ESP STEF-B8 Custom Shop (2013–present)
High-end eight-string model, hand-built at ESP's Custom Shop in Tokyo and personally used by Stephen Carpenter. It shares its baritone chassis with the mass-produced LTD SC-608B, but with a lighter alder body and exclusive Custom Shop hardware.
Known specifications
- Body
- Alder
- Construction
- Neck-thru-body, 3-piece maple
- Scale
- 27" (baritone)
- Fretboard
- Ebony, 24 frets
- Pickups
- 2× Fishman Fluence SRC Signature
- Bridge
- Hipshot fixed, string-thru
- Tuners
- Gotoh Magnum Lock
- Country of origin
- Japan (ESP Custom Shop, Tokyo)
Historical significance
Flagship model of ESP's Custom Shop in Tokyo for Carpenter's 8-string range, hand-built and personally used by the artist. The alder body makes it noticeably lighter than the commercial LTD SC-608B, made of mahogany.
- •Alder body: a considerably lighter instrument than the LTD SC-608B
- •100% Custom Shop Japan construction, distinct from the mass-production line
- •Basis of the stage prototypes that ESP later commercialized as the LTD SC-608B ("Dorothy" and "Chiquita")
Related albums
Koi No Yokan
2012Plausible by chronology, with no direct confirmation in the sources.
Tuning setup
F# / Drop E
8-string repertoireVariants and finishes
Black Gloss
Official Custom Shop catalog finish.
Available as a standard catalog order.
Matte Black
Variant commonly used on tour to avoid reflections under stage lighting.
Custom Shop order, not part of the standard catalog.
Purple Metallic
Metallic finish recorded in Custom Shop orders.
Custom Shop order, not part of the standard catalog.
Satin Pink
Pink variant with a matte finish.
Custom Shop order, not part of the standard catalog.
Glow in the Dark
Luminescent finish that glows in the dark. Previously cataloged by mistake as a cream/white finish.
Custom Shop order, not part of the standard catalog.
"The Twins" (2024/25)
A pair of twin guitars with unique luthier specifications, different from the rest of the series.
Custom Shop order, not part of the standard catalog (one-off piece).
- Texture
- "Marble Countertop"-style wood (marble)
- Binding
- "Silver Bits" (silver inlays)
- Wood grain
- Exposed on the top and back
Rarity
Very high. Built unit by unit at the Custom Shop in Tokyo; "The Twins" are one-of-a-kind pieces within Carpenter's personal collection.