NAMM '23: Dean

OK... so this is the latest manifestation for Kerry King, it's a Dean Overlord, excessively pointy & hey, there's a Kahler on board. The thing with Kahler today (yes today, not decades ago) is, there are no ready parts replacement if the bridge requires some looking into over time. Dean has made a very bold commitment with KK considering he's living on his Slayer reputation & currently without a band. No disrespect to Mr. King as he has a formidable catalog of crushing thrash tunes under his belt, some of which are definitely industry standard, to say the least.

Pic: Dean

NAMM '23: LTD

This seems to be the LTD highlight in the mean time. People are giving this serious considerations at NAMM '23 & this would be the case if you are actually unfamiliar with what ESP has to offer. The KH-V is a clear iteration of ESP's Arrow model with a slight mod to differentiate itself from the established offering. The fact that a Kirk Hammett fanfare was thrown into the mix, things got hyped up rather easily. 

On that note (no pun intended), even the new Gary Holt signature looks very close to the Kirk Hammett version less the locking hardware & whammy bridge. This one would get lesser attention because it's not Kirk Hammett associated.

Elsewhere within the camp, there's a little celebration over the fact that the Vulture is finally available in white. 🙄

Perhaps some respite can be had here - it's the BK-600, Bill Kelliher's latest signature commitment. This is a full body thickness affair with no belly cut for that traditional singlecut feel (whatever that means to you). Pickups are BK's Mojo Tone Hell Bender, ebony fretboard. We note that, despite a signature affair, this is a tier 600 model, keeping things rather affordable / appealing. 

Pics: ESP

NAMM '23: Ibanez

So Ibanez let loose a bunch of new releases for NAMM 2023. The models on offer are all signature instruments which may / may not appeal to guitar fans in general. This white Talman-esque model you see above is the new Ichika Nito (ICHI100) guitar which is as utilitarian as it gets; nothing fancy, not even branded pickups. Consolation - roasted maple neck.

 

Satch's Chrome Boy (JS3CR) returns to its traditional format - 22 frets but pickups are DiMarzio's PAF Pro / Satchur8. I prefer 22 frets for the JS, it's been this way from the start but saw a 24 fret revision along the way. It's good to see this one keeping it true to its origins.

Pics: Ibanez