Gibson has expanded its Dave Mustaine Collection by adding a pair of Custom Shop high-end electric guitars to the Megadeth founder and frontman’s signature series.
Assuming the familiar EXP silhouette, with the aggressive V shape body complemented by the six-in-line Explorer headstock, these Ebony VOS and Red Amber Burst models offer a more refined take on the Megadeth man's none-more-metal metal guitar.
There’s gold hardware on the Amber Burst model and nickel on the Ebony VOS, and have a tune-o-matic bridge with a string-through-body chevron tailpiece.
The Amber Burst model has a solid mahogany body topped with a figured maple cap, the Ebony VOS is mahogany with a plain maple cap.
Both models have a 25.5” scale, have a hide glued-in Mustaine custom-profile mahogany neck topped with a bound ebony fingerboard seating 24 medium jumbo frets and inlaid with Mustaine’s signature MOP dual-triangle design.
As you would expect, Dave Mustaine’s signature Seymour Duncan Thrash Factor humbucking pickups occupy bridge and neck positions here, and each has their own individual volume control, with a master tone control for fine-tuning your sound.
Gibson and Mustaine have opted for Switchcraft jacks and switches as standard, Grover Mini-Rotomatic tuners, and a black Graph Tech TUSQ.
As for signature touches, well, besides the Mustaine signature engravings on the pickup covers – and the fact that this, frankly, is not your Granddaddy's Flying V – they are kept to a minimum.
Look on the back of the headstock, however, and you'll find Mustaine in silhouette, legs splayed in full-on thrash power-riffing mode, and Mustaine's signature also graces the truss rod cover. It does not specify on the Gibson site, but often with these signature guitars (i.e. Slash's Les Paul Standard) you will find a blank truss rod cover plate included in the case.
Either way, this is definitely a more guitar than the EXP Rust In Peace model which was launched in the summer and finished in Alien Tech Green.
Both models ship in a custom hard-shell guitar case with a certificate of authenticity, and are sure to become collectors items, with only 75 of each variant being produced. They’re priced $6,999 and available now.
For more details, head over to Gibson.
