Zakk Wylde
Zakk Wylde
Zakk Wylde's Gear
Usage
Wylde famously uses the SD-1 to boost his amps. In fact, he is so closely associated with the pedal that Boss released a limited edition Zakk Wylde version.
Zakk Wylde uses an MXR Carbon Copy delay pedal onstage with Black Label Society. "The settings I have it at...are for Randy Rhodes' guitar solos..." Wylde says at (3:40) in this Guitarist Magazine video. "I could be playing fast and it's not going to muddle any of the playing," he said.
Zakk Wylde talks about his CE-5 Chorus at 2:42 by saying, "And then I got the Boss Chorus pedal over here right now...It just fattens things up a little, you know?"
One of Wylde's most iconic guitars next to his slough of bullseye customs, is this unique guitar - a custom '89 Gibson Les Paul which he calls "The Rebel" He is seen in this clip from a 1993 Gibson Guitar Clinic playing the guitar, with the first good shot at about 0:15.
Our friends at EMG just published a great live video of Zakk Wylde performing the Black Label Society tune "Lovin' Woman" for EMGtv. Zakk uses his custom Epiphone Masterbilt EF-500RCCE and showcases his awesome talent with just acoustic guitar and vocals. It's Zakk Wylde like you've probably never seen him before!
In this October '99 issue of Vintage Guitar Magazine, Wylde states that he uses GHS Boomers (10-58).
[VG] What kind of guitars, amps, and effects did you use for the recording?
[ZW] The same old stuff I always use, which is pretty much the same stuff I’ve used since I played with Ozzy. You know what they say – if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
I used 100-watt Marshall JCM800 heads, model 2203, with straight Marshall 4 X 12 cabinets loaded with 200-watt EVs. I used to have Celestions in my cabinets when I played with Ozzy and Pride & Glory. They were 70-watters and they were really loud, then I hooked up these EVs and I couldn’t believe how clean they sounded. It’s just pure guitar, and for the music I’m doing you need a lot of attack, and if you have the vintage-style speakers they really break up. They sound very warm, but when you get down to the low strings you want more meat. The EVs just sound so much better because I tune to 440 Hz and I’ll often drop my low E down to a B or an A. I use a custom set of GHS Boomers, .010 to .058, so it doesn’t get too floppy.
Marshall introduced the Limited Edition MG15MSZW Zakk Wylde Microstack in collaboration with the Black Label Society guitarist. "Whenever I'm onstage with Black Label Society I run my Marshall 'Wall of Doom.' And whenever I'm warming up backstage or practicing on the bus I plug into my Microstack, which sounds totally slamming," Wylde says in this article.
In the video you can see Zakk Wylde playing an Epiphone Zakk Wylde Bullseye Les Paul Custom.
Zakk Wylde uses a pair of Marshall JCM800 heads on tour with Black Label Society. He and his rhythm guitarist each run through a pair of Marshall amps and cabinets, creating a quadraphonic stereo space. "Basically we have four live cabinets running," Wylde says in this Guitarist Magazine video at (2:10). "It just gives you that wide [sound]...especially when you hit the chorus pedal...everything gets super wide," he says at (2:44).
In this video, we can see Zakk with a custom shop Washburn Dime D3 gifted from Dimebag Darrell.
This detailed gear diagram of Zakk Wylde's 1988 Ozzy Osbourne stage setup includes a Boss CH-1 SUPER Chorus pedal.
At 4:57 in this NAMM 2015 video, Zakk Wylde shows his new line of guitars and amps including the Master 100 amp head.
In this rig rundown Zakk Wylde shows his pedalboard, which includes the MXR Uni-vibe as well.
Wylde plays a Gibson Flying V, also painted in his signature "bullseye" design. The guitarist shows us one of his Flying V's in this Guitarist Magazine interview at (7:40). "These...with the Floyd Rose...[it's] basically a Gibson Flying V custom," he says. The guitar has an "ebony fretboard, maple neck, and everything like that."
This is one of Zakk’s favorite on-stage guitars. It is fitted with EMG instead of the stock DiMarzio pickups, and it has a polka dot paint-job. He mostly plays it as a homage to late Randy Rhoads, Ozzy Osbourne’s guitarist who used to play the same model.
Zakk has few of these, perhaps the best known one has black paint-job with white dots, which he used in the music video for “Suicide Messiah”.
As seen at the minute 00.47 of the "Guitarist"'s Video "On The Road With Zakk Wylde", Zakk Wylde uses Marshall JCM 800 2203ZW Signature Heads during his Tour. The Heads in the video are nicknamed "Steel Curtain" and they are prototypes. The power tubes of this heads are 6550.
This detailed gear diagram of Zakk Wylde's 1988 Ozzy Osbourne stage setup includes a Dunlop Jimi Hendrix JH1 Wah pedal.
Wylde can been seen playing in this advertisement for his signature Guitar strings.
In this image, Wylde can be seen preforming with Dunlop Tortex Pitch Black 1.14s, five can be seen taped to the bottom bout of his guitar aswell as eight on is mic stand.
As can be seen in the video, Zakk had an EMG ACS installed in the Epiphone acoustic which he used for his EMG TV performances.
Zakk received this guitar from Ozzy in the early 80s, as a present for his birthday (most likely his 21st). It’s his main go-to guitar for clean stuff in the studio, but he never uses it live.
Zakk’s Les Paul Junior was made in 1957, and it features a single-cutout body shape with sunburst finish, and a single P-90 pickups in the bridge position.
Zakk Wylde utilized the Yamaha SPX90 Digital Multi Effects Processor in recording the albums No Rest for the Wicked and No More Tears. A video by Michael Nielsen demonstrates the processor's sound, closely resembling the tones on these albums. An image on Pinterest further associates Zakk Wylde with the SPX90.
Zakk played this guitar in Zyris circa 1985, as seen in this video.
In this photo Wylde can be seen with a Gibson Les Paul Standard that it appers he has fitted with EMG Humbuckers.
Seen in the video when the tech is talking about the mics.
Zakk Wylde plays his own custom Epiphone model, the Graveyard Disciple, spotted in this Guitarist Magazine video at (8:00). "It's pretty much like an SG, body-wise" Wylde said. "It's all mahogany, just like a...SG is. "Neck wise...either a rosewood or ebony fretboard, maple back and neck. And you know, same thing, my EMGs and Floyd Rose."
Wylde used this guitar for its 2010 National Anthem performance at the Metal Hammer Golden Gods Awards, as well as on the 2009 Edgefest.
Guitar given to him by Dimebag Darrel, shortly before his death. Zakk only used it once on stage to play “In This River,” to pay a personal tribute to Dimebag.
This quote is from the October '99 Issue of Vintage Guitar which Wylde was featured on.
[VG] What kind of guitars, amps, and effects did you use for the recording?
[ZW] The same old stuff I always use, which is pretty much the same stuff I’ve used since I played with Ozzy. You know what they say – if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
I used 100-watt Marshall JCM800 heads, model 2203, with straight Marshall 4 X 12 cabinets loaded with 200-watt EVs. I used to have Celestions in my cabinets when I played with Ozzy and Pride & Glory. They were 70-watters and they were really loud, then I hooked up these EVs and I couldn’t believe how clean they sounded. It’s just pure guitar, and for the music I’m doing you need a lot of attack, and if you have the vintage-style speakers they really break up. They sound very warm, but when you get down to the low strings you want more meat. The EVs just sound so much better because I tune to 440 Hz and I’ll often drop my low E down to a B or an A. I use a custom set of GHS Boomers, .010 to .058, so it doesn’t get too floppy.
Aside from the stacks, I also used a little Epiphone practice amp for some parts, like some of the solos, and I used a Marshall Bluesbreaker for some overdubs, like some of the clean parts and slide parts.
He used this Marshall backstage to warmup and for home use as seen in the video.
The MXR Zakk Wylde Signature Phase pedal can be spotted in Wylde's pedal lineup in this Dunlop promotional video at (3:10).
This is a community-built gear list for Zakk Wylde.
- Find relevant music gear like microphones, guitar rig, amplifier setup, effects pedalboard, pianos, keyboards, synths, and other instruments and add it to Zakk Wylde.
- The best places to look for gear usage are typically on the artist's social media, YouTube, live performance images, and interviews.
- To receive email updates when Zakk Wylde is seen with new gear, follow the artist.