Experience the Magic of ESP's Early Instruments

The ESP LTD M-1 Custom '87 aims to capture the magic of ESP's 1987 catalog. It's a faithful re-creation of the legendary M-1s that catapulted ESP to the world stage. Featuring a through-neck made from maple, alder wings, and a Macassar ebony fingerboard, this axe creates a highly resonant tone with a pronounced sustain. Its snarling tone comes from a single Seymour Duncan Distortion humbucker. The onboard EMG PA-2 boost switch adds extra power to cut through the mix if needed. Finally, the neck is thick enough to feel comfortable in your hand for chording while still being thin enough for effortless soloing. Whether you're looking to re-live the magic of the glory days or want a vintage-style axe with a ripping tone, the ESP LTD M-1 Custom '87 is an excellent choice.

Comfortable, lightweight body

Holding true to tradition, the M-1 Custom '87 has a neck-through-body design. The 3-piece neck is made from maple to promote stiffness and resonance. Since the pickup and bridge are loaded into the same piece of wood, this guitar showcases some impressive sustain. Next, two alder wings are added to the body to improve tonal balance. Finally, the body receives some incredibly comfortable body contours.

Simple controls let you focus on rocking out

The LTD M-1 '87 is powered by a single Seymour Duncan Distortion pickup in the bridge position. Meanwhile, a single volume knob and a boost switch round out the sound-shaping possibilities. While the M-1 '87 has the simplest controls you can imagine, it can create a surprising variety of tones. When running wide open, the Seymour Duncan Distortion humbucker creates the kind of tonal mayhem that would make any old-school rocker proud. If you need some extra volume for your second solo, flip the switch, and EMG's PA-2 boost switch will serve up an extra helping of raw power. Instead of switching guitars to get your single-coil tone, the push-pull volume knob has you covered. All in all, the M-1 Custom '87 is part Super Strat, part fire-breathing behemoth. It's up to you to choose which one you want to tame.

ESP LTD ’87 Reissue Series

Throughout the late 1970s and early 1980s, Tokyo-based Electric Sound Products grew a reputation for producing well-crafted interpretations of classic designs, under both the ESP and Navigator brands. In 1983, high-quality replacement parts from ESP started infiltrating the US market. Popular guitarists of the time, including Helmet’s Page Hamilton, Living Colour’s Vernon Reid, and the Rolling Stones’ Ronnie Wood, were so impressed that they began to commission custom ESP guitars. Coming into their creative own, ESP expanded their design repertoire with bold new body and neck designs and hot-rodded electronics packages aimed at contemporary guitarists looking to push their sonic boundaries. In 1987, ESP launched its updated product line, introducing a number of imaginative guitars and basses that would become instant classics. ESP’s LTD ’87 Series pulls from the pages of the ESP 1987 catalog, faithfully re-creating the first full set of ESP instruments — designs that would set the course for decades of design innovation.