Kirk Hammett ESP KH-2 Ouija Red Sparkle now available
Kirk’s red and purple ESP Ouija signature models are one of the most sought after guitars he has ever released. Last year the LTD versions sold out fast, but we were also eagerly awaiting the Japanese ESP versions, limited to 30 of each colour worldwide. We were lucky enough to be the only store in the UK with this collector’s edition.
It was around 1990 that Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett first approached ESP with the idea of a guitar that made use of graphic elements from Hasbro’s classic Ouija® mystical board game. Back then, before the age of digital cameras and Internet communication, creating a guitar like this took some ingenuity. They got a Ouija® board, and used a combination of a copy machine and a pair of scissors to properly position the art elements on the guitar’s body. They faxed the result to the ESP Custom Shop in Japan, and the rest is history: the Ouija™ guitar became one of the most well-known and coveted signature models in ESP history.
The first version of the guitar was a one-off custom model for Kirk’s use only. It wasn’t until 2010 that ESP acquired the rights to sell the Ouija™ guitar to the public. Since then, ESP has done several special limited-edition versions of the Ouija™ guitar. As another limited edition guitar with the level of desirability and rarity to make it an instant collector’s item.
ESP 2021 New Guitars and Basses
Well there might be no physical NAMM this year, but there’s still plenty of great new guitar releases to get excited about! Here are the latest releases from ESP’s Original, E-II and LTD ranges. After the success of the Black Metal range last year, they’ve expanded it and also introduced the similarly specced whited-out Arctic Metal range. There’s a cool anniversary signature model from Kirk Hammett – the KH-3 spider, available in the ESP and LTD lines, while Josh Middleton of Sylosis’ signature is sure to turn heads. For more information on each model, click on each guitar, where you’ll also find full specification on the Additional Information tab.
If you’re interested in a particular model, you can order now to make sure your next favourite new guitar is part of the first shipment, likely to hit these shores between May and September.
Live Louder is now an Ibanez Prestige Dealer
It’s with great pleasure I can announce that Live Louder has been appointed as an Ibanez Prestige Dealer.
So what does that mean exactly? Well, it means:
– We’ll be carrying a wide selection of the top of the range Japanese models for the finest craftsmanship, materials and playing experience – Prestige, J-Custom and top of the tree Signature models are all here now, alongside the Premium, Axion, IronLabel and Standard series models.
– We have access to the limited release models that come out each month, and we always like to bring the rarer models here!
– Ibanez is a brand I’ve followed closely and played for 20 years, from long before founding Live Louder. I aim to bring that product knowledge, experience and dedication to the detail of these guitars to help you discover the right instrument for you.
– With our ever deepening specialism in all things metal, you can be sure we’ll include plenty of 7 and 8 strings, baritones, and all the best models focused on aggression and precision. Need a Tube Screamer to tighten up your amp? No problem, the Ibanez pedal selection is here too!
– Acoustic players and jazzers, we’ll have you covered too, with a nice range of affordable acoustics, and signature jazz models from players like George Benson and Jon Scofield.
Thanks for your continued support!
Dan, Live Louder
ESP 2020 New Guitars and Basses
It’s that time of year again when all the hot new models come out at NAMM! Here are the latest releases from ESP’s Original, E-II and LTD ranges. This year they have lovingly recreated the early ’87 models that wowed their first customers back in the day, brought back the Phoenix, and added some of last year’s gorgeous E-II finishes into the LTD line. For more information on each model, click on each guitar, where you’ll also find full specification on the Additional Information tab.
If you’re interested in a particular model, you can order now to make sure your next favourite new guitar is part of the first shipment, likely to hit these shores in late spring or early summer.
Kirk Hammett ESP LTD Ouija Red & Purple Sparkle Limited Edition announced
Limited to just 500 of each finish worldwide, the LTD KH Ouija™ is being made available for the first time in Purple Sparkle and Red Sparkle finishes. Like previous LTD KH Ouija™ models, this one is destined to be an instant collector’s classic, or a must-have for any serious guitar playing Metallica fan. The KH Ouija™ offers a set of otherworldly features that put it in a class by itself. It offers neck-thru-body construction, with a three-piece extra-thin U-shaped maple neck with a natural gloss back, a Macassar ebony fingerboard with 24 extra-jumbo frets and star and moon inlays. Components include a Floyd Rose 1000 Series bridge, LTD tuners, and a set of Kirk’s signature EMG KH Bone Breaker active pickups. Includes special ESP Ouija™ case and Certificate of Authenticity.
Less than 30 of these are heading to the UK. With one of the UK’s biggest in-store selection of ESP’s E-II and Ltd models, you can be sure Live Louder will have this collector’s dream as soon as they hit Europe! We’re expecting them in the second half of November, but if this is on your wish list, head to our preorder pages for either the Purple Sparkle or Red Sparkle and reserve yours!
The history of Kirk’s Ouija models
It was around 1990 that Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett first approached us at ESP with the idea of a guitar that made use of graphic elements from Hasbro’s classic Ouija® mystical board game. Back then, before the age of digital cameras and Internet communication, creating a guitar like this took some ingenuity. We got a Ouija® board, and used a combination of a copy machine and a pair of scissors to properly position the art elements on the guitar’s body. We faxed the result to our ESP Custom Shop in Japan, and the rest is history: the Ouija™ guitar became one of the most well-known and coveted signature models in ESP history.
The first version of the guitar was a one-off custom model for Kirk’s use only. It wasn’t until 2010 that we acquired the rights to sell the Ouija™ guitar to the public. Since then, ESP has done several special limited-edition versions of the Ouija™ guitar, and for 2019, we bring two more models in both ESP and LTD versions: Purple Sparkle and Red Sparkle with the classic Ouija Board graphic in gold. As another limited edition guitar with the level of desirability and rarity to make it an instant collector’s item, our advice for people who’d like to own one of the new Ouija™ models: get yours today, because tomorrow may be too late.
ESP 2019 New Guitars and Basses
Hot off the press, here are the latest models from ESP’s ESP Original, E-II and LTD ranges. This year they have knocked it out of the park with some beautiful finishes, from alluring fades to stealthy satin. For more photos of each model, click on each guitar, where you’ll also find full specification on the Additional Information tabs.
Prices are not yet known, but will be released shortly. If you’re interested in a particular model, call Live Louder on 0161 928 5964 and we’ll find out when they are due to hit Europe and the UK for you.
James Hetfield ESP LTD Snakebyte Purple Baritone Limited Edition announced
Great news for those loving deeper tones, ESP have once again collaborated with Metallica to create a gorgeous limited edition guitar. Following on from Kirk Hammett’s awesome KH-OUIJA Natural, which we managed to get hold of in limited supplies, this time it’s James Hetfield’s turn for a new signature model – and what a stunner they’ve created! If you’ve been following the Worldwired Metallica tour, you’ll know that James switches to baritone guitars for some lower tuned tracks. Recently he’s been playing a quilted maple ESP Snakebyte in See Thru Purple Sunburst for ‘Dream No More.’
ESP have now lovingly recreated that instrument as a limited edition LTD, restricted to 500 pieces worldwide, only 15 of which are heading to the UK. With one of the UK’s biggest in-store selection of ESP’s E-II and Ltd models, you can be sure Live Louder will have this brutal baritone as soon as they hit these shores! We’re expecting them in late January, but demand is sure to be high, so if this is one you simply must have, head over to our preorder page and stake your claim!
How does this differ from a standard LTD Snakebyte?
Well, the key ingredients are the same: that distinctive mahogany body, the EMG Het Set pickups, a thin U neck, macassar ebony fretboard, locking tuners and a TonePros locking TOM bridge and tailpiece. However, this one has a longer 27″ neck and a quilted maple top, both of which will add extra clarity to a lower tuning. Also included is a hardshell ESP case and a Certificate of Authenticity.
What does it sound like?
Huge! Check out Metallica playing Dream No More (September 8, 2018 – Grand Forks, ND)
Keith Merrow – An Interview with Live Louder
Live Louder recently got the opportunity for an exclusive in-depth interview with Keith Merrow, instrumentalist extraordinaire. Keith is one of the modern breed of musicians who have made a name for themselves without record label support – with three solo albums, the Conquering Dystopia collaboration with guitar god Jeff Loomis, a range of signature Schecter guitars and a career in support and R&D with Seymour Duncan, he’s a man with his fingers in all aspects of the creative process, from gear design to production, playing and promotion. We caught up with him just before he released the debut album from his latest collaboration, Alluvial.
Hi Keith, thanks for taking the time to answer some questions for Live Louder.
You always seem to have an interesting new project bubbling under. When are you at your most creative? Are you one of these people where the riffs just pour out every time you pick up a guitar, or do you set project time aside to create?
Most of the time, I hear riffs in my head and that’s what makes me pick up a guitar. But there are definitely times where I will pick up my guitar to experiment and let the guitar inspire new ideas. It just depends on the mood! I don’t have a set time that I play or write. Whenever I’m feeling inspired, which is usually every day if I’m lucky, I’ll try to work out some ideas. I used to favor waking up early in the morning before the sun comes up to write my music. I still do that, but I’m finding myself writing late at night recently. In either case, I have to make sure that “business” is handled first and I have a clear head with no distractions. If I’m bogged down with work, like a video demo or something, it’s harder for me to focus and feel as creative as I’d like to be.
You’ve worked closely with both Schecter and Seymour Duncan to produce some excellent signature guitars and new pickup designs. How did you first get interested in equipment design?
It was fairly organic. As my career started to progress, opportunities came way way to collaborate on gear design. I’ve been really fortunate to have helped design some great stuff for guitarists. I’ve always been obsessed with guitars and guitar tone, so I’m having a blast working with the companies that have asked for my ideas for new gear.
There are a few variations of your Schecter KM-6 & KM-7 signature guitar models out, using different pickups, string configurations and body shapes. Are you striving for perfection here, or is variety the spice of life? Are there core features across the range that make them distinctly ‘Merrow’?
Schecter Artist Spotlight- Keith Merrow KM-7 Signature Guitar
Initially, it was kind of hard to settle on one design for my end-all guitar. I narrowed down the specs that I favor but, I like a lot of different things. Once the original KM guitar started doing well in the market for Schecter, they allowed me to expand the line and offer some different variations of it. I do feel variety is a good thing. As far as features go, the swamp ash body is a staple in the line. I love the resonance and feel of it. I tend to prefer lighter weight guitars because they really seem to vibrate in your hands, sound really aggressive, and feel “alive” more so than a dense wood to me. The guitar I came up with feels and sounds perfect for the way that I play. The Duncan pickups are another core feature. The models used in the KM guitars were ones that I helped to design. Having worked so closely with them over the years, I was able to really narrow down the right pickups for the KM guitars. The Sustainiac version of the guitar is one that I’ve been using a lot, too. On the album I just finished tracking, it was used on quite a few songs. The Schecter KM FRS variation is quickly becoming a huge part of my sound, at least on the music I’m currently working with. That thing is too fun!
It’s been 7 years since you started building your YouTube channel. Over the years we’ve seen musicians make their name through record label support, then Myspace, and then YouTube. For musicians starting now, what do you see as their best avenues to cultivate an audience?
I always tell everyone who asks me this to just be fearless and never be afraid to post your music on the internet, or YouTube, specifically. You never know what might happen! That’s ultimately all I did. I posted videos, they got noticed and spread around (more than I ever imagined they would). Every opportunity or success I’ve had is a direct result of being found on YouTube. Fact!
Awaken the Stone King, your last full-length instrumental album under the Merrow monicker, had very evocative moods to each song, and you achieved this with a focus on riffs and interludes instead of solos – whereas your work on Conquering Dystopia has its fair share of Jeff Loomis’ mindbending soloing. Do you approach the the writing process differently for each project?
For sure, they’re very different things to me. My personal music is more of an exploration, and being mostly a rhythm guitarist and songwriter, that’s the primary focus with my solo albums. With Conquering Dystopia, we knew what we wanted to do from the start. We actually planned out the pace and vibe of that album before we even wrote a single note. We wanted it to play out with a cinematic type of vibe from start to finish. When we sat down to compose, we were basically fulfilling a vision that we had predetermined. It was really fun, and a great change of pace for me.
What can you tell us about upcoming projects? I hear you’re contemplating a new solo album, as well as a collaboration with Wes Hauch?
The project with Wes is called Alluvial, and we’ve just put the finishing touches on the album, which is titled “The Deep Longing for Annihilation”. The album will be available in early January 2017. Its some of the darkest, most emotionally-driven music I’ve ever been a part of, and I can’t wait to get it out there. Once that album drops, I’ll be diving back into another solo record, which I haven’t done in a few years. I’m really excited to get started!
Alluvial features a guest solo from Marty Friedman, one of metal and now J-Pop’s shining stars. Who is left on your wishlist of collaborations?
Alluvial Demo featuring Marty Friedman
I could go on all day about people I’d love to work with. I’m extremely fortunate to have worked with guys like Marty and Jeff, as they are heros of mine. I think it would be really fun to write some music with Vogg from Decapitated. I’ve always loved his sound and style and it would be pretty sick to write something with him. But, at the moment, I’m going to take a little break from collaborations while I try to work on another solo record. Who knows what the future holds!
Well, Live Louder found out what the immediate future holds: Alluvial – The Deep Longing for Annihilation was released this week. You can stream or buy it from Keith’s site now.
Alluvial
Interviewed by Dan Hepner, Live Louder.
- Published in Articles
CASE QUEEN OR RELIC? 3 REASONS TO RELIC YOUR GUITAR
How do you treat your guitars? Do you prefer a battered workhorse or an unblemished work of art, as fresh as the day it was made?
Keeping a guitar in pristine condition has its advantages if you’re planning on selling it one day, as you’ll get a higher return. Regular maintenance also means it will stay in good working order. You don’t want to be letting your hardware rust, your neck warp or your electrics get all crackly from dust and grime.
But assuming you look after the basics, here’s three good reasons you shouldn’t worry about a few paint cracks, bumps or scratches.
1. It looks cool
Would Eddie Van Halen’s Frankenstrat, with its thrown-together appearance, have been half as cool if it looked like it had come straight from the shop? Or Stevie Ray Vaughan’s iconic number one strat with its worn paintwork? There’s a big market in new guitars that come pre-reliced, as players seek to get some of that mojo from playing a vintage axe, or an exact worn copy of their favourite guitarist’s instrument.2. The first bump is always the worst
Your precious baby is no longer perfect. If you’ve just bumped the edge, or knocked the tip of your flying V, it won’t make a blind bit of difference to the sound or playability. After your second and third bump, though, you’ll start worrying a lot less about a few cosmetic blemishes and can finally relax and enjoy your guitar. Get that first bump out of the way and you can start to breathe when you’re playing!3. You’ll let yourself go more
3. There’s psychological advantages to letting your guitar get a little beaten up. If every time you pick it up, you’re more worried about damaging it, that’s going to stop you feeling free with it. An instrument can be a work of art, but first and foremost it’s an instrument – a tool to be used – a tool with a purpose – and that purpose is to make music. Let yourself go a little while you’re playing if you want to unleash your creativity. Even if you’re not writing or performing your own music, you want to concentrate on your performance and forget anything else that pulls you out of the zone.- Published in Articles