ESP Signature Series Guitars James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett of Metallica

You know them as two of metal's most iconic guitarists who have defined the sound of heavy music for decades. We just call them James and Kirk. But no matter what you think of when you hear the rhythm and lead assault of Metallica, the power of their ESP guitars have played an important role in the sound of James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett. We're proud to once again introduce their latest ESP and LTD Signature Series models.

James Hetfield Snakebyte The first thing you should know about the Snakebyte is that it's a brand new body shape that was personally designed by James Hetfield. That much should be obvious the minute you look at the photo. Not only is it unlike any ESP you've seen before, but its bold lines invoke thoughts of great guitars of the past, along with a glimpse into the future of metal. 

The Snakebyte is available is both ESP and LTD versions. It has a set-neck construction at a very playable 24.75" scale, with a mahogany body and neck, and an ebony fingerboard with 22 XJ frets. Per James' direction, the Snakebyte features Sperzel locking tuners, Schaller straplocks, a Tonepros locking bridge/tailpiece, and EMG 81 (bridge) / EMG 60 (neck) active pickups. Both the ESP and LTD versions of the guitar are available in two finishes: Black and Snow White, and feature a pearloid snake inlay on the fingerboard.

Limited Edition Kirk Hammett ESP KH-2 SE and LTD KH-SE

As it turns out, it really is easy being green. Just ask Kirk Hammett, who specified this metallic greenburst finish for his custom ESP guitars he's been using on recent tours. But if you want to own the ESP KH-2 SE or the LTD KH-SE, you shouldn't delay. We're only making 100 of the ESP version, and 300 of the LTD version for the entire world. Yes, this is a limited edition guitar, making it as important of a find for serious players, serious Metallica fans, and serious guitar collectors alike.

Highlighted by a brilliant metallic greenburst finish, the ESP KH-2 SE offers neck-thrubody construction, a 25.5" scale, an alder body, and maple neck with rosewood fingerboard, 24 XJ frets (with frets 17-24 scalloped), and green pearloid skull inlays. Other high-performance features include Gotoh tuners, EMG 81 (bridge) / EMG 60 (neck) active pickups, and an original Floyd Rose bridge. The LTD KH-SE has a bolt-on maple neck, a basswood body, ESP tuners and pickups, and a Floyd Rose Special bridge.

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ESP Commemorates the 25th Anniversary of "Reign in Blood" with the Limited Edition SLAYER-2011 Guitar

Letʼs get in our time machine and set the dial for 1986. Ronald Reagan was president, the cold war was still raging, and a good number of you ESP fans werenʼt even born yet. But a certain Los Angeles-based thrash band was busy working on what would end up being one of the most influential metal albums of all time, and in October of that year, Slayerʼs Reign in Blood was released.

Reign in Blood had a few factors going that made it stand out from Slayerʼs previous two albums. For one thing, the band shortened their compositions, making them no longer than necessary to get the point across (which also showed the influence of punk rock and closed the gap between metal and hardcore). But another big change was the introduction of Slayer to producer Rick Rubin, who helped Slayer perform more tightly as a unit than ever before. Even with an average tempo of 210 beats per minute, Slayerʼs sound was honed like a knife, and had no slop at that insanely high speed.

The album proved to be a landmark in music for its intensity and aggression, and its influence reverberated through heavy music for decades to come. With Slayerʼs frontman, bassist Tom Araya, and guitarist Jeff Hanneman both being long-time ESP players, we felt it was important to commemorate the significance of the 25th anniversary of Reign In Blood with the release of the limited-edition LTD SLAYER-2011 guitar.
 

Limited Edition with Original Album Art

The first thing youʼll notice about the SLAYER-2011 is the art. Anyone familiar with Reign in Blood will immediately recognize the original album art has been adapted as the graphic finish for the guitar. Take a look at the details... starting at the headstock, we added a special LTD logo in the famous Slayer typeface, next to the words "Reign in Blood 25". Pentagram inlays are set in the lower half of the fingerboard, with the Slayer logo inlaid near the 12th fret. The SLAYER-2011 uses bolt-on construction with an alder body, a maple neck with ebony fingerboard, 24 XJ frets, a TOM bridge with stringthru- body design, and EMG 81 (bridge) and EMG 85 (neck) active pickups. Only 300 LTD SLAYER-2011 guitars will be made for the entire world, so this guitar will be an instant classic for both players and collectors.

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