After BC Rich, Ibanez and Jackson, Slipknot's Mick Thomson moves to ESP for the development of new signature guitars

ESP Guitars / Mick Thomson from Slipknot
(Image credit: ESP Guitars / Press)

Mick Thomson is seriously invested in his signature guitars; his knowledge and interest in the details of spec for his playing needs is beyond question when we speak to him. Perhaps it's the Slipknot #7's love and high standards for the tools of his craft has seen him move between the best metal guitar brands, and following models with BC Rich, Ibanez and Jackson, he's now he's come to ESP.


“Couldn’t be happier to be in the ESP family,” said Thomson in a statement. “So impressed with everything I’ve been playing live, and there’s a great energy with everyone I’ve dealt with. We are currently working on specs for some customs that I know will be killer. It’s been taking longer than expected, as deciding on a model hasn’t been easy. Too many possibilities for monster guitars. Admittedly, It’s been a great problem to have."

Sounds it! “We are thrilled to welcome Mick as part of the ESP family,” says Tony Rauser, ESP Director of Artist Relations, who has emerged as a key figure in the company since joining as an intern in 2012. “Mick is one of the most respected and influential players in the world of metal guitar. The intensity of his aggressive playing style with Slipknot fits perfectly with the energy at ESP.”

As well as S-type Horizon ESP models, Thomson was seen at Slipknot's April Knotfest show in Chiba, Japan playing V-shaped Arrow and single-cut Eclipse guitars. He's serious about that road testing.

Rob Laing
Guitars Editor, MusicRadar

I'm the Guitars Editor for MusicRadar, handling news, reviews, features, tuition, advice for the strings side of the site and everything in between. Before MusicRadar I worked on guitar magazines for 15 years, including Editor of Total Guitar in the UK. When I'm not rejigging pedalboards I'm usually thinking about rejigging pedalboards.