
ESP Guitars announces 43 new LTD and LTD Deluxe guitar models to kick off the new year.
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A new Camo finish has been made available for the LTD and ESP James Hetfield Snakebyte. The Snakebyte features set-neck construction at 24.75" scale, 22 extra-jumbo frets, a TonePros locking TOM bridge and tailpiece, and James' own EMG JH SET active pickups.
The LTD Arrow Series has expanded with four new additions. The LTD Deluxe Arrow-1000 offers a quilted maple top in a Charcoal Burst Satin finish. It features neck-thru-body construction, a reverse headstock with matching finish, Macassar ebony fingerboard with stainless steel frets, a set of direct mount Fishman Fluence Modern Humbucker active pickups, and a Floyd Rose 1000SE bridge with stainless steel screws. The LTD Deluxe Arrow-1000NT (Charcoal Metallic Satin) offers a recessed TonePros TOM bridge with string-thru-body, neck-thru-body construction, stainless steel frets, and direct mount Fishman Fluence Modern Humbucker active pickups. The LTD Deluxe Arrow-1000 EverTune includes the innovative EverTune constant tension bridge system, and comes in Black. All Arrow 1000 models have compound radius fingerboards. The LTD Arrow-200 (Military Green Satin) offers a more affordable version of the Arrow Series with a set-neck design, an LTD Floyd Rose tremolo, and a set of high output ESP LH-301 pickups with black covers.
Seven new guitars have joined ESPās popular LTD EC Series. The LTD Deluxe EC-1000 Baritone comes in a 27ā baritone scale, with a Charcoal Metallic Satin finish and black single-ply binding. Features include 24 extra-jumbo stainless steel frets, glow-in-the-dark Luminlay side dots, a TonePros locking TOM bridge with string-thru-body, and a set of direct-mount Fishman Fluence Modern Humbucker active pickups with black nickel covers. The new LTD Deluxe EC-1000 in See Thru Purple Sunburst offers 24 extra-jumbo stainless steel frets, and a set of EMG 60TW-R (neck) and EMG 81 (bridge) pickups. The LTD Deluxe EC-1000T CTM EverTune has a traditional full-thickness body, custom multi-ply binding on the guitarās front and back, and the EverTune constant tension bridge system. It also features Fishman Fluence Classic Humbucker pickups and 22 extra-jumbo stainless steel frets.
The new LTD Deluxe EC-1000T CTM in Violet Shadow has a gorgeous flamed maple top, traditional thickness body and multi-ply binding. This guitar includes a set of direct-mount Fishman Fluence Open Core Classic Humbucker pickups with multiple voicings, 22 extra-jumbo stainless steel frets, and a TonePro locking TOM bridge and tailpiece. The LTD Deluxe EC-1000T CTM in Charcoal Burst combines an elegant quilted maple top and a traditional full-thickness mahogany body (with no waist cut). It features a TonePros locking TOM bridge and tailpiece, matching headstock finish, 22 extra-jumbo stainless steel frets, and a set of direct-mount Fishman Fluence Open Core Classic Humbucker pickups. Another new EC Series guitar is the LTD Deluxe EC-1000T CTM Vintage Gold Satin, which features a traditional full-thickness mahogany body, multi-ply binding, a TonePros locking TOM bridge and tailpiece, 22 extra-jumbo stainless steel frets, and a set of direct-mount Fishman Fluence Open Core Classic Humbucker pickups with multiple voicings. Finally, a more affordable version of the EC Series has been announced with the LTD EC-201, which offers set-neck construction, 24 extra-jumbo frets, and a single ESP LH-150B pickup with antique nickel cover, which can be split for single-coil sounds with a push-pull volume knob.
ESPās EX Series has two new models for 2022. The LTD EX-7 Baritone Black Metal is a seven-string guitar at 27ā baritone scale. It offers the Black Metal design theme of all-black finish, components, and hardware, and a Macassar ebony fingerboard with no inlays and glow-in-the-dark side markers. It features a set-thru maple neck, 24 extra-jumbo stainless steel frets, a TonePros locking bridge and tailpiece, and a single direct-mount EMG 81-7H pickup with black logo. The LTD EX-201 is an affordable way to get into the extreme EX shape, and offers a reverse matching headstock and a single direct-mount ESP LH-150B pickup with antique nickel cover, which can be split for single-coil sounds with a push pull volume knob. A high output pickup, the LH-150B is great for rock and metal, and has an antique nickel cover. ESP also made an addition to their F Series with the LTD Deluxe F-1001, which comes in the multihued, iridescent Violet Andromeda Satin finish. It features set-thru construction, an extra-thin maple neck that has a compound radius for maximum speed and comfort, 24 extra-jumbo stainless steel frets, a Floyd Rose 1000SE bridge with stainless steel screws, and a single direct-mount EMG 81TW active pickup with a brushed black chrome cover.
New models in the H Series and H3 Series include the new LTD Deluxe H-1000 EverTune in See Thru Purple Sunburst, featuring the EverTune constant tension bridge, 24 extra-jumbo stainless steel frets, and a set of Fishman Fluence Modern Humbuckers. Available in Snow White finish, the LTD Deluxe H3-1000FR has an extra-thin maple neck with a compound radius, 24 extra-jumbo stainless steel frets, a Floyd Rose 1000SE bridge with stainless steel screws, and EMG 66TW (neck) and EMG 57 (bridge) pickups in brushed gold covers. The LTD Deluxe H3-1000 in See Thru Black Cherry has a quilted maple top, and features a compound neck radius, 24 extra-jumbo stainless steel frets, a TonePros locking TOM bridge with string-thru-body, and a set of direct-mount Seymour Duncan Sentient (neck) and Pegasus (bridge) pickups. The LTD Deluxe H3-1007 Baritone is a 7-string, 27ā baritone scale extended range guitar with a flamed maple top in See Thru Black Sunburst finish. It includes a set of direct-mount Seymour Duncan Sentient (neck) and Pegasus (bridge) pickups.
ESP has added new finishes for its popular ā87 Series guitars. The LTD M-1 Custom ā87 offers neck-thru body construction, a top-mounted Floyd Rose 1000 bridge, 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. For 2022, it is being made available in Dark Metallic Purple and Metallic Gold finishes. The LTD Mirage Deluxe ā87 features a Floyd Rose 1000 bridge and a pickup set that includes a Seymour Duncan Distortion TB-6 in the bridge and Hot Rail single coil in the neck. Its new finishes for 2022 include Snow White and Metallic Gold.
Available in Black Satin finish, the LTD Deluxe MH-1000 Baritone offers the extended range of a 27ā baritone scale. It features neck-thru-body construction, a compound neck radius, 24 extra jumbo stainless steel frets, a TonePros locking TOM bridge with string-thru-body, and direct-mount EMG 81 and EMG 60TW-R pickups with brushed black chrome covers. The LTD Deluxe MH-1000 comes in the beautiful new Black Ocean finish on its quilted maple top, and includes 24 extra-jumbo stainless steel frets, a Floyd Rose 1000SE bridge with stainless steel screws, and a set of direct-mount Fishman Fluence Modern Humbuckers with brushed stainless steel covers.
Three new models are being added to the Phoenix Series. The LTD Phoenix-7 Baritone Black Metal is an extended-range version of the Phoenix with seven strings and 27ā baritone scale. It features neck-thru body construction, a Fishman Modern 7-String Humbucker pickup, and 22 extra-jumbo stainless steel frets, and a TonePros locking TOM bridge with string-thru-body. The LTD Deluxe Phoenix-1000 EverTune is the first Phoenix model to offer the EverTune constant tension bridge. Finished in Silver Sunburst Satin, it features neck-thru-body construction, 22 extra-jumbo stainless steel frets, and a set of Fishman Fluence Modern Humbuckers with black nickel covers. The LTD Deluxe Phoenix-1000 has a quilted maple top in a See Thru Black Sunburst finish. Features include neck-thru-body construction, a reversed headstock with matching finish, 22 extra-jumbo stainless steel frets, a TonePros locking TOM bridge and tailpiece, and a set of Seymour Duncan Phat Cat (neck) and Custom (bridge) pickups.
The SN Series is expanding with four new models. The LTD Deluxe SN-1000 EverTune is the first SN Series guitar to include the innovative EverTune constant tension bridge. Available in Charcoal Metallic Satin finish, it comes in an H/S/S pickup configuration with two Seymour Duncan Hot Strat single coils in the neck and middle positions, and a high-output Pegasus in the bridge. Other features include a roasted maple neck with compound radius, 22 extra-jumbo stainless steel frets (scalloped from frets 17-24), a matching-finish headstock, and a special mini toggle switch (same as found on the ESP Snapper models) provides even more tonal options. The LTD Deluxe SN-1007 Baritone HT is the first SN Series model with the extended range of seven strings and a 27ā baritone scale. Offered in the textured Black Blast finish, it has a roasted maple neck with a compound radius, 24 extra-jumbo stainless steel frets (scalloped from frets 17-24), a black bone nut, a Hipshot hardtail bridge with string thru body, and a set of Fishman Fluence Modern Humbuckers.
The LTD Deluxe SN-1000HT Fire Blast has a textured, sandblasted Fire Blast finish over a swamp ash body, a roasted maple neck with a compound radius, 22 extra-jumbo stainless steel frets, a black bone nut, a Hipshot hardtail bridge with string thru body, and a set of Fishman Fluence Modern Humbuckers. The LTD Deluxe SN-1000FR (Snow White finish) includes a double-locking Floyd Rose 1000SE bridge with stainless steel screws, a roasted maple neck with a compound radius, 24 extra-jumbo stainless steel frets (scalloped from frets 17-24), a matching-finish headstock, and an H/S/S pickup configuration with two Fishman Fluence Single Width pickups in the neck and middle positions and a Fishman Fluence Classic Humbucker in the bridge.
Three new models are also joining the TE Series. The LTD Deluxe TE-1000 Snow White offers set-thru construction, 24 extra-jumbo stainless steel frets, a Hipshot hardtail bridge with string thru body, and a set of Fishman Fluence Modern Humbuckers. Two new lower-priced TE models join the series with the LTD TE-200 (Black finish, LTD fixed bridge with string-thru-body and a set of ESP LH-150 pickups) and the LTD TE-201 (Black Satin finish, LTD fixed bridge with string-thru-body, and a single ESP LH-150B pickup with antique nickel cover).
A new finish comes to the LTD TL-6. Now in Purple Sparkle Burst, the TL-6 is a chambered transducer electric guitar with a Graphtech NuBone-XB nut and saddle, a Fishman SONICORE pickup, and TL-3 preamp with onboard tuner.
Detailed information and specifications for all āNew for 2022ā ESP and LTD guitar models is available at the ESP web site at espguitars.com
- ESP LTD Vintage-204 Bass Review - Premier Guitar āŗ
- ESP LTD AP-204 Review - Premier Guitar āŗ
- ESP James Hetfield Snakebyte Electric Guitar Review - Premier Guitar āŗ
With separate Doom and Shimmer controls, low-pass and high-pass filter settings, and built-in Grit dynamic distortion, this pedal is a must-have for creating atmospheric sounds.
āBatverb was inspired by our Eurorack module, Desmodus Versio, but when we tried to bring thatexperience to guitar, we realized quickly that we would need to rethink the approach. The module andBatverb share zero code: the entire thing was redesigned from the ground up, with the dynamics and tonality of guitar at the forefront,ā said Stephen McCaul, Chief Noisemaker at Noise Engineering.
Batverb was designed and built in sunny Southern California. It is currently available for preorder at $499 and will start shipping March 13, 2025.
Key Features
- Predelay/delay Time and Regen controls
- Separate Doom and Shimmer controls add in suboctaves and haunting overtones
- Low-pass and high-pass filter settings for the reverb tank allow you to add filtering and harmonics to reverb tails
- Built-in Grit dynamic distortion can apply to only the wet signal or the whole output
- Includes onboard dry/wet Blend control and input- and output-gain parameters
- Duck switch controls the reverbās behavior using your playing to shape the output
- Three bypass modes allow control of tails when pedal is disengaged
- Create instant atmospheres with reverb-freezing Hold footswitch
- Route the expression input can to any parameter on the pedal
- Store and recall 16 presets in response to MIDI program-change messages
For more information, please visit noiseengineering.us.
Sound Study // Noise Engineering - Batverb - YouTube
Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.Our columnist has journeyed through blizzards and hurricanes to scoop up rare, weird guitars, like this axe of unknown origin.
Collecting rare classic guitars isnāt for the faint of heartāa reality confirmed by the case of this Japanese axe of unknown provenance.
If youāve been reading this column regularly, youāll know that my kids are getting older and gearing up for life after high school. Cars, insurance, tuition, and independence are really giving me agita these days! As a result, Iāve been slowly selling off my large collection of guitars, amps, and effects. When Iām looking for things to sell, I often find stuff I forgot I hadāitās crazy town! Finding rare gear was such a passion of mine for so many years. I braved snowstorms, sketchy situations, shady characters, slimy shop owners, and even hurricane Sandy! If you think about it, itās sort of easy to buy gear. All you have to do is be patient and search. Even payments nowadays are simple. I mean, when I got my first credit cardā¦. Forget about it!
Now, selling, which is what I mainly do now, is a different story. Packing, shipping, and taking photos is time consuming. And man, potential buyers can be really exhausting. Iāve learned that shipping costs are way higher, but buyers are still the same. You have the happy buyer, the tire kicker, the endless questioner, the ghoster, and the grump. Sometimes there are even combinations of the above. Itās an interesting lesson in human psychology, if youāre so inclined. For me, vintage guitars are like vintage cars and have some quirks that a modern player might not appreciate. Like, can you play around buzzing or dead frets? How about really tiny frets? Or humps and bumps on a fretboard? What about controlling high feedback and squealing pickups by keeping your fingers on the metal parts of the guitar? Not everyone can be like Jack White, fighting his old, red, Valco-made fiberglass Airline. It had one working pickup and original frets! I guess my point is: Buyer beware!
āThey all sound greatāall made from the same type of wood and all wired similarlyābut since real quality control didnāt really exist at that time, the fate of guitars was left up to chance.ā
Take, for instance, the crazy-cool guitar presented here. Itās a total unknown as far as the maker goes, but it is Japanese and from the 1960s. Iāve had a few similar models and they all feature metal pickguards and interesting designs. Iāve also seen this same guitar with four pickups, which is a rare find. But hereās the rub: Every one of the guitars Iāve had from the unknown maker were all a bit different as far as playability. They all sound greatāall made from the same type of wood and all wired similarlyābut since real quality control didnāt exist at that time, the final state of guitars was left up to chance. Like, what if the person carving necks had a hangover that day? Or had a fight that morning? Seriously, each one of these guitars is like a fingerprint. Itās not like today where almost every guitar has a similar feel. Itās like the rare Teisco T-60, one of Glen Campbellās favorite guitars. I have three, and one has a deep V-shaped neck, and the other two are more rounded and slim. Same guitars, all built in 1960 by just a few Teisco employees that worked there at the time.
When I got this guitar, I expected all the usual things, like a neck shim (to get a better break-over string angle), rewire, possible refret, neck planing, and other usual stuff that I or my great tech Dave DāAmelio have to deal with. Sometimes Dave dreads seeing me show up with problems I canāt handle, but just like a good mechanic, a good tech is hard to come by when it comes to vintage gear. Recently, I sold a guitar that I set up and Dave spent a few more hours getting it playable. When it arrived at the buyerās home, he sent me an email saying the guitar wasnāt playable and the pickups kept cutting out. He took the guitar to his tech who also said the guitar was unplayable. So what can you do? Every sale has different circumstances.
Anyway, I still have this guitar and still enjoy playing it, but it does fight me a little, and thatās fine with me. The pickup switches get finicky and the volume and tone knobs have to be rolled back and forth to work out the dust, but it simply sounds great! Itās as unique as a snowflakeākinda like the ones I often braved back when I was searching for old gear!
Sleep Token announces their Even In Arcadia Tour, hitting 17 cities across the U.S. this fall. The tour, promoted by AEG Presents, will be their only headline tour of 2025.
Sleep Token returns with Even In Arcadia, their fourth offering and first under RCA Records, set to release on May 9th. This new chapter follows Take Me Back To Eden and continues the unfolding journey, where Sleep Token further intertwines the boundaries of sound and emotion, dissolving into something otherworldly.
As this next chapter commences, the band has unveiled their return to the U.S. with the Even In Arcadia Tour, with stops across 17 cities this fall. Promoted by AEG Presents, the Even In Arcadia Tour will be Sleep Tokenās only 2025 headline tour and exclusive to the U.S. All dates are below. Tickets go on sale to the general public on Friday, March 21st at 10 a.m. local time here. Sleep Token will also appear at the Louder Than Life festival on Friday, September 19th.
Sleep Token wants to give fans, not scalpers, the best chance to buy tickets at face value. To make this possible, they have chosen to use Ticketmaster's Face Value Exchange. If fans purchase tickets for a show and can't attend, they'll have the option to resell them to other fans on Ticketmaster at the original price paid. To ensure Face Value Exchange works as intended, Sleep Token has requested all tickets be mobile only and restricted from transfer.
*New York, Illinois, Colorado, and Utah have passed state laws requiring unlimited ticket resale and limiting artists' ability to determine how their tickets are resold. To adhere to local law, tickets in this state will not be restricted from transfer but the artist encourages fans who cannot attend to sell their tickets at the original price paid on Ticketmaster.
For more information, please visit sleep-token.com.
Even In Arcadia Tour Dates:
- September 16, 2025 - Duluth, GA - Gas South Arena
- September 17, 2025 - Orlando, FL - Kia Center
- September 19, 2025 - Louisville, KY - Louder Than Life (Festival)
- September 20, 2025 ā Greensboro, NC - First Horizon Coliseum
- September 22, 2025 - Brooklyn, NY - Barclays Center
- September 23, 2025 - Worcester, MA - DCU Center
- September 24, 2025 - Philadelphia, PA - Wells Fargo Center
- September 26, 2025 - Detroit, MI - Little Caesars Arena
- September 27, 2025 - Cleveland, OH - Rocket Arena
- September 28, 2025 - Rosemont, IL - Allstate Arena
- September 30, 2025 - Lincoln, NE - Pinnacle Bank Arena
- October 1, 2025 - Minneapolis, MN - Target Center
- October 3, 2025 - Denver, CO - Ball Arena
- October 5, 2025 - West Valley City, UT - Maverik Center
- October 7, 2025 - Tacoma, WA - Tacoma Dome
- October 8, 2025 - Portland, OR - Moda Center
- October 10, 2025 - Oakland, CA - Oakland Arena
- October 11, 2025 - Los Angeles, CA - Crypto.com Arena
The Rickenbacker 481ās body style was based on the 4001 bass, popularly played by Paul McCartney. Even with that, the guitar was too experimental to reach its full potential.
The body style may have evoked McCartney, but this ahead-of-its-time experiment was a different beast altogether.
In the early days of Beatlemania, John Lennon andGeorge Harrison made stars out of their Rickenbacker guitars: Johnās 325, which he acquired in 1960 and used throughout their rise, and Georgeās 360/12, which brought its inimitable sound to āA Hard Dayās Nightā and other early classics.
By the early 1970s, the great interest the lads had sparked in 6- and 12-string Ricks had waned. But thankfully for the company, there was still high demand for yet another Beatles-played instrument: the 4001 bass.
Paul McCartney was gifted a 4001 by Rickenbacker in 1965, which he then used prominently throughout the groupās late-ā60s recordings and while leading Wings all through the ā70s. Other rising stars of rock also donned 4000 series models, like YesāChris Squire, Pink FloydāsRoger Waters, the Bee Geesā Maurice Gibb, Creedence Clearwater Revivalās Stu Cook, and more.
And like that, a new star was born.
So, whatās a guitar company to do when its basses are selling better than its guitars? VoilĆ : The Rickenbacker 480. Introduced in 1972, it took the 4000-series body shape and created a standard 6-string out of it, using a bolt-on neck for the first time in the brandās history.
The 481ās slanted frets predate the modern multi-scale phenomenon by decades. The eight-degree tilt of the frets is matched by an eight-degree tilt of the nut, pickups, and bridge.
āIt was like a yo-yo at Rickenbacker sometimes,ā factory manager Dick Burke says in Rickenbacker Guitars: Out of the Frying Pan Into the Fireglo. āWe got quiet in the late ā60s, but when the bass started taking off in the ā70s, we got real busy again, so making a 6-string version of that was logical, I guess.ā
The gambit worked, for a time. Sales of the 480 were strong enough at first that, in 1973, a deluxe model was introducedāthe 481āand itās one of these deluxe versions that weāre showcasing here.
āThe 481 features slant fretsāpointing ever-so-slightly toward the body of the guitarāand the eight-degree tilt of the frets is matched by an eight-degree tilt of the nut, pickups, and bridge.ā
Take a close look and youāll notice that the body shape isnāt the only remarkable feature. The 481 was Rickenbackerās first production run to feature humbucker pickups. Here, you can see each humbuckerās 12 pole pieces dotting through the chrome cover, a variant casing only available from 1975 to 1976. (Interestingly enough, the pickups had first been developed for the 490, a prototype that never made it to public release, which wouldāve allowed players to substitute different pickups by swapping loaded pickguards in and out of the body.)
The new pickups were also treated with novel electronics. The standard 3-way pickup-selector switch is here, but so is a second small switch that reverses the pickupsā phase when engaged.
The inventive minds at Rickenbacker didnāt stop there: The 481 features slant fretsāpointing ever-so-slightly toward the body of the guitarāand the eight-degree tilt of the frets is matched by an eight-degree tilt of the nut, pickups, and bridge.
Long before the fanned fret phenomenon caught on in the modern, progressive guitar landscape, Rickenbacker had been toying around with the slant-fret concept. Originally available from 1970 forward as a custom order on other models, slant frets were all but standard on the 481 (only a small minority of straight-fret 481s were built).
The 481 was the deluxe version of the 480, which preceded it and marked the first time the company used a bolt-on neck.
Dick Burke, speaking separately to writer Tony Bacon in an interview published on Reverb, only half-recalls the genesis and doesnāt remember them selling particularly well: āSome musicians said thatās the way when you hold the neck in your left handāyour hand is slanted. So, we put the slanted frets in a few guitars. I donāt know how many, maybe a hundred or twoāI donāt recall.ā
Even proponents of the 481 do not necessarily sing the praises of the slanted fretboard. Kasabianās Serge Pizzorno, a 481 superfan, told Rickenbacker Guitars author Martin Kelly, āI donāt just love the 481, itās part of me.... The 481ās slanted frets have made my fingers crooked for life, but I donāt care, Iāll take that for itās given me riff after riff after riff."
Initial 480-series sales were promising, but the models never really took off. Though they were built as late as 1984, the slant-fret experiment of the 481 was called off by 1979. And these slanted models have not, in the minds of most players or collectors, become anywhere near as sought-after as the classic 330s and 360s, or, for that matter, the 4001s.
For that reason, 481sādespite their novelty and their lists of firsts for Rickenbackerācan still be found for relatively cheap. Our Vintage Vault pick, which is being sold by the Leicester, England-based Jordan Guitars Ltd, has an asking price of 3,350 British pounds (or about 4,300 U.S. dollars), which is still well under half the going-rate of early 360s, 660s, and other more famous Ricks. Some lucky buyers have even found 481s on Reverb for less than $2,000, which is unheard of for other vintage models.
With its idiosyncratic charms, the 481 remains more within reach than many other guitars of a similar vintage.
Sources: Martin Kellyās Rickenbacker Guitars: Out of the Frying Pan Into the Fireglo, Tony Baconās"Interview: Dick Burke on the Creation of the Rickenbacker 12-String | Baconās Archive" on Reverb, Reverb Price Guide sales data.