Rammstein’s Richard Kruspe has a new ESP LTD signature model – and he’s calling it the “best guitar that ever happened in history”
Richard Kruspe’s latest ESP signature guitar has just dropped – and, unlike his previous line of distressed and burnt guitars, the RZK-III is dazzlingly unscathed.While Kruspe’s Burnt signatures played into Rammstein’s love of pyrotechnics, the LTD RZK-III is a clean Olympic White. And Kruspe is calling it “the best guitar that ever happened in guitar history”.
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The shape is inspired by the ESP Phoenix, a guitar he fell in love with during his solo project, Emigrate, and when he used it during the Freeze My Mind music video in 2021. The guitar also has a three-a-side headstock, while the typical Phoenix has a six-in-a-line design.
The Olympic White body is finished off with a tongue-in-cheek graphic on the back: the RZK stamp showing Kruspe giving the middle finger. The fingerboard is made from rosewood and has 22 extra-jumbo stainless steel frets, with glow-in-the-dark side markers.
The RZK-III also has a traditional stoptail-style setup. The decision came after a series of blindfolded experiments, which toyed with Floyd Rose and string-through-body bridge designs. “If I knew which one was the Floyd Rose I would have chosen that,” he admits. “But when forced to choose only by sound, that was the winner.”
“I was a little bit concerned because normally the stoptail bridge has a different way how your hand lays on the strings,” he adds. “It’s higher, so we recessed the bridge and stoptail into the body of the guitar to use the best sound with the comfort of the Floyd Rose to make the best guitar that ever happened in guitar history.”
Credit: ESP
The guitar is kitted out to capture Kruspe’s iconic Rammstein tones. Kruspe’s own signature Fishman Fluence humbuckers are sure to help in that department. There’s also a chunky push-pull volume knob and a reversible kill switch. The kill switch in particular is also wired in “the German way”, as it only kills the sound when pressed a second time.
The RZK-III has also been on the road with Kruspe for a few years now. So, it’s fair to say it’s been thoroughly road-tested before its official release.
The Rammstein guitarist’s love for ESP stems back even before his first signature. Back in 2018 in interview with Ultimate Guitar, he spoke about buying his first ESP in 1990. “With guitars, it is like with women, you have to fall in love,” he said. “I was walking around that convention and I saw that guitar hanging at the ESP stand. It was a 901 ESP Sunburst and I was looking at it because it was such a beauty… I bought that guitar and that’s how I got connected with ESP.”
The RZK-II is available for pre-order now, and it’ll set you back $1,999.
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Source: www.guitar-bass.net
