JAMES HETFIELD’S “EET FUK” ESP

THE AXE

This unsuspecting monster started life as a stock ESP MX220, in a bold off-white finish that, against the all-black garb that Metallica donned with aplomb, stuck out like a monkey in a room full of pigeons. Based on the Gibson Explorer design, the MX-220 featured a mahogany body and set neck, 22-fret rosewood fingerboard, active EMG 81 pickups, Gotoh tuners, volume and tone controls, three-way toggle selector, and an ABR-1 Tune-o-Matic bridge. As for that irreplaceable “EET FUK” sticker that Hetfield scrawled by hand and slapped on the top-lefthand corner? There’s never been any proper explanation, but legend states it’s a subtle tribute to two of his favourite activities.

THE STORY

Honestly, we could write an entire list – thrice this long, too – filled entirely with James Hetfield’s custom guitars. We’re pretty sure the dude gets his hands on a new piece of eye (and ear) candy every other week, with each new design somehow crazier than the last – and hey, if you’ve got Metallica levels of dosh to blow, why wouldn’t you!? We’re going with the good ol’ “EET FUK” as our pick to showcase, though, because it was arguably the first guitar that ‘Tallica fans came to know as a Hetfield classic. He played it passionately throughout the entirety of the touring cycle for …And Justice For All, and though it was officially retired from the stage in 1990, it still shows up on Metallica’s recorded works every so often.

THE REPLICA

Alas, the “EET FUK” remains one of the many guitars in Hetfield’s arsenal that haven’t made their way to store shelves. Unofficial replicas can be found occasionally on Reverb or through the abundance of Metallica forums buzzing around the web – often for surprisingly decent prices, too. Or, you could just do what most Metallica fans wanting their own “EET FUK” do: pick up an ESP Explorer that best matches your personal sonic preferences (just make sure it’s white – that part is irrefutably crucial), rip off a strip of gaffer’s tape, and bust out your best black Sharpie. You know where to go from there.