Phase one of the company's massive 2020 rollout offers new Phoenix, Black Metal and Viper Series designs, and much, much more
(Image credit: ESP Guitars)
NAMM 2020: ESP will be unveiling many, many new electric guitars and basses in the run-up to the January 2020 NAMM show in Anaheim – so many, in fact, that the company is announcing the models in multiple phases.
Which brings us to the just-revealed Phase I release, which features a host of additions to the LTD line, including new Phoenix, Black Metal, M Series, EC-1000, H Series and Deluxe Viper-1000 models. You can check out information on all the fresh designs below.
LTD Phoenix-1000
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Phoenix-1000 See Thru Black Cherry(Image credit: courtesy of ESP Guitars)
Phoenix-1000 Vintage White(Image credit: courtesy of ESP Guitars)
The Phoenix is now available in two new models – the LTD Phoenix-1000 See Thru Black Cherry and LTD Phoenix-1000 Vintage White. Both feature a neck-thru-body design with mahogany body wings and a three-piece mahogany neck, as well as a Macassar ebony fingerboard, TonePros locking TOM bridge and tailpiece, LTD locking tuners and gold hardware.
Electronics-wise, the LTD Phoenix-1000 See Thru Black Cherry boasts a pair of Fishman Fluence Modern Humbucker active pickups (alnico at the neck, ceramic at the bridge), with a push-pull control to activate the second voicing.
The Vintage White model, meanwhile, offers a passive pickup set, with a Seymour Duncan Phat Cat single-coil in the neck position and a Seymour Duncan Custom in the bridge that can be split via a push-pull control.
LTD Black Metal Series
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M-HT Black Metal(Image credit: courtesy of ESP Guitars)
M-7HT Baritone Black Metal(Image credit: courtesy of ESP Guitars)
ESP has added two new hardtail additions to the Black Metal Series – the standard-scale LTD M-HT and the seven-string LTD M-7HT Baritone. Both models boast a neck-thru-body design, Hipshot bridge with string-thru body setup and a single direct-mounted Seymour Duncan Blackened Black Winter passive pickup with a push-pull control for coil splitting. And like other Black Metal Series models, there’s an unadorned Macassar ebony fingerboard with glow-in-the-dark side dots.
LTD M Series
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M-1000HT(Image credit: courtesy of ESP Guitars)
M-1007HT(Image credit: courtesy of ESP Guitars)
New to the M Series is the M-1000HT and seven-string M-1007HT. Both neck-thru models offer burled poplar tops finished in Black Natural Fade, along with an alder body and extra-thin U-shaped three-piece maple neck with a natural satin finish.
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There’s also a Hipshot hardtail bridge with a string-thru-body design, as well as direct-mounted Fishman Fluence Modern Humbuckers (alnico at the neck, ceramic at the bridge), with a push-pull control to activate the second voicing.
LTD EC Series
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EC-1000 Blue Natural Fade(Image credit: courtesy of ESP Guitars)
EC-1000T Black Natural Burst(Image credit: courtesy of ESP Guitars)
EC-1000 Violet Andromeda(Image credit: courtesy of ESP Guitars)
ESP has introduced three new EC-1000 models, starting with the EC-1000 Blue Natural Fade, which sports a burled poplar top on a mahogany body. Other features include a three-piece mahogany neck, Macassar ebony fingerboard and a Seymour Duncan Sentient pickup at the neck and a Pegasus passive model at the bridge, which can be split via a push-pull control.
The EC-1000T Black Natural Burst, meanwhile, has a traditional full-thickness mahogany body that is chambered for weight relief and topped with a flamed maple cap. There’s also the same Sentient/Pegasus pickup set, as well as a TonePros locking TOM bridge and tailpiece.
Finally, the EC-1000 Violet Andromeda marks the first LTD EC Series model to sport the namesake Violet Andromeda finish, which reflects light to suggests shades of purple, blue and green. The guitar also comes loaded with Fishman Fluence Modern Humbucker active pickups (alnico at the neck, ceramic at the bridge), with a push-pull control to activate the second voicing.
LTD Deluxe H Series
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H-1001FR(Image credit: courtesy of ESP Guitars)
H-1001(Image credit: courtesy of ESP Guitars)
H3-1000(Image credit: courtesy of ESP Guitars)
H3-1000FR(Image credit: courtesy of ESP Guitars)
ESP has added a number of new Deluxe H Series models. The H-1001FR is now offered with a burled poplar top in Black Natural Burst finish, with a set of direct-mount Seymour Duncan Sentient (neck) and Pegasus (bridge) passive pickups, splittable by a push-pull control, as well as a Floyd Rose 1000SE bridge and Grover tuners.
The H-1001, meanwhile, has a quilted maple top in See Thru Black finish, with a Hipshot hardtail bridge with string thru body and the same direct-mounted splittable Seymour Duncan Sentient/Pegasus pickup set.
There’s also two new Horizon-3 models, which boast the Horizon body shape but with an extended upper horn and shortened, pointed lower horn.
The set-thru H3-1000 sports a flamed maple top in Black Turquoise Burst finish, and includes direct-mount Seymour Duncan Sentient (neck) and Pegasus (bridge) passive pickups, splittable by a push-pull control, as well as a TonePros locking TOM bridge and tailpiece. The H3-1000FR, meanwhile, comes in See Thru Black Sunburst finish over a flamed maple top, and includes a Floyd Rose 1000SE bridge.
LTD Deluxe Viper-1000
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Viper-1000 See Thru Purple Sunburst(Image credit: courtesy of ESP Guitars)
Viper-1000 Tiger Eye Sunburst(Image credit: courtesy of ESP Guitars)
Finally, ESP has returned to offering the Viper in a 1000 Series version with two new LTD Deluxe Viper-1000 models. Available in See Thru Purple Sunburst and Tiger Eye Sunburst finishes, both guitars offer a mahogany body with quilted maple top, direct-mount Seymour Duncan Sentient (neck) and Pegasus (bridge) passive pickups splittable by a push-pull control, TonePros locking TOM bridge and tailpiece and LTD locking tuners.
For more information on all of these models, as well as news on the upcoming Phase II, III and – gasp! – IV releases, head to ESP Guitars.
Rich is the co-author of the best-selling Nöthin' But a Good Time: The Uncensored History of the '80s Hard Rock Explosion. He is also a recording and performing musician, and a former editor of Guitar World magazine and executive editor of Guitar Aficionado magazine. He has authored several additional books, among them Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck, the companion to the documentary of the same name.
