British guitar maestro Andy James (opens in new tab) had a landmark 2020 as our best metal guitarist (opens in new tab) poll noted – a new solo album and the announcement he was to be the new guitarist in US band Five Finger Death Punch (opens in new tab). Now he's got a new signature electric guitar (opens in new tab) – and it's a different approach.
The AJ2 is a more affordable version of Andy's previous Kiesel AJ signature with a bolt-on neck and flat alder top unlike the carved maple top and set neck AJ, but the exact spec elsewhere is up to you and there's far more options than with the original AJ; you can have an Evertune bridge or a Hipshot fixed bridge and a wide choice of finishes including solid colours, plus flamed and poplar tops.
The Kiesel Polarity dual-mode active pickups and ebony fretboard are the same as the AJ. Both made in the USA.
It's good to see Andy presenting the guitar personally in the video above – and demonstrating some of those fearsome chops of his. And in the video below, he's joined by Jeff Kiesel to explain the model in more detail.
"I like it, you'll like it too!" he grins.
The AJ2 prices are $1,499 with a hipshot bridge and $1,549 for seven-string option. Prices are $1,799 and $1,849 for the six- and seven-string options with Evertune.
Check out Kiesel Guitars (opens in new tab) for updates.
