Fall 2025 Acoustic Electric Showdown

ESP Guitars, Takamine Guitars & ENGL Amps Present The Fall Acoustic/Electric Showdown!

Create a One-Minute Video with Both Acoustic and Electric Guitars for a Chance to Win TWO great guitars and an Amazing Tube Amp!

Guitar players, you already now that some of the coolest songs in history feature both acoustic and electric guitar. Now it’s time to put your skills to the test. Create and submit a video of yourself playing a song — no more than 60 seconds long — that features both acoustic and electric guitar. Our panel will judge your entry, and the one we select as the best will get an LTD Deluxe “1000 Series” electric guitar AND a Takamine G Series acoustic-electric guitar of your choice… as well as the incredible new ENGL Ravager IR E725 tube amplifier! Depending on which guitars are selected by the winner, the combined retail value of this package is up to $4,577 USD! Additionally, ten runners-up will be selected whose entries will be featured on the ESP, Takamine USA/Mexico, and ENGL USA web sites.

This performance contest is open worldwide except where prohibited. No purchase necessary. Submit your entry video no later than December 31, 2025 for a chance to win. Be sure to read the full rules and regulations below, and good luck from your friends at ESP, Takamine, and ENGL!

ENTRY INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Enter your name and email address below.

2. Upload your video and hit “submit”. We accept most standard video formats (MP4, MOV, etc). File size must not exceed 300mb.

ESP/TAKAMINE/ENGL ACOUSTIC/ELECTRIC SHOWDOWN FAQ

Do I have to use an ESP and a Takamine guitar to enter?
No. You can use any brand of guitar, as long as there are both acoustic and electric guitars featured in your entry. HOWEVER: we will be giving extra points to all submissions that feature ESP/LTD and/or Takamine guitars… preferably both. If you don’t own one, it might be a good idea to borrow one for your entry video.

Do I have to be seen playing the guitars in the video entry?
Yes you do.

How many videos can I submit?
One. Anyone submitting more than one video is automatically disqualified.

Can I send a video with me and my friend playing at the same time?
Yes, as long as one of you is on acoustic guitar and the other is on electric guitar.

Can my entry feature drums and other instruments?
Yes, but our judging panel will only focus on the performance of the acoustic and electric guitar.

Can my entry feature vocals?
No. We only will accept instrumental submissions.

Can't I just send you the audio of a song I already did?
No. We need to have a video of you performing on both acoustic and electric guitar, and it must be one minute or less.

What kind of music can I do?
Any kind you want. We don’t care if it’s country, metal, jazz, pop, reggae, folk, rock, fusion, experimental, alternative, indie, or any other form of music. What we’re looking for is good guitar playing.

Does it have to be an original?
No, though we will take into account your creativity in the music you submit. However, please do not submit any music that violates anyone else’s copyrights.

Are you going to grade the audio quality of my submission?
Yes. We will definitely add extra points to your grade if the submission sounds good, and especially if the guitars sound good.

Do I get extra points if my video is really cool?
No. The video itself isn’t being considered in our grading scale. We’d prefer just being able to see you playing both acoustic and electric guitars. Nothing else will increase your chances of winning. Again, just make sure we can see you actually playing your guitar. That’s the only thing that matters regarding the video submission.

Contest Rules
THE FOLLOWING SWEEPSTAKES SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED AND INTERPRETED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF THE UNITED STATES. ENTRY IN THIS SWEEPSTAKES CONSTITUTES ACCEPTANCE OF THESE OFFICIAL SWEEPSTAKES RULES

Sponsor: The ESP Guitar Company, 5433 West San Fernando Road, Los Angeles, CA 90039 (“ESP”).

No Purchase Necessary to Enter or Win: No purchase is necessary to enter or win. Entrants need not be present to win.

Entry: Entrants may enter the contest by filling out the entry form and submitting a video as described on this contest entry page on the ESP Guitars web site at espguitars.com, the Takamine USA/Mexico web site at www.esptakamine.com or the ENGL USA web site at engl-usa.com. Only one entry will be accepted per person. By entering, entrants agree to be bound by the decisions of the judges and these Official Rules and to comply with all federal, state, and local laws and regulations. Inappropriate or pornographic videos may not be submitted and are not eligible for consideration.

Eligibility: Entrants must be 18 years or older as of November 7, 2025. Employees of The ESP Guitar Company, Takamine Guitars, ENGL Amps, and their affiliates, their agencies and representatives and their immediate family members, and individuals residing in the same household as such individuals are not eligible to participate in this sweepstakes. This sweepstakes is void where prohibited by law and is subject to all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations. By participating, entrants agree to these official rules, the decision of the judges and voters and agree to accept all decisions of ESP, Takamine USA/Mexico, and ENGL USA with respect to this sweepstakes as final.

Contest Period: The contest will begin on November 10, 2025 and video entries will be accepted until 11:59 PM, PST, on December 31, 2025. The video entries will be judged based on the quality, originality, and music performance aptitude as purely and subjectively chosen by ESP, Takamine USA/Mexico, and ENGL USA’s panel of judges. Potential prize winners will be notified via email. If a potential winner is unreachable after three (3) days after the initial attempt to contact, or is otherwise unavailable for prize fulfillment, an alternate winner will be selected.

Right to Use Your Work: Entries and other submitted material become the property of The ESP Guitar Company and will not be acknowledged or returned. By submitting an Entry, you represent and warrant that your Entry does not incorporate or include anything that is owned by any third party or would require the consent of any third party and your Entry does not violate any copyright, trademark, publicity right, privacy right or any other right of any third party. By submitting an Entry, you grant to The ESP Guitar Company and its affiliated companies the right, except where prohibited by law, to use your name, likeness, picture, submission/Entry and written or oral statements, for advertising and promotional purposes in promoting or publicizing ESP, Takamine, ENGL, and their products or services, without compensation unless required by law. You shall have no right of approval, no claim to compensation, and no claim (including, without limitation, claims based on invasion of privacy, defamation, or right of publicity) arising out of any use, blurring, alteration, or use in composite form of your name, picture, likeness, biographical information, or entry. The rights granted under this paragraph shall extend to ESP and its affiliated companies with respect to all entrants in the Contest, including those entrants who are selected as Winners and those entrants who are not selected as Winners. ESP is under no obligation to use the winning Entries for any purpose.

Prizes and Odds of Winning: One Grand Prize will be awarded to one randomly-selected winner. The Grand Prize is the winner’s choice of (1) LTD Deluxe SN-1000HT Silver Blast guitar, OR (1) LTD Deluxe TE-1000 Silver Blast guitar, OR (1) LTD Deluxe XJ-1 HT Baritone Silver Blast guitar, AND (1) ENGL Ironball E606 amplifier head. The odds of winning will depend upon the total number of eligible entrants. ALL PRIZES ARE AWARDED ON AN "AS IS" BASIS WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, ANY WARRANTY OF FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY.

ALL PRIZES ARE AWARDED ON AN "AS IS" BASIS WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, ANY WARRANTY OF FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY.

General Considerations: Prizes will be shipped to winners at the address provided by the winner upon notification of having been chosen. No substitutions, cash equivalents, or transfers of the prizes are permitted. Prizes will be shipped to winners by ESP at no cost. Winners are responsible for the payment of all applicable federal, state and local taxes.

Limitation of Liability: Neither ESP nor any of its affiliates is responsible for printing or typographical errors in any sweepstakes-related materials; for stolen, lost, late, misdirected, damaged, incomplete, or illegible entries; or for transactions that are processed late or incorrectly or are lost due to computer or electronic malfunction. ESP reserves the right to cancel or modify the sweepstakes if fraud or technical failures compromise the integrity of the sweepstakes, as determined by ESP in its sole discretion. By entering, participants release and hold harmless ESP and its affiliates and their respective directors, officers, employees and agents from any and all liability for any injuries, loss or damage of any kind to persons, including death, or property damage resulting in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, from acceptance, possession, misuse or use of any prize, participation in this promotion, or while traveling to, preparing for, or participating in any prize-related activity.

Winners List: An announcement of the verified prize winner will be posted on the ESP Guitars web site at www.espguitars.com, the Takamine USA/Mexico web site at www.esptakamine.com, and the ENGL USA web site at engl-usa.com on or after January 31, 2026.