Seven Strings of Brawling Brutality
Since Whitechapel’s 2006 inception and 2007 debut record, The Somatic Defilement, rhythm guitarist Alex Wade has consistently supplied deathcore delights, and this signature ESP LTD Alex Wade XJ refuses to pull any punches. Considering its 27-inch baritone scale, 7-string design, lone bridge-mounted humbucker, and unwavering EverTune bridge, Sweetwater’s despots of the down-tuned and distorted agree that this axe is the bare-knuckle brawler they’ve been seeking. Maple, swamp ash, walnut, padauk, and Macassar ebony comprise the guitar’s pentacle of foundational forces, while its malleable musicality is wielded through the kaleidoscopic capabilities of the DiMarzio D-Activator 7 humbucker. A 5-piece neck, carved for speed and power, sports a wide-radius fretboard that makes painless work of traversing the instrument’s 24 frets, while the eye-catching bridge and locking tuners grant your sounds “Eternal Refuge” in stable tuning. What more can the Whitechapel-worthy wonder do for your sound? Play one for yourself to see what you discover!
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Five degrees of foundational firepower
Armed with five varieties of foundational tonewoods, the ESP LTD Alex Wade XJ is poised for prismatic 7-string power. Its roots comprise a maple-topped swamp ash body, which is prized for use with electric guitars, thanks to its laser-focused voicing that emphasizes fundamentals. A 5-piece bolt-on neck weaves maple’s full-spectrum brightness and note-separating warmth, walnut’s smoldering rosewood-like presence and ringing character, and padauk’s deep, punchy, overtone-rich palette. Finally, a Macassar ebony fretboard supplies enduring sustain, eminent presence, and crystalline brilliance. Taken together, you’re gifted an aural architrave of no-holds-barred brutality that supports the gamut of sonic possibilities waiting to be unearthed by this signature axe’s 7-string array and 27-inch baritone scale.
DiMarzio drives your deathcore deliverance
The natural aural complexity of the LTD Alex Wade XJ’s tonewood assemblage is no simple sound to wield, and the baritone scale makes the challenge of bringing this immense range to life that much more daunting. Fortunately, ESP and Alex knew who could answer the call of this instrument’s death metal magic: DiMarzio. As the guitar’s sole pickup, the bridge-mounted D-Activator 7 gives you the best of active and passive designs, sans the battery. Detailed responsiveness and fast attack are complemented by immense headroom with shimmering overtones and blooming harmonics that remain tight and punchy yet pliable and reactive on every string. Plus, the push-pull Volume knob gives you even further tone-chasing opportunities. Where will you start?
Primed for tour-grade performance
Honing the ESP LTD Alex Wade XJ’s playability was essential to crafting an instrument that could endure the reality of the road-warrior lifestyle and pummeling performances. A Thin-U, satin-finished neck serves up speed and power in spades; it’s perfect for multiple play styles but thrives with Alex’s take on raucous riffage and brutal breakdowns. Up top, the fretboard’s 15.75-inch radius deftly accommodates the 7-string spread, complementing the accessibility of the offset’s elegant cutaways and comfort-minded contouring, for complete control of its 24 stainless steel frets. Opting for a 5-piece neck was an intentional decision to soup up this tour-grade tone machine, increasing the guitar’s musicality and dimensional stability, meaning maximized resistance to twisting, warping, and the elements. With LTD locking tuners and an EverTune F7 bridge, the LTD Alex Wade XJ is armed to excel in virtually any tuning configuration your sound can handle.
ESP LTD Alex Wade XJ Features:
- Signature 7-string baritone guitar for Whitechapel’s Alex Wade
- Maple-topped swamp ash body forms a foundation of focused, fiery, and fundamental-strong sound
- Bolt-on 5-piece neck marries rich overtones, full-spectrum brightness, and rosewood-like presence, with maple, walnut, and padauk
- Macassar ebony fretboard supplies near-endless sustain and bell-like clarity that’s teeming with dynamic definition in every register
- Bridge-mounted DiMarzio D-Activator 7 humbucker serves up headroom and haymakers with shimmering harmonics, nuanced responsiveness, and detailed pick-attack reactivity
- Push-pull Volume knob gives you an additional dimension of tone-shaping opportunities
- 27-in. baritone scale and 7-string spread ensure a wide range of performance potential and brawling breakdowns are always on tap
- 15.75-in. fretboard radius and Thin-U neck profile effortlessly accommodate multiple play styles
- Locking tuners and EverTune F7 bridge guarantee unrivaled tuning stability
