LTD RZK-III: Signature of the German Eccentric Rammstein’s Guitarist
After the RZK-II model with a confident price tag of over 9 thousand euros, ESP decided to offer one of the signature instruments of Rammstein's guitarist Richard Kruspe to a wider range of musicians with a more affordable version. It is the RZK-III from the LTD subsidiary, which is priced at less than a third of the price of the RZK-II mentioned above. Unlike the ESP Custom Shop's version II, the shapes of which are inspired by Les Paul, LTD's new version has switched to a design resembling the now popular Gibson Firebird, but with several modern features including active electronics.
Related to the ESP Phoenix edition, the guitar is offered in a sleek Olympic White finish with RZK graphics on the back of the body, chrome hardware and black trim on the contours of the body, neck and headstock carrying LTD tuning lockers in a 3+3 configuration. Reliable mechanics are followed by a stop bar tailpiece and a solid TonePros tune-o-matic bridge, with both segments slightly recessed into the upper body surface for a more comfortable right-hand fit.
The through-neck is at the heart of the construction, fitted with a comfortable, subtler Extra Thin profile and glued together to achieve maximum mechanical stability from three pieces of maple. The body is made up of alder wings, while classic rosewood with a radius of 350 mm was chosen for the fretboard construction, which features 22 solid XJ jumbo stainless steel frets, a 42 mm wide nut, side luminous markers and positional inlays remotely evoking Maltese crosses.
The instrument, with a 25.5-inch scale length, features a pair of Fishman Fluence RZK N/B active humbuckers designed to Kruspe specifications. These pickups produce aggressive, high-gain and crystal-clear sound. They are complemented by a three-position toggle switch, a push-button killswitch, a mini switch, and a common push/pull volume potentiometer used to activate Voice 3 mode.
Richard Kruspe's Signature LTD RZK-III can be purchased for about 2600 euros including an ESP case and other accessories. It is definitely not the cheapest model of the LTD brand, rather on the contrary, however the price should correspond to the quality of craftsmanship, choice of materials and components and, of course, the sound.
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