Alex Wade, a member of the deathcore band Whitechapel, is renowned for his rhythm guitar work and for crafting monstrous riffs. His playing style is a mix of aggressive pickings, punchy tones, and deep chugs.
Alex Wade has partnered with ESP to design a guitar that mirrors his musical style and technical prowess, the ESP LTD AW-7 Baritone.
Table of Contents
Who is Alex Wade?
Alex Wade is a musician known for being one of the guitarists for the American deathcore band Whitechapel.
Whitechapel is recognized for its heavy sound, complex rhythms, and deep, growling vocals. They are considered one of the pioneering bands of the deathcore genre.
Alex Wade started playing bass at 14 because his friends got guitars and they wanted to start a band. His first bass was a Squier P-Bass, and he learned by practicing Blink 182 and Metallica tabs.
At 16, he switched to guitar, bought an Ibanez Iceman, and taught himself to play without taking lessons.
His first live guitar show was at 17, and although he was nervous, his experience from school bands helped. Blink 182 had the biggest impact on him as a musician, inspiring him to start playing.
Whitechapel was formed in February 2006 by Phil Bozeman, Brandon Cagle and Ben Savage. They were soon joined by Alex Wade, who had previously been a member of the band Redwinterdying, as well as bassist Gabe Crisp and drummer Derek Martin.
Early on, they toured for a few years on a small label that didn’t make much money. They struggled financially, living off $5 a day and sleeping in vans or strangers’ houses. But soon Metal Blade took notice and signed the band, everything changed. They became a professional touring band.
One of their biggest triumphs was playing the Rockstar Mayhem 2012 festival, touring with Slayer and Slipknot.
Alex Wade has been instrumental in developing the band’s sound and style. His work in Whitechapel has garnered him acclaim in the heavy metal community for his proficiency and innovative guitar playing.
For Alex, a great guitarist writes well-composed, catchy music rather than just shredding. His favorite guitarist is Stephen Carpenter from Deftones, known for writing great songs with catchy hooks.
Signature Guitar ESP LTD AW-7 Baritone
Alex’s signature seven-string guitar is a combination of his heavy, aggressive playing style and ESP’s renowned craftsmanship.
The ESP LTD AW-7 Baritone is a 7-string guitar with a 27″ scale length that allows for extreme down-tuning thanks to its extended lower range.
This guitar is carefully designed to provide optimal playability, balance and comfort. It is constructed to feel natural in the player’s hands.
It’s swamp ash body has an Open Grain Black Satin finish. The five-piece maple/walnut/paduak neck has a Macassar ebony fingerboard and stainless steel frets.
It features bolt-on construction and comes with an aggressive-sounding set of DiMarzio D Activator 7 direct-mount pickups. They are known for their rich harmonic overtones and tight low-end response.
“I have never heard a pickup so clear and crushing. People spend a lot of time searching for that ‘Holy Grail’ tone, and I found mine with the DiMarzio D Activators™!”
The ESP LTD AW-7 Baritone guitar also features a Hipshot fixed hardtail bridge and LTD locking tuners.
This guitar is not only about heavy riffs and aggressive tones. It is capable of producing a variety of tones.
“I designed it with the metal rhythm player in mind and I’m really happy with the way that it came out. It’s a very solid and affordable mid-level guitar with a clear and crushing sound.”
Table of Specifications
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| General | |
| Brand | ESP LTD |
| Configuration | HH |
| Strings | 7 |
| Made in | Indonesia |
| Series | Signature |
| Colors | Black |
| Left-Handed Version | No |
| Body | |
| Type | Solid Body |
| Body Material | Swamp Ash |
| Bridge | Hipshot Fixed |
| Neck | |
| Neck Joint | Bolt-On |
| Tuners | LTD Locking |
| Fretboard | Macassar Ebony |
| Neck Material | 5Pc Maple/Walnut/Paduak |
| Decoration | |
| Scale Size | 27″ |
| Shape | Thin U |
| Thickness | 1st Fret: 0.787” (20mm) – 12th Fret: 0.866” (22mm) |
| Frets | 24 XL Jumbo Stainless Steel |
| Fretboard Radius | 15.75″ |
| Nut | Plastic |
| Nut Width | 48mm (1.89”) |
| Electronics | |
| Switch | 3 Way |
| Knobs | Dome |
| Volume Controls | 1 |
| Tone Controls | 0 |
| Bridge Pickup | Dimarzio D-Activator 7 (Humbucker / Passive) |
| Neck Pickup | Dimarzio D-Activator 7 (Humbucker / Passive) |