“Well-spec’d and looking like it could do serious damage on the battlefield, this guitar is as muscular as Rammstein’s live shows”: ESP LTD RZK-III OW review

Guitar World Verdict

Well-spec’d and looking like it could do serious damage on the battlefield, this guitar is as muscular as Rammstein’s live shows. Its chameleon-like pickups allow it to adapt across genres, and its recessed bridge is inspired, but the noisy kill switch is a real shame.

Pros

+Versatile tones – not just for metal.

+Crisp aesthetics make for a mean-looking axe

+Solid tuning stability

+Well-balanced weight

Cons

-Kill switch is a little noisy

-Neck joint may divide opinion

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What is it?Returning to the drawing board for his third ESP/LTD signature guitar, Rammstein’s Richard ZK has pivoted towards the trending offset shape and bestowed it with some serious kit. Headlined by signature, chrome-covered Fishman Fluence active humbuckers – fast becoming go-to pickups for metal guitar – and an arcade-style kill switch, it stays true to his Strat-like tonewood preferences. But his beloved Floyd Rose is gone, and a slew of gadgets are in.

ZK tested three different bridge options blindfolded, saying, “If I knew which one was the Floyd Rose, I would have chosen that.” A classic-style locking TonePros stoptail was chosen on “sound alone,” but has been partially recessed into the body so the hand comfort of a Floyd was retained.

This is a lavish creation, with premium appointments everywhere you look, and a far cry from his previous axes: the Strat-meets-SG hybrid E-II RZK-I, and the singlecut RZK-II.

SpecsLaunch price: $1,999Made: KoreaType: Solid-body electric guitarBody: AlderNeck: Maple, neck-thruFingerboard: Rosewood, 13.77” radiusScale length: 25.5”Nut/width: Molded, 1.653”Frets: 22, extra jumbo Hardware: TonePros Locking Tune-O-Matic bridge, LTD locking tunersElectrics: Fishman RZK signature Fishman Fluence humbuckers, 1x volume (with push/pull), three-way switch, and mini-toggle for switch kill switch modesLeft-handed options: NoFinishes: Olympic WhiteCase/gig bag: LTD hard caseContact: ESP GuitarsBuild quality

(Image credit: Matt Lincoln / Future)Build quality rating: ★★★★☆

There are very few discernible flaws or blemishes in its construction, and the hardware is rock solid. That said, there’s a noticeable rough seam at the heel.

Given the contrast between the natural neck finish and the thick gloss of the body, something needed to give, but the triangular cut feels aesthetically crude. The cut itself is fairly smooth, and the only noticeable difference is in the thumb feel when playing the upper frets. It’s a bit of an eyesore, though.

(Image credit: Matt Lincoln / Future)The Rammstein logo inlays, meanwhile, look more like blobs – outlines would have looked much clearer, and the fact that the battery compartment for the pickups needs to be unscrewed irks me.

A latch-based solution, as found on many other guitars from Strandberg to Charvel, is an open goal. To add to this, the review model was supplied without a battery, which is a surprising oversight at this price.

Playability

(Image credit: Matt Lincoln / Future)Playability rating: ★★★★☆

Considering Richard ZK’s day job, it’s understandable that soloing isn’t super buttery, but it’s not a chore, either. Ultimately, the neck hits that Goldilocks spot between riff-wringing fatness and lead-friendly thinness.

Granted, there’s a lot of body with this offset shape – it’s bulkier than a Fender Jazzmaster, or Jackson’s Surfcaster silhouette – Lee Malia’s new signature feels very snug for lap playing in comparison, and measures similarly to a Gibson Firebird, but the LTD’s balance is top-drawer.

Whereas Wolfgang Van Halen’s EVH SA-126 kept sliding off my knee, this sits where it should, there’s is no neck dive to contend with, and its weight is a happy medium – it’s just a case of getting used to its larger surface area.

Considering Richard ZK’s day job, it’s understandable that soloing isn’t super buttery, but it’s not a chore, either

Meanwhile, careful decisions help counter the larger body size, including a smooth contour on the treble side bout for picking hand comfort. The subtly recessed bridge also makes a huge difference to hand positioning, comfort, and feel: there’s no hand fatigue after prolonged playing.

(Image credit: Matt Lincoln / Future)Sounds

(Image credit: Matt Lincoln / Future)Sounds rating: ★★★★☆

There’s a reason everyone from Tim Henson to Mick Thompson are jumping ship to Fishman Fluence pickups. Tonally, they have every base covered, meaning they’re suited for styles beyond metal, and ZK’s signature set is no exception.

I’m an avid Fishman Fluence user, but my only gripe with them remains: the volume control isn’t super responsive when rolled back. Swells can be achieved with the right movement, but I tend to avoid half-way points with the volume knob as I find it struggles there.

Besides that, though, Richard ZK’s signature set provides a tonal playground. From bluesy, mid-gain Marshalls to war-mongering Fortin amps, rhythm tones sound great through every modelled amp I try them on. The bridge pickup has a little more treble than stock Fluence p’ups.

That equates to snarling rhythms, which work incredibly well with palm mutes, but they aren’t exceptionally warm, so tweaking the amp – boosting the bass, reducing the treble – is advisable for when you don’t want this is bear its teeth quite so much.

(Image credit: Matt Lincoln / Future)Clean tones really shimmer, especially when iced with chorus pedals. They are exquisitely modern-sounding pickups

Elsewhere, this guitar’s clean tones really shimmer, especially when iced with chorus pedals. They are exquisitely modern-sounding, and the neck rounds out some of those sharp edges for chords.

The middle position on the selector, conversely, marries the best of both. I found it to be the best position for edge-of-breakup tones – perhaps controversially – with the others either too woolly or too scratchy for my liking without overcompensating on the amp.

Voice three (accessed via the push-pull volume pot) gives a coil split. I’ve always found push/push dials to be far more user-friendly for on-the-fly coil-splitting, but they are a rare off-the-shelf feature.

Tonally, the differences made by splitting are subtle, but well worth exploring. They don’t have that in-your-face Stratocaster spank that other pickups can conjure, but they aren’t too noisy when split, and there’s a satisfying quack when playing with a little palm muting. It’s a fair compromise overall.

(Image credit: Matt Lincoln / Future)Beyond the almost laughably large, but perfectly passable volume knob, the kill switch is extremely noisy in standard mode, turning my Buckethead impressions into crackly affairs. It improves after repeated taps, as if it takes a moment to warm up, but it isn’t ideal.

The guitar’s mini switch reverses its functionality, meaning pressing it activates the signal, rather than killing it. Interestingly, this mode is completely crackle-free, but its inverted methodology takes some getting used to.

(Image credit: Matt Lincoln / Future)Verdict

(Image credit: Matt Lincoln / Future)When the lights are down and I’m digging in, there’s a lot to admire. It plays superbly, it’s multifaceted in what it can handle, and it looks seriously cool, even for someone who tends to swerve white guitars.

It plays superbly, it’s multifaceted in what it can handle, and it looks seriously cool

The dual-mode kill switch is a great addition, despite crackles in ‘normal’ mode being a little off-putting, and even if the coil-splitting is subtle, there are still some unique sounds to be uncovered.

In the end, its biggest pitfalls, like the neck seam and its kill switch, are either aesthetic or minuscule. It’s a solid and versatile guitar that (generally) looks the business, and just about justifies its asking price.

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Ratings scorecardTest

Results

Score

Build quality

Despite some odd choices that harm its overall impression, it’s a solid workhorse.

★★★★☆

Playability

It’s hard to fault, with the recessed bridge an inspired touch.

★★★★☆

Sounds

Modern, versatile tones, just don’t expect dramatically different split-coil sounds

★★★★☆

Overall

A tough-looking bruiser of a guitar. Look past its minor drawbacks and you have a fantastic six-string.

★★★★☆

Also try

Jackson X Series Surfcaster SC HT6

Price: $559 / £669

Want to tap into the chug-loving offset hype on a budget? Look no further than the Jackson’s reprised Surfcaster line, with hot pickups and a solid spec for the price, although weight issues do affect its performance.

Read more: Jackson X Series Surfcaster SC HT6 review

Fender Jim Root Jazzmaster

Price: $1,399.99/£1,139

Another heavy-minded offset, this time with a signature twist and a more honed-in spec that includes EMG Jim Root Signature Daemonum humbuckers and locking tuners. It lacks the gimmicks of the RZK-III, but it’s half the price.