ESP MM-290 (or MM-290II or MM-290-2)
--> ESP M (Metallica) M (M model) - 290 (price in yen) II (2 pickups)
This transition model was made between the MM-270 Zorlac and the modern MM-320/KH-2, it has vertical skull & crossbone inlays and appears officially in the 1993 catalog.
- year: 1990-1997
- shape: like M-2
- construction: Neck-Thru-Body
- neck: maple
- body: double cutaway alder body
- fingerboard: rosewood, 24 XJ frets, "skull & crossbone" horizontal inlays
- electronics: active EMG 81 (bridge) / 60 (neck), Volume, Tone, Lever 3 way selector
- hardware: Original Floyd Rose Locking Tremolo
- logos and serials:
-- front of headstock: "ESP" light grey/gold glittered logo + depends on year of production...
-- back of headstock: serial number stamped in black
Here some records:
1990 --> 25110X
1991 --> 291015XX
1992 -->
1993 --> 080130XX
1994 -->
1995 --> 120652XX
- colors and other features: black, black hardware
Here some examples of MM-290. Specifics can vary as custom order, but the important thing is: neck through body!
The early version have rectangular pointed truss rod cover with blank border and 8 digits serial number stamped on the back of the headstock.
"My ESP guitars that are now 20 years old are like fine wine, they are getting better and better!! My guitars still stay in tune, the sound ages gracefully year by year and are holding up on stages all over the world!!" Kirk Hammett.
Here a model with the same configuration but with black bullet style truss rod cover, 6 digits serial number stamped in black + "ESP CUSTOM GUITARS" round black logo in the back of the headstock.
On this last pictures we can see an MM-290 custom made for Kirk in 1992 (from a page of the 1993 ESP catalog) with reverse headstock, "KIRK HAMMETT" write in white on the headstock and black bullet style truss rod cover. It has the Zorlac headstock but vertical inlays, not horizontal. It's a like a transitional model between Zorlac and Caution.
