The ESP Guitar Company

Gary Holt is the legendary godfather of thrash metal who joined Exodus in 1981 and played in that band’s early days alongside his then-bandmate Kirk Hammett. His LTD Signature Series GH-SV offers all of the aggression and power for which Gary is known and loved. This guitar makes use of the coveted ESP SV shape, with one side of the V-shape more elongated than the other. The body’s top and back are flat, with nothing to get in the way of pure shredding. Built at 24.75” scale, the GH-SV offers neck-thru-body construction, featuring a three-piece thin U-shaped mahogany neck and a mahogany body with maple cap. The Black finish of this guitar is accentuated by multi-ply red binding on the body, red binding on the neck and headstock, red pickup covers, and a special red scripted LTD logo. Its Macassar ebony neck is highlighted by pearloid split block inlays and 22 extra-jumbo stainless steel frets. Components on the GH-SV include a double-locking Floyd Rose 1000 tremolo system, Grover tuners, and a set of direct-mount active pickups including the EMG 89R (neck), with reversed coils to keep the single coil side closer to the neck to capture the sweet spot and a push-pull control to split the pickup, and an aggressive EMG 81 in the bridge position. For musicians on a tighter budget, the GH SV-200 is a great guitar that offers bolt-on construction and a set of ESP LH-301 pickups at a price you can definitely afford.