ESP just put out an impossibly heavy Babymetal 9-string

(Image credit: courtesy of Babymetal)

Japanese 'cute metal' act Babymetal have always made pretty over-the-top music, so why not have an over-the-top custom electric guitar to go with it?

Enter the new ESP E-II MF-9 Babymetal nine-string – yes, nine-string – guitar, a collaboration between the band and ESP Japan.

In addition to the nine strings, the 27.99-inch scale model boasts an alder body, hard maple thin-U shape three-piece neck and a 24 extra-jumbo fret pau ferro fingerboard with Luminlay dot inlays.

There’s also a Hipshot fixed bridge, Gotoh tuners and a single EMG 909 humbucker with volume knob.

(Image credit: courtesy of ESP)

The limited-edition guitar comes in a Black Satin finish with black binding on the body and neck and the Babymetal logo stamped on the back of the headstock.

It's available now through October 31, 2020, and comes with a Babymetal emblazoned hard case.

As for the price on this Baby monster? 320,000 yen - which is around $2,945.

For more info, head to ESP Japan.

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Richard Bienstock

Rich is the co-author of the best-selling Nöthin' But a Good Time: The Uncensored History of the '80s Hard Rock Explosion. He is also a recording and performing musician, and a former editor of Guitar World magazine and executive editor of Guitar Aficionado magazine. He has authored several additional books, among them Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck, the companion to the documentary of the same name.