Description

The ESP USA Custom Shop represents the very best of American guitar craftsmanship from the legendary shred company, combining premium tonewoods, precision engineering and performance-focused specifications to create instruments built for serious players. This M-III in a striking Blood Moon finish is a perfect example, pairing a mahogany body with a flamed maple top, an ebony fingerboard and a fast, ultra-thin neck profile. With a versatile trio of Seymour Duncan pickups, a Gotoh tremolo system and stainless steel frets, this is a high-performance instrument that balances refined construction with the power and precision demanded by modern rock and metal players. Mahogany body and flamed maple top The M-III combines a mahogany body with a flamed maple top, bringing together a classic tonewood pairing in a sleek, performance-oriented design. Mahogany is traditionally associated with a full, warm midrange and a solid low-end response, while maple adds definition and attack. Together, they make a versatile foundation for everything from articulate clean tones to saturated, high-gain sounds. Finished in Blood Moon, the dramatic figured maple top gives this guitar a distinctive modern visual identity. The gloss finish enhances the depth of the colour and brings out the figuring of the wood, while the 45 mm body thickness gives the instrument a substantial, solid feel. The bolt-on neck construction keeps the design focused and responsive, with the familiar attack and immediacy that make this style of guitar so effective for lead playing. Insanely versatile Seymour Duncan pickups This M-III houses a real dynamic trio of Seymour Duncan pickups, offering a broad range of sounds without sacrificing the clarity and definition needed for heavier styles when set to the humbucker in the bridge. In the neck position, the Seymour Duncan Distortion Stack is designed to deliver a powerful, articulate response with a hum-cancelling construction. It’s well suited to expressive lead playing, bringing sustain and presence while helping keep unwanted noise under control. The middle position features a Seymour Duncan Classic provides a contrasting voice for cleaner passages, rhythmic playing and more traditional single-coil-inspired sounds. At the bridge, the Seymour Duncan ’59 Custom Hybrid brings together characteristics of the ’59 and Custom designs. Expect a balance of warmth, bite and output, with the articulation to handle everything from classic rock crunch to modern high-gain riffs. The five-way selector switch makes it easy to move between pickup combinations, while the push/pull tone control adds another layer of flexibility. Whether you’re moving between punchy rhythm tones, singing lead sounds or cleaner passages, this pickup configuration gives the M-III plenty of tonal range. Ultra-thin neck and stainless steel frets As you’d expect from a performance-focused ESP, the neck is built for speed and precision. The quarter-sawn maple neck, a proper mark of quality and time spent under construction, is paired with an ebony fingerboard, providing a luxurious feel and a smooth, direct playing surface. The Extra Thin “U” neck profile measures just 19 mm at the first fret and 21 mm at the 12th, making it a particularly slim option for players who favour fast runs, wide stretches and effortless position changes. The 12-inch fingerboard radius offers a comfortable balance between chord work and lead playing, while the 25.5-inch scale length delivers the familiar tension and string response associated with this style of guitar. The 24 Jescar FW57110 stainless steel frets are another major advantage. Stainless steel is highly resistant to wear, helping preserve the fret surface over years of playing, while the fret dimensions provide a confident platform for bends, vibrato and precise note articulation. A satin neck finish completes the package, keeping the back of the neck feeling smooth and unobtrusive when moving quickly between posi…