Description

ESP Kamikaze-1 is the original, and still one of the very coolest and most distinctive ESP Signature Series guitars ever made. Created by guitarist George Lynch in 1985 when Dokken was taking over the charts and George was being recognized as one of the world’s most incendiary guitarists, the Kamikaze-1 started as George’s personal custom guitar that was so outrageously unique, people began clamoring for one of their own. Once ESP began making them available for the public, it became our first Signature Series model. Still to this day, the Kamikaze-1 is a coveted guitar for good reason. Made by hand by the famous luthiers of the ESP Custom Shop in Japan, it features a maple body bolted to a maple neck with an ebony fingerboard. Its sound, as specified by George, is powered by an ESP Designed single-coil SS-120 pickup in the neck position, and a custom Seymour Duncan “The Hunter” pickup in the bridge spot. This pickup was specifically designed to George’s specification for a powerful and dynamic response, providing the harmonics, dimension, and firepower that George’s style demands. It’s a high-output pickup with ceramic magnets and custom wind, with all the muscle for power chords and easy access to harmonic squeals, while remaining transparent enough for the “not quite clean but not exactly dirty” tones that George employs. The Kamikaze-1 includes a Floyd Rose Original bridge and Gotoh tuners, and comes with a high-quality hard shell case and a Certificate of Authenticity from ESP.

SEYMOUR DUNCAN SIGNATURE GEORGE LYNCH “THE HUNTER”
Specifically designed to George’s exacting specs for a powerful and dynamic response, providing the harmonics, dimension, and firepower that George’s style demands.

The only thing that could ever overshadow George Lynch’s incredible technique is his amazing sense of guitar tone. George has gotten so many great tones over the years (and has used such an eclectic collection of gear) that chasing after his tonal recipe can seem mysterious and daunting. But despite that vast array of sounds, which go from pristine cleans to fire-breathing leads, when we talk about the classic “Lynch Tone,” we’re generally talking about one thing: a huge, mean rock tone, with full lows, a ferocious top end, and a complexity that is alive with harmonics. If you had to choose one pickup to capture that signature sound, you should do what George does: Go with the George Lynch Hunter pickup. With its high output, ceramic magnets, and custom wind, the Hunter brings all the muscle for power chords and easy access to harmonic squeals, while remaining transparent enough for the “not quite clean but not exactly dirty” tones that he is so great at.

The Hunter comes with the Lynch Tone seal of approval. It’s not easy to play like George, but it just got easier to nail his sound.

ABOUT ESP
ESP Company, Limited is a Japanese guitar manufacturer, primarily focused on the production of electric guitars and basses. They are based in both Tokyo, Japan and Los Angeles, California, United States, with two distinct product lines for each respective market. ESP Company manufactures instruments under several names, including “ESP Standard”, “ESP Custom Shop”, “LTD Guitars and Basses”, “Navigator”, “Edwards Guitar and Basses”, and “Grassroots”. www.espguitars.com