According to a 2023 Guitar World report, ESP officially welcomed Slipknot guitarist Mick Thomson into its roster of signature artists in a move that saw him leave Jackson. Tony Rauser, ESP’s Director of Artist Relations, released the following statement at the time:
“We are thrilled to welcome Mick as part of the ESP family. Mick is one of the most respected and influential players in the world of metal guitar. The intensity of his aggressive playing style with Slipknot fits perfectly with the energy at ESP.”
Thomson commented: “Couldn’t be happier to be in the ESP family. So impressed with everything I’ve been playing live, and there’s a great energy with everyone I’ve dealt with.”
Read the complete Guitar World report here.
ESP has finally released the signature Mick Thomson guitar, dubbed the LTD MT-I. According to Ultimate Guitar, it features the classic Strat-style shape that Thomson favors, a 25.5″ scale length, mahogany body with white ash top, a three-piece maple neck, a Macassar ebony fretboard, and 24 stainless steel frets. It also has a Thin U neck contour, a 12″ radius, and Gotoh locking tuners attached to the reverse headstock.
However, the guitar has a rather unexpected build when it comes to electronics. Instead of the classic HH setup used by Thomson in the past, the MT-I has only one bridge pickup, the Fishman Fluence Mick Thomson humbucker. For additional tonal capacity, there’s a two-way voice toggle, and even a push/pull volume for accessing a third voice.
For more information and to purchase, go to ESP here.