The ESP Guitar Company

After previewing Phase I of our “New for 2020” models in November and Phase II being unveiled in December, it’s now time to give you the rest of our new guitar and bass models for 2020! Note that at the upcoming NAMM Show, we’ll likely have a few more new models that we’ll let you know about then, but for now, here’s the finale of our new model preview!

View Phase IView Phase II

Introducing the ’87 Series

As you may be aware, ESP is celebrating our 45th anniversary in 2020, having gotten our start in 1975 as a small instrument repair shop in Tokyo. However, it was really toward the mid 1980s when our guitars and basses grabbed the attention of players around the world. The LTD ’87 Series are faithful recreations of that first full set of ESP instruments.

The first thing you’ll notice is that the Eclipse was originally a completely different style than the single cutaway guitar it eventually became. The LTD Eclipse '87 is based on the TE Archtop shape as was the original, and is being made available in two versions, each with two finishes to choose from. The Eclipse ’87 comes in Black and Pearl White, and includes a Floyd Rose locking tremolo. The Eclipse ’87 NT, available in Turquoise and Pearl White, has a TonePros locking TOM bridge and tailpiece. Both models offer neck-thru-body construction and a set of Seymour Duncan ’59 (neck) and JB (bridge) pickup set (with original style bobbins and a push-pull control to split the coils).

The M-1 Custom ’87 is based on the legendary original ESP M-1 model, and offers neck-thru body construction with a three-piece extra thin U-shaped maple neck. It features a Floyd Rose 1000 bridge (installed without a recess route) and 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. Available in Black, Dark Metallic Blue, and Candy Apple Red finishes.

Based on the original ESP Mirage body shape, the LTD Mirage Deluxe '87 is a bolt-on shred machine with an alder body and three-piece extra thin U-shaped maple neck being made available in Pearl Pink and Turquoise finishes. These guitars feature a Floyd Rose 1000 bridge and a pickup set that includes a Seymour Duncan Distortion TB-6 (with original style bobbins and a push-pull control to split the coils) in the bridge and a Seymour Duncan Hot Rail single coil in the neck position.

Back in 1987, ESP was also getting recognized as a bass manufacturer, which is why the LTD Surveyor ’87 is making a well-deserved return to the spotlight. A classic bolt-on design at 34” scale, the Surveyor ’87 features top-tier components including a Gotoh 201-B4 bridge and a Seymour Duncan Vintage P/ Vintage Jazz pickup set. Available in Black and Pearl White finishes.

Outstanding New & Updated Signature Series Models

As we do every year, ESP works closely with a select group of our family of artist endorsees to bring you our Signature Series. These guitars are often based on the ESP Custom Shop instruments that these artists have made for their recording and touring needs.

One of the coolest new models of 2020 is the brand new Signature Series guitar from Nergal of Behemoth. Based on the coveted ESP Stream guitar shape, the LTD NS-6 offers a range of tones with a pair of Fishman Fluence Modern Humbucker pickups. Use the push-pull tone pot to access two different voicings of the pickups… down for “Modern Active” or up for “Modern Passive Attack”. The NS-6 offers a set-thru design at 25.5” scale with a mahogany body and a three-piece maple neck that features a Macassar ebony fingerboard with an inlaid Behemoth Triumviratus logo, and glow-in-the-dark side markers. Available in Black Satin finish.

The LTD Signature Series guitar for Alex Wade of American deathcore band Whitechapel is back and better than ever! The LTD AW-7 Baritone is a 7-string guitar at 27” scale that has a swamp ash body with an outstanding Open Grain Black Satin finish, and its five-piece maple/walnut/paduak neck has a Macassar ebony fingerboard and stainless steel frets. The AW-7 Baritone gets its tone from a set of direct-mount DiMarzio D-Activator 7 pickups, and also features a Hipshot fixed hardtail bridge and LTD locking tuners.

We’ve done big updates for the Signature Series guitars of Javier Reyes (Animals As Leaders). The affordable, high-quality LTD JR-208 is an 8-string baritone guitar at 27" scale with a mahogany body, a bolt-on maple neck, ESP Designed LH-308N and LH-308B pickups, and an LTD fixed bridge with string-thru-body. It’s available in Pelham Blue finish with gold hardware. Javier’s neck-thru-body LTD JR-608 model has been updated with a set of his new Fishman Javier Reyes Open Core Signature Pickups, with a mini-switch to engage their multiple voicings.

One of the most longterm artists on the ESP roster is Stephen Carpenter of Deftones, and we’ve updated two of his Signature Series guitars for 2020. The LTD SC-20, celebrating Stef’s 20th anniversary of his first ESP signature model, is now available in Sonic Blue finish. The newest version of the LTD SC-607 Baritone is being made available in a great-looking Purple Satin finish.

Additionally, we now have a solution for musicians who are looking for a more affordable solution for the LTD Signature Series guitar of Brian “Head” Welch, the seven-string innovator and founding member of nu-metal icons Korn with the LTD SH-207. It offers bolt-on construction with a comfortable and fast extra thin U-shaped three-piece maple neck. The SH-207’s sound is powered by a set of high-output ESP Designed LH-307 pickups.

Even More LTD Deluxe Models

Just a few more “New for 2020” models still to go. People have been pretty excited about the return of the LTD Phoenix, but there’s yet another choice in this exciting body shape. The Phoenix Black Metal offers the styling theme from the other Black Metal models — all-black finish, components, and hardware, a single premium-quality pickup, Macassar ebony fingerboards with no inlays and glow-in-the-dark side markers, and even a black metal LTD logo on the headstock — and puts them in the killer look of the Phoenix. It offers neck-thru-body construction using a three-piece maple neck and mahogany body wings, and a single Fishman Fluence Modern Humbucker pickup that offers a push-pull control to select voicings.

For some reason, we haven’t yet shown you the new LTD Deluxe EC-1000 in Black Natural Burst. Also available in Blue Natural Fade, this guitar has a burled poplar top on a mahogany body with a three-piece mahogany neck and Macassar ebony fingerboard, and includes a set of high-output Seymour Duncan Sentient (neck) and Pegasus (bridge) passive pickups. We also shouldn’t neglect to show you the new LTD Deluxe M-1007, which delivers the fast feel and smooth playability of the M Series in a 7-string version for serious brutality. It’s a neck-thru-body design, and has a pair of Fishman Fluence Modern Humbuckers (Alnico in the neck position, Ceramic in the bridge), with a push-pull control to activate the second voicing.

Finally — at least for now — here’s the LTD Deluxe Viper-1000 EverTune, which adds the innovative EverTune constant tension bridge to the offset double-horn Viper design for the first time. The Viper-1000 EverTune also includes top-tier components like direct-mount Seymour Duncan Sentient (neck) and Pegasus (bridge) passive pickups, splittable by a push-pull control, and Grover tuners.

Full ESP Web Site Update: January 16

By the start of the NAMM Show, we’ll have a complete update of the ESP site completed so that you can check out all the detailed specs and info on the dozens of “New for 2020” models we’ve shown you in these previews. Check back to the ESP site on January 16 and browse through all the fine details!