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tjon901 « New Uglier Kirk Hammett signature »
Published on 12/20/11 at 08:47The main KH-2 signature guitar hasnt changed much over the years. For the longest time it was the only way you could get an M2 outside of Japan. The KH-2 has been around forever. No one remembers the KH-1 which was a flying V thing. When people think Kirk Hammett signature they think this guitar. This is the newest version of the Kirk Hammett KH-2. The guitar has an alder body with a neck through maple neck. The fretboard is rosewood with 24 jumbo frets. The 17th-24th frets on the fretboard are scalloped. It has a locking nut and an original Floyd Rose. The pickups in this guitar are the traditional Metallica EMG set with the 81 in the bridge and the 60s in the neck. The controls are two volumes and a master tone with a 3 way switch for switching between the pickups.
UTILIZATION
If this guitar didnt play great Kirk wouldnt play it. This is a full ESP that says ESP on the headstock. It isnt an ESP LTD. This means that it is made in Japan by the sme people who make all the custom shop ESP guitars. This is some of the best fit and finish you can get on a guitar. The back of the neck is raw so you get the smooth feel of a bolt on even though it has neck through construction. The higher frets being scalloped means that up there you can get an even better grip on the strings for a better vibrato. The Original Floyd Rose is the original and still one of the best. It holds tune perfectly when properly setup.
SOUNDS
These pickups are the traditional setup if you want a Metallica sound. Hetfield has his new signature pickups but the set in this guitar is what they used for years and years. The 81 and 60 setup is surprisingly versatile for a set of EMGs. The 81 in the bridge was one of the first active pickups ever made and it is still one of the most popular. The 81 in the bridge is a metal machine. If you want that thick crunch like metallica this is the pickup to use in the bridge position. It keeps its composure even during high gain with low tunings. It is very consistant as well since it is a battery powered pickup it doesnt care whats going on around it. The sound will stay the same. The 60 in the neck is a good compliment to the 81. The 60 has a bit lower output and has a tone better suited for clean playing and bluesy leads
OVERALL OPINION
Metallica has some hardcore fans. If you have to own the latest Kirk guitar then by all means go out and buy this guitar. If you are just looking for a good guitar you can buy an older one used and save a lot of money. They really havent changed much with this guitar. It has a new finish that I dont think looks that great. Everything that matters is unchanged and that is a good thing because it is a guitar that has a good solid design that lends itself to good playability. If you have to have the newest Kirk guitar this is the guitar for you otherwise you should just find an older KH-2 used.
UTILIZATION
If this guitar didnt play great Kirk wouldnt play it. This is a full ESP that says ESP on the headstock. It isnt an ESP LTD. This means that it is made in Japan by the sme people who make all the custom shop ESP guitars. This is some of the best fit and finish you can get on a guitar. The back of the neck is raw so you get the smooth feel of a bolt on even though it has neck through construction. The higher frets being scalloped means that up there you can get an even better grip on the strings for a better vibrato. The Original Floyd Rose is the original and still one of the best. It holds tune perfectly when properly setup.
SOUNDS
These pickups are the traditional setup if you want a Metallica sound. Hetfield has his new signature pickups but the set in this guitar is what they used for years and years. The 81 and 60 setup is surprisingly versatile for a set of EMGs. The 81 in the bridge was one of the first active pickups ever made and it is still one of the most popular. The 81 in the bridge is a metal machine. If you want that thick crunch like metallica this is the pickup to use in the bridge position. It keeps its composure even during high gain with low tunings. It is very consistant as well since it is a battery powered pickup it doesnt care whats going on around it. The sound will stay the same. The 60 in the neck is a good compliment to the 81. The 60 has a bit lower output and has a tone better suited for clean playing and bluesy leads
OVERALL OPINION
Metallica has some hardcore fans. If you have to own the latest Kirk guitar then by all means go out and buy this guitar. If you are just looking for a good guitar you can buy an older one used and save a lot of money. They really havent changed much with this guitar. It has a new finish that I dont think looks that great. Everything that matters is unchanged and that is a good thing because it is a guitar that has a good solid design that lends itself to good playability. If you have to have the newest Kirk guitar this is the guitar for you otherwise you should just find an older KH-2 used.