November '08
Shadows Fall Updates Tour Plans
ESP on MySpace: Are you our friend?
October '08
Watch Chimaira Live in the Studio
September '08
ESP Does Dallas...
for Ozzfest 2008!
Three New LTD Deluxe Models for Fall 2008!
August '08
2008 NE Metal/Hardcore Festival Diary
July '08
June '08
George Lynch's New Band:
Souls of We!
May '08
Artist Spotlight: Michael Paget of Bullet For My Valentine
April '08
IMPORTANT NOTICE: Counterfeit ESP guitars
MARCH '08
FEBRUARY '08
Artist Spotlight: Richard Z of Emigrate
JANUARY '08
Check out the latest additions to the ESP/LTD line!
Ah, summertime. It brings back thoughts of being out of school, spending lazy days soaking up the sun, of long days and warm nights. But if youʼre a fan of ESP, Summer 2008 is the time to introduce some hot new models! Hereʼs some information on the latest guitars and basses to bear the ESP/LTD name.
In case you hadnʼt heard, we added two new Signature Series models that were introduced a few months ago at the Musikmesse show. While youʼre certainly aware that Alexi Laiho of Children of Bodom has been an ESP player for a long time, weʼre happy to bring out signature models for two other members of this awesome band. The Roope Latvala LTD RL-600 guitar and Henkka T. Blacksmith LTD HTB-600 bass will be available from authorized ESP/LTD dealers.
The Roope Latvala LTD RL-600 offers a unique star-shaped alder body with a neckthrough design at 25.5” scale. The maple thin-U neck with ebony fingerboard has custom inlays and 24 XJ frets. Black nickel hardware includes a Floyd Rose bridge and Grover tuners, with an EMG HZ H-2 pickup controlled by a single volume knob. The guitar comes in a custom light grey finish.
The LTD HTB-600 signature series bass is Henkka T. Blacksmithʼs custom bass made available for the general public. Only the second signature bass from ESP (the other being by Tom Araya of Slayer), the HTB-600 features a neck-thru-body design at 34" scale. The lightweight and comfortable alder body is adjoined by the maple neck and ebony fingerboard, which has no inlays except the model name at the 12th fret (24 XJ frets total). Grover tuners and an ESP BB-604 bridge are made of black nickel, and the bassʼ electronics include two EMG 35DC (bridge and neck) active pickups with EMG BQS 3-band active EQ. The bass is offered in a black finish with a “COBHC” graphic on the front.
After our first couple of Graphic Series guitars sold out faster than ice cream cones in the desert, we decided to try a couple new ones. The LTD EC-Cobweb and LTD ECRedburn are based on custom artwork by designed by groundbreaking UK artist Sam Shearon (a.k.a. Mister-Sam). His style, often referred to as “dark surrealism”, is reflected in the two new models, which will have a limited production run of 100 of each. Each instrument will include a Certificate of Authenticity signed by the artist. The guitar is based on ESPʼs popular LTD EC-500 model, which has a set-neck single-cutaway design at 24.75" scale, a mahogany body, a mahogany neck with rosewood fingerboard, and EMG 81 (bridge) / 60 (neck) active pickups.
Our customers have also told us how much they dig our pre-distressed “aged” ESP models, so we have two more of those beauties for you to drool over. But these bad boys are created under the LTD brand, so even more musicians will be able to get into these great-looking, great-feeling guitars. The LTD EC-256 is a single-cutaway 24.75” scale guitar with an aged treatment on the respective Aged Honey Burst (“AHB”, with flamed maple top) and Aged Vintage Black (“AVB”) finishes. Both guitars offer ESP LH-150 (bridge and neck) pickups.
When youʼre done splashing around in the pool and are ready to seriously rock, thereʼs one more new LTD thatʼll be great to play on a summerʼs eve: the new LTD M-200UC, an affordable guitar in the popular M Series with a monochrome Urban Camouflage finish. The guitar has a bolt-on neck at 25.5” scale, and features a basswood body, a maple neck with rosewood fingerboard, a locking nut and double-locking bridge, an extra thin flat neck contour, 24 XJ frets, and ESP LH-150 (bridge and neck) pickups.
As always, the best place to turn for more information on the newest ESP and LTD models is your local authorized ESP/LTD retailer. One last piece of hot advice from your friends at the worldʼs coolest guitar company: have fun for the rest of the summer by trying out the new ESP/LTD models, and use sunscreen! Sunburns are not cool.
