Premier Guitar features affiliate links to help support our content. We may earn a commission on any affiliated purchases.

ESP Guitars Unveils New Artist Signature Models

The company announced new signature guitars for guitarists Bill Kelliher, Brian “Head” Welch, and Lars Frederiksen.

LTD Bill Kelliher Sparrowhawk

Anaheim, CA (January 19, 2017) -- Banking on the fact that musicians want to play what their heroes play, ESP Guitars (NAMM Booth #208A/B) has once again drawn from their impressive artist endorsement roster to create new Signature Series instruments being introduced at the NAMM Show.

The company announced a new signature guitar for guitarist Bill Kelliher of the widely-respected American rock band Mastodon, who joined the ESP artist family in 2015. The LTD Bill Kelliher Sparrowhawk offers set-thru construction at 24.75” scale, with mahogany body, 3-piece mahogany neck, ebony fingerboard, a TonePros locking TOM bridge and tailpiece, and Kelliher’s Lace Sensor Divinator signature pickups. The Sparrowhawk is being offered in Military Green Sunburst Satin finish

Brand new to the company’s endorsement roster, Brian “Head” Welch is a guitarist and co-founder of the influential nu metal group Korn. His signature model, the LTD SH-7ET, is a 7-string guitar providing the latest in technologies that include the innovative EverTune constant tension bridge and Fishman Fluence pickups. The neck-thru-body design has a flamed maple top over its basswood body, a 3-piece maple neck with ebony fingerboard and glow-in-the-dark side dots, and it comes in See Thru Purple finish. Another recent addition to the ESP roster is Lars Frederiksen of the seminal punk rock band Rancid. His first ESP Signature Series guitar is the LTD Volsung, a set-neck model based on the Viper body style. It includes the artist’s own Seymour Duncan Lars Signature pickups, Gotoh tuners, and TonePros locking TOM bridge and tailpiece, and comes in a killer Danish Camo Satin finish.

ESP also announced new and updated signature models for other musicians on their roster. These include the LTD GH-600NT, a new version of the popular model for Gary Holt (Slayer/Exodus) with a TonePros locking TOM bridge and tailpiece. Frank Bello, bassist of Anthrax, has updated his Signature Series offerings with the ESP Frank Bello Jazz and LTD FB-J4. Rob Caggiano, guitarist for the popular Danish metal band Volbeat, has updates for his signature guitars with the ESP Rob Caggiano QM and LTD RC-600QM. Both models feature quilted maple tops and silver accent colors. Finally, another ESP artist getting his first-ever signature bass is John Campbell of Lamb of God, whose LTD JC-4FM is based on the Stream body style.

Detailed information on the entire line of ESP, ESP-E-II, and LTD Signature Series guitars and basses is available at the ESP Guitars web site at www.espguitars.com.

For more information:
ESP Guitars

The Sunset is a fully analog, zero latency bass amplifier simulator. It features a ¼” input, XLR and ¼” outputs, gain and volume controls and extensive equalization. It’s intended to replace your bass amp both live and in the studio.

Read MoreShow less

Belltone Guitars has partnered Brickhouse Toneworks to create a one-of-a-kind, truly noiseless Strat/Tele-tone pickup in a standard Filter’Tron size format: the Single-Bell pickup.

Read MoreShow less

Making a quiet, contemplative album allows Isbell to reflect on the material in a new way and to really explore the relationship between his guitar and voice, which he’d recently lost and reclaimed.

With his new album, the Americana hero faces the microphone alone—save for a 1940 Martin 0-17—and emerges with an album full of nuanced emotional touchstones framed by the gentle side of his virtuosic musicianship.

Imagine, just for a moment, that you’re a successful, internationally recognized singer, songwriter, and guitarist. (Nice dream, right?) You’ve been in the public eye nearly a quarter-century, and for all that time you’ve either been a band member or a band leader. Then one day you decide the time is right to step out on your own, for real. You write a bunch of new songs with the express intent of recording them solo—one voice and one acoustic guitar, performed simultaneously—and releasing the best of those recordings as your next album. No overdubs. No hiding behind other musicians. No hiding behind technology. For the first time, it’s all you and only you.

Read MoreShow less
Berserker Electronics, creators of the cult-favorite Prehistoric Dog preamp pedal, has announced the release of their latest sonic innovation: the Aquanaut Delay / Echo pedal.
Read MoreShow less