NAMM 2024: Finally, ESP has dropped Bill Kelliher’s long-awaited signature guitar, the LTD Royal Shiva.
In 2021, eagle-eyed fans grabbed a glimpse of the double-cut Eclipse-style model when Mastodon’s riffmeister teased it during his signature STL ToneHub plugin promo.
Kelliher described the prototype as ultra-heavy at 13 lbs. That, coupled with deep grooves and thick body ergonomics, saw it become a one-off ESP Custom Shop model made for Kelliher only, rather than an ESP artist series release.
Mr. Kelliher revealed that the original Royal Shiva was inspired by his nine-string First Act Custom model. After sending it to ESP in 2020, he asked for a dedicated and revamped six-string version from the company.
(Image credit: ESP)
Fast-forward to 2024 and the guitar is finally available in an LTD version based on the original ESP Custom Shop model.
It features a mahogany body with a maple cap and the attention-grabbing double-cut Eclipse-style body. While the official word is unavailable on whether the LTD matches the sheer weight of its ESP counterpart, it’s quite clear it certainly looks as solid as the original.
(Image credit: ESP)
“I like a guitar that feels solid,” Kelliher admitted in his upcoming GW interview. “I know I’m getting older, and running around the stage with such heavy guitars isn’t great for my back and shoulders, but I like ’em heavy.”
Bill Kelliher wanted a solid feel and had the exacting specs for his LTD model. It comes with a 25”-scale and a three-piece U-shaped mahogany neck, plus a 12”-radius Macassar ebony fretboard adorned with large mother-of-pearl block inlays and 22 extra jumbo frets, not to mention a 43mm bone nut.
When it comes to its electronics, Kelliher equipped his guitar with Mojotone Hell Bender pickups – a set of signature humbuckers introduced the previous year which are known for their versatileness.
Bill Kelliher playing his ESP Custom Royal Shiva (Image credit: Aldara Zarraoa/Redferns/Getty Images)
The humbuckers are made more versatile with push/pull volume and tone pots for an intuitive control layout.