In what might be the most eye-catching guitar announcement of 2020 – particularly for metal players – ESP has unveiled the Pyrograph Series, a line of three electric guitars boasting ornate hand-burned artwork by fine artist Dino Muradian.
The series comprises the M-I FR-DLX Skulls & Crows, the M-II Hardtail Great Wave, and the TE-II Hardtail Snake Skin. With only 10 of each model available, these guitars are ultra-limited edition, and while their prices tags are yet to be revealed, we expect them to fully reflect this.
Each guitar in the line is built at ESP's North Hollywood, California production facility, and features a body-matched pyrograph headstock design with a mirrored ESP logo and signed certificate of authenticity.
ESP USA M-I FR-DLX Skulls & Crows
Sporting a gothic image of piled skulls and an equally macabre flock of crows, the ESP USA M-I FR-DLX Skulls & Crows is constructed of a mahogany body and flamed maple top, and a bolt-on quarter-sawn maple neck with a 24-fret ebony fingerboard.
Electronics include a singular Seymour Duncan ’59 Custom Hybrid bridge humbucking pickup, which is controlled via a single volume knob with push-pull coil splitting functionality.
Other appointments include a Floyd Rose tremolo system with an R3 locking nut, Dunlop locking strap buttons, a two-way adjustable truss rod with graphite reinforcements, deluxe mother-of-pearl offset block inlays and black hardware.
ESP USA M-II Hardtail Great Wave
Also sporting a mahogany body with a flamed maple top, the ESP USA M-II Hardtail Great Wave dons an awe-inspiringly intricate wave design based on The Great Wave off Kanagawa, a famous woodblock print by Japanese artist Hokusai.
It also features a bolt-on quarter sawn maple neck, and a 24-fret ebony fingerboard with abalone dot inlays.
This guitar features a Seymour Duncan HH pickup configuration, with Sentient model in the neck position and a Pegasus in the bridge. These are controlled via singular volume and tone knobs and a three-way selector switch. Push-pull functionality is also available on the tone knob.
Other features include a Hipshot fixed bridge, Sperzel Trim-Lok tuners, an extra thin U neck profile and Dunlop locking strap pins.
ESP USA TE-II Hardtail Snake Skin
ESP describes this one as potentially “the most badass limited edition guitar ever made”. With a design based – rather convincingly – on the skin pattern of a boa constrictor, the ESP USA TE-II Hardtail Snake Skin boasts a mahogany body, though this time with a quilted maple top.
Completing its construction is a bolt-on thin U-shaped quarter sawn maple neck and 22-fret ebony fingerboard with offset abalone dot inlays.
This guitar is equipped with a Seymour Duncan Saturday Night Special set of humbuckers, which can be controlled via master volume and tone knobs and a three-way selector switch.
Other features include a Hipshot fixed bridge, Sperzel Trim-Lok tuners, chrome hardware and Dunlop locking strap button.
For more information on the Pyrograph Series, head to ESP Guitars.
