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ESP Guitars launches five new signature guitars for the late Alexi Laiho

The Alexi Ripped and Alexi Hexed models will arrive in LTD, ESP Custom Shop and E-II versions.

ESP Alexi Laiho Ripped

Image: ESP Guitars

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ESP Guitars will be launching five new signature guitars for the late Children Of Bodom guitarist-singer Alexi Laiho.

The Alexi Ripped and Alexi Hexed will arrive in LTD and ESP Custom Shop versions; the former will also receive a E-II edition.

The guitars began development with input from Laiho over a year before his passing. The Finnish musician died at the age of 41 in January 2021.

“He was very excited about the new models,” said Tony Rauser, ESP’s Director of Artist Relations, in a statement. The guitars are the first additions to the guitarist’s signature series since 2013.

Alexi Ripped

The Alexi Ripped is the first of the guitarist’s signature models to feature more than one pickup, with an EMG HZ F-H2 humbucker in the bridge and an EMG HZ S2 single-coil in the neck. It comes in a Purple Fade Satin finish with painted black satin “ripped” pinstripes.

The guitar has a neck-through design with an alder body, a U-shaped maple neck and an ebony fretboard that’s scalloped from the 19th to 24th fret.

The E-II and ESP Custom Shop versions sport largely the same features, though the latter is hand-crafted. There are Gotoh locking tuners, ESP strap locks, a Floyd Rose Original bridge and an ESP MM-04 active boost switch.

Meanwhile, the LTD version sports Grover tuners, a Floyd Rose 1000 bridge and a three-way pickup selector. It’s built at ESP’s factory in Japan.

Alexi Hexed

Driven by a single EMG HZ F-H2 passive humbucker, the Alexi Hexed is said to deliver “excellent presence and clarity with a punchy response”. This model also features an alder body, a three-piece maple neck and a partially scalloped ebony fretboard.

The LTD edition features Grover tuners and a double-locking Floyd Rose 1000 bridge, while the ESP Custom Shop version has Gotoh locking tuners, ESP strap locks, a Floyd Rose Original bridge and the brand’s MM-04 active boost switch. It comes in a Purple Fade finish with light purple pinstripes and matching back and sides.

ESP has yet to reveal the pricing and availability of the new signature guitars.

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