NAMM 2012: 21 new ESP and LTD guitars and basses

NAMM 2012: ESP guitars has a whole host of new ESP and ESP LTD models to show off at this year's winter NAMM, including new signature models from Metallica, Anthrax, Slayer and more.

Click through to see all the new models. We've included the relevant sections of the press releases below each guitar for more spec and information.

All information taken from official press releases. For more details on all models visit ESP.

The HRF Series is a new design from ESP that combines the body styling of the Horizon with the headstock of the F-Series (aka Forest) guitar.

Available in Black, the HRF NT offers neck-thru construction at 25.5” scale, mahogany body, maple neck, ebony fingerboard with 24 XJ frets, Gotoh tuners and bridge, and Seymour Duncan Blackout AHB-1 active pickups.

The HRF NT-II adds a great- looking quilted maple top, and comes in See Thru Black Cherry (STBC), Black Aqua (BLKAQ), and Reindeer Blue (RDB).

Another new model, the Eclipse-II w/Duncans, has a new Silver Sparkle (SSP) finish, and is outfitted with Seymour Duncan JB (bridge) and ’59 (neck) pickups, as well as a push-pull coil split switch on its tone control.

The new Horizon FR-II w/Duncans now comes in Dark Brown Sunburst (DBSB), Black Aqua (BLKAQ), Reindeer Blue (RDB), and See Thru Black (STBLK), and comes with Seymour Duncan JB (bridge) and ’59 (neck) pickups.

Also new is the Horizon FR-7, which, like the name implies, adds a Floyd Rose bridge to this seven-string beast.

ESP Guitars has introduced three new Signature Series guitars for Kirk Hammett of the iconic heavy metal band Metallica. The new models are the ESP KH-DC and the LTD KH-DC, as well as the limited edition LTD KH-25, and are part of ESP’s 19 new products being debuted at the 2012 Winter NAMM Show.

“Kirk Hammett is celebrating his 25th year as an ESP player in 2012,” says Matt Maciandaro, ESP president and CEO. “He was instrumental in the early acceptance and recognition of ESP as a premier brand in the world of electric guitars. We are happy to be able to show our gratitude for Kirk’s long-term support of ESP with exciting new signature models like the KH-DC and the KH-25.”

Designed to Kirk Hammett’s specifications, the KH-DC is a brand new body style for ESP/LTD. It’s a double-cutaway version of the company’s popular EC series, with a set neck design at 24.75” scale, and an attractive STBC (See Thru Black Cherry) finish on its flamed maple top.

Like other EC models, the guitar offers a mahogany body and mahogany neck, with a rosewood fingerboard. The KH-DC features gold hardware, including gold-covered EMG 81 (bridge) and EMG 60 (neck) active pickups, and a Tonepros locking TOM bridge and tailpiece.

Controls include a 3-way toggle switch, bridge volume, neck volume, and master tone. The ESP version of the new Kirk Hammett model includes Sperzel locking tuners, while the LTD version offers ESP locking tuners.

The limited-edition LTD KH-25 commemorates the 25th year that Hammett has been playing ESP guitars.

Its black distressed finish and graphics are design to emulate Hammett’s famous KH-2 Vintage model. The KH-25 has bolt-on construction at 25.5" scale, with a basswood body, maple neck, and a Floyd Rose Special bridge. The guitar also features ESP’s new ALH-200 active pickups.

“Anthrax is one of the most influential bands in the history of heavy metal,” says Jose Ferro, ESP executive VP. “They’ve been included as one of the ‘Big 4’ of thrash metal along with bands like Metallica and Slayer, and we’re proud to have Rob and Frank playing ESP.”

Based on his customized ESP Horizon, the ESP Rob Caggiano and LTD RC-600 are being offered in a STP (See Thru Purple) finish. The guitars use a bolt-on construction at 25.5” scale, and have an ash body, maple neck, and rosewood fingerboard with custom inlays and glow-in-the-dark side markers.

The instruments also feature two DiMarzio humbucking pickups, Tonepros locking TOM bridge and tailpiece, and Dunlop straplok hardware (the ESP version also includes Sperzel locking tuners, while the LTD version comes with ESP Locking tuners).

Anthrax bassist Frank Bello’s new Signature Series models are the ESP Frank Bello and LTD FB-4.

Both are based on the ESP Vintage-4 model, customized to Bello’s specifications with a Black Satin finish and black anodized aluminum pickguard, ebony fingerboard with black pearloid block inlays, EMG PJ-X active pickups and a Gotoh bridge. The basses feature bolt-on construction at 34" scale, an alder body, and maple neck with 21 XJ frets.

In their NAMM show demo room, ESP Guitars showed two new Signature Series guitars for long-time ESP endorsee Jeff Hanneman of the thrash metal group Slayer. The new ESP Jeff Hanneman EC and the LTD JH-600EC will be available via ESP dealers and distributors later this year.

“The aggressive, high-performance sound of Jeff Hanneman and Slayer have long been associated with ESP,” says director of marketing and artist relations Allen Steelgrave. “We’re sure that Jeff’s new Signature Series guitars and the limited edition SLAYER-2012 model will be immediately appreciated by all musicians who take no prisoners with their own playing.”

The ESP Jeff Hanneman EC is a customized version of the popular ESP Eclipse model, built to Hanneman’s specifications. It features neck-thru-body construction at 24.75" scale, an alder body with arched top, a maple neck with ebony fingerboard, and 24 XJ frets. The new Jeff Hanneman EC guitars have a traditional-style full body thickness but with a waist cut.

Components include EMG 81 (bridge) / EMG 85 (neck) active pickups, and the ESP version includes an EMG SPC Control. Both the ESP and LTD versions of the guitar come in a black finish, with red upside down star inlays on the fingerboard, Kahler Tremolo, and an extra “dummy” 3-way toggle switch in the standard Eclipse position on upper body area.

The new LTD SLAYER-2012, like last year’s popular Slayer-2011 model, is a limited edition guitar that uses the iconic skull and pentagram-themed artwork from one of Slayer’s most well-known albums, South of Heaven.

The guitar has bolt-on construction at 25.5" scale, a comfortable alder body, maple neck, ebony fingerboard with 24 XJ frets, and includes EMG active pickups and a TOM bridge with string thru body.

ESP Guitars has debuted two new Signature Series instruments for guitarist Mark Heylmun and bassist Dan Kenny of extreme metal band Suicide Silence.

“Mark and Dan are both great supporters of ESP,” says Allen Steelgrave, ESP director of marketing and artist relations. “We are happy to give them this opportunity to have their own Signature Series models made available for the general public.”

The LTD MKH-7 is the signature model for guitarist Mark Heylmun. Based on the popular LTD EC Series, the MKH-7 is a 7-string single-cutaway guitar model with neck-thru-body design with 25.5” standard scale. It features a mahogany body and a maple neck with ebony fingerboard, and 24 XJ frets.

The MKH-7 has a Black Satin finish with black binding on body, neck & head, and comes equipped with EMG 81-7 (bridge) and EMG 707 (neck) active pickups, a Tonepros locking TOM bridge & tailpiece and ESP Locking Tuners. Controls include a 3-way toggle pickup selector, and bridge volume, neck volume, and master tone controls.

Suicide Silence Bass player Dan Kenny has designed the LTD DK-5, a new bass created from the LTD F Series.

It’s a 5-string bass with a unique Dark See Thru Green Sunburst finish over its flamed maple top. The DK-5 has a neck-thru-body design with 35” scale, mahogany body, 5-piece maple/walnut neck, rosewood fingerboard with custom pyramid inlays, and 24 XJ frets.

Components on the DK-5 include Grover tuners, EMG 40DC active pickups, and EMG B64 3-band active EQ. Its impressive array of controls includes bass boost/cut, mid boost/cut, treble boost/cut, master volume and balance controls.

Michael Wilton, guitarist for Queensrÿche and a longtime ESP player, now has a Signature Series acoustic guitar: the LTD MW-DC1E.

“Michael Wilton, or ‘Whip’ as his friends call him, is an outstanding player who has been part of the ESP family for a long time,” says Allen Steelgrave, ESP’s director of marketing and artist relations. “Some of Queensrÿche’s biggest hits, like “Silent Lucidity”, are based on acoustic guitar lines. It’s very fitting that Whip has now become the first ESP Signature Series artist with an acoustic model.”

The LTD MW-DC1E is a customized version of the LTD Xtone Exotic Wood Series EW-SM acoustic guitar. It’s a set-neck dreadnought with a cutaway at 25.5” scale, 21XJ frets, and a natural gloss finish on its spalted maple top, back, and sides.

The guitar features a mahogany neck and rosewood fingerboard and bridge, with the entire body, neck and headstock bound with Abalone purfling. The LTD MW-DC1E also offers a built-in B-Band T-55 4-band preamp with onboard tuner and XLR output option. Other custom features include chrome hardware, bone nut & saddle, diamond-shaped abalone inlays, and a custom pearloid/abalone “winged demon skull” inlay at the 12th fret.

Whitechapel’s three guitarists and bass player will each have their own Signature Series LTD models, the company announced at Winter NAMM. The new models include the LTD AW-7 (Alex Wade), the LTD BS-7 (Ben Savage), the LTD ZH-7 (Zach Householder), and the LTD GC-4 bass (Gabe Crisp).

“ESP has always been supportive not only of the marquee names in music, but also up-and-coming bands whose talent and commitment to success exemplify the ESP attitude,” says Allen Steelgrave, director of marketing and artist relations. “Whitechapel have been out there on the road with their ESPs for years, and their efforts have paid off for everyone with this great series of new instruments.”

Alex Wade’s Signature Series model, the LTD AW-7, is a 7-string guitar based on the LTD M Series, with a neck-thru-body design, and a flamed maple top with a Blood Red Sunburst finish. The guitar also features ESP locking tuners, DiMarzio pickups, black matte pickguard and a fixed bridge with string thru body.

Whitechapel guitarist Ben Savage has specified the design of the LTD BS-7 as a 7-string custom version of the MH Series guitar, with a neck-thru-body design, a See Thru Black finish on a flamed maple top, a teardrop-shaped headstock, maple fingerboard, with white binding on body, neck & head, DiMarzio pickups, a Floyd Rose bridge and ESP locking tuners.

The LTD ZH-7 is Whitechapel guitarist Zach Householder’s signature model, and is also a 7-string guitar based on the MH Series. It features a mahogany body with quilted maple top with a See Thru Black Satin finish, large block inlays, EMG active pickups, and a Tonepros locking TOM bridge.

Whitechapel bassist Gabe Crisp has designed the LTD GC-4, a customized Viper bass with neck-thru body design, a mahogany brown finish, ebony fingerboard and an EMG active pickup set with active EQ.

Information taken from official press release, for more visit ESP.

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