2021 New Guitar and Bass Preview - PHASE 3

Happy New Year, and welcome to the third and final phase of our “New for 2021” product announcements, which will focus on some of our world-renowned higher-end guitar models coming out this year.

View Phase IView Phase II

New ESP USA Guitars

When we launched the ESP USA Series in 2014, we couldn’t have known how quickly that these instruments, built by master luthiers at our shop in Southern California, would gain acceptance to become known among the highest-quality guitars available today. Each ESP USA guitar model can be personalized with many choices in woods, finishes, components, and hardware using our online configurator. For 2021, three new ESP USA models are being added to the growing line: the USA Eclipse FR, the USA Eclipse Semi-Hollow, and the USA M-7 Baritone Hardtail.

The ESP USA Eclipse FR adds an Original Floyd Rose bridge to this classic single-cutaway guitar shape. The USA Eclipse FR offers a chambered mahogany body, with optional flamed maple and quilted maple tops and a wide variety of gloss and satin translucent finishes to allow the figured wood grain to be highlighted (and plain maple caps for solid color finishes). Built with set-thru construction at 24.75” scale, it includes a three-piece mahogany neck and ebony fingerboard with 22 extra-jumbo Jescar stainless steel frets and mother-of-pearl split-flag inlays. Components include Sperzel Trim-Lok tuners, Dunlop strap locks, a bone nut, and a variety of top-tier Seymour Duncan (passive) and EMG (active) pickup models. The ESP USA Eclipse Semi-Hollow is an all-new design. Based on the Eclipse shape, this guitar is the first ESP USA model to be offered with a semi-hollow mahogany body. Like other ESP USA Series models, the USA Eclipse Semi-Hollow can be personalized with top woods, finishes, and selection of pickups and hardware. It offers set-thru construction at 24.75” scale, and includes stainless steel frets, mother-of-pearl fingerboard inlays, and high-end components. The ESP USA M-7 Baritone is a 7-string baritone guitar with bolt-on construction at 27” scale. This guitar has a mahogany body with three-piece maple neck, ebony fingerboard, a Hipshot hardtail bridge, Sperzel locking Tuners, and choice of finish, top wood, pickup and hardware selections.

New and Updated ESP E-II Guitars

Formerly called “ESP Standard”, all ESP E-II instruments are created at our ESP factory in Tokyo, Japan, and are designed for professional players who accept no compromises in tone, feel, or reliability for their guitars and basses. For 2021, we have some excellent new E-II guitars, including new models and updated finishes and components for some of our existing greatest hits.

Killer E-II Eclipses Heading Your Way

Let’s start this look at “New for 2021” E-II models with four great new Eclipse models. The E-II Eclipse Full Thickness is exactly as the name implies… a body with traditionally thick design. It comes in two flavors: Tobacco Sunburst finish with a set of Fishman Fluence Open Core Classic Humbucker pickups and push-pull controls to activate three different voicings, and Vintage Honey Burst with a set of Seymour Duncan '59 Chrome and JB Chrome pickups that offer push-pull controls to split each pickup. Both models also offer a satin finish on the back for super smooth playability, crème binding, and high-end components like Gotoh locking tuners, a Gotoh TOM bridge and tailpiece, a bone nut, and Dunlop locking strap buttons.

The E-II Eclipse DB Granite Sparkle offers the sublime look of an outstanding new finish, with prominent white binding on the both sides of the body as well as the neck and headstock. This guitar offers high-end components like a bone nut, Dunlop locking strap buttons, Gotoh locking tuners, and a Gotoh TOM bridge and tailpiece, and a set of EMG 66TW (neck) and EMG 57TW (bridge) active pickups, with coil spitting available on each pickup via push-pull controls. Finally, everyone’s favorite ESP exclusive finish is back with the E-II Eclipse Reindeer Blue, which looks amazing on a quilted maple top with multi-ply binding, along with a set of EMG 60 and EMG 81 pickups in Brushed Black Chrome.

Ferocious E-II Shapes

Available in both Black and Snow White finishes, the new E-II EX NT is a killer guitar with a bold and angular design for musicians who like to make a statement from the moment they pull their guitar from the case. It features set-thru construction of a mahogany body and mahogany neck with ebony fingerboard and 22 extra-jumbo frets. The E-II EX NT includes premier-quality components like a bone nut, Gotoh locking tuners, a Gotoh TOM bridge and tailpiece, and Dunlop locking strap buttons, along with a set of EMG 60 and EMG 81 pickups in Brushed Black Chrome.

While we’ve offered the FRX model in our E-II Series before, it may have never looked as brutally menacing as in this new version with the E-II FRX Black Satin. With its bold curves and bevels, this guitar features set-thru construction, 24 extra-jumbo frets, Gotoh locking tuners, Dunlop locking strap buttons, and a Floyd Rose Original bridge. We’ve updated the E-II FRX to add an EMG 60TW-R with coil-splitting via push-pull control, and an aggressive EMG 81 in the bridge position.

New Horizons

The ESP Horizon shape has long been thought of as the ultimate professional-focused guitar with majestic design features like its arched top, balanced feel, and pro-quality tonewoods and components. For 2021, we have four great new ESP E-II Horizon models to show you. The E-II Horizon-III is a special guitar shape that offers the arched top of the Horizon Series in a body that features an elongated top horn and a shorter, more rounded bottom horn. This guitar has neck-thru-body construction, a flamed maple top in a phenomenal See Thru Black Sunburst finish, and a three-piece maple neck with satin finish on the back for super smooth playability. Its components include a Floyd Rose Original bridge, Gotoh locking tuners, and Dunlop locking strap buttons. Pickups on the E-II Horizon-III include a Seymour Duncan Jazz (neck) and Seymour Duncan Custom 5 (bridge), both with push-pull controls for coil splitting.

We’re adding two new E-II Horizon FR-II models — See Thru Black Cherry Sunburst and Tiger Eye Sunburst. Both guitars offer neck-thru-body construction and a smooth satin finish on the back of the neck. Its high-end components that include a Floyd Rose Original bridge, Gotoh locking tuners, and Dunlop locking strap buttons. Pickups on the E-II Horizon FR-II are EMG 66TW (neck) and EMG 57TW (bridge), both with Brushed Black Chrome covers and coil splitting with push-pull controls. For those of you who prefer a non-tremolo guitar, the new E-II Horizon NT-II comes with a Gotoh TOM bridge and tailpiece.

Amazing New E-II M Series Guitars

If you’re looking for the ultimate badass extended range guitar, this might be it. We’re offering the E-II M-II 7B Baritone EverTune in two outstanding finishes: Granite Sparkle and Pearl White. These 7-string, neck-thru-body guitars are offered at 27” baritone scale, and feature the innovative EverTune constant tension bridge system, allowing it to stay in tune and in perfect intonation at all points of the neck under nearly any circumstances. They also include a bone nut, Dunlop locking strap buttons, Gotoh locking tuners, and a set of Fishman Fluence Modern Humbucker pickups… alnico in the neck, ceramic in the bridge, each with a push-pull control to activate their multiple voicings.

The new E-II M-I Thru NT is a no-frills rock machine in Deep Candy Apple Red Satin finish that’s ready to jump onstage with you, with nothing coming between you and your best performances. It features neck-thru-body construction, a satin finish on the back of the neck for speedy, smooth playability, and top-notch components like Gotoh locker tuners, Gotoh TOM bridge with string-thru body design, a bone nut, and a single aggressive EMG 81 active pickup.

And One More (For Now)

The E-II SN-2 takes a traditional guitar shape and then maximizes every aspect of it for contemporary music performance styles. It features bolt-on construction, a Buckeye burl maple top in a fantastic Nebula Black Burst finish, and natural masked binding. Components include a Floyd Rose Original SE bridge with stainless steel screws, Gotoh locking tuners, and more. Pickups on the E-II SN-2 are a set of direct-mount Bare Knuckle Aftermath Battleworn, offering accelerated bass response for exceptionally fast tracking of high-speed staccato riffing, crushing midrange, and precise high-end articulation.

So, That’s All for 2021, Right?

No. We still have more new guitars and basses that will be being debuted at various points of the year. These will include more ESP USA models, new Signature Series guitars, and new ESP Original Series and ESP Exhibition Limited guitars that will be announced when they become available. For now, be sure to watch our “ESP Presents 2021” streaming video show on January 11-13, 2021 for more info, and keep your eye on espguitars.com!