

The LTD EC-1000 gets two new finishes this year, Silver Sunburst and Metallic Gold, which makes this classic Kalamazoo-inspired axe even more appealing than it already was. As is our norm, your homies here at the Vault have tested, tweaked, and prodded these newbies for your pleasure and ours and are here to give you the lowdown on how these new girls do what they do. ESP are introducing a bunch of cool new models this week at the NAMM show and many of the coolest come as part of the easy-to-attain LTD line. These days, ESP is producing a lot fewer pink axes and a lot more that suit the trends of the current guitar market. Even I, your ever-loving Gear-Vault correspondent who is dangerously obsessed with all things Fender, played a cool pink ESP Mirage Custom back in the 80’s and still longs for it at times.

Asian guitar companies and has a long reputation for producing excellent instruments. As the company states in its homepage, “In keeping with its breathtaking three-decade heritage of excellence, the Jackson legend continues to thrive and grow–without fear or compromise.” –Ĭheck out the great prices and bargains on Jackson is one of the O.G.

Today, Jackson Guitars continue to supply extreme high-quality guitar lines for their fan crowd. The down-spiral of Jackson Guitars met a quick finish, though, because guitarists saw that Jacksons were in fact still good instruments - high-end guitars with an affordable price –- despite the fact that the company was under Fender’s control. This acquisition left the company with very few endorsement deals, and a decrease in popularity followed thereafter. In 2002, Jackson Guitars was acquired by Fender. King V, originally designed for Robbin Crosby of Ratt, followed the extravagant heavy metal designs of their previous models, and was praised by musicians such as Dave Mustaine of Megadeth. Although merged with another company, Jackson Guitars didn’t make their fans weep in sorrow and released the famous King V model the same year. The famous Randy Rhoads model is still an icon among heavy metal guitar players and is still produced by Jackson Guitars up to date–even though the company is in other hands now.įrom 1979 to 1986, the company manufactured guitars in Glendora, California, but merged with the Texan IMC (International Music Corporation) and moved to Ontario in the same state. The Jackson Randy Rhoads guitar inspired Grover to create his own guitar company, Jackson Guitars. It remains, however, a true favorite among heavy metal guitar players, such as Kirk Hammett of Metallica, Adrian Smith of Iron Maiden, Phil Campbell of Motörhead, and many, many others. The success of the first guitar can be at least partially attributed to its remarkable looks – a distinct reverse headstock and a sharp, triangular body shape. The reason behind this was that Jackson thought that a guitar with such design would be too shocking for the regular Charvel customers. Grover Jackson first in-scripted his name on a guitar that was designed by the late Randy Rhoads in 1980, when he was still teamed up with Charvel guitars. As many know, Jackson Guitars started when the heavy metal wave was on its peak. He learned the art of boulle work, metal carvings, and marquetry from Phillip Rimmler, who inlaid the famous Orient Express train. He absorbed all the techniques and secrets these craftsmen had to offer him and used them to create his own tradition of construction, creativity, and quality. Petillo learned to make guitars by working with Jimmy Diserio, the godson of legendary luthier John D’Angelico, in his workshop in Manhattan. He was a graduate of Columbia University and also held a doctorate from LaSalle University. patents ranging from his Petillo Presidion Frets, Petillo pickups and strings, to surgical devices, fuel cell technology, and hydrogen generators.

Petillo also did instrument work for many other well-known players, including Tal Farlow, Paul McCartney, and Jim Croce. Known to the world as a luthier, engineer, musician, draftsman, and scientist, Petillo is also known as the man who sold Bruce Springsteen’s famous 1953 Fender Esquire. Phil Petillo, a master luthier, inventor, and true Renaissance man, died Augof a massive heart attack.
