Summer NAMM 2015: ESP Guitars Adds Exotic Koa Tops to LTD Deluxe “1000 Series” Models

ESP Guitars (Summer NAMM booth 1232) has announced two new LTD Deluxe “1000 Series” guitars at Summer NAMM 2015.

The new models are the EC-1000 KOA and the M-1000 KOA, and they make use of exotic Hawaiian koa wood tops. The new koa models will have limited availability through select ESP dealers and international distributors.

“Koa is a beautiful tonewood that is as well known for its distinctive look as its articulate effect on a guitar’s sound,” says says ESP president and CEO Matt Masciandaro. “We’re happy to offer a new choice to ESP customers with these three new LTD Deluxe guitars.”

Koa is native to the Hawaiian Islands, and has a well-deserved reputation for its recognizable grain pattern and natural reddish tint as well as its balanced sound, adding brightness to tone without taking away from a guitar’s warmth.

The LTD EC-1000 KOA provides a koa veneer top on a mahogany body, with set-through construction at 24.75” scale. It offers a 5-piece mahogany/bubinga thin U-shaped neck with a 24-fret ebony fingerboard, and black hardware. It includes a set of Seymour Duncan Custom 5 (neck) and Jazz (bridge) pickups.

The M-1000 KOA adds a koa veneer top on to its mahogany body, with neck-through-body construction at 25.5” scale. Its 5-piece maple/bubinga neck has an ebony fingerboard with 24 extra jumbo frets, and adds a Floyd Rose tremolo as well as DiMarzio ST-2 custom passive pickups.

More information on the new LTD koa wood models is available on the ESP Guitars web site at espguitars.com.

For more Summer NAMM Show news, bookmark GuitarWorld.com's dedicated Summer NAMM 2015 page. And don't forget to follow GW on Twitter for more "live on the NAMM Show floor" coverage.

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