Most signature guitars start with years of cautious planning. Wes Borland’s, nevertheless, began with an unintended left-handed guitar.

In a brand new interview with Gear4Music Guitars, the Limp Bizkit guitarist reveals that the Jackson King V which impressed his signature mannequin was initially a customized store reject that he determined to remodel.

Borland recollects receiving a name from Jackson’s American artists relations consultant Mike Tempesta, who instructed him a reverse-headstock King V had turn out to be accessible after its unique proprietor complained that the ebony fretboard seemed an excessive amount of like rosewood.

“He referred to as me and he mentioned that there was a guitar – it was a reverse headstock King V – that they only acquired in,” Borland explains. “There was a return from a buyer that mentioned the fretboard was purported to be ebony and the ebony seemed like rosewood… He goes, ‘Are available in and you’ll have it. It’s nice.’”

There was only one drawback.

“We opened the case and it was a left-handed. He goes, ‘Oh, it’s not reverse headstock. It’s left-handed.’ And I simply went, ‘That isn’t an issue. I’ll make a mission out of it.’”

And that’s precisely what Borland did.

“Between my tech and I, I did a variety of the routing and he type of did the high quality tuning, however we acquired a brand new bridge and a brand new nut and adjusted the entire thing round. We routed a brand new electronics cavity in order that it may very well be within the appropriate place… and stuffed within the holes.”

Whereas some questioned why he didn’t merely purchase an ordinary reverse-headstock as a substitute, Borland says the DIY strategy made the instrument really feel extra private.

“Folks have mentioned, ‘Why would you try this? Simply get a reverse headstock V.’ However for me, it’s like collaborating in your instrument, like customising it. You are feeling such as you’ve had one thing to do with it. Or such as you’re part of it. It turns into a bit of extra sentimental.”

The identical philosophy applies when considered one of his guitars will get broken on stage.

“Particularly once I’ve had guitars which have by accident gotten damaged on stage, I like placing them again collectively,” he says. “It’s virtually like that Japanese approach [Kintsugi] the place one thing breaks they usually fill the cracks with gold – besides on this case it’s simply epoxy or wooden glue. It makes the guitar distinctive.”

When it got here time to develop his signature mannequin with Jackson, Borland knew precisely what parts needed to keep.

“Preserving the Jackson headstock the other way up – the reverse headstock with the emblem the other way up – was actually essential,” he says. “It’s only a improbable King V: one quantity, one [Seymour Duncan] Invader and a Floyd Rose.”

Watch the complete interview under.

The Professional Collection Signature Wes Borland King V KV is now accessible at Jackson.