The ESP Vulture is an Esp electric guitar. Close alternatives include the ESP Truckster and the ESP Iron Cross. It pairs well with the Orange Rockerverb 50 MkIII 2-Channel 50W Head and the Synergy SL2 Module.
ESP Vulture
Esp · electric guitar
The ESP Vulture is James Hetfield's most recent signature model, a distinctive V-shaped mahogany guitar with bevels and hooks echoing the Metallica logo, built in the ESP Custom Shop in Japan and matching the guitar he uses live and in the studio. It carries his EMG JH Het Set active pickups, discrete volume controls per pickup, Gotoh locking tuners and a TonePros locking bridge. Through an American-voiced high-gain amp with 6L6 tubes it produces an instantly familiar tight chug, especially on palm-muted bridge-pickup riffing in the style of Master of Puppets and Creeping Death. It is firmly a heavy metal and thrash instrument.
- metal
- tight
- attack
- rhythm
- modern
- thrash
- american
- punchy
Genres the ESP Vulture is commonly used in
- Heavy Metal
- Metal
- Thrash Metal
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag. - Death Metal
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag. - Hard Rock
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag. - Djent
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag.
Amps that pair well with the ESP Vulture
Orange Rockerverb 50 MkIII 2-Channel 50W Head
Orange
17% matchBoth lean toward tight and full respectively — close enough in character that they complement instead of clashing
Synergy SL2 Module
Synergy
tonal matchInto a transparent tone, Synergy SL2 Module brings the high gain it's missing
Friedman BE-Mini Head
Friedman
tonal matchThe transparent tone has headroom to spare — Friedman BE-Mini Head gives it high gain to fill it with
Hughes & Kettner Warp 7
Hughes & Kettner
tonal matchInto a transparent tone, Hughes & Kettner Warp 7 brings the high gain it's missing
Ceriatone 2202H
Ceriatone
tonal matchInto a transparent tone, Ceriatone 2202H brings the high gain it's missing
Friedman Jose LTD
Friedman
tonal matchThe transparent tone has headroom to spare — Friedman Jose LTD gives it high gain to fill it with
Hiwatt Hi-Gain 100W Head
Hiwatt
tonal matchInto a transparent tone, Hiwatt Hi-Gain 100W Head brings the high gain it's missing
Egnater Tweaker 88 Head
Egnater
tonal matchRun Egnater Tweaker 88 Head into that transparent platform and it finally gets some low gain
Pedals that stack with the ESP Vulture
ThorpyFX The Dane
ThorpyFX
18% matchInto a transparent tone, ThorpyFX The Dane brings the fuzzy it's missing
Way Huge Swollen Pickle
Way Huge
18% matchInto a transparent tone, Way Huge Swollen Pickle brings the fuzzy it's missing
Black Arts Toneworks LSTR Fuzz
Black Arts Toneworks
tonal matchBlack Arts Toneworks LSTR Fuzz's own voicing points at a clean amp's front end, and ESP Vulture delivers it
Electro-Harmonix EH-1335/EH-3075 Hot Tubes
Electro-Harmonix
tonal matchESP Vulture leans into a clean amp's front end, precisely the platform Electro-Harmonix EH-1335/EH-3075 Hot Tubes wants
MXR M249 Super Badass Dynamic O.D.
MXR
tonal matchESP Vulture leans into a clean amp's front end, precisely the platform MXR M249 Super Badass Dynamic O.D. wants
Ashdown Geezer Butler Signature
Ashdown
tonal matchInto ESP Vulture, Ashdown Geezer Butler Signature is right at home: it's built around a clean amp's front end
Catalinbread MontaVillian
Catalinbread
tonal matchCatalinbread MontaVillian's own voicing points at a clean amp's front end, and ESP Vulture delivers it — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)
Behringer SF300 Super Fuzz
Behringer
tonal matchBehringer SF300 Super Fuzz's own voicing points at a clean amp's front end, and ESP Vulture delivers it
Alternativessee all similar tone character →
ESP Truckster
Esp
60% similarityShared character: james_hetfield, pickups, bridge
ESP Iron Cross
Esp
97% similaritysimilar tone character
B.C. Rich Beast
B.C. Rich
97% similaritysimilar tone character
ESP James Hetfield Snakebyte
Esp
95% similaritysimilar tone character
Dean V
Dean
95% similaritysimilar tone character
B.C. Rich Kerry King V
B.C. Rich
95% similaritysimilar tone character
Hamer Phantom GT
Hamer
95% similaritysimilar tone character
See all alternatives to the ESP Vulture (cheaper + boutique) →
Questions people ask
What are good alternatives to the ESP Vulture?+
The closest matches in character are the ESP Truckster, the ESP Iron Cross, the B.C. Rich Beast.
What pairs well with the ESP Vulture?+
Strong matches from rig and tone-complementarity evidence: Orange Rockerverb 50 MkIII 2-Channel 50W Head, Synergy SL2 Module, Friedman BE-Mini Head — Both lean toward tight and full respectively — close enough in character that they complement instead of clashing.