Limp Bizkit‘s Wes Borland has launched a new signature Jackson King V guitar. As perhaps the most identifiable singular guitarist from the nü-metal heyday, both in appearance and his inventive playing, this guitar sports a relatively modest appearance overall. However, it has been custom tailored to Borland‘s unique demands and was based upon a beloved left-handed guitar he custom modded to be played right-handed.
Speaking of this new collaboration, Borland offered:
“It’s taking me a long time to figure out what I need as a guitar player. For me, you just need volume, pickups, locking tremolo system and 24 frets, that’s it. Live, it just needs to be as bulletproof as possible. I’ve been very rough with guitars over the years. I’ve come to realize that the more streamlined our guitars are, the less problems we have on stage… Jackson is fun. The over-the-top, shred-a-copter shapes and my outrageous stage costumes pushing the boundaries, this fits in more with that. The way people dress, it affects how you behave, and I think it also changes how I play guitar.”
Peter Wichers, product development manager at Jackson Guitars, said of this collab:
“Wes Borland is unlike anyone else in nu-metal — nobody looks or sounds like him. When our artist rep Mike Tempesta [formerly of Powerman 5000, etc.] introduced Wes to some Jackson Custom Shop guitars, he picked a left-handed King V and modded it for his right-hand playing, which left the headstock logo upside down. He loved it, so we kept it. That happy accident became one of the most iconic details of the whole build. Being involved in the development of his Signature King V has been an incredibly cool project, and I think that shows in every inch of this guitar.”
You can dive deeper into the specs for this new axe via Jacksonguitars.com. You can also watch Borland put it through the paces live and explain its origins in the below mini-documentary. In addition to insight on the guitar and his approach to playing, that nearly 10-minute watch also includes pro-shot live footage from the band’s Latin American touring.
