The ESP LTD M-1 Custom '87 Guitar in Dark Metallic Purple is a homage to the iconic '80s era, combining vintage appeal with modern playability and tonal versatility. This instrument is designed for players who appreciate the sleek, high-performance characteristics of ESP guitars, along with the unique aesthetics and sound that defined a generation of music. Let’s delve into the details of this standout model:

Construction and Design

• Construction: Utilizing a neck-thru body construction, this guitar offers unparalleled sustain and stability, ensuring a seamless energy transfer throughout the instrument for a fuller tone.
• Body Material: The choice of alder for the body provides a balanced and resonant tonal foundation, suitable for a variety of musical genres, from rock and metal to blues and jazz.
• Neck: A 3-piece maple neck is known for its strength and bright tonal qualities, enhancing the guitar’s overall clarity and sustain.
• Fingerboard: The Macassar ebony fingerboard, with a radius of 350mm, is designed for comfort and speed, allowing for effortless fretting and soloing across all 24 XJ frets.

Playability

• Nut: Featuring a locking nut with a width of 43mm, this guitar is equipped to handle aggressive playing styles and whammy bar use without compromising tuning stability.
• Neck Contour: The extra thin U-shaped neck profile is optimized for fast playability, catering to players who demand speed and precision in their performance.
• Frets: The use of XJ frets provides a smooth playing feel, facilitating easy bends and vibrato, essential for expressive guitar playing.

Hardware and Electronics

• Tuners: LTD tuners offer reliable tuning stability, ensuring that the guitar remains in tune through extensive playing sessions.
• Bridge: A Floyd Rose 1000 bridge is included for its exceptional tuning stability and vibrato capabilities, allowing players to perform dive bombs and subtle vibrato with confidence.
• Pickup: The guitar features a single Seymour Duncan Distortion bridge pickup, renowned for its high output and aggressive tonality, perfect for cutting through a mix with clarity and precision. The pull volume for coil-splitting adds a layer of tonal versatility, enabling a broader range of sounds from a single humbucker.
• Electronics Layout: A simplistic electronics layout with a volume (push/pull for coil splitting) and an EMG PA-2 Mini switch allows for quick and easy tonal adjustments, offering a range from clean, sparkling tones to full-throttle distortion.

Aesthetics and Extras

• Finish: The Dark Metallic Purple finish is both eye-catching and distinctive, set against chrome hardware for a striking visual contrast that stands out on stage and in the studio.
• Strings: Strung with D'Addario XL120 strings for a balanced tone and reliable performance across a variety of playing styles.

The ESP LTD M-1 Custom '87 Guitar in Dark Metallic Purple is a testament to ESP's legacy of crafting instruments that are both visually stunning and sonically versatile. This guitar is designed for the modern player who values the distinctive look and feel of an '80s-era instrument, updated with the performance features necessary for today’s music scene. Whether used for shredding solos, chunky rhythms, or anything in between, this guitar is built to deliver exceptional tone and playability.