''ESP Tom Araya'' is an electric

bass guitar The bass guitar, electric bass or simply bass (), is the lowest-pitched member of the string family. It is a plucked string instrument similar in appearance and construction to an electric or an acoustic guitar, but with a longer neck and ...

model distributed by

ESP Guitars is a Japanese guitar manufacturer, primarily focused on the production of electric guitars and Bass guitar, basses. They are based in both Tokyo and Los Angeles, with distinct product lines for each market. ESP Company manufactures instruments ...

, as customized by Chilean-American musician

Tom Araya Tomás Enrique Araya Díaz (; born June 6, 1961) is a Chilean American musician, best known as the vocalist and bassist of American thrash metal band Slayer. Araya is ranked 58th by ''Hit Parader'' on their list of the 100 Greatest Metal Vocali ...

. Araya originally discovered ESP when his

Slayer Slayer was an American thrash metal band from Huntington Park, California. The band was formed in 1981 by guitarists Kerry King and Jeff Hanneman, drummer Dave Lombardo and bassist/vocalist Tom Araya. Slayer's fast and aggressive musical style ...

bandmates

Jeff Hanneman Jeffrey John Hanneman (January 31, 1964 – May 2, 2013) was an American musician, best known as a founding member and guitarist of the thrash metal band Slayer. Hanneman composed both music and lyrics for every Slayer album until his death in 20 ...

and

Kerry King Kerry Ray King (born June 3, 1964) is an American musician, best known for being the co-lead guitarist and songwriter of thrash metal band Slayer. He co-founded the band with Jeff Hanneman in 1981 and remained a member for nearly four decades. ...

used the company's guitars; the former had his own signature model. He was approached by ESP, who wanted to also make him a signature bass. Araya approved under the condition the bass he plays is the same a fan could purchase at a music store. He wanted the lower-price models to be similar in quality to the high-end models, reasoning "not all the fans can afford a bass that costs an arm and a leg". As of November 2018, ESP has three Araya basses, the top model's list price is $4,499 while the others are $999 and $49

Among other customization features, Araya wanted the bass to have an unusually thin neck which he prefers to accommodate his playing style.

References

See also