ESP LTD M-400HT CM

ESP LTD M-400HT CM: technical overview

The ESP LTD M-400HT CM is an electric guitar with a mahogany body, a bolt-on three-piece roasted maple neck, a rosewood fingerboard, and a fixed bridge. Its pickup layout combines an EMG 85 humbucker at the neck with an EMG 81 humbucker at the bridge. ESP lists the guitar in Charcoal Metallic, with black hardware, 24 frets, and a 648 mm scale length. The listed price is $899, and the model has been available since May 2026.

There are no customer reviews available for this model in the supplied information. This assessment therefore focuses on the published specifications. Those details establish the instrument's construction and controls, but they do not support claims about its sound, setup, comfort, or build quality in actual use.

Body, neck, and fingerboard

The body is mahogany, while the neck is a three-piece bolt-on construction made from roasted maple. The fingerboard is rosewood, and its listed radius is 350 mm. ESP specifies an Extra Thin U neck profile, a 43 mm nut width, and 24 XJ frets. These measurements and descriptions give a clear outline of the neck design, although they cannot tell us how its profile will feel in a player's hands.

The 648 mm scale is also listed as 25.5 inches. That is the measurement from the nut to the bridge area used to define the scale length. The factory strings are D'Addario XL110, with gauges of.010,.013,.017,.026,.036, and.046. The supplied data identifies the string set but does not specify a recommended tuning or setup.

EMG pickup configuration and controls

The M-400HT CM uses two active-style-format EMG humbuckers by model designation: an EMG 85 Black in the neck position and an EMG 81 Black at the bridge. The available information confirms their models and positions, but it does not state the guitar's battery arrangement, pickup output measurements, or wiring options. Avoid assuming details beyond the specified pair.

Controls consist of volume and tone knobs, plus a three-way pickup selector. The listed controls identify the basic onboard layout, but the supplied specifications do not explain the selector's exact switching positions or any additional coil-splitting functions. No such function should be presumed from the presence of a three-way switch.

Fixed bridge and hardware

Instead of a tremolo system, the guitar has an LTD fixed bridge, with the strings routed through the body. It also comes with LTD locking machine heads and black hardware. This is a plainly specified hardtail configuration. The listing does not provide details about bridge adjustment, saddle materials, tuning stability in use, or the ease of changing strings, so those points need hands-on verification.

The Charcoal Metallic finish and black hardware give the model a defined appearance in the product specifications. No finish durability information, weight, body dimensions, or included accessories are listed. In particular, neither a bag nor a case is included, according to the supplied data. Buyers who need protection for transport should account for that separately.

What the specifications establish

• Construction: Mahogany body, three-piece roasted maple bolt-on neck, and rosewood fingerboard.
• Neck details: Extra Thin U profile, 350 mm fingerboard radius, 43 mm nut width, and 24 XJ frets.
• Electronics: EMG 85 Black neck humbucker, EMG 81 Black bridge humbucker, volume and tone controls, and a three-way selector.
• Bridge and tuning hardware: LTD fixed bridge with strings through the body and LTD locking machine heads.
• Finish and price: Charcoal Metallic, black hardware, and a listed price of $899.

The ESP LTD M-400HT CM's published configuration is specific: two EMG humbuckers, a fixed bridge, and a 25.5-inch scale, combined with a mahogany body and roasted maple neck. Its specifications offer a useful basis for comparison with other guitars, while leaving practical questions about sound, weight, setup, and playing feel unanswered. With no customer feedback available, those aspects should be assessed in person rather than treated as established strengths or weaknesses.