallica, and sparkle finishes. But at $1.8k? Yeah, that one wasn't happening.... I hoped it'd come in at more like $1.4k - $1.5k like his KH-602's, which is still a little above my price range but close enough I could swallow the extra. But as cool as this is, I don't think I can swallow the price.
Keep up the awesome content man! Always love watching.
Well, it isn't that bad when you consider that the price includes a hardshell case. The Arrow doesn't come with a case, so the extra cost for a case would be $300. So at that point, the Kirk Hammett is really only $100 more than the Arrow. I play in a band that gigs, so a hadshell case is a must have, but I know a lot of guitarists don't need one.
I just picked up one for $1200.
The Kirk Hammett V is on sale for $899 at Guitar Center through May. Just picked up the gold model this week. With trade in, I paid $490 out the door.
Once you said you wer going to play the Kirk Hammet and the standard Arrow back to back, I decided to look away and judge with my ears. You have taught me well Glenn!
Same. I did not hear $400 worth of difference.
Yeah, there really isn't a big difference worth paying a premium and I bet he could've had any other humbucker guitar running against the V and we wouldn't have noticed massive tonal difference either. Or at least not a difference that can't be neglected by tweak the amp settings.
Sounded the same to me.
I just felt that the arrow had a bit more gain but really not a massive difference, probably just because of the pickups being slightly more hotter but you will have the same result with putting more gain lmao
This is, hands down, the greatest guitar review ever posted on the interwebz. Thank you, Sir!
Damn Glen, you've been seriously improving on your leads. Keep it up!
This is a perfect guitar review! This is the way everybody should review guitars and totally change the narrative by bashing the horrible lies in marketing that provide no information, only lies concerning useless wood and pickup details that dont really matter or affect the sound in a noticeable way, Congrats Glenn!
So lucky he does not have to sell that much merch, since he lives in your head rent free.
Goooooo Glen!!! You shredded that axe. It's much nicer than the old one with the skulls on the fretboard.
I want to hear you learn muuuutah berrrrrreath!
Those old “NAPSTER BAD” flash videos were so funny. I remember watching them back in the early 2000’s. Thanks for dredging up that memory!
Wow! This guitar sounds completely phenomenal! Sure some of that is your sound processing but damn…
@@benburnett8109 yeah that is absolute silliness. Pickups most definitely matter. Passive or active for example i mean come on.
Thank you for all the V reviews Glen. I just got this for $899 US! I tried it and it was amazing! I don’t think I would spend the full price on it, even if it’s worth it.
Where did you score it for that price!!?
Guitar center. Las piece in Arizona
Guitar center blowing these out half off in store only. Bought one today. Same color as Glenn’s. Shocked to see it priced in showroom. Immediately bought it
@@deskducker That’s sick.
1. No, it's not worth $1,800, but it is a nice axe.
2. Marketing and religion both love using vague, unverifiable claims that make their product sound great.
3. I can play Creeping Death at tempo with down-picking. Actually, I'm almost as fast at down-picking as I am with alternate-picking. The hard part is doing that WHILE singing. That's what made James the king of rapid-fire down-picking.
Am I wrong for liking your use of wah more than that of Kirk?
LOL! :)
@@SpectreSoundStudios No seriously it was really good!
I gotta say I love the color choices on the model, all 3 are VERY Kirk! Personally I think V's need more color variety, so I really welcome the yellow one into the market
Ripped the bonebreakers out as soon as I got it. Replaced them with an 81/60 set. Sounds so much better.
Two more limited edition Mustaine Vs were unveiled today by Kramer and Epiphone
Glenn, we need you to have a look at them and save us from the shitty paint jobs!
I was watching this with a morning cup of BLACK coffee. This dude had me rolling...it's my first time checking this guy out.. he's hilarious... love it
Was really enjoying the peace sells riff 😂
I think the Kirk Hammett tone just SPARKLES! 🤩🌟✨⭐️💫🌠
🤪
My youngest cat was quite entertained by this.
I was watching this video on my TV and he just stopped and watched intently for several minutes.
My Dad has been playing his whole life. He has Gibsons, Fenders, all the big names. Washburn has always seemed to be his favorite. Got him a Schecter hard tail about 5 years ago, he's traditionally been a Floyd rose guy but fell in love with Schecter after that first one, he has 6 now. Got him a N4 swamp ash for Christmas a couple weeks ago and he can't put it down. He can afford to get what he wants, but all he really buts anymore are Schecter and Washburn. Esp id probably gonna be his next gift.
I really love that I can just pick up my LTD KH-V and play it, without retuning it, adjusting the truss rod etc. I also have a Gibson LP Studio and it sounds and plays amazing, but, during the hot summer months, the wood in the neck apparently gets bent and I have to adjust it again with the truss rod. Also, it keeps going out of tune, even after lubricating the nut with graphite.
Killer Axe, Kirk. We'd all love to check out your velvety box.
Suicide & Redemption was a banger off DM.
Valiant effort for not doing the Creeping Death face!
The difference between the 2 guitars is so subtle that I honestly really could hardly tell. The new one did have a little more umff to it though. I love V guitars, and you reviewing them on your channel is awesome. Thanks
Love that Glen and Kirk are at the same level guitar wise. Makes for a great review!
Glen still can't do any of Kirk's 80'a solos.
I can honestly say I’ve been appreciating the last 3 Metallica albums lately. I loved Death Magnetic off the bat (minus the god awful mastering job). But Hardwired took me some time. Once I listened to it with headphone I started getting into it much more. Same with the new one. I know we all want our favorite bands to keep doing the stuff we fell in love with them for but that’s not how artists operate. You have to try new things and new sounds or else you just get stuck in a rut. That’s my opinion of course and I’ll always love the classic 3 albums that changed my life. I still listen to the Master of Puppets and shake my head in awe at the genius on display. All that being said I’ll take the Arrow over the sig version in a heartbeat. The paint looks better and the extra $400 is all about the name. Thanks Glenn! 🤘
GLEN! Since you like V shaped guitars would you try the Alexi LTD?
I just picked one up! For some reason it was $899 at my local guitar center. Still new. Only blemish was a tiny bit of finish wear on the v tip. (No damage just a bit foggy) It plays pretty amazingly.
Technically, the Kirk Hammett V is only $100 more than the Arrow because the KH-V comes with a hardshell case. That accounts for $300 of the price increase right there. If the buyer doesn't need a hardshell case, then I can see that being a nonstarter, but as a gigging musician, a hardshell case is a must have. I'd say the KH-V is pretty good value especially since you get a tone knob on the KH version of it.
You need a bass pro shop hat to match the size of that metal flake! Looks rad!
missed opportunity to put the Metallica M as fret marker inlays…that would look 👌🏻
Somebody has been practicing their ass off and it shows. Amazing improvement over the last couple years Glenn.
Excited for this! I love the red one!
LOL, checking for the balance, or the lack thereof with your jumps always makes me chuckle.
Glenn, I’ve never been a V-guy. But after you reviewed the Arrow 1000, I fell in love with it. I ended up buying a arrow 401, which is basically the same thing, just older and discontinued. Thanks, you rock
I'll be the broken record, but have to say DAAAAAAMN your playing just keeps getting exponentially better. kicking some major ass there Glenn
Thank you very much!
I agree.
I've gotta say, the depth, sustain, complex low-mid range and the snappy and brighter midrange is clearly audiable when going through the overdrive channel and a wah pedal.
You should try and get your hands on one of the Dean Dave Mustaine signature VMNTs and compare that to the gibson.
I'm glad you jumped up and down without holding the guitar to see if you would get any neck dive. It drives me nuts when I'm doing jumping Jacks with my guitar strapped on and I get neck dive.
Dayum! Great down- stroke picking, brother! I think EVERYONE can hear how much you've been practicing. Keep it up...
Extra 400 bucks:
Hard case included - 200
Custom fruity finish - 100
Insignificant KH sig pickups - 100
Could that explain it maybe?
I have an old Jackson V made from Japan that I'm contemplating on trading in for the Kirk Hammett V, because it just looks like a very cool guitar. That and it looks well made too. It'll sit well next to my Dave Mustaine "United Abominations" Flying V too!
Respect. Never give up brother. You'll get those songs one day.
It's nice to know a channel that doesn't bend over backwards for a company that can't stop their headstocks from breaking for decades.
The asked massive tone shift between those two guitars might be the sound of dropping tears of the Gibson fanboys still trying to keep their LP in tune for any longer than five minutes...
Thanks for the review and keep up the amazing work!
That Celestion g-12 you played to play their old stuff, sounded just like their old recorded stuff, but at the same time it sounded like nails on a chalkboard compared to the original speaker you used which on this guitar which was amazing!
This is the second time I've watched this video. Glenn, THIS FUDGING ROCKS! Thank you for what you do for your community. You really are the best peep :D
I was listening while cooking and was not watching the screen. When i heard you pose the challenge i raced into the room just in time to see the purple guitar. The purple one DEFINITELY sounded muddy. The first one sounded much brighter and more balanced.
I live for seeing your guitar playing skills sky rocket over these last couple years!
I have an LTD EC--1000 CTW (thick body, no body cut like the regular EC/Eclipse) that I bought about 15 years ago. I love that guitar. The action is fantastic. I went with SD Alnico II passive pickups, and love them. I played Gibson SGs and Ibanez guitars in my playing days, and the LTD was a departure for me. I wish LTD existed when I was a young, struggling musician with tight budgets and no shortage of crappy instrument options. If I were 20 again and that guitar was an option, I'd have a suite of them for recording and touring.
There is this guy on RUclips called "EBAN" who in my opinion has the best Master Of Puppets tone out of anyone.
LambChopper has killer 80's/90's tones.
I couldn't tell any great difference between the arrow and the kirk, but amazing review as always Glenn!
For V-style guitar I'll always go with Arrows. Have one and it's amazing. Second would be Alexi signatures. They look great but are way more expensive for me.
To me (listening on studio monitors), the Kirk Hammet Signature hit mostly in the upper mids but still had some low mids, while the Arrow hit mostly in the low mids and had a scoop in the upper mids. Whether from the woods used or the pickups/preamps used, or a combination of the two, I think changing a little amp EQ, speakers, and micing could deliver similar results for either. I personally prefered the Kirk Hammet Sig because I think it would work better in a mix, but I also think there probably is another guitar in LTD's lineup that could do a similar job given a bit of modification
Regarding the sonic differences at 9:58 and 10:06, the korina guitar has slightly more punch and sharpness as opposed to the mahogany. However, assuming the guitar is played at a club, small theatre, or arena, I doubt that anyone in the audience would notice.
Got my alien tech green Kramer Mustaine in yesterday. Aside from needing a setup, it’s really good quality. The QC did a good job, and they use CTS pots and what looks like to me a decent solder job. No finish blemishes cracks or warping on mine at all. Really enjoying it so far. I’d like to see your take on one soon.
I've had my james hetfield iron cross ltd for over 8 years now. Still never adjusted it to this day because it still plays just as well as it did when i got it. LTD rules!
Thank you Glen. 🙏🏻 I really enjoyed this video. Well done. 👍🏻
I liked the yellow one most. 😊
Whot Gibson likes: "play authentic" ... meh
Whot me likes: "rant authentic"
Love this
I'm glad you got the arrow and compared that... Also glad you mentioned the speaker.
Much as I love the arrow I just prefer the Jackson Rhoads V .
That blue/purple V is beyond gorgeous!!
How am I not finding out bout this guitar till now!?
Nice video as usual Glenn. The black sparkle is definitely the only finish I'd want.
Same here!
I want to love it, but UGH those finishes... Just a default black/white option would look killer. I know it would be similar to a Jackson Rhoads V, but I prefer ESP's V shape.
Tbh there was a slight tonal difference, the Ltd Arrow soudned a bit more scooped, but it's ever so slight it won't make a difference in amix.
I recently got a Dunable DE guitar made by World Guitar Music and from the pictures it looks like these Hammett V are also built there. Fretwork reminds me a lot of my Dunable and it plays like a wet dream. Glen, maybe you should take a look at the Dunable stuff as well, I think The Northerner sells them in Canada.
I play both an ESP LTD EC-1000 with EMGs, and a PRS Custom with Fishman Fluence pickups. The difference that I notice is just that the Fishmans seem to have a nice response for more melodic parts and soloing. The EMGs seem to be a little better for keeping definition between chords when playing fast, palm-muted, bar chords (in drop C). I really like them both a lot, it just depends on what I'm doing in a particular song.
I bought an LTD M100FM in like 2014 and it has performed flawless since it showed up. Still has the budget floyd that came with it and it's fine too.
The extra $400 is hardly about the wood, or whatever. It's definitely about covering royalty expenses. Most signature products are slightly pricier than their standard counterparts because the artist makes a cut out of each sale.
I would like to verify if there's a difference in tone for different woods in acoustic instruments. I suspect there might be a difference in resonance and sustain, depending on the density of the wood, provided the construction method is the same. That would be an awesome experiment!
The kirk signature sounds a bit crunchier if that makes sense but barely noticeable if you're not really trying to listen to the difference in tone
Korina is Limba wood. There's "White Limba" which is light blond throughout (what Gibson used), and "Black Limba" which has grey and brown sometimes nearing black streaks and dramatic figuring, and as a guitar builder I like black Limba for it's looks, and also because it works easily and doesn't dull bits and blades as bad as some other woods.
@B WJ Actually, they used it as a feature of the early flying V's, and only used clear lacquer. Only years later did they make many in mahogany too, and since neither has any figuring or at least it's very rare, they are great for painting. Painting over flame maple is a crime! Translucent color and dies can make good figuring more dramatic. Black Limba can have very dramatic color variation, but Gibson didn't use it, they used white Limba. It's also hard to find sexy lumber, and when you do, have the means to pull the trigger and buy it, which can be like buying concert tickets!
the tone is definitely different. listen to how the midrange is distorting. emgs are all midrange focused, but the 81 in the arrow is more intensely focused than the bone breaker in the khv. when you distort them they sound almost like theres a boost/od or even a cocked wah being used when compared to passives. i hear a bit more of that in the arrow than the khv
GLEEEEEENNNNNNNN!!!!!!!!! I did some research when I was contemplating EMG’s for a kit guitar and was going to get the bone breakers. I then discovered through some of their own literature that they are just rebranded 81/60’s with Kirk’s Green Logo. This is part of the reason why they sounded the same aside from the usual reasons.
Here to support Glenn! Keep it going!
2:44 That Was Just Your Life, All Nightmare Long and The Unforgiven III
Underrated album, held back by the shittiest mixing known to man (and a few compositional missteps)
Finally somebody that does a proper “Neck Dive” test. Seriously thank you. This should be done with most guitars and most definitely any “odd” shaped guitars!!!!
Gleeeeeeeen, a look at the less expensive LTDs too, please!