Guitar Nut Thursday: ESP LTD M-1 Custom 1987

Guitars… one might say you can never have too many. Well, perhaps there is a limit, but I haven’t quite embraced that idea just yet.

When I became the guitarist for Radio 45, we ventured into material that demanded a guitar equipped with a double-locking Floyd Rose tremolo system. If you’re not familiar with it, this is a vibrato system that allows for dramatic, descending notes on single or multiple strings. It’s a style popularized by the 80’s shredder guitarists. While I drew inspiration from these players, I found myself without a guitar featuring a double-locking tremolo… and so the hunt began.

ESP is a guitar brand with a history dating back to the mid-1970s, gaining popularity in the 1980s with endorsements from the likes of George Lynch (Dokken), Bruce Kulick (KISS), and others. They continue to produce guitars today, including a recent model known as the LTD M-1 Custom 1987.

This guitar had everything I was seeking — humbucker pickups that could be split-coil and boosted in different settings, and a Floyd Rose tremolo system, uniquely top-mounted rather than recessed. I stumbled upon a used one in a striking Candy Apple Red finish and immediately made the purchase.

Interestingly, my initial connection with the guitar was not immediate. I found myself struggling with it, unable to really click with it. It was only after having it expertly set up by a local guitar luthier that everything changed.

Today, it’s become one of my primary guitars for all Radio 45 gigs, often kicking off the night with it for at least the first 5 songs.

I’ve never owned an ESP/LTD before, and while this is my first, I’m confident it won’t be my last.

Keep an eye out for me using it on stage with Radio 45, and come check us out soon!

Later, Aa

#espguitars
#georgelynchnch
#Dokkenen
#brucekulickulick
#KISSARMYROCKS
#humbuckerpickupsps
#floydrosetremolo

Photo Credit: Digital Noise Photography