Los Angeles, CA (January 13, 2014) -- Some of ESP’s most high-profile endorsees have helped create new ESP, E-II, and LTD Signature Series guitars and basses that are making their debut at the 2014 Winter NAMM Show.
Matt Maciandaro, ESP President, says “ESP’s artist endorsees are among the most respected and influential musicians in contemporary music, and our Signature Series models offer the look, feel, and sound that they specify in their own instruments.”
Perhaps the most highly anticipated new Signature Series model for 2014 is the James Hetfield (Metallica) Iron Cross in Snow White finish, available as both an ESP model and a more budget conscious LTD version. Metallica’s other guitar player Kirk Hammett, along with ESP and Lugosi Enterprises, adds his name to the LTD KH-WZ White Zombie, a new limited edition addition to the LTD Graphic Series. Acclaimed multi-genre virtuoso guitarist Alex Skolnick (Testament, AST) has helped design the ESP Alex Skolnick and LTD AS-1 guitars, making their debut at NAMM. Both guitars are available in Silver Sunburst finish, while the LTD version is also available in Lemon Drop with a flamed maple top.
ESP is now offering the signature guitar of legendary Rolling Stones guitarist Ron Wood in an affordable LTD version for the first time with the LTD Ron Wood, available in 3-Tone Burst and Black finishes. Dillinger Escape Plan guitarist Ben Weinman gets his first LTD Signature model for 2014 with the BW-1, a semi-hollow guitar with a flamed maple top and an EverTune bridge. An EverTune bridge is also on the 7-string LTD signature model of Ken Susi (Unearth), the KS-7. ESP player Will Adler (Lamb of God) has had updates to the finishes of his signature models, the ESP Will Adler Warbird and the LTD SE Warbird, and Frédéric Leclercq of DragonForce has a new signature bass, the FL-204.
ESP’s new E-II brand is coming out of the shoot with new Signature models. Bassist Doris Yeh and guitarist Jesse Liu of Chthonic have new signature models with the E-II DYD-5 and the E-II JL-7 respectively. Elias Viljanen (Sonata Arctica) also has an E-II signature model, the 7-string EV-7.
ESP’s popular line of LTD guitars and basses got a multitude of new additions for the 2014 NAMM Show.
“Since its introduction in 1996, LTD has become the bread-and-butter of many ESP dealers across the country and around the world,” says Jeff Moore, ESP Senior Vice President. “While many players aspire to own our higher-end ESP brands, our LTD models for beginning, intermediate, and advanced musicians offer the pricing that they can afford, with very little compromise in tone or playability.” For 2014, ESP is offering 20 new LTD models. The ARC Series, brand new for 2014, offers chambered bodies for acoustic/electric players, and includes the ARC-12S (12-string), ARC-6S (6-string), and ARC-6N (6-string nylon) models. The EC-200 is an affordable single cutaway model in the popular EC Series offered in Tobacco Sunburst, Black Satin, and Vintage White Satin finishes. The new EC-331 and EC-331FR models are now available in popular finish choices of Black, Snow White, and Black Satin, and include ESP-Designed active pickups. The EC-401VF and EC-1000T/CTM now include DiMarzio PAF 36th Anniversary pickups, the first time that DiMarzio pickups are being offered on a standard production LTD model.
In more LTD news, the new TE-406 and TE-407 models are modern updates on a classic shape, both offered in an exciting Black Satin finish with all black components and EMG active pickups. The new MH-207 and MH-337 (Black Satin finish) offer affordable choices in 7-string guitars. Finally, a big batch of new left-handed LTD models including the EC-407 (7-string), H-308 (8-string), MH-417 (7-string), EC-1000FM, MH-103QM, MH-350NT, ST-213, and V-50 are available for the first time.
ESP Guitars has announced that their new ESP Original and E-II brands will become available in the US in 2014. The availability of ESP Original and E-II brands in the USA also allows the company to have a consistent set of products available around the world, something that ESP customers have requested for years.
“We now have five tiers of product lines for our customers,” says Eric Oppenheimer, ESP Product Manager. “On top are our famous ESP Custom Shop guitars. Our new ESP Original line is for customers who want the level of quality found in our custom guitars, but at a price point possible with production model instruments. Our new ESP USA line is built in our new North Hollywood factory. ESP EII is a new brand built in our Japan manufacturing facility, featuring some of the new designs used in the Original line along with some classic ESP shapes. Finally, our wide range of LTD guitars and basses offer amazing value in high quality instruments.”
Nine new ESP Original models are being announced at the 2014 Winter NAMM Show: the Eclipse CTM (See Thru Black Sunburst and Reindeer Blue), FRX (Liquid Metal Silver and Black), FRX CTM (See Thru Black Cherry Sunburst and See Thru Black Sunburst), Horizon NT CTM (Tea Sunburst), Horizon FR CTM (Faded Blue), Mystique FR (Black), Mystique NT CTM (Tea Sunburst, Marine Blue, and See Thru Black Cherry), Stream (Black and 2 Tone Burst), and Stream CTM (See Thru Black Cherry and Marine Blue).
The E-II Series includes 36 new models of guitars and basses in a wide variety of finishes. Many of the E-II models offer premier-quality features and components, such as quilted and flamed maple tops, Seymour Duncan, DiMarzio, and EMG pickups, and original Floyd Rose bridges. Many of the E-II models are being offered in finishes that were previously only available in ESP’s international markets.
ESP has added new models to their line of high-quality basses for 2014, debuting new 4-, 5-, and 6-string instruments under their ESP Original, E-II, and LTD brands. The debut of the new ESP Original line includes the Stream and Stream CTM basses. The ESP Original Stream is a bolt-on bass at 34” scale with a white ash body, a maple/walnut/paduak neck, and rosewood fingerboard. It includes Hipshot tuners and bridge, EMG 35J (bridge) and EMG 35P4 (neck) pickups, and is available in Black and 2-Tone Burst finishes. The Stream CTM adds a flamed maple top and comes in Marine Blue and See Thru Black Cherry.
ESP’s new E-II brand, also debuting at NAMM 2014, includes several new basses. The AP-4 (4-string) and AP-5 (5-string) are bolt-on basses at 34” scale, and offers a white ash body and maple neck with rosewood fingerboard. Components includes Gotoh tuners and bridge, and Seymour Duncan SMB-4d (AP-4) and SMB-5d (AP-5) pickups with active EQ. Available finishes for the AP-4 include See Thru Black, See Thru White, and Tobacco Sunburst. The ESP Stream bass is also being offered in an E-II version, with a similar specification at a more affordable price, and is available in Black and Snow White finishes. Also, the E-II Stream FM provides the bass in a flamed maple top with See Thru Black finish. The E-II Vintage-4 PJ/M (maple fingerboard, black finish) and E-II Vintage-4 PJ/R (rosewood fingerboard, 3-Tone Burst finish) are a classic bolt-on basses with alder bodies and maple necks. They includes Gotoh tuners and a Seymour Duncan SPB-2 pickup set.
In the LTD range, ESP is releasing the RB-1004, RB-1005, and RB-1006 (4-/5-/6-string, respectively) basses. Designed with the advice of legendary bass player Rocco Prestia (Tower of Power), these are affordable basses with high quality and excellent versatility for almost every style and genre of music. LTD’s new Stream-204 is the most economical version of the stylish Stream bass series. LTD is also making their B-205SM and B-206SM available in left-handed versions for the first time.
For more information:
ESP Guitars
Maxon OD-9 Overdrive Pedal
The Maxon OD-9 Overdrive Effects Pedal may look like your old favorite but that's where the similarity ends. Improved circuitry with a new chip yields the ultra-smooth dynamic overdrive guitarists crave. Drive and Level controls tweak the intensity and volume while the Hi-Boost/Hi-Cut tone controls adjust brightness. Features true bypass switching, a die-cast zinc case, and 3-year warranty. From subtle cries to shattering screams, the Maxon OD-9 delivers a huge range of tones.
Features
Improved circuitry with a new chip yields ultra-smooth dynamic overdrive
Drive and Level controls tweak the intensity and volume
Hi Boost/Hi Cut tone controls adjust brightness
True bypass switching
Die-cast zinc case
AC/DC operation (order optional Maxon AC210N adapter)
Product Specs
Input: 1/4" mono jack
Output: 1/4" mono jack
Power: 9V DC, 6 mA, center pin minus (not included)
Dimensions: (WxDxH) 74 mm x 124 mm x 54 mm
Weight: 580g
The magic is in the interactive nature of all these factors … and then some. (This list is for passive pickups and does not include many aspects of active pickups.) Sometimes I see pickups boiled down to only a few factors, and I do not think that is a sophisticated enough view of these complicated and potentially beautiful-sounding devices.
As an example, it is thought that most players have an idea of the sound that humbucking pickups with alnico 4 magnets that are wound to 7.8k make. They’re historically associated with PAF humbuckers, but those qualities don’t fully explain what gives those pickups character. For example, if the pickup’s wire is standard-size 42 gauge, at 5,000 turns the pickup would have a resistance of about 7.5k. If you use 42-gauge wire that is undersized (which is a common inconsistency) and 4,800 turns, the pickup would still be around 7.5k. Because of the wire diameter and different number of turns, the pickups would sound different even though it’s the same magnet and same resistance. The wire matters; 7.5k is just the resistance of both coils. Just as wire diameter varies, alnico 4 purchased from four manufacturers sounds four different ways, so you have to compensate for that in other design areas as well.
If you think about the sound of a Strat, there is a “whistle note” (or you can think of it as a “ping note”) in every note you play. Think about playing on the neck pickup on a Strat; you can hear that whistle sound in every note. The pickup without a load is resonating at about 11k and at about 15 dB. Fifteen decibels is a lot. Imagine adding 15 dB of 11k (high treble) to your vocal at a gig! The potentiometers on a Strat, and those are 250k (which is a fairly low value for a volume and tone control), calm down how loud the whistle note is. When these single-coil pickups are built well, this whistle note can be very musical. Just think of Robbie Blunt playing “Big Log” on Robert Plant’s 1983 album The Principle of Moments. For us at PRS, getting the whistle note to be the right frequency and the right volume is very important. It is believed, for good reason, that an old PAF pickup can sound very much like a single-coil Strat pickup. That is because of the frequency and volume of the whistle note coming out of these vintage pickups.
“In the end, it’s really simple. Do you like the sound of the pickup? Will it do the job that you’re looking for the instrument to do?”
In the end, it’s really simple. Do you like the sound of the pickup? Will it do the job that you’re looking for the instrument to do? When David Grissom worked with us on our DGT pickups, he spent almost a year on them, and at the end of the process, he was adjusting the coil wire by 25 turns at a time until it was exactly where he wanted it. And that’s only the amount of turns. We also evaluated the magnetic type, strength, etc. I bring up all these parameters to give you an idea of how complicated it is to get all the specifications to dance well together. I like what’s going on pickup-wise at PRS and believe that our 2025 offering is gonna turn some heads. Normally, I don’t bring up what we do at PRS in these articles, but this time I think it’s worth mentioning, so stay tuned.
Consider all the types of pickups out there: humbuckers, covered humbuckers, P-90s, Strat single-coils, Tele single-coils, Gretsch Filter’Trons, Jazzmaster, P Bass, Jazz Bass, no-hum single-coils, and mini-humbuckers that make single-coil sounds. Within each one of these types, there can be scores of variations. How to choose? Simply try a pickup and see if you like it!
Key Features of the ZOMA
● Intuitive Control Layout: Three large knobs give you full control over Reverb Level, Tremolo Rate,and Depth
● Easy Access to Alternate Controls: Adjust Reverb Decay, Reverb Tone, and Tremolo Volume withsimple alt-controls.
● Instant Effect Order Switching: Customize your signal path. Position tremolos after reverb for avintage, black-panel tone or place harmonic tremolo before reverb for a dirty, swampy sound.
● True Bypass or Buffered Trails: Choose the setting that best suits your rig.
Three Reverb and Tremolo Modes:
● SS – Spring Reverb & Sine Tremolo: Classic spring reverb paired with a sine wave tremolo for that timelessblack-panel amp tone.
● PH – Plate Reverb & Harmonic Tremolo: Smooth, bright plate reverb combined with swampy harmonictremolo.
● PV – Plate Reverb & Pitch Vibrato: Achieve a vocal-like vibrato with ethereal plate reverb.
Reverb: Sounds & Controls
● Spring Reverb: Authentic tube amp spring reverb that captures every detail of vintage sound.
● Plate Reverb: Bright and smooth, recreating the lush tones of vibrating metal plates.
● Reverb Decay: Adjust the decay time using the REVERB/ALT SWITCH while turning the Level knob.
● Reverb Tone: Modify the tone of your reverb using the REVERB/ALT SWITCH while turning the Rate knob.
Tremolo: Sounds & Controls
● Sine Wave/Volume Tremolo: Adjusts the volume of the signal up and down with smooth sine wavemodulation.
● Harmonic Tremolo: Replicates classic tube-amp harmonic tremolo, creating a phaser-like effect withphase-split filtering.
● Pitch Vibrato: Delivers pitch bending effects that let you control how far and how fast notes shift.
● Alt-Control Tremolo Boost Volume: Adjust the boost volume by holding the REVERB/ALT footswitch whileturning the Depth knob.
The ZOMA is built with artfully designed circuitry and housed in a proprietary angled aluminum enclosure, ensuring both simplicity and durability. Like all Keeley pedals, it’s proudly designed and manufactured in the USA.
ZOMA Stereo Reverb and Tremolo
The first sound effects built into amplifiers were tremolo and reverb. Keeley’s legendary reverbs are paired with their sultry, vocal-like tremolos to give you an unreal sonic experience.
Stevie Ray Vaughan was a force of nature. With his “Number One” Strat, he drove a veritable trove of amps—including vintage Fenders, a rotating Vibratone cab, and a Dumble—to create one of the most compelling tones of all, capable of buttery warmth, percussive pick articulation, and cathartic, screaming excess. As he drew upon an endless well of deeply informed blues guitar vocabulary, his creativity on the instrument seemingly knew no bounds.
Your 100 Guitarists hosts are too young to have experienced SRV live. We’ve spent decades with the records, live bootlegs, and videos, but we’ll never know quite how it felt to be in the room with SRV’s guitar sound. So, we’d like to spend some time imagining: How did it feel when it hit you? How did he command his band, Double Trouble? The audience?
SRV was mythical. His heavy-gauge strings tore up his fingers and made a generation of blues guitarists work a lot harder. And his wall of amps seems finely curated to push as much air in all directions as possible. How far did he take it? Was he fine-tuning his amps to extreme degrees? Or could he get his sound out of anything he plugged into?
