NAMM 2024: ESP has actually lastly launched Bill Kelliher’s most current long-awaited signature guitar in the kind of the LTD Royal Shiva.
Early preliminary sightings of the double-cut Eclipse-style design can be traced back to 2021, when the Mastodon riffmeister provided fans a preview of the wild silverburst-esque six-string throughout promotion for his signature STL ToneHub plugin
At the time, Kelliher validated a model of some sort was undoubtedly in the works, and shared a couple of informing information: specifically, it would be extremely, extremely heavy– approximately 13 pounds, particularly.
It would appear the model Kelliher was experimenting with– with its deep grooves and thick body ergonomics– ultimately ended up being a one-off ESP Custom Shop design purpose-built for the guy himself, instead of for a larger ESP artist series release.
Speaking in an approaching interview with Guitar WorldKelliher talked about how that initial Royal Shiva remained in truth influenced by his nine-string First Act Custom design, which he sent out to ESP in order to have a devoted six-string variation integrated in 2020.
“They essentially made a precise copy of it, and I enjoy it,” he exposed of his preliminary customized design. “It’s heavy, thick, and distinct. It feels fantastic, and the neck is amazing. And it’s heavy, however that’s fine since the weight of a guitar is extremely essential to me. The thicker, the much better.”
Fast-forward to 2024, and the design has actually lastly been offered the broader release it should have in the type of an LTD variation, which is based upon that really exact same ESP Custom Shop design.
That implies it has the eye-catching double-cut Eclipse-style body, which is made up from mahogany with a maple cap. There’s been no main word on whether the LTD matches the large weight of its ESP equivalent, however something’s for sure: it definitely looks thick enough to fulfill the mark.
“I like a guitar that feels strong,” Kelliher confessed in his upcoming GW interview. “I understand I’m aging, and running around the phase with such heavy guitars isn’t terrific for my back and shoulders, however I like ’em heavy.”
Based on the Mastodon genius’s exacting specifications, the 25″-scale LTD design likewise has a three-piece U-shaped mahogany neck, topped with a 12″-radius Macassar ebony fretboard decorated with big mother-of-pearl block inlays. 22 additional jumbo stresses and a 43mm bone nut can likewise be discovered.
Another noteworthy visit can be discovered in the electronic department, which boasts Kelliher’s Mojotone Hell Bender pickups– a set of signature humbuckers that arrived this time in 2015, and lined up to be amongst the most flexible metal pickups on the marketplace
These sonically flexible humbuckers are provided additional versatility thanks to an user-friendly control design that makes up push/pull volume and tone pots. That suggests both the neck and bridge humbuckers can be coil-split.
Ending up touches consist of LTD locking tunersTonePros Locking TOM bridge and Tailpiece, and white body binding. It’s likewise worth considering that marvelous Silver Sunburst surface– which covers the whole body and neck– another shoutout.
The Royal Shiva is offered to preorder now for $1,999.
Head over to ESP to learn more.
For all things NAMM 2024, head over to our guide to the most recentNAMM 2024 news
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