LTD TE-1000 Evertune
The solidbody heavyweight you never need to tune
When you think about it, we spend a lot of our guitar-playing lives tuning the damn thing. You pick up your instrument, it’s (one of) the first things you do. You stomp on your tuner pedal regularly mid-gig to fiddle with the machineheads. And when you’re recording, you may well be tweaking not only for every take, but also for different positions on the fretboard, depending on how well your guitar intonates.
The Evertune bridge system was introduced in 2010 to save tuning frustrations. Each string has its own spring and lever, and the individual saddles move back and forth to compensate for changes
in tension on the strings – as opposed to tremolo systems, which have a shared spring and lever system for the entire bridge. That essentially means that once your guitar is in tune, it stays that way: no change in humidity, picking dynamics or neck position can knock it out. And since many intonation problems are down to variations in pressure, Evertune can keep your guitar in tune across the neck, too. The likes of Korn’s Brian ‘Head’ Welch, Devin Townsend, Periphery, Matt Heafy, Rise Against and Enter Shikari all swear by them. One of the 21st century’s greatest mysteries is why the Evertune is yet to appear across more companies’ line-ups.
Thankfully, ESP was an early adopter of the technology, with the metal-vibed, EMG 81/60-fitted LTD EC-1000 Evertune blowing our collective minds when it arrived in the office back in 2013. Since then, it’s taken a while for the bridge to permeate the rest of ESP’S range, but finally it’s hit LTD’S modified Tele-inspired TE line – with spectacular results.
On the face of it, the TE-1000 itself is a no-nonsense, top-ofthe-line rock guitar. Its Black Natural Burst-finished flame maple top lends it a moody desert vibe, and combined with the mahogany body, it’s a weighty beast, clocking in at around 9lbs/4kg. There are concessions to contemporary playability over the traditional T-type, however, with a front arm contour, rear belly cut and contoured heel on the setthrough three-piece maple neck, as well as the welcome appearance of Ltd-branded locking tuners on the matching headstock.
Aside from the bridge, the other big name to appear here is ol’ ESP favourite EMG, but rather than the usual 81/60 combo, it’s the 57/66, a setup that offers more traditional, lower-output tones than you might typically expect from the active humbucker specialist. There are also separate coil-splits for each pickup, activated by pulling the volume and tone for neck and bridge respectively. That’s a handy arrangement if, say, you want to switch from the snap of a neck single-coil to the grunt of a bridge humbucker; there’s no need to mess with push/pulls mid-song.
the clarity on extended chords is just incredible
This is a chunky, professional-feeling guitar – it’s beautifully put together, and the light gloss finish on the back of the universal C-shaped neck is sure to be a crowd-pleaser. Its weight, while verging on Les Paul heft, adds a real thickness to the pickups, which need some gain to really get cooking. But when they do, those EMGS are mighty impressive: the clarity on extended chords is just incredible – which in itself is a perfect complement to the unshakable tuning across the guitar’s entire neck. The clean tones are as clean as clean can be: there’s a sheen to them that won’t please purists, but the coil-split sounds are sparkly and handy in a pinch. Plus, the neck humbucker is brighter than most, so your sound won’t turn into a muddy mess when you switch from the bridge.
What we love most about Evertune is the fact it makes you a more fearless player. No more avoiding those chords that might not be quite in tune or holding back on those massive bends: it’s always got your back. As for the TE-1000, you’re paying extra for the technology here – although buying the bridge separately and getting it fitted to your own guitar will set you back around £500. We’d still love to see the system on some less ‘metal’ guitars – being able to play perfectly in tune isn’t genrespecific – but for players of heavier persuasions, this is one of the most reliable, low-maintenance guitars you can buy.