This month on cover stars, we turn the clock back to November 1990, when Guitar World featured Jennifer Batten, Nuno Bettencourt, "Rare Clapton" and the irrepressible Yngwie Malmsteen. But it's the cover star we want to speak to, George Lynch, and we want to get the story behind the custom ESP electric guitar he has on the cover.

Where did you get this guitar?

ESP and I collaborated on the Haji guitar around 1990. The graphic was designed by artist John Taylor Dismukes, who did a lot of famous album-cover artwork for the Grateful Dead and other big bands at the time [including Steppenwolf, Foreigner, Y&T and more.]

Did you modify the Haji?

I installed an onboard Sustainiac pickup at one point and then removed it. I’ve also swapped the pickups out on it numerous times.

Did this guitar coax anything special out of you? Why was it perfect for you?

The first Haji had a mahogany body, so it’s a warm, dark-sounding guitar. The neck was my usual 45 mm 16-inch radius with what I called and modified UC profile with extra jumbo nickel frets. It had a real rosewood fretboard as well.

It’s probably my favorite neck of all time! It’s very, very comfortable and inspiring to play.

Did you use the Haji on any notable recordings or tours?

I’ve used it on so many records and tours. I honestly can’t remember exactly when, where and on what albums, but it’s been in my arsenal for decades. I’ve used it throughout my entire career.

Why did you choose this guitar for your GW cover shoot?

That cover shoot was done to promote Lynch Mob’s Wicked Sensation album [1990], which had the same artwork as the guitar – so it made sense to play that guitar for the shoot.

Do you still have this guitar? If not, what became of it?

I do, but I really don’t take it out because it’s valuable and I’d hate for something to happen to it.

• This article first appeared in Guitar World. Subscribe and save.

Debate has raged across the internet about “social media guitarists” – internet-savvy whipper-snappers engaged (or so the critics say) in what amounts to a fretboard acrobatics arms race.

Then there's Australian guitarist Andrea Krakovská, who sets herself head and shoulders above the pack by combining fretboard acrobatics with, well, literal acrobatics.

An “aerial guitarist,” as she describes it, Krakovská tears it up while simultaneously performing dizzying (literally) feats of aerial choreography, often upside-down. Posted last November, her graceful version of Joe Satriani's Always With Me, Always With You has racked up hundreds of thousands of views on Instagram, and earned plaudits from Herman Li and, most significantly, the master himself.

Satch's verdict? “This just might be the most impressive (in)version of Always With Me, Always With You I’ve ever seen,” he wrote on Instagram last November. “Bravo.”

“When I had the idea to record and release my own version of Always With Me, Always With You it was of course a bit nerve-wracking,” Krakovská tells Guitar World. “I had never released a proper full cover like that before and I know how brutal guitarists on social media can be, especially when you do something differently than the original artist.

“It was always my dream for Satriani to hear the track, but of course thousands of guitarists have covered his music. I thought there’s no way it would even be on his radar.”

“When I found out that he had seen my video I was over the moon – it was all worth it for the master himself to hear it,” she continues. “When he shared the video on his social media pages a few days later it was beyond my wildest dreams.”

So, how does one even think to apply aerial arts, which have been growing in popularity, to the guitar? The Sydney, Australia-based player tells us it was a faster jump than you might think.

“It wasn't until after high school that I stumbled across aerial arts,” Krakovská tells us. “I still remember after my very first aerial class walking away thinking, ‘I am going to do that with a guitar one day.’ I then trained in aerial arts for over five years before I ever took a guitar up with me.”

Other than the leg muscles required to, you know, do the whole ‘playing upside-down while dangling in mid-air’ thing, Krakovská found that tackling complex pieces – playing for any extended time at all really – ended up being almost as challenging on the arms.

“Aside from all the obvious [challenges] like the strength required, one thing that I remember when I was starting out was the arm fatigue from having to hold my arms up while I play upside down,” she tells us.

“I hadn’t thought about it before, but when you play guitar either standing up or sitting down, gravity holds your arms down by your sides naturally, so it’s not much effort. When you flip upside-down, suddenly you have to physically hold your arms up, and I wasn’t used to that fatigue in the triceps/biceps. I used to practice at home by hanging off the edge off my bed and trying to play upside-down that way!”

Krakovská's six-string weapons of choice have long been ESPs. The first guitar she used for her routines was an LTD Horizon that she received as a joint 18th birthday gift from her school friends, who all pitched in for it. She's also partial to Eclipses, mentioning that she bought her first while on a long hunt for a new guitar – with a “shopping list” of desired specs – in Canberra.

The Eclipse was over her budget, and, ironically, didn't have any of the specs she'd originally been looking for, but once she picked it up, everything clicked.

Down the line, Krakovská's got some more covers up her sleeve. While grounded, she recently tipped her cap to one of her other major influences, Nita Strauss, with a sharply arranged version of the latter's Summer Storm, and showed her versatility by blending funk attitude and '80s-style shred heroics in a cover of, of all things, the dancefloor-pleaser, Funkytown.

Unsurprisingly, she's also a Vai acolyte, recently posting a soulful take on the master shredder's guitar-final-boss composition, Teeth of the Hydra.

Mind you, Krakovská's repertoire doesn't consist solely of covers.

“I’m actually working on my debut instrumental guitar EP,” she says. “I have two singles out already and am hoping to release the rest later this year so keep an eye out!”

• Follow Andrea Krakovská on Instagram.

ESP Guitars has announced Todd Binder as the new CEO of its US operations, with outgoing head Matt Masciandaro set to retire after 39 years.

The end of Masciandaro's near-four-decade spell as the company’s president and CEO of EPS’s US division marks a big change in the firm, which was founded in 1975 in Japan, and includes Josh Middleton, Joe Duplantier, and Bill Kelliher among its artist ranks.

ESP opened its first US offices in 1985, with Masciandaro handpicked to help get it off the ground, although he wasn’t officially in post until 1987. That means this is the first CEO change in its history.

“On behalf of ESP Japan, I wish to express our sincere gratitude to Matt for his many years of dedicated service and his steadfast commitment to advancing Hisatake Shibuya's vision,” says Mr. Fujimori, Chairman, ESP Group.

“His contributions to the ESP brand have been invaluable, and the foundation he has built will endure for years to come. We congratulate him and wish him the very best.”

“I am both proud and humbled by the trust that Mr. Shibuya placed in me back in 1987 when I was chosen to lead ESP’s USA operations,” says Masciandaro. “A lot of this job was ‘learn as you go,’ but most of the time, we went above and beyond both our own expectations and those of ESP in Japan.

“I have nothing but the highest degree of confidence that with Todd at the helm, ESP will continue long into the future in its position as an innovative, high-quality provider of musical instruments.”

Binder is also a loyal servant of ESP and is now in his third decade with the firm. He moves up from his previous role as Vice President of Product Development.

“Matt has been a dedicated leader and a true champion for this brand, and I'm grateful for every year I've had the privilege of working alongside him,” Binder states.

“This company's success has always been a collective effort – I'm honored to carry that legacy forward, and I couldn't be more excited about what's ahead for ESP.”

Masciandaro signs off after ESP dropped its 2026 collection of electric guitars, which it humbly described as being “among our best in history,” with new signature models for Mick Thomson, Stephen Carpenter, and George Lynch, and 30th anniversary LTD models.

ESP also heralded a huge win when it prized Gojira's Joe Duplantier from his longstanding partnership with Charvel in time for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, where he wielded a chrome offset for a castle-mounted, Grammy-winning performance.

His signature model, the LTD JD-1, arrived 18 months later.

NAMM 2026: ESP Guitars has unleashed eight new signature guitar models into the world, promising something for everyone, as late greats and artist debutants are celebrated – while its mid-priced LTD Deluxe 1000 Series guitars are touted as “among our best in history.”

In 2025, the ESP portfolio was dominated by single pickup builds, a theme that Gojira’s Grammy-winning riff monster Joe Duplantier has continued into the new year, but there’s a tentative balance between honoring the past and looking to the future across its wider signature series this time around.

Top of the tree in that respect is the LTD Alexi Laiho Arrowhead and Sawtooth SE models, which mark 20 years since the late Children of Bodom virtuoso – a player still highly revered in the metal guitar scene – started his relationship with ESP.

Looking as sharp as ever, the pointed, subtly uneven V-shaped axe sports a black finish and a choice of white or yellow beveled speed stripes. Its three-piece maple neck-thru-body construction with a Thin U profile, Macassar ebony fingerboard, and scalloped frets from the 19th to the 24th position are in place for lightning-quick playability.

The 25.5” scale electric guitar also has a Floyd Rose trem – it would be criminal to have anything else – Grover tuners and, you guessed it, just one pickup in the form of an HZ F-H2 passive humbucker with Volume control.

Another gone but fondly remembered guitar hero, in Slayer’s Jeff Hanneman, is also remembered via the LTD JH-200 CTM. The Super Strat gets an alder body, a Floyd Rose Special trem with whammy bar, a pair of high-output ESP LH-301 ‘buckers, and red star inlays.

Conversely, Joe Duplantier isnt’t the only Signature Series debutant in 2026, with Slaughter to Prevail’s Jack Simmons also welcomed into the family.

The LTD JS-7 Baritone features a V-shaped body, neck-thru-body construction, 24 extra-jumbo stainless steel frets, a Graph Tech TUSQ XL nut, Hipshot 7 hardtail bridge, and Fishman Open Core Modern pickups. With a 27” scale, the elongated V looks deadly and is tailored for tunings lower than the Mariana Trench.

The series is rounded out by new models from old faithfuls. Slipknot’s Mick Thomson has opted for a streamlined, mahogany-bodied S-type with a Hipshot Hi-Mass hardtail bridge, blue Luminlay side markers, and his signature Fishman Fluence pickup for his LTD MT-I.

Deftones’ Stephen Carpenter has built on a bumper 2025 with the LTD SC-607 Baritone that marries mahogany, maple, and ebony tonewoods, his signature Fishman Fluence pickups in the bridge and middle positions, and TonePros Locking TOM trem.

Meanwhile, ’80s shredder supreme George Lynch gets a stripped-back version of his distinctive 1985 Kamikaze guitar, complete with a “hockey stick” reverse headstock headlines, basswood body, Floyd Rose Special, and ESP-branded HS pickup configuration.

Away from signatures, the LTD 1000 Series is defined by a mission statement of “versatile tones, smooth playability, and complete reliability,” and there's plenty of variety as twin-pickup builds regain dominance.

From the TH-1000 Evertune, which boasts a swamp ash T-style body, Seymour Duncan's new multi-voiced MortalCoil pickups, and an Evertune bridge, to the ARROW-1000, a shark fin-esque V with Fishman Fluence Modern humbuckers and a built-for-speed profile, diversity is vast.

Other choice picks include the LTD Deluxe RS-1000, rocking its X-like Random Star silhouette with the classic EMG 81/85 pickup combo and a Floyd Rose 1000SE, the EC-1000, a Granite Sparkle-finished single cutaway LP with a classic mahogany/maple/ebony tonewood cocktail, and a Fishman pickup and hardtail-laced offset via the LTD Deluxe XJ-2HT Snow White.

ESP’s affordable Epiphone/Squier equivalent brand, LTD, is also celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2026.

With models like the LTD Arrow-400, single cutaway LTD EC-400 QM with a quilted maple top, and the simple but effective T-style LTD TH-400, all of which arrive with EMG 81/85s and other tidy specs for sub-$1K prices, it continues to offer plenty of value for money.

See ESP for more.

NAMM 2026: ESP has finally unveiled its long-awaited Joe Duplantier signature guitar, which arrives almost 18 months after the company announced the signing of the Gojira guitar juggernaut.

In the summer of 2024, Duplantier and his bandmates set the global stage ablaze when he became the unexpected star of the Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony, during which he wielded a mysterious custom ESP.

It sparked intense speculation, with many observers theorising that Duplantier had signed with another guitar company after he ditched his usual Charvel signature for a decked-out, chrome-plated XJ-1.

The speculation was put to bed shortly after, with ESP officially announcing Duplantier as a signature artist in August. It was a short announcement, and though there was no explicit mention of a signature guitar, everyone knew it would only be a matter of time before a Duplantier model came about.

Well, it’s taken its time – and, strangely, ESP isn’t exactly screaming from the rooftops about the new six-string – but Duplantier’s first model with the brand has finally landed.

Hidden stealthily among ESP’s avalanche of new-for-2026 releases is the JD-1 – a single-pickup, Silverburst LTD offset built for the Gojira man, which has been rather quietly rolled out.

Despite the humble release, this is a big deal, and dare we say one of the hottest metal guitar launches for quite some time. Not only is it the first ESP signature for the Gojira maestro, it’s also another example of a heavy guitar titan leaning into the ‘heavy metal offset’ trend.

The JD-1 features a single humbucker design as per the Olympics custom guitar, recruiting a DiMarzio JD Fortitude. Though not confirmed (few details are available) this looks like it could be a Duplantier-approved spin-off of the OG Fortitude humbucker.

Elsewhere, there’s a Hipshot Tone-A-Matic bridge and Stopbar-style tailpiece – as opposed to the EverTune bridge of the custom model – as well as a GraphTech TUSQ nut, 22 stainless steel frets and a sole volume knob. And doesn't that black anodized scratchplate look sweet?

Core ingredients include a mahogany body, three-piece roasted maple neck and Macassar ebony fretboard, which has a 13.7” radius.

One of the biggest twists here, though, is that body shape. It takes cues from the flagship XJ offset, yes, but Duplantier has given it some subtle modifications, including a slight PRS-esque bevel on the lower cutaway. It might just be our eyes, or a trick of the light, but that upper cutaway looks a tad pointier, too.

Speaking about his switch to ESP last year, Duplantier told Guitar World that the move came about after James Hetfield personally linked him with the company.

“At the end of the day, from Fender to Gibson, I just love guitars,” he said at the time. “I’ve actually had a relationship with ESP for years. Hetfield personally hooked me up with them back in the day. He actually picked up the phone saying, ‘Dude, have you tried an ESP?’

“I just wanted to experiment in other fields,” he divulges. “It feels like I’m expanding and ESP has a lot to offer. I’m not cheating on anyone, I want all the instruments!”

The JD-1 will be available for $1,799 when it launches later this year.

Head over to ESP Guitars for more.

Dino Muradian has lived a movie-script life. It’s the tale of a hard-working outlaw who accidentally became a guitar pyrographer to the stars – and getting there was quite the journey.

As he grew up in Romania, the art of burning images into unfinished woods was just a hobby. But when he escaped from the Communist state six years before the collapse of the Soviet Union, that hobby became his entire life.

“In August of 1983, I defected from Romania,” says Muradian, 73. “I was a commercial pilot, so I left on a Russian cropduster. After three and a half hours’ flight under the radar, I landed on an Austrian Autobahn.”

He sought refuge in Atlanta, Georgia, later moving to Washington, then Honolulu. “The Romanian authorities gave me a 25-year sentence for high treason, and asked for my extradition,” he laughs. “But everything stopped there.”

Stateside, he sold two art pieces “for serious money,” one of which earned him a feature in Fine Woodworking Magazine. Then, as he read a guitar magazine, his life changed forever. He spotted an advert from spare-parts manufacturer Warmoth displaying two raw guitar bodies, and that was his eureka moment.

He grabbed some samples of his art, went to the factory and met the two Warmoth brothers. “They pointed to a shelf with old issues of Fine Woodworking Magazine on it. Paul said, ‘Dino, I don't remember anything in those magazines – but I remember your artwork.’

“I said, ‘Give me a scrap guitar you don’t need; let me do something with it. They gave me a nice Telecaster, and in a few days I covered it in flowers. I went took it back to the factory and they couldn’t speak for five minutes. Ken called the Fender Custom Shop and said, ‘I’m sending you something on the first UPS. You need to see this.’”

Fender was impressed, but didn’t immediately bite the bullet. But ESP CEO Matt Masciandaro did – he ordered recreations of Frederic Remington's Native American paintings for a run of guitars. Then one of metal guitar’s biggest names came calling.

“In the spring of ’96, Matt asked me to pyrograph James Hetfield’s Explorer. I wasn’t sure who James was, but I said yes. Matt put me in contact with Zach Harmon, his guitar tech. James wanted ‘Something scary,’ so we came up with this elk skull idea – although it’s actually a stag.

“That was the weirdest guitar I’d ever done at the time; the Explorer has that weird shape and getting the horns to fit was really difficult. Horns don’t look like that in the wild!”

The guitar, which became a fan favorite, was donated to the ESP Museum in Tokyo, Japan, in 2019. But that was just the start of Muradian’s Metallica adventure. “The first time I met James was in Seattle in ’96, backstage,” he says.

“He made me feel so important, like he was talking to Michelangelo or something! He said, ‘Dino, this guitar sounds shitty, but I love it!’ ESP say he was always too picky about the sounds of his guitars, but that’s his art.

“That was my first heavy metal concert. I watched from the side of the stage and my whole body was vibrating. The guitar wasn't a big deal for me, but seeing him in those lights, playing it on stage, and seeing all those crazy people chanting and singing along was such an experience.

“He played a lot of songs with it, even though he said it sounded shitty. I was honoured to see the fruit of my work being appreciated like that.”

Muradian has worked on a series of Hetfield axes since then, including the Unforgiven Variax depicting scenes from the song’s video, a Cthulu design on his Snakebyte signature guitar, and a Martin D-28 that Hetfield played during December's All Within My Hands charity concert.

“The Unforgiven guitar was difficult,” Muradian says. “James had the idea to have lyrics around the sides of the guitar – black heart scarring darker still – but the neck was still attached. I have to turn the guitar a million times when I work. And because it’s black and the letters have to stay white, I had to burn around the letters; it took a long time.”

He continues: “The Martin was old and very expensive. He wanted an exact replica of Elvis’ sculpted leather guitar. He wanted to strip it for me to pyrograph. But you never know what’s underneath the paint – if it’s a dark wood, my art doesn’t show so well. So they got a newer one to work with.

“I finished the piece and sent it to a luthier in San Francisco to rebuild it. Then I then realized I’d missed a little arm from the letter ‘E.’ The show was so close so I had to jump on a flight from Honolulu. The mistake was corrected in about three minutes and James never knew!”

Naturally, it was only a matter of time until Hetfield’s gear-hoarding bandmate Kirk Hammett wanted a slice of the action. So one of his ESP Eclipses was pyrographed from top to bottom, on a background of the manuscript of Edgar Allen Poe’s The Raven – Hammett’s favorite poem.

“The second guitar I did for Kirk was in 2023; the 15th of a run of 15 Eclipses made to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Nosferatu film. He loved that. Nobody knows this, but one of the craters on the Moon on that guitar is in the shape of Romania!”

Muradian pyrographed B.B. King’s 17th Lucille for his 70th birthday – and his work for the Fender and ESP Custom Shops continues. Asked who his dream client would be, he doesn’t skip a beat in answering: “Taylor Swift.” Why? He thinks she’d benefit from the surprising tonal magic of his work.

“I’ve worked with violins, mandolins, cellos, you name it,” he says. “The owners all tell me that afterwards, ‘They sound amazing’ – especially if the whole instrument has been covered. The burning process changes something in the wood. It changes its structure, and it makes the instrument sound more powerful.”

So, Taylor, if you’re reading this, give Muradian a call. Maybe it could be a wedding present?

• See more of Muradian’s work on Instagram.

Before hitting the road with Orange Goblin on their farewell tour in December, URNE guitarist Angus Neyra reflects on his band’s first tour with the stoner-metal legends in 2021. “They were the first big band to give us a chance, so this is a real full circle moment,” he says.

“That was around our debut LP Serpent & Spirit, when we were still finding our feet. There’s a raw, bluesy, almost rock ’n’ roll sound to our earlier stuff, compared to our heavier sound now.”

URNE channeled a series of painful personal struggles into 2023’s Feast on Sorrow, so they wanted to go down a different road with latest album Setting Fire To The Sky.

“It’s still a very dark-sounding album – especially the riffs – but lyrically it’s about the positivity of music and how that’s shaped us,” Neyra says. “I first saw Metallica at Earl’s Court during the St. Anger tour. When the first chord rang out live it went through me. That feeling of being part of something bigger than yourself is what we’re trying to capture.”

He believes lead single Harken the Waves best captures where URNE are as a band. Pointing out his band are no strangers to releasing longer singles, he adds that their attitude was: “Fuck it – let’s just release a nine-minute song as our next single!”

The track features vocals from Mastodon’s Troy Sanders. “Even getting the chance to collaborate with Troy still blows our minds,” Neyra says. “Another early gig for me was Slayer and Slipknot with Mastodon and Hatebreed. I was one of those kids queueing up at 11am to get to the barrier. So to work with Troy on any level was inspiring.

“Joe Nally [vocals] sent him the lyrics, but it was up to Troy how he delivered. He showed us that it’s always about serving the song rather than serving yourself as a musician. What you hear on the raw takes is what you hear on the record – pure, unfiltered Troy.”

URNE have added a new live member for their future dates. “A good friend of ours, Kurt Bagley, is joining on guitar,” Neyra says.” We’ve had a few rehearsals and it sounds unreal. Being a power trio was fun, but changing it makes sense, because the new album has more layers sonically.

“I made the sound as big and wide as possible using delay and an AB splitter into a Marshall and an Orange cab. But there’s only so much you can do with one guitar. With Kurt on board, it’s like going from being an only child to having a brother!”

After his Gibson SG got damaged on a flight, Neyra recently dusted off one of his first guitars – a Schecter Hellraiser with EMG pickups. “I grew up in the shred era; I was learning from tutorial videos by Paul Gilbert and John Petrucci. I still use the warm-ups from Petrucci’s Rock Discipline DVD.

“The scope of guitar has changed now, with someone like Tim Henson at the top of this generation of players, but some of my current favourites are Mateus Asato, Josh Meader and Josh Loomis.”

But the Schecter can take a break, since Neyra has become an LTD artist. He plays a Horizon Custom ‘87 fitted with Seymour Duncans for a vintage sound – and the deal came about because of a scribble he did at school.

“I was going through a memory box of old tickets and found a Year 7 textbook with a doodle of my dream guitar at the time, an ESP Crucify, with the end of a cross over the Floyd Rose,” he recalls.

“It’s a silly kid’s drawing, but I sent it to ESP and it got to [Director of Artist Relations] Tony Rauser, who thought it was cool. He caught us live at Hellfest this summer, and from there we did a deal. If it wasn’t for that silly drawing on my maths textbook…!”

URNE are still a DIY band. On their 2023 tour with Gojira they drove their van full of gear 12 to 14 hours a day. Neyra’s rig at the time – an Orange Crush Pro, Friedman Brown Eye 100, two cabs and a large ’board – was very cumbersome. Perhaps it’s no surprise he’s now a Quad Cortex convert.

“I wouldn’t have thought to do it 10 years ago, but the technology is so unreal,” he says. “I now blend a similar dual-amp sound and the difference is miniscule; the Neural DSP guys have really nailed it.”

Both he and Bagley will be running a wet/dry blend of two amps each to create a wall of sound on stage. “It’ll sound like we have four amps on stage, which I like. If we’re going full Spinal Tap and turning up to 11, I’d like eight amps onstage – why not?!”

• URNE’s new single Be Not Dismayed is out now via Spinefarm. Setting Fire to the Sky is released on January 30 and available for preorder now.

Born with an ability to conjure riffs that feel powerful enough to stop time and propel you to the outer limits of space, Gojira frontman Joe Duplantier is one of the most potent forces in modern metal.

Over the past two-and-a-half decades his band have risen out of the French underground and onto the world’s biggest stages, opening for the likes of Metallica, Iron Maiden and Slipknot, with some of their more recent high-profile shows being last year’s Olympics opening ceremony in Paris and last month’s Black Sabbath Back To The Beginning farewell in Birmingham.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of their third album From Mars To Sirius – a release that changed their lives and redefined extreme metal in the process. Its 12 tracks are a perfect equation of ferocious intelligence and inescapable heaviness: labyrinthine and bewildering in places and staggeringly resolute and direct in others.

It’s also a conceptual masterpiece honoring the mysteries of the natural world surrounding us – inspiring existential dialogues about our role on Earth as architects of environmental disequilibrium, pollution and cataclysmic climate change. All these years later, the music and the message behind it remains just as, if not even more, relevant.

“It all started when I had this spiritual revelation around the age of 20,” says Duplantier. “I began to look at the planet differently. People take it for granted, thinking you live where you live and drive on whatever side of the road. But the more you look , you start to understand we’re on a rock floating through space. Nobody knows what the fuck is going on!”

Given the state of the world, it can be quite comforting to take a kind of bird’s eye view.

“There are many dimensions where humanity’s political and mental concerns don’t exist – dimensions where plants, animals, waves and clouds live. I was into all of that. It grew even more going into The Link, where I looked at our purpose in the universe. It’s real spirituality rather than religious spirituality, contemplating how deeply complex the world is.

“Matter is just a bunch of particles vibrating at certain frequencies. There’s no up and down; no north and south. These are human constructs. I started to read about the intelligence of whales moving across the earth following routes that scientists cannot explain. I explored that on From Mars To Sirius.”

Speaking of vibrations and frequencies, what do you remember about the recording process?

“Everything, because I’m more of a producer than a musician. We worked with our sound guy at the time, Laurent Etchemendy. I jumped behind the console and started mixing with the help of our bass player Jean-Michael.

“It was a three-man operation. We were listening to Metallica, Morbid Angel and Fear Factory – anything that sounded decent – analyzing the shit out of it. We wanted to make a metal-sounding album, but it all went south!”

How do you mean?

“We put weird reverb, EQs and panning on the guitars. Everything sounded unorthodox – we were hungry to make it sound good, but I’d never studied mixing. I cringe a bit now because I know I’d do things differently. The album was a bunch of mistakes put together, but when you talk about art, the word ‘mistakes’ shouldn’t exist. It’s good to be original and follow your heart.”

What kind of rig did you have in the studio?

“I’d love to say it doesn’t matter and you can do anything with whatever, but it was my Jackson SLS. They weren’t on my radar before, but we were broke at the time. So when Jackson asked if we wanted free guitars the answer was, ‘Fuck yeah!’

“I used them for years until I got curious. Jackson was a big part of our lives. We had Mesa/Boogies on The Link, but switched to Peavey 5150s because a lot of metal bands were using them for crushing tones.

“We were not trying to be original. Everyone thinks we were trying to invent something new – but we just wanted to sound fat and modern. The album ended up original because we were weird French guys from a village with no scene.”

Songs like Ocean Planet and Flying Waves are notable for the pick scrape technique that many other bands ended up stealing. How did you come up with it?

“Somebody, somewhere is probably making that sound as we speak! I can’t believe it became a thing. I don’t think we invented it, to be honest – there’s a Morbid Angel song on Formulas Fatal To The Flesh that sounds close.

“It was born by mistake on The Link tour. We had a song called Embrace The World where I did this downwards slide on the high strings from the 12th fret, followed by a classic pick scrape. It was hard to reproduce because the song is fast.

“I was caught in a trance somewhere in Switzerland. Instead of playing it normally, I did something else, and it felt magical so I did it again and again. Funnily enough, moving the fretting hand is mostly for show – it doesn’t do shit! You can do it with just your picking hand. By the time we recorded From Mars To Sirius, the pick scrape ended up everywhere and became my thing.”

Those tracks also have riffs using octave shapes instead of power chords with the fifth in between.

“Standard power chords would have sucked. I remember someone was like, ‘Dude, you’re hurting my ears – put the fifth in!’ But that was boring. I wanted it to sound like an alarm; an uncomfortable thing like a truck going backwards. Once you add bass, drums and vocals, boom!

“It’s nice for guitars to be a little free sometimes. World To Come has moments like that, as does To Sirius. I’m glad you asked, because nobody brings this shit up enough! That’s what makes the sound of this album for me, even more than the scrapes.”

As a mission statement, The Heaviest Matter of the Universe certainly lives up to its name.

“I love playing that song. It’s all about letting energy out. There’s a dumb aspect in terms of how it goes from two stabs to three and then half time. But that’s what’s good about it. This album was born out of loud, passionate jamming.

“We didn’t care about being the heaviest band in the universe, we just wanted to create the heaviest sound in the universe. If nobody got it, we didn’t care. The goal was to create something that transcended us and made people feel alive. It’s my number one song and it’s been our champion ever since. Actually, I need to talk to my brother Mario because he took it off our current setlist!”

What do you remember about Back to the Beginning?

“Every second! We were invited to be part of that iconic photo with Ozzy, but we couldn’t go because we were rehearsing in London – all the spaces in Birmingham were booked. I met Ozzy very briefly on the day. We stared at each other for a second and I was thinking, ‘Oh god, it’s the Prince of Darkness!’

“What an honor it was to play. Just thinking about it makes me want to cry. Somehow, the way Ozzy left us was absolutely impeccable. I’m sure it’s the way he wanted. He said goodbye to the fans, made headlines – and then boom, he was out of here.”

Where were you when you were told about his death?

“We were playing in Istanbul. Three songs in, a fan put his phone up as we were playing Backbone. It said, ‘RIP OZZY.’ I was like, ‘What the hell? Please don’t – I’m working up here!’ Then I wondered if it was real. When I got the chance, I rushed to the side and my manager confirmed it was true.

“I told the crowd pretty straight; I didn’t want to make a gimmick out of it. The reaction was insane: nobody said a word. We played Flying Whales for Ozzy as everyone held up their lights. I could see people crying.”

Did you play your cover of Under the Sun that night?

“We never do covers – but our plan had been to play Black Sabbath later in the set. How crazy is that? It was very powerful. Since then I’ve been having a revival, listening to all the classics. Ozzy was such a character. I’ll be in Birmingham soon to soak up all the energy there. I also want to buy a black SG while I’m over.”

On the subject of new guitars, a lot of people were wondering about you switching from Charvel to ESP for the Olympics performance.

“People talk about instruments almost like marriage – ‘How could you? I thought everything was going well!’ It’s not like that, okay? Can everybody relax?! I love Charvel and I’m proud of the signature we made. Nothing went wrong. But I’m just a dude who wants to have fun and try new things.

“From Fender to Gibson, I just love guitars. I’ve had a relationship with ESP for years. Hetfield personally hooked me up with them. He actually picked up the phone and said, ‘Dude, have you tried an ESP?’

“I still use my signature Charvel on stage, and I’ll continue to. I just wanted to experiment in other fields. It feels like I’m expanding, and ESP have a lot to offer. I’m not cheating on anyone – I want all the instruments!

“The Metallica connection was a big part of it. Bill from Mastodon loves ESP and I’ve played his guitar a bunch of times. I’ve talking to [artist relations head] Tony Rauser about making something different to what I’ve done before.

“I’m in a phase of life where I accept myself more as a frontman. I used to go on stage with dark shirts, jeans and guitars, looking like a black hole. I don’t know if it’s a midlife crisis, but enough is enough – I want to shine on stage! Maybe I’ll design a mirror guitar, so I can blind people with the spotlight!”

Gojira are behemoths of the metal scene – and, during an appearance that can only be described as history-making at last year's Olympic Games, the band firmly cemented their influence beyond the metal realm on the global stage.

And for the gearheads, guitarist Joe Duplantier dazzled audiences with a custom ESP electric guitar specially curated for the occasion: an ESP XJ-1 – boasting an all-chrome aesthetic, EverTune bridge, and a DiMarzio Fortitude bridge humbucker – that made metal (and music) history.

At the time, keen-eyed fans were quick to speculate over Duplantier's decision to play an ESP on that occasion, especially considering he has long been established as a loyal Charvel artist.

“It’s funny, people talk about instruments almost like marriage,” he quips in a new Guitar World interview.

“‘How could you? I thought everything was going well!’ It’s not like that, okay, can everybody relax?! I love Charvel and I’m proud of the signature we made. Nothing went wrong. But I’m just a dude who wants to have fun and try new things."

Indeed, Duplantier has been wielding Charvel's Tele-style San Dimas models for over 10 years – a run which has also included several signatures over the years, including his latest, the Joe Duplantier Signature Pro-Mod San Dimas Style 2 HH Mahogany.

“At the end of the day, from Fender to Gibson, I just love guitars. I’ve actually had a relationship with ESP for years. Hetfield personally hooked me up with them back in the day. He actually picked up the phone saying, ‘Dude, have you tried an ESP?’”

Duplantier clarifies that he still uses his signature Charvel “and will continue to do so”.

“I just wanted to experiment in other fields,” he divulges. “It feels like I’m expanding and ESP has a lot to offer. I’m not cheating on anyone, I want all the instruments! The Metallica connection was a big part of it. Bill from Mastodon loves ESP, and I’ve played his guitar a bunch of times. I’ve talking to [Head Of Artist Relations] Tony Rauser about making something different from what I’ve done before.”

These changes also come from a place where he's finally accepting his role as more of a frontman.

“I used to go on stage with dark shirts, jeans, and guitars, looking like a black hole. I don’t know if it’s a midlife crisis, but enough is enough, I want to shine on stage,” he adds with a laugh. “Maybe I’ll design a mirror guitar, so I can blind people with the spotlight!”

Last year, ESP sealed the deal by confirming Duplantier as a signature artist, with their announcement coinciding with Gojira's appearance at the opening ceremony of the 2024 Summer Olympic Games.

Guitar World's full interview with Joe Duplantier will be published in the coming weeks.

What is it?

Returning to the drawing board for his third ESP/LTD signature guitar, Rammstein’s Richard ZK has pivoted towards the trending offset shape and bestowed it with some serious kit. Headlined by signature, chrome-covered Fishman Fluence active humbuckers - fast becoming go-to pickups for metal guitar - and an arcade-style kill switch, it stays true to his Strat-like tonewood preferences. But his beloved Floyd Rose is gone, and a slew of gadgets are in.

ZK tested three different bridge options blindfolded, saying, “If I knew which one was the Floyd Rose, I would have chosen that.” A classic-style locking TonePros stoptail was chosen on “sound alone,” but has been partially recessed into the body so the hand comfort of a Floyd was retained.

This is a lavish creation, with premium appointments everywhere you look, and a far cry from his previous axes: the Strat-meets-SG hybrid E-II RZK-I, and the single-cut RZK-II.

Specs

• Launch price: $1,999
• Made: Korea
• Type: Solid-body electric guitar
• Body: Alder
• Neck: Maple, neck-thru
• Fingerboard: Rosewood, 13.77” radius
• Scale length: 25.5”
• Nut/width: Molded, 1.653”
• Frets: 22, extra jumbo  
• Hardware: TonePros Locking Tune-O-Matic bridge, LTD locking tuners
• Electrics: Fishman RZK signature Fishman Fluence humbuckers, 1x volume (with push/pull), three-way switch, and mini-toggle for switch kill switch modes
• Left-handed options: No
• Finishes: Olympic White
• Case/gig bag: LTD hard  case
• Contact: ESP Guitars

Build quality

Build quality rating: ★★★★☆

There are very few discernible flaws or blemishes in its construction, and the hardware is rock solid. That said, there's a noticeable rough seam at the heel.

Given the contrast between the natural neck finish and the thick gloss of the body, something needed to give, but the triangular cut feels aesthetically crude. The cut itself is fairly smooth, and the only noticeable difference is in the thumb feel when playing the upper frets. It's a bit of an eyesore, though.

The Rammstein logo inlays, meanwhile, look more like blobs - outlines would have looked much clearer, and the fact that the battery compartment for the pickups needs to be unscrewed irks me.

A latch-based solution, as found on many other guitars from Strandberg to Charvel, is an open goal. To add to this, the review model was supplied without a battery, which is a surprising oversight at this price.

Playability

Playability rating: ★★★★☆

Considering Richard ZK’s day job, it’s understandable that soloing isn’t super buttery, but it’s not a chore, either. Ultimately, the neck hits that Goldilocks spot between riff-wringing fatness and lead-friendly thinness.

Granted, there’s a lot of body with this offset shape – it’s bulkier than a Fender Jazzmaster, or Jackson’s Surfcaster silhouette – Lee Malia’s new signature feels very snug for lap playing in comparison, and measures similarly to a Gibson Firebird, but the LTD's balance is top-drawer.

Whereas Wolfgang Van Halen’s EVH SA-126 kept sliding off my knee, this sits where it should, there’s is no neck dive to contend with, and its weight is a happy medium – it’s just a case of getting used to its larger surface area.

Meanwhile, careful decisions help counter the larger body size, including a smooth contour on the treble side bout for picking hand comfort. The subtly recessed bridge also makes a huge difference to hand positioning, comfort, and feel: there’s no hand fatigue after prolonged playing.

Sounds

Sounds rating: ★★★★☆

There’s a reason everyone from Tim Henson to Mick Thompson are jumping ship to Fishman Fluence pickups. Tonally, they have every base covered, meaning they’re suited for styles beyond metal, and ZK's signature set is no exception.

I’m an avid Fishman Fluence user, but my only gripe with them remains: the volume control isn’t super responsive when rolled back. Swells can be achieved with the right movement, but I tend to avoid half-way points with the volume knob as I find it struggles there.

Besides that, though, Richard ZK’s signature set provides a tonal playground. From bluesy, mid-gain Marshalls to war-mongering Fortin amps, rhythm tones sound great through every modelled amp I try them on. The bridge pickup has a little more treble than stock Fluence p'ups.

That equates to snarling rhythms, which work incredibly well with palm mutes, but they aren’t exceptionally warm, so tweaking the amp – boosting the bass, reducing the treble – is advisable for when you don’t want this is bear its teeth quite so much.

Elsewhere, this guitar’s clean tones really shimmer, especially when iced with chorus pedals. They are exquisitely modern-sounding, and the neck rounds out some of those sharp edges for chords.

The middle position on the selector, conversely, marries the best of both. I found it to be the best position for edge-of-breakup tones – perhaps controversially – with the others either too woolly or too scratchy for my liking without overcompensating on the amp.

Voice three (accessed via the push-pull volume pot) gives a coil split. I’ve always found push/push dials to be far more user-friendly for on-the-fly coil-splitting, but they are a rare off-the-shelf feature.

Tonally, the differences made by splitting are subtle, but well worth exploring. They don’t have that in-your-face Stratocaster spank that other pickups can conjure, but they aren’t too noisy when split, and there’s a satisfying quack when playing with a little palm muting. It’s a fair compromise overall.

Beyond the almost laughably large, but perfectly passable volume knob, the kill switch is extremely noisy in standard mode, turning my Buckethead impressions into crackly affairs. It improves after repeated taps, as if it takes a moment to warm up, but it isn't ideal.

The guitar’s mini switch reverses its functionality, meaning pressing it activates the signal, rather than killing it. Interestingly, this mode is completely crackle-free, but its inverted methodology takes some getting used to.

Verdict

When the lights are down and I’m digging in, there's a lot to admire. It plays superbly, it's multifaceted in what it can handle, and it looks seriously cool, even for someone who tends to swerve white guitars.

The dual-mode kill switch is a great addition, despite crackles in 'normal' mode being a little off-putting, and even if the coil-splitting is subtle, there are still some unique sounds to be uncovered.

In the end, its biggest pitfalls, like the neck seam and its kill switch, are either aesthetic or minuscule. It’s a solid and versatile guitar that (generally) looks the business, and just about justifies its asking price.

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Gergo Hajer

• “Less versatile than the Greeny tributes… but it’s the perfect weapon to seek and destroy”: ESP LTD KH-V Kirk Hammett review

For a guitarist so prominent in 2024’s end-of-year lists, Spiro Dussias has a surprisingly small body of releases. Most of the attention so far has come from social media, where his innovative playing style – coated in a metallic darkness and illuminated with white-hot technique – has left many gobsmacked.

Once an Abasi Concepts artist, he was the star of Jackson’s promotional video for its American Soloist series in early 2024. Python, the song he wrote for the promo, is a snarling and angular showcase in which extreme metal aggression and electronic soundscapes duel at dawn.

Since then he’s written the brain-melting Negative for Neural DSP, and he’s joined ESP’s artist roster, having cut his teeth on his sparkling grey Original Series Horizon. Now he’s ready to take his wild economy picking to a whole new level.

Let’s start with your crazy economy picking technique; how are you doing it?

“The short answer is that it's muted sweep picking. It comes from experimenting with the mechanics of economy picking and what you can do with different angles and muting.

“There’s this notion that economy picking gives you a more fluid or bubbly sound than alternate picking – but I've been proving the opposite. You’ll see alternate pickers change their angle between downward and upward slants every few notes, which creates an opening and closing sort of envelope. I can maintain the same mute and envelope with every note.

“You have all these beautiful chord voicings that, if you're diligent about your technique and the tone you dial in, you can use to get a really wild mechanical, percussive sound. I’m actively seeing how far I can push it.”

Your fretting hand seems pretty static for it…

“If you look really carefully, I’ll very subtly lift my fingers off of the previous string, but they’ll still be making contact with the fretboard. It’s mostly in the right hand, and most people have an easier time descending. When ascending, people usually take their palm off the strings. I’ll actually tilt my thumb down so that I’m always muting the strings with it on the way up.

“The tone is a big factor too. Tosin Abasi popularized low-gain tones, but I've tried to find out how to get that same sound with a fair bit of gain.”

You get compared to Tosin a lot…

“It’s funny, because I don’t do too many of the same techniques. But the general aesthetic we go for is similar in that we want the guitar to sound unnaturally percussive, tight and metallic. It’s in line with the sound design that a lot of electronic artists are doing in relation to how you strike the guitar and how your technique impacts the sound.”

What makes ESPs right for you?

“I’m grateful to have owned and played some of the best guitars on Earth – but I built my technique on my Horizon. I compare all guitars to it. How is the break angle on the string? How immediately does that wave get from my picking hand to my fretting finger? I’m really sensitive to the relationship between the height of the nut, the bridge and the frets.”

So it’s physicality over specs for you?

“Yeah – and I’m really interested in scale lengths. As tunings have gotten lower and lower, there’s a belief that the only way to work with that is using longer scale lengths and heavy gauge strings.

“As you shrink the scale length, the distance between your frets comes down, and the more frets you have on a guitar, the tighter they’re spaced. I’d love a Horizon with a 24.75” scale and 24 frets, where I can actually maintain certain positions all over the neck without changing my technique.”

Would that guitar have any other key features?

“I like scalloped fingerboards; they give you better note separation and the vibrato is sick. I would love a guitar that has first five frets pretty shallow, so that when you’re digging in a little bit lower, it doesn’t go sharp. It would be medium scalloped frets five to 12, and then 12 to 24 would be pretty deep. As you get higher, you need notes to ring out a little longer.

Do you prefer tube amps or modelers?

“Man, I use everything. My favorite amp is the original Engl Invader 100, but I use all the Neural DSP plugins. Having tube amps is a luxury you don’t need in this era.

“As it stands, amp modeling has been about recreating analog circuitry and old technology in the digital realm.”

You gave guitar lessons to Dream Theater keyboardist Jordan Rudess – how was that?

“He’s really chill to hang with. The first thing I said to him was, 'You’ve got a pretty sick guitar player in your band. What are you asking me for?’ But he’s trying to explore every corner of the instrument, working with a ton of amazing guitarists to get every different perspective.

“He’s an example that at any age, if you don’t have bad habits, you just have to pick up the good ones. Now he’s playing in a more unbounded way each year. It’s crazy.”

2024 was a big year for you. What’s next?

“I want to be able to make as much of a mark I can as a player in the truest sense. I want to do a bunch of guest features and put more music of my own music out.

“I wrote, produced, mixed, and mastered Negative in a few weeks, and I’ve been writing stuff now that feels like some of the freshest shit I’ve ever made. My goal is just to keep the train on the tracks and keep the engine warm – I’m aiming for four to six new songs this year.

“If the demand is there and people want to come out and see it live, I have a group of people to do it with. I’m also doing a bunch of random session work and there have been rumblings about me playing with some other bands. So I’m keeping my door open.”

NAMM 2025: Richard Kruspe (AKA Richard ZK) has added to his stock of signature gear, with ESP/LTD unveiling its latest signature guitar for the Rammstein lead guitarist.

Following LP-style and E-II body shape signatures comes the LTD RZK-III – a refined take on ESP’s Phoenix solid-body design, with a little extra spice added for good measure.

Those who have seen the German metal giants live recently – and not been burned to a crisp – may recognize the guitar, as Richard ZK has been giving it some thorough road-testing.

The guitar’s genesis can be traced back to the music video for Freeze My Mind from Kruspe’s solo project, Emigrate. After being handed a Phoenix for the shoot, he “fell in love with the guitar”, finding great comfort in its shape.

Post-shoot, he pushed that design further with the inclusion of a square, three-a-side headstock, as opposed to the six-in-a-line design on stock models.

Draped in Olympic White, it has a three-piece satin-finished neck, which is part of a neck-through design augmented by alder wings to match the tonewoods on his other signatures.

Its fingerboard is made from rosewood and given 22 extra-jumbo stainless steel frets and glow-in-the-dark side dots.

And, after experimenting with Floyd Rose and string-through-body bridge designs, Kruspe landed on a classic stoptail-style setup. Blindfold testing of the three options was a necessity, with Kruspe saying: “If I knew which one was the Floyd Rose I would have chosen that, but when forced to choose only by sound, that was the winner.

“I was a little bit concerned because normally the stoptail bridge has a different way how your hand lays on the strings. It’s higher,” he continues. “So we recessed the bridge and stoptail into the body of the guitar to use the best sound with the comfort of the Floyd Rose to make the best guitar that ever happened in guitar history.”

Onto the electronics and there’s plenty to play with. His signature set of Fishman Fluence humbuckers sits at the guitar’s heart, with a massive push-pull volume knob – trust us, you won’t miss it – and a mini-toggle switch present to select different voicings.

However, the kill switch is the biggest toy on the guitar, and this time it’s been wired in “the German way”: it only kills the sound when it’s been pressed for a second time. It’s also been moved closer to the strings to a spot that better suits Kruspe’s live performances.

Owning one will set you back $1,999 and the guitar is available to pre-order now.

Head over to LTD for more – but be careful of the pyro.

What is it?

I’m a big believer in simplicity when it comes to the electric guitar, especially when the priority is the boldest, most dynamic tone.

I often find that the best approach is to strip things down to the barest of essentials and that any and every addition to the signal path is more likely to take away than add to the equation.

Hey, this theory worked for everything from Eddie Van Halen’s Frankenstein to Leslie West’s Gibson Les Paul Junior, and who could argue with that?

Playability and sounds

The LTD EC-01FT may be stripped down, but that doesn’t mean it’s austere. The mahogany body and three-piece mahogany neck are seamlessly joined as if they were crafted from a single slab of wood, and body routing is kept to a minimum to ensure maximum resonance.

The control cavity is a little larger than usual, but it provides ample space for a battery should you choose to later install an active pickup.

The neck’s Thin U profile combined with the deep cutaway facilitates fast, unimpeded playing across the entire silky smooth Macassar Ebony fretboard. The recessed bridge keeps the strings close to the body, making it easy to comfortably palm mute the strings.

Full disclosure: I’d bet that most rock guitarists use only the bridge pickup with the tone control wide open 90 percent of the time or more, so why bother with an extraneous neck pickup and tone controls? The EC-01FT proves that you don’t need all that extra hardware to enjoy big, aggressive tones for rock.

If you want clean tone, just back down the volume control. Prefer a more mellow attack? Pick closer to the neck.

The Duncan Custom 14’s high output (14.65k ohms resistance) can push an amp extra hard, but it delivers an alluring midrange roar with outstanding articulation, clarity and bite. The split function provides honking single-coil tone with assertive mids that fall between a P-90’s growl and a Tele’s twang.

Verdict

The ESP LTD Deluxe EC-01FT may be stripped down to the essentials when it comes to its single humbucking pickup and solitary master volume control, but its upscale materials, design refinements, quality hardware and impeccable craftsmanship result in a luxurious ax that’s much more than a bare-bones Junior model.

Guitar World verdict: If you prefer to keep your tone as big, pure and uninhibited as possible, this guitar certainly meets those goals without any feelings of compromise or missing out.

Specs

Launch price: $1,099 / £1,039 / €1,019
Origin: Indonesia
Type: Solidbody electric guitar
Body: Mahogany
Neck: 3-piece mahogany, glued-in, Thin U profile
Scale length: 24.75" / 629mm
Fingerboard: Macassar ebony, 13.8" radius, 22 extra-jumbo stainless steel frets
Pickups: 1x Seymour Duncan Custom 14 humbucker (ESP exclusive)
Controls: Volume, tone, coil-split
Hardware: ESP-branded locking tuners, Recessed TonePros Locking TOM bridge with String Thru
Finishes: Black [as reviewed], Olympic White, Vintage Burst
Contact: ESP Guitars

Hands-on videos

Guitar World

ESP Guitars x Martin Stewart (Terror)

ESP Guitars

• ESP LTD EC-201FT review

2024 Year in Review: As if witnessing Gojira’s extreme-metal take on French revolution anthem Mea Culpa (Ah! Ça Ira) at the Olympics with opera singer Marina Viotti wasn’t extraordinary enough, eagle-eyed fans were quick to spot something peculiar in singer/guitarist Joe Duplantier’s hands.

Instead of his signature T-style San Dimas Charvel, it was a custom chrome-bodied, reverse-headstock ESP XJ-1 fitted with a single bridge pickup, presumably his DiMarzio Fortitude humbucker, as well as an Evertune bridge.

The official announcement of his endorsement came a few weeks later, with ESP Artist Relations Director Tony Rauser hailing the performance as “historic for Gojira and metal,” noting how the inclusion of an ESP guitar at the world’s foremost sports competition, an event watched by billions, was something that felt “truly wild.”

Other Olympics news included a cloaked figure shredding on a vintage Veleno aluminum electric, later revealed to be Noé Efira, an associate of the French band Phoenix, and H.E.R. performing the national anthem on a white Strat custom-built by Fender luthier Brian Thrasher, who had previously overseen one-off Starcasters for Blink-182’s Tom DeLonge.

Taking a page from, undoubtedly, one of the coolest-looking guitars in ESP's entire repertoire – their single-cutaway Eclipse series – the LTD Deluxe EC-01FT is a modern interpretation that boasts refined features and hard-hitting tones for players with exquisite taste.

The EC-01FT is a single-cutaway guitar with a minimalist flat-top body, a streamlined layout, and no unnecessary fluff. It features a 24.75” scale and a smooth set-thru neck heel that enhances playability by providing easier access to the highest frets.

At the core of the guitar's construction is a classic mahogany body paired with a 3-piece mahogany set-thru neck-through design, featuring a thin “U” profile and a brushed matte black pickguard that instantly makes the design stand out. Furthermore, it offers a 43mm nut for a bit more fretboard in your hand, boosting playability whether you're crafting intricate melody lines or playing big, commanding chords.

Speaking of the fretboard, this guitar features a Macassar ebony fingerboard with pearloid block inlays and 22 extra-jumbo stainless steel frets, which aid in playing precision and smoother bends.

The solid combination of a recessed TonePros TOM bridge and string-thru body keeps the string height low and comfortable while maintaining maximum resonance. Meanwhile, the LTD locking tuners ensure optimum stability, even throughout long, hard-hitting sets – so you don't have to tune after every song (unless you want to).

Even beyond the high-end specs, perhaps one of the biggest highlights of the EC-01FT is the Custom 14 – a new custom triple ceramic humbucker pickup designed exclusively for ESP by Seymour Duncan. Borrowing DNA from the classic Custom and the Black Winter, it delivers strong output with flexible tones, ranging from pure cleans to gritty, hardcore chug and angular yet articulate solo tones.

For an even wider sonic palette, the guitar comes fully equipped with a push-pull coil-split on the volume control, giving players access to softer, single-coil sounds.

And for aesthetically-oriented players, the guitar is currently available in three versatile and attractive finishes: Olympic White, Black, and Vintage Burst.

Priced at $1,099, the EC-01FT is available from all ESP partners and distributors.

For more information, head to ESP.

70 years ago, Gibson’s Les Paul Junior set the bar for single-pickup guitars: packing a lone P-90, yet somehow managing to wring seven decades of stellar, tonal versatility out of the most basic of formats.

More recently, Yungblud is pushing a one-and-done ethos with his signature Epiphone SG, and we’ve seen the single-pickup idea pointed in a different direction from the likes of Manson, EVH and others.

Similarly far from the dusty, vintage fuzz of garage-rock sits LTD, the affordable arm of ESP traditionally (although not exclusively) tailored towards the heavier end of the spectrum. Earlier this year, LTD released a pair of flat-topped single-pickup Eclipse models (the EC-01FT and more affordable EC-201FT here) that puts its spin on the format, promising instruments “for players seeking the most hardcore performances imaginable”.

The unbound mahogany body design and slightly retro scratchplate are met by all-black hardware (LTD tuners and T-o-M-style bridge with through-body stringing), the angular LTD headstock and apparently fire-breathing single pickup. Elsewhere, we get a three-piece, glued mahogany neck, which is fitted with a roasted jatoba fingerboard, block inlays and 22 extra-jumbo frets.

But, we can see where LTD is coming from. Considering that a high percentage of LTD fans are likely to spend a lot of their time gained-up for rock, punk and metal with the bridge pickup engaged, possibly not even changing the tone control, doing away with the neck pickup and additional electronics sort of makes sense for some people.

Our Black review model comes shining out of the box bathed in a solid gloss finish. The setup is comfortable, with the potential to go lower, but ultimately buzz-free and where we’d expect for a middle-ground action.

The jatoba fingerboard has a reddish-brown mahogany-like hue while the frets look like they could have done with more time under the buffing wheel. But the thin U-shaped neck offers a comfortable ride for open and powerchords as well as lead playing.

Tonally, the LTD LH-150B pickup is solid, and excels under higher gain. It cleans up nicely with the volume rolled back, but, to our ears, it’s lacking some of that bite we were hoping for. There’s a slight woolly-ness to it that means punky, overdriven open chords lose some note separation – nothing a quick EQ change can’t fix.

The coil-split is engaged from the volume control, and yields a decent single-coil bridge sound. There’s a roundness to the attack and a midrange honk that lends itself to Clash-style jabs and greasy vintage funk and soul rhythm playing.

So, it seems we’ve got a model with a potential identity crisis on our hands. But what we do get is a very playable, quality guitar for bridge-heavy rock sub-genre playing. It’s fuss-free and fairly affordable, just don’t expect it to do everything.

Specs

• PRICE: $499/£479
• BODY: Mahogany, flat-top
• NECK: Mahogany, three-piece
• SCALE: 24.75”
• FINGERBOARD: Roasted jatoba
• FRETS: 22 XJ
• PICKUP: LTD LH-150B (bridge position)
• CONTROLS: Volume, w/ push-pull coil split
• HARDWARE: Black LTD tuners and T-o-M-style bridge (through-body-stringing)
• LEFT-HANDED: Yes
• CASE: No
• FINISH: Black [as reviewed], See Thru Cherry
• CONTACT: ESP Guitars

Fresh off the America's Got Talent stage, Maya Neelakantan is busy further establishing herself in the metal and hard rock scene. While the Gibson Dave Mustaine Flying V EXP was her axe of choice for her primetime TV spot, she's now adding another guitar to her arsenal. This time, it's an ESP LTD Jeff Hanneman Tribute 2014, gifted to her by Kathryn Hanneman, the wife of the late Jeff Hanneman.

“It was amazing talking with her and before we left, she said she has something special for me and brought out an ESP guitar case!” recounts Neelakantan.

“Inside was an ESP LTD Jeff Hanneman Tribute 2014 in an amazing Urban Camo color! She said that this model was made shortly after Jeff Hanneman passed away in 2013 and this was a very, very limited edition since they only made 666 of this guitar.”

However, the guitar given to Neelakantan was even more special, as it was the first prototype and the one given to Kathryn just a few months after the Slayer guitarist's passing.

“Although we have been friends for a couple of years, we met for the first time and she gave this to me – I just can’t explain what that means to me. I’m honored, grateful, overwhelmed, and very thankful for all this,” adds Neelakantan.

From going viral with her rendition of Papa Roach's Last Resort to being granted permission to use Metallica's track on America's Got Talent and having Slayer and Exodus' Gary Holt fly down to Los Angeles to meet her, the 11-year-old guitarist has had quite a year.

She recently continued ticking off her bucket list with a surprise appearance at a Testament show, where she joined the band on stage to trade solos with Alex Skolnick.

ESP has announced the launch of six new additions to the brand's well-known LTD series. The new guitars, the LTD EC-200DX FM, M-200DX, and TE-200DX models, promise to deliver “a high-quality yet affordable introduction to the ESP playing experience.”

Construction-wise, the LTD EC-200DX has a flat, single cutaway eclipse body with a beveled edge, a bolt-on neck with a 24.75" scale length, a poplar body with a curly maple top, as well as a roasted maple neck with a rosewood fingerboard.

Additionally, this guitar comes fully equipped with ESP's signature LH-150 humbuckers plus black chrome covers. Moreover, the push-pull switch on the tone “allows for the flexibility of single-coil sounds.“

The TOM-style bridge and tailpiece, 24 extra jumbo frets, dot inlays, and black chrome hardware round up this model's specs. For all those who prioritize finishes, it's important to note that the LTD EC-200DX is the only guitar from the newly announced range that comes in both blue burst and charcoal burst finishes.

On the other hand, the LTD M-200DX model, which comes in blue burst and purple burst finishes, features a streamlined M-shape with an attractive cardboard top and a bolt-on neck with a 25.5" scale length.

Like its EC-200DX counterpart, it's equipped with a roasted maple neck and a rosewood fingerboard. It also contains what ESP describes as “high-class“ features, namely, the chrome-plated hardware, LH-150 humbuckers, and a TOM-style bridge with string-thru body design.

The LTD TE-200DX distinguishes itself from the other models by being more lightweight and offering the classic LTD TE shape with more modern features. It also has an angled headstock, 24 frets, and black body binding.

Like the other two, it comes equipped with a maple neck and rosewood fingerboard, black chrome-plated hardware, and signature ESP LH-150 humbuckers.

Priced at a conservative $399, the new models will be available from August from all ESP partner retailers. For more information, visit ESP.

Over the decades, Kerry King has been endorsed by B.C. Rich, ESP and now Dean. As much as he has always loved the company’s guitars, he wasn’t ready to work with them when they first approached him shortly after the death of former Pantera guitarist Dimebag Darrell.

“I was friends with a lot of the Dean people, even though I didn’t use their guitars ’cause Dime was there, and he and I were good friends,” King says.

“When Dime unfortunately left us, Dean wanted me the next day. They needed a new guy. I had a great deal with B.C. Rich, and Dean didn’t want to match it. I’m like, ‘Why am I leaving if you’re not gonna match my deal?’ So I stayed with B.C. Rich until almost the end of the Slayer run.”

That’s when Dean made King an offer he couldn’t refuse, and, just in time for his musical rebirth as Kerry King, he was adopted by a new guitar company.

“That’s my new family now,” he says. “I’ve only used Dean onstage for about a month, so it’s still very new to me. But I did the new album with Dean guitars. I knew the owner’s dad [Elliott Rubinson] before he passed away, and now I’m really tight with everyone over there. And I’m super loyal. If you don’t give me a reason to leave, I won’t.”

To date, Dean has created two signature guitars for King, the USA Kerry King V (limited edition 50 PC) and the USA Kerry King Overlord Battalion Grey, and there’s more to come. Below, King discusses the particulars of his Dean guitars and how he landed his past endorsement deals.

Your first B.C. Rich was a Mockingbird. Was that before you were endorsed?

“Yeah, we certainly weren’t made of money back then. My dad was my sponsor for a while. He would live vicariously through me. He played a little bit of guitar, so he would scour the free newspaper, The Recycler, ’cause everyone would put guitars, amps, all kinds of shit in there.

“He found a B.C. Rich Mockingbird. I didn’t even know what a B.C. Rich was. He took me to see it, and I didn’t have any idea what all the switches were for, but I’m like, ‘If I can’t make a cool sound with all these switches, there’s gotta be something fucking wrong with me.’”

You’re playing the Mockingbird on the back of Slayer’s first album, 1983’s Show No Mercy.

“That guitar belonged to the Hard Rock Japan for a while. I donated it. And then when I got together with my wife of 21 years almost, she was like, ‘You should get that back.’ And I went, ‘Yeah, you’re kind of right.’ So I traded them another one for it. I got in contact with the manager of that Hard Rock, and he understood the situation. I offered him something else and he said, ‘Fine – it means more to you than it needs to be here.’”

That guitar led to your relationship with B.C. Rich. Didn’t they paint it red for you?

“That was back in the day when I didn’t know what strap locks were. We were at rehearsal, and I got underneath my strap with my thumb. The guitar undid itself, the head came down on the ground like a fucking guillotine and the headstock broke off.

“That was not a nice day, but it gave me my first introduction to the people at B.C. Rich, the Rico family. They put a truss rod and two other rods in it so it would never happen again – just in case I dropped it. I had them paint it red ’cause it was Koa. It still is Koa, but it’s a red Koa. Call me a dick now, but I didn’t think I wanted a natural guitar.”

Did that lead to your first endorsement?

“The second B.C. Rich I got, or that anyone saw, was the black Warlock I played in the early days. I think the Mockingbird sounded better, but the Warlock looked cool for what I was trying to portray. The B.C. Rich factory was only about 20 minutes from my parents’ house, so I would go to the factory five days a week, just drooling and checking shit out. One day the public-relations guy said, ‘Hey, we want to give you this guitar.’ It might have been a Bich.

“I was maybe 20. I looked at him and said, “Why?” It didn’t occur to me that companies endorse players and give them guitars. The guy showed me a stack of letters from people that wanted to play the guitars that I had, and I went, “Oh, wow.” So that’s how I got my first B.C. Rich deal.”

You stayed with B.C. Rich for a long time, endorsing guitars with various design elements and price points. They did a signature V for you when South of Heaven came out (1988), and you played the Bich, Ironbird and the Beast V. What brought you to ESP?

“That was right after we did Seasons in the Abyss [1990]. B.C. Rich leased their company to Class Axe, and Class Axe couldn’t make a neck-through-body guitar. I’m like, ‘Well, call me when you can.’ And they never did, so I went to ESP for about a decade. I was a fixture for them at NAMM during the ’90s.”

What brought you back to B.C. Rich?

“I was always friends with the Rico family, and when they got their lease back from Class Axe, they kept wanting me to come back to B.C. Rich. I was wary ’cause the way we broke up was not good. I had ordered a Mockingbird Supreme back then, which had cloud inlays and all the electronics.

“I had them make some sexy natural ones. They called me and said, ‘Hey, this guitar’s done, but we’re selling the company, so if you want it, you need to come buy it.’ And I said, ‘Fine, gimme ’til tomorrow.’ That guitar was gorgeous. They didn’t wait. They sold it to someone else, which was a bullshit move.”

How did they get you back?

“I was happy with ESP. They treated me well for a long time, and I’m still friends with the owner. And then one day, I finally decided to give B.C. Rich another chance. I said, ‘Alright; just so we’re sure, build me a guitar and if I like it, we’ll roll.’ I think that might have been the first V with the tribal paint job. So I went back over, and we went on that tribal offshoot for 20 years, with the fire backgrounds and the marble backgrounds. We got a lot of mileage out of that artwork.”

Did you feel like you got all that you could out of your relationship with B.C. Rich when you struck a deal with Dean?

“The Rico family was out of B.C. Rich again. They belonged to HHI. So it was corporate, and I have very strong times with family businesses. I was friends with the Marshall family. I was friends with the Rico family. And I was friends with a lot of Dean people, but I needed some shit changed because Dean was Dime’s label and me and Dime were tight – but I don’t like the guitars Dime played. A fucking headstock that looks like a baby guitar? I don’t need all that fucking real estate up there.

“So we made the headstock look like it’s got devil horns. I took what was reminiscent of my B.C. Rich headstock and combined them into something new that neither one can claim so nobody can say, ‘Oh, it looks like your B.C. Rich.” And that’s how I got my ‘V’ with the points at the edges – and the Overlord, which I put out last year.”

What other guitars are you working on with Dean?

“I’ve got a new A&R guy there. I said, ‘Okay, for the purists, let’s make – and nobody has seen this – a couple of classic ‘V’s for people that don’t like the points on my first Dean V. I had one made trans-black with a really classy inlay. It’s a conservative ‘V’ with teeth. It’s got an edge to it. The other new one I’ve got has this beautiful inlay on it that people will just have to see. I’ll have both of those when I go on tour.’”

• From Hell I Rise is out now via Reigning Phoenix Music America.

A quick glance at recent signature releases might lead you to believe it’s Kirk Hammett’s world and we’re just living in it. There was the purple sparkle edition of his KH95X Cry Baby back in 2022, and then a lot of excitement over replicas of his prized ‘Greeny’ 1959 Les Paul Standard – previously owned by Peter Green and Gary Moore – through the Gibson and Epiphone brands. 

But those who prefer an all-out metal machine may find such tools a little too vintage-leaning in both appearance and design, with one of the PAF-style humbuckers wired upside down and a Greeny Burst finish to replicate the original’s fade from Cherry Sunburst to Lemon after all those decades of heavy usage.

Which is precisely where ESP come in. Following a recommendation from Anthrax’s Scott Ian in 1987, the Metallica axeman has been using their instruments for nearly 40 years, famously relying on horror-themed models like ‘The Mummy’ and ‘White Zombie’.

The new line of KH-Vs, through ESP’s affordable Korean-made LTD brand, are certainly striking, arriving in three loud finishes for a modern twist on Gibson’s classic Flying V shape, doubling up on inspiration by the choice of korina for the body.

Most importantly of all, they come fitted with the guitarist’s signature EMG Bone Breaker set, utilising Alnico 5 and ceramic magnets in the neck and bridge, respectively.

As you’d expect from active humbuckers of this nature, they’re very much voiced for high-gain players, catering to the muscular aggression Metallica pioneered and helped popularise.

Of course, every instrument comes with its own unique compromises and, as is often the case with high-output EMGs, the clean tones aren’t particularly versatile or inspiring.

On the other hand, they’re not as compressed as Hammett’s 81/81 sets of the past – if you’re in a band like Metallica, the less driven sounds are still perfectly usable, as the four horsemen themselves have proven time and time again on live renditions of Nothing Else Matters, Fade to Black and One. 

Other notable appointments include the TonePros Locking Tune-O-Matic bridge with strings coming through the body – increasing both stability and sustain – with more reassurance provided by the locking tuners.

Extra tonal reinforcement is provided by the neck-through design, allowing resonance to travel from the very top of the guitar to its base to produce chords that never seem to stop ringing, while the 24 extra jumbo frets make the Hammett style of soloing as seamless as possible. 

It comes as little surprise that this latest signature is less versatile than the Greeny tributes, though there can be no doubt it’s the perfect weapon to seek and destroy.

Specs

• BODY: Korina
• NECK: Three-piece maple neck-thru
• FINGERBOARD: Macassar Ebony
• FRETS: 24 XJ
• PICKUPS: 2x EMG Bone Breaker humbuckers
• CONTROLS: Three-way toggle, volume and tone
• HARDWARE: TonePros Locking TOM bridge with String Thru, LTD locking tuners
• FINISH: Red Sparkle (as reviewed), Black Sparkle, Metallic Gold
• CASE: ESP Deluxe Hardshell
• CONTACT: ESP Guitars

NAMM 2024: It’s that time of year again. And by that, we mean the new year. And with the new year comes new gear, courtesy of our favorite guitar show: NAMM.

Held at Anaheim Convention Center in (hopefully) sunny California, NAMM is the hottest ticket to see the latest and greatest guitars, amps and pedals we’ll be plugging in over the next 12 months.

It’s fair to say that NAMM has had a rocky ride post-Covid. While NAMM 2020 was a blowout banner year for the show, its 2022 return was markedly more low-key.

Industry heavyweights Fender, Gibson and PRS didn’t return after the pandemic, and whole sections of the labyrinthine Convention Center were closed off. But as we noted in our post-show roundup, it didn’t dampen NAMM’s welcoming atmosphere, and made for a more personal event. Big launches from the likes of Ibanez, ESP and Ernie Ball Music Man certainly helped.

2022’s event was held in June, while last year’s festivities took place in April. For 2024, NAMM has settled back into its traditional January timeframe, and with it, we’re seeing the return of exhibitors who might have skipped the first post-pandemic shindigs.

With that in mind, NAMM 2024 is something of a make or break moment for the event – particularly in a climate where expos such as the videogame industry’s E3 have indicated they are done for good.

But we’re already confident this will be a NAMM to remember. The second we logged back onto our emails after a particularly indulgent festive holiday, we were already being tipped off about a number of hot new releases. It feels like there’s genuine excitement around NAMM again, and that is most definitely a reason to celebrate.

With that in mind, we’ve rounded up everything fit to print: the biggest news so far, the rumors gathering steam and our own theories, piped direct from the GW team’s brains and/or Magic 8 Ball.

Come at us, NAMM 2024 – we’re ready for you…

NAMM 2024 electric guitar news

• Wolfgang Van Halen's long-awaited EVH SA-126 signature guitar is finally here – and the clue was in the name, as it’s arrived on Eddie Van Halen’s birthday (January 26).
• In one of the show's biggest launches thus far, Rush legend Alex Lifeson has partnered with Godin to create the LERXST Limelight – a new take on his legendary Hentor Sportcaster.
• Ernie Ball Music Man has finally dropped Rabea Massaad’s long-awaited Artist Series models, refining the classic Sabre design into a surprising new form.
• Ibanez is playing its signature guitar cards close to its chest so far, but it has added 3 eye-catching new finishes to its AZ Premium family, and revamped its RG and S collections. But wasn’t Tim Henson playing an eight-string TOD recently?
• Dutch luthier Aristides has brought EverTune stability to multiscale guitars for the first time with a new signature bridge system – and prog-metallers are falling over themselves over its long-awaited arrival.
• 2024 marks the return of Dean Guitars after a tricky couple of years of Gibson lawsuits and financial wrangles. But judging from what we’ve seen so far – the classy, Fishman-loaded neck-thru Exile Select, and returning Vengeance and Zero models – the company’s guitars are more competitively spec’d and priced than ever, not to mention being much more in line with 2024 aesthetically, too. We’ll be intrigued to see what else the resurgent company brings to the table.
• Schecter has debuted an utterly wild new Machine Gun Kelly signature guitar, the Razorblade. In fact, it's so wild, some guitarists thought it was a Chibson USA meme…
• Schecter was clearly feeling generous when it partnered with Glassjaw's Justin Beck to create a signature instrument, because it ended up giving him two: a bass guitar and an electric guitar.

• There's still no sign of ESP Guitars' incoming Mick Thomson signature model – or his signature Fishman Fluence humbuckers – but Bill Kelliher's long-awaited Royal Shiva is here, and it's an absolute peach. As the Mastodon man puts it: “It's heavy, thick, and unique. It feels great.”
• Speaking of ESP, the brand recently took LP Junior-style guitars in a heavier direction with its new LTD Eclipse range, which was joined by upgraded EverTune- and Fishman-loaded 1000 Series guitars.
• Adrian Vandenberg’s cult classic Peavey signature model has officially returned – and it’s received something of a glow-up in the form of a number of intriguing modern embellishments.
• D’Angelico’s iconic flagship archtop guitars, the EXL-1 and Style B, are back – and “better than ever”, apparently.
• Magneto Guitars has sought to elevate the single-cut format with the Les Paul-flavored Velvet Deluxe – an update on the brand's flagship Velvet Custom design.
• Kauer has pulled back the curtains on its new Gripen model, which – in doing away with all curvature – is an early contender for ‘boldest guitar of 2024’.
• Chapman Guitars will likely be showcasing finished versions of its signature models for Black Stone Cherry’s Chris Robertson and “Danish” Pete Honoré.
• Guild Guitars – now under the Yamaha umbrella – unveiled a massive overhaul of its Polara range, complete with three new tiers of standard line Polara builds, including the Deluxe, Night Edition and standard lines.
• Speaking of Yamaha, it’s been a while since we’ve seen an electric guitar launch from the Japanese company. There’s been a lot of discussion about the Revstar range of late, particularly thanks to a certain Matteo Mancuso. It would be a missed opportunity not to capitalize on his success, says us.
• Musical polymath Jacob Collier made alarmingly good use of a custom five-string Strandberg creation last year, using an altered D A E A D tuning. Could we see a production model? Stranger things have happened.
• Speaking of Strandberg, the Swedish firm did reveal its new Boden Essential model, which makes a few tweaks to the Strandberg equation – while retaining the ergonomic shape and EndurNeck the brand is known for – that result in the company's most affordable model yet.
• Reverend and Billy Corgan have teamed up to create another signature guitar – and it’s precision-engineered for aggressive drop-tuned riffage.
• Reverend has also added Hot Mulligan’s Chris Freeman to its roster with a new kill switch and kill button-equipped signature guitar that, the company says, will take you into “emo overlord territory.”
• OD Guitars has turned an AI creation into an actual guitar for its NAMM 2024 showcase. And it looks incredible.
• Vox has sought to deliver an all-in-one musical experience with its APC-1, which is so much more than just a guitar.
• A staple of the NAMM scene, Ciari just made its pro-level foldable guitar range better than ever with the P-90 Ascender model.
• Vintage is taking a leaf out of Squier’s Paranormal playbook with its new Revo Series, a line populated by quirky, affordable takes on a range of classic silhouettes.

NAMM 2024 guitar amp and modeler news

• Laney has taken big strides at NAMM this year, with two world-firsts. First, its new BCC Ironheart tube amps have been released alongside a matching plugin at launch. And second, it has unveiled the world’s most powerful FRFR cabinet, a 2,600W 4x12 that’s almost as loud as a jetplane taking off.
• Positive Grid isn't messing around this NAMM season. On the amp front, it has debuted the Spark LIVE, a four channel, multi-instrument amp that aims to replace your band's backline – and, possibly, your sound engineer.
• Vox has harked back to its heritage with the all-new Hand-Wired Series – a collection of AC amps that aim to be the ultimate recreation of the iconic amps used by Brian May, the Beatles and more. 
• Revv has celebrated 10 years of amp building by revamping its flagship Generator 120.
• Victory’s newly-unveiled MK Series is said to be the culmination of influential amp designer Martin Kidd’s illustrious 30 year career – and were built to be the best amps he’s “ever made.”
• Peavey has pursued practicality by introducing a 20-watt version of its Classic tube amp combo, which doesn't compromise on tone.
• Eminent Technology's latest innovation, the Model Twenty-Two, is an absurdly slim amp cabinet that's so light it can be worn with a guitar strap.
• Those cheeky geniuses at Kemper HQ dropped their smallest Profiler yet, the Profiler Player, in the final week before Christmas. Controlled via your smartphone, and with no screen in sight, it’s a bold move from the German company, but crams an entire guitar rig into one compact pedal.
• Neural DSP finally launched its dedicated desktop controller, Cortex Control, but we would be extremely surprised if a new plugin or even – whisper it – amp modeler didn’t pop up at the show. Even if it’s just an update for an existing plugin, a la Plini X.
• IK Multimedia is planning something. We know this much. Could a bigger TONEX modeling pedal be on the cards? Maybe one that combines the company’s underrated X-Gear pedals for a Quad Cortex-rivaling multi-FX? That’s what we’d do if we were in the IK driving seat, anyway.
• As it did with the Archetype: Plini X plugin a few months back, Neural DSP has announced an over-hauled and soon-to-be Quad Cortex compatible Archetype: Gojira X – adding Joe Duplantier to its updated line-up of, er, ‘X Men’...
• Five years in the making, Two Notes' monstrous Genome software is finally here. Featuring AI software and compatibility with other amp modeling captures, Genome promises to be the ultimate virtual backline

NAMM 2024 guitar pedal news

• The big news from BOSS is that it’s back at NAMM, to be honest. And still in the throes of its 50th anniversary, we’re bound to see some new limited-editions alongside some fresh stompbox designs. Full-scale SP-1 Spectrum reissue? (No.)
• Jack White’s Third Man Hardware has made a splash by hopping on the DIY pedal train with the Fuzz-a-Tron – and it’s even cheaper than the JHS Notaklön.
• White's Third Man Hardware has also unveiled its hotly anticipated collaboration with budget brand Donner – a $99 3-in-1 multi-effects pedal featuring Echo, Phaser and Distortion effects.
• Accompanying its new Spark LIVE multi-instrument amp, Positive Grid has also issued the Control X footswitch. It's functional, colorful, and gives us serious Helix vibes. Could this be paving the way for a Spark floor unit?
• MXR kicked off the new year in style, dropping the not-so-subtly named Joshua Ambient Echo, which crams the Edge’s classic delay tones in one compact pedal. 
• Dunlop has reissued Zakk Wylde’s go-to Rotovibe pedal to celebrate 20 years of partnership between the vaunted brand and metal guitar hero – and it’s got a sleek new look.
• EarthQuaker Devices has brought its popular Plumes overdrive to bass players with a dedicated low-end offering. The Blumes delivers double the gain, and a deeper response, for the same $99 price tag.
• Two years after the boutique pedal makers closed its California workshop, Fulltone is returning to the market thanks to a fresh collaboration with Jackson Audio. And yes, the OCD is coming back.
• Vox has clearly been leafing through the history books recently: as well as announcing the AC Hand-Wired Series (see above), the brand has also issued recreations of the first-ever production wah pedals. For more contemporary rigs, Vox has also expanded its Valvenergy pedal range.
• Electro-Harmonix has decided to host a joint celebration of 55 years of the iconic Big Muff Pi and 50 years of the Ramshead circuit, with the announcement of an extremely limited edition Double Anniversary Big Muff Pi.
• Keeley Electronics has released a new signature overdrive for Andy Timmons – and it’s left the virtuoso in “tone heaven.”
• Ibanez has introduced two handy new pedalboard problem-solvers as part of its Pentatone pedal series, plus a limited-edition 45th anniversary celebratory Tube Screamer.
• Mooer is promising to take octaver capabilities to the next level with its new X2 pitch-shifter and harmony pedals, which boast some neat stereo functionality, along with presets, in a compact enclosure.
• Mooer has also made another play to disrupt the multi-FX market with the AI-driven EQ section-equipped GE1000 Li. It also introduces, for the first time in Mooer's GE multi-effects catalog, a touchscreen.
• NUT will be showcasing the B-8, its problem-solving Professional Wireless System, which features an onboard tuner, built-in boost and ultra-fast wireless pairing.
• Ground Control might just have won NAMM: it's new UwU is a signal-boosting buffer unit that brings gaming to guitar pedals.
• Beetronics is doing fuzz a bit differently this year: it's unveiled the Abelha Tropical Fuzz, which aims to capture the sounds of a Brazilian artistic movement from the 1970s.
• Strymon has been releasing a mean line of downsized pedals, starting with the Cloudburst and moving onto the Brig dBucket Delay and UltraViolet Vintage Vibe. What’s next on their agenda?

• Friedman’s recent IR-X put the company’s revered tube preamps on your pedalboard, complete with impulse responses. It was a genuinely exciting launch, and with Friedman coming under the Boutique Amps Distribution banner, we’d be surprised not to see further offerings in this style, perhaps from Morgan or Tone King.
• UAFX, Universal Audio’s guitar pedal offshoot, has been going from strength to strength – especially after moderately famous guitarist the Edge started using its amp-modeling stompboxes at U2’s Sphere residency. Following the release of the Plexi-inspired Lion ’68 back in October, we’d take a punt on something higher-gain… Let’s say Boogie, 5150 or JCM-based.
• Gamechanger Audio’s impressive new, player-responsive MOD Series pedals – a delay, reverb, and chorus – can literally be wired like a modular synth.
• In 2023, Revv dropped the Shawn Tubbs Tilt Boost. We’d bet the office capo on something new from the Canadian co.
• Zoom really piqued our interest with the revival of its cult compact MultiStomp multi-FX back in October – we’d love to see this expand into twin-footswitch formats. Just saying…
• Line 6 will be present at the Yamaha booth, as per. The HX One landed back in October – can we expect any more spinoffs from the Helix line? Or something new altogether?

NAMM 2024 acoustic guitar news

• Remember that priceless Martin that Kurt Russell smashed on the Hateful Eight set? Well, it’s just been put on public display for the first time ever. Suffice to say, Martin hasn't exactly forgiven director Quentin Tarantino – the company has since changed its loan policy regarding museum instruments.
• Martin is also promising a new era of sustainable acoustic guitar innovation with the GPCE Inception and its skeletonized bracing design.
• In addition, Martin has reportedly redefined “the expectations of what an affordable acoustic should be” with its remastered X Series lineup. Notable updates have also been issued to Martin's revolutionary SC Series.
• For those who fancy doing a spot of window shopping, Martin's yearly limited-edition collection has finally arrived – complete with a Bitcoin-inspired dreadnought, a $50k anniversary model, and more.
• Taylor has caught us all by surprise, launching its Circa ’74 acoustic amp brand – complete with mahogany cabinets and looks to kill. 
• Taylor also, of course, has some more Taylor-esque NAMM news as well, launching a trio of elegant 50th anniversary acoustic guitars.  
• Ibanez has joined the secondary soundhole movement with the AE Performer series – which debuts its innovative new A.I.R. Port system – while the Tim Henson-inspired FRH10N has received two new gorgeous finishes.
• Takamine's master luthiers have celebrated one more trip around the sun with a spectacular new solar system-themed acoustic guitar build.

NAMM 2024 bass guitar news

• Orange has lifted the curtain on its first signature instrument, the Glenn Hughes O Bass – and, yes, it is purple.
• Ernie Ball Music Man lifted the curtain on the final Joe Dart Artist bass guitar, but it didn't stick around for long – it sold out in seconds.

NAMM 2024 guitar accessories news

• DiMarzio is targeting Gretsch players with its latest release, supercharging the Filter’Tron format with 3 new humbuckers – including a high-output Super Distor’Tron.
• L.R. Baggs has built on the foundations of its HiFi system by unveiling its latest acoustic guitar pickup system, the HiFi Duet, which is said to usher in “a new era in acoustic guitar amplification.”
• Positive Grid has aimed to rescue guitars players from “cable clutter” with the Spark LINK – a teeny, tiny wireless system.
• Black Dahlia Murder shred god Brandon Ellis has teamed up with Seymour Duncan for the Dyad, a “high-detailed” bridge humbucker that’s flipped upside-down.
• Vintage reissue straps seem to now be a thing: check out this Dunlop x Authentic Hendrix reproduction of Jimi’s Monterey Pop Festival strap.
• Through nifty neoprene and air cell core tech construction, Ernie Ball’s new Comfort Cloud strap line looks to provide “optimal cushioning” for prolonged playing.
• Snark continues to innovate on the clip-on tuner front. Its latest is the ST-8 Titanium, which offers weeks of tuning on a single battery charge, plus a vulcanized rubber shield and titanium construction to ensure it focuses only on the frequencies it needs to hear – vastly reducing background interference.  
• On-Stage has released a workstation for keeping guitars, amps, pedals and more in one place, and it looks pretty nifty. Gear furniture is now officially A Thing.

While he was known to brandish myriad mad scientist axes with Kiss, in his pre-Kiss years, Bruce Kulick's guitar arsenal was geared more towards utility than flash.

But the era of hot-rodded guitars was underway by the time Kulick joined Kiss. And so, while his B.C. Rich and Gibson curios were reliable, a period-correct upgrade was surely in order.

"I knew I needed a Floyd Rose-equipped guitar," Kulick recalls. "I first had a Kubicki with a Floyd Rose. And when I got the call from Paul Stanley to do some studio work on Animalize, that Kubicki was the guitar I used. The neck was like a Fender, but the maple flame on the back of the neck was intense. It caused some movement that forced me to retire the guitar."

The Kubicki opened up a Pandora's box of hot-rodded axes. Intensifying matters, the studio work for Kiss quickly turned into full-scale touring.

"So, I get the call that Kiss needs me to go on tour in late 1984, and I had almost nothing to perform with," Kulick laughs. "But just before the opportunity, I acquired a black B.C. Rich Eagle, which worked for the vintage Kiss songs. But I needed something equipped with the Floyd Rose for the new styles of whammy bar wildness."

Recalling the next step in his Superstrat saga, Kulick tells us, "I went to 48th Street in NYC, and Sam Ash had a used Charvel in metallic blue, with one EMG pickup, and a Floyd Rose. It was the angle headstock years, with a Charvel Gold decal – very rare now to find. That guitar would become quite important for the Animalize tour."

After the final dates came to a close, Kulick began to assess his options, ultimately settling on the guitars that, in many ways, defined his tenure in Kiss.

"In 1985, some friends that also lived in NYC introduced me to a new company called ESP that was primarily a parts company in Japan," Kulick says.

"ESP made necks and bodies much more Fender-like to me and were more comfortable than Charvel and Jackson guitars' flatter profiles. With Kiss being based in NYC then, ESP was perfect. I could pick necks, bodies, and parts in my desired colors. And I could challenge them with ideas and concepts of guitar finishes. They were growing, and together, along with other hot guitarists like George Lynch, we quickly put ESP on the map."

Still, while Kiss was once again a platinum-level band in the '80s, they were veterans compared to the young guns around them. Moreover, a considerable part of their lead guitar success had come from legacy brands like Gibson. 

When asked if he felt trepidation challenging that established norm, Kulick quips, "Gibson guitars represented vintage makeup-era Kiss guitars. But in early December 1984, Paul [Stanley] said, 'You're the new guitarist of Kiss,' and wanted me to know the vintage material and be part of the new generation of guitar players. I was keenly aware of the balance between the makeup years and my non-makeup years. ESP would bring me all these options!"

With Stanley's blessing and ESP's open-mindedness, Kulick visited ESP's NYC facility, unknowingly creating a guitar that would become one of Kiss's most iconic guitars: The M-1 'Banana'.

"I had the luxury of picking a body, neck, and the parts that would make the Superstrat to my liking," Kulick reveals. "But the fact that the yellow body and neck I chose – which in a short time became called the Banana guitar – was so good it became the template for my M-1 guitars."

The Banana was a looker, but did Kulick know it would lead him down a path of shred glory from the jump?

"It was special from the first power chord I hit," Kulick insists. "It's got great tone and playability, and in some ways a friendly [Kramer] Baretta neck profile. It's not as slim as some of my other M-1s, but it's not large, either. I can't explain it, and I've never felt another like it. The rosewood fingerboard is gorgeous and feels great in my hand. So good, in fact, I rarely had it on stage. It was a recording guitar."

As Kulick alluded, because he loved it so, he rarely replayed the Banana on the road. And that was fine, seeing as it featured heavily on Kiss's 1987 – and guitar-forward – album Crazy Nights, with Kulick even brandishing it on the album's back cover.

"Crazy Nights was the LP where it did most of the solos," he tells us. "But it was used on many Kiss LPs past that release. It was a great tool. All I can say is listen to No No No and Crazy Nights, and hear it. It's aggressive-feeling, and I played as such."

Ironically, while the Banana wasn't used on the road often, one of its more lovable and quirky touches is the Chiquita sticker adhered just under its strings, which was reportedly added as a joke by Kiss's then-road crew.

"It's the same sticker... it's looking a little tired," Kulick chuckles. "I was always concerned about it being lost or stolen. The only reason it wasn't stolen when the Kiss warehouse was robbed in '88 is that it was my 'A' guitar, and I wasn't gonna leave it in a storage warehouse."

Over three decades since it appeared on the back cover of Crazy Nights, reverence is still heaped the well-respected '80s relic's way. So much that many wonder if Kulick and ESP plan to reissue the Banana.

"We did a small run nine years ago," Kulick reminds us. "ESP could only offer the hockey stick on older vintage models. My small run was privately ordered and sold long ago, and I couldn’t make more. So, only with an updated headstock is it possible to offer an ESP Banana. But with the updated headstock... it's possible. I am still working with ESP on some ideas, but I'm taking my time as I love things to be perfect."

It goes without saying that Kulick's original yellow M-1 holds a lot of memories. Having skirted theft and having been held back from the rigors of the road, Kulick is hyper-aware of the Banana's significance to both his and Kiss's history.

"When I pick up that guitar today, it's still comfortable," Kulick smiles. "I feel confident playing it. But it comes down to the player's ability to make an instrument speak. A great guitar is a powerful tool for an artist, but giving a particular instrument credit for Kisstory isn't fair.

"But the fact that it's a great guitar, and I could do my best work with it, makes it special. I'm noticing that the frets are getting tired, but for now, it's the same as it was in the '80s. Long live the Banana!"

Metallica played the first night of their M72 world tour in support of new album 72 Seasons last night (April 27), and the show at Amsterdam’s Johan Cruijff Arena played host to a number of surprises.

First was the set’s shock opener: Master of Puppets instrumental Orion, which hadn’t been performed live in over 12 years. The deep cut also marked the debut appearance of Kirk Hammett’s latest vintage guitar acquisition: his Factory Black ’59 Les Paul Standard, acquired last month from Carter Vintage Guitars.

The Bigsby-equipped model made a brief appearance during the band’s stint on the Howard Stern Show, but this marked its official live debut on a full track. And it was Orion of all songs.

The band continued to run through a combination of staples and surprises – For Whom the Bell Tolls, Holier Than Thou, King Nothing – before Lux Æterna heralded the appearance of another new instrument.

Yes, James Hetfield has a fresh yellow-and-black ESP Vulture, designed to tie in with the album’s artwork and the band’s stage setup for the tour.

It features a gloss black finish with yellow racing stripe, while that yellow ESP logo sets the headstock off real nice. Otherwise, the model is kitted out as before, with EMG’s Het Set and that distinctive ‘V’ inlay. Check out Metallica’s official photos below for a closer look.

Other 72 Seasons tracks getting their debut runouts were Screaming Suicide and Sleepwalk My Life Away in a set that also featured Fade to Black, The Day That Never Comes and Ride the Lightning.

Notably, the metal stalwarts did not perform Enter Sandman, ending on a one-two punch of Seek & Destroy and Master of Puppets – check out the full setlist below.

1. Orion
2. For Whom the Bell Tolls
3. Holier Than Thou
4. King Nothing
5. Lux Æterna
6. Screaming Suicide
7. Fade to Black
8. Sleepwalk My Life Away
9. Nothing Else Matters
10. Sad but True
11. The Day That Never Comes
12. Ride the Lightning
13. Battery
14. Fuel
15. Seek & Destroy
16. Master of Puppets

The Black Album staple will likely appear on the band’s second night at the Johan Cruijff Arena as part of their ‘No Repeat Weekend’ manifesto for the M72 tour, which will see Hetfield and co perform two entirely different sets across two nights at each venue.

Metallica’s European tour continues through June before hitting up Canada and the US come August. See Metallica.com for tickets.

Whatever features on the setlist each night, one thing’s for certain: Kirk Hammett is going to improvise his heart out. The guitarist recently told Total Guitar he’s tired of playing pre-written leads, going so far as to say he’s “freaking bored” of the Master of Puppets solo.

And let’s face it: there’s probably going to be some wah, too – as Kirk himself said when he explained why he uses the effect so much: “I can't think of anybody who uses the wah pedal as much as I do – I'm not ashamed of it”.

NAMM 2023: ESP’s LTD Deluxe range is designed to offer high-performance builds with fancy finishes at a price that sits firmly in the middle ground. This year, the firm is adding four new electric guitar models/finishes to the lineup.

LTD Deluxe EC-1000 Woodland Camo Satin

First up, the EC-1000 range of single-cuts gets a new Woodland Camo Satin finish, complete with black binding and hardware. A classic LP-style build, it uses mahogany for the body and neck, alongside Macassar ebony on the fretboard. 

Then there’s a 24 3/4” scale-length, 24 jumbo frets and some branded hardware, courtesy of the Tone Pros bridge and a pair of Fishman’s flexible Fluence Modern humbuckers. 

LTD Deluxe M-1000 Candy Apple Red Satin

Elsewhere, the Super Strat-stylings of the M-1000 have been coated in a new Candy Apple Red Satin finish. However, unlike your typical S-style, it’s a set neck-thru-body construction (enabling a lovely speed-friendly curve on the rear heel join). 

It has an alder body, 25.5” scale-length Macassar ebony ‘board, 24 frets and features a wealth of third party components, including a Floyd Rose 1000SE vibrato, Grover tuners and direct mount Fishman Fluence Modern humbuckers.

LTD Deluxe MH-1000 Candy Apple Red Satin

On a similar tip, the MH-1000 EverTune takes the M-1000 template and – you guessed it – adds an EverTune bridge, tweaking it into a super-stable hardtail build in the process.

LTD Deluxe TE-1000 EverTune Charcoal Burst

Finally, the list of new LTD Deluxe arrivals is rounded out by another EverTune-equipped hardtail: the TE-1000 EverTune Burl Poplar. 

This is a T-style body shape that, like the M-1000s, offers a set neck-thru-body construction, enabling better sustain and upper-fret access. It has a mahogany body with burled poplar cap, creating the swirling pattern on the top – here finished in a brooding Charcoal Burst.

The new Deluxes join a generous array of new products from ESP that have been announced for NAMM 2023, including Kirk Hammett’s new signature LTD KHV, an Olympic White Vulture for James Hetfield, among 12 other signature models. Then there’s the 12 new Tokyo-built E-II series guitars.

For more information, on the LTD Deluxes, head to ESP.  

Picture a modern take on the single-cut and there’s every chance that what springs to mind is ESP’s Eclipse – a refined example of the classic format where the fat has been trimmed and slick, glossy precision replaces dust and mojo. 

The ESP Eclipse is the single-cut for people who are less interested in tradition and, as with much of the brand’s identity, has attracted a number of players who spend their time on the ‘red channel’; James Hetfield, Alex Skolnik, Lamb Of God’s Willie Adler and Mastodon’s Bill Kelliher are all examples of players who have chosen a blackout over a ’Burst. Except the Eclipse is no longer the new kid on the block, as evidenced by our review guitar, the ESP E-II Eclipse Full Thickness.

As part of the E-II line-up, which replaced the ESP Standard range back in 2014, it sits between the company’s more affordable LTD guitars and more expensive USA models, but a quick look at the price tag should be confirmation enough that this is by no means a ‘second-tier’ model.

Just like the ESP Standards, the E-II series is built in Japan, and our Eclipse is host to a number of premium features throughout. From the headstock down we get black Gotoh Magnum Lock-equipped tuners, a bone nut, Dunlop strap locks, and a black Gotoh tune-o-matic-style bridge and tailpiece.

But you might be wondering about that ‘Full Thickness’ in the model name. This refers to the body depth, which is thicker than that regular Eclipse and built from mahogany, a maple cap and a flamed maple veneer to give a combined ‘Full Thickness’ of 60mm, as found on vintage single-cut guitars, as opposed to the standard overall thickness of 50mm. 

“Wait, what? Tradition?!” Yep, it’s a heavyweight both in terms of its form and actual mass. Of course, this isn’t a new concept for ESP as the Full Thickness body has been around for a number of years. 

What is new is the finish and pickup configuration in which ESP has made this guitar available. Our Tobacco Sunburst model comes fitted with active Fishman Fluence Open Core Classics and was released earlier this year alongside the also-new Vintage Honey Burst version (Seymour Duncan JB/59) and the existing Black Natural Burst (EMG 66/57).

Feel & Sounds

Despite the name of the finish, opening the included hardcase reveals an altogether more red-ish, Coke-in-the-sun tint across the body. It looks great and combined with the black hardware hints towards a ’70s Les Paul Custom sort-of vibe. 

The body, fingerboard and front face of the headstock are clad with a single-ply cream binding, while the flamed top is beautifully even and nicely matched, and with the gloss paint job on top ‘rich’ sums things up nicely.

The neat finishing continues across the rest of the guitar, with the set-through mahogany neck covered in an equally immaculate and even dark cherry satin finish. Obviously, neck finishes are a personal preference, but this ranks among one of the finest we’ve played of late – silky smooth without the glossy feel. Then there’s the ebony fingerboard.

As we’d expect from this type of guitar, it’s a 628mm (24.75-inch) scale with 22 frets. In this case they’re highly polished and extra jumbo sized. It’s almost a shame that so much of the fretboard is populated with ESP’s ‘flag’ inlays because the dark, consistent nature of the wood is so good. But it is, as they say, what it is.

Picking it up you’ll notice the weight. It’s well balanced, but at just under 4kg it may not be ideal for two-hour marathons. The upshot of all that mass is that it seems to contribute to the lively natural resonance. Your ears will thank you – even if your spine won’t be quite so happy.

It feels great to play, though, with that neck delivering comfort and speed from the ‘Thin U’ profile (that’s not actually that thin), offering a decent palmful that’s more palm-filler than modern shredder.

Likewise, the extra jumbo frets are less noticeable in practice than on paper. Their highly polished finish makes string bends feel like you’re skating, and they’re nicely rounded, avoiding the speed bump effect you can sometimes get with frets of this size.

Despite the traditional scale length and 0.010 to 0.046-gauge strings that the guitar ships with, there’s a tension to this Eclipse (whether implied or real) that we found reacted nicely, even if you’re heavy on the picking hand. 

Open strings stay in their lane, pitch-wise, and it also appears to help with lower tunings, too. We took it down to drop C comfortably with the factory fitted Elixir Nanowebs and the tuning remained stable.

So, what of those pickups, then? Well, first we should note that the volume controls are mounted in reverse order to what you might expect, a nod to the fact that ESP is expecting you to stay parked in the bridge position for a lot of the time. 

Each pickup gives you three voices, selectable via the push-pull neck volume and master tone controls. Voice 1 is based on a vintage PAF, Voice 2 for the neck position is described by Fishman as “clear, airy chime”, while the bridge humbucker turns into a Classic Hot Rod, and Voice 3 on both provides a coil-split, aiming for clarity in the neck and a hotter, overwound single coil in the bridge. 

Confusingly, ESP appears to have taken a similar approach with the voice selection as it has done with the control layout, opting to give you the full-bore bridge and extra punchy neck tones of both second voices as your starting point. Pulling on the tone control reverts the pickups to what Fishman calls Voice 1, and the neck volume engages the single-coil modes on both.

Regardless of what you call them, what you have here are three brilliant voicings, all of which are geared towards the rockier end of things. In the default (knobs pushed down) position, you get a more scooped neck tone, removing some of the wool, and the bridge is roaring with more output, increased attack, with an additional bite to both pickups.

That’s not to say the PAF voices are lacking, but after playing on the brighter, more aggressive default settings for a while, they lose some of their immediacy. That said, this voicing will definitely have its place for the bluesier/more traditional end of the rock spectrum. 

We have to remove our trilby for the coil-split of Voice 3, though. It’s an excellent representation of a raunchy single-coil sound in both positions with the neck revealing a deep, woody tone that sounds brilliant under a bit of gain (think Tom Morello), and the bridge position split giving us some great midrange-y, quacky vintage funk sounds.

Verdict

We hate to break it to you, but The Black Album is 30 years old, your baggy trousers from 25 years ago are now back in fashion, and yes, the Karate Kid really did just celebrate his 60th birthday. The point is, maturing is okay and the Eclipse Full Thickness is the proof. 

It does what the Eclipse has always done: offers an alternative to vintage-inspired guitars of this type. In this guise, it’s had its metaphorical edges mellowed slightly, but what remains is still a fire-breathing tool of hard rocking. 

The styling and, in particular, the additional voices from the Fluence Classics just make it even more versatile. If the rivals are a road too-well travelled for you, but you don’t want a guitar that is a gateway to middle-aged facial piercings, either, we think it sits just right.

Specs

• PRICE: $/£2,499 (inc case)
• ORIGIN: Japan
• TYPE: Single-cutaway solidbody electric
• BODY: Mahogany with maple cap/flamed maple veneer
• NECK: Mahogany, set-through
• SCALE LENGTH: 628mm (24.75”)
• NUT/WIDTH: Bone/42mm
• FINGERBOARD: Ebony with Flag inlays, 305mm (12”) radius
• FRETS: 22, extra jumbo
• HARDWARE: Gotoh tune-o-matic-style bridge and tailpiece, Gotoh Magnum Lock locking tuners, Dunlop strap locks – black-plated
• STRING SPACING, BRIDGE: 50mm
• ELECTRICS: 2x Fishman Fluence Classic Open Core, bridge volume, neck volume, master tone – pull-push pots access the extra sounds
• WEIGHT (kg/lb): 3.84/8.45
• OPTIONS: None
• RANGE OPTIONS: Vintage Honeyburst version w/ Seymour Duncan 59/JB and Black Natural Burst w/ EMG 66TW/57TW
• LEFT-HANDERS: No
• FINISHES: Tobacco Sunburst (as reviewed) – high gloss with satin neck back
• CONTACT: ESP Guitars

Trends are cyclical and, broadly speaking, recent music and fashion tastes have been borrowing cues from 20 years previous. 

Case in point: black satin guitars are back. Or perhaps they’ve never been away, but recently they’ve caught this particular reviewer’s eye and brought back memories of the early Noughties when the black satin look was definitely in. 

Fast-forward to 2021, which saw LTD ushering in a new batch of stealthy numbers, bolstering its Black Metal range to a now plentiful 12 guitars. One of the company’s most striking silhouettes has to be the EX and ESP/LTD’s spikier-than-thou version of the Explorer, which makes its debut in the collection.

Equipped with a solitary EMG 81 and single volume control, the EX Black Metal is complemented by black metal hardware, including a tune-o-matic bridge and locking tuners. It all sets up what is bound to be a solid, no-frills, high-gain affair. It features a set-thru construction with a mahogany body, a three-piece maple neck and a Macassar ebony fingerboard.

And while you’d be forgiven in thinking this could all add up to quite a weighty guitar, you’ll be very much mistaken. As were we when we took receipt of the EX Black Metal, thinking we’d been sent an empty box. This thing is super-light, weighing in at just 2.54kg/5.6lbs.

Of course, having such a lightweight body can come with its own issues, and while your back may thank you, the combination of the low mass and the upper strap button location means the neck just wants to nosedive while standing. 

The construction, overall, is solid and mirrored in the guitar’s sonic attributes. The EMG 81 is fixed and adds to the overall resonance. The 81 is well-known for its detail in the highs, while still delivering that weighty low-end required for metal.

The lack of moving parts adds to the guitar’s direct and solid feel. It allows you to get straight down to the business of big heavy riffage and at great speed, should the need take you. The neck is flat and on the wide side, so there's plenty of space for the big-handed folks out there, but not too big for smaller-digited types either. 

However, the locking-tuner spacing on the headstock is very tight and could frustrate some, though the addition of extra-jumbo frets is always welcome for those who want to rock a lower tuning with big string gauges.

While this guitar delivers a striking silhouette, all the blackness feels like it’s not too showy. The look is further complemented by the lack of inlays on the fretboard, although handy glow-in-the-dark dots adorn the side of the neck. 

Don’t be fooled by the supposed lack of features when compared to the price. This guitar is designed to shorten the distance between your riffs and the gain channel, making sure that they sound as precise as possible.

• Check out more of the best metal guitars

Specs

• PRICE: $949 / £859
• CONSTRUCTION: Set-Thru
• SCALE: 24.75”
• BODY: Mahogany
• NECK: 3Pc Maple
• FINGERBOARD: Macassar Ebony
• FINGERBOARD RADIUS: 350mm
• FINISH: Black Satin
• NUT WIDTH: 42mm
• NUT TYPE: Molded
• NECK CONTOUR: Thin U
• FRETS: 22 XJ Stainless Steel
• TUNERS: LTD Locking
• BRIDGE: Tonepros Locking TOM and Tailpiece
• PICKUP: EMG 81 with Black Logo
• CONTROLS: Volume
• CONTACT: ESP Guitars

ESP has paid tribute to late Children of Bodom/Bodom After Midnight frontman and guitarist Alexi Laiho with two new signature electric guitars.

The Alexi Laiho Hexed will come in Custom Shop and LTD versions, while the Alexi Laiho Ripped will be available in Custom Shop, LTD and E-II versions. The first new Laiho signature ESPs since 2013, they were worked on by the metal guitar hero in collaboration with ESP in the months prior to his tragic death on December 29, 2020.

Both the Hexed and Ripped – in all five of their combined iterations – are built in the offset V shape of Laiho's other signature guitars, and feature alder body wings, and three-piece U-shaped maple necks boasting ebony fingerboards with 24 extra-jumbo frets (frets 19-24 are scalloped), sawtooth inlays, and glow-in-the-dark side markers.

Both Alexi Laiho Hexed models boast a single EMG HZ F-H2 passive pickup, with the LTD version boasting only a single volume control, and the Custom Shop version featuring the volume control plus an ESP MM-04 active boost switch with adjustable EQ settings and up to +18dB of boost on tap.

The LTD Hexed ($1,549) boasts Grover tuners and a double-locking Floyd Rose 1000 bridge, while the Custom Shop Hexed ($5,599) is built with Gotoh locking tuners, ESP strap locks and a double-locking Floyd Rose Original bridge. Both guitars come with a deluxe ESP hardshell case, and in a Purple Fade finish with light purple pinstripes with matching back and sides.

The first Alexi Laiho signature ESP with multiple pickups, the Ripped model features an EMG HZ F-H2 bridge humbucker and an EMG HZ S2 passive stacked single coil in the neck position.

They are controlled, respectively, by an individual volume knob, ESP MM-04 active boost switch and three-way pickup selector on the E-II and Custom Shop models, and an individual volume knob and three-way pickup selector on the LTD.

Elsewhere, the E-II Ripped ($2,499) features Gotoh locking tuners, ESP strap locks, and a double-locking Floyd Rose Original bridge, the LTD Ripped ($1,599) boasts Grover tuners and a double-locking Floyd Rose 1000 bridge, and the Custom Shop Ripped ($5,799) is built with Gotoh locking tuners, ESP strap locks, and a double-locking Floyd Rose Original bridge.

Each ESP Alexi Laiho Ripped model features a Purple Fade Satin finish with painted black satin “ripped” pinstripes.

For more info on each of the new Laiho signature models, stop by ESP.

Last January, ESP kicked off its 45th birthday celebration in style with the unveiling of its LTD '87 series of electric guitars.

Boasting era-correct designs and hot-rod electronics, the line aimed to serve as a shred-friendly celebration of ESP's significant role in the development of hard rock and metal guitar tone in the late '80s and early '90s.

Now, the company has further souped up the models in the LTD '87 series – the Eclipse ’87, Eclipse ’87 NT, Mirage Deluxe ‘87, M-1 Custom ‘87 and Surveyor ’87 bass guitar – by re-introducing the head-turning, eye-catching Rainbow Crackle finish that was offered in the company's 1987 catalog.

Based on the original ESP Eclipse TE shape, the LTD Eclipse ’87 – available with or without (on the NT model) a Floyd Rose – comes in both the new Rainbow Crackle finish, or Pearl White, Turquoise (NT model only) and Black (Floyd Rose-sporting model only) colorways.

The guitar features a mahogany body and a three-piece maple neck with a Macassar Ebony fingerboard boasting 24 extra jumbo frets.

Sonically, it sports a set of Seymour Duncan JB/’59 pickups with original style bobbins, individual volume and tone knobs, and a push-pull control for coil-splitting operation.

The LTD Eclipse ’87 Rainbow Crackle goes for $1,199, while its NT counterpart rings up at $1,099.

Based on the original ESP M-1 model, the LTD M-1 Custom ‘87 – aside from the Rainbow Crackle look – comes in Black, Dark Metallic Blue and Candy Apple Red finishes.

Its single Seymour Duncan Distortion TB-6 pickup can be split via a push-pull control, while its sole volume knob is complimented by an EMG PA-2 active boost switch.

The guitar has an alder body, a Floyd Rose 1000 tremolo and a three-piece maple neck with a Macassar Ebony fingerboard boasting 24 extra jumbo frets. The Rainbow Crackle version of the guitar is available now for $1,099.

The LTD Mirage Deluxe ‘87, meanwhile, is available in Pearl Pink and Turquoise finishes, aside from the Rainbow Crackle paint job. 

Electronically, it's loaded with a Seymour Duncan Distortion TB-6 pickup in the bridge and a Seymour Duncan Hot Rail in the neck, with individual volume and tone knobs and a three-way switch. Coil-splitting is available once again via a push-pull control.

The LTD Mirage Deluxe ‘87 has an alder body, a Floyd Rose 1000 tremolo and a three-piece maple neck with a Macassar Ebony fingerboard boasting 22 extra jumbo frets. The Rainbow Crackle version of the guitar is available now for $1,099.

To finish things off, there's the LTD Surveyor '87 four-string bass, which is – aside from the Rainbow Crackle look – also available in Black and Pearl White finishes.

The low-end machine features an alder body and a maple neck with a Macassar Ebony fingerboard featuring 21 extra jumbo frets. There's also a Gotoh bridge, and Seymour Duncan Vintage Jazz (bridge) and Seymour Duncan Vintage P (neck) pickups, with individual volume, Balance and tone knobs.

The Rainbow Crackle version of the bass is available now for $999.

Quantities of these Rainbow Crackle models are reportedly somewhat limited, so act quickly and head on over to ESP if you wanna snatch one up.

The classic LP-style single-cutaway, dual-humbucker, mahogany-with-maple-cap solidbody design was introduced nearly 70 years ago, which has given guitar builders a lot of time to come up with refinements and modifications. 

The challenge with updating such a beloved classic is finding the right balance between traditional features that players consider essential and modern upgrades that many of today’s guitarists prefer. LTD strives to do exactly that with the EC-1000T, which is designed to satisfy even the most Goldilocks-like players by offering a blend of classic looks and specs with enhanced playability and versatile electronics.

We looked at the new LTD Deluxe series EC-1000T CTM, which is available with either a see-through Black Cherry gloss finish (as tested) or Tobacco Sunburst satin finish.

Features

Let’s start with the traditional features first. The LTD EC-1000T CTM is made completely from traditional tone woods: a mahogany body with flamed maple top and three-piece mahogany neck with Macassar ebony fingerboard.

The body is full thickness, meaning it does not have any additional contours such as a belly contour on the back or forearm contour on the front. The neck has a 24.75-inch scale length and 22 frets, and the three-way pickup switch selects bridge/both/neck settings.

The modern upgrades are more numerous, but they don’t overwhelm the model’s classic appeal. The body is chambered for weight relief, and the set-through neck design provides the tonal characteristics of a set-neck design with the smooth, seamless feel of neck-thru-body construction along with unrestricted access to the uppermost frets. 

The frets have a jumbo profile and are stainless steel to resist wear and tear. Thanks to the “thin U” neck profile, 42mm nut width (comparable to a Strat instead of a traditional LP’s 43mm nut width) and flat 350mm (about 13.75 inch) radius, the neck delivers the fast playability many players prefer today. Hardware includes gold-plated LTD locking tuners and TonePros locking TOM bridge and tailpiece.

Perhaps the most radical upgrade is the electronics. The pickups are a pair of Fishman Open Core Classic humbuckers (with custom black nickel pole pieces), which each provide three distinct tones. The bridge pickup offers vintage PAF, classic hot rod and slightly overwound single-coil tones, while the neck pickup features vintage PAF, clear airy chime and vintage single-coil tones. 

The different pickup voices are activated via push/pull potentiometers – pulling up on the master tone control activates the PAF tones (Voice 1), pulling up on the neck volume knob activates the single-coil tones (Voice 3; which overrides all other voice settings), and both down access the hot rod/airy chime setting (Voice 2; the default position for hotter output at the bridge). The three-knob control configuration also includes a bridge pickup volume control.

Performance

The LTD Deluxe EC-1000T CTM truly lives up to its “deluxe” designation with its gold-plated hardware and multi-layer binding surrounding the top, back and headstock. The craftsmanship is exceptional, with the smoothly polished frets and rounded edges where the neck binding meets the fingerboard providing outstanding feel and playability.

The expanded tonal range provided by the Fishman Open Core Classic humbuckers elevate the EC-1000T CTM to a level of versatility well beyond the traditional LP-style dual-humbucker guitar. The PAF setting delivers as promised, with that “just right” balance of body, warmth and clarity. 

The hot rod bridge/airy chime neck setting was my favorite, providing a fat, harmonically rich growl at the bridge setting ideal for vicious power chords and vivacious solos, while the “airy chime” neck pickup excelled at rich clean tones with an alluring blend of body and upper midrange cut. The single-coil setting is the real deal, providing bolder, more aggressive single-coil tones than the usual split-coil settings of a full-size humbucker.

If you prefer the look, feel and tones of an LP-style single-cutaway guitar, but also need to access bold, blazing single-coil tones, the LTD EC-1000T CTM is the perfect choice for players seeking a do-it-all main ax.

Specs

• PRICE: $1,149 / £1,299 (inc hard-shell case)
• BODY: Chambered mahogany (full thickness), with maple top
• NECK: Set-Thru, 3-Piece Mahogany, Thin U-Profile
• SCALE: 24.75"
• FINGERBOARD: Macassar Ebony (350mm radius)
• FRETS: 22 XJ Stainless Steel
• NUT: Molded (42mm)
• PICKUPS: 2x Fishman Fluence Open Core Classic Humbuckers
• CONTROLS: 3-way toggle switch, volume and tone (with push/pull functionality for alternate voices)
• HARDWARE: LTD Locking tuners, Tonepros Locking TOM & Tailpiece (black)
• FINISHES: See Thru Black Cherry (as reviewed), Tobacco Sunburst Satin
• CONTACT: ESP

ESP has helped raise over $47,000 for Metallica's recent All Within My Hands Foundation Concert and Auction, which took place on November 14.

The guitar giant donated two instruments for auction-based fundraising as part of the Helping Hands event – a Purple Sunburst Sparkle ESP LTD TL-6 customized for Kirk Hammett and played by The Ripper himself at the show, and a black ESP LTD M Series model with custom AWMH graphics. 

Both guitars were signed by all four members of the band, and brought in $26,100 and $21,050, respectively.

“We are very grateful to have had the opportunity to be involved in the Helping Hands concert and auction,” says Matt Masciandaro, President and CEO of The ESP Guitar Company. 

“While the services provided by the band’s AWMH Foundation are crucial in every year, the financial assistance they’re providing in 2020 will make a huge impact on many people’s lives, and we’re happy to have been able to be a part of this successful event.”

The auction also included a signed, one-of-a-kind Godin A5 Ultra Bass, which was played by Robert Trujillo at the concert. All in all, the event has thus far raised over $1.3 million.

Prior to the Helping Hands concert and auction, Metallica's All Within My Hands Foundation had already donated $645,000 to a number of COVID-19 related relief funds in 2020, including Feeding America, Direct Relief, and several charities helping those without work in the entertainment and hospitality industries.

Recorded at the band's HQ in San Rafael, California, the set included eight acoustic songs and a six electric numbers. It featured covers of The House Of The Rising Sun, Deep Purple's When a Blind Man Cries and Bob Seger's Turn the Page, as well as acoustic versions of Blackened and Now That We’re Dead.

This week, Lars Ulrich confirmed Metallica are “into some pretty serious writing” for a new album. The drummer said: “We’re three, four weeks into some pretty serious writing. And of all the shit – pandemics, fires, politics, race problems, and just fucking looking at the state of the world – it’s so easy just to so fall into a depressive state. But writing always makes me feel enthusiastic about what’s next.”

To donate to Metallica's charitable efforts, head over to All Within My Hands.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year, with guitar and gear companies beginning to roll out first looks at forthcoming 2021 models. As usual, ESP does not disappoint, with many new electric guitars on tap – so many, in fact, that once again the company is announcing the models in multiple phases.

Which brings us to the just-revealed Phase I, headlined by new EC, Black Metal, TE and Xtone guitars, as well as plenty of EverTune bridge- and Fishman Fluence pickup-equipped models. You can check out information on all the fresh designs below.

Without further ado, meet Phase 1…

LTD Deluxe EC Series

ESP is offering four new additions to the EC-1000 Series. First up is two new EC-1000T CTM guitars, available in Tobacco Sunburst Satin and See Thru Black Cherry finishes.

Highlights include Fishman Open Core Classic pickups (with push-pull control for voice selection) and 22 extra-jumbo stainless steel frets. And the “T” in the nomenclature stands for “traditional,” referring to the model’s full-thickness body that’s chambered for weight relief.

Also on tap is the EC-1000 EverTune BB. The “BB” references the guitar’s extra-thick metallic silver bold binding, and features include a set of EMG 60TW-R (neck) and EMG 81 (bridge) pickups, with a push-pull control to split the neck pup. There’s also 24 extra-jumbo stainless steel frets and an EverTune constant tension bridge.

Finally, the LTD Deluxe EC-1000 Gold Andromeda features a “mind-blowing” iridescent finish that emits different hues as light is reflected from different angles, as well as complementary gold hardware.

Other features include a set of Fishman Fluence Modern Humbucker pickups (alnico in the neck, ceramic in the bridge) with a push-pull voice selection control, 24 extra-jumbo stainless steel frets and a TonePros locking bridge and tailpiece.

LTD Black Metal Series

The EC-FR Black Metal updates the EC-Black Metal with a Floyd Rose 1000 bridge. The guitar also features stainless steel frets, a single direct-mount Seymour Duncan Blackened Black Winter pickup and a push-pull control on the volume knob for coil-splitting.

Also new is the extreme-looking F Black Metal. The guitar features a neck-thru-body design with an extra thin U-shaped neck, a Floyd Rose 1000 bridge, a direct-mount EMG 81 pickup with special black logo, an EMG TKO kill switch, and stainless steel frets.

The LTD Arrow, meanwhile, is now offered in a Black Metal version as well, as the Arrow-NT Black Metal. Features include a TonePros locking bridge and string-thru-body design, stainless steel frets and an EMG 81 and TKO kill switch.

MH and H Series

ESP has also made some to the LTD Deluxe MH and H Series, beginning with the new MH-1000 EverTune, available in two different versions.

The MH-1000 EverTune Dark Brown Sunburst features a set of EMG 60TW-R and EMG 81 pickups, with the neck pickup splittable with a push-pull control. The MH-1000 EverTune Snow White, meanwhile, includes a set of Fishman Fluence Modern Humbucker pickups and is also available as the MH-1007 seven-string.

Both guitars boast an EverTune constant tension bridge, as well as Grover tuners and stainless steel frets.

Also new is the LTD Deluxe H-1001 in a Violet Andromeda Satin finish. The Andromeda finish makes the guitar appear various shades of blue, violet and green as light is reflected from various angles. 

The H-1001 is the first LTD version of this design in a satin finish, and also features a set of direct-mount Seymour Duncan Sentient (neck) and Pegasus (bridge) pickups with push-pull coil splitting, a Hipshot bridge with string-thru-body and stainless steel frets.

LTD Deluxe TE

ESP has added two new models to its T-style line: The TE-1000 Koa in Natural Gloss finish and the TE-1000 Black Blast.

The TE-1000 EverTune Koa features a Hawaiian koa top on a mahogany body, as well as EMG 66TW (with coil splitting) and EMG 57 pickups and stainless steel frets. The new TE-1000 Black Blast, on the other hand, sports a black sandblasted finish along with a Seymour Duncan Sentient/Pegasus pickup set a roasted maple neck and stainless steel frets.

Xtone PS-1, SN Series and LTD Deluxe Arrow-1000

For 2021 the LTD Xtone PS-1 semi-hollow is being offered in two new finishes: Vintage White and Pearl Pink. Features on the guitars include a mahogany body and maple neck and a set of high output ESP Designed LH-150 humbucker pickups.

The LTD SN Series, meanwhile, has been expanded with the SN-1 HT. The new guitar features a single Fishman Open Core Classic pickup with a push-pull control to activate multiple voicings, Hipshot hardtail bridge with string-thru-body, roasted maple neck and stainless steel frets and comes in a Black Blast sandblasted finish.

And last up (for now) is the LTD Deluxe Arrow-1000 in a new Candy Apple Red Satin finish. Other features on the neck-thru-body model include a Floyd Rose 1000SE bridge with stainless steel screws, a set of EMG 85 (neck) and EMG 81 (bridge) pickups, Grover tuners and 24 extra-jumbo stainless steel frets.

For more information on all the new models, as well as news on the upcoming Phase II, head to ESP Guitars.

With its uniquely-styled offset cutaway body and top-of-the-line appointments, ESP’s USA Viper, handcrafted at the company’s Southern California facility, is one of its most luxurious and high-performance electric guitars.

So we couldn’t wait to get one of these beauties in the hands of Tech Editor Paul Riario to see what it could do when cranked through a Marshall half-stack. To no one’s surprise, the Viper didn’t disappoint.

Whether playing clean, shimmering arpeggios, distorted chords and riffs or high-gain, sustain-filled leads, the Viper is, Paul says, “a real stunner.” And it looks great, to boot, with Paul’s example boasting a highly figured flame maple top (quilted is also available) in an elegant see-through purple finish. “It’s beautiful all around,” he notes.

Other features include a mahogany body with a set-through neck and a 24 3/4-inch scale. The neck itself is a three-piece mahogany design with a Thin U profile and a two-way adjustable truss rod with carbon fiber reinforcements for strength and stability, and it’s topped with a bound ebony fingerboard with mother of pearl Split Flag inlays and 22 extra jumbo Jescar stainless steel frets.

It’s a neck-and-fingerboard combination that is “really comfortable,” Paul says. “Just fluid the whole way from first fret to the last.”

Pickups, meanwhile, are a pair of Seymour Duncan active humbuckers controlled by single volume and tone knobs and a three-way selector switch. A cool feature here, Paul points out, is the metal enclosure on the back of the guitar’s body that houses the battery for the active pickups. “Just a simple pull allows you to access and change the battery,” he says.

The Viper is topped off with Sperzel Trim-Lok tuners, a TonePros Locking TOM bridge and tailpiece, Dunlop locking strap buttons and gold hardware. And it comes fitted in a high-quality ESP USA form-fitting hardshell case.

“"The quality on this guitar is unlike anything I've seen – it's impeccable," Paul says. And, he adds, “As far as craftsmanship being top of the line and the set up, this guitar actually plays itself.”

What more could you ask for in a premium instrument?

For more information on the USA Viper, head to ESP.

ESP's LTD EC-1000T is one of the market's most impressive mid-priced electric guitars.

Featuring a chambered body and Seymour Duncan Sentient and Pegasus pickups - which are splittable by a push-pull control - this guitar can produce just about any sound you'd ever find yourself looking for. 

Looking to get a closer look at this traditionally-minded, but still forward-thinking (and sounding) machine, we teamed up with up-and-coming shredder Stephanie Bradley, who took the formidable guitar for a test drive.

In the video above, see Bradley detail the guitar's upgraded hardware, sweet finish and none-more-easy playability, which she demonstrates with some eyebrow-singeing licks. 

For more on ESP and its latest creations, stop by ESP Guitars.

Follow Stephanie Bradley on YouTube,  Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

Sick Riffs #3: Today, we have a lesson from Zach Bedsaul, the 7-string ESP-toting guitarist behind Iowan hard-rockers Saul, who has generously delivered tutorials for three of the band’s hits.

Bedsaul starts off with the seriously satisfying opening riff of Trial By Fire, before demonstrating the middle breakdown section, complete with leads.

His G# D# G# low tuning is further showcased in the riffs from Brother and Bolide. Plenty to keep you busy this weekend…

Bedsaul’s rig includes a Ernie Ball-strung, Bare Knuckle-loaded ESP E-II, running into a HeadRush Gigboard. He uses In Tune guitar picks.

“What we thought was going to be one of busiest times of year for us has turned into a waiting game,” says Bedsaul.

“The fans - ‘EQUALS’ - are our lifeline. So our health together is a major priority. The COVID 19 virus may have postponed a lot of events. But we are thankful for platforms like Guitar World for allowing artists to still get out there and interact.”

Happy to have you, Zach.

Support Saul

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Sick Riffs is a Guitar World video series designed to help guitarists affected by the coronavirus. Self-isolating players around the world have each filmed a lesson where they teach you one of their own guitar riffs, up close and personal. If you dig the lesson, we encourage you to buy music and merch from the artist or stream their music.

Gear fever is building ahead of NAMM 2020 and ESP has got it bad. Real bad. Having unveiled Phase I and Phase II of its mammoth 2020 rollout, the Japanese company has announced the launch of its LTD '87 Series, a host of new signature models, plus four primo additions to the LTD Deluxe Series.

The '87 Series is a a weaponized shred-ready fleet of electric guitars that reprise ESP's late-80s guitar design, and it will be joined by new signature models for Javier Reyes of Animals As Leaders, Stephen Carpenter of Deftones, Nergal of Behemoth, Brian "Head" Welch of Korn, and Alex Wade of Whitechapel.

Marking ESP's 45th anniversary, the '87 Series is the big news here. 

Sure, you might well ask, "Say there, ESP was founded in 1975, so why the '87 Series?" Well, 1987 was the year when things really started to happen for the company. That's when the aggressively pointed six-in-line headstock allied to souped-up S-style and T-style electrics of the Mirage, M-1 and Eclipse Series really caught the imagination as shred took off and metal got harsher and more popular. 

Right, deep breath, folks. Let's take a look at the '87 Series Eclipse...

LTD '87 Series Eclipse

Now this really is a treat for retro-shredders, with the Eclipse using ESPs TE Archtop body shape rather than the aggressively contoured singlecut that it is known for today.

The LTD '87 Series Eclipse is available with a locking Floyd Rose vibrato in Black or Pearl White, or with a fixed tune-o-matic bridge and tailpiece in Pearl White or Turquoise.

All models share the same neck-thru-body construction and each has the classic combo of a Seymour Duncan ’59 humbucker in the neck. These feature original style bobbins and the guitars have a push/pull coil-split. 

As with all in the series, the year 1987 is marked out on 12th fret's inlay.

LTD '87 Series M-1 Custom

Available in Candy Apple Red, Dark Metallic Blue and Black, the M-1 Custom is a lean, mean S-style electric with a single Seymour Duncan Distortion TB-6 bridge humbucker that, like the others in the series, has a coil-tap. Unlike the others in the series, the M-1 Custom has an onboard EMG PA-2 boost switch for when you need your solo to take the front two rows out.

With no recess routing its Floyd Rose 1000 bridge is built for divebombing. Elsewhere, you've got a neck-through construction, with the maple neck having a thin-U profile, and there's a generous work of contouring on that treble-side cutaway to help you reach the high notes.

LTD '87 Series Mirage Deluxe

The LTD '87 Series Mirage Deluxe riffs on ESP's Mirage body shape. One of the first S-style shred machines, it features a bolt-on neck, an alder body, and has a three-piece maple neck with a typically ESP U-shaped profile.

Finishes comprise Pearl Pink and Turquoise – very Miami Vice. Elsewhere you've got a Floyd Rose 1000 bridge and Seymour Duncan Distortion TB-6 in the bridge and a Seymour Duncan Hot Rail singlecoil in the neck. As with the Eclipse models, these have with original style bobbins and a push-pull control to split the coils.

And so on to the LTD 2020 signature models...

LTD NS-6 Nergal Signature

Take the ESP Stream body shape, apply a necro Black Satin finish and inlay the Behemoth Triumviratus logo on the super-noir ebony fretboard, go all in with inventive electrics, et voila! You have the LTD NS-6, Nergal from Behemoth's latest signature LTD.

The NS-6 comes equipped with a pair of Fishman Fluence Modern Humbucker pickups. A push-pull tone pot lets you choose between active and passive pickup voicings. The NS-6 offers a set-thru design, 25.5” scale, a mahogany body and three-piece maple neck. The side markers glow in the dark... Of course they do.

LTD AW-7 Alex Wade Baritone

Revised for 2020 and resplendent in Open Grain Black Satin, Alex Wade's signature baritone is a monster with a 27" scale.

The body is swamp ash. The neck is a five-piece marriage between maple, walnut and paduak. The fretboard is Macassar ebony and it is populated by stainless steel frets.

Elsewhere there is a set of direct-mount DiMarzio D-Activator 7 pickups, a Hipshot fixed hardtail bridge and LTD locking tuners to keep things secure when stomping around in the low-end.

LTD Javier Reyes Signature Series

Javier Reyes' signature series has been updated with two models, the more affordable LTD JR-208 and the premium LTD JR-608. Both are eight-string monsters.

The LTD JR-208 comes in Pelham Blue, has a bolt-on maple neck, mahogany body, ESP Designed LH-308N and LH-308B humbuckers and has gold hardware.

The LTD JR-608, meanwhile, well, that's just showing off. Here you've got a set of Reyes' new Fishman Javier Reyes Open Core Signature Pickups, and the all-important mini-switch to engage the multiple voicings.

LTD Stephen Carpenter Signature Series

ESP stalwart Stephen Carpenter from Deftones gets two signature models for 2020. There is the LTD SC-607, which updates his seven-string, Fishman-equipped baritone in Purple Satin. And then there's the 20th anniversary model of his first ESP signature model, the LTD SC-20, which looks incredible in sonic blue and makes us wonder why we don't see more HHS pickup configurations.

Very nice indeed.

LTD SH-207 Brian Welch Signature

One of the extended range guitar's most-famous patrons, Korn's Brian "Head" Welch gets a 2020 signature seven-string from LTD that applies a See-Thru Purple finish to a flame maple top, with added aggro courtesy of a reverse headstock.

With its bolt-on construction and ESP Designed LH-307 humbuckers, we'd hope this would be a little more affordable. It, too, has a thin U profile maple neck, so we'd also price in some excellent playability here.  

LTD Deluxe Phoenix Black Metal

Here is a none-more-black option for you. You've got the glow-in-the-dark side markers, the Black Metal LTD logo on the headstock, just one pickup (a Fishman Fluence humbucker) in the bridge position... Oh yeah, and hold the fret makers. You don't want any light diluting the noir aspect of the ebony fretboard.

There's a minimalism here that's sure to play well with those whose beauty regimen incorporates corpsepaint. With the maple neck-through construction, the mahogany wings and that Fluence humbucker it should sound incredible, too.

LTD Deluxe EC-1000 in Black Natural Burst

Here you've got the EC-1000 configured with a burled poplar top on a mahogany body with a three-piece mahogany neck and Macassar ebony fingerboard, as you might expect. 

Pickups comprise a high-output pairing of a Seymour Duncan Sentient humbucker in the neck and a Pegasus humbucker in the bridge. Both are passive, and pretty darn awesome.

We are told this is also available in Blue Natural Fade, should you need something a little more "aquamarine".

LTD Deluxe M-1007

We'll hand you over to ESP for a description of this one, a beefed-up S-style that "delivers the fast feel and smooth playability of the M Series in a 7-string version for serious brutality."

Serious brutality, indeed. Well, it's certainly built to withstand a little rough and tumble, with a neck-thru-body design, and a pair of Fishman Fluence Modern Humbuckers (Alnico in the neck, Ceramic in the bridge) to bring the noise. Oh, and for some alternate noise, there's a push-pull control to activate the pickups' second voicing.

LTD Deluxe Viper-1000 EverTune

...And finally, the last in ESP's herculean Phase III announcement!  Oh, and it's a beaut. We've got a Viper-1000 with an EverTune bridge. Now, you know what you're getting by now; it's an LTD Deluxe Series instrument so there's premium components throughout. Grover tuners, a Seymour Duncan Sentient in the neck and Pegasus in the bridge, just like the EC-1000 except it's splittable by a push-pull control. Both are direct-mounted. Tune this up and it won't go out of tune. Lovely. Nice See-Thru Black Cherry Satin finish, too.

And phew! That's us, folks. Oh, yeah, there are a few basses also, but it ain't Thumpin' Thursday just yet. More details, specs and prices to follow once we actually see these live at NAMM 2020.

Check in with ESP for more details.

With its beveled edges, sweeping curves in just the right places and asymmetrical shape with a dramatically extended bass bout, the ESP Arrow Series model is one of the coolest interpretations of the timeless V-style solidbody electric guitar ever conceived.

While the list prices of ESP's Original Series Arrow models exceed $4,000, ESP also offers LTD brand versions of the awesome Arrow at much more affordable prices. The LTD Arrow-1000 shares a lot in common with the ESP Arrow model, including similar stunning finish options, but at a lower cost that makes it an ideal choice for players who love the Arrow’s style.

Features

We reviewed the LTD Arrow-1000 with a Violet Andromeda finish that is similar to the iridescent Andromeda II finish on the ESP Arrow model. The LTD Arrow-1000 is also available with a Snow White finish for about $150 less. 

Like the ESP Arrow, the Arrow-1000 features neck-thru-body construction, but the body is mahogany instead of alder. The three-piece maple neck has a 25 ½-inch scale, Macassar ebony fretboard, contrasting pearloid arrow inlays, a Thin U profile and 24 extra jumbo frets. Thanks to the body’s V shape and curved cutaway scoop at the high E string, access to all 24 frets is completely unrestricted.

The hardware has a black finish and consists of Grover tuners, a Floyd Rose 1000SE vibrato bridge with stainless steel screws and a locking nut (a premium inclusion for durability), master volume knob and three-way pickup selector toggle switch. Pickups are the classic combination of an EMG 85 neck and EMG 81 bridge active humbuckers.

Performance

Thanks to the extended bass bout of the Arrow’s asymmetrical body shape, the guitar remains perfectly balanced when played in a standing position. The extended bass bout also enhances the body’s bass response, providing an aggressive low end thump similar to an Explorer-style guitar. 

ESP guitars are highly praised for the outstanding speed and playability of their necks, and the LTD Arrow-1000 is no exception, particularly for players who like to use every note over its entire four-octave range.

Although the LTD Arrow-1000 costs about one quarter of the price of its ESP counterpart, the construction boasts a very similar attention to detail and refinement. The fretwork is stunning, and all of the hardware is perfectly and solidly installed. The dazzling Violet Andromeda finish is the crowning touch, changing to various shades of blue and purple under stage lights. 

The Arrow-1000’s stunning looks and playability make it a perfect confidence builder for players who strive to always deliver peak performance.

STREET PRICE: $1,099 ($949 with Snow White finish)
MANUFACTURER: ESP Guitars, espguitars.com

• Hardware and electronics include a Floyd Rose 1000SE locking vibrato with stainless steel screws and a locking nut, and EMG 85 and 81 active humbucking pickups.

• The mahogany body is seamlessly attached to the three-piece maple neck via neck-thru-body construction that enhances tone and playability.

THE BOTTOM LINE: If you love V-shaped solidbody electric guitars, the LTD Arrow-1000 is one of the most enticing versions available, with looks, sound and playability ideal for the hardest styles of metal and rock.

NAMM 2020: Last month ESP rolled out the LTD-heavy first round of its new 2020 line of electric guitars and basses.

Now, as promised, the company has unveiled Phase II of its new releases, which boasts even more LTDs in the SN, Xtone, M and 200 Series lines.

New to the SN Series are two sandblasted finished models, the SN-1000HT in Purple Blast and the SN-1000FR in Black Blast. Both guitars feature a swamp ash body and a roasted maple neck and fingerboard that is scalloped above the 17th fret and boasts stainless steel frets.

The SN-1000HT also features a Seymour Duncan Sentient/Pegasus pickup set that is splittable with a push-pull control and a Hipshot fixed bridge.

The SN-1000FR, meanwhile, comes in an H/S/S pickup configuration, with two Seymour Duncan Hot Strat single coils and a Pegasus in the bridge, as well as a Floyd Rose 1000SE bridge with stainless steel screws.

New to the Xtone Series are the PS-1000 Blue Sparkle and PS-1000 Vintage Black semi-hollow models. Features include a set-thru three-piece maple neck with a macassar ebony fingerboard, Seymour Duncan Phat Cat single-coils and a TonePros locking TOM bridge and tailpiece.

The “shredder’s dream” M-1000 in Purple Natural Burst boasts a neck-thru-body design with an alder body and a burled poplar top, an extra-thin U-shaped three-piece maple neck and a macassar ebony fingerboard.

Other features include a natural satin finish on the back of the neck, and an EMG 57TW/66TW pickup set with push-pull controls on volume and tone to split each pickup discretely.

ESP has also added several new models to its budget-friendly LTD 200 Series.

First up is the LTD EC-256 Vintage Natural, a set-neck model with a mahogany body and flamed maple top, as well as a mahogany neck and roasted jatoba fingerboard.

Pickups in the guitar are a set of ESP designed LH-150 humbuckers that can be split with a push-pull control.

There’s also a new Black Satin-finished version of the angular, bolt-on LTD F-200. Features on the guitar include a mahogany body, three-piece maple neck, roasted jatoba fingerboard, FR by Floyd Rose tremolo and a set of ESP Designed LH-301 pickups with a push-pull control for coil splitting.

Finally, new to the H Series is the string-thru-body, set-neck LTD H-200 in a see-thru Purple finish. Features include a mahogany body, flamed maple top, ESP Designed LH-150 humbuckers that can be split via a push-pull control and an LTD fixed bridge.

For more information on all of these models, as well as news on the upcoming Phase III and IV releases, head to ESP Guitars.

NAMM 2020: ESP will be unveiling many, many new electric guitars and basses in the run-up to the January 2020 NAMM show in Anaheim – so many, in fact, that the company is announcing the models in multiple phases.

Which brings us to the just-revealed Phase I release, which features a host of additions to the LTD line, including new Phoenix, Black Metal, M Series, EC-1000, H Series and Deluxe Viper-1000 models. You can check out information on all the fresh designs below.

LTD Phoenix-1000

The Phoenix is now available in two new models – the LTD Phoenix-1000 See Thru Black Cherry and LTD Phoenix-1000 Vintage White. Both feature a neck-thru-body design with mahogany body wings and a three-piece mahogany neck, as well as a Macassar ebony fingerboard, TonePros locking TOM bridge and tailpiece, LTD locking tuners and gold hardware.

Electronics-wise, the LTD Phoenix-1000 See Thru Black Cherry boasts a pair of Fishman Fluence Modern Humbucker active pickups (alnico at the neck, ceramic at the bridge), with a push-pull control to activate the second voicing. 

The Vintage White model, meanwhile, offers a passive pickup set, with a Seymour Duncan Phat Cat single-coil in the neck position and a Seymour Duncan Custom in the bridge that can be split via a push-pull control.

LTD Black Metal Series

ESP has added two new hardtail additions to the Black Metal Series – the standard-scale LTD M-HT and the seven-string LTD M-7HT Baritone. Both models boast a neck-thru-body design, Hipshot bridge with string-thru body setup and a single direct-mounted Seymour Duncan Blackened Black Winter passive pickup with a push-pull control for coil splitting. And like other Black Metal Series models, there’s an unadorned Macassar ebony fingerboard with glow-in-the-dark side dots.

LTD M Series

New to the M Series is the M-1000HT and seven-string M-1007HT. Both neck-thru models offer burled poplar tops finished in Black Natural Fade, along with an alder body and extra-thin U-shaped three-piece maple neck with a natural satin finish.

There’s also a Hipshot hardtail bridge with a string-thru-body design, as well as direct-mounted Fishman Fluence Modern Humbuckers (alnico at the neck, ceramic at the bridge), with a push-pull control to activate the second voicing.

LTD EC Series

ESP has introduced three new EC-1000 models, starting with the EC-1000 Blue Natural Fade, which sports a burled poplar top on a mahogany body. Other features include a three-piece mahogany neck, Macassar ebony fingerboard and a Seymour Duncan Sentient pickup at the neck and a Pegasus passive model at the bridge, which can be split via a push-pull control.

The EC-1000T Black Natural Burst, meanwhile, has a traditional full-thickness mahogany body that is chambered for weight relief and topped with a flamed maple cap. There’s also the same Sentient/Pegasus pickup set, as well as a TonePros locking TOM bridge and tailpiece.

Finally, the EC-1000 Violet Andromeda marks the first LTD EC Series model to sport the namesake Violet Andromeda finish, which reflects light to suggests shades of purple, blue and green. The guitar also comes loaded with Fishman Fluence Modern Humbucker active pickups (alnico at the neck, ceramic at the bridge), with a push-pull control to activate the second voicing.

LTD Deluxe H Series

ESP has added a number of new Deluxe H Series models. The H-1001FR is now offered with a burled poplar top in Black Natural Burst finish, with a set of direct-mount Seymour Duncan Sentient (neck) and Pegasus (bridge) passive pickups, splittable by a push-pull control, as well as a Floyd Rose 1000SE bridge and Grover tuners.

The H-1001, meanwhile, has a quilted maple top in See Thru Black finish, with a Hipshot hardtail bridge with string thru body and the same direct-mounted splittable Seymour Duncan Sentient/Pegasus pickup set.

There’s also two new Horizon-3 models, which boast the Horizon body shape but with an extended upper horn and shortened, pointed lower horn. 

The set-thru H3-1000 sports a flamed maple top in Black Turquoise Burst finish, and includes direct-mount Seymour Duncan Sentient (neck) and Pegasus (bridge) passive pickups, splittable by a push-pull control, as well as a TonePros locking TOM bridge and tailpiece. The H3-1000FR, meanwhile, comes in See Thru Black Sunburst finish over a flamed maple top, and includes a Floyd Rose 1000SE bridge.

LTD Deluxe Viper-1000 

Finally, ESP has returned to offering the Viper in a 1000 Series version with two new LTD Deluxe Viper-1000 models. Available in See Thru Purple Sunburst and Tiger Eye Sunburst finishes, both guitars offer a mahogany body with quilted maple top, direct-mount Seymour Duncan Sentient (neck) and Pegasus (bridge) passive pickups splittable by a push-pull control, TonePros locking TOM bridge and tailpiece and LTD locking tuners.

For more information on all of these models, as well as news on the upcoming Phase II, III and – gasp! – IV releases, head to ESP Guitars.

ESP recently unveiled a whole bunch of new models for 2019. While we'll certainly be taking you through all of them in due time, we thought it prudent to highlight some of the most eye-catching instruments in the bunch, starting with the LTD GL-200MT George Lynch Signature Model.

Featuring an unmistakable yellow finish and tiger stripe graphics, the LTD GL-200MT is a lower-priced version of Lynch’s ESP M-1 Tiger guitar.

The guitar sports a bolt-on design with a basswood body, maple neck and fingerboard, a Floyd Rose bridge and a single ESP Designed LH-150B pickup in the bridge.

The price of the LTD GL-200MT George Lynch Signature has yet to be revealed.

For more info on the guitar, head on over to espguitars.com.

ESP has unveiled the Kirk Hammett Signature KH Ouija Natural Guitar, a limited-edition custom guitar that will be available in two different models.

From the company: "It was around 1990 that Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett first approached us at ESP with the idea of a guitar that made use of graphic elements from Hasbro’s classic Ouija mystical board game.

Back then, before the age of digital cameras and Internet communication, creating a guitar like this took some ingenuity. We got a Ouija board, and used a combination of a copy machine and a pair of scissors to properly position the art elements on the guitar’s body. We faxed the result to our ESP Custom Shop in Japan, and the rest is history: the Ouija guitar became one of the most well-known and coveted signature models in ESP history.

The first version of the guitar was a one-off custom model for Kirk’s use only. It wasn’t until 2010 that we negotiated the rights to sell the Ouija guitar to the public. Recently, we came across a collection of beautiful Ouija boards that were handcrafted from wood, and it inspired us to try a new version of the Ouija guitar with a quilted maple top. We had a prototype made and sent to it Kirk, who loved it.

With the new ESP Kirk Hammett Ouija Natural (25 pieces available worldwide) and the LTD KH Ouija Natural (666 pieces available worldwide), we now offer the Ouija guitar once again."

ESP KH Ouija Natural Limited Edition

Only 25 of these guitars are being handcrafted by the luthiers at the ESP Custom Shop in Japan, making them an immediately rare and valuable collector’s item as well as a top-of-the-line instrument for serious players.

LTD KH Ouija Natural Limited Edition

Featuring iconic graphics from Hasbro’s famous talking board game, the LTD KH Ouija Natural includes a quilted maple top, a Macassar ebony fingerboard, and high-end components. Limited to 666 pieces available worldwide.

For more information and specs, stop by espguitars.com.

Andrew W.K.—him of "Party Hard" and the 24 hour drumathon fame and—has teamed up with ESP for the ESP Custom Taco guitar, in honor of National Taco Day, which was yesterday, October 4.

Andrew—who had previously collaborated with ESP on a pizza-themed ESP Custom—said "I started pondering, what’s another food that's as party as pizza? As far as party foods go, tacos are definitely partier than almost anything else. Pizza and tacos are among the partiest foods in the world. I realized that since I had paid tribute to pizza, I now had to pay tribute to tacos in all their glory."

I was destined to make a taco shaped guitar," he continued. "This is proof that if you have the vision, no matter how outlandish or unruly, the team at ESP Guitars can turn it into a beautiful reality. And they only use the highest quality materials and they're truly master craftsmen. Absolutely mind blowing attention to detail and playability. There’s no compromise when it comes to the integrity of the instrument, or the hardness of the party."

You can watch Andrew W.K. discuss and show off his Custom Taco guitar here.

ESP Guitars has announced the LTD Cult ’86, a tribute to the guitar that helped put Vernon and Living Colour on the map.

The guitar will be presented at the 2017 NAMM show later this month.

In the early 1980s, ESP’s USA offices first opened its doors in New York City. At the time, ESP was a young and relatively unknown guitar manufacturer, and the company was looking to get the validation of impressive players who could help spread the word about ESP’s now-legendary quality and innovation in guitar making.

One such NY-based player was a local hero named Vernon Reid, who’d already made his mark performing with innovative jazz musicians like Ronald Shannon Jackson and Bill Frisell. Right around the time that Reid connected with ESP, he was also putting together his own band, which shortly became known as Living Colour.

For their debut album, Vivid, which became a double Platinum-selling recording with a lasting cultural impact, Reid was most closely identified with his ESP guitar that he’d customized in a swirling multi-colored finish.

The LTD Cult ’86 is a tribute to that guitar. Much like the original version, the Cult ’86 is based on the ST body style, and features the distinctive multiple swirls of color that immediately make it identifiable with its original designer. It features bolt-on construction with an alder body, a three-piece maple neck, and an ebony fingerboard. It uses a three-pickup configuration, with two EMG SA pickups in the neck and middle position, and an EMG 81 at the bridge. A Floyd Rose Special locking tremolo is provided to allow for the kind of uninhibited and expressive playing for which Reid is world renowned.

We’ve included a video of Living Colour performing their hit “Cult of Personality” on the Arsenio Hall Show in 1989 below.

More information on the Cult ’86 and all the 2017 model guitars and basses in the ESP, ESP-E-II, and LTD Series is available at ESPGuitars.com.

ESP Guitars' new Bill Kelliher Signature Series models are available now.

The ESP Bill Kelliher and LTD BK-600EC models are single-cutaway designs that employ a mahogany body with a traditional full thickness and no waist cut. The three-piece mahogany neck is joined to the body with set-thru construction at 24.75” scale for smooth and comfortable fast access to the upper frets.

The guitars feature an ebony fingerboard with pearloid “ESP Flag” inlays and 22 frets, as well as binding on the body, neck and headstock.

The Bill Kelliher models are powered by two of Kelliher’s signature Lace Sensor “Dissonant Aggressor" pickups, a sonically versatile humbucker set with excellent dynamic response, sustain and tone. The guitars also feature locking tuners and a TonePros locking bridge. Kelliher’s new signature guitars also feature a distinctive Military Green Sunburst Satin finish.

“We are beyond proud to have a guitarist who is as universally respected as Bill in our artist roster,” says Chris Cannella, ESP's director of artist relations. “Mastodon is a consistent favorite among fellow musicians and fans, crossing multiple genres of metal with an appeal that’s like no other band. Bill is a great representative of an ideal ESP player. We’re completely stoked to have him on board.”

To find out more, visit ESPguitars.com.

ESP Guitars announced that acclaimed guitarist Bill Kelliher of Atlanta-based metal band Mastodon has joined the company’s family of endorsed artists.

The company also announced the introduction of two Signature Series models for Kelliher: the ESP Bill Kelliher and the LTD BK-600EC. Both models will be available later this year.

“We are beyond proud to have a guitarist who is as universally respected as Bill in our artist roster,” says Chris Cannella, ESP director of artist relations. “Mastodon is a consistent favorite among fellow musicians and fans, crossing multiple genres of metal with an appeal that’s like no other band. Bill is a great representative of an ideal ESP player. We’re completely stoked to have him onboard.”

The ESP Bill Kelliher and LTD BK-600EC are single-cutaway designs that employ a mahogany body with a traditional full thickness, and no waist cut. The three-piece mahogany neck is joined to the body with set-thru construction at 24.75” scale for smooth and comfortable fast access to the upper frets. The guitars feature an ebony fingerboard with pearloid “ESP Flag” inlays and 22 frets, as well as binding on the body, neck, and headstock.

The new models are powered by two of Kelliher’s own signature Lace Sensor “Dissonant Aggressor“ pickups, a sonically versatile humbucker set with excellent dynamic response, sustain and tone. The guitars also feature locking tuners and a TonePros locking bridge. Kelliher’s new signature guitars are being created with a distinctive Military Green Sunburst Satin finish.

LTD BK-600EC photos:

More information on the new Bill Kelliher ESP and LTD Signature Series guitars will be available soon at espguitars.com.

In time for this week's Summer NAMM Show, ESP Guitars has announced its new limited-edition LTD Master of Puppets Graphic Series guitar.

The instrument was created to commemorate the 30-year anniversary of Metallica’s iconic third album, released in 1986. The graphic finish of the guitar mimics the album’s well-known cover art. Only 400 pieces are being made available worldwide, making the LTD Master of Puppets guitar a highly sought-after collectible by players and fans alike.

“For more than two decades, Kirk Hammett and James Hetfield have been among the world’s most influential ESP players,” says Matt Masciandaro, president and CEO of the ESP Guitar Company. “Our two previous Metallica commemorative models were huge successes, but we expect that the Master of Puppets guitar will be in even higher demand.”

The LTD Master of Puppets guitar features an alder body with bolt-on maple neck at 25.5” scale, and an ebony fingerboard with 24 XJ frets. An EMG 81 (neck and bridge) active pickup set is included, along with TOM bridge and string-thru-body design. The guitar also features a Metallica logo fingerboard inlay, and each guitar includes an ESP form-fit case with the Metallica logo, and a certificate of authenticity from ESP.

Earlier this year, Master of Puppets was deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" enough for preservation in the National Recording Registry by the United States Library of Congress, making it the only metal album to have received this distinction. The album, which was Metallica’s first on a major label, includes the well-known title track as well as favorites like “Battery,” “Welcome Home (Sanitarium),” “Damage, Inc.,” and more.

Detailed information on the LTD Master of Puppets guitar and the rest of ESP’s guitar and bass offerings is available on the company’s redesigned web site at espguitars.com.

Since the introduction of ESP’s LTD brand in 1995, its “400 Series” guitars have remained among the most popular, and have maintained a well-deserved reputation for both high quality and excellent value.

At NAMM 2016, ESP Guitars (NAMM Booth #208A/B) debuted a batch of new additions to this popular series that caters to professionals and serious enthusiasts alike.

The LTD EC-401FR is equipped with a Floyd Rose tremolo, offers set-thru construction, and includes an EMG 60/81 pickup set. Also in the EC shape, the EC-401 will now be available in a Military Green Satin finish. The LTD EX-401 is the result of ESP customers asking for an upgrade to the popular EX shape. It includes a set-thru heel joint for greater fret access and comfortable playability. For even more extreme playing styles, the EX-401FR adds a Floyd Rose tremolo.

The new LTD H-401QM offers a high-quality way to get into the H Series without breaking the bank, with a quilted maple top, hard tail bridge, and offset stripe inlays.

Two new additions to the M Series have joined the 400 Series with the M-400 Maple and M-400 Rosewood, which offer great-looking metallic finishes and Floyd Rose tremolos on a bolt-on neck design, with respective Seymour Duncan and EMG pickups. Upgraded hardware and pickups and sumptuous quilted maple tops are the focus of the new LTD MH-401FR QM (with Floyd Rose tremolo) and MH-401NT models. The MH-427 is a monster guitar with neck-thru-body design and a special fingerboard setup that provides 27 extra-jumbo frets in the highest pitch register.

LTD’s new TE-401, TE-401FM, and seven-string TE-417 are a whole new contemporary take on a classic design, with modern touches like set-thru construction, tilt-back headstock, and smooth elbow contouring. With the new V-401, players can expect professional performance at a price they can afford, in a guitar with new inlay designs, neck and body binding, black pickguard, and black hardware.

Finally, the LTD Viper-401 offers the menacing double-cutaway shape that ESP fans love, along with upgraded construction and components, in great Black and Military Green Satin finishes.

Detailed information and specs on all the new LTD “400 Series” guitars is available at espguitars.com.

ESP Guitars (NAMM Booth #208A/B) is introducing 16 new guitar models to its LTD “200 Series."

The “200 Series” continues its tradition of providing high value for intermediate-level players and other budget-minded musicians, making them among the best-selling guitar models for ESP dealers and international distributors.

Two new “200 Series” models have been added to the “F Series." The LTD F-200B is a baritone guitar (27” scale) with 24 frets and bolt-on construction, providing an affordable solution for thousands of metal and hard rock players who want to get into an extended range guitar.

The LTD F-200FR also features the angular curves of the F shape in a standard scale model with a Floyd Rose tremolo. Another highly- anticipated baritone guitar is the LTD Viper-200B, which features the cool double-cutaway styling of the Viper model in a 27” scale guitar that’s priced for almost any musician.

LTD’s recently-announced SN Series now has five new guitars in the affordable “200 Series," and combine traditional shapes with modern design touches and performance tools. The LTD SN-200FR Maple is available in Black Cherry Metallic Satin and Charcoal Metallic finishes, and includes Floyd Rose tremolos and ESP Designed pickups.

The same models are available with a rosewood fingerboard in the SN-200 Rosewood, which come in Metallic Silver and Black finishes. Similarly, the LTD SN-200W Maple features a Wilkinson tremolo, and comes in 3-Tone Sunburst or Snow White finishes, while the SN-200W Rosewood comes in Copper Sunburst finish. Another addition to the SN Series is the SN-200HT, a hardtail version of the guitar with string-thru-body design in Snow White finish.

The TE Series also has new choices in the 200 range. Taking the traditional body styling and adding a tougher-looking modern design with an elbow cut and angled headstock, the TE-200 Maple comes in See Thru Black Cherry or Black finishes, and provide a 24-fret, mahogany-bodied, fixed bridge solution to players who enjoy the TE vibe. The same goes for the TE-200 Rosewood, which comes in Tobacco Sunburst and Snow White finishes. Finally, the popular EC-200 model has been refreshed with a new See Thru Black Cherry Satin finish.

Details about all of the new ESP, E-II, and LTD models for 2016, including the new and updated LTD “200 Series” guitars, are available at espguitars.com.

ESP Guitars (NAMM Booth #208A/B) has always had one of the most impressive artist endorsement rosters in the entire industry, so it’s no surprise that the company has continued expanding its Signature Series guitars and bass offerings for 2016.

“Our ESP artists are extremely important to us,” says Chris Cannella, ESP’s Director of Artist Relations. “The number one reason that people get into various styles of guitars and basses is that their biggest musical heroes and influences play them. This year’s new models and new artist additions to the Signature Series are among the best we’ve ever had.”

The newest member of the ESP artist family is the legendary Glenn Tipton of Judas Priest, and he has a Signature Series model being introduced for 2016. The LTD GT-600 is based on the ESP Viper shape, and includes 24 frets, two custom EMG Glenn Tipton 81 active pickups, a chrome pickguard and truss cover, and a Kahler tremolo.

Other new Signature Series artists include Alan Ashby (Of Mice & Men), who has customized a TE Series guitar for the LTD AA-600. Mille Petrozza (Kreator) has put together a daring V-shaped model with Fishman Fluence pickups, a Floyd Rose, and glow-in-the-dark side dots with the E-II MK-1 and the LTD MK-600.

Marco Mendoza (Dead Daisies) joins ESP’s lineup of Signature Series bass artists with the LTD MM-4 FM, styled on the ESP Vintage-4 and including EMG X-Series pickups and a Hipshot drop tuner. Another longtime ESP player, Ted Aguilar (Death Angel), designed the LTD TED-600 which is based on the Eclipse shape and stands out with a Snow White finish and white components/hardware.

Two of ESP’s most iconic players, James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett of Metallica, also have new Signature Series models in the final stages of development, with details forthcoming. The new James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett guitar models are scheduled for release in early 2016.

More of ESP’s current lineup of Signature Series guitars and basses also received new models and updates. George Lynch is an iconic player who has been attached to ESP for over two decades, and two new models are being debuted: the GL-200 Sunburst Tiger is being offered in the LTD Series for the first time, and the spectacular new LTD Burnt Tiger guitar offers a carved body with a tiger design and a burned-in logo.

Alex Skolnick (Testament), who joined the ESP family in 2013, has updated his signature models with the ESP Alex Skolnick FR and the LTD AS-1FR FM. Both new models feature a flamed maple top in Black Aqua Sunburst finish and a Floyd Rose tremolo. Phenomenal player Andy James’s Signature Series has grown with the new E-II AJ-EC-7, which (as the name implies) is a seven- string guitar that makes use of the single-cutaway EC shape.

Alex Wade, Ben Savage, and Zach Householder of Whitechapel have also made significant updates to their respective models with the LTD AW-7B, LTD BS-7B QM, and LTD ZH-EC7B QM. All three are seven-string models at 26.5” baritone scale, and outstanding new finishes. It’s a similar story for Buz McGrath and Ken Susi of Unearth with the LTD BUZ-7QM and LTD KS-M7 ET, whose new seven-string guitars offer features like Fishman Fluence pickups and an EverTune bridge on Ken’s model, along with great new finishes and tonewoods.

One of ESP’s most highly-respected players, Stephen Carpenter of Deftones, has updated the seven- string LTD SC-607B and the eight-string LTD SC-608B to also include Fishman Fluence pickups. One of the most original and outrageous new Signature Series models comes courtesy of ESP player Max Cavalera (Soulfly, Cavalera Conspiracy, Killer Be Killed) with the LTD MAX-200 RPR which sports an entirely new bevel-edged body shape.

Michael “Whip” Wilton of Queensrÿche has helped create the MW-TRIRYCHE, a guitar with graphics and inlays that help commemorate the 25th anniversary of his band’s classic album Empire. Not to be left out, the frontman and bassist of one of metal’s “Big 4”, Tom Araya of Slayer, has completely updated his signature basses to become even more menacing with the ESP Tom Araya FRX, the LTD TA-604 FRX, and LTD TA-204 FRX. Last but certainly not least, Will Adler (Lamb of God) has a new version of his ESP Will Adler Warbird and LTD WA-WARBIRD with Fishman Fluence pickups.

Detailed information on the entire line of ESP, ESP-E-II, and LTD Signature Series guitars and basses is available at the ESP Guitars web site at espguitars.com.

ESP Guitars (NAMM Booth #208A/B) has seen its reputation as a builder of high-quality basses at all price points grow rapidly over the past few years, forming new associations with renowned players like Rocco Prestia, Bunny Brunel and many others.

At the 2016 Winter NAMM Show, ESP shows its commitment to the low frequencies with a batch of new basses.

Topping the list of the new models is the LTD B-1004SE Multi-Scale and the B-1005SE Multi-Scale, two basses that use a special fret design to optimize string tension and ergonomics.

The new Multi-Scale basses have rosewood tops, 24 extra-jumbo frets on rosewood fingerboards, and world-class components including Nordstrand Big Splits pickups, Hipshot Solo bridge, and ESP Designed 3-band active EQ. With a standard fret layout and a great looking bubinga top, the new LTD B-1004SE and B-1005SE also make use of Nordstrand pickups. Brand new to LTD are the H Series basses with the H-1004SE and H-1005SE. They are based on the coveted ESP Horizon bass, but use burled maple tops in a Honey Natural finish, along with Nordstrand Big Splits pickups.

The popular LTD B Series also grew in the value-packed “200 Series” with the B-204SM, B-205SM, and B-206SM, respective 4-, 5-, and 6-string basses that look amazing with spalted maple tops and See Thru Black Satin finishes. The Stream bass, a recent addition to the LTD series, has grown with the professional-focused Stream-1004, Stream-1005, and the affordable Stream-205. ESP’s higher-end E-II brand has also grown with the addition of the Stream-SL5, a five-string bass at 35” scale with a larger body than the previous version, and is being made in Deep Red Metallic Satin and Snow White finishes.

Another new bass series debuted at NAMM is the LTD AP-204, a modernized update of a classic shape for contemporary music styles, available in Charcoal Metallic and Burgundy Burst finishes. Finally, the RB-1004SM and RB-1005SM, two of the basses designed in conjunction with the legendary Rocco Prestia (Tower of Power), is now offered in a new See Thru Red finish.

In the LTD Signature Series, the LTD MM-4FM has been designed by Marco Mendoza (Dead Daisies). It offers an alder body, flamed maple top, a Hipshot drop tuner, and EMG-X PJ pickups. Longtime ESP player Tom Araya of Slayer has also updated his three bass models with the ESP Tom Araya FRX, the LTD TA-600 FRX, and TA-204 FRX.

More information on the entire 2016 lineup of new basses is available at espguitars.com.

ESP Guitars (NAMM Booth #208A/B) has introduced new guitar and bass models in its ESP Original, ESP USA and ESP E-II Series.

“Our premier-level brands of ESP Original, ESP USA and ESP E-II are made for the highest end of the guitar and bass playing and collecting market,” says Matt Masciandaro, president and CEO of ESP Guitars. “They represent some of the most highlydetailed, luxurious instruments available in the world today.”

All ESP Original guitars are crafted by hand, one at a time, at the ESP Guitars Custom Shop in Tokyo, Japan. The ESP Arrow will be available in the USA this year, offered in a magnificent Black Andromeda finish. The Horizon-I returns to the ESP line in a Deep Candy Apple Red finish, with the new Horizon-II NT being offered in Black and the new Horizon-III available in Pearl White Gold.

The M-II CTM is a new version of the classic ESP Mirage in Black finish. Another model available in the USA for the first time, the ESP Snapper is a high-performance take on a classic look, and is being offered in exciting finishes and feature sets with the Snapper AL (Brass Red), the Snapper AS (Burner), the Snapper AL FR (Ice White), the Snapper CTM (Aqua Marine), and the Snapper CTM24 FR (See Thru Black). Also, the exciting ESP Stream GT is new to the USA, and is being made in three versions: the Stream GT CTM (Antique Sunburst), the Stream GT Classic (Supreme Blue), and the Stream GT STD (Titan Metal).

The ESP USA Series are made at ESP’s USA factory in North Hollywood. Available in 2016, the USA M-II NTB is a neck-thru-body design in Sapphire Black, Pearl White, and Cobalt Blue finishes, with high- end components like EMG Metalworks 81/85-X pickups. New finishes and design changes for other ESP USA models include the USA M-III (Purple Sunburst finish), the USA Eclipse (Emerald Green Sunburst with quilted maple top), and the USA Horizon-II (Amber Cherry Sunburst with flamed maple top).

ESP E-II are guitars and basses made in ESP’s exclusive Tokyo factory, and replaced the former “ESP Standard” series in 2014. For 2016, ESP has debuted the E-II Arrow-7, a seven-string version of the exciting Arrow design. The E-II Arrow is now also being offered in a Snow White finish in addition to Black. The E-II EC-BB has great-looking thick silver painted binding on its Black Satin finish, and the new E-II EX-NT is a powerful new guitar that uses the EX shape.

The new Horizon FR-II and Horizon NT-II join the E-II Series with quilted maple tops in amazing See Thru Black Sunburst and Tiger Eye Sunburst finishes. As its name implies, the new E-II M-II Neck Thru offers a neck-thru-body design and is available in Black and Urban Camo finishes. The E-II M-II Seven and MR Seven are also new additions to this high-performance guitar series.

More additions to the ESP E-II Series include the Stream G, a guitar that takes advantage of the great curves of the Stream design. Also available for 2016, there’s a new Tea Sunburst finish for the E-II ST-1.

Three other new ESP E-II models are being debuted as a direct result of the popular demand of ESP customers. The E-II SV is being offered in White and Black finishes with contrasting striping. This guitar features an alder body, a 24-fret ebony fingerboard, binding on the neck and headstock, dual EMG 81 pickups, and an Original Floyd Rose tremolo.

The E-II V-II STD is a V-shaped guitar with high-end appointments like its ebony fingerboard, an EMG 81/85 pickup set, and a TonePros Tuneomatic bridge. Finally, the E-II Viper Baritone offers a 27" scale with set-thru construction, a 24-fret ebony fingerboard, and an EMG 81/85 pickup set, and comes in a great-looking Charcoal Metallic Satin finish.

Details, information and specifications on the ESP Original, ESP USA and ESP E-II series of instruments is available at espguitars.com.