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The Decisive Mike Leon B-4 Bass by ESP





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Throughout his career, Mike Leon has handled lows for Soulfly and other metal heavyweights, and he knows a thing or two about what makes bass guitars tick. Now, players can experience Mike’s winning recipe for themselves with the ESP LTD Signature Mike Leon B-4, a stealthy powerhouse bass guitar that wields power with great poise. The Mike Leon B-4’s swamp ash body is built for high-impact tones, long-lasting sustain, and impeccable ergonomics. Mike Leon’s most personalized contribution is two onboard B-4’s two Nordstrand Big Split pickups that up the ante on P/J tones with muscular output, a hum-canceling design, and an active preamp complete with three-band EQ. And though it’s tailored for metal, the B-4 is hardly a one-trick pony. Discover the full prowess for yourself with the Signature Mike Leon B-4 bass from Sweetwater!





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Iconic swamp ash growl





The LTD Signature Mike Leon B-4 bass guitar features a swamp ash body, the right tonewood for crushing presence with sufficient heart and soul to match any groove. The punchy character and powerful sustain of swamp ash make it a favorite tonewood with metal maestros, including Mike Leon. Moreover, swamp ash is known to pack a serious growl in the midrange, which comes in handy should you need to defend your spot in the mix against the high-gain intrusions of down-tuned guitars.





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Fast playability meets raucous sustain





ESP knows that Mike Leon values speedy access to every fret. This signature bass is outfitted accordingly with a 24-fret ebony fingerboard and an extra-thin “U” neck carve to facilitate technical playing in every position. The B-4's neck provides lasting stability with five-piece wenge and purpleheart construction that resists climate-induced shifts that would otherwise wreck your setup. What’s more, neck-thru construction gives the B-4 true powerhouse sustain, so you'll always be prepared when it's time for power stance dramatics onstage!





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Powerhouse Nordstrand pickups





The ESP LTD Signature Mike Leon B-4 doesn’t settle for just any pickups. Here you’ll find two of Nordstrand’s humbucking Big Split pickups. These split-coil pickups capture the visceral, dominant sound and feel of iconic P/J bass pickups, only with more muscle and definition. Expect thick, oversized cleans that make a great platform for driven tones, soulful grooves, and more. Nordstrand pours tons of detail into these pickups: from meticulously angled poles and Alnico V magnets to laser-cut bobbins and wax potting that decimates unruly frequencies should they arise. Paired with an active preamp and musical three-band EQ, these pickups provide an extremely satisfying array of hi-fi tones.





ESP Signature Series guitars deliver the goods





Working closely with the influential guitar slingers in their roster, ESP has built an impressive collection of artist signature instruments. From James Hetfield to Jeff Hanneman, these are the who's who of rock and metal guitardom ? and their signature axes sport the personalized features and specs that make them unique. ESP's Signature Series is all about tone and playability ? and because they're members of ESP's affordable LTD Series, these guitars offer incredible value. Try an ESP Signature Series instrument. You'll be amazed.





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ESP LTD Signature Mike Leon B-4 Features:


Signature bass of Mike Leon (The Absence, Havok, Soulfly, and Igorrr)


Swamp ash body provides contoured comfort and a hearty mid-forward growl


35-inch scale length and ebony fingerboard with 24 extra-jumbo frets offer tons of room for expression


Multi-piece wenge/purpleheart neck with an extra-thin “U” profile supports fast playability and lasting stability


Neck-through construction amps up the resonance and sustain


Gotoh bridge and tuners ensure solid performance gig after gig


Dual Nordstrand Big Split humbucking pickups supply enhanced hybrid P/J tones without the hum


Active 3-band EQ significantly expands the number of possible tones onboard