Caleb Shomo’s Signature 6-string
You may know him from his days on keyboard and vocal duty with Ohio-born metalcore act Attack Attack! or — more likely — from his aggressive yet infectious multi-instrumental and lead-vocal deliveries across Beartooth’s decade-plus discography, but Caleb Shomo’s multi-hyphenate musical mastery has more than cemented the rising of his latest signature axe: the ESP LTD Caleb Shomo CS-II Phoenix. The eye-catching offset has been a longstanding favorite among Sweetwater’s harder-rolling rockers, but this distinctive take has them raring to let this 6-string soar. Its dashingly figured quilt maple top complements an assemblage of mahogany and ebony, while unexpected and exciting tone-crafting options abound, thanks to the axe’s Seymour Duncan pickups. Having joined Attack Attack! at just 14 years old, with a long-running affinity to producing myriad shades of rock, metal, and electronic music, Caleb’s plethora of polymathic performances required a pliable, powerful guitar — one that could remain as versatile and sure of its aural identity, like Caleb himself. With ESP, it’s finally arrived, and this signature Phoenix is ready to ignite any studio or stage.
Foundational sounds: “In Between” you and your axe
Though Caleb’s onstage presence is confined mainly to vocals, his work with Beartooth includes playing and recording all the band’s studio instrumentals, and his namesake CS-II Phoenix was built to accommodate this hard-hitting multimodality. Quilt maple tops a mahogany body, joined via neck-through construction to a 3-piece mahogany neck. Tonally, mahogany is revered for its rich, shimmering harmonics and overtones, with a well-balanced profile and plenty of projection that is amplified by the resonance of using it in both the neck and body. The maple top imparts warmth and brightness to your tone, with exacting note-separating capabilities that enhance the brilliance of the instrument’s foundational mahogany. Lauded for its enduring bell-like sustain and laser-focused power, a Macassar ebony fretboard caps the axe’s tonewood trio and is punchy and precise in every register.
Exclusive Seymour Duncan electronics, custom-crafted for ESP
The ESP LTD Caleb Shomo CS-II Phoenix has a dynamic dyad of Seymour Duncan pickups: a T-style STR-3 Quarter Pound single-coil pickup in the neck and a Custom 14 humbucker in the bridge (developed exclusively for ESP). The Quarter Pound — Seymour Duncan’s hottest T-style single-coil — supplies a best-of-both-worlds sonic suite, thanks to its overwound coil and searing Alnico V magnets. Its glistening harmonics, saccharine mids, and P90-like presence result in immensely robust leads and chords. At the bridge, the ESP-exclusive Custom 14 humbucker is your go-to garrison of gargantuan sound. Working closely with ESP, Seymour Duncan’s aural expertise is on full display, marrying ultra-tight articulation and crystalline transparency with spectrum-spanning balance that screams with high-octane heat, without compromising headroom. The Volume knob hosts a push-pull coil split, unlocking single-coil sounds that let you conjure multitudes of chime-like transparency and vintage-inspired character.
Pliable playability, from Disgusting to The Surface
When it comes to his flexible musicality, sound isn’t the only realm of concern for Caleb and ESP, and the LTD CS-II Phoenix was built with the malleable playability needed to match the many methods and styles the instrument supports. Its neck sports a Thin-U profile, deftly merging speed and in-hand heft to ensure comfort and control with virtually any playing style. The body’s elegant contouring and treble-side cutaway serve an all-access pass to the 22 frets sprawling the 13.77-inch-radius fretboard. Moreover, the neck’s 3-piece construction not only multiplies the mahogany’s latent harmonic depth, but also amplifies the neck’s dimensional stability. This increases its resilience to warping and other environmental influences, making it a tour-grade road warrior. Finally, rock-solid LTD hardware seals the deal, with six-in-line locking tuners adorning the reversed headstock, giving you the peace of mind needed to perform at your most powerful.
ESP LTD Caleb Shomo CS-II Phoenix Features:
- Signature guitar for Beartooth vocalist, composer, and multi-instrumentalist Caleb Shomo
- Quilt maple top blends brightness, clarity, and gorgeous figuring, for unrivaled audiovisual aesthetics
- Mahogany body and neck anchor your tones in rich harmonics, blooming overtones, and well-balanced projection
- Ebony fretboard supplies serious sustain, with power, presence, and definition in every register
- Seymour Duncan pickups include a single-coil Quarter Pound and ESP-exclusive Custom 14 humbucker, for a flexible suite of sonic-contouring capabilities
- 3-way pickup toggle and Volume knob’s push-pull coil split mean unrivaled sound design is always on tap
- Thin-U neck and 13.77-in. fretboard radius masterfully accommodate players of nearly any style
- Methodical body shaping and cutaways ensure this offset provides unfettered access to all 22 stainless steel frets
- 3-piece neck construction maximizes resilience to the elements, meaning less time in the shop and more confidence on the road
- LTD-crafted hardware includes ultra-stable locking tuners, keeping your sounds buzz-free and in tune
