ESP LTD JM-II Josh Middleton BSB

ESP LTD JM-II Josh Middleton BSB review

The ESP LTD JM-II Josh Middleton BSB is a signature electric guitar built around a focused metal setup. Its alder body, quilted maple top, roasted maple neck, ebony fingerboard, and pair of Fishman Fluence Modern humbuckers make a strong case on paper. The 648 mm scale and 24 stainless steel frets suit players who want room for low tunings and fast lead work. Owner feedback is mostly enthusiastic about its sound and playing feel, but reports about factory setup, finish details, balance, and occasional electronics behavior suggest that individual examples deserve a careful inspection.

Construction and playing feel

The body uses alder with a quilted maple top, finished in Black Shadow Burst. A bolt-on roasted maple neck has an Extra Thin U profile and an ebony fingerboard with a 350 mm radius. The 42 mm nut width is a familiar dimension for a modern electric guitar, while the 24 stainless steel X-jumbo frets offer a broad surface for bends and vibrato. One owner particularly praised the fret feel, describing bends as exceptionally smooth. Another reported clean fretwork with no sharp ends, a useful contrast to the less positive comments about setup.

The recessed Gotoh Tune-O-Matic bridge sits close to the body and uses a string-through-body design. Players report that this arrangement feels comfortable against the body and gives the guitar a direct attack. There is no tremolo, so the bridge is a fixed setup. LTD locking tuners and black hardware complete the specification. The instrument includes a case, but not a gig bag.

Owner impressions of the finish differ. Some describe the guitar as striking and well finished, with no visible flaws. Another found the brown areas less attractive than expected from product photos and noticed a spot where polishing had worn through the maple veneer. That is a report about one instrument, not evidence of a consistent production issue, but it is worth checking the top under good light before buying.

Fishman Fluence Modern pickups

The bridge pickup is a ceramic Fishman Fluence Modern humbucker, and the neck position uses an alnico version. Controls consist of volume and a push-pull tone control, with a three-way toggle switch. Several owners praise the pickups for tight, forceful metal tones and a clear attack. One player who mainly uses active voicing found them especially convincing for higher-gain playing. The available feedback does not provide a detailed comparison of every voicing, so players who rely on a particular switching option should try it themselves.

Reports are not entirely uniform. One owner said the rear pickup sometimes stuttered when switching from the neck pickup. That is a specific fault report rather than a confirmed design problem, but it makes a full switch and control check sensible during a store test. In normal use, the broader consensus is that the Fishmans deliver the focused, high-output sound this model is designed for.

Setup, tuning, and low tunings

Several owners found the factory setup disappointing, mentioning string height and neck relief. A setup is often needed after purchase, but the reports show that it should be part of the buying calculation rather than an afterthought. One player also noted that the plastic nut made fretting near the first fret difficult. If first-position comfort matters to you, test open chords and notes around the nut before deciding.

The guitar has a reputation among its owners as a capable low-tuning instrument. One player uses it in Drop C and likes the tight response, while another recommends fitting heavier strings for substantially lower tunings. The included D'Addario XL110 set is.010 to.046, a standard-light gauge that may not suit every low-tuning setup. String choice, neck adjustment, and intonation will need to match the tuning you plan to use.

Stability impressions are generally positive, though not universal. One owner described it as relatively stable in tune. Another found the reverse headstock and closely spaced tuners awkward to operate quickly, particularly on a dark stage. A separate owner noticed a tendency for notes around frets 12 through 17 to produce an unwanted snare-like sound even after setup. These reports make a hands-on test more valuable than relying on the specification sheet alone.

Verdict

The ESP LTD JM-II Josh Middleton BSB has a focused specification and several strengths confirmed by owner experience: powerful Fishman pickups, a comfortable neck, smooth stainless steel frets, and a bridge that sits naturally against the body. Players seeking a fixed-bridge metal guitar for lower tunings have good reason to put it on their shortlist.

At the same time, feedback ranges from praise for excellent craftsmanship to sharp disappointment with finish appearance, setup, balance, and individual electronic or fret-related issues. One owner also found the guitar somewhat neck-heavy, though they addressed the balance with weights in the electronics cavity. At its listed price of 1599, expectations should be high. Inspect the finish, test both pickups and the upper frets, and budget for a professional setup if the guitar does not arrive playing comfortably. For players who connect with its feel and sound, it can be a compelling signature model. For buyers who cannot audition first, the mixed reports call for a careful return and warranty check.