“She said this model was made shortly after Jeff Hanneman passed away and this was a very, very limited edition”: America's Got Talent sensation Maya Neelakantan gifted a rare prototype of the late Slayer guitarist's signature model by his wife

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Neelakantan was handed an ESP LTD Jeff Hanneman Tribute 2014 – of which only 666 guitars were made

Maya Neelakantan playing a Gibson Flying V on stage, with a drummer in the background
(Image credit: Trae Patton/NBC via Getty Images)

Fresh off the America's Got Talent stage, Maya Neelakantan is busy further establishing herself in the metal and hard rock scene. While the Gibson Dave Mustaine Flying V EXP was her axe of choice for her primetime TV spot, she's now adding another guitar to her arsenal. This time, it's an ESP LTD Jeff Hanneman Tribute 2014, gifted to her by Kathryn Hanneman, the wife of the late Jeff Hanneman.

“It was amazing talking with her and before we left, she said she has something special for me and brought out an ESP guitar case!” recounts Neelakantan.

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“Inside was an ESP LTD Jeff Hanneman Tribute 2014 in an amazing Urban Camo color! She said that this model was made shortly after Jeff Hanneman passed away in 2013 and this was a very, very limited edition since they only made 666 of this guitar.”

However, the guitar given to Neelakantan was even more special, as it was the first prototype and the one given to Kathryn just a few months after the Slayer guitarist's passing.

“Although we have been friends for a couple of years, we met for the first time and she gave this to me – I just can’t explain what that means to me. I’m honored, grateful, overwhelmed, and very thankful for all this,” adds Neelakantan.

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From going viral with her rendition of Papa Roach's Last Resort to being granted permission to use Metallica's track on America's Got Talent and having Slayer and Exodus' Gary Holt fly down to Los Angeles to meet her, the 11-year-old guitarist has had quite a year.

She recently continued ticking off her bucket list with a surprise appearance at a Testament show, where she joined the band on stage to trade solos with Alex Skolnick.

Janelle Borg
Janelle Borg

Janelle is a staff writer at GuitarWorld.com. After a long stint in classical music, Janelle discovered the joys of playing guitar in dingy venues at the age of 13 and has never looked back. Janelle has written extensively about the intersection of music and technology, and how this is shaping the future of the music industry. She also had the pleasure of interviewing Dream Wife, K.Flay, Yīn Yīn, and Black Honey, among others. When she's not writing, you'll find her creating layers of delicious audio lasagna with her art-rock/psych-punk band ĠENN.