North Hollywood, CA (January 8, 2020) -- ESP Guitars has posted the third and final phase of their “New for 2020” product collection on their web site at espguitars.com.
A new series of instruments called the ’87 Series has been debuted. The guitars and basses, which will only be produced for the calendar year of 2020, are faithful recreations of ESP’s offerings in 1987 when their instruments grabbed the attention of players around the world. The ’87 Series includes the LTD Eclipse '87, a guitar based on the TE shape unlike the current single-cutaway Eclipse. It comes in Black and Pearl White, and includes a Floyd Rose locking tremolo. The LTD Eclipse ’87 NT, available in Black and White, has a TonePros locking TOM bridge and tailpiece. Both models offer neck-thru-body construction and a set of Seymour Duncan ’59 (neck) and JB (bridge) pickup set (with original style bobbins and a push-pull control to split the coils). The LTD M-1 Custom ’87 is based on the legendary original ESP M-1 model, and offers neck-thru body construction with a three-piece extra thin U-shaped maple neck. It features a Floyd Rose 1000 bridge and a single Seymour Duncan Distortion TB-6 pickup with a push-pull control for coil splitting, and an EMG PA-2 boost switch for when you need that extra push of raw power, and is available in Black, Dark Metallic Blue, and Candy Apple Red finishes. The LTD Mirage Deluxe '87 is a bolt-on guitar with an alder body and three-piece extra thin U-shaped maple neck being made available in Pearl Pink and Turquoise finishes. These guitars feature a Floyd Rose 1000 bridge and a pickup set that includes a Seymour Duncan Distortion TB-6 (with original style bobbins and a push-pull control to split the coils) in the bridge and a Seymour Duncan Hot Rail single coil in the neck position. The LTD Surveryor ’87 is a classic bolt-on bass at 34” scale, and features top-tier components including a Gotoh 201-B4 bridge and a Seymour Duncan Vintage P/Vintage Jazz pickup set. It’s available in Black and Pearl White finishes.
ESP has also announced new and updated editions to its well known Signature Series. The LTD NS-6 is the brand new Signature Series guitar from Nergal of Behemoth. Based on the coveted ESP Stream guitar shape, the NS-6 offers a range of tones with a pair of Fishman Fluence Modern Humbucker pickups. Available in Black Satin finish, it offers a set-thru design at 25.5” scale with a mahogany body and a three-piece maple neck that features a Macassar ebony fingerboard with an inlaid Behemoth Triumviratus logo, and glow-in-the-dark side markers. The updated Signature Series guitar for Alex Wade of American deathcore band Whitechapel is the LTD AW-7 Baritone, a 7-string guitar at 27” scale that has a swamp ash body with an outstanding Open Grain Black Satin finish. The AW-7 Baritone gets its tone from a set of direct-mount DiMarzio D-Activator 7 pickups, and also features a Hipshot fixed hardtail bridge and LTD locking tuners.
ESP also updated the Signature Series guitars of Javier Reyes (Animals As Leaders). The affordable, high-quality LTD JR-208 is an 8-string baritone guitar at 27" scale with a mahogany body, a bolt-on maple neck, ESP Designed LH-308N and LH-308B pickups, and an LTD fixed bridge with string-thru-body. It’s available in Pelham Blue finish with gold hardware. Javier’s neck-thru-body LTD JR-608 model has been updated with a set of his new Fishman Javier Reyes Open Core Signature Pickups, with a mini-switch to engage their multiple voicings.
Stephen Carpenter of Deftones, one of ESP’s most longterm artist endorsees, has had two of his Signature Series guitars updated for 2020. The LTD SC-20, celebrating Stef’s 20th anniversary of his first ESP signature model, is now available in Sonic Blue finish. The newest version of the LTD SC-607 Baritone is being made available in a great-looking Purple Satin finish. ESP also announced a solution for musicians who are looking for a more affordable solution for the LTD Signature Series guitar of Brian “Head” Welch of Korn with the LTD SH-207. It offers bolt-on construction with a comfortable and fast extra thin U-shaped three-piece maple neck. The SH-207’s sound is powered by a set of high-output ESP Designed LH-307 pickups.
ESP also debuted several more guitars in their “Phase III” announcement. These include the Phoenix Black Metal, which offers the styling theme from the other Black Metal models — all-black finish, components, and hardware, a single premium-quality pickup, Macassar ebony fingerboards with no inlays and glow-in-the-dark side markers — in the stylish Phoenix body shape. It offers neck-thru-body construction using a three-piece maple neck and mahogany body wings, and a single Fishman Fluence Modern Humbucker pickup that offers a push-pull control to select voicings. More additions to the LTD Deluxe “1000 Series” include the LTD Deluxe EC-1000 in Black Natural Burst, a guitar with a burled poplar top on a mahogany body with a three-piece mahogany neck and Macassar ebony fingerboard, and Seymour Duncan Sentient (neck) and Pegasus (bridge) passive pickups. The LTD Deluxe M-1007 is a 7-0string model with neck-thru-body design, and offers a pair of Fishman Fluence Modern Humbuckers, with a push-pull control to activate the second voicing. The LTD Deluxe Viper-1000 EverTune adds the innovative EverTune constant tension bridge to the offset double-horn Viper design for the first time. The Viper-1000 EverTune also includes top-tier components like direct-mount Seymour Duncan Sentient (neck) and Pegasus (bridge) passive pickups, splittable by a push-pull control, and Grover tuners.
While no more previews will be forthcoming, ESP emphasizes that at the NAMM Show, the company will also be debuting a number of Japan-built guitars and basses in the ESP Original Series and ESP Exhibition Series. Detailed specifications and more information on all new models will be available on the ESP web site by the beginning of the 2020 NAMM Show.
For more information:
ESP Guitars
