When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
The Death Roll is built to look dangerous before you ever plug it in.
Hand-finished in the EL Jefe Artist Series tradition, this offset-body electric starts with a reclaimed pine body and turns it into a full-on swamp predator. The carved and burned alligator artwork wraps around the guitar instead of sitting flat on top, with scale texture, teeth, scars, dark swamp greens, burnt browns, and a distressed finish that gives the whole instrument the feel of something dragged out of black water.
The details carry the theme all the way through. Custom reptile-eye control knobs stare back from the black pickguard, while the dark hardware and aged natural wood keep the guitar raw instead of flashy. The back continues the scale carving and hand-worked finish, making the Death Roll visually complete from every angle.
Underneath the artwork, it is still built to be a serious, versatile electric guitar. A roasted flame maple neck, 21-fret dark fingerboard, dual Alnico 5 single-coil pickups, traditional rhythm and lead circuitry, and a floating vibrato system give it everything from warm, rounded cleans to cutting, aggressive lead tones.
The name comes from the alligator’s most violent move: once it grabs hold, it twists.
EL Jefe Artist Series: Death Roll
Once it gets ahold of you, it doesn’t let go.
⸻
SPECIFICATIONS
Body
* Body Style: Offset solid-body electric
* Body Material: Reclaimed pine
* Finish: Hand-aged Artist Series finish
* Artwork: Hand-carved / burned alligator and scale artwork
* Color Palette: Swamp green, brown, black, natural wood tones
* Back Detail: Carved scale pattern with distressed swamp finish
* Pickguard: Black 3-ply
Neck
* Neck Material: Roasted flame maple
* Construction: Bolt-on
* Fingerboard: Dark wood fingerboard
* Frets: 21
* Position Markers: White dot inlays
* Headstock: Natural roasted maple
* Nut: Bone-style / light-colored nut
* Tuning Machines: KAISH 6-inline locking tuners
* Tuner Ratio: 18:1
Electronics
* Pickup Configuration: Dual single-coil
* Magnets: Alnico 5
* Neck Pickup Resistance: Approx. 7.3kΩ
* Bridge Pickup Resistance: Approx. 7.8kΩ
* Pickup Spacing: 50/52 mm
* Lead Circuit: Master volume and master tone
* Rhythm Circuit: Dedicated neck-pickup rhythm circuit
* Rhythm Controls: B500K / A1M potentiometers
* Switching: Upper rhythm/lead selector plus pickup switching
* Output Jack: Standard 1/4” output
Controls
* Master Volume
* Master Tone
* Pickup Selector
* Rhythm/Lead Circuit Switch
* Rhythm Volume
* Rhythm Tone
* Custom reptile-eye control knobs
Hardware
* Bridge: Adjustable chrome bridge
* Vibrato: Floating chrome vibrato system
* Hardware Finish: Chrome / black combination
* Strap Buttons: Black
* Pickguard Hardware: Black and chrome
Artist Series Details
* One-off EL Jefe hand-finished body
* Hand-rendered alligator artwork
* Carved and burned scale texture
* Custom reptile-eye knobs
* EL Jefe Custom Shop neck plate
* Distressed swamp-inspired finish
* Individually assembled and finished