Kirk Hammett ESP Guitars: From Zorlac and the KH-2 to the Legendary Mummy and Ouija

Kirk Hammett ESP guitars are some of the most iconic instruments in his huge collection. This article covers how Metallica’s lead guitarist found ESP in 1987, his first custom guitars Zorlac and Caution, the KH-2 that grew out of them, his horror-movie graphic guitars, and the more unusual ESP builds he has played. For the brand itself, see the ESP guide.

Kirk Hammett and ESP Quick Facts

First ESP: ordered around April 1987, built in Tokyo
First customs: Zorlac and Caution, his “Skully” guitars
Signature model: KH-2, based on Zorlac
Favorite: “The Mummy,” his main live guitar for nearly 30 years
Other models: KH-3, KH-DC, KH-1, LTD KH-V, Ouija

Prefer to watch? This article is based on my own video below.

Table Of Contents

1987: How Kirk Hammett Met ESP
Zorlac and Caution: The “Skully” Guitars
The Kirk Hammett ESP KH-2 and Its Variations
Horror Movie Graphics: The Mummy, Ouija and More
Beyond the KH-2: Kirk Hammett’s Other ESP Guitars
- The ESP Wavecaster: A Guitar Full of Oil
Which Kirk Hammett ESP Guitar Should You Look For?
Final Thoughts
FAQ
More ESP guitar articles

1987: How Kirk Hammett Met ESP

His first encounter with the brand came through his friend Scott Ian of Anthrax, who had an ESP-made Strat-style guitar with comic book graphics. Kirk picked it up for a loose jam and thought it was a great, well-made guitar. He had no endorsements at the time and needed another guitar.

Kirk Hammett ESP guitar, late 1980s — Kirk Hammett with an early ESP and its reversed headstock, late 1980s. Image: period magazine poster

Around April 1987, he visited ESP. His main guitars back then were a 1970s Gibson Flying V, a Jackson Randy Rhoads and a Fernandes Strat copy, all with EMG pickups. Then he started listing what he wanted:

Kirk asked for…	Why
Neck-through Strat-type body	A solid feel and easy upper-fret access
EMG pickups	He had EMGs in every guitar he owned
Upside-down Strat headstock	He loved the Jimi Hendrix look
Beveled neck heel	More comfortable high-fret playing
Skull-and-crossbones inlays	His own look on the fretboard
24 frets and a Floyd Rose	Range and heavy tremolo use
Two volumes, one master tone	One tone was enough for his music, but he needed two volumes

Choosing the neck by hand

Kirk asked to see every neck in stock that hadn’t been fitted to a body yet, and spent about 30 minutes checking the radius, fingerboard and frets with his left hand. He worried he was asking too much, but ESP said yes without hesitation. Six months later, his guitar was shipped from the Tokyo custom shop to the New York office, built exactly as ordered.

Zorlac and Caution: The “Skully” Guitars

Guitar	What it is	Where the name comes from
Zorlac	His first custom ESP; the basis for the KH-2	A battered pirate sticker by Brian “Pushead” Schroeder for the skateboard brand Zorlac
Caution	A second, identical guitar built for touring	An orange “Caution Hot” sticker near the controls

Kirk Hammett ESP Zorlac guitar — “Zorlac,” Kirk’s first ESP (1987), with the Pushead pirate sticker and skull-and-crossbones inlays

The plan was to take one on tour and keep the other at home, but the guitars sounded so good that he took both. Kirk wrote many riffs on Zorlac, including the main riff of “Enter Sandman” and parts of “The Unforgiven” and “Of Wolf and Man.” Zorlac has since been displayed at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, near James Hetfield’s ESP.

Kirk Hammett ESP Caution guitar — “Caution,” the second Skully guitar, with the “Caution Hot” sticker and “Kirk’s Guitar” tape. Image: ESP

Neck

Consistent from the 1st to the 24th fret

Frets

Large and tall

Neck-through

“The best,” in his words

Durability

Survives sofas, floors and rough playing

Why Kirk stuck with ESP

The Kirk Hammett ESP KH-2 and Its Variations

From then on, almost every guitar ESP built for Kirk used Zorlac as its foundation. The production version was the KH-2, a black super-Strat sold as part of the MM series, with a skull inlay, an alder body and a 3-piece maple neck.

Version	What’s different
KH-2 (original)	Two EMG 81s
KH-2 (around 2009 on)	EMG 81 bridge and EMG 60 neck, the standard spec today
KH-4 (late 1990s)	Adds a pickguard
KH-2 Vintage	Recreates Caution with an aged finish
KH-20	20th anniversary of his ESP deal; alder body with a flame maple top in a see-through finish
Green burst / Purple Sparkle	Purple Sparkle matches his signature wah pedal
Demonology	The current model: black body with demonology symbols and skull-and-bones inlays

Kirk Hammett ESP and LTD signature models catalog — Kirk Hammett signature models across ESP and LTD: KH-2 Ouija Black and White, KH-2 Vintage, KH-2 NTB, KH-2, KH-Ouija, KH-602, KH-202 and KH-Junior. Image: ESP catalog

ESP KH-2 Demonology — The KH-2 Demonology, the newest graphic in the regular lineup

Horror Movie Graphics: The Mummy, Ouija and More

The Mummy: His Main Live Guitar for Nearly 30 Years

Out of everything Kirk owns, The Mummy is probably one of his favorites. Built in the mid-1990s and handed to him right before the Load tour, it carries artwork inspired by the poster for the 1932 Boris Karloff film; Kirk even owns a rare original poster. Instead of skulls, the rosewood fingerboard is inlaid with the Eye of Horus.

Kirk Hammett with The Mummy ESP guitar and the 1932 film poster — Kirk with The Mummy (left) and the 1932 Universal poster the graphic is based on (right)

It has never become a regular production model, most likely because the artwork is tied to Universal’s rights.

Ouija: Cut, Copied and Faxed to Japan

The KH-2 Ouija first appeared around 1993, partway through the Black Album tour, and seems to predate The Mummy by a few years. The idea goes back to around 1990, before digital cameras and easy internet:

Ouija board design — A classic Ouija board, the source of the graphic

Copy

A Ouija board on a copy machine

→

Lay out

Letters cut and placed on the body by hand

→

Fax

Layout faxed to the custom shop in Japan

→

Paint

The graphic painted in Japan

How ESP made the first Ouija guitar

Only a handful reached the public before production stopped in 1999. Exactly ten years later, ESP brought it back as a limited run for 2009, in black plus a new white version, with the Ouija name used under license from Hasbro. Later versions include a Natural finish limited to 25 pieces worldwide, and Purple and Red Sparkle versions.

ESP KH-2 Ouija 2009 limited reissue — The 2009 limited reissue, announced ten years after the last Ouija left the factory. Image: ESP catalog

ESP Kirk Hammett Ouija color variations — Left: KH-2 Ouija White and Black, 2009 limited models (ESP catalog). Center: Natural finish. Right: Purple and Red Sparkle

Frankenstein, Dracula and Other Monsters

Guitar	Theme
Frankenstein (around 1999)	Boris Karloff in the 1931 film; reportedly a gift from the ESP custom shop
Bride of Frankenstein	Poster art from the 1935 film
Dracula	The 1931 film, with cross and bat inlays; more than one exists
LTD KH-WZ	Graphics from the film White Zombie
LTD KH-Nosferatu	The vampire Nosferatu

ESP Frankenstein guitar and 1931 poster — Frankenstein guitar and the 1931 film poster

ESP Bride of Frankenstein guitar and 1935 poster — Bride of Frankenstein guitar and the 1935 poster

ESP Dracula guitar and 1931 poster — Dracula guitar and the 1931 poster

Kirk Hammett with a second ESP Dracula guitar — A second Dracula guitar, with a different poster graphic

LTD KH-WZ White Zombie guitar and poster — LTD KH-WZ and the 1932 White Zombie poster

LTD KH-Nosferatu guitar and poster — LTD KH-Nosferatu and the poster behind its graphic

Beyond the KH-2: Kirk Hammett’s Other ESP Guitars

Model	What stands out
KH-3	Single-cut with green spider and skull graphics; spider inlays at frets 1–9, skulls at 12–22; neck-through
KH-DC (2012)	Double cut; maple top on mahogany, set neck, flag inlays, scalloped from the 17th fret, gold EMG 60 and EMG 81
KH-1	The third Kirk model, a V with devil inlays based on Deviled Ham packaging
ESP V (from around 2002)	Red finish on korina; likely a one-off
LTD KH-V (2023)	Neck-through, 3-piece hard maple neck, asymmetrical V with korina wings
ESP 400 Series Strat	The standard production Strat seen in the “One” video

ESP KH-3 Kirk Hammett — KH-3, with spider and skull graphics and spider inlays

ESP KH-DC 2012 catalog — KH-DC, new for 2012. Image: ESP catalog

Kirk Hammett ESP V with devil inlays and Deviled Ham can — Kirk with an ESP V and its devil inlays (left), and the Deviled Ham can behind them (right)

LTD KH-V Kirk Hammett — LTD KH-V, with korina wings and EMG pickups

The ESP Wavecaster: A Guitar Full of Oil

One of the most unusual guitars Kirk has ever played is the Wavecaster, a Telecaster-style guitar with a hollow, clear Lucite body filled with blue motor oil that moves as you play. He used it a lot on the 1996–1997 Load and ReLoad tours, and after retiring it from live use it went on display at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

Kirk Hammett ESP Wavecaster — Kirk with the ESP Wavecaster, its clear body filled with blue liquid

In Kirk’s words

“Any sort of design idea I have, ESP actually give it a try.”

Which Kirk Hammett ESP Guitar Should You Look For?

You want…	Look for
The classic Kirk guitar	ESP KH-2
The horror-graphic look	KH-2 Ouija or Sparkle Ouija
A Kirk V	LTD KH-V
A single-cut	ESP KH-3

Final Thoughts

There have been so many Kirk Hammett ESP models, plus one-offs and guitars that appeared on tour only briefly, that it is hard to cover them all. What ties them together is a custom shop willing to try any idea he brings, and the quality to pull it off. For how ESP got there, see the ESP history.

FAQ

When did Kirk Hammett start using ESP?

Around April 1987. After trying a friend’s ESP, he visited ESP and ordered a custom neck-through Strat-style guitar, which arrived about six months later from the Tokyo custom shop.

What is Kirk Hammett’s Zorlac guitar?

His first custom ESP, named after a pirate sticker designed by Pushead for the skateboard brand Zorlac. He wrote the main riff of Enter Sandman on it, and it became the basis for the KH-2.

What are the specs of the ESP KH-2?

A black super-Strat with an alder body, a 3-piece maple neck-through, skull-and-crossbones inlays, a Floyd Rose, two volumes and a master tone. Early ones had two EMG 81s; around 2009 the neck pickup became an EMG 60.

What is Kirk Hammett’s favorite guitar?

His ESP with artwork from the 1932 film The Mummy is one of his favorites and has been his main live guitar for nearly 30 years.

Can you buy a Kirk Hammett Ouija guitar?

Yes. ESP sold a handful until 1999, reissued it as a limited run in 2009 in black and white, and has since offered a Natural finish limited to 25 pieces, and Purple and Red Sparkle versions.

What is the ESP Wavecaster?

A Telecaster-style ESP with a hollow clear Lucite body filled with blue motor oil. Kirk used it on the 1996 and 1997 Load and ReLoad tours, and it was later displayed at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.