Mastodon's Bill Kelliher signs with ESP, announces two new signature guitars

Just two years on from the release of his last Gibson signature guitar - the Halcyon Les Paul - Mastodon tonehound Bill Kelliher has joined the ESP roster and announced the release of two new guitars with the Japanese guitar titan.

The ESP Bill Kelliher and more affordable LTD-BK-600 are based on the classic ESP Eclipse single-cut outline, and pack mahogany bodies with full thickness and no waist cut, plus mahogany necks, ebony fingerboards and 24.75" scale lengths.

Crucially, and like his Gibson models, Bill's signature Lace Sensor Dissonant Aggressor pickups are onboard, while locking tuners and TonePros locking bridges also feature.

"Working with ESP has been a breath of fresh air," says Bill. "When I first set eyes on this guitar, I couldn't wait to play this mean-looking weapon of sound. After plugging it in and cranking it up, I couldn't put it down. What a great piece of work!"

The ESP Bill Kelliher and LTD-BK-600 both come in a Military Green Sunburst Satin finish with body, neck and headstock binding - tasty. They'll hit stores later this year, with prices TBC.

Bill's not the only Mastodon member to secure a signature model this year, of course, after bandmate Brent Hinds landed himself an Epiphone Flying V Custom back in April.

Michael Astley-Brown

Mike is Editor-in-Chief of GuitarWorld.com, in addition to being an offset fiend and recovering pedal addict. He has a master's degree in journalism, and has spent the past decade writing and editing for guitar publications including MusicRadar, Total Guitar and Guitarist, as well as a decade-and-a-half performing in bands of variable genre (and quality). In his free time, you'll find him making progressive instrumental rock under the nom de plume Maebe.