FRANKFURT MUSIKMESSE 2010 PRESS RELEASE: Epiphone has a long history of supplying some of the greatest guitarists of all time with the instrument they need to excel. And that history continues with the new Annihilation-V made in cooperation with legendary guitarist, Jeff Waters.
Prestigiously ranked at number three in Joel Mclver's 2009 book The 100 Greatest Metal Guitarists, Jeff and his band Annihilator have been shredding audiences worldwide for years and now he's ready to take it up a notch with what he calls The Ultimate Metal Guitar!
Like any great instrument, the Annihilation-V starts with great tone woods and construction. The neck is solid mahogany joined to a solid mahogany body using a traditional deep-set, Flying-V neck joint that's handed fitted and glued in place for optimum tone and sustain.
For lightning fast performance combined with comfort, the neck features a "D" profile SlimTaper neck combined with a 24-fret phenolic fingerboard that not only allows a full two octaves of range but also an ultra smooth and extremely durable surface.
At the heart of any great guitar are great pickups and this guitar is no exception. Designed specifically for Jeff by Epiphone engineers and made by Gibson U.S.A.'s world-famous pickup division, the Annihilation-V features custom "JWT" (Jeff Waters Treble) and JWR (Jeff Waters Rhythm) 4-wire humbuckers in the bridge and neck positions respectively.
Over-wound and featuring a Ceramic-8 magnet, the JWT bridge humbucker can deliver the right combination of crunch and growl without ever losing it's enhanced lows and crystal clear highs. The JWR neck pickup features an Alnico-II magnet that provides vintage tone with great sustain and clarity along with the right combination of power and warmth. Together, the two pickups offer the perfect combination of crunch and clean.
Controlling the two perfectly matched humbuckers is a set of simple yet powerful controls that offer incredible versatility. The master volume control is also a push/pull control allowing you to tap into each coil of the two humbuckers for a brighter, single-coil sound while keeping them noise-free.
The 3-way toggle in combination with the coil-tapping allows you up to six different tonal combinations ranging from a one single-coil to full-on humbucker assault. Add to that, an easy to use momentary killbutton that cuts off the output for added effects and you've got a guitar that's ready for anything.
Other upgrades include Grover(tm) 14:1 ratio tuners, Epiphone StrapLocks, Epiphone LockTone tune-o-matic/stopbar combination, Annihilator Devil inlay on the 12th fret and Jeff's signature on the back of the headstock.
And, like every Epiphone, it features their Limited Lifetime warranty backed by world famous 24/7/365 day Gibson Customer Service.
The U.S. MSRP for the new Jeff Waters Annihilation-V guitar is $1,165 with an optional hard case for $148 and is expected to be in retail stores starting in May 2010. Available in either Annihilation Red (gloss) or Pitch Black (satin), prepare to annihilate your audience with the new Jeff Waters Annihilation-V. See it for the first time up-close and meet Jeff at the upcoming Musikmesse in Frankfurt, Germany, March 24 - 27, 2010.
Information taken from official press release, for more visit Epiphone Guitars
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