Zakk Wylde Gear Guide

ADHD's Gear Guides at any Budget. I'm a firm believer that the tone comes from the hands. If your trying to achieve a certain guitar hero's tone it's not enough to have the chops but you've got to get down their style of attack with your picking hand as well. That said every step you take toward finding the right gear is often very inspiring and WILL get you closer to “that” sound. I'm going to break these down into Guitars, Pickups, Pedals and Amps.

Zakk Wylde Gear Guide

Zakk Wylde is one of the biggest guitar heroes in the world. His Les Paul through a Marshall on steroids approach takes the classic rock-n-roll formula and turns it up to 10. He has always kept a Keep It Simple Stupid attitude to gear every since his early days in the late 80's with Ozzy. A Les Paul, loaded with EMG's, and a handful of pedals into a Marshall JCM800 is the backbone of his sound. Zakk is famous for shredding pentatonics and pitch harmonics, but he is more than capable of playing everything from bluegrass to piano ballads to Al Di Meola style fusion.

Guitars – Zakk Wylde has a lot of different guitars, Gibson Flying V's and ZV's, Dean Razorbacks, and a few others. But he is most known for wielding the Bulleye Les Paul. According to legend it was originally cream but he didn't want people to think he was trying to be another Randy Rhoads so he asked someone to paint it with a vertigo spiral. When it came back it had a bulleye on it and it was time for his first photo shoot with Ozzy. Zakk just rolled with it joking that the bullseye would give the haters in the audience something to aim for.

NOTE: Zakk Wylde has started Wylde Audio and the Gibson/Epiphone models are discontinued.

Wylde Audio Odin Grail- While Wylde Audio has a plethora of offerings the Odin Grail has that famous Bullseye that the man made legendary. Some people don't like the tweaked shape on this guitar but if it doesn't throw you then rock on.   

Gibson Zakk Wylde Les Paul- There have been different versions that Zakk has played over the years but this is the guitar everyone associates with him. It's a Les Paul custom with a maple cap and neck, ebony fretboard, and EMG pickups. And of course the Bulleye graphic.

Epiphone Zakk Wylde LesPaul- The import version of Zakk's iconic “Grail” is a great deal. It's better built than the typical Epi Paul, and already loaded with EMG's. If your shopping used there are some great deals but makes sure the EMG's are the 81-85 set as the HZ set won't get you the same sound.

PRS SE Tremonti- At first it might seem odd to include this model in the budget offerings but the PRS SE line has some of the best built budget models in the business. Couple that with already hot humbuckers and a similar control layout, if your looking for something other than the “bullseye” you can't go wrong with these.

Pickups- EMG's have a unique, modern sound and if you want that Zakk Wylde tone the EMG 81-85 set there isn't much else to choose from. But don't think they are just for metal, a lot of country guys use them and even tone guru David Gilmour was a fan for many years. EMG's use a preamp that acts as a buffer to drive your guitar signal down long cables. I always have at least one guitar with EMG's in it for a smooth modern metal sound.

EMG Zakk Wylde Set- If your loading a Les Paul with EMG's this is the set your going to need. It comes with replacement parts for all the electronics and quick connects for everything. You can drop this in almost any dual humbucker mahogany bodied guitar and get the Zakk sound.

Seymour Duncan Blackouts- Not exactly the same sound as the EMG's SD's Blackouts have been a big hit with the metal community. They have a more open sound and wider frequency response but the preamp is very much the same. If EMG's weren't exactly what you were looking for but you still want that modern sound try these.

Pedals- Zakk Wylde's choice of pedals hasn't changed that much over the years. In the early days it was Wah, Vibe, Drive, Chorus. Recently he's toyed with a few other pedals but it's still basically the same.

Dunlop Zakk Wylde Crybaby- This pedal has become a favorite of players everywhere, based on the Hendrix wah, it has a thick sound that cuts through the live mix and no extra knobs to distract from your playing.

Dunlop Hendrix Crybaby- A favorite wah of many players the Hendrix Crybaby is what Zakk used for years before his signature wah pedal. A great choice for players wanting to accent their leads.

MXRZW44 Berzerker Overdrive- an overdrive with less of a mid hump than a tube screamer. Zakk uses this to push his JCM800's from crunchy into screaming distortion.

Boss SD1 Overdrive- Before the ZW44 this was the main stay on Zakk's board, they are cheap and work great to cut through the mix.

Dunlop Rotovibe- Not exactly a UniVibe or a Phaser but a useful replacement for both on a cramped pedalboard. Sounds get thick and swirly when engaged. Vibe purist won't like it but it's an underrated pedal IMO.

MXRZW90 Wylde Phase- I talked about what surprising fun this pedal is in my review. Zakk has been using the EVH Phase 90 in the modern setting but his signature pedal is the same thing without the toggle switch. I use it for Phaser and Vibe-ish sounds and it can be bought for cheap when they go on sale. This is my “make it sound cool” pedal.

MXRZW38 Black Label Chorus- Zakk uses Chorus to thicken up sounds almost like a doubler. Give it a lot of width but keep the speed down. It also adds a sparkle to the sound making Zakk's signature pitch harmonics easier.

Boss CH1 Super Chorus- As with some of his other pedals this is what Zakk used before MXR started putting his name on everything. It's a favorite of a lot of players. 

SuhrRiot- If you'd rather play though a clean low watt amp like a Fender Hotrod this pedal sounds very similar to an over driven JCM800. It's my personal favorite 800 in a box pedal.

In the last few years Zakk has also been experimenting with the MXR EVH Flanger and MXR Carbon Copy as well as the Boss Octave pedal.

Amps- Despite a few early adds with a different manufacturer Zakk has always used Marshall JCM800's. But a word of caution, these amps have to be cranked and according to long time BLS guitarist Nick Catanese  “most people sound like ACDC when they play though them, you have to really hit the strings hard”. They also tend to sound different from each other so don't judge them all by one experience.

Marshall JCM800 Reissue- With guys like Kerry King and Zakk Wylde playing 800's the demand for these forced Marshall to reissue the popular amp. Couple it with your favorite overdrive pedal and this is the sound of 80's shred.

Marshall DLS Reissue-This reissue is a great mid priced amp, that sounds great at lower volumes and has a bit more gain than the JCM800. It's a great amp, don't over look it. 

The JCM800 tone on a budget is difficult, The Suhr Riot and other Marshall in a box pedals are close. Another option is amp modelers, which seem to be getting better every couple of years. Still there is nothing quite the same as the feeling of standing in front of a great sounding JCM800 half stack.

Obviously there are a lot of alternatives out there but these are a great place to start your tone search. 

The Vox V847A Wah Pedal Review

I love the Wah pedal. It might be one of my favorite effects of all time, and while it can be overused it's one of those effects everyone should have in their arsenal. I've played several different versions including various Dunlop Crybaby's, and the Morley Bad Horsie, but what I'm using right now is the Vox V847A. Right from the top the V847A has a classic look. I like the Chrome top and black base. If you don't know how to use a wah there are a lot of tutorials on YouTube. This one from Papastache is great.



There are a lot of very versatile wah's on the market. The Dunlop Dimebag Wah is probably the most verasatile of all of them. In fact I've read somewhere that when making an artist signature wah this what Dunlop sends out to start with. Then the artist tweaks their settings and sends it back and they make a prototype, and make changes from that. As much as I like flexibility, I'm pretty much a set it and forget it kind of guy when it comes to wah pedals. I mean, it only has to do the one thing, WAH! I like that Morley's are switchless, but that's not a deal breaker for me, and for me the crybabies that I've played have a brighter sound. If your playing bright clean sounds this might work better for you but I only use the wah when I'm playing with a distorted sound. My only two requirements for a wah is that one, I like having a power input so I don't have to worry about keeping batteries in it. And two, it has to sound good. For me the Vox wah has the best sound out of a straight up wah. Compared to other wahs it has a slightly darker sound, and is a bit throatier. To my ears it's more vocal sounding.

Vox V847A Wah Pedal

I tend to use the wah in two ways. One for solos, like Hendrix Voodoo Child, or Alice In Chains Man in the Box. The other way is to put it in a fixed position, either half cocked for a "tubey" type sound or all the way forward, or in the toe down positions for a cool low fi type sound. The last one sound really cool when the rest of the band drops out for a bar or two and then comes back in all at once.

Some people have complained about the buffer in the wah but I haven't found it to be a problem. If you try it and find an issue with it there seems to be two schools of thought. One is to add in a true bypass switch and disable the buffer, you can find instructions for these modifications by using Google. The other is to use a better quality buffer in front of it. This seems like the simplest solution but once again I haven't had this problem. It plays nice with my fuzz pedals and sounds killer to my ears. I'm always open to trying new gear and I'd like to try some of the new boutique wah's out on the market. But if your looking for a straight up, great sounding, and classic looking wah, this should be your first stop.

This review was completely unsolicited, I received no compensation for it and all views and opinions are my own.

What has the internet done to us?

When I started playing guitar, all the way back in 1990, people would talk about guitar players styles. Was it blues or neoclassical, did it remind them of zeppelin or Van Halen, maybe it was punk, alternative or main stream. Whatever equipment you were playing through was fine as long you were doing your thing well. Yeah he plays through a peavey stack but it's cool, he can shred. The focus was on how well that player did what he did. Now people on the internet are arguing over which version of the tube screamer circuit is the best sounding. And no one is talking about the guitarist themselves. You can spend a small fortune on cables. Or a pedal board. And it's so easy to get sucked in. I like gear, but I'm starting to wonder if this train of thought isn't part of a bigger problem. Although I'll admit some gear makes you want to play more than others, the music isn't IN the guitar. Many of my favorite guitarist, have simple set ups with a basic crybaby and a couple of Boss (I know) pedals running into a pretty straight forward amp. I was reading an article on the "Brooklynization" of the music scene. Bands everywhere aren't taking the time to find their own voice, Everyone is trying to sell you that they are the next big thing while sounding like everyone else. Even if they are slightly unique they aren't that different from everyone else. And bands who set out ONLY to be different are just awful. Is this part of a bigger problem? I think so, but what that problem is exactly I don't know. Everyone logs on the internet to share their opinion on everything, but what I've noticed is that most people don't have a clue as to what they are talking about. They have formed an opinion based on reading other peoples opinions. Not based on critical thinking and examination. These people are sheep. Even the ones that do know something may not know what your looking for. Many of these people share their opinions in an effort to help others, and that's a good thing. But mixed into these opinions are people who work for or closely to a manufacturer of a product or worse are trying to prove something. Music as a whole goes through cycles. It seems to get more complex and then simpler. Simpler relates to more people, complex is for the musician's and people who understand music can be more than a simple 3 chords and the truth. I love listening Tosin Abasi play the guitar. He is both melodic and technical, his music has groove and he has an awe inspiring understanding of music theory. On the same token, the Foo Fighters write great songs that grab people who would never understand just how incredible Tosin is. Is one better than the other? NO both are great at what they do. And if you were to ask advice from either one you could see how their advice applies to you. So why are we spending so much time asking people we don't know for advice on what pedal to buy? Most of your large retailers will let you send it back within a month. Order it and send it back if it doesn't work for you. If you have a store where you can try it out, do it. If you have a store where you can't try it out, don't buy from them, the're assholes. But the main thing is that we need to get back to playing, figure out how to make your equipment work for you and play, play, play.