Ahead of NAMM 2024, ESP has set out to modernize its range of electric guitars by treating its 1000 series models to EverTune bridges and Fishman Fluence pickups.
Following news that Aristides has created the world’s first EverTune for multiscale guitars, the Japanese brand is refusing to be left behind, equipping the innovative bridge unit – which offers unrivalled tuning stability – to three of its new guitars: the SN-1000 Koa, the Arrow-1007 baritone and MH-1000.
The 25.5" scale SN-1000 Koa comprises a mahogany body with a natural satin-finished koa top, as well as a bolt-on three-piece maple U-shaped neck with Macassar ebony fretboard. The latter features 22 extra-jumbo stainless steel frets and pearl dot inlays.
Whilst a Seymour Duncan APH-1N pickup features in the neck, the bridge spot is reserved for ESP's newly designed Seymour Duncan pickup, the Custom 14. Exclusive to ESP, the new pickup is said to deliver "extraordinary tonal balance with mind-blowing articulation and clarity", whilst it's pairing with APH-1 counterbalances that with a smooth and full tone rich with natural sustain.
By comparison, the Charcoal Burst finish of the MH-1000 cuts a striking figure, which is composed from a mahogany body, three-piece maple neck and flamed maple fretboard.
There's an extra thin U-shaped neck, 24 extra-jumbo stainless steel frets and offset bar inlays. Its brushed stainless steel Fishman Fluence pickups add to the bright-yet-mean-looking aesthetic started by the charcoal burst, and are completed by a volume pot with push/pull and a tone knob.
If you prefer pointy guitars, the Arrow-1007 baritone offers a seven-string platform with a 27" scale and mahogany, maple-capped V-shape body.
Its U-shaped neck consists of three pieces of maple, which are joined by 24 extra-jumbo stainless steel frets and triangular white pearloid inlays. An otherwise streamlined spec sheet includes a singular push/pull volume knob and toggle switch for jumping between the two voices of its Fishman Fluence pickups.
As well as hardware overhauls, ESP has also been generous with its pickup upgrades – and despite the arrival of its newly designed Seymour Duncan pickup, ESP hasn’t left its new models bereft of Fishman’s modern-minded humbuckers.
ESP humbly calls its new Fishman-loaded EC-1000 “a masterpiece in high-performance guitar for the modern era”, and much of that modernity is showcased through the pickups – each serve up a second voice, which can be accessed via a push/pull tone knob.
In practice, the ceramic bridge pickup offers a high-output “crisp, searing crunch with no mud” in voice one, and a passive and organic attack with voice two. The neck, meanwhile, provides a full, round and boosted tone for its first voice, with voice two prioritizing cleanliness and fluidity. The two humbuckers are aided by a volume knob for each, a single tone knob and a pickup selector toggle switch.
These pickups can be found across the 1000 range, from the gloss-black-and-gold-hardware-loaded EC-1000 and dark brown sunburst-finished Arrow-1000, to the swamp ash-bodied SN-1007HT seven-string baritone and vintage black Viper-1000.
There are also single humbucker Fishman models, too. The M-1001 features an alder body with a three-piece maple neck and macassar ebony fretboard, as well as a Floyd Rose floating trem with a gold-covered Fishman Fluence in the bridge.
The SN-1 HT baritone, which offers a brushed stainless steel Fluence in the bridge, comprises a swamp ash body, a five-piece roasted maple/purple heart neck and macassar ebony fretboard. It has a bolt-on neck with a string-thru Hipshot bridge.
The new range sets out to deliver metal guitars well suited for the modern heavy, with the Fishmans a key component. That’s in contrast to the latest Bill Kelliher signature ESP, which includes the Mastodon guitarist’s signature MojoTone Hell Bender pickups.
For more information about ESP’s 2024 range of guitars, visit ESP.
To stay up to date with all gear releases ahead of NAMM 2024, head over to our guide to the latest NAMM 2024 news.
