WInner's Circle: "LTD Deluxe SN-1000HT + Swag Pack" Sweepstakes

WInner's Circle: "LTD Deluxe SN-1000HT + Swag Pack" Sweepstakes

Thousands and thousands of people from around the world entered for a chance to win the LTD Deluxe SN-1000HT Fire Blast and a sweet ESP swag pack, but there could be only one winner, and he is Ilkka Jähi of Finland. We're...
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ESP Guitars Announces Stainless Steel Frets Now Included on All ESP E-II Guitar and Bass Models

ESP Guitars Announces Stainless Steel Frets Now Included on All ESP E-II Guitar and Bass Models

ANAHEIM, CA (JANUARY 25, 2024) – ESP Guitars (NAMM Booth 208A/B) announced that its entire Japan factory-built ESP E-II Series of guitars and basses will now feature stainless steel frets. ESP had already made the switch to...
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ESP Guitars Adds Horizon Custom ‘87 to Popular LTD ’87 Series

ESP Guitars Adds Horizon Custom ‘87 to Popular LTD ’87 Series

ANAHEIM, CA (JANUARY 25, 2024) – ESP Guitars (NAMM Booth 208A/B) debuted a new addition to their popular LTD ’87 Series at the 2024 NAMM Show. The LTD Horizon Custom ’87 is being offered in three finishes: Black, Candy Apple...
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ESP Guitars Announces Eight New Guitars and Basses for their Renowned Signature Series at 2024 NAMM Show

ESP Guitars Announces Eight New Guitars and Basses for their Renowned Signature Series at 2024 NAMM Show

ANAHEIM, CA (JANUARY 25, 2024) – ESP Guitars (NAMM Booth 208A/B) has long been admired for their expansive roster of artist endorsees, and their ESP/LTD Signature Series are instruments that are based on the custom guitars...
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ESP Guitars Adds 19 New Guitars to Popular LTD Deluxe Series at the 2024 NAMM Show

ESP Guitars Adds 19 New Guitars to Popular LTD Deluxe Series at the 2024 NAMM Show

ANAHEIM, CA (JANUARY 25, 2024) – ESP Guitars (NAMM Booth 208A/B) hit the ground running in 2024 with the introduction of 19 new additions to the company’s popular LTD Deluxe Series. Two new models were added to the Arrow...
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ESP Guitars Debuts LTD Deluxe EC-01FT at NAMM 2024

ESP Guitars Debuts LTD Deluxe EC-01FT at NAMM 2024

ANAHEIM, CA (JANUARY 25, 2024) – ESP Guitars (NAMM Booth 208A/B) used the 2024 NAMM Show to unveil the LTD Deluxe EC-01FT, a new guitar that will be available in Black, Olympic White, and Vintage Burst finishes. “The EC-01FT...
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ESP All Access Exclusive: 2024 New Guitar & Bass Preview

ESP All Access Exclusive: 2024 New Guitar & Bass Preview

For the first time since 2020, the year is kicking off with a NAMM Show making its return to its former January time frame, and ESP is able to launch 2024 with a killer batch of new guitars and basses. We hope you enjoy this...
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A Look Ahead at Hellfest 2024

A Look Ahead at Hellfest 2024

Held each year in Clisson, France, Hellfest has grown into the preeminent heavy music festival in Europe, and possibly the world. And yes, with a scheduled date of Jun 27-30, 2024, Hellfest may seem like a long way off... but...
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Get Ready for 2024 with ESP’s New Guitar and Bass Preview

Get Ready for 2024 with ESP’s New Guitar and Bass Preview

Here we are in December, and 2024 is right around the corner. After years of pandemic-forced schedule changes, the NAMM Show is once again back in its January time slot for the first time since 2020. You’re probably assuming...
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Luis Kalil Clinic Tour: Brazil

Luis Kalil Clinic Tour: Brazil

Olá Brasil! Get ready for five days of extreme shred when ESP artist Luís Kalil does his upcoming clinic tour of your wonderful country in December. When ESP first got to know Luís a number of years ago, he was just 13 years...
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Messengers: The Guitars of James Hetfield

Messengers: The Guitars of James Hetfield

Click on the preview images below to see each page in high-resolution. For about 35 years, we’ve had the privilege at ESP to work with one of the most influential and beloved guitarists in the world of heavy...
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Bruce Kulick and ESP Help Raise Funds for "KISS Cancer Goodbye II" Charity Event

Bruce Kulick and ESP Help Raise Funds for "KISS Cancer Goodbye II" Charity Event

Photos courtesy of Rayna Leigh Held this month in Sarasota, Florida, the second "KISS Cancer Goodbye" event was produced in partnership with the American Cancer Society as a rock-and-roll fundraiser in honor of Breast Cancer...
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Congrats to M72 Sweepstakes Winner Darwin Delossantos

Congrats to M72 Sweepstakes Winner Darwin Delossantos

Thousands and thousands of you entered for a chance to win your choice of two amazing guitars from the ESP players of Metallica -- James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett -- but only one of you was lucky enough to be randomly...
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ENGL Amp Spotlight: E670FE Special Edition Founders Edition - The Ultimate High Gain Amplifier

ENGL Amp Spotlight: E670FE Special Edition Founders Edition - The Ultimate High Gain Amplifier

ENGL has been a highly-respected amplifier manufacturer since being founded in 1983. In marking their 40-year anniversary milestone in 2023, ENGL is launching a new flagship amp: the ENGL E670FE Special Edition Founders...
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Introducing Player Grade (US Residents Only)

Introducing Player Grade (US Residents Only)

It probably doesn’t surprise you to know that at ESP, almost all of us are guitar and bass players, and as actual musicians, we know what really matters to other players: great-sounding, great-playing instruments… and good...
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Flashback: Bruce Kulick's Kiss M-1 "Banana"

Flashback: Bruce Kulick's Kiss M-1 "Banana"

A new interview article in Guitar World Magazine offers some fascinating historical details and perspectives from guitarist and longtime ESP player Bruce Kulick. Bruce talks about discovering ESP, a relatively new company in...
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LTD Kirk Hammett KH-V Review in Premier Guitar

LTD Kirk Hammett KH-V Review in Premier Guitar

The reviewers over at Premier Guitar Magazine are all serious players who seem to have a terrific understanding of what makes a guitar great... or not, as happens occasionally. But that wasn't an issue for writer/guitarist...
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ESP Guitars Expands Into New US Headquarters

ESP Guitars Expands Into New US Headquarters

LOS ANGELES, CA (AUGUST 1, 2023) – ESP Guitars, the respected global manufacturer of guitar and bass instruments and US distributor for acclaimed brands that include Takamine Guitars and ENGL Amplification, has moved into...
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ENGL Amp Spotlight: Power Tap & Power Tap Portable

ENGL Amp Spotlight: Power Tap & Power Tap Portable

Let's talk about power. Not some kind of metaphorical power. Actual electric power. Tap That Power!
If you have a pedalboard -- and you probably do -- you've likely struggled in dealing with providing clean electrical...
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July 29: ocV!BE Guitar Festival (Anaheim, CA)

July 29: ocV!BE Guitar Festival (Anaheim, CA)

If you're in the Southern California area and like guitars, here's a hot tip for you. On Saturday, July 29 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, CA, the inaugural ocV!BE Guitar Festival is kicking off with ESP as a sponsor! And to...
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WInner's Circle: "Renew Your Rig" Sweepstakes

WInner's Circle: "Renew Your Rig" Sweepstakes

The "Renew Your Rig" sweepstakes ended up being the most popular giveaway in ESP history, and it's easy to see why. The prize package was astounding... an ESP E-II Eclipse Full Thickness EverTune, an ENGL Ironball Combo E600,...
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Gary Holt (Exodus) ESP Clinic Tour Summer 2023

Gary Holt (Exodus) ESP Clinic Tour Summer 2023

Hey West Coast ESP friends... it's time to start taking the rock back out on the road with the return of ESP dealer clinics, and who better to kick things off than the mighty Gary Holt (Exodus/Slayer)? In July 2023, Gary is...
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ENGL Amp Spotlight: Modern Rock Preamp E530

ENGL Amp Spotlight: Modern Rock Preamp E530

To better understand what a preamp can do for you, it's probably a good idea to learn more about amplifiers in general. Typical guitar amps have at least two stages of amplification: a preamplifer and a power amplifier. The...
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Hellfest 2023: Stories and Pics

Hellfest 2023: Stories and Pics

Held from June 15-18, 2023 in Clisson, France, this year’s Hellfest show surpassed everyone’s expectations as one of the biggest heavy music festivals that the world has to offer. ESP once again had the pleasure of being the...
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All Access Spotlight: ESP Collector Jim Schwilk



All Access Spotlight: ESP Collector Jim Schwilk



All photos courtesy of Jim Schwilk We met Jim in the aisles of the 2023 NAMM Show, held in mid-April of this year. Jim, a member of the ESP All Access community as well as several other ESP-focused online groups, had stopped...
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ENGL Amp Spotlight: 40th Anniversary Fireball Series

ENGL Amp Spotlight: 40th Anniversary Fireball Series

Before we tell you more about ENGL's amazing special edition Fireball series amps, we need to tell you more about why they're here. It was back in 1983, in Bavaria, Germany, that founder Edmund Engl and Senior Designer Horst...
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ESP Guitars Welcomes Mick Thomson (Slipknot) to Artist Roster

ESP Guitars Welcomes Mick Thomson (Slipknot) to Artist Roster

NORTH HOLLYWOOD, CA (MAY 16, 2023) – ESP Guitars has announced that acclaimed guitarist Mick Thomson of iconic American metal band Slipknot has joined the ESP artist roster. The company also confirmed that a new ESP/LTD...
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ENGL Amp Spotlight: ENGL Custom Shop

ENGL Amp Spotlight: ENGL Custom Shop

At ESP, we know a thing or two about customization. Building personalized guitars has been part of our core for over 45 years. So when ENGL -- whose products ESP distribute in the USA and Canada -- told us that they wanted to...
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May 2-11, 2023: ESP School of Metal Guitar Coming to the UK

May 2-11, 2023: ESP School of Metal Guitar Coming to the UK

UK-based rockers, clear your calendars. Starting next week, ESP ambassadors Pat Heath and Jamie Hunt are taking their show on the road for a series of special clinics in the UK. You've seen a lot of guitar tutorial videos to...
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12 New Artist Signature Series Models from ESP Guitars at NAMM 2023

12 New Artist Signature Series Models from ESP Guitars at NAMM 2023

ESP Guitars had heads turning at their NAMM booth with the introduction of 12 new Signature Series guitars. In addition to three new Kirk Hammett (Metallica) LTD KH-V models and a new Olympic White finish for the James...
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