🎸 NAMM 2026: ESP unveils one of its strongest lineups ever

Honoring legends, welcoming new artists, and celebrating LTD’s 30th anniversary

At Namm 2026, ESP Guitars has revealed eight brand-new signature models, delivering a diverse lineup that celebrates both legendary figures and fresh artist debuts. At the same time, the company proudly positions its LTD Deluxe 1000 Series as “among the best in the brand’s history.”

Throughout 2025, the ESP catalog leaned heavily toward single-pickup designs — a direction continued into the new year by Gojira’s Grammy-winning riff architect Joe Duplantier. For 2026, however, the broader signature range strikes a more nuanced balance between honoring the past and shaping the future.

⚡ LTD Alexi Laiho: celebrating 20 years of legacy

Leading the charge are the LTD Alexi Laiho Arrowhead and Sawtooth SE models, marking 20 years since the late Children of Bodom virtuoso began his partnership with ESP — a collaboration that remains deeply respected within the metal guitar community.

Sharp and unmistakable, the subtly asymmetrical V-shaped body comes finished in black, accented by either white or yellow beveled speed stripes. A three-piece maple neck-thru-body construction with a Thin U profile, Macassar ebony fingerboard, and scalloped frets from the 19th to the 24th fret ensures blistering speed and precision.

The 25.5-inch scale guitar features a Floyd Rose tremolo — anything else would feel sacrilegious — Grover tuners, and a single passive HZ F-H2 humbucker controlled via a lone Volume knob.

🔴 Remembering Jeff Hanneman

Another fallen guitar hero, Slayer’s Jeff Hanneman, is honored through the LTD JH-200 CTM. This Super Strat-style model boasts an alder body, Floyd Rose Special tremolo with whammy bar, a pair of high-output ESP LH-301 humbuckers, and iconic red star inlays.

🩸 Jack Simmons joins the Signature Series

Joe Duplantier isn’t the only new addition in 2026. Slaughter to Prevail guitarist Jack Simmons also makes his Signature Series debut.

The LTD JS-7 Baritone features a V-shaped body, neck-thru-body construction, 24 extra-jumbo stainless steel frets, a Graph Tech TUSQ XL nut, a Hipshot 7-string hardtail bridge, and Fishman Open Core Modern pickups. With its extended 27-inch scale length, the guitar is purpose-built for ultra-low tunings and delivers a menacing visual presence to match.

🎸 Familiar faces, refined designs

The lineup is completed by updated models from long-standing ESP artists. Slipknot’s Mick Thomson opts for a streamlined S-style guitar with a mahogany body, Hipshot Hi-Mass hardtail bridge, blue Luminlay side dots, and his signature Fishman Fluence pickup in the LTD MT-I.

Deftones guitarist Stephen Carpenter builds on a standout 2025 with the LTD SC-607 Baritone, combining mahogany, maple, and ebony tonewoods, his signature Fishman Fluence pickups in the bridge and middle positions, and a TonePros Locking TOM tremolo system.

Finally, ’80s shred icon George Lynch receives a stripped-down take on his classic 1985 Kamikaze. The model features a reverse “hockey stick” headstock, basswood body, Floyd Rose Special tremolo, and an ESP-branded HS pickup configuration.