ESP LTD Joe Duplantier Signature Series JD-I Silver Sunburst

ESP LTD JD-I - Joe Duplantier's uncompromising signature guitar!

The JD-I is Joe Duplantier's first signature guitar from ESP LTD. The guitarist, songwriter, and producer is a founding member of French metal band Gojira and champions a guitar concept where a clearly defined instrument matters more than an extensive feature set. The JD-I brings this approach to a distinctive modified version of the asymmetrical XJ body shape: a pared-down offset design, a single humbucker, and controls deliberately limited to one volume knob.

A signature concept with a clear focus

The solid mahogany body is paired with a bolt-on, 3-piece roasted maple neck. The Makassar ebony fingerboard, Thin U neck profile, and long 25.5" scale underscore the JD-I's modern character. Extra-jumbo stainless steel frets and the relatively flat 350 mm fingerboard radius complement a construction closely tied to Duplantier's precise, rhythm-driven playing style. At the same time, the guitar is unmistakably recognizable as a distinctive interpretation of the ESP LTD XJ family.

DiMarzio JD Fortitude - one pickup, one control

The electronics feature only a passive DiMarzio JD Fortitude humbucker in the bridge position. Developed for Joe Duplantier, this signature pickup is used without additional pickups, coil-split switching, or a tone control. The JD-I follows an unusually pared-down concept: all of its electrical controls consist of a single volume knob. This focus on the bridge humbucker is a defining feature of the model and clearly sets the JD-I apart from more versatile guitars with two or three pickups.

Fixed hardware for a pared-down concept

ESP LTD is just as focused when it comes to the hardware. The Hipshot Tone-A-Matic bridge works with a separate tailpiece and does away entirely with a tremolo system. LTD locking tuners and a Graph Tech TUSQ nut complete the fixed string path. The JD-I ships with a D'Addario XL110 set in gauges .010 to .046. Together with the black hardware, this makes for a signature guitar built around Duplantier's deliberately no-frills approach.

Joe Duplantier and Gojira

Joe Duplantier shapes Gojira not only as a guitarist, but also as a songwriter and producer. The JD-I reflects this close connection between musician and instrument with a feature set focused on the elements that matter to his personal guitar concept. Rather than offering numerous switching options, the model combines its modified offset construction with the JD Fortitude, a fixed bridge, and straightforward controls. A fitted ESP Form-Fit hardshell case is included.

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