Exodus – Persona Non Grata

In this old picture, Gary can be seen here playing on a Yamaha SBG 1300 TS. According to 2021 guitar.com interview, Holt reveals that the guitar was used on Exodus 2021 record, "Persona Non Grata".

Prescribing Horror specialises in looming arpeggios à la Slayer’s South Of Heaven, while Lunatic Liar Lord even gets a smooth bluegrass lick. So, essentially, Persona… is a tick list of metal guitar trickery, which Holt largely fulfils with a 1980 Yamaha SBG-3000. “It’s one of the greatest guitars ever made,” he says. “I usually don’t track on fixed-bridge guitars, because I’ve been playing on a Floyd for my whole life, but this guitar had the comfortable playability of a Floyd and it’s, like, a mile thick. The tone on it is insane!”

This is a Gary Holt signature guitar made in 2016 by Vincent Castiglia, who teamed up with ESP. What is special about this guitar is not just the cool satanic design of the guitar but the fact that the paint used on it is actually Holt's real blood. This is the official presentation of that same guitar.

The guitar was also used for recording Exodus' 2021 album, "Persona Non Grata". As guitar.com writes:

The only other guitars Holt recorded with were “a couple of my signature ESPs [the GH-600 and GH-200] and also this ESP Strat that I had scalloped from the twelfth fret down”. He intentionally packed light, as Exodus recorded at drummer Tom Hunting’s house, which is in the remote mountains of Lake Almanor, California.

Used for recording of 2021 Exodus album, "Persona Non Grata":

The only other guitars Holt recorded with were “a couple of my signature ESPs [the GH-600 and GH-200] and also this ESP Strat that I had scalloped from the twelfth fret down”. He intentionally packed light, as Exodus recorded at drummer Tom Hunting’s house, which is in the remote mountains of Lake Almanor, California.

From the January 2022 issue of german "Guitar" magazine. Gary talks about the recording of the new Eyodus album "Persona Non Grata". "Among others I took 3 ESP guitars to the recording sessions, but all the rhythm guitars were played on my 1983 Yamaha SBG 3000, which is equipped with passive EMGs. [...] In the studio I prefer passive [pickups] and EMG specifically made me a set for the Yamaha."

In this video at 6:17 Gary mentions using this guitar to track parts of the Exodus album "Persona Non Grata".

From the January 2022 issue of german "Guitar" magazine. Gary talks about the recording of the new Eyodus album "Persona Non Grata". When asked if he used a Kemper on the album he said: "No. It's all done with amps. Marshall Jubilee with a Boss SD-1 Super Overdrive in front und my signature Pro Tone Mid Boost. That's it. [...] We only tried different mics, but in the end we landed on the classics SM57 and Sennheiser 421 and the sound is perfect."

From the January 2022 issue of german "Guitar" magazine. Gary talks about the recording of the new Eyodus album "Persona Non Grata". When asked if he used a Kemper on the album he said: "No. It's all done with amps. Marshall Jubilee with a Boss SD-1 Super Overdrive in front und my signature Pro Tone Mid Boost. That's it. [...] We only tried different mics, but in the end we landed on the classics SM57 and Sennheiser 421 and the sound is perfect."