Almost every artist follows the same path to mastery: extended periods of concentrated effort spent honing the skillset, often followed by a long period of artistic imitation. This mimicry serves as a foundation on which the artist’s contribution of genius to his field of endeavor will be built. So it is with master instrument builders. In the 70s, Ibanez crafted copies with such intensity and diligence that they often surpassed the quality of the originals. Clearly, Ibanez anked among the world’s best. The big question: could Ibanez deliver their own original contribution to the guitar world? It didn’t happen easily. Or overnight. But in 1987, Ibanez created not one, but two guitars that would join the modern musical instrument pantheon. Developed first as the Roadstar, the fully “Ibanezed” pedalto-the-metal RG is known throughout the rock and metal world as a full-bore performer. The thin “Wizard” necks are only one of the many innovations that make the RG, the streamlined, n…

Matt Masciandaro, ESP President, says, “When I first joined the ESP group, the USA division consisted of six people. Today, ESP products are distributed in 60 countries around the globe. ESP could not have reched this 35-year milestone without the loyalty and supprt of our customers, the artists who endorse our guitars, and the passionate and talented team of people employed by ESP both past and present. the success of ESP is truly a team effort, and I feel privileged to be part of that team.” Now a world-renowned, highly respected instrument manufacturer, the ESP Guitar Company had humble beginnings as a small custom shop started by Japanese businessman Hisatake Shibuya. It was 1975 when Shibuya founded a chain of music/ audio retail stores called Electronic Sound Products, or ESP for short. In 1983, the stores started making replacement parts and accessories for the booming guitar market. Two years later, in 1985, ESP began building entire custom guitars for special customers. It…